Lollapalooza, Other Rock Festivals On The Way

Let the festivals begin!

Now that summer is almost here, the season of rock festivals is upon us. It was announced yesterday that Lollapalooza will play the Gorge on July 30 (a second show will probably be added), and that Endfest will invade the Kitsap County Fairgrounds in Bremerton on Aug. 3. At least one other multi-band, all-day concert, the H.O.R.D.E. Festival, is also expected to be announced for the Gorge.

Lollapalooza is, of course, the most famous of them all, because the annual floating summer rock festival, now in its fifth year, garners the most national publicity. Endfest is our own local festival, put together by KNDD/the End, the city's (and one of the country's) top modern-rock radio station. The H.O.R.D.E. Festival is more about music than hype, with a variety of interesting, challenging bands.

Lollapalooza has shifted focus this year from new, young alternative bands to long-established veterans. Metallica is heading the bill, along with Soundgarden, the Ramones, Screaming Trees and Rancid. The one new act on the main stage is Psychotica, a gender-bender glam-rock band.

Lollapalooza's second stage remains a showplace for alternative rock. The Gorge lineup for that stage has not been announced, but the Melvins, a San Francisco band originally from Aberdeen, have issued a press release saying they will headline the second stage at the Gorge.

When Lollapalooza's headlining bands were announced there was much criticism of the unadventuresome lineup. Perry Farrell, the Porno for Pyros singer (formerly of Jame's Addiction) who originated Lollapalooza, sold his interest in the highly lucrative tour, out of protest, and said he would organize his own touring festival of new bands.

Tickets for Lollapalooza '96 have been selling slower than past years, but tour organizers got some good news this week when Metallica's new album, "Load," debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard album chart, with the largest first-week sales of 1996: 680,000 units. That bodes well for ticket sales.

While Lollapalooza is relying on well-established moneymakers, Endfest soars way over it in terms of cutting-edge bands that are the future of rock. The Endfest lineup is packed with hot, new acts, including Tracy Bonham, whose "Mother Mother" is a big breakthrough hit; Dishwalla, whose "Counting Blue Cars" single is getting much airplay; the Verve Pipe, one of the most promising new bands, now on the charts with "Photograph"; Goldfinger, with the intriguing single "Here In Your Bedroom"; and No Doubt, which has a fast-rising new single, "Spiderwebs." Also on the bill are Everclear, the Prodigy, Beck, Filter, Ice-T, the Posies, 7 Mary 3, Super Deluxe, the Deftones and Gus.

While the H.O.R.D.E. Festival has not been officially announced for the Gorge, it is expected to play there (or some other Northwest site) Aug. 4. The lineup includes Blues Traveler, Lenny Kravitz, Rusted Root and the Dave Matthews Band.