When Maggie Rogers released her debut album, “Heard It in a Past Life,” in January of this year, it took many by surprise. She started to gain a cult following with the viral publicity her track “Alaska” received in 2016 from her appearance with Pharrell Williams on MasterClass, which left the legendary artist speechless. She followed up that moment in the limelight with her 2017 project “Now That The Light Is Fading,” which featured fan favorites like “Dog Years” and “On + Off,” the latter of which ended up on her debut LP. Though she had been accumulating a dedicated fan base, it would be fair to say it was her album this year that rocketed her into prominence — a prominence that was more than evident at her show on the Skyline Stage at the Mann Oct. 4.

It couldn’t have been a more perfect night for an outdoor show. If you haven’t been to the Skyline Stage, or the Mann in general, I’ll break it down for you. The Mann itself is an amphitheater that can seat about 14,000 attendees. The Skyline Stage is a festival-style stage located a bit further uphill behind the main amphitheater. It lives up to its name. If you look east from the crowd you can see the Philadelphia skyline in all its beauty. On this particular night, with the show starting early at about 6 p.m., you could see the large breadth of the sky as the sun set, emitting pink and orange hues to the sounds of Rogers’ opening act, Empress Of.

Empress Of is a Honduran-American pop singer/songwriter who shares Rogers’ “dreamy” aesthetic. She performed a fairly brief set, about 30 minutes long, that consisted of cuts off from her 2015 album “Me” and 2018 album “Us.” Though the crowd was obviously mostly there for Maggie Rogers, there was an enchanting appeal to Empress Of and I’ll be sure to check her out more in the future.

Rogers took the stage at exactly 7 p.m. She strutted out on stage amidst a chaotic yet soothing instrumental, adorned in a white flowing robe with a white top and silky white high-waisted bell-bottoms. She quickly jumped into “Color Song,” a cut off from her 2017 EP, and the crowd was instantly entranced.

She made her way into the slower “Fallingwater,” and the crowd seemed to collectively take a deep breath as they took in her angelic presence on stage and the illuminated skyline of the city in the distance. The temperature dropped ever so slightly so that I was comfy in my sweater and wasn’t hot from dancing around, which is exactly how I wish every concert was ever.

Rogers continued on, performing almost all of the songs from her discography, only omitting “Better” from her 2017 EP. Highlights included “The Knife,” “Dog Years” and “Overnight.” “Overnight” was a song I didn’t truly appreciate until seeing it live and it may now be my favorite Rogers track. It’s a melodically upbeat but lyrically poignant and heart-breaking song chronicling the collapse of a relationship. But, you know, one you can dance to.

The crowd was deeply invested in every word and lyric that came out of Rogers’ mouth. Though it was chilly, people were moving around a good bit but still mostly taking in the music and singing along to Rogers’ unique voice.

She wrapped up the night by saying that she knew it was cold and she didn’t want to pretend to go offstage and come back on to perform “Alaska,” so she would just do it. Before starting the song, however, she took a moment to really talk to the crowd for the first time. She recounted her early experiences playing in Philly when almost no one knew her and declared that the city has a special place in her heart. She also revealed that though the typical cap is 4,500 people for the Mann, they continued to sell tickets through the fire code limit and still sold out 7,500 tickets. As she talked, she got emotional and extended a sincere thank you and love for everyone for supporting her work. Most artists do this at shows but every once in a while you can tell that they really do mean it, and this was one of those times. Rogers’ sweet and kind demeanor said everything as she moved into a stripped, acoustic rendition of “Alaska”

“I’m gonna play this one the way I wrote it,” Rogers said.

The slower rendition was a beautiful send-off to a beautiful show and was cemented by love of Maggie Rogers as an artist. I can’t wait to see what she does next and see her perform it again in this city.

Ben Platt has had quite the year. Back in 2012, he made his Broadway debut in “The Book of Mormon,” and has been on a steady rise ever since. Between his supporting role in the “Pitch Perfect” film franchise as the awkward Benji Applebaum and his audience-flooring performance as Evan Hansen in “Dear Evan Hansen” on Broadway from 2016-2017, he has made quite the name for himself.

