Tag: bands

No Way to Relax When Dora Jar is Onstage

Posted on | by

CHICAGO | On Tuesday, October 1st, the wonderful, whimsical, and artistically-sound singer/songwriter Dora Jar returned to Chicago at Lincoln Hall just a few months after her main-stage performance at Lollapalooza. This was the third time I have had the pleasure of seeing her perform; the first time opening for The 1975 at Allstate Arena last year, and the second at the Bud Light stage at Lollapalooza, where I was able to meet her post-performance. Even so, this was the first headline show of Jar’s that I have attended, and my expectations were thoroughly exceeded. Artists rarely enter the scene already authentically themselves throughout their entire body of work. Yet, sure of herself and her sound, Jar flourishes standing before hundreds of people.

During this run of shows, Jar’s promotes her debut album, No Way To Relax When You Are On Fire, released a few weeks prior to the tour’s start. The tour’s title “Behind the Curtain,” comes from a song from her debut of the same name. The song’s chorus aptly states “Together behind the curtain / Pull the lever, lighten the burden / I’m ready for anything now,” which she certainly seems to be. By opening with this song, Jar gently eased the crowd into her avant-garde performance style. On stage, she appears somewhat akin to Lorde circa 2014; frolicking about, speaking to the audience like she is on the same level, making strange noises, and garnering crowd participation—which she happily welcomes. At one point she asked the crowd if they were pirates before leading into her fittingly named song “Cannonball,” meant to emulate the feeling of sailing on the sea. “There is a pirate inside of all of you – and this is for … that” she explained before stomping on the stage and strumming a complex guitar melody.

According to the Harvard Crimson, Jar drew inspiration from Cirque du Soleil shows to bring to her stage to life—a clash of lights, visuals, and dance. This vision, paired with her haunting indie-pop sound soared through Lincoln Hall. As she tore through her debut, which made up ten songs on the setlist, she intermittently played through the hits— “Bumblebee,” a single from 2022 that cemented her spot in the alternative pop world, “Opening” and “Quiver” from 2021’s EP, Digital Meadow, and the crowd-dividing “Scab Song” which was what partially persuaded me to be a recurring listener after seeing her perform last year. 

“Scab Song” is a setlist staple of Jar’s, who explained during the show that she can really tell during this particular song “who gets it and who doesn’t.” It specifically features Jar’s habitual ability to pair the physical act of being human and having a body your soul lives in with the natural world we occupy and the existential feelings we grapple with daily. This theme can be spotted in the lyrics of fan-favorite “Lagoon,” the first verse expressing “My heart is a crustacean / Could you come and crack it open?” and title track “No Way To Relax When You Are On Fire.” 

That song, which came near the end of the setlist, marked a high point of the performance. It begins beautifully with dreamy guitar and soft drums that flow effortlessly into her breathy vocal tone. It keeps the same sentiment as mentioned before—her ability to pair humanness with references to nature. “You’re like a landslide taking me with you” in verse two is quintessential Jar lyricism which is both profound and thought out. Her artistry is effortless in both performance and production. On stage, these words poured out of her—with quirky dance moves to match.

She closed with popular tunes “Multiply” and “Puppet” and told us many times over, “Thank you for making it here on a Tuesday!” Throughout Puppet’s runtime, she screamed, thrashed her limbs about, and ended up in a dog pile with her guitarist and bass player. The song winded her and the audience, purely from the collective effervescence experienced in that moment. She blew us kisses and dashed off stage. It was a fanciful one-hour-long affair that left me wondering if I should catch the train to St. Paul to see the next one. Dora Jar is a once-in-a-lifetime artist with a passion for lyricism and the carefree energy of a great pop star. Make sure to listen to her debut album No Way To Relax When You Are On Fire – your ears will appreciate it.

