Pitchfork Music Festival is back to its original mid-July dates and was met with an incredible wet welcome. The rain came in right from the get go, possibly knocking out the WIFI and delaying entry to the fest. The rain shifted between gentle mists and near downpours, with rare dry moments in between. It's a far cry from the perfect weather of last year's September festival. Honestly, if the case hadn't been made for a permanent move to September last year, this should do it!
Despite the damp atmosphere and delayed entry, Pitchfork pushed through delivering a nice collection of artists for day 1! Tkay Maidza couldn't make it to the fest and was replaced with Houston native Monaleo; but the rest of the fest remained intact and ready to please the crowd at Union Park!
You can check out our coverage of day two here and day three here!
Arooj Aftab @ Green Stage
The opening spot at festival can be a little tough, but despite having her work cut out for her thanks to the rain and gloomy atmosphere, Arooj Aftab nailed it. A mix of meditative and jazzy sounds, Aftab and her band really grabbed hold of the early crowd with her beautiful voice. It was a nice and gentle start that the day needed.
- Julian Ramirez
SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE @ Green Stage
Spirits were definitely high at the Green stage early Friday afternoon. What better way to start off the evening on day 1 than a lovely and entrancing set from SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE? SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE immediately made themselves at home and jammed out through the patches of drizzling rain. Their catchy yet haunting guitar riffs were perfect for a gloomy day one of Pitchfork. It was absolutely worth arriving early enough and enduring the drizzle for these guys.
- Andrew Lagunas
Monaleo @ Blue Stage
After a quick little ramp up for the crowd from the DJ and Hypeman, Monaleo emerged from backstage bubbly and excited to play Pitchfork. So excited that she actually forgot the first song she was going to perform. After a little conferring with her team she went into "We Not Humping," a raunchy track that had the crowd singing along.
Wiki @ Red Stage
Sometimes you need a dose of straight up New York rap to liven the mood. Wiki came onto the Red Stage on mission, wasting no time as he and his DJ dove into the set with reckless abandon. Wiki's onstage presence is dull of energy as he whips around the stage belting out bar after bar. Donning an Oscar the Grouch shirt that rivaled the faces he was making onstage, Wiki absolutely killed her set. Didn't hurt that he praised Chicago for having the perfect mix of Midwest charm and New York style don't-fuck-with -them attitude.
- Julian Ramirez
Tierra Whack @ Red Stage
Tierra Whack was the ray of sunshine Pitchfork needed as the heavy rain rolled in just before her set. As she emerged on stage, the crowd went wild for her. She rocked the most vibrant outfit of the day; sporting a shirt printed with comic strips, a neon pink skirt, bright blue rain boots as well as her array of whacky accessories, I knew immediately she was going to be a fun set. Whack had no problems getting comfortable with her crowd. She made it seem almost like it was her own intimate show the way she engaged with her exhilarated crowd. Wishing some fans happy birthday and bringing another fan on stage; Whack really knows how to both keep the crowd present AND hyped the entire time. Her short and sweet songs from Whack World made for a plentiful and memorable set.
- Andrew Lagunas
Camp Cope @ Blue Stage
I'm always down for a surprise and Camp Cope delivered that in their late afternoon set. The Australian band had this immediate welcoming aura about them. Couple that with Georgia McDonald's really fun energy and fantastic voice (both in voice and songwriting) and you have one of the more entertaining sets of the day. McDonald's dance moves and general joy at performing really shined during the relatively short set, but with impressive tracks like "How To Socialise & Make Friends" and Jealous really highlighting the band's sound. There were a couple mishaps in the crowd with festival first aid needing to come in and assist, but Camp Cope went with the flow quite well.
- Julian Ramirez
The National @ Green Stage
It's been quite a while since the last US The National show and it was certainly worth the wait. The National are a well oiled band by now and they effortlessly commanded the Green Stage during their set. It's actually a little breathtaking how masterful Matt Berninger looks on stage. Flanked by two steadfast pairs of brothers (Aaron & Bryce Dresser and Bryan & Scott Devendorf), Berninger poured his heart out with 11 songs. The setlist ran wild with tons of fantastic songs, from "Fake Empire" to "Mr.November," grabbing just a little bit from every era of their far reaching history. There were a few notable tracks missing from the setlist, but there were plenty of tracks in the two hour long setlist to keep the crowd satiated. .
- Julian Ramirez
All photos by Julian Ramirez and Andrew Lagunas.