“City details Lollapalooza emergency plans ahead of festival,” the headline in The Chicago Tribune reads. In fact, as the story makes crystal clear, the exact opposite is true. Writes the paper’s hard-working and talented new entertainment reporter Tracy Swartz:

“Melissa Stratton, spokeswoman for the city’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications… said there were no major changes to Lollapalooza’s severe weather plan this year compared to recent years but she would not provide a copy of the 2015 plan to the Tribune ‘because it contains public safety-sensitive information.’”

Why is this an issue? Because, as noted in this blog last week as well as in a Trib story about the recent evacuation of the Pitchfork Music Festival, there really is no practical way to quickly move tens of thousands of people to safety if or when dangerous weather descends on a massive city park. And the Trib notes that thunderstorms are expected for part of Lollapalooza this weekend.

Lollapalooza already dodged a bullet once, when violent thunderstorms prompted its evacuation in 2012. Some of the crowd of about 100,000 were herded into the overflowing underground parking garages at the northern tip of the Grant Park. But the majority were simply kicked out of the park and onto Michigan Avenue, left to fend for themselves and descend upon local businesses.

Stratton told Swartz that “the 2012 Lollapalooza evacuation prompted a plan for better communication inside and outside Grant Park. Video screens were installed in the park to broadcast messages and shelter locations were posted on Lollapalooza’s website.”

The challenge, in 2012 or during any future evacuation, is getting the word spread quickly and efficiently to a crowd that is not necessarily paying any attention.

Wrote Swartz: “In the event of an evacuation, pre-recorded loudspeaker announcements will broadcast information from the stages and the main festival entrance at Michigan Avenue and Congress Parkway; video screens at the festival’s main entrance will post messages; signs will display directions to shelter locations; and notifications will go to Lollapalooza mobile app users and social media followers.”

One would think that releasing this information in advance would aid any evacuation even more. Still, the city declines.

The Trib also recently published a piece by Robert Channick headlined, “From Lollapalooza to NFL draft, high-profile events paying off for Chicago.” Again, it wasn’t entirely accurate based on the story that followed, which noted that some of the numbers being cited by city officials are a bit squishy.

“‘Signature events held in Chicago create more customers for our businesses today and bring the potential for repeat visitors and more economic growth for tomorrow,’ [Mayor Rahm] Emanuel said. ‘The City of Chicago will continue to redouble our efforts to attract more marquee events…’

“Lollapalooza may be at the top of Chicago’s marquee… [Its] total economic impact, including indirect spending, reached $143 million last year, up from $85 million in 2010, according to a study commissioned by C3. The study found the festival has generated $587 million for the Chicago economy over five years.”

But the story went on to quote University of Chicago economics professor Allen Sanderson, who noted that a study saying the festival is a boon commissioned by the folks who own and run the festival isn’t necessarily reliable.

“If you take whatever numbers somebody gives you, move the decimal point one to the left, you’re probably pretty close,” Sanderson said. “It’s 10 percent reality and 90 percent marketing.”

And, as this blog has often noted, there never has been an independent economic impact study accurately assessing income from Lollapalooza and weighing it against the summer-long losses to Chicago-based promoters, clubs, and music venues thanks to the festival’s bullying treatment of local competitors. It doesn’t take a U of C economics expert to know that balance sheets have both a debit and a credit column.

Meanwhile, Lollapalooza, which is entering its first year under coownership by the monopolistic corporate concert giant Ticketmaster/Live Nation, continues to expand internationally. Today, it announced that it is moving into Colombia, joining other foreign fests in Chile, Brazil, Argentina, and Germany.

UPDATED: The city’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications issued the following press release today.

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