Lollapalooza Diary, Day 3: Strings Attached

Sunday at Lollapalooza was all about strings — the old-fashioned kind. There were so many violins and cellos onstage, you'd think they were the coolest thing since straw hats. It began with the Frames, an Irish band whose red-bearded lead singer Glen Hansard sings haunting melodies, backed by electric violin. Then the acoustic bluegrass trio Nickel Creek took over, adding a double bass to the mix. The New Amsterdams — with a cello in their blend of country and rock — played to a small crowd of fans who joined them in singalong songs like "Bad Liar." The next violinist was Andrew Bird, a Chicago-based singer/songwriter whose voice is reminiscent of Jeff Buckley. With his passionate plucking and bowing (and whistling), he put his hometown fans in a mellow daze.

We may have missed a couple of other strings along the way, but the best violin performance of the day had to be Julie Penner from the multi-member jam band Broken Social Scene. They roused the audience into such a state that for 15 minutes after the show, fans still chanted for an encore — which couldn't happen because The Red Hot Chili Peppers were about to begin. And, by the way, guitar strings were all that Flea needed to rock out.

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Song Stories

“Youth Knows No Pain”

Lykke Li | 2011

“Like on 'Youth Knows No Pain' — we are the ones that should demonstrate, because we can take it,” Likke Li said. “We can pierce ourselves, take Ecstasy, dance all night and still go to work at our McDonald's jobs.” Despite the hedonistic sentiment in the song, the Swedish singer also admitted in hindsight her youth had repercussions. “I remember when I was 18-19 and feeling that I know it all,” Li said. “I always feel that I know it all. But that song is about realizing you don’t, and reflecting, ‘Boy, if I only knew what would follow.’”

More Song Stories entries »

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