RECOMMENDED: Complete coverage of Lollapalooza 2013
RECOMMENDED: More wild crowd shots and band photos from Saturday
RECOMMENDED: More wild crowd shots and band photos from Friday
11am The gates are open. We believe this will be the best day of the three. The temperatures are San Diego cool, which is good new for Robert Smith. Have you seen what heat does to hair spray?—BD
11:50am I expected to see a bunch of goth kids lining the main stage on the south side, awaiting the Cure. Not the case. It must be too bright outside at the moment.—ZL
11:59am Early Sunday afternoon sets separate the people who come to Lolla to get plastered from the folks who are here to listen to music. The small crowd gathered in front of the Lake Shore stage to see Guards seem genuinely excited to be here.—ZL
12:10pm Guards is an east coast indie-rock band with a west coast pop sensibilities. They pull off the wistful jangle of "Silver Lining" just as convincingly as the foreboding riffs of "Nightmare."—ZL
12:55pm Sounds like a band of chimps just took over the Red Bull stage. All I can hear is screeches, howls and drums.—ZL
1:11pm Palma Violets throw harder punches live, minus the self-imposed fidelities of their debut album. This seems like the fourth time the Brits have played Chicago this year. They're back in the fall. Keep these guys away from heroin and Kate Moss.—BD
1:17pm Palma Violets play "Best Friend." It is a great song. That is all.—BD
1:25pm Astro's deep in a tribal trance stoner boogie jam. This band must be into gamelan, Cibo Matto and Deep Purple. Wild Belle are tuning up on the opposite end of the field in white suits, like they arrived via Montrose Harbor.—BD
1:25pm First Gandalf pipe sighting of the day.—ZL
1:30pm Like most garage rock bands, the majority of the Orwells' set sounds like the same song with different power chords. Still, you can't deny that the kids hit on something truly memorable with "Mallrats (La La La)."—ZL
1:35pm Wild Belle's first blast of baritone sax gets a roar of approval. A breeze blows off the lake. Ideal.—BD
1:36pm Orwells lead singer has removed his pants and is pacing the stage in his boxers.—ZL
1:55pm Walked behind a guy in a "show me your tits" tank top for a bit just to see if it's effective. It's not.—ZL
2:12pm Not sure why Zakk Wylde wasn't booked to play after Wild Belle and Wild Nothing.—ZL
2:15pm Is this a weak Cure cover? Oh, right, this is just how Wild Nothing sounds. Currently firmly in second place in the Bands with Wild in Their Names Playing Hutchinson Field race.—BD
2:22pm The hills on either side of the south side of the grounds are Lolla's designated joint rolling areas. If Illinois can get its shit together and legalize, maybe we can get some Zig-Zag Rolling Paper Cabanas in a few years.—ZL
3:02pm Alex Clare is far more Blues Fest than Perry's Stage. Hard to fathom that his smash hit has bass drops. Dude sounds like the Black Crowes, before slipping into a cover of "When Doves Cry" with drum breaks.—BD
3:25pm Another British crooner in a Lolla lineup that that's crowded with them, Lianne La Havas has more in common with Solange and Norah Jones than contemporaries like Jessie Ware or Ellie Goulding. She has a delicate yet mighty voice that elevates her piano bar balladry and soulful pop songs.—ZL
3:26pm A huge roar of approval as Alex Clare sets into that brostep Microsoft Windows jingle.—BD
3:31pm The MR in MS MR kicks off their set by screaming into his keyboard. MS comes out wearing a flowing jumper seemingly inspired by Katniss's fire dress.—BD
3:39pm MS MR has drawn a crowd at the Grove comparable to what Ellie Goulding attracted in 2011. Crazy to think this act was at Schubas a few months ago. Just some fame forecasting. There's a touch of Florence to the duo.—BD
3:50pm Playing the Petrillo Bandshell in glorious sunlight drains the metal out of even the most metal. A subdued crowd gently nods its heads to Baroness, who come of as rather ordinary biker rock to my ears.—BD
4:05pm EDM act Brite Lite Brite are doing guest spot at Kidzapalooza. Do we really need to subject children to this?—ZL
4:21pm Is that Nickelback I hear from a distance? Nope, just Baroness cock rocking the Petrillo stage.—JM
4:30pm The Blisters–which features Jeff Tweedy's son Spencer on drums--are currently closing out Kidzapalooza. Unsurprisingly, they sound a little bit like Wilco, which is probably why the parents in attendance seem to being enjoying the set (moreso than the kids).—ZL
4:36pm I saw my first batch of fence jumpers getting cuffed along Lake Shore. Kids, that really is the worst place to try.—BD
4:40pm I quite enjoy Two Door Cinema Club. If that excludes me from Too Dorky Critics Club than so be it.—BD
4:44pm Machines Are People, playing Lolla on the strength of one EP, might be the youngest act at the fest. These shaggy boys don't look old enough to legally have a fest Bloody Mary. Whose floor did they wake up on before coming to the gig? Which one of their dads did Perry Ferrell owe a favor?—JM
