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Pitchfork Fest Day 3 Highlights

July 17, 2017 / Rachel Zyzda

Another year at Union Park has come and gone, with many standout moments in between Friday afternoon and Sunday night. By the time Sunday rolled around, the crowd at Pitchfork had definitely dwindled down (three days of nonstop music can really get to you), but the performances were still topnotch. If you missed the festival and didn't opt to have Pitchfork couch party with the live streams, here's what you missed at the final day of Pitchfork!

Kilo Kish Got Theatrical

The LA based multi-talented Kilo Kish opened up the festival on Sunday, getting a little theatrical on The Green Stage. As Kish took the stage, it almost felt more like a Broadway musical was about to begin, rather than a festival performance. Kish's work as a visual artist definitely bled through into her performance as a musician. The multi-faceted and dynamic performance also featured dancing from Kish and she remained emotive while singing, which made for a perfectly well-rounded start to Sunday at Pitchfork.

One of the many expressive faces made by Kilo Kish

Danny Pudi Watched NE-HI

Chicago's own NE-HI had quite the draw at The Green Stage despite their early slot at 2:30PM on the last day of the festival. Among the thrones of locals coming out to support their own, actor and comedian Danny Pudi, who is best known for his role on Community, was spotted watching NE-HI's set. Regardless of their audience, NE-HI gave the same energetic performance they always do, with guitarist Michael Wells doing his signature high jumps and lead singer and guitarist Jason Balla throwing himself around the stage as he strummed his guitar. If you missed NE-HI at Pitchfork, catch them in the fall with fellow Chicagoans Whitney.

Vic Mensa and Towkio Crashed Joey Purp's Set

Things got rowdy by 4PM on Sunday when Joey Purp took the stage with the support of his DJ Knox Fortune, Peter CottonTale of The Social Experiment, and a whole lot of bass. The crowd at The Blue Stage immediately went wild, reciting the Chicago based rapper's words back to him. During Purp's set, fellow Chicago rappers Vic Mensa and Towkio made a surprise appearance. Purp's set highlighted the collaborative nature of the Chicago music scene.

Pinegrove Practically Hosted a Singalong

Some music festivals draw people in for the fashion or the non-music activities, but at Pitchfork most of the folks are there simply to enjoy their favorite bands. While devoted music fans staked out to see their favorite artists all weekend, none seemed more dedicated than those that watched the New Jersey natives of Pinegrove perform on Sunday evening. From the instant that lead singer Evan Stephens Hall sang the first note, the audience became a backing choir, loudly singing along to every word in songs like "Old Friends" and "Then Again." Hall fed the energy right back the enthusiastic crowd, giving a passionate performance.

Evan Stephens Hall mirroring the energy of the crowd

Jamila Woods Got Moved To The Main Stage

Another Chicago artist at Pitchfork this year, Jamila Woods got a much deserved stage bump on Sunday evening when her set got moved from The Blue Stage to The Green Stage. Unfortunately, The Avalanches had to cancel at the last minute due to a family emergency, so the poet and singer songwriter filled in for their slot on the main stage. Many fans had camped out all day to see Solange, and they got treated to an elegant and well-rounded performance featuring Wood's silky vocals and her boisterous backup singers. The Chicago music scene is alive and well thanks to talented songwriters like Woods, and we can't wait to see what else 2017 has in store for her.

The festival may be over, but our coverage isn't! Stay tuned for a full photo gallery of the entire weekend, coming tomorrow, and check out our social media for some sneak peeks at photos. Also make sure to checkout our highlights from the first and second day.

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categories / Festival, Gigs, Music, Photos, Reviews
tags / Pitchfork Music Festival, Music Festival, Photography, Review, Kilo Kish, Pinegrove, NE-HI, Joey Purp, Vic Mensa, Towkio, Jamila Woods

Pitchfork Fest Day 1 Highlights

July 15, 2017 / Rachel Zyzda

Pitchfork Festival returned to its rightful place in Union Park yesterday on Friday, July 14th, and so begins one of the best festivals of the summer. Each year, Pitchfork Festival curators do an excellent job of placing some of the best up and coming acts on the Red, Green, and Blue stages at the three day event, but this year they also wrangled in massive headliners LCD Soundsystem, Solange, and A Tribe Called Quest. This year's line up also feels more diverse and wide-reaching with genre, drawing in a large crowd early on Friday afternoon. If you weren't among the masses last night, here's what you missed at P4K Day 1.