Concert Review: Sunami at Subterranean

Posted on | by

On the night of October 14th, I set out to Subterranean, one of my favorite Chicago venues, to see Sunami, a hardcore band hailing all the way from San Jose, California. The band had played the night before, and I had already heard some stories from friends. They told me that I was “going to get annihilated,” advised me to “take my piercings out,” and told me that the pit would get super violent, and this was an understatement. After hearing all of this from several people, I decided to watch the show from the balcony above in comfort and safety.

The show kicked off with four different openers, all hailing from different parts of the country. Sector, from here in Chicago, performed first. I really enjoyed their set, and especially loved their breakdowns. The pit started off a bit spotty, but with some encouragement from the band, it quickly intensified, with a few wrestling moves thrown in as well.

Enervate, a smaller band from Milwaukee, played next and definitely did not disappoint with their stage presence. Their performance energized the crowd, who headbanged along in a very active pit. They had great crowd involvement as well, frequently sharing the microphone with fans.

The third opener, Torena, came all the way from Oxnard, California, and delivered a great set accompanied with a lot of crowd killing. They hyped up the crowd with amazing breakdowns, shifting from fast-paced sections to slower and heavier riffs.

Hailing from Idaho, the final opener, Ingrown, was my favorite set out of all the openers, featuring echoing guitar riffs, some of the best I’ve heard in a while. They consistently kept the crowd’s energy up and even threw drumsticks into the audience mid songs.

After watching all of the opener’s set’s, I heavily anticipated Sunami’s set, and it did not let me down. The crowd was full of excitement, energy, and enthusiasm following the openers. I loved the vocals, instrumentals, and the energy surging through the venue. With my view from the balcony, I could see what looked like a full on fight in the pit, with plenty of crowd killing as well. Sunami’s performance was phenomenal. Their live set sounded even better than their recorded music, packed with more energy. They brought beautiful riffs, amazing vocals, and powerful drumming to the stage. Loud cheers came from the crowd after each song, bringing even more energy into the pit. 

A standout moment of the show was when they played their most popular song “Weak Die First”. You could really feel the energy in the venue as they kicked off the song with the intro. I loved their performance of this song live with amazing vocals and instrumentation, especially with the growl at the end.

Sunami, along with all of the openers, delivered outstanding performances that I highly recommend to any hardcore fans out there. Sunami is embarking on a six-week tour across the U.S. and, if you get the chance, I highly recommend seeing them live.

Duster Transcends Rock at Thalia Hall

Posted on | by

CHICAGO | I had the pleasure to see Duster live on October 9th, and trust me, pleasure is an understatement. As I waited for the doors to open, I spotted Clay Parton, one of Duster’s guitarists walking by with a plastic bag. He seemed to go unnoticed by everyone in the long line that wrapped around Thalia Hall, or maybe everyone felt like me, too nervous to interrupt his evening stroll.

Duster, notable indie slowcore band from San Jose, California, consists of Clay Parton and Canaan Dove Amber. Currently on the North American leg of their tour, they are joined by Sam Fabela of Nuzzle on bass and Max Edelman of Sour Widows on drums.

After reemerging from their twenty-year hiatus in 2018, Duster did not need to worry about whether or not their older fans remained as they garnered a larger fanbase with younger generations. Expecting to be one of the youngest attendees, the demographics of the audience at the show surprised me. The crowd was full of other twenty-somethings and tweens accompanied by their parents. Everyone seemed visibly excited but still respected the space and kept the energy up during Dirty Art Club’s opening set, dancing to the music as they waited for Duster’s arrival.

As soon as Duster walked onto the stage, the crowd erupted into cheers as they tuned their instruments. Amber briefly acknowledged the crowd before playing “The Twins/Romantica” from their album Stratosphere.

The band’s skill is undeniable. All members seemed to be giving their all, yet looked effortless doing so, especially Max Edelman, who may be the most graceful drummer I’ve ever seen live. My favorite parts of the night were when they played “The Coffin” which is from Parton’s solo project, Eiafuawn, and when Amber took a hit from his vape onstage. Throughout the show, some fans shouted out the usual, “I love you”, and I even heard a “Rock & Roll is back!” met with small smiles from Parton and Amber as they looked at each other and laughed. After almost an hour of the Duster trance, they announced their next song, “Echo, Bravo,” would be their last. After a quick thank you and goodby, the crowd broke out into thunderous screams.