That’s how I initially discovered Platt. I had seen the “Pitch Perfect” movies but unfortunately did not take significant note of him. It wasn’t until the cast-recording of “Dear of Hansen” came out that I fell in love with his acting talent and uniquely expressive and emotional voice. Platt can belt notes that most couldn’t dream of hitting and make it seem easy. The emotion he conveys through his performance as Evan Hansen, especially when singing, is jaw-dropping and heart-wrenching.

Cut to 2019, the year that should go down in history as “The Year of Ben Platt,” and Platt releases his first solo album of original music entitled “Sing to Me Instead.” The project contains excellent pop music that would have been destroying the charts were hip-hop not the dominant genre. It’s easily one of my favorite albums of the year. Additionally, it was announced that Platt would star alongside Beanie Feldstein in Richard Linklater’s “Merrily We Roll Along,” which is set to film over the next 20 years.

To top it all off, Platt stars in a new Netflix show from Ryan Murphy (“Pose,” “American Horror Story,”) entitled “The Politician,” the first of Murphy’s content deal with the streaming service. The show centers on Payton Hobart, an unhealthily ambitious, exorbitantly wealthy high school senior whose mission in life is to become the President of the United States. First, however, he has to become the president of his preppy, exclusive high school.

The show follows his campaign alongside his friends McAfee Westbrook (Laura Dreyfuss) and James Sullivan (Theo Germaine) and his loyal high school sweetheart, Alice Charles (Julia Schlaepfer). His primary competition is his friend and secret love, River Barkley (David Corenswet), and then later, his rival Astrid Sloan (Lucy Boynton). Gwyneth Paltrow is another big name in the cast, playing Payton’s loving mother. Outside of the political battle, there is a whole plot on the side about Infinity Jackson (Zoey Deutch), Payton’s classmate who has been battling cancer for most of her life, and her grandmother, Dusty Jackson (Jessica Lange), who may be somewhat responsible.

There’s a lot going on in this show.

That’s unsurprising if you’re an avid viewer of Murphy’s other projects or Netflix original “dramas” in general. I use quotes because I’m not quite sure if this is a comedy or drama, but it certainly borrows from both genres and rides the line right down the middle. One moment I’m laughing as some satirical argument about corruption in politics and its scary allegories to the real deal, and the next I’m sobbing uncontrollably as Ben Platt ugly cries on screen. I really cared about these characters, and though I didn’t spend much time with them, I quickly grew to love them — flaws and all.

This is a credit to both the writing and performances. There is an element to some of Murphy’s work that can sometimes make it feel disconnected. His shows, especially the more comedic ones, have a sleek aesthetic, bright color palette, rapid-fire dialogue and stiffness that can sometimes make them feel artificial or inauthentic, and while these factors are present here, they have a different effect. They accentuate the satirical nature of the show, but it’s still endearing because the characters aren’t entirely caricatures. They have heart and though often cynical, they all have moments of sincerity that make you care about them and their success.

Visually, the show is gorgeous. The sets are beautiful and colorful. There’s a polish, almost a shine, to the settings that pervades most scenes but is purposefully, noticeably absent in others. The cinematography has moments of beauty and cleverness that even myself, as a novice, could catch. There are many frames within frames and shot compositions that made the show visually pleasing. The characters’ wardrobes, though somewhat a commentary on their ridiculous wealth, are fun and interesting. It’s just a joy to look at, and the beauty of the visuals cushion some of the show’s more heart-wrenching moments.

The story is complicated and fast-paced, as there’s a lot to jam into eight episodes, though the show has already been renewed for a second season, but the story it tells is relevant on a personal and political scale. Platt and Corenswet stand out with their amazing performances, but there isn’t a weak performance in the whole show. It’s an entertaining ride from start to finish, and I’m already looking forward to revisiting it.

“Ad Astra” is not your typical kind of movie that gets $100 million and stars Brad Pitt. Yet the fact that it landed a wide release seems as much a miracle as anything these days. Like the “Solaris” remake by way of “Apocalypse Now, James Gray’s introspective and touching space odyssey has a way of seeping into you.

Pitt stars as Roy McBride, an astronaut in the US Space Force 30 years in the future when space travel has become normalized. He’s first seen tending to an outer space antenna that’s hit by a sudden power surge, and when he lands, he’s approached by the top brass. Turns out his father (played by Tommy Lee Jones,) who he thought vanished on a mission years ago when he was a kid, may still be alive, and the surge might be related to the mission experiment.

