Since I saw so many shows in such rapid succession I only had time to make a few notes in between sets before seeing the next band. That being said, this edition will have short bits about each band to give you a glimpse at the brilliant, shinning sun that was Pitchfork.
*All photos by me.
GZA – Wu Tang’s genius, GZA, was on hand Friday night to perform his 1995 landmark album
Liquid Swords in its entirety. His delivery was lively and crisp; GZA took over the stage, biting words off the mic from start to finish and leaving nothing in his wake.
As light as his flow could be at times he still had the ruggedness you’d expect from one of the Wu Tang’s most highly esteemed members. What truly makes GZA one of hip-hop’s top MCs is how well this quality comes across at a live performance. Lots of records sound amazing on expensive home speakers or thundering car stereos, but not very many can translate that studio-tuned excellence to a live show. After seeing him in person, though, it’ll be hard to go back to the album; the bass shook like an earthquake, his crew propped him up, and I could understand every…single…word…that he said. That has never happened to me before. Ever. Most of the time rappers slur incomprehensibly into their mic, mean-leanin’ and shuffling across the stage as if on a vicodin and robitussin cocktail. It was quite the memorable experience.
GZA - Cold World
Sonic Youth – There’s nothing more that needs to be said about how influential and pivotal Sonic Youth has been in the history of modern music. So I won’t try.
The performance they gave at Pitchfork this year was unprecedented; they played their masterpiece album
Daydream Nation from front to back and swept the thousands-strong crowd with a sea of feedback colored guitars. Thurston Moore, Kim Gordon, Lee Ronaldo, and Steve Shelley wrote this album in
1988, almost twenty years ago!
I couldn’t believe how much energy and vigor came out of this band. Thurston Moore bounded around the stage like some shaggy haired muppet crossed with Tigger, each movement sporadic and immediate. It was as if his body would shift at the same moment his synapses switched on, no pauses or hesitation present in his being. Bassist Kim Gordon was like Moore’s synonym: she danced wildly and fiercely, reminiscent of psychedelic 1960’s go-go dancers, when she wasn’t sternly strumming her bass and crafting the underbody of the songs.
Sonic Youth - The Sprawl
Grizzly Bear – Grizzly Bear’s sound falls into a host of strange genres; it could be described as freak-folk, lo-fi, neo-psychedelia, or experimental indie rock. The Brooklyn based quartet aren’t afraid to test the boundaries of contemporary song craft, often shifting time signatures and building a unique structure for each track on their albums. The new album, Yellow House, displays Grizzly Bear’s well-executed knack for building these brilliant arrangements.
Onstage the band flourishes woodwind parts and delicately chimes percussion elements, marrying them with standard contemporary instrumentation like guitars and drums. Christopher Taylor’s clarinet playing is surprisingly thundering, rarely sounding like an actual clarinet. His series of pedals and effected mics transforms the warm reed sound into an epic and endless plane that stretches from horizon to horizon, and building the low end of Grizzly Bear’s foundation. I was glad I had earplugs to protect my hearing because the sounds’ vibrations were literally shaking the speaker towers and every bone inside my body.
The rest of the band’s performance was equally moving. Daniel Rossen, Ed Droste, and Christopher Bear layered their voices and instruments to form a beautiful dichotomy: at times the music was lilting and sweet, at others raucous. Harmonies soared and crashed into one another, only to be rejoined at the final stages of gorgeously elaborate sound-scapes.
The band sits nestled comfortably in whatever genre they call home, or feel like being a part of on any given day. While ambiguity remains with this issue, there can be no doubt of the modest brilliance found in Grizzly Bear. See this band live if you have the chance.
Grizzly Bear - Knife
Fujiya & Miyagi – Fujiya & Miyagi is a misleading band name; there are three members, not two, and they’re all from England, not Japan. The name is taken from a brand of stereo equipment (Fujiya) and the wise old man from
The Karate Kid (Mr. Miyagi). The three guys who perform under this unique moniker, David Best, Steve Lewis, and Matt Hainsby, play a brand of fun, soothing dance-rock. Imagine calming down the voltage of Hot Chip and throwing in a dash of LCD Soundsystem’s guitar loops and the end result is Fujiya & Miyagi.
