Drinking Age History In The Us

20 Years, 20 Snapshots in Lollapalooza History

It’s cliche to start any introduction by defining a word, but in this case it seems appropriate. After all, how many people actually know what “lollapalooza” means? Sure, by music festival standards, we know it as the annual event put on in Chicago each August by Jane’s Addiction frontman Perry Farrell. But its true definition, at least according to Merriam-Webster, is “one that is extraordinarily impressive,” and while we can’t be sure Ferrell envisioned today’s version of Lollapalooza when he first named the festival 20 years ago, its title has never proved more true.

Sure, especially recently, some criticisms are warranted. The overlapping of headliners with other festivals, weaker mid-tier acts, and overcrowding are a few that come to mind. But at the end of the day, in an era when festivals are as popular as ever, Lollapalooza continues to be among the country’s best. More than 130 acts will play Lollapalooza this year, ranging in genres from hip hop to electronica. Four of those said acts are among the biggest names in all of music, a claim few festivals on Earth could even dream of making. There will also be long sought-after reunions, as well as a slew of heralded fresh faces looking to become headliners of tomorrow.

But how’d Perry Farrell’s pet project get to be where it is today? With the festival celebrating its 20th anniversary this summer, we figured now would be the perfect time to share our favorite memories, and in the process, illustrate how Lollapalooza went from the a dirty, grungy traveling festival to a three-day, stand-alone pop-tastic extravaganza.

-Alex Young

Lollapalooza “1” was originally slated to be the farewell to for Jane’s Addiction. When the tour hit the DC Metro area in the summer of 1991, it landed at Lake Fairfax fairgrounds, and tickets were $35. The Rollins Band kicked off events just after noon, the sun blazed away high in the sky, and the heat had yet to become unbearable. Henry Rollins, who talked about the “grouchiest man in D.C.” (possibly Ian MacKaye?) and spouted out lines like “You must think you’re gonna live forever,” set the bar pretty high for the remainder of the lineup. But the others kept the intensity going.

The Class and Culture Appeals of Coffee in Modern Society « Music-Head

Coffee. It’s been around nearly since the dawn of time.  One of the first addicted to coffee and caffeine? Montezuma, emperor of the Aztecs in the mid-15th century. The first time coffee is referenced in history in the English language? The year 1598, right at the tail-end of the 16th century. So, obviously coffee has been present in society for centuries. Ever since, people have been enamored with the damn thing. Over 18,000  studies have been conducted in just the past few decades. Like the drink or not, it’s a very fascinating beverage to us humans. It’s got the caffeine buzz, the rich aroma, it can help calm nerves, and there are countless physical health benefits (although coffee also yields its fair share of negative health effects). Although centuries ago, people probably weren’t aware of some of the latter listed, they loved their coffee just as much as we do today. But why, all of a sudden, has coffee become such a staple in our pop culture?

About 40-50 years ago, coffee shops started to pop up more frequently around America. But not until about the mid ’90s and early ’00s did coffeehouses suddenly become an incredibly pop culture phenomenon. I think there are many reasons for this, one of which being the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984, which raised drinking age to 21. I believe that coffeehouses and cafes became more of a part of college life after it became a reality for the majority of college students that they weren’t going to be allowed in bars.  I mean, you’ve also got to figure in the fact that many Americans have slowly been shifting to try to live a healthier lifestyle, and a cup of coffee and a muffin offers a much healthier alternative to something like a bowl of Lucky Charms and a glass of orange juice both of which are most likely loaded with artificial sugars and sweeteners. Anyway, whatever the reason is, coffee has come to represent class and sophistication in modern society.

A businessman on his way to work. A college student on summer break around mid-morning on a Saturday. A young couple out for an afternoon stroll; maybe going to see a movie later. These are just a few candidates ready to cough up 4-5 dollars for a decent-sized latte or cappuccino. This has become modern day reality. Be it Starbucks, or an off-beat, funky, independently owned coffeehouse, the people of America want coffee. Why?