New Bands At Lollapalooza: Raury, Elle King And The DMA’S

Lollapalooza crowd by Sarah Hess

Chicago - Saturday saw another successful day at Lollapalooza. The weather was great, the people watching was fantastic, and of course, the music was ah-mazing! While some people camped out all day to see their favorite bands, like Walk the Moon or Metallica, I kept myself busy seeing and hearing the latest bands just for you. Here’s some of what day two brought:

Raury

Raury live by Sarah Hess

The nineteen year-old Georgian sure brought in quite the crowd, despite his early start at the Pepsi Stage. Before his set even began, fans swarmed the fence, at the sight of him side stage, screaming with excitement, “Raury!” Once he leapt onto the stage, the screams became even louder. He kept the crowd’s energy going, with his music and words of love and encouragement. When introducing “Devil’s Whisper,” he talked about how much things have changed for him now that he’s working as an artist, and reminded the audience that no matter what you do, what it is that drives you, you must do it not for the money, but because you love it. Watching Ruary dance around stage, it’s evident he loves peforming and spreading positive energy. Watching the crowd watch Raury proves that they appreciate Raury and his keytar player. Yes, keytar!

Elle King

Elle King live by Sarah Hess

The amazing and captivating Elle King put on of my favorite performance of the day. This woman sings like nobody’s business. She’s also quite the comedian and story teller. Though, I think the word is out on that because she packed the lawn of the BMI Stage, with people spreading out onto the walkway. Elle was amazed by the sight and the festival, noting this was her first time at the Chicago festival. She looked out into audience and said, “Raise your hand if you’re from Chicago.” Hands flew into the air. Then she said, “Raise your hand if you’ve slept with me. Man, you weren’t supposed to tell anyone!” Laughter and smiles spread. She absolutely killed “Good To Be A Man,” and of course the crowd ate up “Ex’s & Oh’s.”

DMA’S

DMA's live by Sarah Hess

When I first saw the DMA’s I thought them to be rappers. There’s just something about the way they hold themselves. However, these Australian men are the next Oasis, belting out soulful tunes, with a bit of attitude. I caught the trio, joined by their backup band, at an official Lolla after show at the Vic, in Lakeview, where they were opening up for TV on the Radio. They played the ever sweet “Laced,” causing the crowd to sway along. During “So We Know,” the band left the stage, and Tommy O’Dell and Johnny Took performed “So We Know,” with O’Dell singing and Took playing acoustic guitar. It was enough to bring tears to your eyes. Really, the whole performance was.

There’s one more day left of Lollapalooza. Hopefully it’s another beautiful, sunny day free of rain. Either way, it’s sure to be filled with even more remarkable music. More coverage coming your way soon!
Sarah Hess

Sarah Hess

At the age of six, Sarah Hess discovered True Blue by Madonna. This resulted in her spending hours in front of the bathroom mirror with a hairbrush microphone, belting out "La Isla Bonita" off key. Her love for music only intensified over the years thanks to her parents; her mother exposed Sarah to The Jackson Five and had her hustling to the Bee Gees, while her father would play her albums like 'Pet Sounds' and 'Some Girls' from start to finish, during which he'd lecture on and on about the history of rock & roll. Sarah would eventually stumble upon rap and hip-hop, then punk and alternative, and fall madly in love with Jeff Buckley and film photography.

After attending The School of the Art Institute in Chicago, Sarah went on to study education at Dominican University, earning a degree in history. When not teaching, writing, or taking in a show, she is most likely to be found with a camera to her eye or hanging out in a darkroom.


You can follow Sarah Hess on twitter at @Sarahhasanh and view her music photography on her website: smhimaging.com.
Sarah Hess

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