Priests Put On A Bright and Bold Performance

Prior to the festival, we compiled seven of our most anticipated acts, and of course it included Washington DC punk band Priests. Although they got stuck with the second performance of the festival at 1:45PM on Friday, a surprisingly large number of festival attendees managed to get out of work and to The Green Stage just in time. Lead singer Katie Alice Greer had the crowd instantly wrapped around her finger with her roaring vocals and magnetic stage presence. In addition to singing back the words of popular Priests songs like "JJ" and "Appropriate," the crowd also went wild when drummer Daniele Daniele multitasked on the drums and vocals during one of the songs. If you missed their wild and captivating performance yesterday, catch them tonight at Schubas! Tickets will still be available at the door, and show starts at 8:45 with Espejos.

Frontwoman Katie Alice Greer in her bright and bold Pitchfork getup

Phil Cook Rocked The Harmonica with Hiss Golden Messenger

Based in Durham, North Carolina, Hiss Golden Messenger is the brainchild of M.C Taylor, but on his records and live performances, you never know who will show up to lend a hand. In fact, on the Facebook page for Hiss Golden Messenger, under band members it just says "M.C Taylor + pals," and on Friday afternoon, Taylor's definitely brought his pals out to play. The collaborative set of folk and alt-country music featured the likes of Ryan Gustafson on guitar, Scott Hirsch on bass, and Phil Cook on the keys. Cook brought some character into the afternoon set, multitasking on the harmonica and keys at one point, which had the crowd going wild.

Vince Staples Promoted #WearOrange

This year, Pitchfork Festival has partnered up with organizations Everytown for Gun Safety and Mothers Against Senseless Killings to promote the campaign Wear Orange, to raise awareness of the senseless gun violence that plagues Chicago. Vince Staples took the stage at 4PM Friday and performed his entire set in front of an orange backdrop with orange stage lights, lending a hand to the campaign. In addition to his powerful backdrop, Staples had the crowd screaming back his lyrics and moving nonstop during his rowdy performance.

Frankie Cosmos Overflowed The Blue Stage

Another act on our list of can't miss performances this weekend, Frankie Cosmos and her band completely overpacked the area in front of The Blue Stage for their 5:15 PM show. As the smallest stage at the festival, The Blue Stage often gets crowded, but folks showed up early to soak in Frankie Cosmos' indie pop narratives, and the band gave it their all during each song. Keyboardist Lauren Martin danced while playing the keys and Frankie Cosmos (Greta Kline) enthusiastically played guitar, at one point dropping to the stage floor to ground all her energy into playing. If you missed their mesmerizing set, catch the band at SPACE in Evanston on September 30th!

Great Kline, AKA Frankie Cosmos playing her heart out

LCD Soundsystem Made It Smell Like Middle-Aged Sprit

Hands down the best set of the day, the seasoned musicians of LCD Soundsystem had the crowd grooving the whole time. Although they've been around for a while, the band still gave an incredibly enthusiastic performance, completely entrancing the audience. Lead singer James Murphy acknowledged their veteran status early on in the set joking "it smells like middle-aged spirit up here." In addition to the high-quality tunes, LCD Soundsystem's performance also featured topnotch production, with trippy effects added to their video projections on the big screen and of course--their trademark disco ball.

That's all for Day 1, but don't forget to follow along on our social media for some real time updates, and check back for day 2 highlights, as well as a photo gallery of the whole weekend!

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categories / Festival, Music, Photos, Reviews
tags / Pitchfork Music Festival, Priests, Frankie Cosmos, Hiss Golden Messenger, Music Festival, Chicago, P4K, Vince Staples, LCD Soundsystem

Post Animal and Co. Rocks the Pants off the Subterranean

July 12, 2017 / Kevin Sterne

“Playing Subterranean has been a long time coming for us,” said bassist and vocalist, Dalton Allison prior to his band, Post Animal, headlining the sold-out Wicker Park venue on Monday, July 10. The show was very much a homecoming for Allison, Jake Hirshland (guitar, keys, vocals), Matt Williams (guitar, vocals), Javi Reyes (guitar, vocals) and Wesley Toledo (drums)— who have been in the wet, sticky center of a summer-length, nationwide tour.

Presented by ANCHR Magazine & KickstandProductions, the 17+ show featured a full bill of five acts all in benefit of the ACLU. Right before Post Animal took stage, evening organizer and ANCHR editor, Rachel Zyzda, announced that the overzealous and very sweaty crowd had helped raise over $4,000.

