Many non-fiction readers will tell you that every non-fiction book is incredibly niche. The topics are so specific that it is diametrically unheard of that a reader will pick up anything non-fiction without some semblance of pre-existing familiarity with title or concept. That being said, Lollapalooza is niche even for something that is already niche.
As someone who grew up wanting to become just like their very cool GenX older sisters, I have a deep seated love for all things grunge, so a book touting interviews with artists like Jane’s Addiction, Butthole Surfers, L7, Hole, and Bikini Kill was automatically going to score points with me. What I wasn’t expecting was just how approachable it was.
Where I think Lollapalooza succeeds where other music memoirs fall short is that it isn’t actually structured like a book. Instead it is described as an “oral history.” Which sounds odd, but actually makes perfect sense. The novel itself reads like a script—complete with a wide ranging cast of characters (the aforementioned artists alongside industry insiders like publicists and managers), that take you through the entire history of Lollapalooza from its initial concepting phase all the way through to its decline in 1997. In this way the novel never at any point feels didactic and instead broaches the subject of the music festival as one might a colloquial conversation about the past, funny anecdotes included.
In truth, this is a very good read for a very specific fanbase. So, if your interests include a completely intersectional venn-diagram of music history, pre-millenium socio-economic political movements, and 90s alt-rock then I have a book to recommend to you.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advance copy of this book that looks at time in music when art mixed with sound, performance mixed with presentation, where the idea of concerts meet with social responsibility, and something more than commerce, until the money become too much for the industry to ignore.

To quote LCD Soundsystem " I used to work in a record store, I had everything before anyone". That is is true in a sense. Working in a record store opened my ears, and my brain to new forms of music. We got listen copies, and had a selection of music magazines from overseas for sale, that we could read and stay ahead of. Especially in the early 90's when the Internet was still a dream in Al Gore's head. I kid. The best thing about working in a record store was that one always had people to go to shows with. Even if they were a couple of states away. That's how I found myself at the first Lollapalooza, a concert I remember for the heat, the sounds, the cool people and the smells. For some reason I attended the odd numbered shows, One, three and five, I think, maybe based on bands, or time-off. Reading this book made me wish I went to all of them, and brought again the sounds and the smells right back. Lollapalooza: The Uncensored Story of Alternative Rock's Wildest Festival by Richard Bienstock & Tom Beaujour is an oral history of a time in music where people thought everything was changing, the industry, the sounds, the way one viewed concerts, but soon human greed, a changing musical landscape brought an end to this dream.

Lollapalooza as an idea and a vision can be credited to one person, Perry Farrell of the band's Jane's Addiction. Farrell has always been a little bit ahead of the curve, creating a band with a singular sound and an image that stood out in the early 90's. However being ahead sometimes takes its toll, and Farrell soon wanted to end his band, and try something new. As an extended wake Farrell thought of a new kind of concert. One with a bunch of bands, a festival idea that was popular in Europe, but one that would travel from town to town. Complete with booths for political messages, voter registration, religious thinking, book stores, cool food, and of course great music. Farrell found backers, and more importantly bands who wanted to try this weird idea out. The fact that some of these bands were on the verge of breakthroughs helped, and soon Jane's Addiction, Rollins Band, Ice-T and more were making music, and even more making money. And stories, lots of stories. The heat so strong that NIne Inch Nails tape decks melted. Eddie Vedder climbing amphitheater walls. Many different crimes and misdemeanors. Feuds, spats, fights, and band breakups. The book covers the big years, to the final whimper of a lost tour, until restarting as an event in Chicago, and some satellite cities.

The book is an oral history and talks to a lot of people, people in management, the crew, and the musicians. The book is a font of information, from again music, to setting up and trying to get a new idea off the ground. The book looks at different tours, from setting up, backstage manipulations in whose band was getting what, to tour stories. Stolen golf carts, bad weather, heat, and Patti Smith making a surprise appearance on the second stage, getting a seconds chance at a career again. The book is warts and all. Some people look bad, some stay bad, and others come across as really cool guys. Many of the musicians, can tell stories Al Jourgensen of Ministry sound like the guy you want to sit next to at a party, though one might want to watch one's drink. There is plenty of gossip, tales of excess, and tales of people having the time of their lives, and missing it so.

