Here’s a few things I picked up after day one of Lollapalooza:
- It monsooned yesterday and I ruined my birkenstocks in the mud. Although the rain let up before the close of the day, the mud is going to be back. Lesson learned: wear plastic flip flops – you can rinse off easily and you can toss them out at the end of the day/weekend.
- Not to harp on the rain , but we have scattered rain predicted throughout the day. I brought a bunch of plastic ponchos left over from the Deer Creek Phish show in June yesterday and I’m doing the same today. I wish I had brought a box of them – could have probably sold an entire case at four bucks a pop and made bank. They are small and will easily fit in your bag.
- The main entrance at Congress and Columbus is the longest entrance. There is a new entrance at Monroe and Columbus that is much faster. However, better than either of these options is flashing your wristband to the security guards on Jackson or Balbo. These are the food streets and all you have to do it wave it to them and you get through no line, no security check.
- Jackson Street has much better food than the Balbo vendors. Connie’s is on both sides, but while the south food street only offers traditional festival food – burgers, dogs, pizza, the north food street has gyros, Robinson’s pulled pork sandwiches, and kick as thai food. The lines are slightly longer but you are getting much more for your money. You can get a decent meal for about $5.
- They started to run out of the big beers ($8 for 24 oz, $5 for 12oz) before the headlining bands. Security is light, try to bring in a flask and line your girlfriend’s underpants with shot bottles.
- Pot smoking once again is very minimally monitored. Only Chicago police can get you in trouble. Security has been advised that is it not their problem and their main focus is crowd control. Be mindful of smoking in the groved areas that are adjacent to the sidewalks that get you back and forth from each sides – there are usually a pair of uniformed police hanging out there. If you don’t want to be blatant, go to the Perry Stage join the dance party and get high, those kids are non stop blazin’.
- The porta potties between the Citi Stage and the Kidz Stage have the worst lines. My best luck with port-a-potty lines were those on the far sides of the park adjacent to the main stages. If you don’t mind running for a piss break during someone like Thievery Corporation or the Decemberists, you’ll probably save yourself at least 30 minutes in the long run.
- Don’t get discouraged by the crowds are the various stages. If you loop the parameter of a crowd and shoot towards the stage near the screens, you can usually get a pretty decent spot.
- I rode my bike and parked with Active Trans on Monroe and Lake Shore Drive. It’s free and there was no line after the festival let out. I was home in a jiff.
Planning for today…
- They cut down the water fountains this year. It’s supposed to be in the 90s, so bring big water bottles from home to avoid those lines that will inevitably build throughout the day. I’m gonna fill my camel pack before I leave home today in hopes that I run into a lack of security check again.
- If you get too hot while you rage in the first row, security has water. Grab one of them and tell them you raged your little heart out too much and now you’re about to faint.
- Sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen.
It’s ten after 11 now, so time to start packing my gear and getting ready to head back down to Grant Park. My first stop – Moneypenny (aka Roctapussy) at Perry’s.