An alleged gunman’s attorney said his client acted in self-defense when he shot a 24-year-old man in the head during a traffic dispute following the Puerto Rican Day Parade in Humboldt Park.
But Cook County prosecutors said Anthony Lorenzi “had no business getting involved in” the June 19 altercation the led to the death of Gyovanni Arzuaga and Arzuaga’s girlfriend, disputing Lorenzi’s lawyer’s claims that he only fired to protect himself and others.
Lorenzi, who was charged in Arzuaga’s murder this earlier this month after fleeing the state, has not been charged with killing 25-year-old Yasmin Perez, who authorities say was “more than likely” accidentally shot in the neck by Arzuaga during the melee in the 3200 block of West Division Street.
The “tragedy of epic proportions” can be blamed on Arzuaga, Lorenzi’s lawyer Michael Oppenheimer argued Friday.
Arzuaga would have been charged with murder had he survived and Lorenzi “would have been hailed as a hero,” the defense attorney said.
“If my client was a police officer, which he is not, but if my client was a police officer, he would have been justified” in the shooting, Oppenheimer said.
But Lorenzi, a convicted felon and Latin King who was illegally carrying a weapon, made the decision to insert himself in the fight, even though he wasn’t initially involved, Assistant State’s Attorney James Murphy argued.
The prosecutor also pointed that less than an hour after the shooting, Lorenzi bought a ticket to San Diego and boarded a plane without any bags the following morning.
“Those aren’t the actions of not somebody who was acting in self-defense,” Murphy said.
A .40-caliber Glock was recovered from under Arzuaga’s body and preliminary tests showed it matched two shell casings found inside Perez’s SUV and the bullet that struck Perez, Murphy said.
Murphy said the shooting is still under investigation, pointing out that three different caliber shell casings had been recovered at the scene and another shooter is believed to be at large.
Arzuaga had been driving the SUV with Perez seated outside on the sunroof and the couple’s friends in the back seat when he struck a parked car at 9:15 p.m. that night, Murphy said.
The owner of the car became angry, allegedly confronting Arzuaga at a passenger side window.
Soon others got involved, including Lorenzi who was across the street, Murphy said. The crowd then tried to drag Arzuaga out of the SUV when he began to reverse.
Perez got down from the SUV, trying to separate Arzuaga from his attackers when she was shot, Murphy said.
Arzuaga went on to hunch over Perez, shielding her when Lorenzi, 34, came up “behind and to the side” of Arzuaga and “unloaded” his gun, Murphy said.
“At the time [Lorenzi] fired those shots … there is objectively no self-defense issue of any kind,” Murphy said.
In graphic video of the shooting that circulated on social media, the attackers can be seen suddenly ducking as Arzuaga apparently fires the shot while being dragged from the SUV.
Lorenzi was captured on several videos firing at Arzuaga, Murphy said.
Oppenheimer argued Arzuaga “shot his own girlfriend, fired the first shot, pointed that gun not only in the direction of his girlfriend, obviously, but at everybody else that was around him.”
A photo of Yasmin Perez and Gyovanni Arzuaga at a memorial site for Yasmin Perez and Gyovanni Arzuaga on June 24 in Humboldt Park.Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times
Lorenzi was taken into custody in California on July 9 and returned to Cook County this week.
Lorenzi, who lives with his parents and his children, only fled Illinois because he “was terrified” due to his criminal record, which doesn’t include violent offenses, Oppenheimer said.
Judge David Navarro signed heavily before ordering Lorenzi held without bail.
COVID-19 hospitalizations increased by 35% across Illinois during a week that saw cases jump 46%, public health officials reported Friday.
The state averaged 1,669 new cases per day over the past week, a rate that has ballooned to a level six times higher than seen just a month ago, according to the latest figures released by the Illinois Department of Public Health.
The agency reported 2,348 new cases were diagnosed Thursday, the most in a day since May 7.
Hospitals are now feeling the brunt of that exponential rise in cases, which experts attribute to the more infectious Delta variant of the coronavirus and its devastating spread through unvaccinated populations.
More than 900 hospital beds were occupied by COVID-19 patients across the state Thursday night, the most since early June. That number had dipped below 400 over the Fourth of July holiday weekend, the lowest mark of the pandemic.
And more of those cases are developing into severe ones. Intensive care admissions for coronavirus patients are up 24% over last week and ventilator usage is up 41%, officials said.
After more than a month of increases, the average statewide case positivity rate has held steady for three straight days, but it has soared over 9% across southern regions of the state. Chicago is up to 3% for the first time since late May.
New COVID-19 cases by day
Graphic by Jesse Howe and Caroline Hurley | Sun-Times
The state is still averaging about six COVID-19 deaths per day, which — like the other statewide metrics — is low compared to the peak of the crisis last year.
But any sustained move in the wrong direction is “extremely worrisome,” according to Dr. Rachel Rubin, co-lead of the Cook County Department of Public Health.
“We’re not seeing a significant number of deaths, especially compared to the same time a year ago, for sure. And this is because, generally speaking, healthier individuals are getting infected with COVID. But that doesn’t mean that they can’t spread it to somebody else that is potentially at risk for getting severe complications,” Rubin said.
The county has adopted masking recommendations advised a day earlier by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which considers Cook to be at a “substantial” risk level for COVID-19 transmission — like the vast majority of Illinois’ 101 other counties.
