Preview: Pitchfork Music Festival 2009

Chance Dibben

With its combination of old favorites and new flavors, this year’s Pitchfork Music Festival is a decidely eclectic affair. True, the relatively young festival, operated by the premier independent music website, Pitchfork.com, has eccelctism in its DNA. But contrast up-and-comers like 70's rock retrofuturists Japandroids and indie cutie-pies The Pains of Being Pure at Heart with stalwarts like Built to Spill, The Jesus Lizard and festival cricuit favorites The Flaming Lips, who missed this years Wakarusa after nearly becoming that fest’s mascot. What you’ll see is a roster marked by purposeful picks, driven by artists with accesible eccentric personalities and sensibilities.

And while the lineup in total may not match up to previous years (missing are regulars are Animal Collective and Spoon) it seems that this year may offer more intimate and sensual sets, with the brooding pop of Brooklyn’s The National, the chamber folk-pop of Grizzly Bear, and hyper emotion of M83. In fact, just about every group in the lineup are powerhouse performers who can sell wrenching emotion and stadium theatrics without any cheese.

To add an element of interactivity, the Friday lineup (Built to Spill, The Jesus Lizard, Yo La Tengo, and Tortoise [!!!]) have agreed to pefrom setlists as voted by ticket purchasers for Write the Night. Some may see this as a cheap gimmick—as some have cynically seen full album perfomances at other festivals—but I think it is a great way to involve the audience. It will be interesting to see how artists deal with this festival democracy, as it changes the rhythm of a natural band-selected setlist. No matter what though this music fest experiment can only add to the intimacy of the sets, especially when fans hear the song they voted for.

For those in Kansas, the drive to Chicago may seem an arduous eight hours spent on the highway, but, with Wakarusa finished (and no longer in Lawrence) the Pitchfork Music Fesitval is about the closest fairground for exciting alternative music in the area. The Pitchfork Music Festival, will be held July 17-19 in Chicago’s Union Park.

For more information check out

http://www.pitchforkmusicfestival.com/

www.pitchfork.com

Friday’s Lineup

Built to Spill + The Jesus Lizard + Yo La Tengo + Tortoise

As excited as I am for the return of The Jesus Lizard and to finally see Yo La Tengo live, Tortoise will probably own the night. With a fantastic new album plus a worthy back catalouge, these post-rock free jazzmeisters should be able to make an incredibly dynamic and enthralling set. With all four bands having careers that cover decades, Friday might seem like 'old-timers' night, but it is quite a treat to see these indie big brothers.

Saturday's Lineup

The National + Beriut + Doom + Yeasayer + Final Fantasy + The Pains of Being Pure at Heart + F*cked Up + Plants and Animals + Cymbals Eat Guitars + The Black Lips + Matt & Kim + Lindstrom + Wavves + Ponytail + Bowerbirds + The Dutchess and The Duke + The Antlers + Disappears

Can't speak for too many of these bands except that this looks like most, and I hate to say it, "indie" of the three nights. Most bands are now slowly creeping on radar, with the exception of The National, Doom, and Beriut, all who have found much visibility in the music world.

Sunday’s Lineup

The Flaming Lips + Grizzly Bear + M83 + The Walkmen + The Thermals + Pharoahe Monch + Blitzen Trapper + Frightened Rabbbit + The Mae Shi + Black Lips + The Very Best + Mew + Vivian Girls + Japandroids + DJ/Rupture + Women + Killer Whales Dianogh

With heavyweights like The Flamings and Grizzly Bear and the bombastic power pop of the Thermals, the festival is going to end on a rapturous bang. Expect unusual stage theatrics from the likes of Black Lips and The Mae Shi, while DJ/Rupture should provide a more restrained set. But I'm more pumped for The Walkmen; last year's "You & Me" found the New York band in brilliant form.