Roy has not particularly dealt with this well; in fact, he hasn’t dealt with it at all. After repeated psychological profiles it’s revealed that his heart rate is always consistently low, as if he closes himself off completely to any sort of feelings. To keep the experiment from potentially destroying everything, he’s tasked to travel to a Mars outpost in the hopes of contacting the ship and asking them to stop.

The scenes set in the outer bases feel like a modern sci-fi story in the best of ways. All the wonder of space has been mostly drained; the moon has been colonized and various countries fight over parts of it. Virgin Atlantic offers regular service to the moon. It has the effect of enhancing the story, dealing with all the little minutiae and actually imagining how these types of systems and transit would be implemented in the future.

The few action sequences are well directed and fit in nicely to the rest of the character work featured in the film. Pitt gives a marvelous performance, a reminder that he’s a movie star for a reason. No easy task, considering the amount of feelings Roy forced himself to bury and the constant war he fights to keep them from bubbling up. The emotional moments in the finale all land thanks to him.

Less effective is the voice over one suspects was added during numerous reshoots. While it lends the film a Malickean sort of awe and despair, it has a tendency to overstate the themes a bit too much, though it is by no means intrusive. Liv Tyler, featured as Roy’s wife Eve, isn’t given much to do either. Though the few moments she gets help shed light onto Roy’s own issues, but it would’ve been nice to see more of their relationship beforehand. The focus is all on the father and son relationship, and it’s in these themes the film excels, not to mention hints at spirituality.

Gray’s film is definitely not one for everyone. One scene in particular may feel out of place, and the voiceover has been a deal breaker for many. Others might find its lack of action and ponderance a bore, especially if they can’t get invested in the main character. Give it a chance, and “Ad Astra” will reveal its riches to you. It’s a film deeply interested in man’s search for meaning, in finding closure from past wounds or in one’s place in the universe. More than anything, it critiques the ideas of toxic masculinity, highlighting the damage done to children and to those around them when they grow up.

Rarely is there such a strong dissonance between marketing for a film and the film itself as there is with “The Goldfinch.” I remember when “It Comes at Night” was released back in 2017, people were up in arms. Trailers made the movie out to be an intense horror flick about a group of people fighting against some unseen creature or force in the wilderness. In reality, it was a slow-burn thriller that was still a very good film, but not the one people were expecting. As a result, many left the theater with a sour taste in their mouths.

“The Goldfinch” purports itself to be some kind of intense drama with a dash of art thievery and crime mixed in for good measure. It’s based on a book of the same name by Donna Tartt that was published in 2013. I have not read the book, only heard great things about it, so my expectations for the movie were fairly high. Add into the mix director John Crowley, whose previous film “Brooklyn” told the story of an Irish immigrant and was loved by many. On top of that, Roger Deakins, the prolific cinematographer behind “No Country for Old Men,” “Skyfall” and most of Denis Villenuve’s films, was tapped to be DP on this film starring Ansel Elgort.

What “The Goldfinch” turned out to be was a bloated, meandering, boring, visually-pleasing but poorly-written mess. The narrative centers on Theodore Decker, portrayed by Oakes Felgley as a younger version of the character and Elgort as the adult version. When Theo was 12, he and his mother were caught in a bombing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which he survived but his mother did not. In the clouds of ash following the explosion, Theo grabs a painting entitled “The Goldfinch” and carries it with him for the rest of his life as a way to remember his mom.

The narrative deviates from there greatly as we follow Theo in two periods of his life where he moves in with a family friend and then is moved to Nevada to live with his alcoholic, absent father. The movie attempts to portray and tackle Theo’s journey through this trauma as he falls into a life of drug use and lying about antiques to try and save his business. This thread is so extremely muddled and poorly executed that it becomes incredibly confusing for the viewers. Major plot points that could have easily been introduced are omitted for the purpose of building some kind of mystery and tension, neither of which are achieved. And then in the last 20 minutes of this 149-minute-long film, it decides to become a crime movie, which is jarring and poorly done and senselessly puts a bow on a story that the viewer is never really invested in.

