Lollapalooza 10 Years Ago

(Photo from Pitchfork.com)

With the recent official announcement of the Lollapalooza 2026 dates, all I can think about is the festival. I thought I'd throw it back 10 years and talk about Lolla 2016. We're gonna talk about my favorites from the festival in 2016, and towards the end, I'll talk about my Lolla 2026 predictions. Lolla 2016 was a special year for the festival, marking its 25th anniversary, and featured some big names. Many of these bands are still around today, and some of the smaller ones have made quite a name for themselves now.

The 1975, an English pop band, formed in 2002, originally started by covering punk songs and playing local shows. 10 years later, the band released their first EP, Facedown, marking their start to stardom. Led by Playboy Matty Healy, The 1975 features deep and hard lyrics for your average yearner. In 2013, the band released their first full-length album, The 1975, featuring some of their biggest songs, including Chocolate, Sex, Robbers, and Girls. Girls is the 11th track on the album and opens with an iconic soda pop (similar to a current trending song...). This song features danceable beats, a distinct snare, and an upbeat guitar backdrop. Although this song doesn't feature a guitar solo, the guitar is soloed enough to pop out and deliver the same features as a solo. The 1975 went on to release 4 more notable albums, their latest Being Funny In A Foreign Language in 2022. All of their albums feature songs that can be found on any classic Indie playlist and are always a go-to listen.

Headlining the bottom of the poster is a favorite of mine, The Greeting Committee. The Greeting Committee is an Alt/Indie band from Kansas. In 2015, the band released Hands Down their most notable song. 3 years later, the band released their first album, This Is It. Is This It?, is the first track of the album and opens with the most interesting horn I've ever heard. This song is the perfect warm-weather song to listen to when wearing a t-shirt in fake spring, making me feel like I'm walking into my high school in an indie film. In 2022, they released my favorite of their albums, Dandelion. Can I Leave Me Too? is the first track, and I can't get enough of the bass. I love the way the vocals stand out on this track, and the deep drum sound plays to its advantage. My favorite song from the album Make Out is something I've tried hard to describe but can't seem to put into words. It's fast-paced, but slow all at once, and the experimental noise throughout put the cherry on top. The Greeting Committee released their latest album in 2024, Everyone's Gone, and I Know I'm The Cause. My favorite piece from the album is How It Goes, which draws on similar elements from Make Out: fast-paced, upbeat, and featuring loud electronic elements throughout most of the song.

Pinegrove is an all-time classic band for frolicking through fields. Formed in 2010 by singer Evan Stephens Hall and drummer Zack Levine, they've amassed a strong following. Fans dedicated to the band are often called "Pinenuts," which I quite enjoy. After signing to their first label, they released a compilation of all their work in October 2015, fittingly titled Everything So Far. The album has 21 tracks and features some hidden gems. Their most notable song, Need 2, which briefly went viral on TikTok, is featured as the star on this album. Need 2 combines steady and loud acoustic drumming. The first 20 seconds of the song feature background sounds of insects and nature, setting the tone for both the song and the band. Since the release of Everything So Far, Pinegrove has released 4 albums, their most recent, 11:11, in 2022. Since the release of 11:11, the band has unfortunately been on hiatus. Pinegrove is the perfect band to listen to on your next trek or hike, and I will be sure to blast them loud this summer.

Lollapalooza 2016 showed out with notable names and is one of my all-time favorite lineups. Lollapalooza 2026 takes place July 30th - August 2nd and is ramping up to be one of the best lineups in a long time. Below I've listed just a few of my predictions for the festival this year.

Lollapalooza 2026 Predictions

• Lorde

• Twenty One Pilots

• Gorillaz

• Wet Leg

• Geese

• Fontaines D.C.

The official Lolla 2026 lineup drops on March 17th, and I can't wait.