Lolla rocked out — was it the beginning of IRL XP, or the (temporary) end?

Lollapalooza wrapped up this past weekend after a memorable — perhaps one for the ages — four-day run in Chicago’s Grant Park. The festival kicked off last Thursday with a reported 385,000 attendees, about 100,000 per day. If you think, wow, that’s a lot of people, check out some pictures of the crowds. It could end up as one of the most populated in-person experiences of the year. A dubious honor given the recent surge in Covid cases. Lollapalooza came at a precarious time for many people with ramped up Delta variant concerns. Attendees were required to show proof of vaccinations or a negative Covid test — a mandate that's common for IRL experiences. Additionally, unvaccinated attendees were instructed to wear masks. Mid-festival, the safety guidelines were updated to require masks in indoor spaces for everyone. But Delta and fears of breakthrough cases definitely didn't dampen ticket sales. While Coachella and Stagecoach canceled, Lolla announced back in May that it would move forward. The only thing canceled this year was DaBaby for his homophobic remarks at a recent Miami music festival. The Lollapalooza music festival was launched 30 years ago and is produced by C3 Presents out of Austin. Big-name brand...