Chicago – The final day of a weekend festival is always bittersweet. Even though you are exhausted, you dance and sing as if there’s no tomorrow, fighting off the inevitable: the wave of melancholy that will wash over you when you exit the festival grounds with the masses, calmed only by thoughts of doing it all over again next year. I did just that, and packed in as many new bands as I could into my final day at Pitchfork Music Festival.
I was speeding through the green, running like bat out of – you know what – to catch Speedy Ortiz. Traffic kept me from nearly missing Sadie Dupuis and her indie-grunge project Speedy Ortiz. I ran into a dense crowd and found the Massachusetts band rocking out, transporting fans back to the 90s with “Oxygal,” off their Real Hair EP. Heads were banging and Dupuis’ hair was flying.
I left Speedy Ortiz to catch a little of, DIIV. The New Yorkers’ shoegaze was perfect for festival-goers in need of a lazy Sunday. Blankets covered the grass, while people lay in the sun with their eyes closed, moving to the music. I was all set to get doused in DIIV when a friend of mine insisted that I check out New York band Perfect Pussy, so I rushed back to the other end of the park.
One word: WOW! Perfect Pussy was insane. Even those who were not fans of noise rock could appreciate their punk antics. Singer Meredith Graves and bass guitarist Greg Ambler thrashed around the stage like feral animals. At one point Ambler threw himself to the floor of the stage – while still playing his bass – and Graves stepped on him, before lifting up her skirt for a flash. Fans were just as wild; muddy bare feet could be seen surfing above the hoards of moshing people.
Once those crazy New Yorkers finished, the hardcore crowd quickly dispersed to catch Deafheaven, and a more subdued audience gathered to see the beautiful Dum Dum Girls. The indie-pop divas started a little late due to sound problems, but didn’t hold back once they got going. Dressed all in black, they looked the ladies of The Craft, ready to work their magic on the crowd.
I quickly left the Dum Dum Girls to catch Schoolboy Q at the Green Stage as the lawn was filling up. People looked pumped, which was perfect because once Q took the stage, he demanded that no one stand still. The crowd did as ordered, jumping and dancing to “Gangsta.” Schoolboy Q played old songs like “Blessed My Nigga” and new songs off Oxymoron like “Collard Greens.” The LA rapper had the crowd bouncing his entire set.
As the evening rolled in, Real Estate took to the Red Stage, and the crowd started to look as though the weekend had finally taken its toll. The media tent swelled with members of the press searching for free pizza. All throughout, Real Estate’s dream-pop played like a movie soundtrack.
The crowd found a second wind once Grimes’ electric synth-pop blasted through the baseball field. The Canadian darling looked like a musical nymph, floating behind her keyboards. Her lavender hair blew in every direction as she belted and growled, and the audience danced uncontrollably to “Go.” Toward the end of her set, the popstar-in-the-making threw roses to members of the audience while flashing a smile.
Kendrick Lamar closed out the final night of Pitchfork. Many hoped that Schoolboy Q or some of the other Top Dawg Entertainment performers might join him on stage, but it never happened. Nonetheless, he put on an amazing set.
It was real, Pitchfork. Can’t wait to it all again next year!
All Photos By Sarah Hess - http://www.smhimaging.com/
Sarah Hess
After attending The School of the Art Institute in Chicago, Sarah went on to study education at Dominican University, earning a degree in history. When not teaching, writing, or taking in a show, she is most likely to be found with a camera to her eye or hanging out in a darkroom.
You can follow Sarah Hess on twitter at @Sarahhasanh and view her music photography on her website: smhimaging.com.
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