The Chicago Department of Public Health said Friday it would follow the new CDC guidelines, too.
“We are taking this step to prevent further spread of the very contagious Delta variant and to protect public health,” city public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said in a statement. “This isn’t forever, but it is necessary to help decrease the risk for all Chicagoans right now.”
Under the guidelines, people are advised to wear a mask in indoor public places regardless of vaccination status, but “eventually we may end up having to make it a mandate,” Rubin said.
“That is the next step. That takes a little bit more time. It takes writing an official order, getting the appropriate legal backing in order to be able to do that,” she said. “It’s really a daunting task to be able to monitor all of these facilities, so we’re really hoping for appropriate community support from employers and management and workers and clients and guests in all of the open venues … to cooperate and to follow this guidance.”
More importantly, the CDC’s designation underscores the need to get more people vaccinated, Rubin said.
Just over 72% of eligible Illinoisans have gotten at least one dose, and 56% are fully vaccinated. Vaccination rates are barely half that in some downstate counties.
Any Chicagoan can request an in-home vaccination by calling (312) 746-4835.
The Bears, though, want to make sure their second round pick is ready when it counts — in padded practices that start Monday. The left tackle remained out of training camp practice Friday with a sore back.
“Trust me — he wants to be out there but we have to control him from himself and that is what we are going to do here as we go through training camp,” coach Matt Nagy said. “But, obviously, the sooner the better.”
As for the back injury, Nagy said the Bears “want to make sure we are taking care of it the right way by listening to him, listening to our doctors and our trainers and just taking it day-by-day.”
When Jenkins returns, he’ll have a handful waiting for him: edge rushers Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn. Nagy praised Quinn’s play in training camp thus far after the veteran posted an underwhelming first season with the Bears.
“Robert Quinn is doing well,” he said. “You put on the tape and watch him, he’s rolling right now. And I’ve gotta actually tell him to pull the heck back a little bit because he’s getting in that throwing lane with the quarterback and we had a couple close ones [Thursday]. …
“Teven needs that. He’s gotta be able to have that. But we’ve got a lot of days here ahead of us, and we’ve gotta make sure we’re doing it the right way. And again, I just want to make it loud and clear: He wants to be out here bad, but we’re holding him back. We’ve gotta do it this way.”
Need in Indy?
The Bears will undoubtedly keep an eye on quarterback Carson Wentz’s health in Indianapolis. The Colts quarterback will see a foot specialist after hurting it Thursday, NFL Network reported. His absence leaves the Colts with three healthy quarterbacks who have no professional pass attempts.
It’s unclear if the Colts have interest in Nick Foles, who’s overqualified and overpaid as the Bears’ third-stringer, but there’s a strong connection: Colts head coach Frank Reich was his coordinator on the Eagles’ Super Bowl champion four years ago. Last year, Foles called Reich “the one who really figured me out as a player.”
This and that
o Quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo, who is vaccinated, continued to watch practice remotely Friday while in coronavirus protocol.
“‘Flip’ lives for one thing — that’s individual drills for 15 minutes with those quarterbacks,” Nagy said. “That’s all he cares about. And he can’t do that right now because he’s on a computer [and] Zoom.”
Safety Eddie Jackson (hamstring), running back Tarik Cohen (knee) and tackle Germain Ifedi (hip) remained out.
Former Loyola basketball All-American Cameron Krutwig watched practice.
We all knew that the Chicago Cubs were going to have a firesale. They have been trading their big trade chips for a few weeks now but we were waiting for the members of the 2016 World Series championship core. They sent Anthony Rizzo to the New York Yankees on Thursday night in exchange for two of their top 15 prospects. It was a huge move as the Cubs officially started their rebuild. Now, Javier Baez is following Rizzo to New York.
Unfortunately, Baez won’t be teammates with Rizzo as his New York destination is the team on the other side of town as he heads to the New York Mets. The Mets have been connected to the Cubs for Kris Bryant but they are actually landing Baez instead. He will go there and be a part of a very good infield.
Francisco Lindor is their shortstop but he is injured right now. Baez will play shortstop there for a bit until Lindor comes back and then he will probably play second base. Those two taking up the middle of the infield will make the Mets a very dangerous team in that aspect.
Baez isn’t having the best offensive season of his career but this might breathe life into his bat. The Mets don’t have a very good offense anyway and Baez will certainly help that, especially if he picks it up a little bit. He is going to strike out a lot but he can produce runs. His RBI and home run numbers are always going to help any team.
The Chicago Cubs are sending Javier Baez to the New York Mets in a trade.
BREAKING: The New York Mets are finalizing a trade to acquire shortstop Javier Baez from the Chicago Cubs, sources tell ESPN. Deal is pending medicals.
Trevor Williams is also included in this trade. He had some up and down times with the Cubs but the Mets obviously were willing to take him in order to land Baez. It will be interesting to see how they use Williams as they try to hold onto the National League East division.
Source confirms: Baez and Trevor Williams to Mets, pending medical review. First with Baez: @feinsand.
In return for Baez and Williams, the Mets are sending Pete Crow Armstrong. He is an outfielder and was their number five prospect in their system. It is a pretty nice return for a star player having a down year on an expiring contract. The Mets clearly want to pull away from the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves in their division and this is a nice step.