As an audience member, I was obviously supposed to care about the painting and Theo’s connection to it. However, between poor writing and Elgort’s subpar performance, that connection isn’t quite achieved. I will say, Oakes Fegely’s stood out as impressive as did Finn Wolfhard who played Boris, Theo’s Russian friend he meets while living with his dad who gets him addicted to drugs and falls in love with him.

The pacing of the story made it so that even these great performances were lost in a sea of monotony. There were about four other subplots that just resolved themselves or had no real effect on Theo’s arc and felt pointless. Had this film committed itself to being the crime drama it was pretending to be, it could have been something special, but the way it stands, it just wasn’t.

What good I can say about “The Goldfinch” is that Deakins once again created a visually stunning and compelling world in which to tell this story. The scenes in the aftermath of the explosion in the Met were haunting and beautiful. However, Deakins’ skill wasn’t quite enough to fix what was, in most regards, a mediocre movie.

I wasn’t sure what exactly to expect from “Hustlers,” but the stacked cast caught my interest. The Lorene Scafaria- (“Seeking A Friend for the End of the World”) directed film stars Jennifer Lopez, Constance Wu, Julia Stiles, Keke Palmer, Lili Reinhart, Cardi B and Lizzo. If that cast doesn’t pique your interest than this film probably isn’t for you off of the bat. If you’re a person with any sense, however, you’re probably expecting to at least have a fun romp through a world of nightclubs and strippers with some incredibly talented actresses. What “Hustlers” offers, however, is that and even more. Great writing, performances, soundtrack and little creative moments of unique and interesting film-making elevate this film that could have just been a fun time to something of substance with an important takeaway for the viewers.

Based on true events, “Hustlers” follows the story of a group of strippers as they attempt to survive the 2008 financial crisis by stealing from their rich clientele. Constance Wu stars as Destiny, who essentially is the protagonist of the film. The story is told largely from her perspective as she recounts the story to Elizabeth (Julia Stiles.) Destiny meets Ramona (Jennifer Lopez) and is immediately infatuated with her. Ramona then takes her under her wing and shows her the ropes of dancing and how to make money in their business. When the crisis hits, strip clubs take a large hit in business so Ramona, Destiny and the crew they assemble resort to drugging and stealing from wealthy men. (Something Cardi B allegedly did in real life!) What starts as a scheme grows into a larger operation that becomes less and less stable as the group fractions off and tensions arise.

The script is tight. Destiny and Ramona are layered and complicated characters with a compelling dynamic. The awe that Destiny has for her is translated on screen to perfection, in a way that the viewer has no choice but to be just as infatuated with her, too. The plot of the movie takes fun and clever twists and turns that keeps things interesting but centers on the very real and damaged relationship between its two central characters. This drama serves as the throughline with occasional detours for montages of partying, heisting, spending and comedy. Cardi B and Lizzo both make what are basically cameos in the film but their scenes are a lot of fun and they don’t overstay their welcome. The film was always moving and really felt like it flew by.

Wu and Lopez absolutely shone in this movie. From their dramatic performances to the physicality involved in their dancing to the lighter comedic moments, they nailed it all. Reinhart and Palmer, who played their two partners in crime were fun comedic relief, especially Reinhart who had a running gag of throwing up whenever she got stressed, no pun intended. Their performance kept the movie light but also brought it down to very real grounding moments. This movie does an excellent job of humanizing a group of women that would often be looked down upon and showing that they did what they did because, just like everyone else, they were just trying to survive an extremely scary time in recent history. It’s honestly hard to hold their Robin Hood-esque antics against them and the film does a good job of not alienating or vilifying them.

The film was also, surprisingly, bright and beautiful. There were a few moments of clever and creative filmmaking that really took me by surprise but I loved. In one, Destiny turns off Elizabeth’s recorder and tells her to leave but when she does so the whole movie went silent. Or another scene when a character wears  a wire and all of the audio in the scene sounds like its been recorded with the wire. Little moments like this elevated “Hustlers” from just being a fun film to being one that demands to be taken seriously and asks that you pay attention to what it has to say.

I would say it’s worth certainly watching.

