Backed by Unexpected Fireworks, Outkast Gives Historic Lollapalooza Performance

Last night, the legendary Outkast closed out day two of Lollapalooza with a bang and what was easily one of the best performances at the festival so far this year. Performing in Chicago as a duo for the first time in years. It was definitely a moment you didn’t want to miss if you were in attendance.

From the opening bars of the duo’s hit, “B.O.B.” to open their 105 minute headlining set on the Samsung Galaxy stage to hits like “ATLiens,” “Rosa Parks,” “Da Art of Storytellin’, Part 1,” “Aquemini” and “Ms. Jackson,” the two veteran emcees chemistry looked still undeniable after all these years. As they turned Chicago’s Grant Park into a wide-reaching dance party with all the genres they covered from Hip-Hop, Soul, R&B to Funk and Jazz.

In a move that felt both exuberant and well-earned despite not being planned, fireworks started firing off from another unaffiliated Southside event, as the Mighty O performed the title track from “Aquemini,” right before fellow Dungeon Family member and longtime collaborator Sleepy Brown came out clad in black and purple satin pajamas for “SpottieOttieDopaliscious.” To which Andre 3000 joked, “He get up out the bed and keep his pajamas on all day!”

About a third of the way through their amazing set, the duo would then go onto their solo sets with fan favorites like “Kryptonite (I’m on It),” “GhettoMusick,” “The Way You Move,” “She Lives in My Lap” and “Prototype” making the cut. While Andre 3K went on to what was undoubtedly the highlight of day two at Lolla, though with his performance of one of the biggest hits of the 2000’s, “Hey Ya!”

Big Boi of Outkast performing on the Samsung Galaxy Stage to close out day two of Lollapalooza on Saturday Aug, 2, 2014.  (Photo courtesy of Ryan Gaines)

The veteran emcee asking some ladies to come up on stage, so they can shake it like a polaroid picture, while he performed the hit song. To which seven girls did and backed by a full band, complete with a brass section, Andre really got the crowd moving around with his joyous and fun rendition of the hit record.

Celebrating it’s 20th anniversary as a duo on their 40 festival run they’ve been on all summer, the duo would also include hits like, “Player’s Ball,” which really put them on the map and “Southerrplayalisticcadillacmuzik.” As well as other lesser well-known gems from Southernplayalisticcadillacmuzik throughout.

It was towards the end of the duo’s set when they really hit their stride from their impressive and timeless catalog by going from “Elevators (Me & You)” to “Roses” and then “So Fresh, So Clean.” With Andre even cracking jokes about people being musty from being at the festival all or most of the day and needing to get clean.

Andre 3000 of Outkast performing on the Samsung Galaxy Stage to close out day two of Lollapalooza on Saturday Aug, 2, 2014.  (Photo courtesy of Ryan Gaines)

How the duo closed out with a full-horn section on their hit “International Players Anthem (I Choose You),” which they naturally dedicated to fellow Southern legend, the late great, Pimp C, who unceremoniously died not long after they released the record and “The Whole World,” was the perfect way to cap off such a historic performance from the historic duo.

As Andre and Big Boi both said and you can see from the very diverse crowd at Grant Park, before they closed out with “The Whole World.” That’s who they have done it for and always will do it for, is the whole world and not just one specific race, creed or ethnicity.

With how much ease they are able to seamlessly weave and mend so many genres from Hip-Hop to Funk, Jazz, Soul and R&B you can see why the group has lasted for two decades and will forever be remembered not only touching so many people, but bringing as intimate and historic performances as they did on Saturday night to close the second of the three-day 10th anniversary of Lollapalooza fest in Chicago’s Grant Park.