A riotous oral history ... It’s a firecracker of a book that charts the festival’s path from its culture-quaking birth to its ignominious sputtering end and eventual resurrection ... Bienstock and Beaujour paint a detailed and sympathetic picture of the challenges facing organizers who had to put together a bill that pleased both hipsters and their accountants.
Juicy and fast-moving ... Oral history, as a digestible way to tell the story of pop-culture moments, is the book equivalent of a talking-head documentary. The authors of this one offer brief introductory summaries of each year of the tour, but the prevailing tone is light, streamlined and chewy with backstage gossip ... Largely leave analysis to their interviewees.
A romp, plain and simple ... The oral interview format reads like a filmed documentary, with expertly timed interviewee contradictions and caveats infusing humor at every turn of the page ... Wild and incredibly entertaining, Lollapalooza provides a vivid recount of the genesis of one of music’s most prolific festivals. Moreover, Bienstock and Beaujour have created an instant classic for the nostalgic and contemporary alike.
This breezy oral history will appeal to most rock fans. The authors explore the festival’s impact on ’90s rock culture and provide intimate portrayals of the bands that Lollapalooza featured.
