Lollapalooza 2009 – Day Three: Jane's Addiction, Snoop

Final day of Lollapalooza and they saved the best for last! Highlights of the day:
[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/08/10/art.perry.ja.cnn.jpg caption="Jane's Addiction's frontman Perry Farrell performs during the final day of Lollapalooza 2009."]
Vampire Weekend ripped through their self-titled debut CD to a packed crowd.

Lead singer Ezra Koenig cranked up the excitement with frequent shout-outs including a dedication to director John Hughes, who passed away last week. I chatted with the guys from Vampire Weekend before their set and they told me they are working on their new CD and it should be releasing in the next few months. They performed several songs from the sophomore album including “Run".  The crowd sang along to favorites “I Stand Corrected,” “A-Punk,” "Oxford Comma" and their 'farewell song' "Walcott" to close out the performance.

Snoop Dogg performed next on the same stage. This was one of the highlights of the weekend for us and Snoop did not disappoint. I have rarely been to a concert with so much energy. The crowd kept their hands in the air the entire set. When Snoop sang “Gin and Juice,” “Who Am I(What's my Name)” and a rendition of Akon's “I Wanna Love You,” everyone went crazy.

At one point, Snoop broke into a dedication to Tupac, singing a couple of his songs, and asked the crowd to chant Tupac and we miss you with hands in the air two fingers displayed. Fellow rapper Lady of Rage made a guest appearance and the duo performed several tracks from their earlier collaboration on Doggystyle. I would say Snoop's performance was the best of the festival but then we caught Jane's Addiction Sunday night.

I am a big fan of 90s alternative music and of course Jane's Addiction has a place on my iPod, but I have a new appreciation of the reunited group after seeing them live. Wow!

Jane's Addiction's frontman Perry Farrell told me on Saturday they were putting on a spectacle and mentioned helicopters and dragons. Intriguing! When Farrell, guitarist Dave Navarro, and the rest of the group took the stage, the crowd erupted. Despite an elbow injury that caused the group to cancel an Australia tour a few weeks ago, drummer Stephen Perkins performed. Farrell gave the drummer a shout-out and explained to the crowd that Perkins was there against doctor's orders.

Farrell bounced, twirled, and danced his way from one side of the stage to the other - his jagged voice even stronger than I would have imagined from their CDs. Helicopters circled overhead, spotlights on the crowd, and about that dragon?  Turns out a group of dancers performed in front of the stage with a giant blue paper dragon like you would see during Chinese New Year.

JA played all the classics: "Been Caught Stealing,” "Mountain Song”, “Stop!", and closed with an acoustic rendition of perhaps their biggest hit "Jane Says.” The entire group seemed to be having a blast throughout the set and the energy was infectious.

Toward the end of the night, Farrell introduced special guest Aerosmith's Joe Perry and sent well wishes to Aerosmith lead singer Stephen Tyler who was injured after falling off a stage last week. As the show ended, Farrell brought out his two boys on stage and then in a truly bizarre but touching moment, he introduced a friend who actually proposed to his girlfriend on stage in front of the enormous crowd.

As much as I love The Killers, who were playing at the same time on the opposite stage, I am so glad I went to this show instead. It had to be one of the best concerts I have ever been to and I go to a ton of concerts. Here's hoping the reunion sticks and Jane's Addiction keeps rocking. It was a fantastic way to end an entertaining weekend.

I'm not a prolific music writer, just a producer for CNN.com and an enthusiastic music fan who wanted to share a little bit of my own experience at this very cool festival. Thanks for checking out my first blogging experience.