Pitchfork Music Festival 2019: Day 1 in Review
Julia Holter It was still sweltering when Julia Holter began her set at 5:30. Parked at a red keyboard on the blue stage, accompanied by an upright bass, a violin, drums and a trumpet, she laughed off the heat— “This is just some chill music. You guys are fun.” Her music has an odd whimsy, bringing to mind Joanna Newsom, and tunes like set closer “I Shall Love 2” are lush and wandering a la Arcade Fire. Holter wryly slid across her keyboard throughout, leading the band in an emotive and energetic performance— after a swirling finale she picked up her backpack and looked out at the audience, and said, while leaving the stage “Until next time Chicago.” - Matthew Nerber
Soccer Mommy While debuting a new song called “Lucy,” which was recorded this March in Nashville, Soccer Mommy, aka Sophie Allison, said “My mom really likes it. Hopefully you’re like my mom.” Donning a turquoise guitar dolled up with Lisa Frank stickers, Allison and her band delivered a set of hazy, introspective guitar rock under a brilliant blue Chicago sky. All eyeliner and pigtails, Soccer Mommy’s songs hit that sweet spot between teen angst and bittersweet heartbreak— recalling early Mazzy Star. On “Last Girl,” Allison and the band gave a particularly rousing performance, and set closer “Scorpio Rising,” turned out to be the real crowd pleaser, as patches of sweaty festival goers gleefully sang along. - Matthew Nerber
[soliloquy id="55260"] Mavis Staples Legends sets at Pitchfork can be a little odd, especially when the artists are far from their prime. Luckily this wasn't the case with Mavis Staples whose sunset performance was incredible. The set was full of social commentary, giving her songs a punch that the day certainly needed (outside of the poets performing at the Blue Stage of course). Mavis herself looked overjoyed to be performing for a pretty packed audience. She laughed her way through songs, at time letting the deepest of her registers bellow out verses to the glee of the crowd. MAcis Staples is an icon for a reason and she didn;t need to prove it at Pitchfork, but boy are we lucky she did. - Julian RamirezHAIM “You know that thing where bands bring out the stools in the middle of the set and do the acoustic stripped down thing? Well we’ve never done that. So we’re gonna do that,” said Alana Haim, before the group launched into “Go Slow”— with a spotlight trained on the three sisters sitting side by side, HAIM proved, in their first festival headlining gig, that they are the real deal rock and roll band. The California group delivered a dynamic, muscular set filled with surprises— covers of Paula Cole’s “Where Have All the Cowboys Gone” and “I Don’t Want to Wait” (accompanied with video of the Dawson’s Creek opening credits) were simultaneously hilarious and heartwarming. The bands own hits like “I Want You Back” and “My Song 5” were crowd pleasers— and “The Wire,” a perfect example of their dense, rhythmic songwriting became a full blown stadium rocker. HAIM debuted a new song called “Summer Girl,” which recalls Lou Reed’s “Walk on the Wild Side” with a slinking bass line and saxophone accompaniment. To close the set the sisters, each at their own kit, launched into a ferocious drum line— it was a spectacular finale to Pitchfork’s first, jam packed day. - Matthew Nerber