That’s Lollapalooza

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Festival Life

Lollapalooza 2022… Hell, yes! I’ll always remember it. The shifting of my life was in full force. My life was changing, and by this time, I was facing it head on. I could actually feel my need to change how I was living. August of 2022 was the month I first really spoke about how my life was shifting. It seemed appropriate that I celebrated by attending my first big music festival. 

I had been scared of going to big festivals until this point in my life. Crowds and heat. Not really a good combo. It could seriously trigger my anxiety. I had to make it happen this time, though. J-Hope was performing. You all know by now that I’m a huge BTS fan. I had to see Hobi. He had a new album and would be performing his new songs along with all his older solo stuff. With the added bonus of seeing Tomorrow X Together (TXT), this festival was a must for me.

It was even more awesome because I was meeting up with Alli and Maria (Check out more on Alli and Maria in That’s My Squad!). I was still scared to travel alone. I could fly on a plane by myself but I was anxious. Also, checking into a hotel or going to events alone, I wasn’t quite ready for that (Spoiler Alert: This changes really fast!). For this first experience, I wanted my friends with me. I love when schedules and location work out where I can see more than one of My Squad members at the same time. When this happens, life is really good.

Korean Food and Friends

After taking my flight to Chicago (I slept almost the whole time), Alli picked me up from the airport. I was starving, so we went straight to Chinatown to eat some Korean food for lunch. We ordered too much. My eyes were way bigger than my stomach. It tasted so good, though! I love Ahjoomah’s Apron. Highly recommend it. Afterwards, we walked around and stopped at a K-Pop shop before she dropped me off at my hotel. There I met up with Maria and a couple of other friends.

Power naps were necessary, then off to dinner. More Korean food! This time it was Korean BBQ. The restaurant is called Perilla Korean American Fare, a Chicago local restaurant. It was my first time at a restaurant like this where we had to cook the food ourselves. It was a blast being with friends and laughing about how we almost burned the pork belly. We explored Chicago that night. I was surprisingly in awe of it. During this trip, I was still realizing how much I enjoy new places, especially bigger cities. I knew that night that I would be back. Chicago was too interesting not to spend more time there. 

People are Strange

Lollapalooza day 1! This day was planned as an explore and get merchandise day. Alli and I made sure to get merch for everyone while the others kept our spots so we would have a good view of TXT. Unfortunately, that didn’t last long. Other festival goers started pushing and it got hard to breathe. I understand that we all should dance around and enjoy the performances, but it was just too damn hot for that.

Let’s have some brutal honesty here. It didn’t take long to learn about a couple of different festival types. There are the kind of festival goers who get it. Thank goodness this is most of them. They are there for the same reason I am. To hear the music. To feel the experience of the live vibrations. Spotify is great, and I will always be a loyal subscriber. But, let’s be real. There is absolutely nothing as phenomenal as hearing music live and loud and raw. 

But, then there are those few who do two things. Some of them act like that festival is being put on just for them. They are not only entitled to their space, but mine, too, like some really overblown FOMO. Come on, people. There really is room for all of us. The other group are the type that don’t really seem to care about the music. They want everyone to pay attention to them, or they are trying really hard to make sure you are just as miserable as they are. Both types are challenging, but I see them a little clearer now and can avoid them. It keeps the festival experience real, though. A little added layer of interesting…

Tomorrow X Together

I ended up not really being able to see TXT as well as I wanted to. The way the stage was set up, tall people being in front of us, plus the phones of people filming, made it really hard to see. This stage also didn’t have a big screen. But, it was still amazing. I finally got to see my Soobin bunny live 🙂. Afterwards, we walked over to one of the main stages to see J. Cole. We just sat down with my blanket on a hill and enjoyed the show without sweaty people rubbing up against us. Sometimes life is just better without sweaty people. Even if you have to go to the cheap seats.

Just a quick walk out of the festival grounds and to the hotel, we ordered some ramen. We were so tired that before we could finish our food, Maria fell asleep with a face sheet mask on. We were exhausted and didn’t know if we could survive the next day. We were just grateful for the incredible hotel and the chance to get some sleep.

Hope World

Lollapalooza day 2! It’s the day I was waiting for and the reason why I got tickets for the festival. I was going to see J-Hope from BTS live on his first and only solo concert before going into the South Korean military service. This was a special once in a lifetime performance that I wasn’t going to miss.

Lollapalooza usually doesn’t allow people to line up outside the festival grounds until 10 am, an hour before doors open at 11. Alli miraculously managed to save spots for us at 8:30 am. The Lolla staff let us line-up really early and broke their normal rules. At 10 am, we scanned our wristbands for faster entry, and went through security at 11. Holy shit! It was a land run. Bless Maria! She ran and got us a barricade spot right behind the VIP section. Such a great view of the stage!

We all spread out for more space, laid my blanket down, and sat around waiting for the performances to start. It was hot. Especially with all of the body heat around us. Water, water, and more water. Before a big crowd surrounded us, Alli and I walked to Chow Town, the food area in Lollapalooza, to get some chicken fingers and fries. Being in the sun, that was the only thing that sounded good. I tried to eat it slowly so I could make it last all day. I learned fast that eating just enough but not too much is essential. Summer is brutal.

Performances Begin

The first performance of the day was Erica Banks. We were partying and twerking. So fun! Each performance was about an hour with a break in between. Since we were staying at that stage all day, we sat down during the breaks. Next up was Djo. I had no idea who he was until I saw him on the stage. I realized really quickly that it was Joe Keery, who plays Steve in Stranger Things. I love this show and this man! Never thought I would see him in person, let alone on a stage performing. This was an amazing bonus.

We had some fun listening to Charli XCX and The Kid Laroi too, but we were ready to see J-Hope. The sun was starting to go down, it wasn’t as hot, and my friends and I were ready to party! We had a great view. I was blown away by the quality of the stage and the amount of effort that went into the performance. The music was incredible. I think that the dancing, though, is the part that made this worth it for me. J-Hope is one of the best dancers in the world. It was surreal to see him live. To watch him dance is an experience all by itself. There is Hope in my World!

Live Music, Dancing, and Overall Experience

I am learning to move when I really want to experience life. It requires movement and planning and being honest with myself. This festival taught me to make sure my experience is as much about my friends and the music as I can. I want to have those moments when my favorite song from that artist is played and I look over at my friend and we know that we are living the life we want. The moments when I can feel the simple awesomeness of all of it. 

My passions came alive over those two days. All of them. The rush of being in a city that is vibing with so many different people. The experience of live music. The awe of seeing amazing talent up close. So much incredible dancing. And, last but not least, experiencing all of it with my beautiful friends. I want my life full of all of this Lollapalooza kind of vibe. It’s worth the heat and the sweaty people and all of the anxiety that I refuse to let stop me anymore. Can’t wait for next year!

Life is a Festival!

Check out my Youtube vlog of the 2022 Lollapalooza experience – coming soon!