The energy following the show was electric. Leaving the hall, I met a few fans who had lovely things to say about the show. My short conversations with them proved that Duster is a truly beloved band. Memo, a Chicago native, said, “not a single moment felt like it was being dragged, I honestly felt like I was in some sort of trance throughout the show”. I also met Sickly, who took a train from St. Louis to see Duster and thought being here was “kinda freaky” because Duster has been such a huge part of his life, but he never expected to see them live. He also thought that “it was just beautiful to see that they still have the love for what they do, and provided us with that experience.”

As I waited outside after the show, I spotted a man with a very recognizable beard standing by the tour bus about to light a cigarette. It was Clay Parton. Initially hesitant to approach him, I am very glad I decided to walk over. I shook his hand and told him I was also from San Jose, for which he earnestly apologized. He talked a little bit about how he couldn’t have gotten out of the city fast enough before I told him how cool it was that a band like theirs came out of my hometown. He seemed genuinely appreciative, and as we spoke, a line of other fans formed next to me. I thanked him for the conversation and for putting on a great show so he could enjoy the rest of his cigarette.

I was once told by someone from Los Angeles that the people he has met from San Jose are always humble. I thought that was a joke, but after my Duster experience and gratifying conversation with Parton, I see the truth in that statement. Duster put on an otherworldly performance and I feel incredibly lucky to have witnessed one of the best bands of this generation.

Concert Review: Sega Bodega at Metro

Posted on | by

On the freezing night of October 13th, singer, songwriter, producer, and DJ Sega Bodega graced the stage at Metro. Walking into the venue, I expected a laid-back, relaxed performance, but I experienced so much more than that. As a longtime fan of Sega Bodega, I had been eagerly awaiting this show for months, and it did not disappoint. Arriving before doors, I was second in line for the show and secured a spot right at the barricade, giving me an incredible view of the entire performance.

The night started off with Cecile Believe, whose set I had also been greatly anticipating. Familiar with only a few of her songs, I still knew her performance would be great, and I was not let down as she delivered a captivating set. Two tracks in particular stood out: “Blink Twice”, a recent release on her new label ambient tweets (founded by Sega Bodega), and “My Forever”, another recent release on SOPHIE’s newly released posthumous self-titled album.

Before Sega Bodega even played any music, his stunning set design immediately blew me away. He stood at center stage encircled by 360-degree light stands that shifted in synchronized movements with each song. This mesmerizing visual experience complemented his outstanding performance. The set flowed seamlessly, shifting between laid-back, atmospheric tracks and high-energy, sonically intricate, danceable tracks. Sega Bodega opened with some of his more relaxed tracks, including “Adulter8″ and “Elk Skin,” both featuring beautifully layered vocals and lush, layered synthesizers. As these songs played, I resonated deeply with the music, as if it were touching my soul.

As the chill part of his set faded, Sega Bodega got into some of his more energetic tracks, including “Effeminacy” (a personal favorite), “Deer Teeth”, and the stunning closer “Kepko”, which beautifully capped off his performance. As he transitioned into these tracks, the energy and atmosphere of the room shifted from serene to lively with the whole room dancing and shaking their heads along to the music. 

Sega Bodega, along with opener Cecile Believe, were both outstanding performers that I highly recommend seeing live. If you have the chance, be sure to catch either of them on their next tour and you will not be disappointed!

Concert Review: Shabaka’s Meditative Music

Posted on | by

Flowing under red stage lights and in front of a projected art piece, Shabaka, British multi-instrumentalist, jazz-composer and band leader filled the Salt Shed on September 29th with a tranquil atmosphere as part of the Warm Love Cool Dreams music festival in Chicago. 

