Filtering by Tag: Ethel Cain
PHOTOS: Lollapalooza 2024 - Saturday Recap
Lollapalooza returned to Grant Park in Chicago for Day 3 on Saturday, August 3rd. The packed lineup drew a mix of music fans of all genres, ranging from local rock bands to K-Pop singers. Check out a photo recap of the festivities featuring Brigitte Calls Me Baby, Briston Maroney, Deftones, Ethel Cain, Friko, Future x Metro Boomin, Hippo Campus, and IVE.
Stay tuned for coverage of Sunday, August 4th.
Live Recap: Pitchfork Festival 2022 Day 1
Pitchfork Music Festival kicked off Friday, July 15th in Union Park, returning to its usual timeslot after a move to September in 2021.
The forecast for Friday predicted rain and cloudy conditions all day, but fortunately no immediate threat of lightning or thunder delays– so the show continued on! Festival-goers donned ponchos and rain boots and rallied to make it through the weather.
ANCHR kicked the day off with singer-songwriter Ethel Cain on the Red Stage, whose moody and mellow music made the perfect soundtrack for the gloomy skies. Cain’s production and stage presence were both very minimal and stripped back, but she still captivated the early crowd with her hypnotizing vocals. As her set continued on, the pace picked up and the set ended with the single “Crush.”
Next up, Spirit of the Beehive took the Green Stage as the audience got a temporary pause from the rain. The band members Zack Schwartz, Rivka Ravede, and Corey Wichlin took the stage to a sweeping soundscape of samples that lended a cinematic quality to their introduction. Their set heavily featured songs from their 2021 album Entertainment, Death, and the band members all played multiple instruments to be able to create the depth and dynamics of their songs.
Houston rapper Monaleo kicked off the music for the Blue Stage next, replacing Tkay Maidza’s spot, who unfortunately had to cancel due to Visa issues. Despite the last minute change, fans still flocked to see Monaleo, who even got a little emotional at the show of support from the crowd. “I had a tough week, but feeling this energy has really shifted my mood,” she told the crowd. Everyone loved her energy, especially during the performance of her single "Beating Down Yo Block,” which went viral on TikTok.
At this point in the afternoon, light rain turned to full on downpour right as Spelling took the Blue Stage around 4PM. Fans still persevered to see her set, but I unfortunately only saw a few minutes of it. Spelling is the musical alias of Tia Cabral, and I had really been looking forward to her performance of her experimental pop tunes. The few minutes I did catch were full of magnetizing energy, and she had a great stage set up featuring back up singers and dancers.
Another set I had been highly anticipating on Friday was Indigo De Souza, but I spent all of her set taking shelter from the downpour, so I unfortunately don’t have any photos from her performance. On the bright side, I did get to hear most of her set and she sounded stunning.
The rain started to slow down, so I trekked back to the Blue Stage for another one of my highly-anticipated bands— Camp Cope. The Australian trio composed of Georgia "Georgia Maq" McDonald, Kelly-Dawn Hellmrich, and Sarah "Thomo" Thompson are self-described “power emo” (according to their Instagram bio), and honestly that description is pretty fitting to their sound. Georgia sings with such a powerful sense of conviction and performs with such an emotive energy, and the front row at Pitchfork Fest matched the band’s enthusiasm by eagerly echoing the lyrics back to them. Some highlights of their setlist included “Running with the Hurricane,” which is the title track from their latest album and a deeper cut called “How to Socialise and Make Friends.”
Camp Cope played at the same time as Tierra Whack, so I unfortunately missed most of Tierra’s set, but I heard that she brought a fan from the front of the crowd onstage to rap with her—which I’m sure made that fan’s entire festival experience.
The rain continued to be touch and go the rest of the evening, but we hit another clear patch just in time for Parquet Courts back at the Green Stage. The New York band has played Pitchfork Festival a few times, and they always draw a big crowd to dance and mosh along with their set. This year’s set from Parquet Courts included some new music, like the 2022 single “Plant Life.”
At the same time, Dawn Richard took the Blue Stage, and brought all the pizazz and persona to the audience, performing in a beautiful, sparkly outfit that coordinated to her backing dancers. Her set featured a rearranged cover of “Don’t Speak” by No Doubt, which the audience loved.
While Spiritualized closed things down on the Red Stage, Amber Mark brought her soulful pop to the Blue Stage to close it down for the night. Amber Mark glided around the stage, performing songs from her debut record Three Dimensions Deep and the crowd intently appreciated the performance.
