Lolla

The Lolla lineup is set to be officially released in less than 48 hours, but an allegedly leaked internal memo may have already spelled it out. The poorly photo copied picture making its rounds confirms most of the acts that have been hinted on the CTA for weeks--Jack White, Bloc Party and The Weeknd among them. If it's to be believed, August will also bring the Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Black Keys and Black Sabbath to Grant Park.  Sure, this isn't the first purported leak of the lineup.

The silver lining of a down year for Lolla (Aug. 2-4) is fewer tough decisions. When the schedule's stacked, there are a lot more conflicts between great artists that either require your willingness to sprint across Grant Park at 80 m.p.h. or miss someone entirely. Still, there are a few bummers in the 2013 Lolla sked, announced Tuesday. Here are some thinkers with my suggestions. Fri. Queens of the Stone Age (6:15 p.m.-7:30 p.m.) vs. Chance the Rapper (6:50 p.m.-7:30 p.m.)

In alphabetical order … Arkells The Canadians released one of 2012's most consistent albums, “Michigan Left.”   Chance the Rapper The local MC's rising fast, and Lolla's a perfect place to showcase why.   The Delta Saints Badass blues from Nashville, which didn't stop them from titling a song “Chicago.”   Paloma Faith The pop-soul singer's huge in Britain. She deserves to be big here.   The Knife The Swedish electronic act returns this year with “Shaking the Habitual.”   Laura Marling The upcoming “Once I Was An Eagle” will likely be...

The question prompted by this year's remarkably underwhelming array of (repeat) Lolla headliners (including The Killers, Vampire Weekend and Mumford and Sons) was, “Where are all the headliner-caliber rock bands that have never played Lolla and, you know, are actually good?” At Thursday's sold-out Chicago Theatre show, Paramore had the answer. Tiny Hayley Williams is leading a giant revolution, shooting sweet darts into the hearts and lungs of fans that belt out every cathartic word.

You've got your Lolla T-shirts and your Lolla posters and your Lolla bandanas and soon you can have your Lolla cupcake. Magnolia Bakery, never one to shy away from themed cupcakes, has whipped up a special treat in honor of Chicago's biggest music festival. The cupcake, available at Magnolia during the festival Aug. 3-5, is available in vanilla or chocolate and features a blue-and-orange swirl of buttercream icing. It can be yours for $3.50, with $1 of that going to Rock for Kids, a non-profit that provides music education to underserved Chicago children.

Best Jack White, 8:15 p.m. at Red Bull sound stage Since this is a family paper, I can't really describe Jack White's show properly. Just consider the rest of this review a series of expletives and me losing my mind. - Dana Moran Oberhofer, 1 p.m. at Bud Light stage I'm as surprised as you may be. I've listened to and enjoyed the band's debut "Time Capsules II" a few times but wasn't prepared for Oberhofer's large crowd and constantly exciting set, incorporating a wide range of creative arrangements for which the members could not have been better prepared.

The mud people were alive and well again this year at Lollapalooza, but the cost to clean up after the three-day fest won't be as steep. The total cost of improvements to Grant Park total about $150,000 this year, down from more than $1 million after 2011. A spokesperson representing C3 stated that several precautionary measures--like roping off some areas of grass and using steel paneling on areas leading to stages--kept the costs lower. "Before the festival began, we took several preventative steps to protect sensitive areas of the park and limit the...

The just-announced Wood Star Music Festival represents roughly the 4,567th bash of the sort in Chicago this summer. Would there ever reach a point at which it feels like overkill and the events seem less special, or will live music during Chicago summers always be the more the merrier? The more the merrier Know what's annoying? The same people decrying that Chicago gets passed over for big festivals and tours are now bellyaching that there's now too many fests.

The question prompted by this year's remarkably underwhelming array of (repeat) Lolla headliners (including The Killers, Vampire Weekend and Mumford and Sons) was, “Where are all the headliner-caliber rock bands that have never played Lolla and, you know, are actually good?” At Thursday's sold-out Chicago Theatre show, Paramore had the answer. Tiny Hayley Williams is leading a giant revolution, shooting sweet darts into the hearts and lungs of fans that belt out every cathartic word.

