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

The Backseat Lovers bring huge crowd to Coinbase stage on final Lollaplooza night

%28Left+to+right%29+Drummer+and+background+vocals+Juice+Welch%2C+lead+vocals+and+guitar+Joshua+Harmon+and+bass+guitar+KJ+Ward+perform+their+final+concert+of+their+tour+on+Sunday+during+the+last+night+if+Lollapalooza+2023.
James Hoeck
(Left to right) Drummer and background vocals Juice Welch, lead vocals and guitar Joshua Harmon and bass guitar KJ Ward perform their final concert of their tour on Sunday during the last night if Lollapalooza 2023.

The Backseat Lovers performed a set at Coinbase stage on the closing night of Lollapalooza 2023 to an enormous and enthusiastic audience.

The alternative rock band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Joshua Harmon, guitarist Jonas Swanson, bassist KJ Ward and drummer Juice Welch. The four took the stage at 7:30p.m. to huge cheers from the crowd.

The Backseat Lovers kicked off their hour-long set with a few minutes of instrumental, getting the energy going right off the bat.

The band got fans dancing and singing to “Pool House,” one of the group’s top hits off of their album “When We Were Friends.”

Harmon laughed in disbelief as the crowd sang the song’s lyrics at the top of their lungs.

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During a brief break between songs, Harmon quickly and simply expressed how the band was feeling performing such a huge set.

“This is really scary!” Harmon said to laughs from the crowd.

This is not the band’s first Lollapalooza performance, as they previously played the festival in 2021. The set two years ago was noticeably earlier in the day, at a much smaller stage and for a smaller crowd.

The Backseat Lovers kept the hits coming with a performance of “Kilby Girls,” their biggest hit yet. The 2019 single currently has over 250 millions streams on Spotify, and reached number 39 on the Billboard Rock and Alternative Airplay chart.

The band has been on an impressive touring cycle of two years, commencing with the 2021 Lollapalooza performance. They recently finished

Vocals and lead guitar Jonas Swanson plays at Coinbase stage on Sunday during The Backseat Lovers’ set. (James Hoeck)

touring Europe and the United Kingdom this past spring.

During their extensive touring, the band put out their second studio album “Waiting to Spill” in 2022.

The band expressed their gratitude for their fans from the stage.

“I don’t really know what to say other than just thank you so much for being here with us,” Harmon said.

The band closed out their set with “Sinking Ship,” as has become tradition for the group.

Harmon finished off the set by giving his guitar away to a lucky member of the crowd.

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About the Contributors
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.
James Hoeck
James Hoeck, Photo Editor
Heyo! I am James Hoeck, a third-year undergraduate student in photography with a minor in media. I have been a part of Illini Media for two years, starting back in fall 2021. I hold the position of Photo Editor here at The Daily Illini. I also work as Photo Editor for Illini Media’s Illio Yearbook. There is a good chance you will see me out and about on campus taking photos for my personal work or for The DI and/or Illio! If you want to check out more of my work, visit my socials linked below.
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