Here's The Jist:

As a Drink Editor I receive a lot of requests for restaurant, bar and nightlife recommendations. So I started a blog to chronicle Chicago's social scene which eventually morphed into New York's drinking and dining scene. After years in Chicago, I'm now a full time resident of NYC, the East Village to be exact. Look forward to sharing the latest and greatest from the wine & spirits world, straight from the Big Apple.






















Wednesday, August 8, 2012

2012 Lollapalooza: Music Lounge @ The Hard Rock Hotel

My sister Steph asked me to contribute on a guest post for the 2012 Lolla Lounge this year.  As a music/media aficionado this was an easy task to follow. With Steph being MIA, most likely roaming around Manhattan-fedora on and all, with frequent stops at the Standard photo booth followed by posh food/designer trucks-she gets a free pass this time as she has been a part of the these spectacular events in the past and present.


After 4 years of the Music Lounge, I'm proud to say that this was another successful experience at the one of the best well kept secrets of Lollapalooza- that is of course if you are Press, VIP, or an Artist.  I had the honor of stopping by the Its So Miami Oasis to decompress from the grueling summer heat and reverberating electro-beats from Perry's stage and face-melting bass lines from Flea and The Red hot Chili Peppers.  Even though Lolla failed to provide any video footage of Perry's-which is a positive sign considering the amount of debauchery going on between all the neon-mud ravers partying- they still linked some notable performances throughout the weekend.

Touring the ck one color Music Lounge was a quite the trip as I shifted through the multiple gifting suite rooms where you could experiment refreshing cocktails sponsored by Belvedere Vodka and Disaronno. You could get your snap-back game on trying on stylistic New Era hats and NicoLives watches as you regret getting that complimentary tattoo in the DJ mainroom while simultaenously listening to R&B beats brought to you by DJ Kayper- who clearly was mixing some dirty pre-lolla material.  I am currently on a Smartwater/ Vita Coco coconut water relapse as they were ubiquitous throughout the lounge, however was entirely content with maintaining the perfect balance of hydration for the weekend.  Running into guests such as Michael Pena, Talib Kweli, B.o.B, Childish Gambino, Polica, & Jerry Azumah were a few of the highlights of my celeb encounters.

In the evening ck one present Rock the Vote Night offered some post-lolla concerts and mingle time with many of the artists and media that got to have some R&R time after being occupied earlier during the day.  I really admired the soothing sound of the Polica set accompanied by Childish Gambino (30 Rock actor, jack of all trades virtuoso) DJ set.

The Hard Rock continues to prove to be the ideal destination for Lollapalooza's pre/post gatherings. Until next year when I re-visit the lounge with my Artist credentials, here are few pictures to check out of the exceptional event and attendees over the weekend:























Day Attendees: Aaron Paul, Ambassadors, Animal Kingdom, Chris Holmes, Delta Spirit, Deluka/Elli Innocenti, Dry the River, Evan Ross, Future Reed, Glass Lux, Grimes, Heaven Malone, Hey Champ, JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound, Josh Hopkins, Juan MacClean, Kaylee DeFer, Michael Pena, Michelle Williams, Midnight Conspiracy, Ryan Cabrera, Tallest Man on Earth, The Empires, The Knocks, The Unsheathed, Twin Shadow, Zedd, Anggie the 9th, April Rose, B.o.B, Big Gigantic, California Wives, Chrissy Murderbot, Disguised as Heroes, DJ Greg Corner, DJ Miranda Wright, DJ ZERO, Fat Jew, Future Feats, Haley Reinhart, Harmar Superstar, Helena, Kid Color, Mike Nouveau, Misfit Dior, Passion Pit, Policia, Quarter, Rose McGowan, Scott Lucas, Show you Suck, Talib Kweli, Team Bayside High, Temper Trap, The Big Pink, The Jane Doze, The Knocks, The Perfect Kiss, Thenewno2, Toro Y Moi, Yuna, Zach Gilford.


Night Attendees: Kelly Osbourne, Jack Osbourne, Quarters, Future Feats, The Knocks, Torik Adams, King Louie, Grimes, Yawn, Midnight Conspiracy, Mike Nouveau, Rosco Bandana, Talib Kweli, Chairlift, Ana Calderon, Josh Henderson, Rose McGowan, Erin Lucas, Dave Chapelle, Donnis, Dev, Deluka, Haley Reinhart, Little Dragon, Neon Indian, DJ White Shadow, Childish Gambino