Olivia Rodrigo, Korn, T-Pain, Bleachers Recap

Lollapalooza Day Two wrapped in Chicago’s Grant Park on Thursday with stellar performances from Olivia Rodrigo, who made her Lollapalooza Chicago debut at the top of the lineup; and Korn, who last performed the festival when it was still a touring entity back in 1997. Bleachers, T-Pain, and Djo were also among the highlights.

Olivia Rodrigo Makes Her Lollapalooza Chicago Debut
It may have been Olivia Rodrigo’s Lollapalooza Chicago debut performance, but she could’ve easily topped the bill earlier if she hadn’t already been selling out stadiums on her own Guts tour. She’s a vet at this point headlining major festivals, with songs that invite massive sing-alongs and camaraderie. “Take care of the person next to you,” she instructed the crowd that eagerly bonded over the emotions her lyrics conveyed, which included heartbreak, revenge, and lovelorn confusion. Music lovers of all stripes and ages were enamored by her charm coupled with her Guts and Sour music, where she surveys punk, pop, rock, balladry, and beyond with agile vocals to match. Backed by an adept all-female band, Rodrigo tore through her hits. 

Like her relatable songs, as a performer, Rodrigo made fans feel like they were in on a shared secret: she shot knowing glances, widened her eyes, and with a flash of a smile signaled we were all in it together. She opened with “Obsessed” and the anxious “Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl,” where fans met her energy by singing throughout, and dancing and jumping along with her. Later, she took to the piano for the lilting “Driver’s License” and “Traitor” before the one-two raucous punch of “Bad Idea, Right?” and “Love Is Embarrassing.” In addition to marking her first Lolla Chicago show, she also shared another first: she said her first-ever concert was Weezer, and then she brought them out to perform “Buddy Holly” and “Say It Ain’t So” together. She capped off the momentous night with a multi-song encore that culminated with “Get Him Back!” and fireworks. —A.L.

Korn’s Big Lolla Comeback Aligns With Nu-Metal’s Revival
There’s something surreal about seeing immortalized parts of the Nineties, Jonathan Davis’ voluptuous metal mic stand included. What’s odder is realizing that Korn, nu-metal pioneers, only played Lollapalooza once, back when it was still a touring festival in 1997. Amidst the genre’s current revival, Korn sounded heavier and arguably even better than in their heyday. Pulling primarily from Issues and their debut LP, they beefed up fan favorites like “Here to Stay” and “Cold” to sound as massive as “Blind” and “Freak on a Leash.” Elsewhere, they snuck a Metallica cover onto the end of “Shoots and Ladders,” and tacked Queen’s “We Will Rock You” refrain onto “Coming Undone.” “The fact we’re up on this stage after 28 fucking years? I cannot thank y’all enough,” Davis said in a sentimental speech, before returning to classic Korn ways and instructing the crowd to raise their middle fingers and scream “Fuck that” during “Y’all Want a Single.” —N.C.

Bleachers Master the Art of Pop-Rock for the Whole Family 
Bleachers admit they love the past: hearty saxophone modeled after Clarence Clemons, retro pop-rock like Bowie, American observations in the style of Springsteen. Even the band’s look — blue denim, plain T-shirts, collegiate banners — was faded. Their most timeless feature is Jack Antonoff, a bandleader who was charming, comedic, and above all relaxed. When he ordered shoulder-sitters to take formation for “Rollercoaster,” dozens saddled up. His bandmates gathered around him for mid-solo poses. He balanced vocal scruff and glean singing “Everybody Lost Somebody” and “Stop Making This Hurt.” “Got something in life you need to run away from?” posed Antonoff. “High knees, bitches!” Aye aye. —N.C.

T-Pain Serves the Hits
T-Pain packed the house during his set on the Bud Light stage, and he threw a proper party. Accompanied by DJ Montay and joined by dancers, T-Pain dropped hit after hit — his own and others. He culled from his last album, 2023’s On Top of the Covers, which spans a variety of genres. Like the album, his set showcased his versatility and was a highlight on Thursday. He dropped his takes on songs such as Sam Smith’s “Stay With Me” — which the auto-tune king sang unadorned, highlighting his vocal chops — and Pitbull’s “Hey Baby (Drop It to the Floor)” to his own “Buy u a Drank (Shawty Snappin’)” and “I’m Sprung” and his features like with Flo Rida on “Low.” His set was a reminder of how he’s significantly shaped two decades of popular music. —A.L. 