Despite the use of digital technology to manufacture aural foundations the band’s sound still comes across as very natural, almost organic. Best’s vocals whisper over keyboards and funky basslines, creating soothing yet danceable melodies.
Sitting in the shade and listening to Fujiya & Miyagi perform brought a smile to my face and was the perfect afternoon cool-down for my friend Megan and I. The simplicity and coyness of the music makes you feel good inside, like someone confiding plans to you for a surprise party later on.
Fujiya & Miyagi - Transparent Things
Mastodon – This band embodies everything great about metal. At times Mastodon stands atop its own grandeur, roaring like lions from the tops of mountains; they become more than men in their performance, they become the titan-esque figures that appear in their songs. Aside from the thematic aspect Mastodon are also insanely accomplished musicians. Imagine playing Rimsky-Korsakov’s Flight of the Bumblebee on a guitar…while thrashing about…on fire…blindfolded…and not missing a single Goddamn note. That is the ludicrous level of talent that these guys have. The terms “face melting” and “fret burning” come rapidly to mind.
The performance swirled the crowd into a frenzy and raised the pulse of everyone in hearing distance. Guitars were hoisted into the air, fists pumped, and speakers shook with the weight of a thousand oceans. Granted, it was hard to discern lyrics within the battle cry phrasing like “Wherrrruaaaaahhhiiiiiiittttttt!” but overall still an impressive act.
Mastodon - The Wolf Is Loose
Clipse – The Virginia based rap duo threw down a solid hour-long set. The beats were hip hop but the lyrics weren’t. No, no. Clipse don’t concern themselves with social issues of our society, but they do know guns, blunts, and hos like the back of their icy hands. Some rappers discuss such elements with librarian-like seriousness, so much so that they become like caricatures. Clipse have a sense of humor about themselves, however, and during the set each couldn’t help but laugh after particularly gangsta verses: “Float around in the greatest of porches / Feel like a chuck wagon ‘cause I’m twelve horses.” Come on, talking about how baller your car is by comparing it to a chuck wagon? There’s no way anyone can take that seriously.
Their flow was quick paced and rapid fire at times, but the undercurrent of their Virginia hometown’s drawl was still audible. To compensate for their slurring, Clipse shouted out and held the most important words of verses for a few seconds; the pair’s most popular battle cry: “P*SSSSYYYYYYYYYY!”
Clipse vs Cat Power - I Don't Blame You For Grindin' And Shinin' (Remix)
Cat Power – I love the records put out by Chan Marshall, a.k.a. Cat Power. The shy southern belle’s emotive singing and songwriting has no off switch and each release brings more great songs to her catalog. Seeing her perform at the Vic a while back was a great time and I couldn’t be more excited for her Pitchfork appearance.
Her well-publicized bashfulness followed her to Chicago that weekend, and placed her at the front-most edge of the stage. The front may seem like an odd place for a timid performer to perch, but it was the only place in front of the lights rigged over the stage. Being in front meant the lights couldn’t hit her, and during a twilight show she became a smoky voiced silhouette moving from left to right in front of a perfectly lit backing band.
The quality of the performers was top notch. Throughout the set Cat Power sang softly, wilting and gentle at times yet unmistakable confident in her voice. The only problem came from the soundboard: audio on various instruments and mics cut in and out throughout the performance. First the piano wasn’t picking up properly, then Chan’s mic went out. This pattern continued and left everyone in the audience feeling a bit let down in the end. It was like the audience showed up to see a great work of art that the museum kept it in a dark corner of the basement; you know that brilliance is there, but during this visit you couldn’t find it.
