For 14 years in a row, Pitchfork Music Festival has taken over Chicago’s Union Park. From local stars to industry legends, this particular festival isn’t bound by a single genre. Being relatively smaller than neighboring festivals such as Lollapalooza and Riot Fest, Pitchfork gives attendees the opportunity to discover something they may have overlooked otherwise. This year was no different! With 41 artists spread out over the course of 3 days, there was something for everyone.
In a city rich with music history and cultural awareness, Pitchfork makes sure to faithfully represent Chicago.
Great Black Music Ensemble opened Day 1 with a lesson in African American music. Lala Lala took us to clouds with their dreamy vibes. Grapetooth invited us to dance, and Whitney’s endearing feel-good songs warmed our hearts. Ric Wilson’s combination of soul and hip-hop embodies the heart of indie, and what more can be said about Mavis Staples? Chicago is a big city with lots of different scenes and Pitchfork properly showcases them.
With so many artists across 3 stages, it could’ve been easy to miss out on an artist here or there. But unlike bigger fests, Pitchfork managed to schedule each artist with little-to-no serious overlap. On Day 3 I pogoed to the power-pop of Flasher (my favorite set of the weekend) at 1:45 only to experience the Ministry-meets-Liars experimental thrash of Black Midi at 2:30. Similarly was the stark contrast between aggressive theatrics of JPEGMAFIA right before Clairo’s delicate bedroom pop. For the entire weekend, I was running from stage to stage to take it all in.
Even with a manageable schedule and user-friendly layout, Pitchfork Music Festival wasn’t exactly free from turmoil.
Days leading up to the festival, the National Weather Service issued an excessive heat warning for Chicago. With temperatures well above 90 and heat indexes upward 115, Day 1 was less than perfect conditions for a festival. Unfortunately, Sky Ferreira’s long-awaited return to the stage was plagued with sound issues from the start. Ferreira couldn’t hear herself and sometimes we couldn’t hear her. It made for some painfully awkward delays and made me feel sorry for her. She did manage to pull off a few songs, including a wonderful cover of “Voices Carry”. After starting and stopping a new song twice, Ferreira was visibly heartbroken as Earl Sweatshirt’s set began on the neighboring stage. She simply ran out of time. “Anything that could go wrong has gone wrong” she lamented.
On Day 2, Parquet Courts offered a much-needed dose of rock n’ roll only to have their set cut short due to a freak thunderstorm. With lightning and torrential rain pouring down, the festival had to be evacuated and shut down for nearly 2 hours. Taking shelter may have been an inconvenience, but I took the opportunity to network with other journalists while others headed to the many bars in the area. Despite cooling the hellish temperatures, the storm caused Kurt Vile and Amber Mark’s sets to be canceled. But even with bad weather, delays, and evacuation, Pitchfork persevered and no major injuries were reported.
Speaking of perseverance, it all came full circle during the performance of Mavis Staples.
Recently celebrating her 80th birthday, the legendary soul singer’s songs of hope and positivity just felt right. Staples has always been an important figure in social awareness. From her music being the soundtrack to the Civil Rights Movement to marching in protest with Marthin Luther King Jr. Staples didn’t waste this opportunity either. She spoke of positivity in the face of adversity and joked about taking the entire audience with her on tour (but they’d have to pay for their own food). Mavis Staples is a treasure we really don’t deserve but I’m glad she was booked. By all rights, she should’ve been the headliner of Day 1.
Headliners, Haim, Isely Brothers, and Robyn may sound bizarre on paper, but the underlying message of perseverance makes perfect sense.
While not a fan, there was something endearing about Haim headlining a festival. For such a new band, this had to be a big win for them. Haim represented the new whos hard work finally pays off. Closing the festival, Robyn captivated the entire festival with confidence and prowess as if her 10-year break during her prime was merely a weekend. Maintaining relevance isn’t an easy task for a pop star, but Robyn owned the stage in ways most current artists never will. I was skeptical at first, but she proved me wrong.
The Isely Brothers celebrated their legacy with non-stop hits from their 60-year deep history. By utilizing soul, blues, and even Van Halen-esque guitar, The Isely Brothers’ were a cavalcade of innovation. I was surprised to see so many young people genuinely having a good time listening to artists older than their parents. If it weren’t for the Isely’s influence on pop music, we wouldn’t have artists on this lineup like Pusha-T or Charli XCX. Then again, we wouldn’t even have The Beatles!
Booking artists in every genre imaginable for people equally as unique, Pitchfork Music Festival has become the city’s unofficial celebration of diversity.
Regardless of age, race, gender, or what political figures lead you to believe, people are capable of coming together. It was comforting to see so many people from different walks of life, enjoying the common ground. Be it discovering new artists, exploring what’s popular, or paying tribute to legends, Pitchfork Music Festival encourages people to look for common ground. It’s not only one of the most important festivals of the summer, but maybe it’s the festival we need?