A great book for fans of the era, and for people who love all the backstage information about touring and how the magic is brought to life. Music people will really enjoy.

My go to reading genre is the rock biography, and I do love the oral history format with the various participants involved just talking. Full disclosure: the grunge era is something that I dabbled in where I loved certain songs from groups like King's X, Pearl Jam, Rage Against the Machine, Drowning Pool, Faith No More, Puddle of Mudd, Soundgarden, Nirvana, Alice in Chains- but it wasn't anything I was passionate about like the previous metal hair band era that I absolutely love. It was just enough to download a singular song I liked from these bands for my iPod. There were some narrators I was much more interested in than others such as guitarist Dave Navarro from Jane's Addiction; this band's leader Perry Farrell spearheaded the idea of Lollapalooza to showcase a rack of about 7 bands playing in more obscure areas with informational tents to expose people to different politics, food, and a hodge podge of other oddities. The bands Nine Inch Nails and Red Hot Chili Peppers really became well known as a result of this tour. Ice-T was an interesting addition to the tour where he both rapped and performed with his metal band creation Body Count. I probably enjoyed his narrations more than anyone's as his observations were so intelligent. There were a lot of narrators that were hard to keep track of from roadies, managers, et al with a lot of stories to tell. I wasn't receptive to a lot of it like excessive drinking, drug use, smashing guitars, and other unsavory hijinks. This is probably the first case of an oral history book I've read where I might have preferred a straight biography written by someone else. While I did enjoy this, I think this book would be better digested by someone who is heavily into this kind of music and is more receptive to it and the people involved.

Thank you to the publisher St. Martin's Press who provided an advance reader copy via NetGalley.

I was in my 20's during the time of the Lollapalooza tours, and though I didn't attend any of the shows, I was (and still am) a big fan of the majority of the bands that were involved. This book is an interesting trip back to a time when many of the bands were just breaking out and music festivals were few and far between and none of them travelled. Perry Farrell came up with the idea of Lollapalooza to not only showcase different bands and music styles, but also to introduce social and political ideas to a fresh new audience. It was something new and exciting that had never been done. It was before cell phones, the World Wide Web, and the ease of discovering and sharing new music and ideas.

I am not a fan of the interview style that the book is written in. It didn't flow well for me. A lot of the people interviewed for the book were behind-the-scenes tour managers and stage hands, so the names were hard to keep up with. Those are my only negatives with this book. The large number of interview participants who were in the participating bands and the freak shows is impressive. Of course, there are plenty of tales of backstage shenanigans involving pranks, sex, drugs, and excessive drinking. The dynamics between band members and different bands was interesting. It was fun reading about these stories from multiple perspectives that didn't always match up.

I found myself most interested in the logistics of Lollapalooza. This had never been done before and there was a big learning curve during the first tour. Taking what worked and what didn't work to try to improve on the next tour. The trial and errors. The clashing personalities that had to try to work cohesively to make the tours a success. The egos and contract demands. The band managers and the tour managers and the record labels all trying to make sure their best interests were met. I remember when Lollapalooza began and the subsequent tours. I had no idea how history-making it was at the time.

If you are a fan of the bands and/or Lollapalooza, you should enjoy this book. It's a detailed account of an extraordinary time in music history, and it's effects are still in play today. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the digital arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

If you are into music history, especially 90’s music history, then this is the book for you. This is such an important festival for the big name brand festivals. I have talked to some members of bands who commented in this book and played the festival, and they all say how important of an event it was for them.

This book captures a time in history that we can never get back that we all wish we could.

As a fan of 80s rock, metal and progressive, alternative..., growing up in a family of musicians and experiencing the 80s ascension of so many bands in this decade I couldn't pass reading about this iconic festival (origin until the present day) through the testimony of more than 50 musicians and people related to the bands who give more authenticity to the stories, not only with their life experiences, but also their luck in having such an industry and fans supporting their passion when sometimes creativity was too hand and hand with drug and alcohol abuse. Still, the American way is always revolutionary at the core, fighting and sticking to what they think to be the right cause to fight for, even if their weapon is music. This iconic mobile festival, presently established in Chicago, has fathered others, becoming the model for so many important ones like the Ozy Fest and helping so many bands grow. It's a phenomenon worth reading from the testimony of those who loved it.
Easy to read and interesting.

Wow, wow, wow. If you're a music fan, this book is for you. This traces the history of Lollapalooza from inception in 1991 to the reboot in 2003. Full of interviews with the people that were there - bands, agents, managers and promoters. Endlessly fascinating. Lots of heroin, lots of big egos, lots of onstage and backstage antics. What a fun read! Tom Beaujour and Richard Bienstock have done it again.

I would like to thank Net Galley and St Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this as an ARC. This was a well written, well researched book about the origins of the Lollapalooza music festival. The author has spoken to all of the major players in this festival, and has amassed a wealth of inside information. It is interesting and in depth. I appreciated reading this book.

While it was fascinating to get an inside look at the influential music festival, and I truly wanted to enjoy this more, the interview-quote format didn’t quite offer the most engaging reading experience for me personally. The structure, while unique, didn’t fully capture my interest in the way I had hoped. However, I can see how this format might resonate with other readers who enjoy a more conversational or fragmented storytelling style.

Some background:

I was so excited for this book and even included it as one of my most anticipated reads for 2025. My best friend and my sister both attended in 2023 but I was in grad school and couldn’t go and was sooo disappointed. One day I would love to attend. I also love alternative rock and have read many memoirs, bios etc. of the artists mentioned like Anthony Kiedis, Dave Grohl, Ozzy, Patty Schemel and so on.

My thoughts in brief:

I was going to give the book 3 stars then settled on 3.5-4 since the time and effort that went into the book is evident. It is amazing that they were able to interview so many people. Although, the formatting of the book and the content itself fell a bit flat for me. Some factors that I think might’ve contributed to this are that

1. I was not conscious 1991-1997
2. I have read a lot of historical recounts which include academic footnotes etc that follow strict stylistic choices.

The Books Basics:
• Chronological
• This is the story of Lollapalooza and the 1990s alternative-rock revolution.
• THEY BROUGHT BACK FUNNY CHAPTER NAMES. Most books now just name chapters by number so I loved this.

There is an excellent “Cast of Characters” which is approx. 13 pages of the people who are referenced and included as the oral history aspect throughout the book. They range from artists to tour managers and reporters. I do wish the cast of characters was alphabetical since I often found myself wondering “oh, is this person in the book” then I had to flip around to try to find them.

Chapter 1 threw me for a loop. It was not what I was expecting since it is formatted like a script with each person’s name and job followed by what they said about Lollapalooza. It took me a bit to get used to the writing since reading the person’s name disrupted the flow of reading and the sentences often didn’t match up with the previous chunk of text. I wish I could include a screenshot as an example.

Perhaps footnotes or writing more similar to Eminem’s “The Way I Am” would’ve been better suited to this book since the authors could’ve added images and side text to reference speakers and exact moments in time.

The book follows the same format for most of the book. A chapter will begin with the year of Lollapalooza (91-97), the dates, the main acts, and a few pages about the particular year of the festival. Then a few chapters will follow of interviews spliced together. I found the book ended rather abruptly with an epilogue and then immediately after a jump to a new chapter 1 on the festival’s revival in 2003. I would’ve liked more of a wrap up about the impact and comeback and more cohesive ending.

If you are a fan of 90s alternative music, then give this book a try. Or if you’ve been to Lollapalooza, you may get a kick out of the throwbacks. Otherwise, I’d stick to artist books and articles.

Despite my not so great experience reading the book I did learn some cool things (like why its called Lollapalooza) and will most likely read other books by the authors as long as they do not follow the same format that reads like a script.

Thank you to the author/publisher and Netgalley for a copy of this book.

As a person that loves going to concerts and festivals, I was super intrigued to read this one! I have never been to Lollapalooza but as a local it was one that sounded interesting to hear the history on such an iconic event. I liked the format of a quick summary and then diving into what those in the scene had to say about what they experienced, etc. I would love to read more books by this author or similar books to what this one did for other festivals.