1: Go to 3 more concerts than you did last year. Massive fests like Lolla don't count. 2: Learn how to make the following foods: Grilled cheese (well enough so you can do that cool "pull the sandwich apart so you can see that cheese stretch" move), scrambled eggs, a real salad (not just lettuce with a bunch of poorly chopped things in it), fried chicken, side dishes that aren't mashed potatoes and/or green beans/asparagus/peas/anything that comes in a can, you lazy SOB. 3: Do 5 pushups a month.

Networking rarely sounds so good. As part of ThinkChicago - a program from Mayor Emanuel built to showcase Chicago's growing tech and startup scene - 100 students from across the country have the chance to get their hands on three-day passes to Lollapalooza, and a chance to rub elbows with some of the city's top tech companies. “You've got this international spotlight in the summer with Lollapalooza, demographically appropriate for people looking for jobs, why not use it?

Well, that didn't take long. At 10 a.m. early-bird three-day passes ($200) went on sale for Lollapalooza 2013 (Aug. 2-4 in Grant Park), reportedly to be headlined by Mumford and Sons, The Killers and Vampire Weekend. Those tickets disappeared almost immediately, giving way to $235 three-day passes that were gone a few hours later. What to do, if you weren't one of the lucky few? Some VIP passes and other pricey options are still available at lollapalooza.com, and single-day tickets go on sale April 9--the same day the full lineup will be announced.

Get ready to hit refresh. Lollapalooza organizers announced Tuesday the Souvenir Secret Sale passes the fest has put up for sale in previous years will be available “sometime this week.” The deeply discounted tickets--3 day passes to the fest for $75--are projected to sell out in “minutes.” As in years past, there's no warning as to when the sale will open up, and the only way to snatch the limited number of tickets is to refresh the...

Did you miss Lollapalooza 2010? Then you may (or may not) be thrilled that some of that fest's biggest acts will return this summer. As reported Tuesday by the Tribune, headliners at Lolla 2013, Aug. 2-4 in Grant Park, will include recent, undeserved Grammy winners Mumford and Sons, no-longer-huge French pop-rockers Phoenix and acclaimed, moody New Yorkers the National, all of whom appeared at Lolla 2010. (The National also appeared in '08.) They're joined on the top line by the obnoxious Vampire Weekend (who played Lolla '09 and headlined Pitchfork '12)

In alphabetical order … Arkells The Canadians released one of 2012's most consistent albums, “Michigan Left.”   Chance the Rapper The local MC's rising fast, and Lolla's a perfect place to showcase why.   The Delta Saints Badass blues from Nashville, which didn't stop them from titling a song “Chicago.”   Paloma Faith The pop-soul singer's huge in Britain. She deserves to be big here.   The Knife The Swedish electronic act returns this year with “Shaking the Habitual.”   Laura Marling The upcoming...

The Chicago Park District board of commissioners on Wednesday approved a $410.9 million budget, which doesn't raise property taxes for residents next year. Program fees, room rentals and boater fee rates would stay flat while some permit fees will see an increase, particularly for large scale athletic events. The 2013 budget factors in $2.7 million in revenue from Lollapalooza. In the past, proceeds from the music fest went to the Parkways Foundation, which sponsored capital projects and programming that benefitted the park...

Fest season might be winding down, but the cost to clean up this year's biggest has gone up. The Associated Press reported Friday morning that the $150,000 price tag to restore Grant Park after Lollapalooza has jumped to $350,000. Charlie Jones of promoter C3 told the AP that “drainage issues” have bumped the cost of sod repairs in one area of the park. Still, the $350,000 bill is less than 2011, where more than $1 million in restoration was needed to fix up the park after three inches of rain fell on the final day of the fest.

The mud people were alive and well again this year at Lollapalooza, but the cost to clean up after the three-day fest won't be as steep. The total cost of improvements to Grant Park total about $150,000 this year, down from more than $1 million after 2011. A spokesperson representing C3 stated that several precautionary measures--like roping off some areas of grass and using steel paneling on areas leading to stages--kept the costs lower. "Before the festival began, we took several preventative steps to protect sensitive areas...