Fleet Foxes, Passion Pit, GZA Keep Lolla Rocking at Afterparties

After Day Two of Lollpalooza ended, concertgoers had their pick of afterparties. At the Metro — some 7 miles from the festival grounds — Fleet Foxes delivered a warm, soothing set, despite the fact that both Robin Peckold and Skyler Skjelset were battling illness. "I'm on this weird mixture of Advil and Dayquil," Peckold announced. "I wouldn't recommend it." Fortunately, the flu had no effect on his voice - he still ably hit the upper register on the chiming "Sun it Rises." He was even feeling well enough to deliver to new songs, both of which continued their tradition of merging broad folky strums with four-part harmonies.

Nearer to Grant Park, the GZA, joined on stage by Santigold, tore through a string of classics from Liquid Swords and Beneath the Surface at the Rock the Vote Late Night at the Hard Rock Hotel. The latter features one of Santigold's earliest performances, and she seemed delighted to be on stage. She provided a goofy foil to GZA's stern prophet, smiling and dancing to classics like "Duel of the Iron Mic." Later in the evening, Passion Pit — now expanded to a full band — played a thrilling, hyperkinetic set. The band has begun to find their groove, and their late night performance was full-on ecstasy, thumping rhythms and hard, driving synths.

• 
  MUSIC The Top 25 Teen Idol Breakout Moments
• 
  MOVIES & TV 'Game of Thrones': The Show Vs. the Books
• 
  POLITICS Matt Taibbi: Facebook IPO vs. Shareholders
• 
  VIDEOS Exclusive: Garbage Rip Through 'I Think I'm Paranoid'

Song Stories

“Push It”

Salt-N-Pepa | 1987

Originating as a B side to their cover of the Stax classic “Tramp,” Cheryl “Salt” James, Sandi “Pepa” Denton and Dee Dee “DJ Spinderella” Roper came up with the goods on this career-making, Grammy-nominated platinum single about working it on the dancefloor. “Push It” has been sampled and spliced to death since it debuted in 1987, yet the original track is as fresh and fly as when SNP — among the few original women of hip-hop — debuted it. “Most men will never believe ‘Push It’ was never about sex,” said James. “And that’s why the record went to Number One,” said Denton. “Everybody thought it was about sex.”

More Song Stories entries »

Twitter