CHICAGO (CBS) — The big day is finally here. Lollapalooza kicks off today in Grant Park.
Artists have been hard at work preparing — from fine tuning their music to making sure they’re in line with Lolla’s COVID rules.
Two acts walked CBS 2 Morning Insider Tim McNicholas through the steps they’re taking.
Lost Kings is a DJ duo from Los Angeles that has dreamed of rocking Lollapalooza for years. This weekend, that dream will come true for members Rob Abisi and Nick Shanholtz.
McNicholas: “Getting pretty close to the big day, how are you guys feeling right now?”
Shanholtz: “I’m excited, man. Excited and anxious.”
Abisi: “It feels like we’ve waited two years, and now it’s here.”
Last year, COVID pulled the plug on their festival gigs, but Lost Kings fine-tuned their live sound with recent shows in Vegas and Phoenix.
McNicholas: “Is there a preparation aspect in terms of safety and COVID too for you guys?”
Abisi: “Yeah, I mean for us the people we’re around are all vaccined and wear masks when traveling.”
Just like the fans, artists performing at Lollapalooza have to either show that they’re vaccinated or show proof of a negative COVID test; and backstage guests must be vaccinated.
Lost Kings say they’re happy to comply.
Their new music video is dedicated to Abisi’s dad, who died of COVID earlier this year.
“So many people, not just me, feel strongly that we do the right things to go through this and not go back into another lockdown,” Abisi said.
Via Rosa and Na’el Shehade are two artists from Chicago who are also stressing the important of vaccines.
“We both got vaccinated like a month and a half ago or so,” Rosa said.
“In order to get things back to normal, that’s what we have to do,” Shehade said.
On stage, they’re known as a DRAMA; an R&B dance fusion duo from Pilsen.
They warmed up with a Tuesday night show at Lincoln Hall, but now they’re ready for the bigger stage at Lolla. It will be their biggest show yet.
“One of the biggest festivals in the world, ya know? It’s definitely a big milestone for us” Shehade said.
DRAMA will be on the Grub Hub Stage on Saturday from 4 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.
As for Lost Kings, they perform Saturday on the Perry’s Stage from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.