Mets deal: Baez and Trevor Williams come for Pete Crow Armstrong
The Chicago Cubs fans will never forget what Javier Baez meant to the organization. He was a part of the core that won the World Series for the first time in 108 years on the North Side. He is going to have some fun the rest of the season with the New York Mets as they push for the playoffs. It will be interesting to see where he ends up after the season is over.
It is over. We learned on Thursday night that the Chicago Cubs traded Anthony Rizzo to the New York Yankees. Then they traded Javier Baez to the New York Mets. They capped it off by now trading Kris Bryant to the San Francisco Giants with a few minutes left before the 3 PM trade deadline. It is the trade that finishes off the work that we all thought would be done in the weeks leading up to deadline day. The Chicago Cubs look completely different.
Bryant is going to go to the San Francisco Giants and join a serious division race. They are in a tight battle with the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres which could come down to the final week of the season. Adding Bryant should help the Giants and their chances.
There was a lot of pressure on the Giants after the moves that the Dodgers and Padres have made so far this year. Well, they got a guy who can hit well in any part of the lineup. He can also play every position on the diamond at an above-average level. This is a big trade for both teams as they head in completely opposite directions.
At this time, the return is unknown but you would have to think that some good prospects are going back for Bryant. They did well in the Rizzo and Baez trade so chances are that trend continues here as well.
The Chicago Cubs have made some franchise-altering trades at this deadline.
Let’s try this in English without a grammatical error: The San Francisco Giants are in agreement on a deal to acquire Kris Bryant from the Chicago Cubs, sources tell ESPN.
Bryant is one of the most successful Cubs in the team’s history. They won the World Series in 2016 with him there as a leading contributor. He is also a player that has been an All-Star, Rookie of the Year, and Most Valuable Player. He made the final play in that memorable 2016 World Series that Cubs fans will never forget. His contributions to the organization will nwever be forgotten.
As the years go on, Cubs fans will always have a special place in their hearts for those players. Along with Rizzo, few had the impact that Bryant had. When you have the talent that he does, it was great to see him be such a nice man as well. He is going to do very well in San Francisco as that organization tries to make a big run this season.
When this season is over, if he doesn’t sign an extension with them, Bryant will become a free agent that is free to sign wherever he wants. It will be interesting to see what he decides from that point on. Either way, it will be fun to watch him finish this season on a winning team.
There’s been a tsunami of theater news over the past couple of weeks. Steppenwolfnamed ensemble members Glenn Davis and Audrey Francis as co-artistic directors, replacing Anna Shapiro, who announced in May that she’d be leaving at the end of her six-year contract this summer. Ann Filmer announced that she’s leaving her post as artistic director at 16th Street Theater in Berwyn, which she founded 14 years ago. (Almost two years ago, Filmer faced charges of mismanagement and racial insensitivity from the creative team of Loy Webb’s His Shadow.) 16th Street is the smallest and most affordable of professional houses in the state. (Tickets are $22, and they operate in a 49-seat basement theater in the North Berwyn Cultural Center.) Under Filmer’s tenure the company has focused almost exclusively on nurturing new plays. They’ve retained RGW Consulting in Oak Park to formulate a strategic plan for the theater’s future.
Michael Halberstam, the founder (in 1992) and artistic director of Glencoe’s Writers Theatre, is out as well. Halberstam faced allegations of inappropriate behavior in 2017 (stemming from a production of Crime and Punishment in 2003) and had attended board-mandated “compliance training and executive coaching” sessions. However, the calls for his resignation on social media (as well as calls for artists to “divest” from working at Writers as long as Halberstam remained in his position) grew in recent months.
On July 8, Lucy Godinez, one of the cast members of 2019’s Into the Woods (in which Halberstam also performed) sent a letter to the board outlining what she called “detailed, corroborated accounts of harassment, intimidation, and inappropriate conduct” during that production. After Halberstam’s resignation was announced, Godinez shared the letter on her Instagram account. Writers announced Halberstam’s resignation via a press release from the law firm of K & L Gates, rather than their usual publicist. The release stated, “Writers Theatre had received complaints about Halberstam’s workplace comments and conduct. The timing of Halberstam’s departure signals Halberstam’s and Writers Theatre’s desire to preserve the goodwill of the theatre and to continue to ensure a respectful workplace for all.” The firm noted that there would be no further comment from the theater. Bobby Kennedy, the company’s director of new work and dramaturgy, is serving as interim artistic director. Kathryn Lipuma, Writers executive director, remains in her position.
In addition to changes at the top, there are also changes on the ground. Northlight Theatre, which has been angling to return to its Evanston roots for some time, announced that it has formally acquired properties at 1012-16 Church Street in downtown Evanston. The company, founded as the Evanston Theater Company in 1974, and currently led by artistic director BJ Jones and executive director Timothy J. Evans, has performed since 1998 at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie. They had expressed interest in the Evanston site two years ago, but the pandemic put a damper on the necessary fundraising efforts. The ambitious construction plans for the new site include a 300-seat theater in a three-story building that will also house a “community complex” for educational initiatives and events.
And in the “back from the dead” category: iO Theater, which closed presumably for good last June after owner Charna Halpern put the 40-year-old comedy behemoth on the market, citing lost income from the shutdown, will reopen under new owners. (Halpern had faced her own controversies over institutional racism and other issues raised by performers and students at iO.) Local real estate executives Scott Gendell and Larry Weiner bought the iO complex at 1501 N. Kingsbury for an undisclosed sum and plan to reopen it for classes and performances.
