Marcus Mumford of Mumford & Sons
By Hilary Gridley
The sun has come out and the music and causes are in full swing. Here are Saturday’s highlights.
Bands
St. Lucia
St. Lucia’s Caribbean-infused pop had the whole crowd dancing and singing along to hits like “Elevate,” the most-shared song on Spotify last week. Jean-Philip Grobler dressed in his usual bright patterns and jumped around the stage with more energy than any other performer of the day.
HAIM
There’s just no one else like HAIM. The three sisters from LA jam, banter, and drum their way into the hearts of everyone who sees them live. They recently released “The Wire,” which has long been a favorite from their shows, and it sounded better than ever. You can tell they’ve been hard at work, and it’s paying off. These girls are going places.
The National
I only caught a portion of the National’s set, but it was enough to see lead singer Matt Berninger smashing his mike stand and pleading that his “mind’s not right” during “Abel.” His commitment to performing is enough to turn anyone into a diehard fan.
Postal Service
10 years is a long time to wait for a band to come back, but this correspondent would wait 10 more to see a set like this again. From the first moments of “The District Sleeps Alone Tonight,” the crowd was supercharged on nostalgia and sheer excitement. It’s possible I cried during “Nothing Better.” I certainly wasn’t alone.
Mumford & Sons
“This is the quietest song you’ll hear all weekend,” Marcus Mumford told the audience before gathering the band around a single vintage broadcast microphone to cover Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m On Fire,” completely captivating the huge but silent crowd. When they followed it up with “I Will Wait” to finish the night, they cemented their place as quite possibly the best touring band today.
Causes
Green Mountain Energy
Since 1997, Green Mountain Energy has been providing energy from completely renewable and pollution-free sources. Stop by their tent on Green Street to purchase carbon offsets for your transportation to the festival.
Oxfam
Oxfam is at Lollapalooza promoting their Behind The Brands campaign, which calls on the ten biggest food companies to be more environmentally and socially responsible. Fans can stop by to sign the petition asking General Mills to end the secrecy about the course of its material. I spoke with their representative Jessica, who told me “We at Oxfam love music — after all, it’s one of our biggest supporters!”
Powering a Prince record at the Working Bikes station
Working Bikes
Funded by proceeds from their Chicago-based bike shop, Working Bikes collects around 8000 unused bikes every year, fixes them up, and donates them to local and global nonprofit partners. The Green Street booth is equipped with a stationary bike that powers a record player. I got in some exercise while playing Purple Rain.