Pitchfork Music Festival : Show and Photo Recap : Saturday

The rain was pouring as I arrived for the second day of the Pitchfork Music Festival and, for a moment, I thought that the weekend was going to be as miserable as the forecast had predicted. Traffic had already kept me from seeing the first few bands, including Titus Andronicus , who I was rather looking forward to seeing. Luckily, however, Caribou chased away the clouds, saving the day just in time for Fleet Foxes to save the face of music. We did our best to see/photograph everything so, without further ado, here is a recap of Saturday from the eyes and ears of MOKB...

All photos by Dave Donovan Evans, MOKB Staff Photographer. You can see the entire photoset from MOKB's Pitchfork Day Two at his flickr . Les Savy Haircut pictures by John.

Read and see all the Pitchfork Music Festival Day Two adventures AFTER THE JUMP... (it's huge! we had no choice)

Also...check P4K Day One!

Boban i Marko Markovic Orkestar









Titus Andronicus

Titus Andronicus - No Future











Jay Reatard

I arrived poncho-less at what had become a soggy Union Park in time to catch Jay Reatard combat the weather, which had resulted in a relatively small turnout for his performance. Aside from a small group of charismatically devoted fans near the front of the stage, the response was mostly underwhelming, which was a shame given the acclaim I'd previously heard about his performances. It's not that he wasn't trying - Reatard flung himself from one side of the stage to the other, singing like he had an argument to win but, like many bands, some acts are just better suited for clubs and smaller, more intimate venues and he proved to be no exception.

Jay Reatard - An Ugly Death

Caribou

Ah Caribou, the bringers of the sun. They more than impressed me with their show in Bloomington this year and continued to do so this time around. The onslaught of impeccably timed drums, this time from their freshly healed drummer, Brad Weber, mixed with the summery guitar and vocal melodies must have reached the rain clouds with enough beauty to drive them away for good. I left a bit early to get a decent spot for Fleet Foxes, but I was still able to catch their ever-exciting, start-stop drum finale, thanks to the two giant video screens Pitchfork provided.









Icy Demons

Icy Demons - Crittin Down To Babas











Fleet Foxes

One of the few sets I was really looking forward to seeing was that of Fleet Foxes, whose studio releases, I'll admit, didn't immediately capture my attention but have since become two of my favorite releases this year. The crowd quickly grew larger - everyone just as eager to see whether or not the band could sound as harmoniously wonderful live as they do on record. Plain and simple - they owned it. In fact, I'm still going back and forth on whether or not they were the best thing to have happened to this years festival. Stage show-wise...that honor would have to go to the band fronted by a man who performed while wearing a cape. Musically speaking, however, Fleet Foxes could not have sounded better, nor could they have come across as more modest and charming individuals. After a rousing intro of songs that included "Sun Giant" and "Sun It Rises," Singer Robin Pecknold half joked with the crowd, saying, "Thanks to Pitchfork for facilitating our very existence." - to which their drummer, Joshua Tillman, replied, "Might as well get the elephant out of the room." The standout of their set was hearing the band perform my personal favorite of theirs, "Your Protector," but between the full band arrangements and the stripped down acoustic portion, which featured Pecknold all by his lonesome playing a cross between Judee Sill's "Crayon Angels" and the band's own "Oliver James" while living out a self-proclaimed nightmare, there wasn't a dull moment and I cannot wait to see these guys again.

Fleet Foxes - White Winter Hymnal













Fuck Buttons







Vampire Weekend

The masses that had dispersed to see Dizzee Rascal, Fuck Buttons, and The Ruby Suns all seemed to come together to witness what had become one of the festivals biggest attractions, Vampire Weekend. Their record is nice enough for a sunny day and their live show proved to be the same, yet somehow I couldn't help but get a little bored about four songs in. I was anticipating to be captivated much longer than that but, after a not-so-spine-tingling version of "M79," I gave up and made my way over to Elf Power, whose records mean more to me anyway.











Elf Power

Having already seen Elf Power this year at a coffeehouse in North Carolina, I knew better than to expect some highly engaging stage show. I like to think of them as North America's version of The Clientele - the kind of band that writes simple and honest songs that, in a live setting, you can stand comfortably and hum along to while a loved one holds on to your arm. I was alone, sadly, but I did stand comfortably and hummed along and, in my moment of solitude, I was happy as hell.









!!!

