Lollapalozer: library.newsday.com
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By Letta Tayler. STAFF WRITER; By Diane Werts. STAFF WRITER; By
Steve Parks. STAFF WRITER; Variety;
By Letta Tayler. STAFF WRITER
Lollapalooza, the traveling summer musical festival created in 1991
to showcase alternative music, has called it quits for this summer -
and possibly forever.
Organizers pulled the plug after performers including Marilyn
Manson, Green Day, Garbage and the nowdefunct Jane's Addiction, headed
by Lollapalooza co-founder Perry Farrell, declined offers to headline
the festival this summer.
In its early years, Lollapalooza was a huge success in showcasing
alternative artists from Pearl Jam and the Smashing Pumpkins to Sonic
Youth and Nine Inch Nails. Each tour stop featured at least 10 hours of
music on three different stages.
But new tours such as HORDE, Furthur, Smokin' Grooves and the Lilith
Fair recently created a glut of summer roadfests. By last summer,
Lollapalooza had dropped to No. 34 on Performance Magazine's list of
top-grossing summer tours.
At the same time, "alternative" lost its credibility as a musical
genre as many of its artists were welcomed into the mainstream. In a
quest for identity, Lollapalooza in the last two years showcased
electronica and heavy metal acts.
"Lollapalooza was based upon alternative music and there really is
no such thing anymore," said Bob Grossweiner, New York bureau chief of
Performance Magazine. "But there are enough good tours this summer that
I don't think many fans will care that much."
By Diane Werts. STAFF WRITER |
