• Posted: September 25, 2018
• better construction, Malko Communication Services. LLC, Steve Diamond

Thirteen years ago, Austin-based C3 Presents decided to plant Lollapalooza in Chicago and for the years to come, the festival has grown into the premier musical festival in the nation, drawing hundreds of thousands of music lovers and pumping millions into the area economy. In fact, estimates show that the now-four-day musical extravaganza funnels $6 million annually to the Chicago Park District and brings in $245 million in economic impact to the area.

But to ensure concertgoers continue coming back year after year, the festival has to go off without a hitch. From well-stocked food and beer tents to an easy-to-navigate festival layout, concertgoers want the best experience. But most importantly, they’re there to hear music, and that can’t happen without a fully-powered stage and compound.

“Malko Communication Services is honored to work Lollapalooza each and every year,” said Steve Diamond, Director at Malko Communication Services. “This year we will employ roughly 25 IBEW Local 134 electricians to ensure all the power needs are met at the festival.”

Malko Communication Services has worked on every Lollapalooza since the show was moved to Chicago, and by this point, the work has become routine for Steve Diamond and his crew. With 20-30 electricians on site throughout the festival’s setup and teardown, Malko ensures each stage, vendor tent, artist and production compound and VIP lounge has power needed.

“We will run over six miles of cable for the festival this year and pull power from roughly 100 on-site generators,” Diamond said.

This has become somewhat of a niche market for Malko Communication Services. In addition to serving the electrical needs at Lollapalooza, the company also provides electrical support for all types of events and Festivals including concerts at Wrigley Field and Soldier Field and the Chicago Marathon.

“Malko Communication Services. LLC started providing the power and cabling for large outdoor events in 1989 when the owner of Jam Productions, a High School friend of mine, called and asked if we would like to work on a Grateful Dead show at Soldier Field,” Diamond recently recalled. “The answer was, of course, absolutely, and Malko started working on all of Jam Production’s outdoor events. Over the years Malko became the go-to company for major outdoor events in the Chicago area.

“We really enjoy the challenge of providing the power and cabling needed for Lollapalooza and we look forward to working with the festival and the city of Chicago in the years to come to continue this great musical tradition.”