Lollapalooza is one of the largest yearly musical festivals in the world. For three days in Chicago's Grant Park, almost 300,000 music fans gather from all around to see bands, eat food, have a great time. The festival has brought in many big names over the years - Rage Against The Machine, Soundgarden, and even Lou Reed have made appearances in the past decade. However, probably the most significant performance in Lollapalooza history occurred on the first day of the festival this year: the return of the (mostly) original lineup of heavy metal pioneers Black Sabbath.

While I spent the day catching performances from Anamanaguchi, Sharon Van Etten, and Die Antwoord, it was Black Sabbath that truly brought me to Lollapalooza on Friday, August 3rd. The classic lineup of Ozzy Osbourne on vocals, Tony Iommi on guitar, and Geezer Butler on bass took the stage with drummer Tommy Clufetos to perform songs from the band's first decade. A video montage of the group performing their most notable songs in various locations was shown before a large, black curtain was raised and the band jumped right into their eponymous track; a large screen with the Black Sabbath logo first introduced on Master Of Reality burned in flames behind them as they played the devil-worshipping anthem.

They then performed the next three songs from their self-titled album in order: 'The Wizard,' 'Behind The Wall Of Sleep,' and 'N.I.B.,' the final of which began with Butler's iconic bass solo blasting out in full force. In terms of Osbourne's vocal work, he sounded incredibly strong, which was a great thing considering his inconsistency in the field. Between his tight delivery, Butler's aforementioned bass attack, Iommi's pivotal heavy and distorted guitar sound, and Clufetos' fury atop the skins, hearing the classic material from albums like Paranoid, Vol. 4, and even throwing in a track each from Sabotage (an instrumental jam of 'Symptom Of The Universe') and Technical Ecstasy ('Dirty Women') made the evening an unforgettable, historic metal experience.

The band closed out their main set with 'Children Of The Grave,' and after a few minutes of low, surrounding chants, they returned to the stage to perform the theme for all antisocial, dysfunctional metalheads, the title track from Paranoid. After they finished, the four men took a well-deserved bow and left the stage, leaving the entire crowd screaming and begging for more.

Black Sabbath's performance at Lollapalooza was the third and final date of their short series of shows they played this year, following two shows in the UK earlier this summer, and if it does end up being their final US performance, then they certainly went out with a bang, and I was incredibly fortunate to be part of the group that witnessed it.

Setlist:

1.

Black Sabbath

2.

The Wizard

3.

Behind The Wall Of Sleep

4.

N.I.B.

5.

Into The Void

6.

Under The Sun

7.

Snowblind

8.

War Pigs

9.

Electric Funeral

10.

Sweet Leaf

11.

Symptom Of The Universe

12.

-Tommy Clufetos Drum Solo-

13.

Iron Man

14.

Fairies Wear Boots

15.

Dirty Women

16.

Children Of The Grave

17.

Paranoid