The independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois since 1871

The Daily Illini

The independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois since 1871

The Daily Illini

The independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois since 1871

The Daily Illini

The independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois since 1871

The Daily Illini

Lollapalooza Day 1 recap

A+crowd+of+festival+goers+walks+down+Columbus+Drive%2C+the+area+where+a+majority+of+portable+restrooms+and+concessions+are+located%2C+on+Thursday.
Jacob Slabosz
A crowd of festival goers walks down Columbus Drive, the area where a majority of portable restrooms and concessions are located, on Thursday.

The first day of Lollapalooza went well despite the heat, with headlining performances from Karol G and Billie Eilish. 

The day saw sets from Carly Rae Jepsen, Diplo, Portugal. The Man, Noah Kahan and many more artists. 

Though the day was hot and sunny, that didn’t stop roughly 120,000 concertgoers from attending. 

The Beaches opened at the Bud Light stage with an energetic set for all festival goers to enjoy. The Canadian rock band was grateful to fulfill their dreams of performing at Lollapalooza and sang hits from their upcoming album “Blame My Ex.” Read about their performance here.

Matt Maltese performed the opening set at the T-Mobile stage with a breathtaking, peaceful 45-minute performance. Maltese, best known for his mega-hit “As The World Caves In,” did the entire set while sitting at his piano, creating a stand-out performance. 

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Maltese also chatted with The Daily Illini about his set, his TikTok famous hit As The World Caves inand his future plans. Read about it here.

Finish Ticket played a set at the Bacardí stage at 12:50 p.m. The indie band, hailing from Los Angeles, California, also talked with The Daily Illini. They discussed their performance, their new single “Changing,” their new album and their musical inspirations. Read the interview here.

Austin Meade played some hard rock in his Lollapalooza debut at the BMI stage with a jam-packed 40-minute set. The singer played nonstop after traveling all the way from Texas to share his message of embracing strong emotions, both good and bad.

Meade sat down with The Daily Illini to discuss his performance and what his music means to him. Read about his set and his interview here.

Noah Kahan drew a huge crowd to the Tito’s Handmade Vodka stage, who danced along for the entire hour-long set. The singer shared a journey of self-improvement with the crowd as he sang his most popular hits, including “Stick Season” and “Dial Drunk.” Read about Kahan’s set here.

Men I Trust took the Bacardí stage at 6:30 p.m. for a mellow indie-rock set. The band, most well known for their single “Show Me How,” presented an enjoyable, vibey set, with several instrumental breaks. 

The Daily Illini reviewed the bands set. Read about it here.

Carly Rae Jepsen showed her excitement on the Bud Light stage by dancing her whole set. The singer performed her biggest hits “Call Me Maybe” and “I Really Like You,” and also showed off her fashion skills by clipping some length off her dress with a pair of scissors midway through the show. Read about her performance here.

Karol G owned the Bud Light stage with an 80-minute performance done almost entirely in Spanish. The first ever female Latin headliner delivered on all fronts at the festival with infectious positivity and love for the crowd. Read about her set here.

Billie Eilish, the main headliner for the night, gave an electric performance at the T-Mobile stage. She blazed through 24 songs in an hour and 15 minutes, and every single song was incredible. She also had pyrotechnics and fireworks. Read about her impressive performance here.

 

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About the Contributors
Kiran Bond
Hi! My name is Kiran Bond and I'm a junior majoring in journalism and minoring in informatics. I started writing for The Daily Illini in the features section back in early 2022, before coming to buzz. I'm very passionate about music and journalism, so buzz editor is an awesome position for me! In my free time, I'm usually doing something musical! I'm in the Women's Glee Club choir and I play piano and guitar. I'm also probably listening to Fall Out Boy or another pop-punk or post-hardcore band. For any inquiries, feel free to reach out to me at !
Maaike Niekerk
Maaike Niekerk, Arts & Entertainment Editor
My name is Maaike Niekerk, and I am a sophomore majoring in English with minors in music and journalism. I began working with The Daily Illini during the fall semester of my freshman year as a buzz staff writer, and joined the editorial team last summer. I love bringing live event coverage to you from Champaign-Urbana’s vibrant music scene and sharing stories of local artists and musicians. Outside of The Daily Illini, you’ll find me performing at every football game with the Marching Illini or cycling with the 2024 Illini 4000 bike America team.
Jacob Slabosz
Jacob Slabosz, Editor-in-Chief
Hey, I’m Jacob! I am currently a sophomore in computer engineering with a minor in German. I started at The Daily Illini in Fall 2022 as a news reporter and staff photographer, and by Spring 2023, I had worked my way to photo editor. Between March 2023 and March 2024, I was the Managing Editor for Visuals, and I have since taken over as Editor-in-Chief. When I’m not taking pictures for The DI or for fun, I enjoy cooking, water sports and tending to my numerous houseplants. I’m excited to use my background in coding to further automate out workspace processes and to see the content that our team produces!
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