{"id":28296,"date":"2026-08-05T07:46:26","date_gmt":"2026-08-05T02:46:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=28296"},"modified":"2026-08-05T07:46:26","modified_gmt":"2026-08-05T02:46:26","slug":"grading-the-sets-emptying-the-notebook","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=28296","title":{"rendered":"Grading the Sets, Emptying the Notebook"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div data-id=\"1615809\" data-title=\"Lollapalooza 2026: Grading the Sets and Emptying the Notebook\" data-url=\"https:\/\/consequence.net\/2026\/08\/lollapalooza-2026-grades-performances\/\" data-page=\"1\" data-pages=\"4\">\n<p>Every year I cover <a href=\"https:\/\/consequence.net\/live-coverage\/lollapalooza-2026\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Lollapalooza<\/a>, and every year I have reams of notes leftover after writing the <a href=\"https:\/\/consequence.net\/2026\/08\/lollapalooza-2026-flood-recap\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">main recap<\/a>. This time I\u2019m going to reheat all those leftovers for anyone still hungry for more.<\/p>\n<p>This has to be done kind of quickly (if you\u2019re confused why, just google \u201cstate of independent media,\u201d and maybe pour yourself a drink) so in the interest of transparency, I\u2019m going to add grades next to the notes. This is because sometimes I only wrote a joke that sounds mean but I actually liked the set; I contain multitudes.<\/p>\n<p>Consider a B to be \u201cgave the audience a good show for their money,\u201d even if I\u2019m not the target audience. And yes, it\u2019s mostly Bs. Also, I\u2019m not grading on a curve, because a worse show in the rain or a difficult venue (Tito\u2019s) is still a worse show. And as always, I try to see at least 15-20 minutes of everybody interesting. In chronological order:<\/p>\n<h2>Emptying the Notebook on Lollapalooza 2026: Thursday<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_1615917\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1615917\" src=\"https:\/\/consequence.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/SB19-by-Dusana-Karam-for-Lollapalooza-Festival-2026_DSC04976.jpg?quality=80&amp;w=1024&amp;fit=1031%2C580&amp;strip=\" alt=\"SB19 by Dusana Karam for Lollapalooza Festival 2026_DSC04976\" class=\"size-large wp-image-1615917\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/consequence.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/SB19-by-Dusana-Karam-for-Lollapalooza-Festival-2026_DSC04976.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/consequence.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/SB19-by-Dusana-Karam-for-Lollapalooza-Festival-2026_DSC04976.jpg?resize=150,100 150w, https:\/\/consequence.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/SB19-by-Dusana-Karam-for-Lollapalooza-Festival-2026_DSC04976.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/consequence.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/SB19-by-Dusana-Karam-for-Lollapalooza-Festival-2026_DSC04976.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/consequence.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/SB19-by-Dusana-Karam-for-Lollapalooza-Festival-2026_DSC04976.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"\/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-1615917\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">SB19, photo by Dusana Karam for Lollapalooza Festival<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>SB19 \u2014 B\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>P-pop, Filipino group. Blinded in the sunlight, popping and twirling with their eyes half closed. Less polished crowd work than the K-pop groups, but more genuine, too.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Boys Noize \u2014 B<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Audience surprisingly drunk for early Thursday. Perry\u2019s Stage bullshit.<\/p>\n<p>Tally of people who bumped into me in 15 minutes even though it wasn\u2019t crowded: <del>IIII<\/del> IIII<\/p>\n<p>Tally of people who somehow managed to step on the bag I was literally holding in my hands, a thing that has never happened before and will never happen again: II<\/p>\n<p><strong>Lazy Fashion Notes, 2026:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Lot of boys in jersey, lot of girls in bra.<\/p>\n<p><strong>5 Seconds of Summer \u2014 B<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Music kinda sucks but that\u2019s a good drummer right there. Crowd size, this is when it started to feel like a real festival.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Blood Orange \u2014 B+<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Gorgeous sunset set for two audiences, tight peloton at the front and the rest lying on the lawn. I tried a bit of both, and I think the horizontal had the right idea.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Little Simz \u2014 B<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Sunset at Tito\u2019s, oof, that\u2019s as hard as it gets [Editor\u2019s note: This dumbass should have checked the weather report]. Blood Orange crowd did not stick around. Word perfect, in a nice groove with live band, mini DJ set intermission to conserve energy so she could go hard again.<\/p>\n<p><strong>CMAT \u2014 B<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Aesthetic somewhere between Chappell Roan, Stevie Nicks, and Little Red Riding Hood. Great whistle register control. Hard to pull off the Chappell bits; the point and \u201cLesbian?\u201d crowd bit went nowhere.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Sombr \u2014 C+<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>God he\u2019s just a child.<\/p>\n<p>Backing vocals up awfully high, his mic is practically unnecessary.<\/p>\n<p>God he\u2019s annoying.<\/p>\n<p>Barely singing.