10 shows you don´t want to miss at Lollapalooza Berlin
Only a couple of days left to come back to the Olympia Stadium and Olympia Park in Berlin for a new edition of Lollapalooza. It will be the fifth edition in Berlin and the second one in this impressive location where I really hope it can stay for many years.
While we count the hours left until the festival opens its doors, these are the shows that you should not miss:
01. Kings Of Leon
One of my favorite bands ever. Many things have changed for them since I saw this band from Nashville 16 years ago in Madrid where the Followill brothers (and cousin) took the stage wearing clothes three sizes smaller and long hair, and they were distributing wine glasses among the few people who filled the already extinct Aqualung hall. Kings Of Leon are pure Rock & Roll and having performed only 6 times this year and with the only exceptions of Benicàssim and Liverpool this will be their only and last stop in Europe. So, without any intention of bittering the party to Martin Garrix (who overlaps and by the way, brings a very good show), the presence at the Main Stage North on Sunday is a must!
02. Princess Nokia
Before she became world famous as Princess Nokia, Destiny Frasqueri started her career as SoundCloud rapper under the alias Wavy Spice, the imaginary sixth member of The Spice Girls. The American artist is more than just a rapper, she is also a filmmaker, an activist and a poet that has left behind complicated years where at the age of two she already lost her mother to AIDS, between the ages of 9 and 16 she was in foster care, a period when her foster mother was physically abusive. It was right after that when Frasqueri started writing rhymes to become one of the most exciting and promising rappers of the present time.
03. Billie Eilish
Probably no performance arouses more interest than the one by Billie Eilish. It is difficult to believe that in February, only 6 months before Lollapalooza she already visited Berlin to play at Kesselhaus only for a few hundred. But of course that was before the release of her first album, conquered festivals like Coachella or collect good reviews concert after concert. Icon of the Z generation (those born between mid nineties and 2010), with only 17 years Billie is a global and unstoppable phenomenon that goes far beyond music and has revolutionized Pop and its aesthetics in just a few months.
04. Dean Lewis
Dean Lewis is a singer-songwriter from Sydney (Australia) and he says he felt like pursuing a career in music after watching a video of Oasis when he was only nineteen. 14 years after he comes to Lollapalooza turned into an artist with the ability to evoke a plethora of emotions through his touching music. Today he has many million streams on Spotify but it was his single “Waves” after being included in many TV shows what opened him the doors to play in Europe and the United States. We ́ll have to make it to Lolla quite early (his show is scheduled at 13:45h) but it will be worth for sure.
05. Rex Orange County
I'm excited to see self-taught Alexander O'Connor (he sings, songwrites, produces and plays piano, guitar and drums), better known by his stage name Rex Orange County. This young guy from the UK (he is only 21) has thrilled artists like Randy Newman or Tyler The Creator with his music with elements of jazz, hip-hop, soul and bedroom electronica, and has gained millions of streams with his songs Bestfriend, Sunflower or Loving is Easy. As an anecdote, Rex Orange County was scheduled last year to perform on the French television show Quotidien but he withdrew from the live performance after seeing during the rehearsal a comedy sketch that included a satirical advertisement mocking the Ku Klux Klan.
06. Parcels
A unique blend of contemporary electronica and matured funk disco, where wide synth soundscapes and an electronic rhythm section meet spirited guitars and five-part vocal harmony. These five talented Australian guys are pure elegance, they have an exquisite sound and impeccable aesthetics and they have not stopped evolving and growing since they settled down in Berlin in 2015. I know I have been recommending them many times before, but this will be their last show after a long festival season so the last opportunity to see them live before they take a deserved break (unless you are planning to spend Christmas in Australia).
07. Kraftklub
These guys from Chemnitz not only have started the Kosmonaut festival or have shown attitude and commitment by impulsing the #wirsindmehr movement as a response to the extreme right rallies in the Saxony state (East Germany), they also have one of the best and most successful live performances. With songs like “Chemie Chemie Ya”, “Ich will nicht nach Berlin” or “Songs für Liam”, Kraftklub will burn the stage at Lollapalooza in their only scheduled live show. Looking forward to seeing them!
08. Gramatik
Denis Jašarević, known by his stage name Gramatik is a Slovenian electronic artist. With a style and influence mostly a blend of dubstep, electro, trip hop, and glitch he has a long career with many albums in the market and award nominations (he was nominated for the MTV Europe Music Awards in 2014). Everyone probably remembers his hits “Muy tranquilo” or “Just Jammin”. Scheduled in the Perry's stage, his will be one of the few shows that I ́ll attend in the less attractive stage for me.
09. Pale Waves
Pale Waves are a four-piece indie pop band from Manchester. In early 2017 they released their debut single “There's A Honey” produced by label mates The 1975. Shortly after they also headed on tour with The 1975, supporting them in both North America and Europe, previously to selling out their own gig. 2018 has since seen Pale Waves establish themselves as one of the UK ́s most exciting alternative bands with a sound and musical identity unlike any other band of their genre!
10. Granada
Granada is a cool band coming from Graz (Austria) that since their debut in 2015 everything seems to have been success after success. They have as many streams on Spotify as views on YouTube thanks to their creative music videos and they have done sold out throughout their Austrian and German tour. Granada is another good reason to wake up early and make it to the festival early on Sunday, fun and good vibes are guaranteed!
These were 10 shows that I won´t miss but there are obviously many more to see! Try not to miss the shows by Sigrid, The Faim, Courtney Barnett or The Coronas but specially don´t forget to visit the Weingarten stage, a scenario that may go a bit unnoticed but probably has the most interesting programming and with performances by Whenyoung, Pip Blom, Ilgen-Nur, Amilli or Big Joanie, the visit is a must!
The 5th edition of Lollapalooza festival in Berlin (Germany) will take place in the Olympiastadion & Olympiapark Berlin on Saturday and Sunday September 7th and 8th, 2019. Check out all the information to know more about the lineup, schedule or ticket sales here.
Cover photograph promo Kings of Leon
