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Siblings bond through the sound of music

Junior attends Chicago festivals to see favorite musicians perform | by PAIGE WENDLAND

Junior Maddie Lundgren walked through pouring rain, smiling.  A frigid breeze blew past her, sending shivers up her spine.  She was cold, tired and wet, yet she was had just had the time of her life.

Lundgren’s first night at the Lollapalooza Music Festival in Chicago had just ended, and her weekend of music and excitement still had two more days before it would come to a close.  Echoes of dozens of musicians’ performances reverberated in her head as she trekked through the mud with her brother and sister.  

Lundgren attended the Pitchfork Music Festival July 17-19 and the Lollapalooza Music Festival Aug. 7-9.  She went to the events with her older brother, older sister and some of her brother’s friends.  They all drove to Chicago, where they stayed at the apartment of Lundgren’s brother’s friend for Pitchfork and her aunt and uncle’s house for Lollapalooza.  It was Lundgren’s first summer going to Lollapalooza, but her siblings had gone for the past three years.

‘I’d been waiting to go ever since [my sister] did,’ Lundgren said.  ‘My brother and sister affected a lot of my taste in music.”

Although the trip was an opportunity for Lundgren to see some of her favorite bands perform, she also says it was a great bonding experience for her and her siblings.?’I mean, I might bring friends next year, but it was a totally different experience with my siblings there with me,’ Lundgren said.

Each day included a variety of performances, but Lundgren says her favorites were Beirut and Grizzly Bear at Pitchfork and Animal Collective at Lollapalooza. 

“I have always loved the brass incorporation in many of Beirut’s songs, but it was amazing to see it live,” Lundgren said. “Zach Condon and his ukulele were adorable. At one point he said, ‘This is the largest crowd that this ukulele has ever played for!'”

Lundgren camped out for hours to see her choice bands’ shows from close up, but she says watching some of them from nearly front row seats was worth the wait. During the Animal Collective concert, Lundgren watched from the third row.

“For a band that usually only plays newer music due to a loss of old samples, I was very excited to hear some of my older favorites [from Animal Collective],” Lundgren said. “Although they only technically played three songs, their nonstop hour of music was by far my favorite experience at Lollapalooza.”

Lundgren enjoyed the variety of experiences she had in different places in the crowd.  Some of her other favorite moments took place near the back of a concert.

“Even though we were about half a mile back [at the Yeah Yeah Yeahs], I was still amazed by the show that Karen O. and the rest of the band put on,” Lundgren said. “The music and energy were great.”

Friday night at Lollapalooza, a downpour began.  Soon, everything was soaking wet, but the bands went on.

“I think that my favorite thing about Crystal Castles [Friday] was that it was one huge dance party,” Lundgren said. “It was raining on an already muddy baseball field, which added to the ridiculous fun.”

The final night of Lollapalooza, Lundgren attended an after show, which became one of her favorite moments at the festival.

“This was probably the most unique concert I have ever been to, due solely to the style,” Lundgren said. “It was a round robin concert so that No Age, Dan Deacon and Deerhunter were shaped into a circle, and they each took turns playing songs. Even though it was 1 a.m. and I was beyond tired from the weekend, this was one of the best experiences at Lollapalooza.”

Even though Lungren enjoyed both of the festivals, she says her favorite if she had to choose would be Pitchfork.

“There was a smaller crowd, which allowed me to see more bands I wanted to see closer up and in a more intimate setting,” Lundgren said. “Overall there was a greater amount of bands that I wanted to see at Pitchfork than at Lollapalooza.”

A frequent concertgoer, Lundgren says she loves seeing her favorite bands play live.  She already bought her tickets to Lollapalooza for next year and can’t wait to go again.

‘It’s a different experience every time,” Lundgren said. “I’ll remember what a good time I had with my siblings this summer.”

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