As if all that weren’t enough (and there will certainly be more to say about all these developments in the months to come in one way or another), Actors’ Equity Association (AEA), the union for actors and stage managers, announced a major change in its eligibility rules. Under the new “Open Access” policy, any actor or stage manager “who can demonstrate they have worked professionally . . . within Equity’s geographical jurisdiction” can join the union. If you can show you’ve been paid some amount for your work onstage or as a stage manager, you can now decide if you want to pay the dues and get the union card.
This may actually be the news in this column with the greatest potential impact on the economic justice front, though how it will play out of course remains to be seen. As usual, Chicago theatermakers lit up social media with discussions of the pros and cons and what effect this decision might have on non-Equity venues, whether there will be enough union work to support those who might wish to make the leap to Equity membership (prediction: probably not), and if the move was designed as a “cash grab” to gain an influx of dues from new members.
It can be complicated. But the key point is that, in the past, membership in the union was limited to those artists who worked for an Equity employer, either through direct offer of a contract, by being a member of a sister union (SAG-AFTRA, for example), or by completing the Equity Membership Candidate (EMC) program. The Open Access program aims to put the decision in the hands of the artists, not the hiring producers. (Former members of AEA are also able to rejoin without first getting a new Equity contract, as was the case previously.)
AEA president Kate Shindle describes the new membership plans as part of the union’s examination of equity, diversity, and inclusion. She notes that AEA had conducted periodic surveys examining just who was getting the bulk of AEA contracts in member theaters. “We just updated that last year. And the numbers are pretty much what you might expect. It’s an overwhelmingly white industry with an overwhelmingly caucasian union and the short version is whatever we’ve done up to this point has not worked very well.”
The impetus to change the membership rules, notes Shindle, came about through a working group led by Bliss Griffin, Equity’s diversity and inclusion strategist, and it’s just one part of a “retrofit” for the union. Bear Bellinger, a longtime Chicago actor and a “principal councilor” for Equity from the central region (which represents 16 states), served as one of the team leaders for the working group. In a blog post for Equity, Bellinger, who is Black, noted, “The first thing I noticed when I decided to join Actors’ Equity Association was how difficult it was to join Actors’ Equity Association.”
Bellinger tells me that he felt stalled out in his move toward union membership because the power to give him an Equity contract, even though he’d earned his weeks, rested with the producers. He mentions a production he auditioned for that had a nearly all-Black cast, except for one white male part. “The show was based on Black culture. Come to find out later that before the director was even assigned to the show, they had given the one white man an Equity contract. So by definition, the show that didn’t depend on this white man, right? They already dedicated themselves to paying him more from the beginning.”
He adds, “The difference now is in folks being able to opt into their own union membership. If you want to have me in your theater, you want to have me in a show, you’re going to have to pay me at an equal level to other people. And you don’t get a choice in that. You don’t get to pick and choose whether you hire me specifically as a nonunion artist.”
Both Shindle and Bellinger note that this move won’t provide more union work across the board. But as Shindle puts it, “That doesn’t necessarily preclude doing this. It’s just so that people can make their individual choices.”
It’s interesting to note that this move from Equity comes about not long after the instructors at Second City in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Toronto all moved to unionize and with the growth of activism from theater designer advocacy groups such as the local collective On Our Team, who have been fighting for transparency in job announcements and parity in contracts. Reading tea leaves can be tricky, but there seems to be some evidence to suggest that theater artists are fighting back against the politics of scarcity mindset (much as workers in other fields, including the service sector, have been doing by refusing to return to low-paid jobs) and telling producers that it won’t be business as usual as theaters reopen. They’re demanding better pay and that attention be paid to how artists are treated by management.
What the Open Access program might mean for Chicago’s storefront scene remains to be seen. Says Shindle, who graduated from Northwestern, “I absolutely love Chicago and Chicago to me is an example of a city with a pretty healthy ecosystem. I’m probably not supposed to say this as a union president, but I’m going to. We all did nonunion theater at one point and some people are most comfortable there, right? So people are going to work a day job and they want to go do a show at night and they’re not seeking to make it their entire living.
“And so I think one of the misperceptions that I would like to correct is that we’re trying to drive nonunion theaters out of business. No. Do I believe that actors and stage managers, even nonunion actors or stage managers, deserve fair wages and safe working conditions and the ability to get access to workers comp if they get injured or god forbid get COVID, for example, in the workplace? Of course.”
Bellinger cautions that Open Access is just one step toward greater inclusion for Equity membership. But as he notes in his blog post, an increase in membership increases the potential power of the union: “If we want to live up to the ideals of solidarity, if we want to walk together towards a safer, fairer and stronger theatrical landscape, this is a strong first step. There are many steps yet to come.”
One sticking point for years in Chicago has been the presence of nonunion theaters that are operating at a budget level beyond the itinerant storefront model (for instance, they own their buildings), but haven’t made the leap to using the Equity contracts. (For Chicago theaters, those are known as Chicago Area Theatre, or CAT, agreements, and they are offered at several tiers, providing flexibility for theaters growing into union status.)
How long should a company be in existence before it decides to go union?
