Location:
Lollapalooza, Charles Town Race Track in Charles Town, USA
Date:
August 8, 1994
Notes:
Incomplete setlist
PedroAidaRVA: "I was at Lollapalooza '94 in Charles Town, WV, as close as they came to DC that year. Anyways, I remember the place being packed for Green Day and the pit was insane! I had to get out of there. Surprised to see everyone saying it was sparse for them at other stops."
Jason Christopher: "For my sister's 15th birthday, I did the proper thing as a big brother and took her to Lollapalooza'94 in Charleston, WV. This was her first concert. And what a mix it was - strong lead-in from Green Day! L7 rocked! George Clinton proved p-funk is NOT something you consult a eurologist for! Rap represented! Tribe' and the Beasties... On the unique side, Smashing Pumpkins did walk offstage complaning about debris flying through the air! the audience all raising middle fingers in a "bird fest!" Rock and roll, rebellion, relaxin'. Great time. May well have added terrific insiration for my sister who is accredited tattoo artist Darcy Nutt. She's alsothe singer for Uzala, heavy metal from Boise! Nest year, back to Shoreline in California for Lolla '95!"
"Through mutual friends, I was introduced to a girl named Sarah at her house party about a week earlier. Let's just say she immediately had a hold on me. Then, there I was cruising around in my '88 Chevy Celebrity when I pulled up right next to her and her friends at a stoplight. Through the brief chatter, I fixated on her in the passenger seat, hoping she had heard about my interest through the grapevine. As the light turned green, I mentioned we should get together sometime and she leaned out of the window, her short, jet-black hair catching the wind and her bright eyes smiling, and said eagerly, “Meet us at Lollapalooza!” Sure, that Summer between high school and college was unpredictable (especially to my parents) and my answer to Sarah's offer was obviously a quick affirmative, but I thought the chances of us finding each other in the crowd were slim. Somehow, some way, smack dab in the middle of the pit for Green Day's blistering opening set, you know, where the air swirls hot and heavy and the dust and sweat intermingle to form a thin coating, that's where I was found. Not by Sarah, but by her friend who led me to her side. As we stole curious glances at each other, sheepishly grinned at each other, I think we knew. We knew that this was OUR Lollapalooza. Like so many who are reading this have felt. The day was planned just for us. The bands were playing directly to me and to you. There is nothing else that matters. And so Sarah and I threw caution to the proverbial wind and owned that day in 1994. We knew we'd never forget The Breeder's performance of “Cannonball” and L7's “Wargasm” or the wild antics of P-Funk or the crazy hype of the Beastie Boys. When the fire hoses rained down and cooled our heads for a few minutes, we both had that look of clarity, that look of joyous acceptance. When Sarah slipped and became a victim of the inevitable mud pits during the B-Boys set, my first instinct was to do a belly flop next to her. Our faces were graced by matching mud splatters and we were beautiful. Together. Surrounded by thousands of others who spent that day at Charles Town Racetrack like it was their last. Singing to their favorite bands, circling the pits, high-fiving strangers, hugging their best friends, holding their soulmates. As mud dried to a brittle crust and the Smashing Pumpkins soared in the background, Sarah and I embraced each other, intertwined in a grimy, passionate kiss. The kind of kiss that makes people grossed out with envy. A kiss so long that I couldn't tell you any of the songs the Pumpkins played, only that Billy Corgan bantered a long time in between songs. It was our Lollapalooza. It was my Lollapalooza. When I hopped into my pal's van for the ride home that night, he grimaced at my appearance. So there I lay on the floorboards, covered in the day's festivities and my head overflowing with wonder. Reflection uninterrupted by the hot shower that awaited me at home. I'll never forget staring down at the drain as it all washed away, the brown water gradually turning clear, leaving behind only memories. It's 2011. Sarah and I are still friends, I'm still listening to Green Day, L7, and the Beasties, and I'm still going to my Lollapalooza."
"I remember I was 20 years old, and had been in the army for a year now. A group of my friends and I drove from Aberdeen Proving Grounds, MD to check it out. The weather was HOT, we spent a lot of time in a traffic jam, trying to get in to park. Since I wasn't driving and the cars weren't moving, we were blaring the Beastie's and running from car to car, buying beers off of people to pass the time. By the time I wandered into the concert, I looked forward to see a sea of people in front of me. Green Day was playing "When I Come Around" and the vibe was amazing. They were inviting guys on stage who could play the guitar, one by one they would come fuck up and jump on the stage. One guy got on the stage, grabbed the mic and started screaming 'I got a huge dick! I got a huge dick!', Billie Joe told the guy to prove it, so he pulled his dick out and started shaking it around, and then also dove off the stage. Most of the day was a sweaty blur, I squeezed my way up to the front to watch A Tribe Called Quest, and they put on a good show. It was a sweaty, dusty mass of people and heat. They would occasionally hose the crowd off to cool us off some. And you could also go buy a $4 bottle of water, but usually someone would just pass out and get carried on the top of the crowd to the front or side for assistance. George Clinton also put on a great show, and diaper guy rocked it out... As the day passed, and a few mosh pits later, time was getting close for the Beasties to play. The crowd got tighter, and louder. This was the year of Ill Communication, an amazing album and I REALLY wanted to enjoy the show. There was no way to feel the vibe of it all from where I was. I made my way back, away from my friends, away from the huddled mass of flesh compressed in the front to an open spot further back. As they came on, the sun was coming down. I remember LOVING the show and was screaming louder than ever when Q-Tip came out and sang "Get it Together" with them. The of course finished off their gig with a chest shaking version of "Sabotage", lights flashing on and off as Ad-Rock belted out "Why?!" So into the music, it was like the thousands of people around me were gone... That was it for me... I was exhausted. I knew the Smashing Pumpkins were coming up next. But, I was spent. I had come to see what I wanted and headed back to the car to pass out. Come to find out that the Smashing Pumpkins would end up flipping off the crowd and walking off because people were throwing mud at the stage, it must of messed up Billy's make-up and pissed him off. Oh well! It was an amazing concert at an amazing time in my life. I cherish every memory of my time there. As the years go on, I start to forget parts of the show. So, I needed to come here, to relive my memory of the concert and hopefully let you relive it also. I added video from Youtube from the tour, I couldnt find any from our actual show, regretfully..."
