Sam Smith Pays Tribute to Amy Winehouse at Lollapalooza Day 2
Having a certified legend like Sir Paul McCartney close the first day of a festival, as he did Friday at Lollapalooza, could create a letdown the next day. But Saturday’s very eclectic headliners at Chicago’s Grant Park made sure there was no chance of that – especially the ambitious Sam Smith, who paid homage to a lot of his heroes with a covers-laden set most notable for his soaring rendition of Amy Winehouse’s “Tears Dry on Their Own,” which he introduced by declaring, “This is for you, Amy.”
Related: Lollapalooza ‘15 Breakout Acts: Day 2
The dedication to the late Winehouse obviously brought a roar of approval from a crowd that, if not quite as big as the one for Metallica on the opposite side of the park, was still considerable. However, Smith’s other covers, including the R&B classic “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” Chic’s “Le Freak,” and Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling In Love,” were just as stirring.
Smith also arguably got the moment of the night when his powerful closer of “Stay With Me” provided a perfect backdrop to the thousands streaming out into the downtown Chicago night, as the evening came to an end on that side of Grant Park.
On the other side of Grant Park there was a different power going on, as headliners Metallica did exactly what was expected of them: melting faces with a blistering greatest-hits set. Coming out to “The Ecstasy of Gold” from iconic Italian composer Ennio Morricone, frontman James Hetfield and mates established the tone of their two-hour stint at Lollapalooza right from the start, opening with “Fuel.” Among the many highlights were the frenetic closing “Seek and Destroy,” “Welcome Home (Sanitarium),” and a four-song encore that included two covers, “Whiskey in the Jar” and Diamond Head’s “Am I Evil,” and the perfect one-two closing punch of “Nothing Else Matters” and “Enter Sandman.”
There were more than enough people to go around on a sold-out day two, meaning that even as huge crowds rocked out to Metallica or were being serenaded by Smith, the crowd was still sizable and inspired for Alesso’s closing set at Perry’s, which included fellow Swede Tove Lo joining him onstage to sing their hit “Heroes.” That he had something special for the crowd was not surprising, as he told Yahoo Music before his set that he was very excited to make his Lollapalooza debut.
That sentiment seemed to be a common thread among the artists, many of whom know the festival’s long and storied history. Banks had one of the sweetest moments of the day when during her set she seemed genuinely humbled as she exclaimed, “This feels like such a momentous day for me, it’s f—ing Lollapalooza.”
That was a sentiment shared by many on a day where Lollapalooza, thanks to the headliners and several other notable performances – such as Charli XCX’s punk-pop energy, Death From Above 1979’s guitar power, outstanding hip-hop from Tyler, The Creator and Kid Cudi, and the infectious likability of Walk the Moon – lived up to its incredible legacy.
photos: Getty Images
