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The humid air was stifling when I entered the Near West Side’s Union Park for the sixth annual Pitchfork Music Festival on Saturday. The blistering mid-July heat, combined with the crowd of 18,000 within a few city blocks, led festival organizers to take the stage before 2:30 p.m. act Delorean and urge attendees to stay hydrated and watch out for each other.
Though sirens did blare within the festival gates a few times, coming to aid those who had fallen victim to the unfortunate weather circumstances, on the whole festival-goers’ behavior was a reflection of the festival’s vibe itself: smart, forward-thinking, and humane, as bottles of water passed out in the front row reached the very middle of crowds where scorching sun and body heat reached their apex.
Many could forget, as unassuming indie music fans, that the heat notoriously takes its toll most not on attendees, but on performers. Moving rapidly, rocking to the beat furiously, elevated ten feet up under the sun’s rays and stage lights, and often times in garb far more conservative than bikini-clad attendees, several performers made note of the weather, but in some way or another acknowledged that “the show must go on.”
And oh, did it go on! Delorean, a Spanish quartet of summery alternative dance music, opened my day with energetic Animal Collective-esque samples and breezy melodies. I particularly enjoyed the classic drum and bass foghorn sample used in their opening bit, which was layered and textured with several diferent musical pieces. I discovered quite soon that this intricate layering is the trademark of the group, who broke through only this year with album Subiza after nine years in the underground. My eyes stayed on the keyboardist, Unai Lazcano, who threw his whole body into each track–take note, all you veteran bands lacking stage presence and enthusiasm. One thing that was left to be desired, however, was vocal quality; bassist and lead singer Ekhi Lopetegi nailed the cheery lyrics well, but at times his pitch and volume distracted me from the impeccable instrumentals in the background. Nonetheless, I heard other attendees raving about the early afternoon show well into the evening, and I bet that Pitchfork goers who hadn’t heard of Delorean before yesterday consider themselves fans now.
Following Delorean, I headed toward the Balance Stage for a good spot for L.A. modern funk extraordinare Dam-Funk. Signed to Stones Throw Records, he brought the progressive back to funk with his double-album, Toeachizown, released in 2009. Though I was a fan of that work, I was disappointed by his live show–though he made sure to layer each element of his show with long delays and spaced-out sound, his performance still felt more like cheesy karaoke rather than forward-thinking grooves. Perhaps it was the vocals, which seemed far too loud and crooning for fans, or maybe it was the dumbed-down instrumentation that sounded significantly lower and simplified than on record. No matter the cause, I was disappointed by what I expected to be my top show of the day, and left after four tracks to catch Raekwon back at the Aluminum Stage.
I arrived to the biggest crowd I had seen thus far, apparently transfixed by the large Wu-Tang Clan symbol adorning the DJ’s laptop. My first trip to Pitchfork two years ago also led me to see Raekwon, but that time he was accompanid by fellow Clan member Ghostface Killah. Apparently it didn’t mean much to Raekwon, who felt no need to hog the spotlight and brought a large entourage of supporting rappers and friends on stage with him, for a set of what he promised to be old favorites and throwback tracks. What he wasn’t anticipating, however, were recurring technical difficulties that left his DJ’s instrumental backing sputtering and skipping partway through every song he started. Visually agitated, Raekwon assured fans that he would freestyle acapella if it came down to it, and did his best to make it through fan favorites “C.R.E.A.M.” and “Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nothin’ to F*** With”. Still, the crowd full of hip-hop fans in a festival with only a few such names was left hanging after the error left them with empty silences for minutes on end, and it was a disappointing problem for the veteran MC’s numerous supporters.
The heat began to get to me after a solid four hours of bouncing from set to set, so I took the next few to peruse the unexpectedly varied and large selection of food, craft and art vendors lining several central areas of the park. I discovered hidden gems like Chicago dance vinyl warehouse Groove Distribution, exquisite porcelain jewelry from independent designer Sofia Masri, and vintage-inspired brass and gold pieces from Austin-based Ornamental Things. Also offered were dozens of music posters in various creative permutations, and several food vendors ranging from soy ice cream by Temptation to deep dish pizza by Chicago favorite Connie’s. Also present was a water fountain station that I witnessed tally up a line of nearly 150–could have used a few more spigots, to say the least.
After resting up, I headed towards the Connector Stage to get a good spot for Panda Bear, the elusive founding member of Animal Collective who notoriously avoids performing solo due to his stage fright. Perhaps this stage fright is due to an apparent disconnect between the unusual, soundscape musical perspective of Panda and the outside universe; while at times textured spotlessly and fitting echoing guitar and synths seamlessly into the mood of the summer evening, his mumbles and occasional yelps with minimalist bell ringing and drum patterns still came off unapproachable. He gets extra points for the well-coordinated trippy visuals, but lost me before his set to get a good spot in the already massive crowd awaiting LCD Soundsystem.