YouTuber personalities Drew Gooden and Danny Gonzalez are heading out on their first ever live tour together. The duo has collaborated previously on YouTube but decided to take their comedic talents and zany banter and chemistry to the stage with their We Are Two Different People Tour, which will be stopping at the Keswick Theater in Glenside Sept. 12. The Triangle interviewed them about what to expect from their show and how to hack it on YouTube nowadays.

The Triangle: What inspired you to want to try out a live show?

Drew Gooden: Well we’ve been planning this for almost a year now, I think last November was when we decided we wanted to do it and then it was a long process of figuring out what a live show would look like, how scripted would it be, what kind of production elements are gonna be involved and how is it gonna be different from our videos. But our goal from the beginning was to do a free-standing comedy show, that’s unlike our videos, which sometimes have a short window of relevancy depending on what we’re talking about — we wanted something that would stand on its own a year from now or two years from now. We wanted to show that we could make a comedy show on our own without having to react to or comment on something.

Danny Gonzalez: We’re both also huge fans of stand up comedians like Bo Burnham and John Mulaney, we both love them. They’re part of the reason I wanted to do YouTube in the first place, but especially why we wanted to do a live show because we look up to them so much.

TT: Obviously, standing on stage is a very different experience than sitting at home at a desk making a video. How did you guys prepare for that transition?

Gooden: I would almost say there is nothing that could have prepared us for this. We’ve both done some live stuff in the past but to such small audiences, I think the largest improv show I ever did was in front of maybe 100 people and now we’re having 800 to 1000 every night. It’s also crazy to think that when we make a video and a couple million people see it, we aren’t really nervous about that at all but performing in front of 800 people is terrifying, because they’re all staring right back at us and if we mess up they’ll know. But I would say rehearsing it a million times has made us super prepared, there have been moments where we’ve gone off-script in the show but we’re able to get back into it. When doing a live show that’s just how it’s going to be, we’re gonna be scared then we’re gonna do it and feel great afterwards.

Gonzalez: We also have a team of super talented people working on the lighting, audio and logistical stuff that there’s no way we would have been able to figure out on our own. So that has been extremely helpful, just working with such amazing people.

TT: At the core of the show, is the chemistry that you two have with one another. How did you two meet and befriend one another and then grow to the point where you wanted to embark on this adventure together?

Gonzalez: It’s definitely been a lot easier doing this with somebody that I’m friends with and another YouTuber that makes similar videos to mine. We met when we were both doing Vine, about four years ago,  doing “Camp Unplugged,” which was the big production that Vine did in 2016. We’ve been friends since then and eventually started making the same style of YouTube videos so we had a lot to talk about.

Gooden: Yeah when we started making the same kinds of commentary videos, then that’s when our friendship grew out of “Oh we have stuff to talk about, now.” Then we tried doing a couple of collabs and it was really easy because we were able to just bounce off each other. I think, comedically, we’re compatible. It’s always been fun to make videos together because I’ll say something, and if I was just by myself then that would be the end of it, but then Danny will have a joke and then I’ll think of something and we can just go back and forth like that. And it’s been the same energy in the live shows so far for sure. It also eases a little bit of the pressure, like if I get lost Danny can pull me back in or if somebody shouts something out and one of us has a joke to say about it while the other doesn’t, it works out. It’s great to be a duo on stage, it’s been a lot of fun so far.

TT: On the topic of Vine, what was the movement from Vine to YouTube like? Was that ever an end goal for you or was that something you had to adjust to when Vine shut down?

Gonzalez: I don’t think either of our end goals were being a Viner forever. It definitely got to a point where I felt really comfortable doing Vine so I didn’t really try to branch out to other platforms. So a huge bummer with Vine was like, “Aw, now I have to find something else to do.” It definitely took a long time to figure out what I wanted to do on YouTube and I think Drew had a similar experience. We both tried doing sketches or music or a whole bunch of other stuff until eventually Drew started doing commentary and so did Cody [Ko] and they were both killing it and making really funny videos, which inspired me to start doing it. But there was a lot of experimentation to get there.

Gooden: There was definitely a period of time when Vine died where I was like “Welp, that’s it. It’s all over now.” It was tough because none of that success really transferred; I had to start from scratch on YouTube, with maybe 1000 subscribers on YouTube. As for an end goal, I didn’t really think about YouTube. I was on Vine and I was thinking, “I’m gonna do Vine forever,” and Vine was like, “No you’re not.” It took us a while to figure it out but luckily we eventually did.