<\/p>\n<p>Petulant, acting more like my five-year-old than a rocker.<\/p>\n<p>7:10 is kinda close to your bedtime, buddy, maybe use your inside voice.<\/p>\n<p>Dressed like The Stooges, fucking Iggy Pimple over here.<\/p>\n<p>10 minutes of running along the barricade but forgot to coordinate with cameras, so 10 minutes of nothing happening. Is this over yet? Can I see anything else and get back in time for Wet Leg?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cChicago! I\u2019ll see you at my arena show in Chicago. I forgot the venue, but it\u2019s in Chicago.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1615213\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1615213\" src=\"https:\/\/consequence.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Wet-Leg-6.jpeg?quality=80&amp;w=1024&amp;fit=1031%2C580&amp;strip=\" alt=\"Wet Leg at Lollapalooza, photo by Josh Druding\" class=\"size-large wp-image-1615213\" width=\"1280\" height=\"854\" srcset=\"https:\/\/consequence.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Wet-Leg-6.jpeg 1280w, https:\/\/consequence.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Wet-Leg-6.jpeg?resize=150,100 150w, https:\/\/consequence.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Wet-Leg-6.jpeg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/consequence.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Wet-Leg-6.jpeg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/consequence.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Wet-Leg-6.jpeg?resize=1024,683 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\"\/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-1615213\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Wet Leg, photo by Josh Druding<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Wet Leg \u2014 B<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Sombr wrapped as a cloud of smoke appeared over the other end of the field. Wet Leg\u2019s fans are ready.<\/p>\n<p>Wet Leg has one showy performer and one shy performer. Better than last time I saw them, more engaged, less visibly stoned. Rhian still fun, even if I\u2019m getting auto pilot vibes.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Snow Strippers \u2014 C-<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This was recommended by my colleague Paolo. 2\/3 of his recommendations I totally get, and the other third I wonder if the mic is even on. Snow Strippers are more of a Perry\u2019s Stage band. We actually perform our vocals over here at the [checks notes] AirBnB stage? Yet another new name this year? Are they having trouble keeping sponsors? What what was I \u2014 aw fuck, Snow Strippers are still on.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Lorde \u2014 B<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Great energy, very present, backing track really high, vocals underwhelming. Pared down version of the touring show. \u201cWitch from New Zealand\u201d has an old Hollywood vibe, it\u2019s all in the face.<\/p>\n<p>Charli xcx extremely expected \u201csurprise\u201d performance. Charli sounded off at first and looked lost on stage, maybe ear piece issue or lack of rehearsal with the song. Warmed into it, ended strong.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Viagra Boys \u2014 A-<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat\u2019s up, Coachella?\u201d lol. Everything here is majestic: his beer belly, his upper ass cheeks sticking out of his jeans. \u201cThank you, fellow 19-year-olds. It\u2019s great to be back. So many fond memories.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He\u2019s better live than on the albums, all the same ferocity with an element of surprise. Amazing between songs, too. To Platinum section: \u201cWhy is everybody so far away from me except for these nine rich assholes? It\u2019s a joke, it\u2019s just a joke, relax.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script>\n\t\t!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s){if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n\t\tn.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;\n\t\tn.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=1;\n\t\tt.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window,\n\t\tdocument,'script','https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n\t\tfbq('init', '1753966171496536');\n\t\tfbq('set','agent','tmgoogletagmanager', '1753966171496536');\n\t\tfbq('track', \"PageView\");\n\t<\/script><script defer crossorigin=\"anonymous\" src=\"https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/sdk.js#xfbml=1&#038;version=v7.0&#038;appId=434175690014\" nonce=\"6gwmbCtM\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Every year I cover Lollapalooza, and every year I have reams of notes leftover after writing the main recap. This time I\u2019m going to reheat all those leftovers for anyone still hungry for more. This has to be done kind of quickly (if you\u2019re confused why, just google \u201cstate of independent media,\u201d and maybe pour&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":28297,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/consequence.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/good-lollapalooza-2026-emptying-the-notebook-grading-the-sets.png","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28296","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-newsweek-trending"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28296","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=28296"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28296\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/28297"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=28296"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=28296"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=28296"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}