The multi-genre festival spanned two days. Dedicated to warm, intense music, day one featured musicians like Sextile, a post punk band, and The Jesus Lizard, an American rock band, returning from a performance hiatus since 2018. Shabaka performed on day two of the festival, dedicated to cool, ambient music, headlining with Kelela, a contemporary R&B and electronic musician with angelic vocals, and featuring Sister Nancy, a prominent Jamaican singer. Fusing a plethora of sounds, the festival attracted a wide variety of listeners.

Shabaka’s hour-long set provided a perfect introduction to the diverse sounds of the rest of the night. Along with Charles Overton on the harp and Austin Williamson on the drums, Shabaka graced the audience with a light-hearted stage presence, overtaking us with the vibrations of his instruments.

Matching the spirit of diverse sound imposed by the festival, Shabaka’s eclectic collection of instruments, specifically flutes, define his eccentric music, especially on his latest album, Perceive Its Beauty, Acknowledge Its Grace, which he shared during his set. He introduced the audience to a Mayan drone flute, explaining how the instrument unlocks deeper imaginative capabilities for him due to its under-researched heritage. Shabaka ended his set with the shakuhachi, an ancient Japanese bamboo flute, which he picked up during the 2020 quarantine. Commonly used in Buddhist meditation, the shakuhachi produces a mellow sound, which contributed to the relaxing effect of Shabaka’s music.

The sounds of Shabaka’s flutes enclosed the audience, creating a peaceful crowd of serene smiles and gentle dancing. Melodies echoed through the floor, sending visceral vibrations zipping through the body, instilling bliss throughout the room. Warmed by the stage lighting and Shabaka’s charismatic energy, the set made a wonderful addition to the Warm Love Cool Dreams festival. A prolific creator with imaginative spirit, Shabaka is one to be remembered.

Horse Jumper of Love Show Review

Posted on | by

On Sunday, September 15, 2024, the band Horse Jumper of Love performed live at Lincoln Hall. The show featured music from the opening bands villagerrr and Teethe. All of the bands belonged to either indie rock or slowcore genres, creating a cohesive sound throughout the different sets which the audience seemed to enjoy.

Hailing from Ohio, the first opener, villagerrr, included members Mark Allen Scott, Cam Garshon, Zayn Dweik, Ben Malicoat, and Colton Hamilton. villagerrr performed songs from their albums Tear Your Heart Out and Like Leaves. Their music sounded unique and folky, and their overall performance felt very calm and pleasant. They interacted a lot with the crowd, who seemed to enjoy their performance, and they even brought out a member of Teethe to support them with additional guitar for one song.

The second opener, Teethe, is a Texas-based band made up of the members Boone Patrello, Grahm Robinson, Madeline Dowd, Jordan Garrett, and Kai Wilde. They played songs primarily from their 2020 self-titled debut album, Teethe, with a lo-fi sound. They enhanced their stage presence by cracking jokes and developed great rapport with the audience. Attendees clearly loved the set, dancing despite the slowness of the music and calling for an encore at the end of the set.

Horse Jumper of Love, the headlining band from Massachusetts, includes members Dimitri Giannopoulos, John Margaris, and Jamie Vadala-Doran. They performed songs from their newest slowcore album Disaster Trick, which was amazing to hear live. The lyrics exuded melancholy and longing, contributing to an emotional and moving performance. Though they displayed a more reserved stage presence than the opening bands, the crowd thoroughly enjoyed the performance, expressed by singing along and dancing to the music. Lead singer Giannopoulos thanked the audience for their support in between songs.

Villagerrr, Teethe, and Horse Jumper of Love were all wonderful bands to see live. You can check out their music on streaming services or buy their merch on Bandcamp. Definitely consider catching any of these artists the next time they’re on tour.

