Lollapalooza Plan Of Attack - Friday Edition

With a festival as sprawling and diverse as Lollapalooza, one can easily feel conflicted about where to spend your precious time. Should you plot an early spot waiting for the popular band or roll up fashionably late splitting time with lesser known acts? Would you be better served seeing an artist you know little about or go for the group you just satisfyingly caught in a much more intimate setting? Fret not, noble 'Palozzian, your choices are not so weighty. Try the Friday recommendations and thank me later.

Javelin/Wavves: 11:30-1pm.
Opting for the decidedly indie beginning to the day as opposed to the noveau hip-hop stylings of B.o.B and Balkan Beat Box was a bit of a no-brainer for me. Javelin quirky beats will blow over you like a breeze and then Wavves fuzzbox Beach Boy punk will carry you out to sea. If you caught Javelin in Millennium park for free earlier this month, B.o.B is definitely a solid fill-in.

Javelin - C Town


Wavves - King Of The Beach


The Walkmen/Ana Sia/The Big Pink: 1-4pm
Grab a sammich and head to The Walkmen for today's dose of drama-laden rock. Without a big standout in the 2pm slot, opt to expand your mind at the DJ stage on Ana Sia's self-described "grimy glitch". The pulsing throb of The Big Pink makes them a can't miss show as they are still touring in support of their excellent 2009 debut A Brief History Of Love. An able-bodied alternate in this slot is the the Chicago's own grande dame of R & B and gospel, Mavis Staples. Her voice always gives me chills.

The Walkmen - Stranded


The Big Pink - Dominoes


Mavis Staples - You Are Not Alone


Check out Ana Sia's music on Soundcloud.

The New Pornographers/Dirty Projectors/BlackKeys: 4-7pm
This block is rife with conflicts. Devo vs. The New Pornographers? Rather than opting for the superior artist in terms of history, I personally tend to avoid live music by senior citizens. The New Pornographers are only junior by comparison as their five albums ranging from good to excellent contain some of the best indie pop of the past ten years. Your 5pm dinner music depends on your personal taste. Rather than opting for the industrial squelch of Fuck Buttons or the sunny sing-a-longs of Matt & Kim, I will give the mixed bag of Dirty Projectors a listen, if only to watch a well-oiled collective at work. Yet again, we have another conflict with the down and dirty blues of The Black Keys or the smooth keyboard sheen of Hot Chip. Honestly, this choice could be based on personal taste or a coin flip: you won't go wrong either way. Reminder: if you are truly conflicted, try to catch the aftershows that most of these bands are playing at various venues around Chicago.

The New Pornographers - Moves


Dirty Projectors - Stillness Is The Move


Hot Chip - I Feel Better


Black Keys -Everlasting Light


Chromeo/Lady Gaga: 7-10pm
I am infinitely more interested in the second and third-billed acts than in the headliners this year. Since The Strokes pushed back the release date of their new album and I could not care less about reggae music, the only alternative is the better alternative. The silly synth-funk of Chromeo is an appropriate opener for Lady Gaga. It's fun, frivolous and danceable plus it might expand the listening palates of the ticket buyers who just came for the headliner. I have never been to a live performance of mainstream pop on this scale, so I am choosing this purely for anthropological reasons. Although seeing the live versions from The Strokes Is This It? might be worth a peek.

Chromeo - Night By Night


Lady Gaga/Holy Ghost - Alejandro Will Come Back


The Strokes - Last Nite