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Saturday, August 23, 2003

Lollapalooza: Then and now

By D. PARVAZ
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

After a six-year break, Lollapalooza -- the formerly alternative, now mainstream, rock festival - is back.

  RELATED LINKS
 
- Review: Heady lineup rocks Lollapalooza fans
- Lollapalooza steps up with a stageful of stars
- Official Lollapalooza site

But an awful lot has changed since 1991, when Jane's Addiction frontman Perry Farrell introduced most of us to the word "lollapalooza" -- a slang term meaning "something or someone striking or unusual."

Back then, the monster tour of great bands, odd little sideshows (such as the Jim Rose Circus Show), etc., was indeed unusual. Now we're a nation of jaded mega-concertgoers. Ozzfest? Been there, done that. Ditto Lilith Fair, Family Values Tour, Vans Warped Tour, H.O.R.D.E., etc.

Here's a look at the way things changed since Farrell 'n' crew hit the road 12 years ago.

WHO & WHERE

1991, The Way We Were:
Jane's Addiction, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Ice-T, Violent Femmes, Fishbone, The Butthole Surfers, The Rollins Band, at the King County Fairgrounds in Enumclaw (back then, there was only one stage)
2003, The Way We Be:
Jane's Addiction, A Perfect Circle, Jurassic 5, Incubus, Audioslave, Rooney, The Donnas (plus bands on secondary stages) at the White River Ampitheatre near Auburn

"IT" MUSIC COUPLE

1991:
Kurt & Courtney
2003:
Beyoncé & Jay Z

ICE-T

1991:
The OG (original gangsta), just before he made "Cop Killer" a big hit
2003:
The OC (old cop) on "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit"

FLANNEL

1991:
Wore it. Everywhere
2003:
Wipe our Mini Coopers with it

TICKET PRICES

1991:
$25, general admission, no special treatment
2003:
$53.50 to $69.50, with 10 pairs of "VIP Experience" tickets (front-seat tickets, backstage passes, etc.) going on eBay for $610 at last glance

HAIR

1991:
Long and stringy
2003:
Short and receding

COOL LOW-TECH toy

1991:
Hacky Sack
2003:
Fire-spinning gear

SO-HIP-IT-HURTS BODY MODIFICATION

1991:
Branding or nose-piercing
2003:
Tongue-splitting, anyone?

TRAGIC DRUG OF CHOICE

1991:
Heroin
2003:
Vicodin, Adderall, Oxycontin, oh my!

MOSH PITS

1991:
Concertgoer's dream
2003:
Lawyer's dream

TECH REVOLUTION

1991:
The Information Superhighway (swoon!)
2003:
The Segway (yeah, right)

ALTERNATIVE

1991:
Meant what it said: not in the mainstream
2003:
Just another genre, like New Country, and no longer alternative to anything

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

1991:
Brought to you by Jane's Addiction leader Perry Farrell and regional promo outfit Monqui
2003:
Microsoft's Xbox and mega-promoter/communications giant Clear Channel and, oh yah, Perry Farrell

P-I reporter D. Parvaz can be reached at 206-448-8095 or dparvaz@seattlepi.com.
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