LIVE REVIEWS
Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters performs at Lollapalooza in Chicago.
Sacha Lecca for Rolling StoneThe last time the Foo Fighters headlined Lollapalooza’s flagship festival in Chicago in 2011, the band appeared to have the power to control the skies. During “My Hero,” every guitar stroke seemed dramatically timed to each torrential downpour, eliciting buoyant cheers from the crowd. Back then, weather was the typical worry at an outdoor festival. Now, of course, the main concern over large gatherings such as Lolla is the potential to become a super-spreader event.
In a press conference on Sunday morning before the festival resumed for its fourth and final day of 2021, Mayor Lori Lightfoot gave an update on Covid-19 and, along with the Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady, discussed Lollapalooza. Lightfoot said, “90 percent of the people that are at Lolla are vaccinated” (although it was unclear who provided the data for that statistic) and that the festival had done a good job with the protocols. She said Lollapalooza is only one of many large outdoor gatherings the city has held this summer and that Chicago’s been able to reopen carefully because of the emphasis on getting vaccinated. “I feel very good about what we’ve done,” she said. “Obviously we’ll know a little more in a week to 10 days.”
Addressing videos that showed attendees holding up their vaccination cards as they quickly went through gates with what appeared to be little examination, Lightfoot said that she and Arwady visited the gates themselves and that they were “comfortable” that the protocols that were put in place were solid, adding that the fest had even turned “hundreds” away.
On Friday, city health officials recommended universal mask-wearing indoors, and the festival followed suit with the guidelines, requiring attendees to wear a mask in indoor spaces on the grounds starting on Saturday. On Sunday morning, Lightfoot also gave a stern warning that anyone riding the CTA — Chicago’s public transportation system which is flooded with riders getting to and from Lollapalooza’s four-day run — should wear a mask.
The press conference was not the only Lollapalooza-related breaking news that morning. The festival announced that it would be removing DaBaby, one of its headliners from the lineup, following the rapper’s homophobic remarks at Miami’s Rolling Loud. He was replaced by Young Thug, while G Herbo took Young Thug’s previous daytime spot on Sunday. “Lollapalooza was founded on diversity, inclusivity, respect, and love,” the festival tweeted. “With that in mind, DaBaby will no longer be performing at Grant Park tonight.”
Young Thug performs at Lollapalooza in Chicago.
Steven Nunez for Rolling Stone
All this before gates even opened, but once they did, the lineup changes proved to be a wise choice. G Herbo adeptly slid into Young Thug’s late-day mainstage slot, drawing an enthusiastic, large crowd for his compelling set, which included guest turns from fellow hometown artists Chance the Rapper (“PTSD”) and DCG Brothers (“Mmhmm”). Later, Young Thug’s vibrant last-minute headlining turn on the opposite side of the field from Foo Fighters included guest Gunna, and was packed with fans who sang along to the bars.
Meanwhile, on the mainstage, just as threatening thunderstorms didn’t stop the rock in 2011, the pandemic didn’t quash it, either — at least not on the last day of Lollapalooza 2021. Foo Fighters are the quintessential festival band, whose anthemic, hit-filled material — coupled with frontman Dave Grohl’s magnetism and humor — is an ideal match for the setting. And the fest veterans did not disappoint the fans who packed the field tightly on their side of Grant Park. The stalwarts primarily stuck to their tried-and-true set list from recent shows. They opened with “Times Like These,” which has taken on new resonance in our current pandemic era, and they delivered their greatest hits — “The Pretender,” “Learn to Fly,” and “My Hero” among them.
Grohl is a consummate performer, swiftly working all sides of the stage while also engaging the audience in friendly banter and communal participation. His connection to Chicago runs deep, as he recounted with his story of seeing beloved Chicago punk band Naked Raygun at age 13 at the Cubby Bear in the city’s Wrigleyville neighborhood. “It changed my life,” he recalled. “I wanted to do this the rest of my life.” Some “235” penned songs later, he said he wanted to perform them all. And while that couldn’t happen, he would deliver as many as the two-hour set time would allow.
Beyond their own anthemic hits, the band also dropped their cover of Bee Gees’ “You Should Be Dancing” and for their rendition of Queen’s “Somebody to Love,” Grohl made a return to the kit while drummer Taylor Hawkins took on lead vocal duties. It was a family affair to boot: for Grohl’s daughter Ophelia, they sang “Happy Birthday,” and he and his daughter Violet sang their cover of X’s “Nausea.”
