As soon as Band of Horses finished their set across the field, all four founding members of Jane’s Addiction took the stage and started playing what sounded like “Up the Beach.”  The crowd was in a fury as a helicopter circled closely above beaming a spotlight all around the mob of people. Jane’s then played a few songs from their earlier albums, including “Mountain Song,” “Ain’t No Right,” and “Three Days,” while the most of the crowd sang along.  But everyone knew the words to “Been Caught Stealing” which got everyone in the massive throng of people moving and shouting in unison. Shortly after they played “Ocean Size,” which again whipped up the crowd, and made me feel like I was at one of the purest rock and roll concerts at Lollapalooza.  Jane’s Addiction is a band that produced some of the most important alternative rock of the late 80’s and 90’s without being their music being absorbed by the clichés and fads of that time period.  I was a casual fan of Jane’s Addiction before this show started, but seeing them live made me realize how indefinable their music is, and is driving me to discover more of their music. 

The band ended their set with “Stop!” but quickly re-emerged from backstage to play their encore.  Perry thanked each band member individually for reuniting to play this show, and also thanked a few of the people that made Lollapalooza possible.  He then introduced a special guest, Joe Perry of Aerosmith, to join them for the finale of the festival, “Jane Says.” It was the perfect ending to a great weekend of music, and appropriate that the last song I heard that day be the first one I heard walking in.