The night had been slowly building to this celebratory moment. Revivalist pysch jams by Condor & Jaybird and Jude Shuma had the psychedelic-wallpaper-clad crowd bobbing and swaying like a lava lamp. To compliment the music, Olivia Oyamada, Emily Schexnayder and Haley Sumnicht (collaboratively known as EO Lightshow) used colored oils and overhead projectors (the same your teacher used in middle school) to cast drippy light and moving patterns on the stage backdrop. This mix of sound and visuals peaked with The Evening Attraction and Post Animal, each ratcheting the dials on their amps and the body temps of the tightly packed crowd.

The venue’s industrial fans did little to cool an enthusiastic head-banging and crowd-surfing group. By the time Post Animal took stage near 11pm, Subterranean was near bedlam. From the opening, riff-heavy stomper (from yet-to-be-released new album) to their heaviest song—by far—“You Were Not There” it was apparent Post Animal—and the crowd—were hell-bent on rocking out.

“In the last year, we’ve realized we wanted to lean more towards heavy rock and rock and roll,” said guitarist and keyboardist Jake Hirshland. “It’s kind of an identity change for us, not a huge change, but definitely a change in identity over the last year.” The shift is evident in their live show. Having seen the band for Water Activity shows at venues such as Schubas and Double Door, the transformation from swaying psychedelic rock to full on rock and roll is striking—but welcomed. All culminating in a Chicago show with enough energy to power an Edison bulb. Post Animal had the crowd in its hairy paw, with kids crowd surfing and romping into one another like moths to said bulb. Beads of sweat flung in the air as heads bobbed. And I left immediately after the closer—for it was long past my bedtime.

Those outside of Chicago can still catch Post Animal with The Evening Attraction on their current tour.

Can't get enough Post Animal? Check out the video for their latest single "Special Moment" below, and revisit our interview with them here.

Stay tuned for a full photo gallery of the benefit show by Jennifer Machuca

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categories / Reviews, Music, Gigs
tags / Post Animal, The Evening Attraction, Condor & Jaybird, Jude Shuma, Lucille Furs, SubT, ANCHR Presents, Kickstand Productions, ACLU Benefit, Kevin Sterne, Review

PHOTOS: Twin Peaks at Taste of Chicago 7.7.17

July 10, 2017 / Rachel Zyzda

Hometown heroes Twin Peaks played their last show in Chicago on Friday before they head off on a month-long European tour. Although the seated show at Taste of Chicago made for a pretty tame crowd, the band still delivered an energetic performance, supporting headliner Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals. Check out the full gallery of Twin Peaks' performance below!

Chicago, Twin Peaks will be DJing at Culture Collide's Lolla kickoff party with Mac DeMarco. RSVP for the free show here. The band will also be touring with Spoon in the fall and playing Audiotree Festival! Check out all of their tour dates here and listen to their live LP Urbs in Horto below.

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categories / Festival, Gigs, Photos, Music
tags / Twin Peaks, Taste of Chicago, Ben Harper, Music Festival, Chicago bands, Live, Photo Set, Concert Photography

PHOTOS: Dem Yuut and Now, Now at Lincoln Hall 7/7

July 10, 2017 / Rachel Zyzda

Minneapolis based bands DEM YUUT and Now, Now shared the Lincoln Hall stage this past Friday evening to deliver a rare performance on their short cross-country tour. New project DEM YUUT kicked off the evening, bringing their unique and experimental sound to the Chicago venue. Members of DEM YUUT later joined Now, Now for one of their first live shows in three years. Check out the photo gallery of the evening and stay tuned for an interview with DEM YUUT.

Now, Now continues their US tour throughout the week, with shows still left on the east and west coasts. Check out all of the remaining dates and grab tickets here. Now, Now will also return to Illinois for Pygmalion Fest in September. Get ready for their upcoming shows by listening to their newest single, SGL.

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categories / Gigs, Music, Photos
tags / Now Now, DEM YUUT, Lincoln Hall, Photography, Photo Set, Concert Photography, Live Show

PHOTOS: Wolf Alice at Schubas Tavern

July 09, 2017 / Rachel Zyzda

Wolf Alice made their live comeback in Chicago, after taking a hiatus from the road to write and record their new album Visions of a Life. Their intimate set at Schubas Tavern included brand new, live debuts of a few songs from the upcoming album. Check out the photo gallery and the set list from the night!

The Set List

Don't Delete The Kisses
Bros
You're a Germ
Yuk Foo
Lisbon
Planet Hunter
Visions of a Life
Blush
Beautifully Unconventional
Heavenward
Silk
Fluffy
Giant Peach
Moaning Lisa Smile

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categories / Music, Gigs, Photos
tags / Wolf Alice, Live Show, Photography, Concert Photography, Photo Set, Visions Of A Life

PHOTOS: Summerfest July 5th

July 07, 2017 / Christian Heinzel

We headed back to Milwaukee for Summerfest on Wednesday, July 5th. Check out the photo gallery featuring Girl Talk and Felly.