LIVE REVIEWS
Japanese singer-songwriter Fujii Kaze released a concert Blu-ray & CD called Fujii Kaze Stadium Live “Feelin’ Good” featuring his biggest solo headlining shows so far by the same name that took place at Nissan Stadium in Kanagawa, Japan on Aug. 24 and 25.
About 140,000 fans flocked to see the shows over the two days that vividly conveyed Fujii’s magnetism as an artist — exceptional musicianship, outstanding entertainer’s spirit, a laid-back, natural presence that makes you forget you’re seeing him in a stadium setting, and a loving mind that looks out for each person in the audience. This writer also attended one of the shows and the two-hour set was an experience that left a lingering sense of euphoria.
The package delves deeply into the concert experience from various angles. Those who went to the shows will be able to relive the excitement, and for those not familiar with Fujii Kaze will be able to understand why he is loved by so many.
The Blu-ray is a two-disc set, with Disc 1 containing live footage compiled mainly from the show on Aug. 25. Kento Yamada, a filmmaker who also directed the show itself, helmed the visuals for the concert film as well. Disc 2 contains the approx. 70-minute Feelin’ Good (Documentary) film, which shows fans the behind-the-scenes of the shows. This doc directed by filmmaker Elizabeth Miyaji contains a new interview of the 27-year-old musician, who speaks candidly about the concept of the shows and his thoughts on the project. The CD contains 16 tracks personally selected by the singer himself. The following are some highlights from the visual and audio discs.
The concerts were full of various gimmicks and stage effects, and by capturing them on video, they become easier to understand and enjoy. The show kicks off with Fujii suddenly appearing in the stands. As cheers break out, he slowly walks down the stairs near the audience and heads for the grand piano placed on the grass in the center of the arena. The camera also highlights the genuine expressions of surprise and joy on the audience members’ faces.
The impressive stage set was like a theme park with a stairway, bridge, and garage covered with vegetation. Based on Fujii’s desire to create something that evokes a sense of nature, Yamada meticulously crafted the set down to the smallest details, including the texture of the soil and the small objects inside the garage. The huge LED screen behind the stage displayed images like city and sky, designed to help create the impression of a single world when fused with the layout onstage.
The dancers’ performances were also notable. In particular, the multi-talented artist and his dancers performed choreography that was perfectly in sync for “Kirari” and “Kiri Ga Naikara” in the middle of the show. While Fujii is well-known for singing along to his own virtuoso accompaniment on the piano, his dance performances also showcase his star power.
The “Nan-Nan” hitmaker says in the documentary that the keyword for this show is “youth” (seishun). Sharing the fresh energy of youth with the 70,000 people in the stadium, with live renditions of “Seishun Sick,” sung while swaying with his dancers arm-around-shoulder, and an 8-beat punk rock version of “Tabiji,” was also one of the highlights of the concert.
While the respective visual projects on the Blu-ray discs are quite close to perfection, the recording on the CD allows fans to enjoy the you-are-there vibe of the show. The band members consist of Yaffle on keyboards, who also serves as band master, TAIKING from Suchmos on guitar, Naoki Kobayashi on bass, Norihide Saji on drums, Takashi Fukuoka on percussion, and ARIWA from ASOUND and Emoh Les on backing vocals. The funky, danceable beat of “MO-EH-YO (Ignite)” and the rich harmonies of “Shinunoga E-Wa” are just some of the highlights of the live arrangements.
Looking back over this past year, Fujii took on many challenges and overcame them all. From May to June, he traveled to North America for his first solo headlining trek in the region called Fujii Kaze and the Piano U.S. Tour, selling out both shows in Los Angeles and New York. From October to December, he visited 10 cities in Asia and performed in arenas for his Best of Fujii Kaze 2020-2024 ASIA TOUR, which also ended on a high note.
Fujii released only two new songs in 2024 — “Michi Teyu Ku (Overflowing),” the theme song for Tomokazu Yamada’s first feature film April Come She Will that became his fifth track to rack up 100 million streams in Japan, and the A. G. Cook-produced “Feelin’ Go(o)d,” released in July — but appears to be actively working on other tracks. The stadium concerts and arena tour were like a culmination of Fujii’s career to date, and fans are looking forward to experiencing his new mode of expression in the coming year.
This article by Tomonori Shiba first appeared on Billboard Japan. Fujii Kaze is stylized in Japanese order, surname first.
