The 2025 lineup seems more Gen-Z friendly. (File Photo)
There’s an old Hindi adage used to assuage our unfortunate tardiness in the global “race” — humare pass sab 10 saal late aata hai (roughly, everything arrives 10 years late for us). The latest to finally grace our motherland is the globally renowned American pop-punk band Green Day, which will headline the third edition of the mammoth Lollapalooza India in March 2025.
Before we move further, to borrow from the lyrics of the band’s 1994 classic single ‘Basket Case’ — “Do you have the time, to listen to me whine?” Lollapalooza India, you did us rock fans dirty. I can make peace with the arrival of Green Day. Sure, the English rock outfit Nothing But Thieves, touted as the new Muse, is a decent addition to the lineup. The artpop group Glass Animals will ring a bell, thanks to TikToks and Instagram reels. However, and excuse my grumpiness here, where are the gritty rock and metal artists?
For those of us who grew up in the early noughties, being able to see Green Day live is nothing short of a dream. As a teenager, I would be eagerly glued to VH1 to catch one of their songs. Tracks like ‘Boulevard of Broken Dreams’, ‘Holiday’, ‘American Idiot’, ‘Wake Me Up When September Ends’ and ‘Jesus of Suburbia’ became my anthems. I remember asking my father to buy me their 2004 classic album American Idiot and my teenage angst found expression in their punk aesthetic. I relished the badly scribbled depressive lyrics with edgy doodles on the little booklet that came with the CD. Even so, nostalgia alone cannot pull me towards Lollapalooza, especially when the ticket prices are upward of Rs 7,000 (a credulous estimation because the cheaper early-bird tickets are sold out).
Furthermore, the 2025 lineup seems more Gen-Z friendly. For instance, ask any 30-something to name a song by Canadian singer Shawn Mendes — the other headliner for the festival — other than ‘Senorita’, and they will probably draw a blank. Similarly, American singer Isabel LaRosa has also risen to fame due to her viral song ‘Favourite’, used heavily in TikToks and Instagram reels. Norwegian singer-songwriter Aurora, an eclectic addition to the lineup, is famous for her hit ‘Runaway’.
It also seems like electronic dance music (EDM) refuses to leave our collective consciousness. Despite having other festivals dedicated to the genre (Sunburn, Tomorrowland, et al), it keeps spilling over to festivals like Lollapalooza. Cases in point: DJ Zedd from Germany and the American, John Summit.
But the lineup does offer some interesting acts to watch out for. American guitarist Cory Wong, known for his blend of jazz, rock and funk is my pick. Sitar maestro Niladri Kumar and Western classical pianist Sahil Vasudeva will cater to the more seasoned listeners. American rapper Big Boi, the other half of the famous American hip-hop group Outkast and an authority in his own right, can finally give Indians a taste of the “real thing” (if there is such a thing). It’s no secret that hip-hop is having its moment in India too and the lineup will not disappoint fans of the genre. Among the Indian hip-hop artists that will perform include Hanumankind, Raftaar x Kr$na, Dhanji and Sid Vashi.
Not only does the 2025 lineup not have international rock or metal acts, genres that have been a mainstay of the music festival since it opened in 1991 in Chicago, but the Indian contingent also lacks on these fronts. I decided to stop scoffing at everything non-rock (or metal) years ago as my music tastes have, for lack of a better word, evolved. But that does not mean I would not like to see more acerbic, guitar-shredding, bass-grinding and rebellious music that is suited for the curmudgeon in me who would like to headbang like a little teenage boy.
aditya.vaddepalli@expressindia.com