Lollapalooza : The Uncensored Story of Alternative Rock’s Wildest Festival by Richard Bienstock and Tom Beaujour

I am going to come clean here… I honestly thought I went to at least five Lollapaloozas. I went to a total of two. Funny what time does to one’s memory. In Denver there was a couple of radio festivals that coincided with my timeline I suppose which messed with my memory. So, going into the book I was excited to relive some memories. Which I did, but I think that they were some other festivals that I felt were Lollapalooza but were not… which made this book even more entertaining.
Another entertaining element? I am also going to come clean here… the recollections of the behind-the-scenes team (ie: Stuart Ross). I am thrilled to say that this is not a book of the leader of Jane’s Addiction’s recall (like the documentary was) but really the nuts-and-bolts people that made it happen.
Each section of the book fills the reader in on who played, where the festival happened and the juicy behind the scenes of each tour/instance.
I think that because we had Lollapalooza we have an alternative movement that is viable and continues to exist as it does.
The artists are well represented across all tours and it’s great to read their take on the tour. Some funny, some sad and some takes were just so interesting it made me realize how boring touring can truly be. Light at the end of the day for this though was that the artist was represented, which sometimes in other non-fiction isn’t as prevalent. There are slight nuggets of gossip peppered in, and they are worth having them take your breath away when they do come up. The book is not full of that though. So do not expect that. They are little treats and rewards.
Sure, I would have liked to have read more from the artists that I loved on these tours, but it is apparent why they didn’t contribute as much in the edit as others. I get that. It didn’t take away from anything, believe me.
As a customer, as an attendee and as someone who went to the tours it was a great book, and I really enjoyed reading this nugget of history that otherwise I didn’t know or would have known.
Who is this book for though? Anyone who went to Lollapalooza before it landed in Grant Park as a two-day festival I think, anyone that remembers the touring version of the show. Reading about the trials, tribulations and triumphs of how the tour came to be and where it has landed was a joy.

What a fabulous, addictive read. I've been reading fervently about this festival and many of these artists for most of. life, and I still learned so much from this book. I can't wait to hear what my friends think about it.

Lollapalooza by Richard Bienstock and Tom Beaujour is a vibrant, uncensored chronicle of one of the most iconic music festivals in history. Told through the words of the organizers, artists, and staff who brought it to life, the book captures the chaotic, exhilarating spirit of Lollapalooza during its transformative early years. From its debut in 1991 to its seven-year run as a defining force in “alternative” culture, this history is as wild and eclectic as the festival it chronicles.

At the center of the narrative is Perry Farrell, the mercurial visionary who conceived Lollapalooza. His bold, sometimes contentious decisions—like curating diverse lineups blending indie rock, hip-hop, and experimental acts—shaped the festival’s identity. The book doesn’t shy away from Farrell’s polarizing tendencies or the backstage conflicts that arose. These anecdotes, from fierce debates over which bands should (or shouldn’t) play to fiery artist clashes, make for a gripping and often hilarious read. I wasn’t surprised that he didn’t want Pearl Jam, Green Day, and Stone Temple Pilots on his stage, but he also lost some of those battles.

For those who lived through the era, Lollapalooza serves as a time machine back to the early 1990s, a pivotal period when “alternative music” emerged as a commercial force. The book effectively blends tales from artists like Henry Rollins, Living Color, Nine Inch Nails, and Ice-T (all from year one) with show staff who often have anecdotes to challenge or augment what the artist recalls. Through this mosaic of voices, the book goes over into the festival’s cultural impact, including its role in normalizing indie music and its connection to social movements. Farrell’s insistence on including activist groups on-site added another layer of significance, ensuring the festival wasn’t just about music but also about progressive change.

The authors really excel in presenting a richly detailed oral history, balancing the share of voice between superstar performers and the regular crew. The raw, behind-the-scenes stories—from Sinead O’Connor’s discontent to the pathetic whininess of Korn to the Jesus and Mary Chain’s palpable disdain for the tour—are complemented by laugh-out-loud tales of backstage antics. The tensions and triumphs, the highs and lows, all paint a vivid picture of a “traveling circus” that had a huge cultural impact on rock music in the US.