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categories / Festival, Music, Gigs, Photos
tags / Felly, Girl Talk, Summerfest, Music Festival, Photo Gallery, Photography, Concert Photography

7 Must-See Acts To Catch at Pitchfork

July 06, 2017 / Rachel Zyzda

Headliners Solange, A Tribe Called Quest, and LCD Soundsystem close out each night at this year's Pitchfork Music Festival. While we're excited to see these incredible acts who all contribute their own artistry in addition to great music, we're equally as excited to catch these seven non-headlining acts during the annual Pitchfork Fest next week. With so many talented musicians playing over the course of three days, it's hard to narrow down our picks, but these are the acts on the very top our list.

Francis and the Lights

If you couldn't tell from our Eaux Claires highlights, we're big fans of Francis Farewell Starlite and his work. Certain parts of his debut album may be an acquired taste, but once you dive into Farewell, Stalite! it's hard to come up for air from the addictive melodies and Starlite's distinct vocals, which have drawn some comparisons to Peter Gabriel. In recent years, Francis has also collaborated with Kanye, Justin Vernon, and Chance The Rapper. Besides his massive stage presence and smooth dance moves, you may just want to catch Francis's set for the possibility of guest performers. Chance has been showing up during his set at festivals throughout the summer, and at Eaux Claires, Francis invited some of the crowd up onstage to have a dance with him. To make sure you're in on all the fun, catch him Saturday at 5:15 on The Blue Stage.

For Fans Of: Bon Iver, James Blake, Blood Orange

Start With: "See Her Out (Thats Just Life)" and "May I Have This Dance"

NE-HI

It's been a whirlwind of a year for the Chicago four-piece NE-HI...putting out their sophomore album Offers in February (including an exclusive vinyl version at Shuga Records), performing on JBTV, and now playing one of the biggest festivals in their hometown after touring consistently. The group effortlessly encapsulates the vintage, fuzzy rock sound and feel-good melodies that has become such a signature feel of Chicago rock'n'roll music. That sound coupled with their high energy performances makes them a must-see on the final day of Pitchfork. Catch them Sunday at 2:30 on The Green Stage. They'll also be playing a special Pitchfork after show at Lincoln Hall on July 15th. Grab tickets here.

For Fans Of: The Walters, Twin Peaks, White Reaper

Start With: "Stay Young" and "Sisters"

Priests

This post-punk group from Washington, D.C always pushes the limits on their sound, delivering a refreshing and sonically diverse debut album Nothing Feels Natural this past January. Since then, Priests has been perfecting their high energy set while touring relentlessly. Catch them bright and early Friday at 1:45 on The Green Stage. They'll also be performing Saturday, July 15th at Schubas Tavern; grab your tickets here.

For Fans Of: Chastity Belt, Sheer Mag, Bully

Start With: "JJ" and "Appropriate"

Frankie Cosmos

Fronted by Greta Kline, who has adopted the stage name Frankie Cosmos, this outfit from NYC craft dreamy, indie pop tunes perfect for a festival. The upbeat melodies paired with Kline's ethereal vocals on songs from their two albums Zentropy and Next Thing will be sure to get the crowd dancing. Don't miss them on Friday at 5:15 on The Blue Stage. Frankie Cosmos will also be performing alongside Hoops at The Virgin Hotels on Friday evening. Get the scoop on that show here.

Credit: Matthew James-Wilson — Credit: Matthew James-Wilson

For Fans Of: Japanese Breakfast, Alvvays, Diet Cig

Start With: "Young" and "Fool"

Pinegrove

Another east coast group, Pinegrove, has been all over the place this year, touring in support of their 2016 record Cardinal. The album features a raw approach to capturing frontman Evan Stephens Hall's vocals; their sound standing out from other indie rock outfits thanks to their slight country twang. The New Jersey band has also become known for their evolving live lineups consisting of many of their multi-talented bandmates, like Nandi Rose Plunkett, who fronts her own project called Half Waif. Regardless of their set up, their show at Pitchfork is one you won't want to miss. Catch them Sunday at 5:15 on The Blue Stage.