For Raven Theatre, the answer is “almost 40 years.” Founded in 1983 by Michael Menendian and Joann Montemurro, the company moved to a two-theater space in Edgewater in 2002, and went through a leadership change in 2017, with Cody Estle named artistic director. Last summer, Markie Gray joined Estle as managing director. And now the company is making the leap to being an Equity house.
Says Gray, “When I joined Raven, it was always under the assumption that Raven was going to go Equity with the next season that we were going to produce. And it was a priority of Cody’s when he became artistic director to make the move to becoming an Equity theater. One of the reasons why I was particularly well-suited for this position is that I have experience working in Equity theaters before. And so I was able to sort of help through the transition. We had planned initially on having our first Equity show as an official Equity company in the 2021 season. Obviously that didn’t happen since the 2021 season did not end up occurring due to the pandemic. So now that we have announced our season and we feel relatively confident that we’ll be able to produce again in the fall–you know, knock on wood–it was time that we wanted to make that transition and make sure that we’re taking that step as we come back.”
Gray notes that going Equity isn’t just about being able to hire actors and stage managers who hold the union card. Being a non-Equity house (even one with the longevity of Raven) “can sometimes be an issue with getting scripts and getting rights to shows. Agents will not want to give especially first productions to what they refer to as nonprofessional theater.”
Raven opens its first show since 2020 with Joshua Allen’s The Last Pair of Earlies in late October. v
Here’s the latest deadline buzz surrounding the Cubs’ All-Star third baseman.
Bryant remains one of the biggest names still available on deadline day. While there has been growing talk Friday that the Cubs might not part with Bryant, the Rays have emerged as a possible suitor.
The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reports the Rays are interested in Bryant. They had also shown interest in Kimbrel.
Such a swap would make Rizzo and Bryant rivals in the American League East, putting an odd twist on the Bryzzo sensation in Chicago.
“All good things come to an end,” Rizzo told reporters after he was dealt Thursday to the Yankees. “I’m just focused on going to be a Yankee now. It’s just another really cool opportunity to play for another historic franchise. This will always be home for me, but like I’ve said, my best friend leaving, Jon Lester, he did the same thing. He has two special places in his heart.
“But for these next three months, it’s going to be fun. You go right into a race. Seeing the Yankees pull the triggers like this — get (Joey) Gallo, me now, obviously — that’s what they do. And they’re excited.”
The Mets have also reportedly shown interest in Bryant, though midday reports indicated the two sides are still far apart, according to MLB Network.
Several other teams have reportedly stepped up interest in Kimbrel, including the White Sox, who pulled off a trade Thursday with the Cubs, Dodgers and Braves.
Keep in mind there are numerous COVID safety restrictions in place for the fest. You’ll need proof of vaccination or proof a a negative COVID-19 test for entry to the festival grounds. Lolla is the largest public event to date held in Chicago since the emergence of the coronavirus last March. Despite worries over the virus’ Delta variant and rising caseloads nationally, the show will go on this weekend.
We’ve got the festival covered from every angle. For a complete guide to all things Lolla, check out our guide here. If you want our tips of the acts to catch, you can find our Top 10 pickshere. And keep in mind, there are gobs of street closures in place; you can find the details here.
A festival goer walks through a metal detector as people enter Lollapalooza 2021.Pat Nabong/Sun-Times
A group of friends take photos in front of Buckingham Fountain on Day 2 of Lollapalooza 2021.Pat Nabong/Sun-Times
The band Rookie plays on Day 2 of Lollapalooza 2021.Pat Nabong/Sun-Times
The crowd watches Rookie perform on Day 2 of Lollapalooza 2021.Pat Nabong/Sun-Times
Tobi Lou performs on Day 2 of Lollapalooza 2021.Pat Nabong/Sun-Times
People dance in the crowd as Tobi Lou performs on Day 2 of Lollapalooza 2021.Pat Nabong/Sun-Times
Lollapalooza officially returned to Grant Park this week for four days of music and good times despite concerns about how bringing together over 100,000 people each day will affect the ongoing pandemic.
The festival, which opened Thursday with vaccination or proof of a negative COVID-19 test required for entry, represents the largest public event to date held in Chicago since the emergence of the coronavirus last March. Despite worries over the virus’ Delta variant and rising caseloads nationally, the show will go on this weekend.
Miley Cyrus performs at the T-Mobile stage, Thursday, July 29, 2021.Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times
Black Pumas performs at the T-Mobile stage, Thursday.Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times
Starting her Lollapalooza headlining set with “We Can’t Stop” (preaching the general theme of “it’s my party and I’ll do what I want to”), Miley Cyrusset the tone early on: It would be one helluva time and she would be making all the rules. In following those two tenets, the genre-bending star dominated the festival’s opening night.
There were fireworks, some memorable covers, a motley crew of guests, moments of nearly flashing the videofeed cameras, and the artist taking a stand on the important of freeing Britney Spears. During Cyrus’ performance Thursday of her hit “SMS (Bangerz),” which features Spears, the jumbo screens next to the stage broadcast the trending #freebritney message superimposed with caricatures of handcuffs. (Cyrus recently championed Spears’ conservatorship emancipation at a show in Vegas too.)
Lightfoot takes the stage: ‘Thank you for masking up and vaxing up’
Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who has been outspoken about her decision to keep Lollapalooza as scheduled despite the uptick in cases of COVID-19 and numerous variants spreading around the country, made a not-so-surprise appearance on the festival’s opening day.
