Lollapalooza 2009 (more by Paul Birman)

"The office of Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan is investigating Lollapalooza sponsors C3 Presents and their partners for anti-trust issues stemming from the radius clauses that the Austin, Texas-based concert promoters impose on all of the artists who play the giant, three-day concert in Grant Park, according to numerous sources familiar with the investigation." [Jim Derogatis]

Basically, bands aren't allowed to play in the same general area, for a certain amount of time, before or after another show they have scheduled. This ensures that one show doesn't compete with the other. The article says that club owners in Chicago say that this especially sucks for them, because so many bands play Lollapalooza and the length of time Lollapalooza says the bands can't play is unfair. Lollapalooza (C3) says that's just how it is, and people who agree with them would say that bands have the choice to play Lollapalooza or not, and then can come back and tour through Chicago later in the year. The above-linked article by Jim is an interesting read.

the ET gang, Vineland, NJ, 1983 (CRED)

"We're not against having the concert, or doing things for the kids, but don't put it in a residential neighborhood," said Pete Steenland, a Hance Bridge Road resident who helped organize NARCS, in a telephone interview Tuesday. "If they wanted to drop 50,000 people in your neighborhood, you wouldn't like it, either."

"We won't be able to leave our homes that whole weekend because of both the traffic and safety issues," added Steenland. "We have gangs here in Vineland. Are they going to come to the festival to try and compete with the people there? It's possible." [NJ.com]

The article goes on to say that the final contract necessary to have the festival will be voted on "sometime before March, because that's when the promoters would like to make the announcement of what bands are playing." Show your support for the festival at a public meeting in Vineland tonight.