Pitchfork bound!
So tomorrow AM, Joe and I are leaving for Chicago for the three-day incredible-live-music binge that is the Pitchfork Festival. It’s my first time there, and I am pretty amped. We put together a nice little primer hub on this year’s festival, which you should check out here, to get a flavor of these year’s lineup. Skews a little more Big Indie Acts than obscure favorites this year, and there is less rap than I remember seeing in previous years, but there are nonetheless a ton of things to look forward to.
Some of those things for me include: 1) The National, whom I have never seen live before, somehow, despite them playing every other weekend in Brooklyn and NYC around the time of Boxer‘s release; 2)the Pains of Being Pure at Heart, for, well, obvious reasons; 3) Doom, inexplicably, even though it’s just as likely that it will be a Wayans cousin or something behind the mask; 4) Built to Spill, even though I’ve seen them live many times and they tend to be either revelatory or excruciatingly dull, depending on how into it Doug Martsch is feeling that particular night. I’ve also never seen Grizzly Bear perform (didn’t go to SXSW this year, so I didn’t see their eMusic showcase, tho I remember it pretty much sold Yancey on that band completely even tho he had previously been lukewarm.) The Flaming Lips are NEVER a dull live show, so that will undoubtedly be fun.
Who else is going? What are you excited about?
We’ll be doing a few updates from the festival, just to talk about what’s going on, what’s good, what’s fun/silly/ridiculous/terrible. Hope to see some of you there!
Not quite Pitchfork proper, but Mad Fork Fest ( http://bit.ly/DoWj3 ) in Madison, WI (2 hrs. northwest) is a smaller preview of the fest that is FREE and on the water Friday night. Yeasayer, Ponytail, Cymbals Eat Guitars, The Dutchess & The Duke and The Antlers are all playing, and did I already mention, it’s FREE?
I am more excited about this year’s lineup than any previous year, I have to say. Really, really hoping DOOM comes through with a good show — I feel like it could either be awesome, or awesomely awful. Either way, it’ll be an experience.
For me, Jesus Lizard is somewhere near the top of the list. I never got to see them back in the day, and my hopes for their show are idiotically high. Yo La Tengo never fails to satisfy (me, at least), and the National are one of my favorite bands of all time. I’ve seen M83 a few times, and they’ve been both awesome and awful, so that one could go either way.
Who’s all gonna be there? Jayson & I are planning to meet up with flamgirl and p-clark — anyone else around?
“For me, Jesus Lizard is somewhere near the top of the list.”
I don’t get this band’s appeal. At all.
Yep, I’ll be there!! I know flamgirlant is pumped for Plants & Animals and Cymbals Eat Guitars. I’ve still got a boner for Frightened Rabbit, so they’re first on my list, but high up there as well are Pains (the first time I saw them in DC they were friggin’ fantastic), Blitzen Trapper, and Japanther. Also Ponytail (sheer curiousity), Black Lips (from what I’ve heard they’re quite an experience live) and Women (because of Matthew Flegal’s beard). Looking forward to seeing you guys too!
Yup, p-clark is my partner in crime this year. We’re missing Friday but will be there Sat and Sun scoping out the chubby bearded boys and chatting up Joe and Jayson.
My big three are:
Plants & Animals
Man oh man do I love this band. I saw them open for the Born Ruffians in a little room at Union Hall in Madison and thought they were great – can’t wait to see them again. The drummer makes the best drummer faces I’ve ever seen, the singer/guitar player sucks in his bottom lip when he’s playing hard and the bass/keyboardist is a little guy with the thickest French Canadian accent. I just hope they’ll be nice and loud ‘cuz I’m gonna be singing along.
Cymbals Eat Guitars
There is absolutely nothing wrong with early to mid 90′s indie rock regardless of what year the album came out. When I’m in my 60′s and I’m on a bus to Branson, MO or heading to the casino lounge to catch a show, this the kind of stuff I wanna hear. “And the Hazy Sea” is my Song Of The Year (so far) and I hoping for something EPIC to happen when that’s played. I shall report back.
Frightened Rabbit
Of course, FR. I saw them open for Pinback a year or two ago and oh! such heart! These guys just pour everything they have into what they do… it makes you feel like you’ve just shared a lovely secret with them. I always feel like they have this desperate yet eager need to be so incredibly vulnerable and they just trust that you won’t hurt them. Which I wouldn’t. Unless they asked. Nicely.
I’m really hoping for something special from Final Fantasy, The Walkmen, Grizzly Bear and the Bowerbirds. Pains, Yeasayer, Japandroids, Beirut and The Flaming Lips are on my “to-do” list as well.
And I can’t wait to see what my surprise will be this year. Last year it was !!! (I hadn’t ever really paid much attention to them) and Health (WAY harder than anything I’d ever listen to on purpose).
I am really wishing Jesus Lizard was playing at 5 tomorrow night, instead of Tortoise, so I’d feel a bit less rushed about getting to Union Park from Raleigh. But, as it happens, I’ll have to sit for an hour through that one torturous hour-long set in anticipation of… wait a minute… Jesus Lizard is the THIRD set of the night? Someone’s got some seriously messed up priorities, lemme tellya.
The bands I want to see and the bands I wind up having the energy to haul my ass all the way across the park for the thirteenth time are always different lists, but I’m looking forward to everyone but The Jesus Lizard on Friday; Plants and Animals, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Lindstrøm, and the Antlers on Saturday; and Japandroids, Mew, Frightened Rabbit, and The Flaming Lips on Sunday. Look for me there. I’ll be wearing a pimp hat.
Everyone BUT those you listed?? are you channeling DBD and being contrary just for the sake of being contrary?
“For me, Jesus Lizard is somewhere near the top of the list.”
“I don’t get this band’s appeal. At all.”
I saw them as the Opener for Ministry in 1996 and loved there show; then I but the album from that year and vomited at it’s badness. So I guess if you like their albums you’ll fucking love their shows
I’m now going to go cry myself to sleep as once again I’m going to misout on seeing Frightened Rabbit (as well as Pain of Being Pure at Heart who are really starting to grow on me
oh and congrats to Alex for being listed as one of the groups on NPR’s All songs considered best of 2009 so far survey, everyone go and vote (for them or anyone else 
)))
FUCK!!!! ” then I but the album from that year and vomited at it’s badness. So I guess if you like their albums you’ll fucking love their shows ”
should’ve been
I then BOUGHT the album from that year and vomited at it’s badness. So I guess if you like their albums you’ll fucking love their shows
I really wanted to go to this while I was here this summer but logistically it was just not possible. I’m all over seeing Berlin which I think is totally worth it.
However I found out the Veils are going to be playing a smaller venue, as well as Plants and Animals so opted for that instead.
This city is fantastic right now, though, so come on down!
Well, apparently I will be the *only* person excited for the Jesus Lizard tonight!
My grammar is so inexact when I compose on a phone. Please except my humblest apologies, flamgirlant. I will be by the potties during the Jesus Lizard set tonight. See you there?
Won’t be there tonight, but maybe catch you by the potties Sat or Sun?
FWIW I’m ‘Twittering’ the ‘forkfest @wjpurdy.com
Ah, drop the ‘.com.’ stoopid phone. @wjpurdy.