TT: What is it like in the commentary video space on YouTube? Have you found it’s competitive or more collaborative?

Gooden: I would say it’s more collaborative than competitive. I would say the only time it gets competitive is when there is like the perfect topic to make a video about, you want to be the first person to cover it. That’s something we have to think about when we’re making a video: is this something that everybody is gonna make a video about and just get lost in the crowd? But for the most part I think we’re all very supportive of each other, you know, Eddy [Burback] or Cody or H3 or whoever makes a really funny commentary video, it doesn’t feel like it takes away from us, it’s more support for the community as a whole.

TT: How do you find and what do you look for in videos to commentate?

Gonzalez: People send me a lot of videos that are just really bad and are like, “You should make a video about this.”

Gooden: Especially with movies.

Gonzalez: Yeah and I think it has to be a special type of bad where it’s funny. It has to be the kind of thing you could watch with friends and laugh at. Because if it’s just really bad, and not really funny or interesting …

Gooden: Then you’re just going to get angry about it and you can’t really be making jokes.

Gonzalez: And then they also send videos that are just depressing of people being awful and it’s like, “Well I can’t make jokes about this.”

TT: A few years ago, when H3 stepped out of making commentary videos, Ethan talked a lot about how it was getting harder to “punch up” and make videos about people larger than himself. Is that something you are wary of?

Gooden: Oh absolutely, and this is something we talk about all the time. As our channels have grown, the threshold for being able to punch up gets much smaller. When we started we could make a video about anything. We’ve got 4000 subscribers, nobody cares what we say. But now its like, if you make a video about anyone or anything, they’re probably going to end up seeing it. We just made a video about the Jeremy Renner app, and I wouldn’t take responsibility for the end result of that, but I think we were somewhat involved in the swaying of public opinion on it. But when we make a video about a normal person, there is a strong chance that they’ll see it. We have to ask ourselves, how bad is what they’re doing. Is it worth talking about for a couple million views?

Gonzalez: Yeah and like I was saying before, sometimes people will send us a really bad video by some kid with 100 subscribers and what are we just gonna roast some kid? Like the two of us with a few million subscribers each going in on this kid is not a good look and just a really shitty thing to do. That’s why with the Jeremy Renner thing, I felt super good about it because this dude is both super rich and in the most successful movie franchises in the world, and he has this app where the only purpose is to pay him and also scam them by not giving them as many stars as they buy.

TT: To jump back to the tour, I know you have Kurtis Conner touring with you, right? How is he as a touring companion?

Gooden: Well he is sitting next to us, but I won’t let that influence my answer. He sucks. No, Kurtis is genuinely super talented and funny, I’ve never had a bad thing to say about him. He’s wonderful to be around and work with.

Gonzalez: Yeah it’s basically been like having another person like Drew or I around, the chemistry is great and we’re always joking around backstage. I don’t think we could have picked a better person.

TT: What can people expect from the show?

Gooden: It’s very theatrical, there’s a lot of production elements in it. We wanted to surprise people with how much we put into it. It’s not just two hours of us on stage talking, especially the second half of the show. So far, we’ve gotten a good response to that but yeah I would say don’t expect us to just do a live version of our YouTube videos. We want to get the most out of the space that we’re in and what we have at our disposal.

Gonzalez: The thing about the commentary videos is that a lot of times we go so overboard that it’s funny, like Drew started selling “Road Work Ahead” signs because of his Vine. Or sometimes at the end of a commentary video, I’ll make a whole song about one part of a movie I thought was funny. I feel like the live show is an extension of that where we were going to do a live show so we asked ourselves how we could make it the most ridiculous thing in the world. I hope people’s expectations are exceeded. But also I hope they go into it with low expectations so their minds are blown.

Gooden: Yeah, go in with low expectations please.

Here in Philly, we have many accessible music festivals, but to get the most out of a festival, it’s best to immerse yourself in it. Make a trip out of it, spend the weekend away! And if you’re going to the lengths of heading out of town for the weekend to see a stellar group of artists, you might as well spend a weekend in the Windy City, Chicago, for Lollapalooza.

