Lollapalooza's new home

One of the summer's biggest concerts is right around the corner and just a short jaunt away.\nThe three day music festival, Lollapalooza, kicks off Aug. 4 in Chicago's Grant Park. This is the second year that the festival has made The Windy City the back drop for their three day party. Last year many people were hesitant to accept the third largest American city as a good location to hold an outdoor music festival, especially one which hopes to host 75,000 concert-goers. However, after last year's success the festival organizers have high hopes for this second time around.\n"We had to prove that not only we were a credible but a quality festival and I think we did that year one in Chicago," said former Jane's Addiction front-man and Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrell. "Everybody's excited about coming back again."\nThis year's festival will showcase over 130 bands on 8 stages. As usual Lollapalooza will offer an eclectic blend of popular musicians from well known rock acts like Red Hot Chili Peppers and the Flaming Lips to R&B and rap acts like Gnarls Barkley and Kanye West. However, those behind the festival hope to turn Lollapalooza into something more than just a musical showcase.\nOne of the more bizarre ways in which they are going to be attempting to do so this year is with Mindfield. A concept which is being presented in conjunction with the famous Chicago based comedy troupe, Second City. If you sign up to take part in the event you will receive text message clues throughout the weekend which will give you an opportunity to win prizes from merchandise to VIP passes and backstage tours.\n"We wanted to make the idea of the music festival more interactive and we created a concept called Mindfield where the entire grounds of lollapalooza are transformed into an interactive playing field using cell phones," Farrell said. "This is the first year we have a whole stage devoted to the games."\nThe Mindfield stage will feature fan competitions, comedy, short films and DJ dance parties all under the credo: "Free your mind and your cell phone will follow."\nThe festival is also attempting to make a greater effort to appeal to families. Children under 10 get in free, and there will be an entire section of the festival grounds specifically targeted towards children called "Kidzapalooza." \nKidzapalooza will include music targeted towards both kids and their parents. Farrell's only scheduled performance at this year's festival is on the Kidzapalooza stage. Along with these performances the festival will also include a myriad of activities for children. There will be an area for kids to record their own hip hop tracks. There will be a rock 'n' roll petting zoo where the chickens and sheep are replaced with Gibson guitars and Remo drum kits. There will even be a rock school where people like Pete DiStefano from Porno for Pyros will be teaching music.\nEven with all of these extra diversions, ultimately people will be coming to the festival this year for the music and there is plenty of it to choose from. Some of the biggest names in music will be attendance like Wilco, Matisyahu, and Death Cab for Cutie, but some of the biggest buzz of the festival is surrounding a band that nobody has heard of. Lollapaloza is giving an unsigned band an opportunity to appear on one of the main stages at the festival in an American Idol-esque contest dubbed "Last Band Standing." Bands from all over the nation have been competing for the slot and it is down to the final four competitors, Everybody Else from Los Angeles, Tonedeff from New York City, Kate Starr from Charlottesville, Va. and the Appleseed Cast from Lawrence, Kan. The winner will be announced two days prior to the festival.\nHopes are high for the second run of Lollapalooza in Chicago. And come rain or come shine, the third coast will be rocking that weekend.