Pitchfork in the Park - Day 1

Pitchfork Day 1 started out how all events should - by us getting lost. Blue, green, pink... the Russian roulette of L trains. Once we lost that game a few times, we settled for a cab ride, and all was well.

Union Park is an strange place to organize a festival, and we discovered the highs and lows very quickly. The pros: fairly small, lots of shade and can't miss any performances. The cons: being in the front at one show means being in the back for the next, and lots of muted sound. So that is basically our take on the dynamics of the day. What about the music you say?

Man Man is the savior of live music, and I'm John the Baptist preaching the word. I'd say that their placement on the bill was 25% of the reason I flew to Chicago, and it was worth every penny. In every interview I've read, Man Man stresses the importance of live shows, and current artists' lack of creativity or care while on stage. They knew we wanted a show, and they delivered - with war paint, feathers and madness.

To tell you the truth, the rest of the day was kind of a blur. We stayed for Band of Horses, Mountain Goats, Destroyer and Art Brut; however, nothing really stood out. I found myself wondering if festivals just don't do it for me, but then I think back to Coachella, and know I will be there next year. I'm not trying to compare Pitchfork's gathering at Union Park with the epic scope of Coachella. I understand what a budget is. I loved the smaller feel, unbelievable ticket price and cheap waters at Pitchfork; yet, the music display just didn't add up for me.

We did get in some great freestyle walking though...

[mp3] Man Man - Zebra
[mp3] Art Brut - My Little Brother (acoustic)
[mp3] Mountain Goats - Baboon