For Fans Of: (Sandy) Alex G, LVL UP, Whitney

Start With: "Old Friends" and "New Friends"

Angel Olsen

The Chicago via St. Louis singer-songwriter Angel Olsen puts a raw and retro spin on her building and often brooding narratives. Her newest album My Woman has received rave reviews from both fans and critics, and Olsen has just announced another tour in the Fall to follow up her current festival run. Her show at Pitchfork will undoubtedly be one of the most captivating performances of the festival. Catch Olsen's performance Saturday at 6:15 on The Green Stage.

Credit: Amanda Marsalis — Credit: Amanda Marsalis

For Fans Of: Mitski, Molly Burch, Big Thief

Start With: "Unfucktheworld" and "Shut Up Kiss Me"

Vagabon

With her soft yet powerful vocals that instantly hook listeners, Lætitia Tamko (aka Vagabon) will be sure to deliver a compelling set at Pitchfork. Although it's only eight tracks long, the New York based multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter takes listeners on a winding sonic journey during her latest album Infinite Words. You can experience these visceral songs by catching Vagabon on Saturday at 1:00 at The Green Stage. Vagabon will also be performing at The Beat Kitchen on July 15th (tickets here) and The Virgin Hotel on July 16th.

For Fans Of: Jay Som, Daughter, Girlpool

Start With: "Fear & Force" and "Cold Apartment"

Check out the entire schedule for Pitchfork Festival here to plan out your entire weekend, and don't forget to check our gig calendar for all of the after shows too! 3 day passes for Pitchfork are still on sale, starting at $175. Grab them here.

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categories / Festival, Music, Gigs
tags / Pitchfork Music Festival, Music Festival, Preview, Angel Olsen, Priests, Vagabon, Francis and the Lights, NE-HI, Frankie Cosmos, Pinegrove

Summerfest Highlights: July 1st

July 03, 2017 / Rachel Zyzda

With so many acts over the course of nearly two weeks, the highlights reel of Summerfest is endless. The festival kicked off June 28th, and headliners range from classics like Paul Simon and Tom Petty to new popstars like The Chainsmokers and Alessia Cara. With over ten stages, those are just the tip of the iceberg.

This past Saturday, we traveled to Milwaukee to get in on some of the fun by checking out the likes of The Naked and Famous and Bleachers. In case you missed it, here are the top three moments of that day, as well as the full photo gallery!

Flint Eastwood Called The Crowd Out

I've only had to privilege of seeing Flint Eastwood perform twice now, but both times, she's blown me away with her endless supply of positive energy. Some performers, especially those at festivals, accept the fact that the whole crowd isn't there to see them, but Jax Anderson (Flint Eastwood's real name) doesn't let anyone use that as excuse to not get involved with the music. "Nobody is too cool for this," Anderson addressed the Milwaukee crowd, encouraging everyone to stand up, put their hands up, and sing the hook of her song "Monster" back to her. "We're going for loud, not pretty," Anderson also told the Summerfest audience, encouraging everyone to give as much energy as possible. By the end of the set, everyone had loosened up and reciprocated the energy that Anderson exudes during every single one of her shows.

MUNA Performed New Songs

The trio MUNA were everywhere last summer, playing major festivals like Lollapalooza and touring with Børns...and it doesn't seem to be slowing down this year. Fronted by Chicagoan Katie Gavin, the now LA-based group also consisting of Josette Maskin and Naomi McPherson are on the road with Bleachers currently, and they will be out with Harry Styles in the fall (no big deal). Despite their insane touring schedule, Gavin introduced two of their songs performed during Summerfest as new ones, called "In My Way" and "Loser." MUNA's debut album just came out in February, so as a big fan of their work, it's pretty exciting to hear there's already new material in the works.

Bleachers Reminisced...and Then Stripped

Shortly before Jack Antonoff's band Bleachers took the stage as headliners on Saturday night, Michelle from FM 1021 (the local alternative station) introduced them, reminding the crowd that Bleachers had played one of their first ever shows at Summefest 2014. Well, Michelle isn't the only one that remembers that performance...about halfway through their set, Antonoff recalled bandmate Mikey taking his sweatshirt off during the 2014 set and the crowd going wild. Mikey proceeded to take off his jacket, getting the same rowdy response this time around. The band also performed new songs from the latest Bleachers album, Gone Now.

Photo gallery of The Naked and Famous, Flint Eastwood, Calum Scott, MUNA, and Bleachers.

Summerfest is still going on through July 9th. Grab tickets and checkout the lineup here.

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categories / Festival, Gigs, Music, Photos, Reviews
tags / Summerfest, Music Festival, Bleachers, Muna, Flint Eastwood, The Naked and Famous, Calum Scott, Live Review, Concert Photography, Photography, Photo Gallery