Lollapalooza weekend has begun. It’s the festival’s 30th anniversary, and it started off the way it always has: with packed shows, rowdy teenagers and, of course, stellar performances. 

But not before checking vaccination cards and negative COVID-19 tests, though.

The festival required all attendees to show either proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test within the last three days. According to Lollapalooza social media, more than 90% of attendees showed proof of vaccination, 8% brought proof of a negative COVID-19 test, and 600 were turned away due to lack of proper paperwork.

But once you got past the lines and settled into the crowds of the performers, that familiar Lollapalooza buzz that we all missed last year. Here’s a recap of some of the performers who took the stage Thursday at Lollapalooza.

Aly & AJ launch Lollapalooza on the T-Mobile Stage 

Aly & AJ kicked off the T-Mobile Stage’s Thursday lineup, performing various hits from their latest album, “a touch of the beat gets you up on your feet gets you out and then into the sun.” The duo enlivened the audience with their bright, sunshine-esque stage personalities, and during their performance, festivalgoers cheered, danced and sang along. To conclude their 10-song set, the duo played “Potential Breakup Song,” (the explicit one), one of their most popular songs. The tune was well received by the audience, resulting in deafening cheers as the duo finished their set. 

Motherfolk features intimate, familiar performance on BMI Stage

Sheltered underneath the trees surrounding the BMI Stage, Motherfolk gave its audience a surprisingly intimate experience in one of Chicago’s biggest music festivals. With their playful banter and rockin’ setlist, the Cincinnati-based band brought infectious, high-energy vibes to those lucky enough to attend. Mid-set, the band’s lead singer, Bobby Paver, emphasized his appreciation for the festivalgoers, saying, “Nobody in the world, not even your family, loves you as much as we do. We love you.” With that in mind, Motherfolk played a few killer tunes, like their popular hit “Kill the Sun” and some others, like “Trying to Kill the Moon” and “More Than You Know.” After the band finished playing, guitarist Nathan Dickerson proceeded to throw his guitar in the air, making several audience members cheer. Dickerson, in particular, had a nice falsetto, which he put to good use in many of the band’s tunes.

Jimmy Eat World brings ’90s, early ‘00s rock to Grant Park 

Formed in 1993, Jimmy Eat World is only two years older than the Lollapalooza festival itself, and lead singer Jim Adkins recalled being at the first festival thirty years ago. For their set on the Bud Light Stage, the band played “555,” “Big Casino” and, of course, “The Middle.” With Adkins’ iconic articulation style and the booming sound of the speakers, the band brought the vibes of ‘90s and early ‘00s rock music to Grant Park, paving the way for All Time Low, the next and closest location-wise band on the day’s setlist.

All Time Low showcases killer music, stage presence 

Fans flocked to the Tito’s Stage to watch All Time Low perform after the band’s back-to-back performance schedule with Jimmy Eat World. The band was playful, joking back and forth with each other and engaging the crowd. The digital display behind the band changed to fit the mood of each song, ranging from purple-and-green pixel art to paintbrush-like strokes to psychedelic swirls. Some notable tunes from their setlist include “Some Kind of Disaster,” “Glitter & Crimson,” “Monsters” and, obviously, “Dear Maria, Count Me In.” The volume between vocals and instruments was well-balanced, leading to killer drum fills and guitar riffs without drowning out the vocals. All Time Low has been around for a while – since 2003  – and it shows in the band’s stage presence, crowd engagement and, of course, their music. 

Dayglow brings dance moves, ’70s vibe to Lake Shore Stage

When Dayglow graced the Lake Shore Stage with his bright red pants and checkered button-down reminiscent of the ’70s and his high-energy personality, audience members knew they were in for a special performance. The setlist included some favorites such as “Hot Rod” and “Can I Call You Tonight,” which can both be considered classic indie anthems, and some newer songs from his newest album “Harmony House.” All songs received loud screams, applause and the classic festival dance moves that Dayglow himself partook in as well. Then, he pleasantly surprised listeners with a cover of Tears for Fears’ “Everybody Wants to Rule the World,” which was an instant boost of serotonin unlike any other that everyone should experience at least once in their life. With this performance, Dayglow proved that not only does he know how to perform, but he knows how to have fun, too.

Playboi Carti confuses himself, the audience

No one can really know what to expect when they wait in line for a Playboi Carti show. But whatever people expected was probably far from what Playboi delivered on the T-Mobile Stage (or maybe not). What started as Playboi yelling and screaming weird noises into the mic eventually turned into a weird and confusing performance. The only thing consistent about the performance was the constant pauses Playboi made to tell the audience to move back, though this wasn’t necessarily his fault. Despite all of the pauses and confusion, fans still went hard and screamed every word to every song, and that’s really all that matters.

Miley Cyrus exceeds expectations, stuns audience

Miley Cyrus was easily one of the most anticipated performances of Thursday, and soon into her set, she proved she earned that title.

There’s no telling what Cyrus has prepared for audiences, but you can always expect her to give performances her absolute all, whether that be through her vocals, the stage design or her outfit. And on Thursday, she delivered on all three and more. She opened the set with “We Can’t Stop,” which was an obvious (but also not obvious?) choice for a first song. She brought Billy Idol on stage next, as well several other guests including The Kid LAROI, Juicy J, Wiz Khalifa and G Herbo. She also performed her famous “Heart of Glass” cover and “SMS” by Britney Spears, accompanied by “Free Britney” graphics flashing on the big screens. Cyrus also performed some hits from her album “Plastic Hearts” and some oldies, including “See You Again” and “The Climb.” She closed her set with “Party in the U.S.A.,” a fitting choice for her the last song of Thursday at Lollapalooza.