Lollapalooza: The Uncensored Story of Alternative Rock’s Wildest Festival

Bienstock and Beaujour (coauthors of Nöthin’ But a Good Time: The Uncensored History of the ’80s Hard Rock Explosion) have constructed an oral history of the Lollapalooza music festival, which helped define and promote alternative rock in the ’90s. Conducting over 200 interviews, they begin with Jane’s Addiction’s Perry Farrell, who jump-started the traveling event in 1991 with an eclectic, innovative lineup. The authors chronologically detail the festival’s first seven years (1991–97) before it faded into an eight-year hiatus. The festival’s second year spotlighted soon-to-be grunge/alternative icons Pearl Jam and Soundgarden and helped advance the alienated Generation X culture of liberal causes and alternative lifestyles. The book highlights Alice in Chains and Rage Against the Machine in 1993, the commercial success in 1994 with Smashing Pumpkins, a continuation of the alternative theme with Hole and Sonic Youth in 1995, and a turn to metal-oriented bands such as Metallica in 1996. They conclude with the 1997 festival, which focused on electronic acts such as Orbital and Prodigy.