Reflecting back on the adventure that was Lollapolooza, one word comes to mind: extraordinary. I truly had the opportunity of a lifetime and I couldn’t be more thankful. Lolla was also a weekend of many firsts.
When I originally told people that I was going to Lolla to do research, the first question I always got was “have you ever been to a music festival?” The answer to that was no, and therefore the response I got was “and you chose Lolla to be your first? Shouldn’t you’ve chosen a more moderate festival to study?” And again my answer to that was no. I was more than excited to experience not only a music festival but THE music festival that made music festivals become so popular.
It was difficult interviewing random people at first, but our nerves quickly subsided. Getting to scout out who you wanted to interview next ended up being fun. It was also my first time seeing many of the acts that were performing, and they not disappoint. I wouldn’t want to be dragged through a crowd of 10K+ people just to get to the front of the stage to see Walk the Moon, or dancing like no one was watching while experiencing Perry’s stage (if you’ve been you know exactly what I’m talking about). I can now officially say I have seen A Beatle and head banged at a Metallica show. I got to experience the angelic voice that is Sam Smith and sing every song by the Weeknd all with my friends by my side.
The memories that were made at Lolla will truly last a lifetime and I’m beyond grateful I got to experience these many firsts at Lolla with the greatest research team by my side. I’m excited to be back together as the new semester begins and see where our data takes us this fall! So thank you Lolla for being my first because you surely aren’t going to be my last; I’ll never forget you or your #lolltot
Madison, September 2015
