Lady Gaga at Lollapalooza: Weird or Obvious?
By Shardae JobsonThe official lineup of the annual music festival Lollapalooza was released today, and while a few months ago, there were hints and little confirmation of certain bands planned attendance at Chicago's Grant Park this year, the list of 100+ names showed that the festival for the most part was sticking to showcase of the crème de la crème in alternative, neo-soul, "rock", and party or conscious rap, but there was one name that met some classic love it or hate it reactions, and it was: Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga as a headliner at Lollapalooza is definitely odd. Though one of her first performances in a very publicly known space was at the festival back in 2007, her music and look did not yet convey the status of a mega pop superstar who three years later has surprisingly won over more people than those who loathe her. Yet for those people who see Gaga as the savior of pop music (as fans and even some critics have heralded her to represent) the latter prefer to view her as a manufactured loony.Gaga in the past year and a half or so has morphed from a futuristic, club kid baby doll, to "Candy" Warhol, and now a female Ziggy Stardust. Those who have no desire to become one of her minions, a.k.a. little monsters, see the artist as just another pop diva whose costumes and antics belong in a crazy circus. They view her music as no different, but standard to her full scale competitors in pop music. She gets away with it all because she is not conventionally beautiful, and her approach is campier than ultra vixen.
Sure, Gaga's whole "fame is here to love you" shtick can be a little stomach turning, but what these anti-fans fail to see or at least admit, is that Gaga is what the music industry needs. She uses sexuality, fashion, visuals and even some of her lyrics in a more idiosyncratic and seemingly less perfect presentation, which is a hell of a lot more intriguing than what a majority of her sudden peers are doing right now. She is artistically capricious and thoroughly entertaining. While her quick conversations with the audience at her concerts do come across a bit rehearsed (or maniacal), in interviews she’s open, knows her (music) history, and is definitely not a dummy—which is incredibly refreshing.The fans, the little monsters, came in droves because finally in the last five years of the last decade, a singer was turning herself into a kind of visionary, and this is one vortex we're all curious and secretly wanting to be sucked into. She's a loony, but the most terrific loony we've seen this side of Bjork at The Academy Awards. Gaga's rising profile has provided music analysts to again take a star who has already come to define the time period of her success and (now) tear her apart as to why and how this came about when probably all the star wanted was to be seen and heard in the first place.
Gaga seems nearly completely out of place on the list of Lollapalooza performers because in comparison to a majority of the artists included, despite their critical acclaim and steady fan base, Gaga has become an icon in her short time of fame. Her presence is never ignored due to her outrageous outfits, and her musical talent and fantastical outlook on what an artist should be is largely amusing as her more obviously manicured pseudo-starlets of pop music seem to just shake and shimmy and look very pretty, one of which she has collaborated with twice, “Honey B” Beyoncé, on "Video Phone" and the much better "Telephone".
Ms. Stefani Germonotta at one point was just like MGMT and Spoon. She was known enough that she had fans, released records to likable reviews and was a fairly new artist that MTV and The Grammys wouldn't care about until she blew up; but this was okay because the music spoke for itself and the fans that showed up did because they liked what they heard, not what sudden groupies of always searching for the next big thing and couldn't think for themselves tend to do, which is always the case once these artists reach international prestige. As the saying goes, they follow like white on rice. When The Fame was released in October 2008, Gaga wasn't an artist so green she couldn't cultivate a persona, but she was fun, and her hair bow ties were a riot. Her first Fame Ball Tour sold out immediately, and was full of the original monsters who worshipped her absolute weird-ness.
As the pro muffin bluffin' anthem "Poker Face" unexpectedly took off, everybody was suddenly eating her shit. The girl from New York City was now the living martyr of pop music, who rapaciously used theatrical visuals in the name of pure entertainment. Later in 2009 and early '10, her music video premieres would recall the days of MJ's, and whether you care about that or not, that is a big deal in her field of career.
Perry Farrell, the creator of Lollapalooza, for better or worse, by adding Gaga to the list of performers is making it very clear, he doesn't believe he is and still yearns to be relevant in popular culture and (aspects of) mainstream music today. He knows that by adding Ms. "Paparazzi" to the list, that alone conjure much media press, and in return too many teenagers at whatever date and time she'll be ready to set musical fire on that very large stage in Grant Park.
