Day Two at Pitchfork Music Festival went off with put a hitch. Not a raindrop in sight and the occasionally clouds blocking the sometimes too hot sun were perks on top of all the amazing bands that performed across al three stages. Saturday this year was for made for dancing and the back to back to back lineup of Jessie Ware, Carly Rae Jepsen and Jamie XX dominated the Green and Red Stages.
Check out our recaps and photos below and don't forget to take a look at our coverage of Day One here and our Day Three coverage here!
Lifeguard
Lifeguard provided the opening set of Day Two with their loud and raucous sound dominating the Green Stage. It's reminiscent of older and heavier aspects of the 90s grunge sound made all their own by their determined and skillful playing. The Matador signed trio of Kai Slater, Isaac Lowenstein, and Asher Case jammed their heats out even as Slater had to perform seated due to an injury. By the way, they're still in their teens. If they're this great now, I can only imagine where they'll be next year, let alone a few years from now.
-Julian Ramirez
Kara Jackson
I've seen Kara Jackson perform countless times of the past year and it's treat every time! Her gorgeous voice and songwriting skills always grab a hold of whatever audience shes playing for and this early afternon set was no different. With her bright pink hair and a band filled with Chicago music staples, Jackson's set made another great reason to show up early to Pitchfork.
- Julian Ramirez
The too tall VIP stands that block the view for a good portion of the audiences at both the Green and Red Stages
They're still there. I'm still not a fan.
- Julian Ramirez
Feeble Little Horse
Feeble Little Horse fronted by singer and bass player Lydia Slocum brought the noisy indie garage rock to the Red stage Saturday afternoon at Pitchfork. She drew in a pretty hefty sized crowd for it still being rather early in the day and her audience seemed to all know a good handful of her tunes. Opening with their popular track “Freak,” the air filled with rowdy and rather raw guitar riffs that got the crowd in just the perfect mood for the day. Feeble Little Horse truly put on an electrifying set that left me and I’m sure many more brand new fans of the band!
- Andrew Lagunas
Sweeping Promises
The vastly animated post-punk band Sweeping Promises made their way onto the Blue stage for the usual 5:15pm set conflict and it was the perfect little getaway from the massive crowds that Saturday produced. Though they are still a relatively newer band; these two made it look and sound flawless. Their hazy and raw sound paired with the charm of their quirky personalities made for an even better set from the duo. Though it felt as if a good majority of the crowd made it out to see De La Soul; those that caught Sweeping Promises were treated to some stunning tunes from their sophomore album which was released last year, Good Living Is Coming For You. It was a treasure to catch them and I am ecstatic to hear what is next from these two.
- Andrew Lagunas
Jessie Ware
The way British singer and songwriter Jessie Ware welcomed Saturday evening was absolutely flawless and everything we wanted and much much more! After almost an entire day of indie rock, folk and hip hop; Jessie Ware brought the funk to Pitchfork’s Green stage. I knew from both the anticipation and the sizable crowd that her set was going to be one of the highlights of Saturday’s lineup as well as the entire weekend! Ware confidently took the stage rocking a fully sequenced garment that caught the late afternoon sunset beautifully, making her look like a human disco ball. She opened with the title track of last year’s album release, That! Feels Good! The crowd was instantly captivated not only by her aura on stage but also from her superb vocals. It was an entire production as she also had backup dancers and singers that had choreographed dance moves for almost the entire set! You could really tell that this was a special moment for Jessie Ware. She has a history with Chicago from the very beginning and she even recognized a handful of fans by NAME in the crowd. Now that is an artist that truly cares and recognizes that fans are the foundation for their success. Her stage presence was probably the most prominent of any act all weekend so far and she even successfully made the entire crowd perform a group dance to her song “Beautiful People.” Jessie Ware’s set has definitely been my favorite set so far this entire weekend and I am overjoyed that I was able to catch her at this year’s Pitchfork festival!
- Andrew Lagunas
Carly Rae Jepsen
On a day full of artists I was hotly anticipating, I think Carly Rae Jepsen was at the very top. With pop masterpiece after masterpiece under her belt, this set was sure to impress and it ended up exceeding my expectations. Touching on every album since Kiss, Jespen had the crowd dancing and jumping along from the set opener "Psychedelic Switch" to the penultimate "The Loneliest Time". And while I'm sure many were waiting for her illustrious hit "Call Me Maybe" and would call it a day, the overwhelming majority of the crowd were there for every bit the Jepsen had to offer. She ended her time with "Cut to the Feeling", leaving everyone swooning over her performance. What damn fine way to cap of the Red Stage on Saturday!
- Julian Ramirez
Jamie XX
It's been nearly a decade since Jamie XX released a full length LP and the anticipation for his forthcoming album In Waves cannot be understated. Though he has collaborated plenty over the last few years; Jamie XX has been long overdue for yet another album release and so far the singles have not disappointed! When word came out that Jamie would be headlining I was absolutely thrilled at the fact! I have been a longtime fan of Jamie XX and all of his work including his production and contributions in his other band, The XX. A lovely evening full of pop closed out with the most ideal DJ set from Jamie. He spared no time and dove right in; opening with his track “Baddy On The Floor.” Jamie used a unique technique for his visuals; using a live footage of the crowd and then distorting and incorporating it into the light show. It made for very interesting visuals and got the crowd even more hyped as they spotted themselves here and there throughout the set. It was a classic DJ set nonetheless with some gorgeous mixing and transitions. XX closed out the night with his latest and greatest single so far, “Life” which features the beloved Robyn. Jamie XX ended the night on such a high note that after his set wrapped up, the crowd was chanting for more before realizing that it had come to an inevitable end.
- Andrew Lagunas