4:48pm The frontman for Two Door Cinema Club is a dead ringer for Tin Tin.—BD
5pm A fest-goer in a wheelchair crowdsurfs to the front to the Bud Light Stage during Two Door Cinema. Wonder if this is the same guy who did this yesterday during Kendrick Lamar's set? #chairlift #ridethatwave—LP
5:02pm The crowd for Alt-J is the largest that has gathered in front of the Lake Shore stage today—folks toward the front are packed in tightly. Hard to believe that these guys were playing the Empty Bottle less than a year ago.—ZL
5:07pm Alternative Jamz (that's what that stands for, right?) opens with probably the best song I've ever heard about tesselation. The crowd to watch the quirky art rockers is enormous. For a view, I have to tessalate with some bodies I'd rater not tessalate with. I'm thinking, what if the Beta Band had come along a decade later?—BD
5:15pm I'd like to reiterate how much better today is. I'm logging miles to catch all I want to see.—BD
5:19pm People compare Alt-J to Radiohead because the guitarist looks like a blond Jonny Greenwood. I find its composed chamber rock more akin to Grizzly Bear, but preferably weirder. The crowd reacts to "Fitzpleasure" like its a dubstep cut on the Jersey Shore.—BD
5:22pm The crowd is really getting into "Fitzpleasure." The band didn't even have to ask people to put their hands in the air. —ZL
5:23pm Things people are holding aloft during Art Department at Perry's stage (aka Wavefront Jr): a Happy Birthday balloon, an inflatable crocodile, a pool noodle, a cardboard knife, some dude's girlfriend. An honest-to-god breakdance circle has formed but none of these kids know how to actually break.—JM
5:28pm How many of the people singing along to "Matilda" have actually seen Léon: The Professional?—ZL
5:35pm It's not hard to fathom why bros dig Alt-J. Singer Joe Newman kind of sounds like the Muppet version of Marcus Mumford. The band uses lots of EDM-appropriate synths. They sing songs about sex ("Tesselate") and drugs ("Dissolve Me"). #broapproved—ZL
5:38pm The Vaccines singer is unexpectedly out headbanging Baroness. "Teenage Icon" is such a blast.—BD
6:10pm It's not going to happen, but a Grizzly Bear rendition of "The Super Bowl Shuffle" would be fitting.—ZL
6:27pm Go see Vampire Weekend, already. So long as you stop calling the band "Vampire," as in "OMG, I lurv Vampire!"—JM
6:32pm Despite the mild San Francisco weather this eve, I'm still seeing girls in bikini tops, dudes going shirtless and butts where shorts should go. Layers, kids, layers. #mom—LP
6:34pm Yet another Grizzly Bear show where Michael McDonald doesn't show up to sing "While You Wait for the Others."—ZL
6:40pm Furthermore, kids, a light cardigan or even, say, a jacket with patches on the elbows would be fitting for a Vampire Weekend set. Is your sweater on?—LP
6:42pm Grizzly Bear is the kind of band that actually acknowledges their auxillary keyboard player. You have to give it up to the guy who provides your most recognizable riff ("Two Weeks").—ZL
7:04pm 2 Chainz about to take the Grove stage and DJ wants hands in the air. The festival version of that is put your teddy bear on a stick in the air.—LP
7:06pm Crowd at the Grove stage is PUMPED to see the artist formerly known as Tity Boi. Blunts are being lit, hands are being raised.—ZL
7:06pm A man has brought a toddler to 2 Chainz.—BD
7:16pm 2 Chainz has one volume and energy level. Hint: It's the opposite of Beach House.—LP
7:16pm Rappers like 2 Chainz are like Pokémon; they can't stop saying their own names.—ZL
7:18pm 2 Chainz is plugging his new record, but is failing to mention the most compelling reason to buy it: the deluxe edition will include a cookbook containing his favorite recipes.—ZL
7:19pm If you want to feel like an extra in Harmony Korine's Spring Breakers, come over to the Grove stage for 2 Chainz. No? Go hear Beach House. I might join you.—LP
7:34pm 2 Chainz specializes in dance moves that are simple enough for white kids to replicate.—ZL
7:40pm Hey, drunk girl! Put down that blunt before you begin twerking!—ZL
7:43pm Sorry, folks, Kanye didn't show up for his verse on "Birthday."—ZL
8:46pm I found the kids playing Frisbee during the Cure (found them during Nine Inch Nails, too—different kids), and tossed the disc to the tune of the Cure's "Pictures of You." The way to feel communal vibes at Lollapalooza.—LP
9:05pm Phoenix steals a little Daft Punk pyramid steeze with an extended electronic instrumental—JM
9:38pm Singer Thomas Mars, whose voice constantly sounds laser-focused, joyously surfs into the crowd—surprised that the Sunday crowd was so energetic.—JM
9:40pm Phoenix is the perfect balance of dancey and mellow to close out Lollapalooza. City skyline looking good. Also looking good: leaving.—LP
Reporting by Brent DiCrescenzo, Zach Long, Jake Malooley and Laura Pearson.