It’s Lollapalooza’s time of the year again, when the festival returns back to its hometown of Chicago in Grant Park from Aug. 1-4 to celebrate a variety of artists from local Chicago acts to some of the biggest acts in the country. Chicago has a storied history in being a bastion for music and music culture, and that’s equally as true today in the age of hip-hop as it was in the days of jazz and rock.

The lineup this year lives up to the stellar reputation set by previous years. Thursday night, Aug. 1 sees The Strokes and The Chainsmokers taking the headlining slots, both being wildly popular acts in their respective genres of alternative rock and EDM. Friday features Childish Gambino, following his wildly successful “This is America” Tour and Tame Impala as buzz heats up for their upcoming fourth studio album. Saturday has alternative duo Twenty One Pilots, shortly before the outset of their “Bandito” tour and Latin Pop sensation J Balvin closing out the night. Finally, Sunday, Aug. 4, has Ariana Grande and Flume closing out the festival. Ariana is still touring her two critically and commercially bombshell albums “Sweetener” and “Thank U, Next,” and is debatably the biggest name in pop music at the moment. Flume, like Ariana in pop, has been making massive waves in the electronic space following the release of his 2019 mixtape “Hi This Is Flume.”

And those are just the headliners!

The most refreshing part of Lolla’s lineup this year is its diversity in genre and size of artist. Across pop, hip-hop, R&B, electronic, alternative and rock, there is a wide variety of representation from massive, household name acts to smaller artists that are no doubt thrilled to be featured alongside them.

In pop, there’s King Princess, Normani, Maggie Rogers, Sigrid, Alec Benjamin, Kacey Musgraves, Rosalia, Joji, Francis and the Lights, Still Woozy, Ryan Beatty and more.

In hip-hop and R&B, there’s HER, Saba, YBN Cordae, Janelle Monae, 21 Savage, Philly’s own Tierra Whack, Lil Wayne, 6lack, Smino, Meek Mill, JID, Denzel Curry and more.

In alternative and rock there’s Death Cab for Cutie, Tenacious D, Slash ft. Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators, Judah & The Lion, Bring Me The Horizon, Mitski, AJR, Japanese Breakfast and more.

Lollapalooza also features an array of arts, culture and food. The festival this year will feature screenings of upcoming HBO programming, such as “The Righteous Gemstones,” as well as performances by the cast of the Chicago production of “Hamilton.” A huge variety of local food trucks, vendors and larger sponsors like Chipotle will be available to attendees at Lolla’s “Chow Town.”

Lollapalooza runs from Aug. 1-4. Tickets are still available. Keep an eye out for the Triangle’s coverage of the festival!

The Fillmore Philadelphia has definitely seen its fair share of over-the-top fans. This past Monday was no exception. Beginning at 7 a.m., fans of the American indie-pop band LANY were camped out in a parking lot adjacent to the venue. Vying for a spot against the barricade, they sat in 90 degree heat waiting for a show that would start nearly 12 hours later. To some, their dedication may seem crazy — but to these teenagers, the exhaustion was worth it — and I was interested to see why.

LANY, stemming from Los Angeles, consists of three members: Paul Klein on lead vocals, Les Priest on keyboards and guitar and Jake Goss on drums. After releasing their new album “Malibu Nights” this past October, LANY embarked on their first world tour, which began in February and continues through August. Luckily, they decided to put a stop in Philadelphia on their list.

My own connection to LANY started around two years ago, listening to one of their first EPs, titled “Make Out,” on the beach. I enjoyed the driving-down-the-pacific-coast-highway-with-your-windows-rolled-down vibe their music gave off, but something about their sound didn’t feel substantial enough. Maybe that’s because I was still getting over my One Direction fan high or because I wasn’t mature enough to appreciate the complexity of the instruments backing the track or the lyrics that supplement them. Despite this, I continued to listen and became a fan. Subsequently, when I had the opportunity to see them live, I happily jumped on it.

When I entered the venue, their stage design immediately encapsulated me. Consisting of a primarily all-clear design, I knew that pleasing visuals were in store for the audience. The design was fairly simple, with two platforms on either side of the stage and a large one at the back which held their instruments. A lone, clear piano sat on the left side, which I figured would be Klein’s. This was different — a design I had never seen done before — and it gave me a good feeling about what was to come.

