Pitchfork Music Festival 2014 Preview: Sunday

By Staff in Arts & Entertainment on Jul 17, 2014 6:00PM

If the weather reports are true, this weekend's Pitchfork Music Festival will be a blissfully serene one in Union Park. But even though the weather will be mild, the acts will be hot, and these are the artists we're personally most looking forward to on as the fest closes out its final day.

Best reason to wrap brunch early and get ye to Union Park.
Speedy Ortiz on the Blue Stage at 1 p.m.
While Speedy Ortiz’s fuzzy smear of ‘90s indie guitar rock is best consumed within a club whose walls are covered in roughly seven layers of show bills, they stand a good chance of being one of those bands able to fill the large space of an outdoor show with the appropriate amount of noise. The group is currently surfing along a steady wave of buzz, and while we believe most buzz bands die early deaths we’re hopeful that Speedy Ortiz proves the exception to that rule. Get there early Sunday and we think you’ll share our hope. — Jim Kopeny / Tankboy

Best chance to unexpectedly get the feels from a sonic punch to the face.
Deafheaven on the Green Stage at 2:30 p.m.
ln the lede to his recent interview with Joseph Rowland of Arkansas doom metal band Pallbearer, Pitchfork editor Brandon Stosuy described the group’s 2012 debut, Sorrow And Extinction, as “very good metal record that ‘people who ‘don’t normally like metal’ ended up liking, too.” A year later, in 2013, the unofficial title of “very good metal record,” and so forth, belonged to San Franciscan post metal duo Deafheaven’s Sunbather, an electrically experimental album that was a cathartic wail of black metal, post-metal and even emo, depending on who you ask. Perhaps that mix is why Deafheaven have garnered praise from places you wouldn’t expect (and scorn from the usual suspects). Either way, you may be moved by the torrent of volume, blastbeats and tremolo picking in ways you never thought. You may like it too. — Jon Graef

Best chance to rock out and get groovy.
Dum Dum Girls on the Blue Stage at 3:45 p.m.
This Sunday’s lineup, much like last year’s, is heavy on rap acts, so if you find yourself looking for a more guitar-driven set, check out Dum Dum Girls. Since forming the group in 2008, lead singer Kristin Welchez (aka Dee Dee Penny), has explored several genres ranging from the poppy girl group sounds of the 1960s to more recently the fuzzy feedback of 1980s indie rockers. Besides traveling through the decades, expect to hear a good number of tracks off this year’s excellent release, Too True . — Gina Provenzano

Best reason to chill out, man.
Real Estate on the Red Stage at 5:15 p.m.
Back in January Real Estate’s latest album Atlas was named one of Pitchfork’s most anticipated albums of the year, and for good reason. The group consistently produces perfect breezy, beachy pop music that sounds like it could vaguely belong in another decade. This will be the New Jersey indie group’s third showing at the festival, having played back in 2010 and 2012. This year, as veterans, expect their performance to be their best yet with another lovely and melodic set filled with songs about nostalgia, heartache and growing up in the suburbs. We recommend getting to the Red Stage early and grabbing a drink and a spot in the shade. — Gina Provenzano

Best Chance To Feel Heaven On Earth:
Slowdive on the Green Stage at 6:15 p.m.
Having just announced a full North American tour a mere two months after playing their first show in two decades, shoegazers Slowdive will no doubt take the Green Stage as a triumphant reunion machine for a mid-evening set of lovely psychedelic rock. Sets from the British quintet’s other festival appearances this year have included a wide selection of tracks from their ethereal, profoundly entrancing back catalog— making this reunion no mere cashgrab. Just imagine the band playing “Blue Skied An' Clear,” a hallmark of lush, dubby electronic minimalism off their 1995 masterwork Pygmalion, and have the festival setting be exactly that. Catch the breeze indeed. lf you miss them here, don’t sweat it. They’ll be back in October playing the Vic. — Jon Graef

Most unexpected but welcome turn to twisted pop diva-ship.
Grimes on the Red Stage at 7:25 p.m.
Pop anthems have long been buried under Grimes’ more experimental, early recordings. As time has passed her production has grown more polished but her sonic adventures remained on the path to unexpected adventure. And the mainstream is finally starting to keep pace with her as heavy hitters like Jay-Z have championed her sound and direction. Recently she released a song she had originally written for, but was unwisely passed up by, Rihanna. And if the sound of that tune is any indication of what we can expect from Grimes this weekend she stands a reasonable chance of stealing the night. — Jim Kopeny / Tankboy

Best chances of hearing what Kanye has been up to.
Hudson Mohawke on the Blue Stage at 7:45 p.m.
After headlining last year’s Pitchfork Fest as one half of trap duo TNGHT, dance visionary Hudson Mohawke makes his return to Union Park in 2014 as a solo act. The Scottish artist, who worked extensively on Kanye West’s Yeezus, further established himself as a hip-hop heavyweight in 2013, earning production credits on the latest releases from Drake and Pusha T. HudMo’s dancefloor roots are still clear, and this will undoubtedly be a tail shaking set, but with Yeezus season approachin’, it’s likely we’ll also get a taste of what’s next from the biggest rapper to ever come out of Chicago. — Robert Martin

See also: Friday's preview, Saturday's preview

Tickets are still available for Friday, but the rest of the festival is sold out.