The CEO of Goldman Sachs, one of the biggest investment banks in the universe, is going to play a DJ set at Lollapalooza.
No, really. He is.
When he’s not dealing with derivatives or hostile takeovers, Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon moonlights as an Avicii-style DJ under the name DJ D-Sol. He’s landed a set at Lollapalooza 2022. Seriously.
He’s apparently got some skills. He’s been spinning for a while and even once opened for The Chainsmokers at a charity benefit for rich people in the Hamptons. (That gig was criticized for ignoring all sorts of social distancing rules at the height of the pandemic.)
Remember when Lollapalooza was an anti-establishment event for weirdos, outliers, and all manner of alternative types? Yeah, that era is over. But is nice to see that white guys in their 60s who are worth hundreds of millions of dollars are still able to get work, isn’t it?
This year’s lineup had me thinking about the festival’s glory years in the 1990s. To be at Lollapalooza between 1992 and 1995 was one of the greatest experiences an alternative fan could possibly have. But then I remember how it all changed in 1996 when Metallica signed on to headline.
Before then, the vibe backstage was super-casual. Everyone mixed with everyone else. I stood at a pinball machine watching Joey Ramone hit the flippers. The Beasties Boys started up a 3-on-3 basketball game with us. Ministry’s Al Jourgensen passed me a bottle of Bushmills Whiskey and ordered me to drink.
But when Metallica showed up, the entire backstage area was locked down. They took over a huge part of the compound which became a no-go zone for everyone else, including all the other acts. It was…different and very un-alternative.
Metallica is back for this year’s festival. James Hetfield now realizes that their inclusion in 1996 helped kill alternative. And as much as I like Metallica, he’s right. I’ve known it for 26 years.
