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Unlike those other, monstrous, multi-day festivals—Lollapalooza, South by Southwest, Coachella, to name a few of the most daunting—the annual Pitchfork Festival is quaintly welcoming, thanks to its manageable size, affordable tickets, and non-extortionist alcohol prices.
Unlike those other, monstrous, multi-day festivals—Lollapalooza, South by Southwest, Coachella, to name a few of the most daunting—the annual Pitchfork Festival is quaintly welcoming, thanks to its manageable size, affordable tickets, and non-extortionist alcohol prices.
Unfortunately, even with two main stages of staggered performances, Aluminum and Connector, and a third, smaller side stage, Balance, housing the newest, most blogged-about acts, pilgrims to Chicago still need to make some inopportune concessions and leaps of aural faith. The following recommendations for this weekend's show are intended for the concertgoer adrift in a sea of bands to see now, either before they're too big, or before they break up. (Acts are followed by their stages.)
Be sure to check back next week for our festival wrap up and behind the scenes photos.
—Nicholas Mosquera
Friday:
The kind Pitchforkers, in association with All Tomorrow's Parties, make it easy on the first day; no choices necessary.
6:30 – Slint perform their Spinderland (Connector)
7:45 – GZA performs Liquid Swords (Aluminum)
9:00 – Sonic Youth perform Daydream Nation (Aluminum)
Saturday:
1:00 – The Twilight Sad (Connector) This Scottish fourtet will remind you of the heady days before Snow Patrol hit the streets.
3:10 – Beach House (Balance) It's tough to tear yourself away from Grizzly Bear, on Aluminum, but this dreamy, ethereal pop is not to be missed.
4:00 – Battles (Connector) Pitchfork all but dubbed them the future of pop music, thanks to their wholesale embrace of technology. Good thing they can play as well as they can; that kind of buzz would dismantle a lesser band.
5:10 – Professor Murder (Balance) In choosing between the already established Iron and Wine, on Aluminum, and the up-and-coming, side with the Professor.
7:15 – Dan Deacon (Balance). The crowds won't follow Clipse from Aluminum, but he will have a hard time keeping up with the rock-friendly dance beats coming from Deacon.
8:00 – Cat Power and Dirty Delta Blues (Connector) You can stay for Yoko if you'd like, but don't be surprised if the crowd thins a bit.
Sunday:
1:00 – Deerhunter (Connector) Don't be put off by the lead singer's emaciated appearance.
4:00 – The Sea and Cake (Connector) Still shoegazing after all these years.
6:00 – Stephen Malkmus (Connector) A god among his fellow acts.
7:15 – The Field (Balance) You might not want to abandon Montreal (Of, that is, on Aluminum), but this Swedish techno-crat is on the forefront of the indie music dance revolution.
8:00 – The New Pornographers (Connector) You'll hear them in the coffee shop and on national television ad campaigns, but these already legendary Canadians deserve every bit of attention they get-including yours.
9:00 – De La Soul (Aluminum). In just two short years, the festival has earned a reputation for bringing bands back from the dead, ie: Os Mutantes. Stick around and you may be surprised – or at least nostalgic.
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