This is the first year since the “re-inception” of Lollapalooza that I have chosen not to go. Fortunately, each year I have attended this mammoth show (which I can estimate I have been attending since the ripe age of 15 minus all the years that there was festival hiatus due to Perry meltdown?) I have had my twin sister by my side. This past August my sister and I somehow got through the sweaty and often strenuous event with the promise of yet another barrage of bands we had yet to experience live.

Last year some highlights were the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s, Daft Punk, TV on the Radio and Interpol. Pearl Jam even headlined the last night of the event. My sister and I have always managed the weekend through careful planning and attention to hydration and cautious trips to the portable toilets. Each year has been an adventure, a lesson in tolerance and a practice of the most avid and devoted of music fans.

But this year something was different. Something just didn’t trigger the response of “hey, let’s spend another three whole days at an outdoor music festival with hundreds of people and spend tons of money on bottled water and corn on the cob on a stick (bless the venues that finally offered vegetarian/vegan choices last year!)” This year was tough to pass up, I mean Rage Against the Machine and Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails?!! Are you serious??

What is a girl to do though – when half the lineup also consists of bands that either have just broken out on the indie/scenster/ipod circuit and several of the bands have played Lollapalooza more than once? I have always admired the foundation of Lolla and why the festival wanted to exist in the first place – to give new bands a chance, and an opportunity to widen their audience, and for the “common (wo)man” to once and for all be exposed to music that otherwise they wouldn’t have the fortune of stumbling into when watching the latest Budweiser commercial (and yes, the new Santigold song on the latest Mojito lime Bud commercial really bothers me…)

So my sister and I have opted to not shell out $80 for a one day pass or $205 for a three day. Instead, we have chosen to spend the weekend together possibly going on a short weekend road trip. With living expenses going up and daily existence becoming more of a balancing act, spending that kind of money listening to live music is more a luxury than anything else. Don’t get me wrong, live music is like nothing out there – and having been to music festivals for years I can attest to the often therapeutic and spiritual nuances of seeing and hearing one of your favorite bands/songs live.

Needless to say, I am disappointed that I’m not going to be at Lollapalooza this year and it’s going to be tough looking back and knowing that I had a chance to see Che, Thom and Trent all in one weekend.

Yet, looking backwards I can also remember the summer that Sonic Youth played Lollapalooza and the festival was more about the bands and the music and the sense of belonging to an underground culture of bands – versus the corporate sponsored stages (all the stages are named after a corporation). There was no threat of being thrown out because you had more than two water bottles in your backpack and you could stage dive with your own discretion. (Ahh the good old days..)

Maybe I sound old. Maybe I sound jaded, but I have done Pitchfork the past three years too – and I’m choosing not to buy into that one this year either. I don’t know. I guess I’m tired of seeing and watching everything I once believed in become everything I’ve always stood against.

(And no this is not me saying that bands who play these festivals “sell out.” Hell, we all want to make a living on our passions, we’re writers for Pete’s sake!)

But instead maybe I’m getting to that point where I believe my money really is “hard earned” and I should be a little more diligent about making sure it’s put towards the things I really need.

So what’s your opinion? Are you going to Lollapalooza this year? Or are you saving your cash for groceries and a good pair of sneakers?