Wearing a Black Pumas T-shirt, she introduced the group’s midday set at the T-Mobile Stage and hailed the Pumas as one of the greatest rock bands of today.
“The rate of vaccination in this crowd is off the charts,” she said.
First Lolla fans optimistic as 2021 festival kicks off amid COVID-19 precautions
Thousands of fans streamed into Grant Park Thursday marking the return of Lollapalooza after COVID-19 halted last year’s iteration of the 30-year-old music festival. While some fans said they were slightly worried about COVID-19, many expressed confidence in Lollapalooza’s new protocols.
But not everyone knew about the vaccine mandate in order to attend the music festival.
Lolla signs warn attendees they assume risk for COVID-19
The thousands of people entering Lollapalooza on Thursday are being greeted by signs explaining something that’s not included on their public health and safety website: By attending the festival, “you voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19,” which they mention “can lead to severe illness and death.”
Some of the names on the Lolla lineup are a lot bigger than others. Selena Fragassi parses through the dozens of bands and artists to break down 10 must-see acts that attendees won’t want to miss this weekend. Here’s what Fragassi says about one of the festival’s earliest performers, Orville Peck:
No one exactly knows who this incognito Canadian country singer is (his trademark look is a long, fringed mask and cowboy hat) but the boudoir-looking John Wayne has heaped tons of due praise in his few years on the scene. Both for crafting a highly contagious psychedelic outlaw sound that refreshes the genre and for being an LGBTQ iconoclast whose work with Trixie Mattel and Gaga will soon put him in a new league.
With coronavirus case figures rising across the country amid lagging vaccination rates and the emergence of the Delta variant, Lollapalooza put in place security measures to help make the festival safer.
Starting her Lollapalooza headlining set with “We Can’t Stop” (preaching the general theme of “it’s my party and I’ll do what I want to”), Miley Cyrusset the tone early on: It would be one helluva time and she would be making all the rules. In following those two tenets, the genre-bending star dominated the festival’s opening night.
There were fireworks, some memorable covers, a motley crew of guests, moments of nearly flashing the videofeed cameras, and the artist taking a stand on the important of freeing Britney Spears. During Cyrus’ performance Thursday of her hit “SMS (Bangerz),” which features Spears, the jumbo screens next to the stage broadcast the trending #freebritney message superimposed with caricatures of handcuffs. (Cyrus recently championed Spears’ conservatorship emancipation at a show in Vegas too.)
Earlier in the performance, Cyrus — keen on doing covers lately — dished out a few tributes to songs that she said “made me who I am.” Among them were Blondie’s “Heart of Glass,” the Pixies’ “Where Is My Mind?,” Temple of the Dog’s “Say Hello To Heaven” (which she performed at a Chris Cornell tribute concert a few years ago) and a duet with special guest star Billy Idol on “White Wedding.”
The two also ran through their collaborative track “Night Crawling,” featured on Cyrus’ latest rock-leaning album “Plastic Hearts.” Other guest stars included G Herbo, followed by Wiz Khalifa and Juicy J (plus a random appearance by Benny the Bull) for their track “23” and Kid LAROI for the duo’s new song “Without You.”
Beyond the blitzkrieg of star wattage, Cyrus took moments to get philosophical too, pondering what the quarantine taught her, saying “it was humbling to be humanized together … experiencing the last year and a half with no division between us, all knowing the pain of being disconnected and the value of having one another in our lives,” before cracking a joke about her red sequined jumpsuit being custom made by Gucci and flown in from Italy.
Her bandmates also wore her own merch, the ensemble all standing in front of banner that read “Sell Out to Sell Out.” Cyrus continues to be that perfect dichotomy of pop star kept at arm’s length and a “they’re just like us” celebrity who keeps everyone guessing.— Selena Fragassi
Black Pumas
Though the Black Pumas set ended predictably with the band’s giant hit “Colors” that has been ubiquitous in recent months (including placement in a Target commercial), what was not expected was the overwhelming wash of emotion that came over the crowd. Even frontman Eric Burton (wearing a David Bote Cubs jersey and hat) had to pause and collect himself watching the sea of hands in the air loudly applauding during a break in the performance.
“Cut it off,” he instructed the band, including his partner in the project, the exemplary guitarist Adrian Quesada, whose jam-session solos had been near transcendental to this point. “It’s just you and me,” Burton said, his attention turning to the crowd as he jumped down on the ground and shook people’s hands in the front row, his greetings to each person audible in the microphone.
Eric Burton left the stage for some of the Black Pumas set at Lollapalooza.Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times
The moving song, with its Sam Cooke ambitions to inspire social change, was a tangible game changer in the day, literally bringing people together after nearly two years apart. As Burton sang the last line of the song a capella, the crowd joined in as a last-minute choir that made it one of the highlights of the day.
Elsewhere in the set, after a back-to-back deliverance of the band’s hit “Fire” followed by a rousing cover of Leon Bridges’ “Smooth Sailing,” Burton shared the story of how he went from being a street busker in Austin, Texas, to being on the cover of magazines and nominated for Grammys. That humility and authenticity came through impressively in this set, his passion shown in his octave-busting wails and his joy seen as he moved around the stage dancing with nearly everyone in sight.
