Lollapalooza performances 'a childhood dream come true' for Northbrook singer JORDY
Playing any stage at Lollapalooza is a gig goal for many a rising artist. But getting to play two main stage performances at this week's four-day musical festival taking over Chicago's Grant Park — Thursday through Sunday, July 28-31 — has Northbrook native pop singer JORDY on cloud nine.
“This is very much a childhood dream come true. Every summer, my whole family goes together. My immediate family, we go, and it's like a bonding family weekend at Lollapalooza,” he said. “It's just been years of me going with my parents and my siblings and my best friends. So it's gonna be pretty crazy this year for it to be kind of flipped.”
Now in his mid-20s and working in the LA music industry, JORDY said finding out he was coming back home to play the festival was a surreal moment.
“It was just a real moment of reflection on what I've been working toward over the past five years, since I moved here. To me, this feels like an accumulation of all of that hard work,” he said. “So it was such a cool, special moment. When I found out, it was super exciting.”
JORDY hit national recognition in early 2021 when his song “Long Distance” went viral on TikTok, throwing him into a whirlwind of cross-country touring, TV appearances, signing with a label and the release of his debut album “Mind Games” last fall.
Stepping onto the big stages at the festival — 6:30 p.m. Thursday, July 28, on the Bud Light Seltzer Stage and 12:45 p.m. Friday, July 29, on the T-Mobile Stage — feels like a homecoming for the young artist.
“With the buildings surrounding me that I associate with my memories of being in the crowd, I don't know, there's an energy to Lolla that just feels like home,” he said. “I've been to other music festivals. And it is my home city. But I think there's this innocence and just pure love for music that you can just feel at the festival. And so it just feels like a true honor to be able to take a big stage, too, which is just gonna be kind of crazy.”
At the festival, he will be joined on stage by his touring act, featuring Chicago artist Drew Polovick and fellow Glenbrook North grad Eric Doar (both of Friday Pilots Club) in what JORDY called “a double whammy of Chicago pride this weekend.” He'll also be debuting a new single at the festival.
“It's so easy for people to look at creators and artists and be like, 'Oh, they're exactly where they want to be. And they know what they're doing in life and all these things.' And I'm over here being like, 'I had a Diet Coke for breakfast and paid some bills,” he said. “So I want it to be that song that just reminds everyone whether you're in your 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, however old you are, none of us really know what we're doing, and that's OK.”
JORDY's appearances are only part of the Chicago musical family represented on this year's Lolla lineup, with sets slated for 100 gecs (Thursday), Jackie Hayes (Friday), Kaskade and Alexander 23 (Saturday), and Beach Bunny, John Summit and Horsegirl (Sunday). More than 170 acts will fill the weekend, including headliners Metallica, Dua Lipa, J. Cole, Green Day, Doja Cat, Machine Gun Kelly, Lil Baby and Kygo, along with a number of undercard performances you shouldn't miss. (I'm looking at you, The Wombats!)
The Kidzapalooza stage also features local School of Rock shows alongside acts chosen specifically for the young rock fans out there.
Tickets are still available for Lollapalooza, starting at $125 for single-day general admission, $220 for two-day passes, $330 for three days and $350 for all four days. GA+, VIP and Platinum packages are also available at lollapalooza.com.