Pitchfork Music Festival, Union Park, Chicago, Illinois

Though I missed 2014, I try to go to at least a day of the Pitchfork Music Festival at Union Park each July. Though I didn’t find the lineup for any of the days exceptional, Saturday looked to be the best. Arriving in the early afternoon, I began the day with Mr. Twin Sister on the Blue Stage, though it mostly served as some background music while I caught up with friends. Towards the end of their set, the sky began to look a bit ominous, and soon the rain began. Our group huddled under a tree with a few dozen other attendees. I was without an umbrella or rain gear, and there really wasn’t anyway to stay dry. My Boy Scout skills didn’t fail me. I knew it might rain but figured that as hot as it was, I would just tolerate the rain. It was actually quite pleasant. As we migrated toward the main stage area, lightning flashed and thunder rumbled in the distance. Not a good sign. If a thunderstorm was heading our way, the organizers would have to close down the festival. I witnessed a similar instance two years ago at Pitchfork when Björk was forced to stop midway through her evening closing set. After a few more minutes, the official announcement came that the festival would be closing, and we would all have to exit the premises. However, I wasn’t too distraught, as there wasn’t really any “must see” act in the Pitchfork line up for me.

With the rain coming down hard, I followed the crowd out of the main gates, disheartened that I had only seen a single act, and I might have just wasted my money on a ticket. Having nowhere to go, several hundred people waited outside the gates. It was the typical Pitchfork crowd – white, young hipsters. The American legal system is a strange thing, if we get hit by lightning inside in the fence, Pitchfork is responsible. If it happens on the other side of their gate as we wait for them to reopen, they’re not. Eventually the deluge turned into a drizzle and then stopped altogether. The sky gradually cleared, and after about a half hour, the festival reopened. Guests poured back into the grounds; the staff didn’t even bother to recheck bags or tickets. If you had happened to arrive at that time without a ticket or a few cold beers in your bag, you could have walked right through.

After the rain had stopped, the sun came out, and it soon became a lovely day. As an added bonus, my clothes were still a bit wet, which kept me cool for the remainder of the day. Once we were inside, it took a while for the music to restart, but I ended up at Green Stage/Main Stage for Kurt Vile & the Violators, a garage/heartland rock band. Kurt played songs including “Goldtone,” Wakin on a Pretty Day,” and “Freak Train.” I spent the entire rest of the day between the two main stages, which trade off music throughout the day. Next up across the way was Parquet Courts, a punk rock act, on the second stage. I had heard of Parquet Courts, but I didn’t remember them being quite so punk. Admittedly, they were a bit forgettable and didn’t play any songs that I recognized.

Parquet Courts Setlist:
Always Back in Town
Bodies Made Of
Black and White
Dear Ramona
What Color Is Blood
Vienna II
Pretty Machines
Everyday It Starts
Ducking & Dodging
Sunbathing Animal

Back at the main stage was The New Pornographers, a Canadian indie rock band that were towards the top of the list of bands that I was interested in seeing that day. However, my main connection with the band is my enjoyment of lead singer Neko Case, though I’m more familiar with her solo work. I had assumed that she was back on tour with her old band, so was disappointed to discover that while she was still an official member, she was not joining them on this tour. AC Newman, their principal songwriter, and the only other member of the band whose name I know, was with them though. Apparently, there was another recent tour that didn’t include him either. As I now understand it, all the band members participate in a variety of projects, so The New Pornographers tour with whoever is available. This tour featured a total of seven of them on stage, which gave them a very full and layered sound. I recognized a few songs, but am not intimately familiar with their music. However, we were very close to the stage, I was with a friend who was excited about their set, and they played a good show, so they ended up being the highlight of my day.

The New Pornographers Setlist:
Brill Bruisers
Moves
Twin Cinema
Dancehall Domine
Another Drug Deal of the Heart
The Laws Have Changed
Testament to Youth in Verse
You Tell Me Where
The Slow Descent Into Alcoholism
All the Old Showstoppers
Champions of Red Wine
Sweet Talk, Sweet Talk
Sing Me Spanish Techno
Backstairs
Mass Romantic
The Bleeding Heart Show

I returned to the second/Red Stage for Future Islands. Though they’d probably best be described as synthpop, they are kind of hard rocking version of it. The lead singer’s voice, which bordered on screaming at times, made them sound particularly heavy. The band consists of only three guys – Gerrit Welmers (keyboards and programming), William Cashion (bass and guitar), and Samuel T. Herring (vocals). A touring drummer also joined them on stage. Herring is an engaging front man, full of antics. Compared to The New Pornographers, we were pretty far back. While the whole show was a bit weird, it was both enjoyable and memorable.

Future Islands Setlist:
Give Us the Wind
A Dream of You and Me
Walking Through That Door
Long Flight
Balance
Doves
The Chase
Haunted By You
Light House
Seasons (Waiting on You)
Tin Man
Spirit
Vireo's Eye

The day ended with iconic punk rock band Sleater-Kinney on the main/Green Stage. The band was a key part of the riot grrrl and indie rock scenes of the Pacific Northwest in the late 90s and is known for their feminist and left-leaning politics. The all-women trio consists of Corin Tucker (vocals and guitar), Carrie Brownstein (guitar and vocals), and Janet Weiss (drums). They released seven albums between 1994 and 2005, before announcing a hiatus in 2006 and devoting themselves to other projects. They reunited in 2014 to release No Cities to Love (2015) early the following year. Reportedly, the combination of Tucker and Brownstein is the driving creative force of the band. The two dated during the early years of the band before Tucker married filmmaker Lance Bangs in 2000. Considering this, it’s not surprising that the bandmates have a complicated relationship and felt the need to take a break for the better part of a decade.

Though Sleater-Kinney had long ago been coronated indie rock royalty, I had not heard of them until a few years ago, well after their split. During Sleater-Kinney’s initial run, none of the band members had gained much mainstream fame. However, Carrie Brownstein ended up becoming a face that many would recognize through her starting role in the hit satirical sketch comedy TV series Portlandia alongside Fred Armisen. I was actually introduced to Brownstein a few years prior to Portlandia’s inaugural season when she served as a regular contributor to NPR’s All Songs Considered podcast. During her stint on the program, occasional references to her past involvement in Sleater-Kinney were made, though that wasn’t the focus of her involvement with the podcast. During that period, she also released an album with a new band called White Flag, which also included Weiss. That band never really went anywhere and fizzled out following their debut album and some modest touring.

Though I had gone back and listened to most of Sleater-Kinney’s catalogue and enjoyed their new album, their music strikes me as the something that really represents something special to certain people in a specific time and place, something which can’t be easily recreated. As such, I don’t think I’m ever really going to be able to fully immerse myself in the band. I was happy to see a snapshot of it, and to see Carrie Brownstein play full out on stage in person. She brought her A game. I ended up recognizing a handful of songs, mostly from their new album. I suspect this put me in the minority of people in attendance. I was a bit surprised that they were asked to headline the festival, as Pitchfork generally attracts a younger crowd. Perhaps a lot of older fans were drawn to the festival just to see them.

Sleater‐Kinney Setlist:
The Fox
Jumpers
Bury Our Friends
Oh!
Surface Envy
No Cities to Love
What's Mine Is Yours
Ironclad
One More Hour
Fangless
All Hands on the Bad One
Price Tag
A New Wave
Sympathy
Words and Guitar
Entertain
Dig Me Out
Modern Girl
Encore:
You're No Rock n' Roll Fun
Little Babies