Perry Farrell is giving in to the consumers who matters most: the eighteen and under crew. Granted, what teenager has $215 to burn for three-day pass unless it's given to them by some guardian, who knows, but they'll want to show up more than ever because of Ms. "Paparazzi". It can be guaranteed that her mini-concert will be the greatest scene of pandemonium for the festival since Rage Against the Machine performed in 2008—now that was a real riot. We'll have to see the kind of damage Gaga will bring to Chicago. If anything, her audience will look like the biggest gay pride parade there ever was, and will undoubtedly make the frat boys and jock douche bags shake with inferiority because they likely won't understand Gaga and her inflated world of glam-rock and fame is our friend testimonies.
Once word got out that Gaga was in, the comments came flooding online, and most were actually looking forward to her appearance. For some, Gaga's name evoked the hundredth sign of the apocalypse on its way, and Farrell has backed his choice even more by (prematurely defending) to MTV as a quick statement: “Lady Gaga represents to me the music industry today. She’s a good representation of where it’s at and where everybody’s trying to get to. If you look at the Grammys, it looked like everybody was trying to catch up to Lady Gaga,”. Interestingly, on RollingStone.com where they also posted the news of the Lollpalooza artists list, a blurb in the comments section from anonymous "BC" wrote: "it’s pretty sad that Perry is sitting home watching the Grammys to get ideas for lollapalooza. like her not (i don’t), gagas commercial pop music. i’m not hearing the difference between gaga, beyonce, britney… otherwise there are a lot of good acts on the bill".
Should everyone just lighten up? Isn't music supposed to bring the people together, just like Gaga's musical hen-mother Madonna exclaimed? One could easily argue that a majority of the other acts are drippy, I’m so depressed, but so artsy, angsty indie bands.
Both Farrell's and "BC"'s statements are valid, but is Perry really fond of Gaga—or is he just cashing in on our mother monster as well? Both reasons are plausible. The festival’s whole list is a bit more inviting than last year's, which is a contradiction since 2009 was really like a rock festival with its calmer, low-key musicians, but Lollapalooza is great when much of the music there is not necessarily the biggest names in the world, but are already known enough among music fans who can think for themselves.
Lollapalooza doesn't usually care to be a people pleaser, unlike most music "programming" today, yet in connection to Gaga's inclusion, the more famous she got, she began to be included in the sub-genre of pop stars alongside Rihanna and Britney Spears than say Amy Winehouse and M.I.A. (who've both performed at Lollapalooza). Gaga is a legit pop music, which is precisely why her name stands out erratically next to Soundgarden. Yeah, Green Day, another co-headliner this year, are a mainstream act today (even some of their old fans can't tolerate them anymore), their more polished sound, last heard on, 21st Century Breakdown, still remains rooted in punk-rock.
Lollapalooza may have wavered in popular mention just like the grunge era at the time of the festival's rebirth and appearance on MTV back in the day, but many people who know the festival well enough that when they saw Lady Gaga's name in bold, many a face squirmed and a mind pondered "really?", while staring at a poster where other music acts that may never win a Grammy, are still deemed the most popular of under the radar "indie" music.
Gaga is absolutely a star, and even if she was to fall from grace, her time right now is important in music history for the conversations and individuality she inspires. Is she in many ways like Gwen Stefani in that she takes from various influences and convincingly makes them her own, you would think she really was the first to present herself the way she does? Yes...and no. Though admittedly, as big as a star as Our Lady Gaga is, there is something disheartening about the fact that she is co-headliner, but the assertively calm Erykah Badu, though on the list, is not.
So at the end of another day of interesting music news, Lady Gaga is performing at Lollapalooza. A pop act is going to entertain one the biggest audiences she'll encounter, and at a festival that generally takes note of the other side of music that is brilliant and thoughtful, and doesn’t care too much to be noticed by the mass media, though appreciates when they come around. She will surely bring one of the most talked about and even celebrated performances of the festival's run. Even those who aren't fans right now should check her out despite the guaranteed squashed feeling they’ll experience in the crowd—can't be any worse than RATM was, and Ms. "Paparazzi" has the kind of stage charisma even a performing vet could learn from. Looks like Lollapalooza is fully welcoming a new generation of music lovers to the festival, so for all you slightly, older music snobs, you better make way. Lady Gaga fans don't play around.
You really are a “free bitch”, Ms. "Paparazzi".
(long version) original post written with peace, love and hair grease
first photo courtesy of: V magazine
third photo courtesy of: Elle magazine
go to Lollapalooza's official site (http://www.lollapalooza.com/) for all the details on this year's festival at Chicago's Grant Park
VIDEO:
"Acapella" is the first single off Kelis new album, definitely coming to us soon. As the original fantastically weird chick, Kelis is back and sounds as great and ahead of everyone as ever. Check it out.
WHAT'S POPPIN' THIS WEEKEND (AT THE CLUBS):
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