Baby’s First Stars – Anastasia Coope at Constellation 

Posted on | by

It’s funny– the moment I was presented with the opportunity to cover a show at Constellation, I immediately jumped at it. I am a musician with an interest in new/experimental musics, so I’ve been told time and time again that Constellation is the place for me. At some point, whenever a person asked me if I’ve been, I just lied and said ‘yes’ to spare myself the theatrics surrounding the fact the I, the king of experimental (according to my non-musician friends), had never even stepped foot in its perimeter. Needless to say, I was beyond ready to change my attendance status from “slacking” to “in the know.” Now, I am a color of letdown, itching for more. 

You walk through a semi-seedy door in a long brick building and enter a dimly lit world dominated by North Side hipsters. When I say everyone in the building had a carabiner on their jeans, I mean everyone had one (myself included). About 15 minutes before showtime, my own keys jingled with each step as I made my way over to the bar where I ordered a house special Moscow Mule. It was awesome, by the way. My dad, who joined me on this excursion, ordered a Manhattan, which he enjoyed. I tried it myself, but I’m not big a fan of whiskey, so I made my obligatory stank face before returning to my summery mule to wash away the dark liquor. 

We took our drinks into the performance hall and sat close to the door facing what we assumed to be the front of the stage. The seats were positioned in rows, raised on lightly inclined risers. It was exactly like that of an old theatre. With a massive, dimly lit stage, it felt as if I was preparing to watch some kind of immersive theatre experience. Given the sheer size of the stage compared to the amount of seating, I was a little shocked when the first performing group, Amaya Peña & their band, took up so little physical space.  

Whenever I am going to experience something that I am unfamiliar with, I like to do so completely blindly. No research before the show begins. Because of this, I had no idea that the music I was going to hear that night was closer to indie rock than the usual experimental jazz realm that I’ve been told Constellation typically lives in. I suppose I was looking so far down the barrel of a jammed gun trying to avoid having expectations that I shot myself in the face with expectations regardless. Amaya Peña was fun and cute, and they seemed charmingly nervous to be up in front of a crowd. The second guitarist and violinist stood out most to me during this set, both adding interesting details to songs I feel like I’ve heard before, despite never actually having heard their music. I am interested to see where they go next as they develop their sound and stage personalities. 

One notable thing that I observed was how quickly the audience thinned out between sets. It was obvious that a larger portion of the room’s visitors were friends of Amaya Peña, but it put a semi-sour taste in my mouth when only about 1/3 of them returned for the second set. Despite trying to not have preconceptions about what I am about to see, I am left to wonder if the next set was something worth missing? Do these disappearing patrons know something I don’t? 

Turns out, no, they do not. Moon Diagrams is an electronic solo project by Moses Archuleta of the band Deerhunter. A small table is positioned in the center of the stage, and the lights turn completely black as a video begins to play on the massive projector screen behind him. One thing about me is that I love multimedia performances. Audio and visual? Sign me up. The videos we saw before us were deeply edited clips of trees and skies, likely shot on an iPhone, though I am not able to say for sure. The music was noisy and granulated, which was a substantial change from the opening act. I liked that I was able to sit back and get lost in the visuals, but I was occasionally brought out of my trance by the change of a song or a menacing rumble in the floor. This set walked the line between ambient, lo-fi, and harsh noise, which I could absolutely appreciate. Part of me wished that I was able to fully lose myself in the sauce, but in the end, I enjoyed the art that was being made right in front of me. 

The final set of the night, Anastasia Coope, utilized another set change and another audience rotation. Some left, some entered for the first time, while others were returning from a long break at the bar. I hate to be so observant, but I do feel that every detail contributes to the experience. The final setup was perhaps the most minimalist of the evening—a single guitar, a microphone, and a MacBook on a small table positioned next to some kind of mixer or effects station. Her voice is a mixture of Joan Baez and Diane Cluck, while haunting your heartstrings with unique songwriting. Anastasia Coope has a stylistic taste for maneuvering her voice around a single guitar chord, while also using singular lines repetitively until you really hear every single word. The lyrics seemed lonely, and I felt like I was the only person in the world able to change that. I was locked in. Sold, Anastasia. Amid my trance, out cries an aspect of the environment that I had forgotten about since my entrance—the dreadful carabiner, absolutely pregnant with keys just begging to be known. In the middle of a song, nonetheless. One person gets up to leave, then at least four more, all with noisy key chains, whispering to each other between steps. Honestly, they all could have waited 45 more seconds until the song was over to make an exit, but I guess choices like this are always made in haste. After the song of the brass/nickel/steel, it took me at least three more songs to get back into the groove. In the end, I really enjoyed what Ms. Coope had to share with us in that room. 

