Honorable Mention: Lollapalooza/Summer Sanitarium
Neither of these are technically extinct: Lollapalooza is a destination festival in Chicago, and Summer Sanitarium lives on in spirit as the Orion Fest. But as touring entities, both are kaput. It’s hard to think of Jane’s Addiction frontman Perry Farrell as a visionary, but he started one of America’s most popular festivals as a farewell to Jane’s Addiction. It ran for six years, featuring a solid mix of alternative and metal bands. It went away in 1997, returning for a year in 2003. Low ticket sales forced its cancellation the following year, but since 2005, it’s been held in Chicago’s Grant Park.
Summer Sanitarium lasted for two years. The first one, in 2000, had (nearly) and all-star lineup, featuring Metallica along with Korn, Kid Rock, Powerman 5000 and System of a Down. It was the band’s last tour with Jason Newsted. The tour returned in 2003 with Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park, Deftones and Mudvayne. There’s no reason given why they didn’t continue the tour, but it should be noted that it was in support of St. Anger.