The lights went dark and piercing screams echoed through the hall, bringing me back to my pre-teen One Direction days. LANY began with a song from their most recent album, the leading track “Thick And Thin.” Klein strutted out on to the stage, commanding it with immense energy. The teenage girls gushed over him, and for good reason. Handsome, talented and flirtatious with his audience, Klein embodies the teenage heartthrobs who came before him. He single-handedly worked the crowd through the song and the entirety of the concert. He even jumped down into the audience for a single song without any security. Quite honestly, his stage presence was one of the finest I have ever seen.

Around five songs later, they began “Made In Hollywood,” a song from their EP “Make Out.” The clear set, which had been transitioning through colors and videos during the past songs, transitioned into a blend of pink and orange, a beautiful sunset visual. This was the most beautiful the crowd had seen, as they erupted into a chorus of “Oh” and “Ah.” The outstanding visuals continued through hits “Pink Skies,” where clouds appeared, “Hericane” which transitioned into a dark red and “Malibu Nights,” as a dark purple starry sky.

After briefly going off before their encore, LANY finished their set with “Thru These Tears,” “Parents” and, finally, “ILYSB.” Klein looked overwhelmed with emotion and thanked the crowd for their support. LANY’s music itself is incredible, but  a LANY show is pure art. The visuals, music and crowd combined all make for an immersive, unforgettable concert experience one would not want to miss, and one I would unquestionably camp in 90 degree heat for.

Cage The Elephant’s new album “Social Cues” was released April 19, four years after their latest studio album, “Tell Me I’m Pretty.” Since it was first announced on Jan. 31, the album has been highly anticipated by both long-time and more recent fans of the London-based rock group. Upon its release, the album did not disappoint, utilizing a haunting lo-fi sound combined with the band’s indie and punk roots.

“Social Cues” is Cage The Elephant’s fifth studio album. It follows the success of “Tell Me I’m Pretty,” which was awarded a Grammy for Best Rock Album in 2017. The award was not unexpected, as the group’s third album, “Melophobia,” was nominated for a Grammy as Best Alternative Music Album in 2015. After the success of their previous albums, expectations were high for “Social Cues.”

Although the album takes on a darker tone when compared to its predecessors, “Social Cues” is still undeniably rooted in Cage The Elephant’s style and history. The album itself has been widely interpreted as a response to the recent divorce between the lead singer and songwriter Matt Schultz and his now ex-wife Juliette Buchs. The divorce could be seen as one of the factors that led to a change in the band’s tone. Another possible reason for the shift is the increased popularity of the group that accompanied their fourth album.

One thing that has ensured the consistency of Cage The Elephant’s songs is their unique and self-reflective vocals. Schultz’s voice is immediately recognizable when listening to the album’s first song, “Broken Boy.” Although reminiscent of the group’s previous rock album, the song also shares similarities with their older, more punk-inspired works.

Other notable songs include “Ready to Let Go” and “Skin and Bones,” which bring to mind their self-titled first album’s hit song, “Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked,” with their angsty and more upbeat tone. Slower songs like “Love’s The Only Way” and “Goodbye” are similar to their contemplative and mournful songs, like “Too Late To Say Goodbye” and “How Are You True” off their fourth album, “Tell Me I’m Pretty.” While many songs seem very similar to past creations, there are several times that the album departs from this familiarity to experiment with a new style and possibly attract a new audience.

One song that represents a definite stylistic transition is “Night Running,” which is a faster-paced, repetitive song that features an appearance by Beck. The song seems unlike many others in the album and shows a shift in the group’s style from punk and rock into a more upbeat, rap-inspired sound. This song is one of the more experimental tracks on the album.

As a whole, “Social Cues” seems to be an exploration in Cage The Elephant’s genre and tone while still holding true to their original iconic sound.The album is a good combination of experimental songs and songs that call back to group’s previous musical identity. At a time when many artists are experimenting with completely new unique soundscapes, it is a refreshing reminder that although time passes and trends in music change, there are bands still willing to expand upon the sound that their fans are familiar with.

Cage The Elephant will begin The Night Running Tour with Beck July 11 and perform in Camden, New Jersey Aug.21.