And as the sun set on Union Park and all of the near 20,000 attendees gathered around the main stage, James Murphy led LCD Soundsystem under an enormous disco ball for their first Pitchfork appearance. A darling of the indie music scene since the self-titled album was released five years ago, it was surprising that he had never graced the stage until 2010–but the performance made up for lost time. The setlist covered both new releases from 2010’s This is Happening and older fan favorites like “Daft Punk Is Playing At My House” and “All My Friends”. In lieu of Murphy’s recent announcement that the group will retire after this tour–after three nearly universally acclaimed albums and attracting dance-happy fans across the globe–his spot-on vocals and energetic band backing were a bittersweet farewell as the group closed out Saturday night at Pitchfork.
Throw on your Ray-Bans and put sunscreen on your tattoos, it’s the opening day of the Pitchfork music festival. There’s a great line-up of bands to kick-off the 3 day fest. I’m looking forward to Liars, Robyn, Broken Social Scene, and Modest Mouse in particular.
Today’s festivities begin at 3pm in Union Park, just steps away from the Ashland Greenline stop. It all starts with Sharon Van Etten at 3:30 on stage A and The Tallest Man on Earth at 4:00 on stage C. The schedule is staggered, but you’ll still need to prepare adequate time to get to your favorite bands if they’re in close time slots at different stages.
When you’re not rocking out or swaying along to the beat (depending on who you’re watching), there are arts and crafts vendors, the CHIRP Record Fair for vinyl enthusiasts, Flatstock posters to browse, and other activities at the Toyota area. Toyota and Whole Foods are proudly sponsoring the event along with 93 WXRT, WBEZ, Amp Energy, a few local publications, Heineken, EMusic, and several others.
Today’s line-up is as follows:
3:30 Sharon Van Etten (A)
4:00 The Tallest Man on Earth (C)
4:35 El-P (A)
5:30 Liars (C)
5:45 Hannibal Buress (B)
6:25 Robyn (A)
6:30 Wyatt Cenac (B)
7:15 Michael Showalter (B)
7:20 Broken Social Scene (C)
8:00 Eugene Mirman (B)
8:30 Modest Mouse (A)
Cant make it to the festival this year? Don’t fret, Pitchfork will be streaming some live sets on the festival’s website in the “media” section.
As 225,000 festival-goers take over downtown Chicago every August for Lollapalooza, many Chicagoans overlook its smaller, wiser counterpart taking place every July: Pitchfork Music Festival. Maybe it’s because of the less central location in the Near West Side’s Union Park, or maybe because of its lack of blockbuster music names, but every year Pitchfork goes down as Chicago’s “second” music festival. That isn’t to say that it goes completely unnoticed–this year, three-day passes to the festival sold out in under a week–but the 48,000 hipsters who attend the festival will notice many fewer corporate sponsorships, music stages, vendors and attendees… which aren’t such bad things, after all. The best part is that the indie performers often turn up at bigger festivals a year or two after Pitchfork, setting you a step…or year… ahead of the Lollapalooza folks.
If you haven’t heard of what Pitchfork has to offer, never fear– here’s a guide of what you can expect from the forward-thinking music fest in its fifth year.
Friday, July 16
Rock fans, I suggest you head straight to Modest Mouse’s set. The first Friday act to be announced this year was coincidentally my favorite of the entire festival, and the Seattle alt-rockers aren’t ones to disappoint. Not new by any means (their first album, This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About, debuted in 1996), Modest Mouse have remained on the cutting edge of indie music with intricate instrumentation, unconventional vocals, and thought-provoking lyrical work. For those of you who haven’t heard the Modest Mouse sound before, I suggest you tune into my favorite track, “Dramamine,” for a glimpse of what they might have to offer.
Interested in heavy beats and smooth rhymes? Look no further than alternative hip-hop pioneer El-P. Like Modest Mouse, El-P is no newcomer to the scene, releasing his first single at age 17 in 1993. Still, he has remained an entrepreneur in the underground hip-hop game, and is preparing the release of an instrumental album this August. He recently released the first single, “East River Float,” and if it’s at all indicative of his Pitchfork performance, expect multi-layered jazzy, funky, head-nodding, old-school hip-hop.
Electronica is your calling? Check out Robyn, a Swedish electropop singer/songwriter with recent production work from electronic music mavens Royksopp and Diplo. She stated earlier in the year that she’s preparing to release three albums in 2010, so expect plenty of new material and dance-worthy anthems that make Lady Gaga look silly.
Saturday, July 17
Saturday’s line-up is full of progressive acts melding traditional genres into one big indie dance party. Of course there’s the ubiquitous LCD Soundsystem, headed by James Murphy, bringing dance-punk-disco-indie rock to hip stages since 2005. Beyond LCD, however, there’s plenty to boogie down to, likely with a far smaller crowd: check out Panda Bear, a founding member of indie darlings Animal Collective, for experimental neo-psychedelia; Delorean, a Spanish indie pop/dance band, released their most recent album Subiza to widespread acclaim; and Dam-Funk, a California singer, DJ and producer, brings funky electro that’s somehow retro (reminiscent of 80s funk melodies) and futuristic at the same time.
