Nine Inch Nails
Update: Late last week, guitarist Adrian Belew announced his departure from Nine Inch Nails. Hence, our sole reason for recommending that concert-goers make a point of catching NIN's set is no longer a factor.
Wait,, didn't Nine Inch Nails announce their retirement a few short ears ago? Turns out Trent's not the only one needing a fix of NIN. Sure, it got so that their constant touring led us to take Reznor for granted, but now we really miss the big lug. For those who enjoyed the guitar atmospherics on Downward Spiral, Adrian Belew - aka The Guy Who Played Amazing Guitar All Over That Record - will be joining the band for this summer's tour. So, if you're one of those people who enjoys watching a modern guitarist's guitarist at work, this is a chance to see the man whose work can also be heard on classic records by the likes of Frank Zappa, David Bowie, and Talking Heads. Will their set be amazing? Our cash is on "YES!" The only question that remains is whether they'll deliver a "greatest hits" set or explore the deeper, darker aspects of the NIN catalog?
The Dunwells
If you're longing for a band capable of lifting an entire audience and making you believe in the power of music all over again, England's The Dunwells are the band to see. Their mix of traditional folk and straight-up rock instrumentation makes each song a joyous anthem. Imagine if Mumford & Sons and Glen Hansard got together and just went for broke. Trust me now believe me later, find out what stage their on and position yourself accordingly because by the time show starts, wherever you are, you'll wish you had. If you haven't fallen in love with them by the end of the third song, your lady has. Check out their mind-blowing performance of Foster The People's "Pumped Up Kicks" above!
The Vaccines
For those who cannot possibly imagine standing in the middle of Chicago's beautiful Grant Park chanting "No hope!" at the top of your lungs, all we can say is just wait until The Vaccines perform These Brits may look like Iron Maiden and sound like any number of unheralded nineties modern rock bands, but, hey, it's all been done, right? At this point, all any band can do is celebrate their influences as joyously as possible, which is what these cats do in spades. If you don't already own their music, the only question is whether you buy it before or after Lolla. Either way, you're buying it so why not go into the festival knowing the tunes so you can sing along?