It is remarkable to consider how much goes into a person’s thoughts on a particular experience. How I was feeling earlier in the day, recent life events, how hungry I was, and what I was looking to get out of the evening all played a role in how I developed my opinions on what went down. I am excited to visit Constellation again soon, hopefully to see jazz or something more obscure. I absolutely enjoyed my time on this visit, but subversive expectations seemed to be holding me back. Next time, I will go back with a full stomach and a clear mind, and hopefully all my troubles will wash away. 

The Greeting Committee: Charting Queer Territories

Posted on | by

Formed 10 years ago, The Greeting Committee quickly became popular as a self-identifying indie-rock band. Their popularity is notable for releasing sounds that fuel listeners’ inner (or obvious) queer euphoria. Current members Addie, Pierce, Noah, and Micah and other contributing artists owe their success to personalities on the KRBZ Alternative radio station in Kansas City, Missouri. Since being featured on the radio station, their EP ‘Hands Down’ now has 33 million listens on Spotify alone. Entering The Bottom Lounge venue on July 24th, 2024 was quick as staff led attendees to the opener, Toledo, an indie-rock duo. Daniel and Jordan produced energizing sounds and personality, this made the perfect appetizer for TGC. They often spoke to the crowd and established good vibes and gratitude for their Chicago fanbase. 

The Greeting Committee’s entrance was mesmerizing. It wasn’t until the second or third song when the front rows could no longer see the end of the crowd as the space became packed. The diverse audience energy and band’s ecstatic start to songs was appealing to people of any age. Their hype stage presence can be comparable to bands The Ramones and Foster the People. TGC’s polished transitions and musical versatility added a variety of raw sound as members changed instruments often, allowing each musician to shine individually. TGC’s new album, ‘Everyone’s Gone and I know I’m the Cause’ released June 2024, making this their third studio album and comprised most of the set-list, with special mentions to their single ‘Can I Leave Me Too?’ and a cover of ‘Birds of a Feather’ by Billie Eilish. Each song flawlessly flowed into one another as many ended with the lyrics sung back at the musicians. While crowd and artist conversation was limited due to the amount of back to back jams on their set-list, crowd interaction was not neglected. Founding members, Addie and Pierce, both entered the crowd during different songs which heightened crowd intimacy. The memorable experience of this show was bound to leave attendees feeling glassy-eyed with a smile, as did I.

Thank you to Radio DePaul for this opportunity and the wonderful artists and staff that allowed this to happen.

All photos by Emma Higgins

Pitchfork Music Festival 2024: Saturday Photo Gallery

Posted on | by

All photos by Ariele Palmer

Lifeguard at Pitchfork Music Festival 2024
L’Rain at Pitchfork Music Festival 2024
L’Rain at Pitchfork Music Festival 2024
Kara Jackson at Pitchfork Music Festival 2024
Feeble Little Horse at Pitchfork Music Festival 2024
Jessie Ware at Pitchfork Music Festival
Jessie Ware at Pitchfork Music Festival 2024
Bratmobile at Pitchfork Music Festival
Carly Rae Jepsen at Pitchfork Music Festival 2024
Carly Rae Jepsen at Pitchfork Music Festival 2024
Unwound at Pitchfork Music Festival 2024
Unwound at Pitchfork Music Festival 2024
Jamie xx at Pitchfork Music Festival 2024
Jamie xx at Pitchfork Music Festival 2024

