Well, Lollapalooza is this week. Anybody going? I have never been to one of these festivals before, any tips as to what to bring along?

well maybe a raincoat and then your birthday suit :D

here's the weather for Fri, Sat, Sun

FRIDAY: (90 - 71) Mixed sun and a few clouds, not quite as hot or humid. NE winds off lake may limit immediate shoreline highs to mid 80s. Highs far west suburbs: Low 90s.

SATURDAY: (88 - 69) Patches of cloudiness, remaining hazy, moderately humid. Gusty t-storms may interrupt the day's otherwise predominately rain-free nature.

SUNDAY (94-74) Chance of a t-storm early. Turning mainly sunny, quite windy, hot and humid. High temperatures may be among this year's hottest. Peak heat index: Near 100?.

Lollapalooza will be on XM btw.

excellent - thanks for the news!

Can't wait for Friday to finally roll around! I've been waiting for this festival for months! I've gone to Lolla two years in a row, so I kinda know what to expect.

Some quick tips for what to bring off the top of my head:

#1 - Two bottles of water - it'll be hot as hell and you'll need all the hydration you can get. There are fountains in the park to refill your bottles.

#2 - blanket/towel - Staying on your feet for 12+ hours, 3 days in a row is tough. It's always nice to take a break and chill out on the ground without getting ridiculously dirty/muddy.

#3 - handwipes or hand sanitizer - Maybe I'm a clean freak or something, but most of the port-a-potties get pretty nasty by Day 3. You need to remember that you'll be using those same hands you just wiped your ass with to eat that greasy burger.

#4 - Cash money - Plan on spending $$$ while you're there on food and/or drinks. And if you're looking for souvenirs, there will be a TON of stuff to buy. The ATMs often have long lines, so I'd say just bring some extra money along with you.

#5 - Sunscreen - If the sun is going to be out, you'll be lobster-ized without it. Do yourself, and your skin, a favor and bring some UV protection.

That's all I got for ya.

FYI - I'm looking forward the most to seeing Muse, The Black Keys, My Morning Jacket, TV on the Radio, Cold War Kids, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Tokyo Police Club, LCD Soundsystem and Daft Punk.

This weekend is going to be FANTASTIC!!!

I can't f'ing wait - MUSE will be epic!

Any reviews from people that went? I know yesterday was pretty damn hot and humid.

I did a five mile run yesterday at 2 PM and almost died. Jesus Christos, it was humid. Disgusting, dripping, shirt-sticiking-to-you, cut-it-with-a-knife, hazy, drooping-leaves-on-tree humid. I can't imagine what it was like to try and enjoy a concert yesterday.

and.... come on, a penny for your thoughts...

no one going to chime in here and comment on this year's Lollapalooza

I also didn't realize until 1/2 way through Pearl Jam's set, that it was streamed online (video and audit in GREAT quality) for free.

Thought that was pretty cool

I didn't go, but I listened and enjoyed Pete Yorn's set on XM Radio's broadcast of the festival.

I was there. It was hot and sticky on Friday and Sunday, but not that difficult to deal with. Many thanks for those little battery operated fans given out in the cooling tent!

Lots of great performances. The good thing about a festival like this is if you're not getting into the music, you can leave and discover something else on another stage. The bad thing is when more than one band you want to see is scheduled at the same time and you have to make a choice. Geography also plays a big role as it's really tiring trekking back and forth between the main stages, which were about a mile apart.

Sunday was noticeably more crowded with Pearl Jam fans, Friday was noticebaly less crowded. Overall, this year it was a lot easier to get reasonably close to the stage for most of the sets than it was last year. My top 5 favorites were:

Muse - Just amazing. Opened with Take a Bow and closed with Knights of Cydonia. I heard later that they weren't able to hear themselves playing very well as only a vocal and guitar monitor were working.
The Roots - incredible musicians. Best groove of the weekend.
Iggy and the Stooges - Iggy invited the people to join him onstage and a couple hundred people streamed up from the crowd. I thought the stage was going to collapse! The funny thing was, he did this in the middle of their set instead of the end, so there was a big lull afterwards while we waited for people to clear off.
Daft Punk - This was a lot better than I thought is was going to be. Fantastic light show. It's robots in a pyramid. A PYRAMID!
Rodrigo y Gabriela - Sometimes it's hard to believe all those notes are being produced by just 2 people. They did a cover of Wish You Were Here where the crowd provided the vocal unprompted. Great moment.

Pearl Jam would have made the list if I'd been closer. They were the only band that I watched on the video screen from a distance. Also great were The Rapture, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, TV on the Radio, LCD Soundsystem, !!!, Silverchair, Ted Leo, and Satellite Party (mainly because they played some Jane's Addiction/Porno for Pyros songs).

Most disappointing was Amy Winehouse. She sounded fine, but was just going through the motions. She never smiled and barely acknowledged the crowd. Oh well, at least she showed up.