When fun. declares “We Are Young,” they aren’t just talking about themselves. At the band’s brief Lollapalooza set Saturday, August 4, the majority of the crowd wasn’t even old enough to legally take part in some of the antics fun. describes on their breakthrough album, Some Nights.
Teens, pre-teens and kids with their parents packed it in post-rain at one of Lolla’s smaller, semi-hidden stages (Google Play) for the set, which lasted just 30 minutes. Blame it on the rain: severe weather conditions that caused Lollapalooza’s organizers to evacuate Chicago’s Grant Park for nearly three hours. fun. was set to perform just as the rain was at its height, but the trio took to its Twitter to continually reassure fans that the show would go on. While other acts’ sets got cut completely, fun.’s was the first to go on after festival-goers were admitted back into the park. A bevvy of brightly-colored balloons dotted the crowd.
With the short time they had, the band made it count. Warming up the crowd for their No. 1 single, fun. played the slower track “Why Am I The One” with infectious enthusiasm that inspired crowd singalongs. “At Least I’m Not As Sad (As I Used To Be)” followed, and with the way fans reacted, one would hardly remember this track’s emo lyrics. “We don’t care about this [rain], let’s just dance,” frontman Nate Ruess told the crowd, who did just that. Later, Ruess would mention his love for the rainy days – just not today.
As soon as fun. treaded lightly into the opening notes of “We Are Young,” Ruess’ presence was almost secondary. Nearly every person in that crowd was having a moment to themselves, screaming along so loudly that his distinct voice was obscured. Hands up, iPhones out to capture the moment – and the fun didn’t stop there. The band’s final song, “Some Nights,” was just as rambunctious and inspired nearly as much fan response as “We Are Young,” ending the soggy set on a high note.
-Jillian Mapes, CBS Local