Cat Power - Good WomanGirl Talk – We only caught a few minutes of Greg Gillis’s, a.k.a. Girl Talk’s, set. Everyone was dancing, people in crazy clothing were onstage, and a gigantic inflatable spider-shaped bounce house hung overhead, spreading its legs to the corners of the stage. The problem with all this: THE MUSIC WASN’T LOUD ENOUGH. I could hear everyone talking softly around me, and a bit of the music coming from the speakers.
For a better experience with Girl Talk read about the show at Talbott St. That time Girl Talk was unbelievable.
Junior Boys – This dance-rock duo comprised of Jeremy Greenspan and Matt Didemus make very polished but exciting music. The thumping beats emanating from the towering speakers were rich with ass-shaking funk, at times a mixture of b-boy breaks and smooth, driving synth. Everyone in the crowd shimmied and threw their hands in the air, enjoying the sun and the sound. All in all the music isn’t life altering, but it still makes for a pretty good time.
Junior Boys - Like A ChildThe Sea & Cake – This Chicago side project has a longstanding history of creating beautifully sweet melodies. Members of the Sea & Cake hold simultaneous membership in bands like Tortoise, Cocktail, and Shrimp Boat, all smart sounding indie bands from Chicago or nearby Midwestern states. S&C played a bit more upbeat than I had expected from the band who released the tea & sweater gem of an album “Oui.” They were excellent, nonetheless, and the steady rhythms comprised sounds reminiscent of pinball games and old Nintendo: simple, clean, and fun.
The Cool Kids – Live music is tricky to get right, especially if part of your act is a throwback to the iconic, neon colored days of hip-hop. Chuck and Mikey of the Cool Kids do a pretty damn good job at it,
however, and these two Chicagoans were one of the best acts of the festival. They had everyone’s hands in the air from the second the first bassline thundered to the last turntable scratch; the crowd couldn’t help but smile and bang their head in time to the flavor the Cool Kids were spitting. Their mix of humor, skill, and clear knowledge of hip-hop’s roots made them an act worth every bit of their old school hi-tops and gold chains.
The Cool Kids - Gold and a Pager
Of Montreal – This band’s eccentric catalog of music and live performances comes across as extremely memorable. A friend told me about the first time he saw Of Montreal: the male lead singer appeared on stage in a long wedding dress and “married” the audience to himself, thus making all of them ‘one’ for the journey of the concert.
The Pitchfork concert held up to the out-there expectations of previous shows; members appeared on stage in giant pink angel wings, orange jumpsuits, and leather corsets. Aesthetics aside, the band performed fantastically well. The songs were emotive and funny, even though the subject matter could sometimes be melancholy. In the midst of so many costumed band members and golden, fuzzy dancers, the music still seemed surprisingly heartfelt and honest.
Of Montreal - Heimdalsgate Like A Promethean Curse
The New Pornographers – This Canadian indie pop group drew an enormous crowd during the twilight of Pitchfork’s final night. They played, to great disappointment, sans Neko Case that night (again! Both times I’ve seen NP Neko Case doesn’t come!), but the group still knocked me over. All the songs were crisp and driving, creating tight power pop numbers filled with wit and charm. A.C. Newman, the band’s ginger-haired leader, sang perfect harmonies along with Dan Bejar and Kathryn Calder like three perfectly tuned piano keys striking a brilliant chord. Driving rhythms and elements of percussion spun into a frenzy of cascading sounds, sweeping the crowd up with the tempo. The New Pornographers finished their set with “The Bleeding Heart Show,” an infectious song with an energetic pulse. The sing along finale, complete with fist pumping yells and uncontrollable dancing, shook Union Park to its foundation. The band played, the crowd erupted, and everyone was under the spell of the New Pornographers.
The New Pornographers - My Rights vs. YoursDe La Soul - The pictures speak for themselves.
De La Soul - Potholes In My Lawn
The mash-up genre is a double-edged sword capable of being both inspiringly exciting and beyond awful. When beats, verses, hooks, bridges, and any second’s worth of audio from a bunch of stylistically different songs combine you can find undiscovered joy or compound your dislike for multiple musicians. Here’s the sample list for one song, "Friday Night:"