The Black Pumas are often categorized as a revival music act — and no doubt they hark back to a time of James Brown, Otis Redding and Marvin Gaye — but it’s their revival of the human spirit and connection to important values that is most needed in the world right now. — Selena Fragassi
Steve Aoki
There are a number of elements you can expect in a typical Steve Aoki performance — pyrotechnics, special guests, bass drops and cake throwing, to name a few.
That’s largely why the EDM giant’s Thursday night set at Solana X Perry’s Stage felt like stepping into a time warp to a pre-2020 period, one where thousands of screaming, jumping fans packed tightly at an EDM concert didn’t leave you worried about health risks amid a global pandemic.
There was a sense throughout the night that, despite the threat of COVID-19, concertgoers either felt confident in Lollapalooza’s new admission protocols, compartmentalized the risks to just have fun or went hard in spite of the pandemic and all that’s been lost throughout 2020 and 2021.
Regardless of the context, Aoki stuck to his familiar formula and gave a strong performance comprised of original tracks and remixes that had the entire crowd dancing consistently throughout his hour-and-fifteen-minute set.
He had fire and smoke shoot from the stage.
He brought out several special guests, like All Time Low’s Alex Gaskarth — and Darren Criss of Glee fame, who performed a mystifying cover of Dave Matthews Band’s “Crash into Me.”
He had a bass drop in just about every song he blazed through in his Serato, which spanned multiple genres to include everything from Daddy Yankee’s “Gasolina” to Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams.”
And he threw multiple cakes into the crowd, asking “Who came here tonight to have cake all over their face?” before lobbing one into a lucky fan’s face.
Aoki had complete control over the crowd and demonstrated a distinct ability to connect with the seemingly endless sea of faces. He gave his fans exactly what they wanted and they responded enthusiastically to every effort he made to hype them up.
When he raised his arms like a puppet master, the crowd followed his motions. When he popped bottles of champagne, they clamored to be spayed with the bubbly. When he led them in a singalong of Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On,” they belted out every word until it progressed into a buildup and eventual bass drop.
There is no wind-down in a Steve Aoki set and his final songs of the night pushed the crowd into an even higher level of euphoria, which hadn’t seemed possible after seeing the way they responded when he played his BTS collaboration “Waste it on Me” and his remix of Panic! At the Disco’s “I Write Sins not Tragedies.”
His nearly 12-year-old remix of Kid Cudi’s “Pursuit of Happiness” came second to last and elicited perhaps the biggest response from Lollapalooza fans, some of whom sprinted from wherever they were on the festival grounds and into the crowd to catch the song.
Fans of all ages danced passionately straight into the end of his set, as Aoki smiled and moved from behind his DJ setup to the edges of the stage, jumping up and down with them. — Matt Moore
Orville Peck
Orville Peck performs Thursday at Lollapalooza in Grant Park.Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times
Orville Peck may have been the only one wearing a mask at Lollapooza on opening day, but his faithful crowd (quite substantial for the early afternoon set) did come decked out in cowboy hats. Peck, a mysterious and unidentified Canadian artist who is turning modern country on its head and taking great advantage of country’s current moment, has a shtick of wearing a long, fringed facial covering for every performance. He looked every part old-school Nashville in his accompanying fringed vest and sequined chaps while brandishing a classic Gretsch guitar, quickly moving over to the piano for his rollicking set.
Songs “Big Sky,” “Legends Never Die” (his memorable duet recorded with Shania Twain) and “Drive Me Crazy” (“about truck drivers and love”) from his acclaimed EP “Show Pony” deftly blurred the lines between country twang, indie rock and even some added psychedelic swag.
Eva Adams (lifting hat) and Bridget Brazil cheer during the Orville Peck performance.Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times
“Hello I’m Orville Peck,” he said, conjuring the ghost of Johnny Cash to open the set, and then proceeded to show off his deep baritone, a bat signal for his many followers who sold out his pre-show Wednesday at Thalia Hall. There’s a part of Peck’s rise that feels very Gaga-like (he also wisely offered up his cover of “Born This Way” on Thursday). From the garish costume choices to the pseudonym to becoming a beloved LGBTQ icon, his career seems poised to reach that pinnacle in due time. Watch out for this one, mask and all. — Selena Fragassi
Playboi Carti
Playboi Carti performs Thursday at Lollapalooza.Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times
The returning Lollapalooza crowd might not have been ready for Playboi Carti, and the rapper didn’t appear ready for them either. The headline-making hip-hop star drew a large throng of people, and as a result, his disjointed set was marred by constant stops and starts as Carti pleaded with the crowd to step back and open up some personal space, after a number of people began passing out. Not a first for Lollapalooza by any means, but in these times, the idea of people suffocating each other takes on a whole new dismal tone.
Carti for his part was wearing a mask, though it was likely more part of his off-kilter ensemble than any functional purpose. The accessory did not help his set, though, which often came off muffled (even by mumble-rap standards) as he ran through what felt like one long track with identical sampling. Among the highlights was “Go2DaMoon,” his track recorded with Kanye West, but overall the performance lacked the panache we’ve come to expect from the artist, and at times he seemed to lose himself in the magnitude of the stage, which was just begging for guest stars. — Selena Fragassi
Jimmy Eat World
Jimmy Eat World barreled into its set with a guitar solo that led straight into the band’s 2004 single “Pain.” It was enough to get concertgoers funneling off South Columbus and into the larger crowd of fans rocking out in front of the Bud Light Seltzer stage. “It’s so good to be back,” lead singer and guitarist Jim Adkins said.