Djo Comes Home
Djo, the musical project of Stranger Things actor Joe Keery has been giving old things new spins. Take Djo’s latest album, The Crux, which garners inspiration from the Seventies and Eighties. The former member of hometown band Post Animal has also reunited with them to write, record, and produce their new IRON album, and members Wesley Toledo and Javier Reyes performed alongside him Friday (Post Animal perform on Sunday). During their set, Keery hit falsetto heights on “Basic Being Basic.” He also paid tribute to his hometown: the band performed in front of a prop that mirrored Chicago’s Cloud Gate a.k.a. the Bean, “Charlie’s Garden” featured a solo from Chicago trumpeter-producer Nico Segal, and set closer “Back on You” included a Chicago youth choir. But for all the looking back while moving forward, it was Djo’s viral hit “End of Beginning” that fans seemed the most nostalgic for. Keery was clearly glad he was “back in Chicago,” and so was the audience. —A.L.

Amaarae Heats Up Lakeshore
Ghanaian American artist Amaarae lit up the Lakeshore stage with her fusion of Afrobeats, pop, R&B, and hip-hop. Flanked by a pair of dancers along with a DJ-keytar player, her high-octane set included “Counterfeit,” “Princess Going Digital,” and set closer “Come Home to God” off of one of 2023’s best albums, Fountain Baby. Beyond her own songs, she paid homage to Chief Keef with “I Don’t Like” and honored Leo season with a Happy Birthday sing-along. The singer is readying her third album, Black Star, and offered some previews from it, including the steamy “S.M.O.” If the previews are indicative of what’s to come, Black Star is looking to be another contender for best of lists. —A.L.

The Dare Slips Daytime Ravers a Sleazy, Sweaty High
Are you offended? Or are you having fun? The Dare’s coming out on top either way. Harrison Patrick Smith turned sleazy electroclash into a one-man show where he writhed and contorted like a dealership inflatable. Blasted by stacks of stage lights in his suit-and-tie uniform, Smith yelped “Good Time” and “I Destroyed Disco” while a squished crowd jumped and grinded, momentarily turning the Grove stage into Perry’s. He covered the Sound’s 1980 cut “I Can’t Escape Myself” with subwoofer pushed forward and dramatized howls, but no song was more euphoric than “Girls.” —N.C.

Slumber Party Indie Pop at Orla Gartland’s Place Tonight
Orla Gartland makes indie pop that’s primed for sleepovers with friends, and the crowd that gathered felt like invitees armed with late-night snacks and glittery crafts. Backed by a drummer and synth player, the Irish singer-songwriter cherry-picked songs from her two albums to suit the mood, including the sassy “Backseat Driver,” a playful “Late to the Party,” and a cover of Chappell Roan’s “Red Wine Supernova.” Ending with “Little Chaos” was the perfect goody bag to send onlookers back out into the festival with youthful hope, a dash of irreverence, and the secret to finding fun when you need it. —N.C.

Otoboke Beaver Import Dance Moves More Unpredictable Than Their Punk 
Widely regarded in the punk scene as one of the best modern live bands, Otoboke Beaver came to shred and goof around. The Kyoto-based quartet wielded their instruments like Super Soakers and struck poses while reloading riffs for “Akimahenka” and “Don’t Light My Fire.” Over 15 years into their career, they still follow their moral compass: normalize oddball dance moves in punk, dress cutesy while rocking hard, and challenge injustices against yourself and others. “As a Japanese punk band, I want to say stop the genocide and starvation in Gaza,” singer Accorinrin prefaced their final songs. “We want peace in [the] world.” —N.C.

Kenny Mason’s Flow Is as Fluid as His Beats
All of Kenny Mason’s album artwork is black and white, but live, the Atlanta rapper is too radiant for monochrome moods. “I got high aspirations,” he admitted onstage between tracks. Genre-fluid beats turned from mellow acoustic guitar to digitized trap to showcase Mason’s verbose flow, even on bigger songs like “Hit,” “Relief,” and “Angel Eyes.” His positive energy eventually influenced the crowd: Before “Stick,” he told those unfamiliar with the hit that his fans would teach them the words —  which they ended up chanting on their own before a single beat dropped. —N.C.