The Question this month:
What did you think about Lollapalooza in 2006?

Eric Edholm | 30, Lakeview
I give the whole weekend a B-minus, but the layout was flat-out bad. From one end of Grant Park to another was nearly a mile, and it’s hard to navigate traffic when, say, you’re leaving Sleater-Kinney at one end and trying like hell to make Ween on the far side a minute later, essentially swimming upstream with 80 percent of the crowd going to see Death Cab For Cutie. Nothing really blew me away, though Secret Machines and My Morning Jacket were both very good. Gnarles Barkley, too. The highlights were the late-night shows away from the festival grounds: Frames/Nada Surf on Saturday at Metro and Bustle In Your Hedgerow, a jamband super-quartet that played two drunken, high-octane sets of Led Zeppelin at the Abbey Pub on Sunday night both were a ton of fun.

Paul M. Banks | 28, East Lakeview
My favorite part of the festival was the two hometown MCs, Common and Kanye West, rocking the mainstage on Saturday night. Both made numerous local references to “The Chi” during their sets. The crowd really enjoyed them giving props to the city. One of the best things about seeing live hip-hop is the various instruments (especially the keyboards) used to mimic the beats and sound effects of the recorded album version. The best example of this is when Kanye opened with “Diamonds from Sierra Leone.” He had an entire string section on stage and the sample of Shirley Bassey’s voice from “Diamonds are Forever” was replaced by similar notes originating from a violin.

Jeremy Schnitker | 28, Lincoln Park
After exhausting myself at Pitchfork the previous weekend, I had no intent on going, but I lucked out and had a free three-day pass fall in my lap at the last minute. I was expecting it to be a meat grinder, with the estimated 70,000 people, heat and expensive concessions. While the mass of people there was insane, it ended up being an awesome experience, probably the most inspiring concert-going of my life.

The vibe was great all the way from the bands to the fans — everybody seemed to be truly enjoying the moment. Things started off nicely with a great set by one of my favorite live acts, My Morning Jacket. When they launched into “Golden,” you could feel the collective goose bumps rising on the skin of the 20,000 folks watching. The Flaming Lips were every bit the supernatural beauty they’re advertised as. Wolfmother rocked like few bands since 1975 have, and Queens of the Stone Age played with the swagger and precision that they so wonderfully capture on record. In one of the smaller shows, Of Montreal grabbed many a passerby’s attention with a dancy, feel-good set. By 7 p.m. Sunday night, they’d probably made 2,000 new fans. Gnarls Barkley, with a full band and backup singers, showed it’s more than just a novelty act. In their reported last show ever, Sleater-Kinney left the rock game as still one of its most punishing all-girl acts. As for the headliners, Kanye was Kanye and Death Cab was Death Cab — not a bad thing, it was just hard for either act to come up with something that everybody hadn’t already seen earlier that day.

As the sun set, skyline glimmered and Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrell came out to introduce the Red Hot Chili Peppers as the show’s last act, with the entire crowd of 70,000 awaiting anxiously, the vibe was electric. Even the most ardent Chili Pepper hater had to appreciate the moment. All in all, a stellar weekend. And had I forked out the $180 everybody else paid, it still would have been worth it.

Jill Franczyk | 32, Lakeview
Let me preface this by saying that my three-day pass was free, so I have no right to complain. Major complaint: The mile walk between the two main stages, combined with back-to-back sets, meant missing 15 minutes of many of the bands I wanted to see. That aside, it was a weekend I would happily re-live. The event was well organized, the band lineup was solid and even the food selection was decent. The highlight of my weekend was the band Of Montreal with their high energy, crazy costumes. How could you not love a guy in an orange ruffled dress, knee socks and a blue gorilla mask? They kept the ever-expanding crowd dancing the entire time. I will definitely check them out again.

Jean Chapman | 30, River West
My first Lollapalooza ever, and it was great! I was a little apprehensive, as I’ve never been around that many people at once (70,000), but it was a very chill and peaceful crowd. The highlight for me was Of Montreal (Kevin Barnes and Dottie Alexander were so entertaining, and the music was tight and clean). Queens of the Stone Age started off weak, but finished up super strong. The only disappointment for me was the sound coming from The Shins stage — their sound man sucked. The best part about it? You could tell that every single band on stage was enamored by the city, the backdrop, etc., and was very thankful for being there and experiencing Chicago that way. Oh and I LOVED the fact that Perry came on the stage for just a little bit.

Jessica Sedgwick | 29, Lakeview
I found it absolutely exhausting, and it’s way too expensive. They charge so much because there are 30-some bands playing every day, but I think I only got to see like five or six bands a day. You see a lot more at Pitchfork for only $15. So I think I’ll probably pass on Lollapalooza next year and just try to see my favorite bands whenever they come to Chicago.

Kathryn Doi | 30, Lakeview
Top shows of the weekend: The Raconteurs, Kanye West, The Flaming Lips, Wilco and RHCP. Other excellent performances: Benevento-Russo Duo, Secret Machines, Mute Math and Thievery Corporation. We were lucky enough to hang out with Perry Farrell, Jeff Tweedy, Matisyahu and Chad Smith backstage on Sunday. What else can I say? It was the best Lollapalooza ever!