Toro Y Moi Lollapalooza - H 2015
AP ImagesChaz Bundick, better known as his stage name Toro Y Moi, has hit up numerous stages at different music festivals — from San Francisco’s Outside Lands to Dover, Delaware’s Firefly Music Festival — but there’s definitely something special about returning to Lollapalooza.
“I definitely feel like music is alive and well whenever it comes to the Midwest,” said Bundick, who played at Lolla for the first time in 2012, before returning to perform on Saturday afternoon on the Palladia stage. “Coachella’s definitely got that L.A. vibe if you know what I mean and I guess this has more of a Midwest vibe, so yeah, the Midwest is all about rock ‘n’ roll. They’ve really got their music on lock.”
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Surely the same can be said about Bundick, who earlier this year released his fifth studio album What For? (Carpark Records). With a new record this year and his second time playing at Chicago’s famous music fest, the 28-year-old has learned quite a bit about being a musician.
“I don’t know if I’ve grown. I think I have. But growing is good,” the humble electro-pop artist told Pret-a-Reporter before continuing, “I think I’ve grown because I’ve learned to just be more accepting of circumstances, whether it’s having to do more logistical things when being a touring musician, or making different musical choices, whether aesthetically or sonically.”
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And much like the way he approaches and challenges his sound, the singer known for wearing his clear-rimmed frames isn’t one to conform to fashion trends either.
“It’s the same way I look at music — I hear top 40 music or I listen to college radio and I’m like, ‘OK what is everyone else doing? I’m not going to do that,'” said the Berkeley-based Bundick when asked about choosing his outfits, which he usually finds at thrift shops. “It’s a little more gratifying than buying a $200 pair of pants or something. It’s harder to get the stuff you want but it’s worth it.”
