OneRepublic is an American pop-rock band formed in 2002. With their captivating live performances and dedicated fan base, OneRepublic continues to tour extensively, entertaining audiences around the globe. They have consistently delivered music that resonates with listeners, making them one of the most successful and enduring pop-rock bands of the 21st century.
Throughout the 3 days of Lollapalooza, the eager-to-dance crowd got a chance to enjoy over 70 different artists. Although the spotlight was on the headliners, OneRepublic managed to deliver a top-notch performance and gain a de-facto headliner’s astonishing attendance.
The band approached the given 1-hour timeslot of the tight festival schedule with a candid plan: “We need to fit the 16 years of music in 1 hour, so we are singing only the best of hits”. And they lived up to it! Such a decision was warmly welcomed by the fans that didn’t hold back on shouting out the heartfelt lyrics.
The star of the show was, of course, the frontman of the band, Ryan Tedder. Being a highly accomplished songwriter and producer, he surprised the audience with a 10-minute karaoke set of songs he has written for other artists. This non-trivial move granted the fans a chance to sing along with pop icons such as Beyoncé and Taylor Swift. Simultaneously, it encouraged more attention from the festival attendees heading to other stages.
Tedder thanked for the hospitality by paying homage to the Swedish musicians that the band was in touch with and highlighting his personal affiliation with the “Svensk sommar”. Indeed, Lollapalooza’s organisers had an uneasy task of empowering the vibrant and long-awaited Swedish summertime mood. It didn’t come as an eye-opener that OneRepublic has managed to successfully blend into the constellation of Swedish stars and enhance the feeling of long July nights.
OneRepublic owned the stage by treating the audience as if they came specifically to see the band at their concert, instead of being in occasional festival exploration mode. And the reward came imminently: the cheerful crowd was contagiously spreading joy caused by the many positive memories associated with the band’s all-time soundtrack.
The band wrapped up the performance with a confident delivery of their song “I Lived”, which quintessentially gave a run-through of the band’s journey. After all, it seems like a 4-month hiatus taken in 2017 helped the members to find a better balance with their private and public selves to state with a note of a silver lining “I swear I lived”.
Photos courtesy of the festival, photographers Pax Engström and Timothy Gottlieb
