Lollapalooza and Country Thunder are two huge music festivals that attract multitudes of New Trier students each summer.

Lollapalooza ranges from upbeat bands such as Outkast and Calvin Harris to slower bands like Hozier and female singer Lorde.

Country Thunder, on the other hand, consists of country music acts such as Jason Alden and Miranda Lambert.

People judge music festivals with a variety of factors in mind.

“I judge music festivals based on a lot of things, the performers, the setup, how lenient security is, the people there, and the atmosphere,” said senior Charlie Raith.

Not everyone goes to the festivals for the music. A majority of people use it as a way to partake in reckless activities with friends and even strangers.

“If you don’t like the music, odds are you won’t have a good time because everyone around you will know and like the songs, while you’ll feel out of it,” said senior Sam Stoddart.

Lollapalooza and Country Thunder are also located in two very different places. Lollapalooza is held in Grant Park downtown Chicago, while Country Thunder takes place in Twin Lakes, Wisconsin. Therefore, Lollapalooza is much more accessible than Country Thunder; it’s an easy 30-40 minute train ride downtown, while the country music festival is a four-hour drive away.

Senior Nicole Karabas said, “Country Thunder and Lollapalooza are different because being in Wisconsin gives Country Thunder a different atmosphere, which is really cool because you’re not in the city. I think Lollapalooza is more popular because it’s easier to commute to the city rather than getting to Wisconsin.”

Since Lollapalooza is much more populated, the crowd is a bit more hectic. Lollapalooza also has many more genres of music, allowing outfits to vary among the crowd, whereas Country Thunder is less populated and adorned strictly by country attire.

Senior Daniel Loumpouridis said he would categorize each festival with one word. Country Thunder can be described as “rednecks,” and Lollapalooza as “glitter.”
Raith said, “The people at Country Thunder are a bunch of wild cards. You never know what to expect, it’s awesome.”

Every year there are controversial debates on which music festival is the better option. Some students, such as Stoddart, prefer Country Thunder.

“So many people think country music is just about trucks and cornfields, but I don’t see what’s so bad about that, it’s good music.”

Senior Kate Conaghan agreed with Stoddart.

“I prefer Country Thunder over Lollapalooza because it’s more of a laid back and calmer atmosphere. I also love country music.”

On the contrary, Loumpouridis favored Lollapalooza and said, “I think Lolla is a better music festival; it’s well run, and it seems like more people actually care about the music. Anybody can go to Lollapalooza and enjoy themselves since there are so many different kinds of music there, you get a very diverse group of people.”