For rock and hip-hop, go for indie rockers with an alternative hip-hop edge WHY?, and undoubtedly head to Wu-Tang Clan member Raekwon’s set showcasing the emcee’s rhymes that earned him the title “Best Emcee of 2009″ from major hip-hop website HipHopDX.
Sunday, July 18
Major Lazer
Festival endings are always bittersweet, but Pitchfork made sure to stack the last day with acts ranging from dancehall electro to old-school rock reunions to keep those sad feelings at bay… at least until it shuts down at 10 p.m. Start the day off dreamy and slow with the shoegaze duo Beach House or multi-instrumental singer/songwriter St. Vincent. The schedule heats up later, with a hip-hop set from Outkast rapper Big Boi, an electric dancehall carnival from DJ duo Major Lazer, and the long-awaited reunion of 1990s lo-fi rockers Pavement.
Hope your feet and ears hold up long enough to brave that outlandlishly long line for the El on the way home! Festival organizers are encouraging attendees to travel to and from the festival by bike–saving you both time and carbon impact. Just don’t drink too many PBRs!
When I found out about this tasting through www.drinktown.com , I said to myself this sound like fun. I thought I knew everything there was to know about Bourbon and then I went to PitchFork’s whiskey tasting. The host of the night was Evan Williams’s master distiller Craig Beam, Jim Beam’s great grandson.
The Bourbon
When you talk Bourbon with a man like Craig you learn a lot. By law, Bourbon must be made up of at least 51% corn and aged a minimum of two years in a new charred white oak barrel. Bourbon can be made anywhere in the United States, though nearly all brands are made in Kentucky, and Kentucky is the only state allowed to put its name on the bottle. Bourbon is not Bourbon unless the label says so. The term proof originally referred to “gunpowder proof.” One of the ways early distillers checked, or “proved,” that their whiskey was strong enough was by mixing equal parts of whiskey and gunpowder, then setting the mixture on fire. A slow, yellow flame meant the spirit was too strong, while a steady blue flame “proved” it was good whiskey. Yellow flame spirits were diluted with water until they burned blue. Later, the whiskey which burned blue was found to be 50 percent alcohol. This level was considered to be 100 percent proved or, as we know it today, 100 proof. Today, the alcohol content is measured more scientifically in the distillery using a hydrometer. Proof is still calculated as 2 times the “alcohol by volume” of given Bourbon.
The BBQ
Besides the awesome information I learned about Whiskey we sampled some amazing BBQ. PitchFork has award-winning Cordis Brother’s ribs,so tender you can suck the meat off the bone. The sauce is a little on the thin side for consistency, has a noticeable deal of acidity, but it is balanced out by a good dose of sweet. The result is a full bodied base to the sauce that is phenomenal. Spiciness is done very well in this sauce. It produces a pleasing back heat that builds as you continue to eat the sauce. Not an overbearing heat just enough to give ya a kick in the kester. Ingredients that contribute to heat are usually easy to point out some include cayenne, chili powder and liquid smoke. But their sauce is a little more complex and harder to figure out. I think I also tasted other spices maybe nutmeg or allspice to round out the flavor. The sauce has the “one flavor” feeling that I like, no ingredient really dominates, and they all work together to make one taste. We also sampled the BBQ beef brisket and BBQ pork sangwiches and they were served on house made buttermilk biscuits “delicious”.
The Joint
The service was great! The Manager Pete Mazzone was friggen spot on. He constantly made sure that we had everything we needed and drinks were always replenished. During a jam packed event like that, it is rare to have such great service. PitchFork is like an old west corner saloon. If you bring your horse I even think there is a hitching post. Just kidding! This place is humongous. I am sure it would be great for private parties. Lakeview has tons of nightlife, but only one amazing saloon -PitchFork. You can sample their different whiskeys or try one of their house cocktails, either way you won’t be disappointed. Food and drink specials are no stranger to this joint either, every day of the week there is a different special. Be sure to check out their website for more details on their daily specials -www.pitchforkchicago.com. PitchFork is located at 2922 W Irving Park Road Chicago, IL 60618 or give them a call at 1(773)866.2010.
Here is a recipe I learned from the Bourbon prince himself Craig Beam.This is the perfect drink to enjoy the Kentucky Derby Saturday. Have fun and be safe. Thanks Craig!
Classic Mint Julep
Dissolve sugar into water. Bruise mint sprigs with fingers and rim the cup. Fill of cup with shaved ice. Add Bourbon, then sugar solution. Stir gently. Add ice to fill cup. Garnish with mint sprig.