For fans of the 1980s-1990s independent music scene, Lollapalooza is an essential read. It captures the era’s spirit with insider revelations and a touch of nostalgia, making it irresistible for Gen Xers who still hold onto their “cool” cred. Whether you’re reliving your memories or discovering the festival’s legacy for the first time, this book is a compulsive, joyous ride through the messy, magical world of Lollapalooza.

An informative and fascinating study of the origins of Lollapalooza and the bands that played it. Although not initially my genre of music, it induced me to investigate some of the bands that played the festival. It's given me more good music to play. Worthy study of the festival.

Mark my words. This oral history will go down in the rock music book canon as one of the best of all time.

Richard Bienstock and Tom Beaujour - co-writers of the wildly successful book
"Nöthin' but a Good Time: The Uncensored History of the '80s Hard Rock Explosion" have outdone themselves with the history of Lollapalooza. The two authors, who both are plugged into the music scene, spent four years compiling personal interviews - whether it's a surprisingly lucid Perry Farrell or members of freak show acts from the second stage.

Perry Farrell created the travelling Lollapalooza Festival in 1991 as a farewell tour for his band Jane's Addiction. He wanted a diverse set of bands encompassing rap to industrial music to open. At this time, the few musical festivals which existed were stationary and mostly located in Europe.

Perry and his leadership team successfully pulled off a travelling tour in 1991 throughout the United States. Every year, it got bigger - whether it was name quality of bands, inclusion of an additional stage for avant-garde acts and booths dedicated to local art, freedom of speech, and the early days of technology.

This oral history takes the reader on a rollicking ride from when the tour started on a wing and a prayer in 1991 to becoming a cultural phenomenon, and eventually a victim of its own success.

The stories these musicians and everyone else behind the scenes shared are absolutely wild - backstage rock excess to the Nth power, live shows that went totally off the rails in the name of art, and tremendous gossip.

Now if you will, let me act as though I'm a hype man like for the rap acts at the festival.

If you are a music-loving Gen Xer or grey-haired millennial who even vaguely remembers Lollapalooza, buy this book when it's released in 2025. If you know someone who fits the mold, this would be an amazing gift. If you are the intended audience, but don't like reading, buy the audio version. If your attention span is wrecked to the point of not being able to listen to the audio version - then still, buy it anyway and play it at 2 or 3 time speed.

This is the 80th book I've read in 2024 - and the only music book that even compares this year was an old copy of Mark Yarm's Oral History of Grunge.

Needless to say 5 stars. I would like to thank St. Martin's Press for providing me with an Advanced Reader's Copy in exchange for an honest review.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to rock out to some Fishbone on Spotify.

This was a super interesting history of Lollapalooza. I definitely would purchase the physical book, it would make a great gift for any music lover!

This book definitely took me back in time to my carefree teen years! Lollapalooza was the first of its kind, a festival music tour that has been duplicated by all genres since. It really was the feeling of summer, buying CHEAP tickets with all your friends and traveling to the biggest outdoor space in your state to see an all day show of some of the greatest alternative acts at that time. I loved hearing about all the backstage shenanigans and design about what it took to put on a show of this magnitude. I wasn’t old enough to go to the first couple of tours, and this made me regret that even more. Quite the timing for reading this now, as we’re watching the news reports of Jane’s Addiction in their current tour fallout. A huge shame, with Perry’s never ending creativity and the musical talent of the whole band.

Thanks so much to Richard Bienstock and Tom Beaujour, St Martin’s Press for the advance copy. Will be picking up a hard a hard copy of this release for my shelves.

Fun and interesting! I love oral histories and this is one of the better ones. The author also wrote “Nothin’ But A Good Time”, which I loved, so my expectations were high and I wasn’t disappointed.

All of the people interviewed for this had such a great personal take on the Lolla experience and it really rounded out all the stuff I thought I knew. You finish this and you feel like you know the history and the story in its entirety.

I highly highly highly recommend this one, and I can’t wait to see what the author does next.


Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC, all opinions are my own.

Good overview of Lollapalooza and the history of the festival. Was interesting finishing it up during the Jane's Addiction drama and reading about the drama before.