Radio DePaul takes on Pitchfork Music Festival 2024

Posted on | by

Pitchfork Music Festival returned to Chicago’s Union Park in West Loop this past weekend for its 18th year, bringing thousands of music fans together for a weekend of exciting performances. One of Chicago’s most prominent and well respected festivals, Pitchfork Music Festival features a lineup that often spotlights artists that are heavily promoted or praised in Pitchfork’s reviews and articles. The featured artists differ greatly by genre and often may be experimental, independent, and bringing fresh ideas and style to the musical landscape. This year’s headliners included Texas-based neo-soul band Black Pumas, electronic music mastermind Jamie xx, and 90s alt-rock superstar Alanis Morissette. 

Saturday’s lineup in particular highlighted some of Chicago’s best and brightest rising musical stars. Alt-rock three piece Lifeguard played the first set of the day, greeting a sizable, energetic crowd with their signature brand of post-punk meets power pop. Likely the youngest musicians to grace the Pitchfork stages this weekend, the trio pulled off a polished, neat set of tunes, often flowing from one right into the other. Despite being sequestered to a folding chair due to a foot injury, Kai Slater and bandmates Asher Case and Isaac Lowenstein led the crowd in a raucous set, leading to the fest’s first mosh pit of the day. Slater even opted to use one of his crutches as a slide on his guitar during the set.

Lifeguard’s Kai Slater by Ariele Palmer

Another notable Chicago native on Saturday’s lineup was Kara Jackson, whose debut album Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love? was included in Pitchfork’s “Best Albums of 2023.” Jackson was accompanied by a collection of Chicago music’s heavyweights: Sen Morimoto, KAINA, Macie Stewart, and Kurt Shelby. Her performance entranced the Pitchfork audience, displaying one of the unique qualities about Pitchfork as a festival– a festival crowd entirely silent and still while watching an artist. Kara Jackson’s vocal talent truly seems to be a once-in-a-generation type of voice, with such rich tones and emotional weight. Jackson’s set was a highlight of the festival weekend, as well as a testament to the incredible talent that is thriving within the Chicago music scene. 

Kara Jackson by Ariele Palmer

With just three festival stages, Pitchfork Music Festival maintains a lowkey, relaxed environment, allowing for a more casual festival-goer experience. The space between stages gives attendees more space to spread out, sit down, or take a break away from the crowd, which can be difficult at more densely populated festivals like Lollapalooza. Festival sets have little overlap, reducing the stress of running from stage to stage to catch your favorite artists. The festival also features several brand activations, such as Nespresso and Kotex with free products, and vendors within the Renegade Craft Fair and record fair sponsored by CHIRP Radio. Fans could also catch live interviews of their favorite artists at the Visit Austin stage.

Photo by Ariele Palmer

Additionally, the festival’s sound quality and mixing was above and beyond compared to other festivals, where sets can become muddy and vocals can be lost. Despite some sound bleed between stages, the Pitchfork sound crew accomplished quite a feat by delivering top-tier mixing for extremely different genres and dense, layered, and complicated musical compositions.

Some of the festival’s best-attended sets this weekend included queer hyperpop duo 100 gecs, punk/ska showman Jeff Rosenstock, pop princess Carly Rae Jepsen, and feminist punk quartet Mannequin Pussy. British producer & songwriter Jai Paul performed for the first time in Chicago on Friday. Riot grrrl pioneers Bratmobile reunited for their first show in the city in twenty years, along with fellow Olympia, Washington band Unwound, on Saturday. Headliner Jamie xx also had his debut Chicago performance as a solo artist at the festival. 

Jamie xx by Ariele Palmer

With picturesque sunny skies all weekend, Union Park made a great location for the festival, recovering quickly from the tornado that had unexpectedly passed through West Loop earlier in the week. Chicago and its music community look forward to celebrating the immense musical talent that Pitchfork Music Festival brings to the city again in 2025.