ten more things about pitchfork

01 Stephen Malkmus‘ performance was really, really good. As has been well-documented (check my 20 Best Pavement Songs Ever list), I am a rabid Pavement fan, and Malk’s (mostly) solo set was tremendous. It was sloppy and rough and all over the place, aka perfection considering the source. Even if ex-Pavement drummer Bob Nastanovich hadn’t come out for a terrible version of “Trigger Cut” that still thrilled and an awesome version of “In the Mouth of a Desert,” this would have still been an A+ gig. “Heaven Is a Truck” was fantastic, he even made me like “Spit on a Stranger,” the closing of “We Dance” was tremendous and the fact that he perversely decidedly to play “Extradition,” one of my favorite Pavement songs but a very herky-jerky one, alone on an acoustic guitar — something that should never be done; song is TOUGH — made it even better. Yay Steve!

02 As great as Malkmus was, I don’t think he could quite top the Battles performance. I’ve been thinking about it ever since. Best band in the world. “Atlas” and “Leyendecker” were both mind-blowing. Add in the fact that Ty Braxton hung out for the rest of the festival, bro-ing down to bands, chilling in the non-VIP VIP area, made them even cooler. I will repeat: best band in the world.

03 The irony that the little keychain flashlights passed out for Yoko Ono’s set that were supposed to be used as show props to call for world peace were instead used as weapons by the audience, who chucked them violently at one another (I caught one in the chest).

04 More good peoples who hung out all weekend at the festival and at after-parties: Thurston Moore (omnipresent), Grizzly Bear (omnipresent), Deerhunter, Brian Case from the Ponys (with wife and child in tow), Girl Talk, Beach House and Mastodon, who not only dorked out around the festival, but who I ran into at a Ukranian Village bar. Bros, all of them.

05 Nomo are really, really good. I had never heard of them before the festival lineup was announced, but they are for-reals awesome Afrobeat… from Ann Arbor, Michigan.

06 Indie rockers cannot play basketball. There was a basketball hoop near the third stage, and there were always dudes out there putting a game together. I don’t want to be casting stones or nothing, but the eMusic Wildcats could have taken them handily. If Wildcats starting point/captain guard Matty K wasn’t waylaid with a bum ankle, I would have suggested he and I take them on. We would have won. Take it from me. Wildcats have pride.

07 Junior Boys were way better live than I thought they would be. I liked their set a lot, even though they forgot to play “Birthday.” Also surprisingly good: Grizzly Bear, Sea and Cake, who were raucous, the Field, who was sublime, and De La Soul, who I thought were left for dead. Not good: Jamie Lidell (hokey hokey hokey), New Pornographers (I have always disliked them), Iron & Wine (zzzzz).

08 The interview between Bradford from Deerhunter and Steven Malkmus is amazing. Priceless, even. Scroll down and read it here. Also from the official Pitchfork wrap-up, big props to P’fork staffer Dave Maher, whose interviews are all fantastic. In particular I like the easy, conversational Battles interview, even if it pains me to see Ian and John admit to being Steelers fans. Just say no to Rofflesburger.

09 Mr. Smiling Joe Keyes, whose live updating throughout the festival should basically be a viral iPhone commercial. Dude was tapping on that thing like it was nothing, and keeping all of you fine folks tuned in at the same time.

10 Next year, you should go. Really. It’s the most relaxing festival experience you will ever have. It is a beautiful time. Pencil it in now. It’s totally worth it.