Eventually, the energy that permeated the crowd for the first couple of songs plateaued as the band moved into the rest of the hourlong set and played more songs from its nearly 28-year discography. A few slower-tempo songs were met with a muted crowd response. And while there may have been a few off notes, they ultimately added to the band’s presence as a seasoned, foundational and tight unit that has fun and will never give an identical performance.
The set ended with songs from the beloved album “Bleed American,” which turned 20 years old last week. The shift into “Sweetness” followed by “The Middle” fully jolted the crowd to life, with people dancing and singing, ending the set on a high note. — Matt Moore
Flo Milli
Flo Milli performs Thursday at Lollapalooza in Grant Park.Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times
When Flo Milli stepped onto the stage for her Thursday afternoon Lollapalooza set, it was clear she came to do one thing: rap her heart out.
Devoid of backup dancers, a D.J., flashy visuals or any of the other staples artists use to hype crowds, she commanded the stage alone with a blistering set that practically ignited the thousands of fans packed in tight to see her in the excruciating heat.
The 21-year-old Mobile, Alabama, native strutted across the stage, blazing through select tracks from her 2020 mixtape “Ho, Why Is You Here?,” putting her whole chest into every line and the crowd shouted each word back to her. She wasted little time talking in between songs, making the pace of her set feel almost identical to the hit parade that is her mixtape.
What’s notable about the mixtape is Flo’s lack of melodic hooks — she opts instead to repeat extremely memorable and catchy lines. This translated really well live. For the majority of the songs she performed, she rapped without a backing vocal track on the verses, then let the vocals accompany her on the chorus, serving as an invitation to the fans to participate, and they did loudly. It flexed her prowess as one of the most talented hip hop artists in the game.
By the time she went into her song “In the Party,” the already high-energy crowd turned up even higher, prompting her to hop off the stage and into the front row.
But after a blistering 25 minutes, which included a brief snippet of her feature on Yung Baby Tate’s “I Am,” the set ended, cutting off what was scheduled to be a 45-minute slot. The crowd didn’t seem to mind, though.
We can’t wait to see Flo again on a bigger stage with more material. — Matt Moore
Kaytranada
A solitary beat reminiscent of a pulse pounded from the speakers as Grammy Award-winning producer Kaytranada stepped in front of the crowd. It was a fitting entrance because as soon as he dropped his first beat, he brought life to the area, with some fans packed as close to the stage as they could get while others opted to dance on the outskirts.
The man, as smooth as his production, sipped from a bottle of wine and danced along with the steady grooves as the sun dipped behind the skyline.
He masterfully pieced together songs from his albums “99.9%” and “BUBBA,” in addition to remixes and collaborations, all while hyping the crowd with encouragement on the microphone. It showed his dexterity as both a producer and a performer.
Savvy, too, were his repeated references to Chicago artists. This included dropping Chance the Rapper’s “All Night” and Kaytranada’s Mick Jenkins-featuring “Gray Area.” Add to that the remixes of songs from artists like Kelela and Rihanna.
It all worked to get the crowd smiling and dancing, ready to face the rest of the first night of Lollapalooza. — Matt Moore
Ant Clemons
It’s amazing that Ant Clemons isn’t a household name yet. Kicking around since 2016, he’s primarily been a songwriter, the Oz behind a curtain of top singles for acts like Beyonce, Camilla Cabello and Chicago’s own Kanye West, with whom he worked on the 2018 track “All Mine.”
Clemons introduced that song in his set as one that changed his life “when a gentleman from Chicago picked a poor young man up off the floor,” and then proceeded to give a sampler-platter medley of his other big numbers as a way to “get to know” him. That included H.E.R.’s “Damage” (followed by an audio snippet of her winning a Grammy) and “Better Days,” the track he did with Justin Timberlake and that both performed at President Joe Biden’s and Vice President Kamala Harris’ inauguration in January.
Early in the set, Clemons also dropped a bomb with what is presumed to be the live debut of his new song “Appreciation” featuring Ty Dolla $ign, that he announced would drop at midnight Thursday night. If his previous work — like the EP “Happy 2 Be Here,” nominated for a Grammy this year — is any indication, expect his new music to make just as much of a dent and usher in his prime-time appearance at the next Lollapalooza. — Selena Fragassi
LP
Singer-songwriter LP performs Thursday at Lollapalooza.Amy Harris/Invision/AP
Like Ant Clemons earlier in the Day, LP is an artist that got to come into their own on the Lollapalooza grounds. Though they spent decades logging hits for Cher, Christina Aguilera and other pop stars, the demure singer-songwriter, real name Laura Pergolizzi, showed off the writing chops that kickstarted their career and reportedly sparked a bidding war between labels early on. Alongside a versatile backing band, LP offered a canon of trademark catchy material, including “The One That You Love,” “Girls Go Wild” and “When We’re High.” Though the vocals carried incredibly throughout the park (making one wonder if LP even needed the microphone), the strength of the performance wasn’t enough to draw a huge crowd to their flame. Intimate venues, like the pre-show LP did Wednesday night at Metro, are the way to see them. — Selena Fragassi
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