Lollapalooza kicked off its 2025 edition on Thursday, which was almost an ideal opening day in so many ways.
With an excellent lineup and perfect weather, day 1 opened with a rowdy performance from nu metal band Silly Goose, and it was nonstop from there. Minus one hiccup, but we'll get to that later.
After years of face-melting Chicago temperatures coinciding with Lolla weekend, this year is offering a reprieve, with relatively mild temps expected following a Wednesday downpour into early Thursday morning. Of course, that meant some of the grounds were muddy and impassable, but it could have been far worse. Just ask attendees of Bonnaroo, which scrapped the remainder of their 2025 fest after one day due to severe weather and unsafe grounds.
No such luck for Lolla, where fans basked under sunny skies as Grant Park slowly filled up. On the Bud Light stage, Mark Ambor treated those in attendance to a sunshiny blend of pop-folk in the vein of Noah Kahan. And seriously, he could easily follow in Kahan's footsteps, given the crowd's reaction to his music.
Over on the Tito's Handmade Vodka stage, half•alive delighted their fans with a frothy pop-rock performance, while Brockhampton's Matt Champion delivered an eclectic set ranging from hip-hop to pop to indie-rock, welcoming his friend and collaborator Dora Jar for their song "Steel."
As evening approached, it was immediately clear Role Model was attracting a larger than usual crowd at Tito's stage. While there's generally no sure way to guarantee the type of crowd an artist will have, this has been an ongoing issue at this particular stage, where the likes of Billie Eilish, Lizzo and Noah Kahan have played, all as their careers were beginning to skyrocket.
Thursday presented a similar challenge, but perhaps more surprising than the aforementioned artists, because Role Model (aka Tucker Pillsbury) is less of a household name. Still, there seems to be a need for better planning for this stage, as Thurday's dilemma wasn't just a fluke, even if the muddy grounds likely contributed to additional congestion between stages.
Despite the possible safety concerns, Role Model's performance was essentially flawless, albeit more sing-along than any others as excited fans sang along to practically every song, building up to a thrilling performance of "Sally."
Cage the Elephant then took over the Bud Light stage, and it was a breathtaking experience. For a band nearly two decades into their career, having played the festival circuit for years (including Lolla), there was such a vibrancy and palpable energy this time around.
Frontman Matt Shultz seemed to be fully tapped in throughout the band's set, leading up to a three-song closer which included a cover of Black Sabbath's "Changes," an ode to the late Ozzy Osbourne, followed by standout singles "Cigarette Daydreams" and then "Come a Little Closer." All in all, it made clear why Cage continues to be one of our favorites ever.
Across the park at the T-Mobile stage, Gracie Abrams was drawing an enormous crowd. Like, seriously massive. But beyond the crowd size, it represented a true representation of just how far Abrams has come in just a few short years, as the singer recalled when she last played Lolla in 2022, she covered Robyn's hit "Dancing on My Own."
This time, however, she was excited to welcome Robyn herself to join her on stage to perform the song together. If there was anything short of magical on day 1, it had to be this moment. Not just a Lolla guest, of which there are typically plenty, but one that's meaningful and actually unexpected.
Meanwhile, back on the Tito's stage, Alex Warren gave an electric, thoroughly entertaining performance, proving that while many may know him for one particular song, he indeed has the stage presence and musical catalog to hold his own.
He riffed easily between songs, at one point telling the audience if they had enough drinks from the bar, he might start to sound like Luke Combs, whose own headlining set would close out the Bud Light stage Warren's, acknowledging some in the crowd were waiting for Combs.
Leading into his final song, Warren paused and took notice of what appeared to be a medical emergency, only to discover it was apparently a fight. Finding humor in the situation, he asked the crowd if they were good, and the band restarted the intro for "Ordinary," with Warren telling the audience, "This is the song that changed my life."
Coincidentally, Warren would later join Luke Combs on stage at Bud Light for a cover of "Ordinary" as well as two other songs, "She Got the Best of Me" and "Lovin' on You."
To close out the night, it was Tyler, the Creator making his grand return on the heels of the release of his surprise new project Don't Tap the Glass. Emerging from the darkness with the words "Don't Tap the Glass" projected on the center screen, Tyler yelled, "Chicago!" The crowd roared back as he launched into an abreviated version of his new song "Big Poe" and then "Sugar on My Tongue."
His 17-track set was evidence of why Tyler continues to be a boundary-pusher, rule breaker and innovator, especially as hip-hop itself evolves. It was a stunning opener for a wonderful first day of Lollapalooza.
See photos from Day 1 of Lollapalooza below.
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