Over 240,000 people gathered in Chicago's Grant Park for what is becoming America's premiere music festival, Lollapalooza. The event held right on the city's front yard provides a spectacular skyline backdrop to an extremely well run music fest featuring over 130 acts. It is impossible to catch them all so very difficult decisions have to made. Do you hang with Lady Gaga to see what outrageous thing see may say or do and enjoy her immense energy or do you truck over in a fifteen minute walk to catch the Strokes and their first live performance in ten years?

But those are the decisions you live with because rarely are any of them wrong. You are usually going to see a rock and roll moment to remember no matter what.  And with reasonable priced ($5) beers and no lines for anything, it becomes increasingly the choice festival to attend every year.

This year the headliners were an interesting array of the state of rock music with the Diva of the Moment Gaga wowing the crowd with a non stop dance and preachy set that would have made Michael Jackson swell up. While 71 year old Mavis Staples showed the crowd of all ages what timeless world class soul is all about. There was epochal moments from Montreal's Arcade Fire in a live performance to end the festival that was as transcendent as Radiohead's from two years ago.

 Little unknown act Edwin Sharpe had the weekend's most unanticipated rollicking set while Green Day played bombastic rock and roll like no other arena band since mid 70s KISS complete with pyrotechnics to match. There are times throughout the three days when music, weather and scene just work to idyllic effect. Case in point the Black Keys sweet set in the middle of Saturday afternoon. A perfect 80 degrees, sun shining off of Chicago's unparalleled skyline, thousands enjoying the life and Dan Auerbach with Neil Young like riffs on stage. It makes the price of admission ($215 for all three days) seem trivial for the overall value.

 Running around from stage to stage also makes you feel like you did your workout while deciding to stay for Yeasayers' breakout performance or go jump around in shade with Hockey. There is something for everyone at Lollapalooza and folks from around the country are figuring it out, this one is well worth the adventure.