Reader's Picks For Pitchfork Music Festival
By Tankboy in Arts & Entertainment on Jul 16, 2009 4:20PM
The Pitchfork Music Festival kicks off tomorrow evening and we're being completely honest when we say it is the event of our summer. Excellent booking and the laidback atmosphere, combined with what looks to be wonderful weather, provides the hope of an unforgettable weekend. Instead of boring you with a band by band rundown like everyone else is doing, this year we thought we'd let a couple off you step up and make the recommendations. Here they are.
Jes Weathers
Words cannot explain the emotion I am feeling just days away from Pitchfork Festival. This is will be a first for me and my boyfriend, even though I have been living in the Chicago-land area for 22 years and we'll be going all three days. What has drawn me to go this year was the underground advertising. Never have I heard of it, in February I got interested in a Portland band called Blitzen Trapper. As I was researching on any upcoming performances in the region, I found the announcements of Pitchfork Festival. As time went by, my excitement grew as more bands were added and I realized how much I liked the different acts that would be performing. I started to buy music from almost every performer which is probably the reason why I can barely afford the ‘other’ Chicago festival. Its hard to sit down point out exactly who I will see. Blitzen Trapper, the Jesus Lizard, Yo La Tengo, The Walkmen, The National, and The Flaming Lips are just some that I will stand as close to the stage as I can. But what's so great, is as I walk around refilling my refreshments I'll be able to listen to the sound of new tunes just beginning to invade my iPod. The diversity of music and affordable prices is why I remain completely optimistic about the weekend.
Nelson, Michelle A
Clean cut pop music, the kind that knows it's part of a larger culture and can influence a listener with homages and references while staying totally honest and original is something Frightened Rabbit does better than a lot of bands. If Sing the Greys, their first album, didn't convince you, their quick to follow second album, The Midnight Organ Fight shook loose a few issues and highlighted a bunch of guys who had learned to play fantastic music together. Live, these guys kill. Their stage presence, while a little withdrawn, has only improved with each tour and there's nothing quite like seeing Grant Hutchison play drums live. It's frightening. And potentially dangerous (the first time I saw them he lost a drumstick during the encore and it hit a girl in the head in the front row). Scott Hutchison relates to the audience in both the yearning heard in his voice during songs and the simple banter he encourages between numbers. Regardless of crowd size, these guys love playing and their performance is sure to get you going for the last day of the fest, whatever the weather is like or no matter how bad your hangover is from the night before.
Jim Kopeny
I've seen them dozens of times, but it's been a while since I've seen The Flaming Lips play in a small-ish environment. Add to that the chance of hearing more than one pre-1996 tune and I think they'll have Sunday's can't miss set on their hands. On Friday you'd have to be nuts to miss The Jesus Lizard, especially since Yow proved he at the Scratch Acid reunion that he still has that drunk cowboy on acid thing down. Finally, I'm most curious to see The Very Best's set. I wasn't familiar with them, but I just got their new album yesterday and it's mix of African rhythms and electronic beats has the potential to get a sea of short gym shorts and bandannas a dancin',
Rick Britton
While I'm only attending the Sunday fest, the artist I would be most looking forward to is DOOM. I missed him playing south by a few years back and have regretted it since. As far as Sunday, I'm most looking forward too (in order of excitement/anticipation): Thermals, Mae Shi, M83, Flaiming Lips, Walkmen, and Blitzen Trapper. Also throw Waaves on the list of Saturday acts I will unfortunately miss.
Rich Caroli
I am really looking forward to seeing Blitzen Trapper on Sunday. I have seen them at Schubas and at Empty Bottle before and I think it will be fun to see them outside during the day in front of a hopefully big crowd. They are all very accomplished musicians; they sing multi-part harmonies really well and each play instuments like guitar, keyboards and bird whistle. Their music has a sort of timeless quality. Their lyrics have neat themes in them like old time country music: love, death, murder, riding horses and turning into a wolf. They blend a lot of my favorite genres of music including, folk, country, 70s rock, indie rock and electro. B Trapp is my favorite band right now and I urge everyone who hasnt heard of them to give them a listen Sunday at Pitchfork.
Kevin Apgar
I will be attending Pitchfork, but only on Sunday. The initial purpose was to just see The Flaming Lips. However, as the schedule has been unfolding, I've been listening to more and more of the bands that will be playing on Sunday and loving them... M83, Grizzly Bear, The Mae Shi, Blitzen Trapper... it's a pretty amazing schedule.
The problem I am having is that I've recently also discovered and fallen for bands like Matt & Kim and The Pains of Being Pure at Heart only to discover that they are playing on Saturday, a day for which I do not have tickets. This bums me out to no end. Not that I'm willing to trade Sunday for Saturday by any stretch of the imagination, but I would've loved to have seen these other new discoveries play live.
At least I get to see some of it.