I couldn't help but laugh inside every time I overheard someone say, "Are you going to go see exclamation point, exclamation point, exclamation point?" But, in my ongoing attempts of trying not to come across as a heartless music snob, I kept my abbreviated knowledge to myself and journeyed on to the Connector Stage to catch a bit of !!!. I painfully regret not having gotten there sooner so I could have been further into the heart of the crowd, which the band had total control over. The charismatic and flamboyant vocalist, Nic Offer, held back nothing, showing us his naughty side by deep-throating the mic, feeling himself up, and giving a few (un)lucky photographers a peek at the goods. Good times.

!!! - Yadnus









Extra Golden

After catching a bit of The Hold Steady's performance, I headed over to the Balance Stage to get a good spot for Atlas Sound. I arrived to see the end of Extra Golden's set, whom I hadn't really planned on seeing. I can't say I really benefited from having seen it either, but hey, they can't all be winners. They were, however, very talented and, judging by the uh, sticky smell that surrounded me, I'm positive that at least a few people were just loving it.

Extra Golden - Obama

The Hold Steady

The day was slowly winding down but that wasn't about to stop The Hold Steady from doing the same. The band that has arguably picked up where our beloved Guided By Voices left off, The Hold Steady proved Saturday that, unlike Jay Reatard and the Dirty Projectors, they are more than just a bar band. Singer/guitarist Craig Finn was especially full of adrenaline, singing with all his might, backing away from the mic with his trademark "nerd bounce," and rushing the mic for more.















Atlas Sound

Walking on a Pitchfork stage for the second year in a row, though this time sans any feminine attire, Bradford Cox received a warm welcome as he prepared a solo performance under his Atlas Sound alias. Void of his backing band and with a huge grin on his face, Cox set up his electronic trinkets, plugged in an acoustic guitar, and explained to the crowd that he hoped the set would be good, given that it was quickly thrown together in the midst of his time spent building his own studio. The set did sound poorly mapped out and lacked without the aid of the band, but the honesty of the songs came through and I was happy to watch him whimsically fumble along as he played "Quarantined," "River Card," and a couple others I didn't recognize. It was a more intimate experience than I'd planned on seeing and, looking back, I kinda love that. Luckily, that wasn't the last of him we'd be seeing...









Jarvis Cocker

I opted to pass up No Age altogether in order to see as much of Jarvis Cocker as possible. (Though I've tried, No Age is one of the few bands I just can't agree with Pitchfork on.) I hadn't even made it over to the Connector Stage where Cocker was playing but I'd already found myself smiling. What is it about Jarvis Cocker that just makes you feel so damned good? I guess it doesn't hurt that he's witty, hilariously sarcastic, provocative, and impossibly cool. Maybe it's the glasses. Either way, he put on one of my favorite performances of the weekend with a set that didn't include any Pulp tunes, but did include the amazing "Black Magic," which ended with Cocker gyrating on the stage floor. Ending the set with the politically charged, relevant-as-ever tune "Cunts Are Still Running The World," Cocker and company left but quickly returned to the crowds plea for an encore. Different? Sure, but in a good way. Class? He's got plenty.

















No Age









Animal Collective

If someone had told me a few years ago that I would get to see Animal Collective headline a festival, I probably would have flipped out, then passed out from excitement. But the sad truth is, my love for these guys has dwindled, mostly during the time leading up to the release of their latest album, Strawberry Jam . I've seen them live several times and witnessed their ability to blow me away. I was hopeful, but hesitant to believe that, on Saturday night, they could once again make me a believer. I would even say that I respect Animal Collective more than most bands I listen to on a regular basis. Their attempts to be ever-changing, among other things, has resulted in a level of creative unpredictability that is far too rare in music today. So what's not to like, right? Well, I believe a band can push the boundaries too far and, as a result, completely miss the point about what makes a song, or music for that matter, so special. "Chocolate Girl," from the band's "Spirit They've Gone, Spirit They've Vanished," has long been a favorite of mine. Had I not heard Avey Tare sing the words "chocolate girl" on Saturday night, I never would have known what it was. Some bands succeed in this process by switching instruments or changing keys to keep things new and exciting, not only for themselves but for the audience as well. Animal Collective, however, not only uses different colors, but different brushes and easels as well - each time painting their songs on a brand new, unrecognizable canvas. Saturday night, they had the potential and the opportunity to wow hordes of people. Instead, they were upstaged by their own light show, which flickered colorfully throughout a set too short not to include the kinds of hits that bring a mass of festival-goers even closer together.
















Other Visuals: Les Savy Haircuts: