If you want to know one really cool “secret” at Lollapalooza, it’s the BMI Stage. Not only is it the shadiest area of Grant Park — in the grove of trees abutting Dusable Lake Shore Drive — it’s also where you will most likely see next year’s headliners before they break big.
In the nearly 20 years since Lollapalooza has set roots in Chicago, the BMI Stage (since 2006), has been a constant showcase of the”next big thing.” It’s where Lady Gaga (still performing with Lady Starlight) made her first appearance at the fest in 2007 — a year before her debut, “The Fame,” was released. It’s also where Kesha first popped up in 2009, leagues ahead of her primetime set at this year’s edition. There have also been sets from Halsey, Bebe Rexha and Cage The Elephant, long before they were promoted.
Unlike the other festival stages, which are largely booked by producer C3 Presents, the BMI Stage is unique as the organization curates the lineup for their corner of the park. In addition to offering a diverse lineup every year, BMI makes an effort to book local Chicago acts. In the past, Chance the Rapper and Vic Mensa have taken the stage there. This year, Mexican-American singer and guitarist Adan Diaz and Northwestern University alum-turned-rocker Hayes Warner are proudly representing.
“Our goal has always been to create opportunities for the artists and songwriters that we represent … and it really has become the trusted artist discovery stage,” says Samantha Cox, BMI’s Vice President of Creative, NY, who’s been instrumental in booking some of the now top-level artists, focusing on “who is exciting, who is being talked about,” — Lady Gaga being a great example.
“I was such a massive fan and [Gaga] had been through so much then, being let go from her label and having to start all over. I just believed in her,” Cox recalls. Three years later, Gaga was headlining Lolla and crashed the Semi-Precious Weapons’ set at the BMI Stage before her own South Stage gig.
Spotting top-tier musicmakers at BMI are not uncommon, like Lenny Kravitz and Willow who’ve taken in sets. Or, two years ago, when Metallica’s Lars Ulrich came to watch his sons’ band, Taipei Houston. This year, you might even see Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith in the corner as his talented singer-songwriter daughter Ava Maybee plays the BMI on Friday.
Maybee’s first trip to Lollapalooza was last year, where she was already getting some props, after becoming a finalist on “American Idol” during Season 20.
“We got pizza before [RHCP’s] set and overheard a dad and his kid behind us. The kid was like, ‘Dad that’s Ava Maybee.’ And the dad goes, What are you talking about? That’s Chad Smith from the Red Hot Chili Peppers. … It made us both so happy,” Maybee shared in a recent phone interview.
Lollapalooza marks Maybee’s festival debut, though she’s been performing since the age of five.
“I write a lot about heartbreak and mental health. That’s really important to me as a woman, as a young woman and as a young woman with young fans, to be a beacon of hope to say you can be going through really difficult sh** but you can … still be vulnerable and honest,” she says. “I find it so beautiful that people connect to my music and what I say because that’s how I got into music. … It’s all human connection.”
Harmony-fueled indie band Tiny Habits is another act on the rise playing the BMI Stage on Friday, doing so amid a folk implosion in this year’s lineup, including Hozier’s surprising headlining spot.
“In the age of social media and wanting to have a voice but not having all the resources to make a fully produced song, someone can just pick up a guitar and sing their words and that’s the music, and that’s awesome,” says the band’s singer-songwriter Cinya Khan, about the genre’s resurgence.
Along with bandmates Judah Mayowa and Maya Rae, the trio first met as students at Berklee College of Music. They started by releasing incredible vocal covers on Instagram, including “Bloom” by The Paper Kites, The 1975’s “Somebody Else,” and Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide.’”
While a couple of covers might slip into their Lolla set, expect a good dose of originals from their just-released debut, “All For Something” (Mom+Pop Records) that’s garnered fans like Elton John, Phoebe Bridgers and David Crosby.
“He was the first person of that caliber to discover us very early on … after he saw a YouTube of ours and posted on X, ‘help me find this band,’” says Rae of Crosby. “I think that made it really real for us.”
For Hayes Warner, playing the BMI Stage on Saturday is “an incredibly emotional experience for me,” says the burgeoning rock star who cites Paramore, Pink and Debbie Harry as influences and creates her own brand of sharp-witted guitar-driven rock.
“I attended Northwestern University specifically because of Chicago’s vibrant music scene, and events like Lollapalooza were the pinnacle of that for me. … So many artists I really admire have been on this BMI Stage, even early in their careers, and it’s such a huge milestone for me.”
Warner was included in People magazine’s list of “emerging artists to watch in 2023,” and had a huge hit recently with her unique take on No Doubt’s classic, “Just A Girl,” with rapper Billy B. “I’m such a huge fan of No Doubt and Gwen Stefani,” says Warner.
“Her raw energy and how ‘Just a Girl’ challenges gender stereotypes, it’s all just timeless. … For me, it’s a reminder to keep pushing those boundaries and stay true to myself.”
More on this year’s BMI Stage standouts:
Ava Maybee
Who she is: A 23-year-old pop/rock singer-songwriter from Los Angeles who got started on “American Idol”
Listen to: “Self Doubt,” a vulnerable confessional with big guitar hooks (but also watch out for a debut of new song “Pinch Myself” at Lollapalooza)
Her Lolla musts: Chappell Roan (“she is really paving a new wave of incredible pop artists and I feel lucky to be alive to watch her”), Lola Young and Dasha
Show time: 3:20 p.m. Friday
Tiny Habits
Who they are: A trio of harmonizing indie-folk stars that first met at Berklee and have been touring with the likes of Gracie Abrams and Noah Kahan
Listen to: “People Always Change,” the lush first single from their debut album, “All For Something”
Their Lolla musts: Chappell Roan, SZA, Laufey, Tate McRae
Show time: 4:30 p.m. Friday
Hayes Warner
Who she is: Brazen pop-rocker whose music calls to mind Paramore and Olivia Rodrigo
Listen to: “Dead To Me,” a catchy feminist pop anthem (but also watch out for her new single “Predator” coming soon)
Her Lolla musts: SZA, The Killers, Kesha, Raye, Ethel Cain, Chappell Roan, The Last Dinner Party, Labrinth … “I could keep going!”
Show time: 1 p.m. Saturday