Finally, the time came for the evening’s headliners The National to perform, and they had the perfect conditions for it. The sky had cleared up, and a subtle breeze passed through Union Park as the largest crowd of the day gathered for the final act. The lead singer of The National Matt Berninger told the audience “we’ve missed you” before the band began the show with “Don't Swallow the Cap” from their 2013 album Trouble Will Find Me. Throughout the day, I witnessed many fans excitedly watching artists they admire perform songs that they love, but nothing compared to the admiration I witnessed from the audience during The National’s set. The same appreciation echoed back from the band too, as Berninger told the crowd “It’s so good to be back here. We missed this park, it’s such a cool vibe” before they performed “Light Years.” The majority of The National’s show ventured through their discography, pulling in songs from albums like High Violet and Sleep Well Beast, in addition to performing new songs like “Tropic Morning News,” which Berninger introduced as one they’ve been trying out. Before the show wrapped up, Berninger left his post on stage and ventured out into the audience to sing along next to the fans, reiterating the strong bond between the band’s fanbase and himself.
See the full photo recap of Day 1 below, and stay tuned for coverage of the rest of the fest all weekend!
Acts To Get There Early For: Pitchfork Festival 2022
Pitchfork Festival returns to its usual slot at Union Park this July, after taking place in September last year. The annual music fest will feature some of our favorite acts as headliners, like The National, Mitski, and The Roots—among other performers like Japanese Breakfast, Toro y Moi, Parquet Courts and Lucy Dacus. As always though, the P4k line up is packed with tons of hidden gems that will put on incredible sets. Tune in below to hear some of the acts of the festival that ANCHR will be showing up early to Union Park to catch.
Friday
Ethel Cain
Photo by Helen Kirbo
Singer songwriter Ethel Cain writes about some harrowing and dark themes, but she has mastered the craft of depicting sadness in her music through such a refined and beautiful lens. Cain delivers these stories with reverberated, ethereal vocals and captivating melodies that make it hard not to become instantly enchanted by the songs “A House in Nebraska,” “Hard Times,” and “Crush”—just to name a few.
Cain grew up in a Southern Baptist family in Florida and sang in the choir, but ultimately left the churn as a teen when she came out to her family as gay. On her twentieth birthday, Cain came out publicly as a transgender woman. Cain nods to her religious upbringing with the title of her debut record Preacher’s Daughter, which was just released in May of 2022. The debut album follows up the EPs Golden Age and Inbred, which Cain released in 2019 and 2021 respectively.
If you’re looking for a festival set that will get you feeling all your feelings, while also sounding absolutely stunning, do not miss Ethel Cain at Pitchfork on Friday.
Start With: “American Teenager,” “Gibson Girl” and “Crush”
For Fans Of: Hatchie, MUNA, Zola Jesus
Where to catch her: 1:45-2:25 pm, Red Stage
SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE
Photo by Peggy Fioretti
Here at ANCHR, we love a good experimental rock band, so naturally, we’re fans of SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE. The Philadelphia-based band has had a history of rotating members, but currently the group is composed of Zack Schwartz, Rivka Ravede, and Corey Wichlin— who all wear multiple hats for the band, contributing everything from vocals, keys, guitar, bass and drums. The shuffling around of band duties likely contributes to the diverse and expansive genre-sphere that the group has created.
The band’s name comes from a 1973 Spanish film with the same title, which is fitting because their sound has a cinematic quality to it. The band describes their song “THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN'T DO” from their 4th album ENTERTAINMENT, DEATH as being one showcases the growth they’ve undergone from their inception to current day. "This song draws on some of the sonic aesthetic of SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE's old records and aligns those sounds with the electronic instrumentation we've been exploring," Wichlin says.
SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE will certainly keep us on our toes during their performance, which makes them a perfect way to kick off the festival on Friday afternoon.
Start With: “There’s Nothing You Can’t Do,” “fell asleep with a vision"" and “Natural Devotion”
For Fans Of: Squid, Dry Cleaning, black midi
Where to catch them: 2:30-3:15 pm, Green Stage
Saturday
Jeff Parker & the New Breed
Photo by Jim Newberry
At ANCHR, we also love a versatile artist, and with Jeff Parker, there’s not much he hasn’t dabbled in. Parker was born in Bridgeport, CT and has been making music since 1991, pushing boundaries with his guitar playing and composing via an array of collaborations. Parker is a member of the band Tortoise, and has also worked with the likes of Andrew Bird, Yo La Tengo, and George Lewis—just to name a few.
There’s a effortlessly breezy tone to Parker’s style, which incorporates everything from jazz to folk to rock to pop. The bio on Parker’s website says his works “explore and exploit the contrary relationships between tradition and technology, improvisation and composition, and the familiar and the abstract” and that truly comes across as you listen through his catalog of music.
Parker also has local ties to Chicago as a founding member of the groups Isotope 217˚ and Chicago Underground. If you’re looking for a festival set that will be equal parts fascinating and soothing, make sure you catch Jeff Parker & the New Breed. We think it will be the perfect way to kick off the second day of the festival.
Start With: “Suffolk,” “Cliche” and “Soul Love”
For Fans Of: Anderson .Paak, Tortoise, Ben LaMar Gay
Where to catch them 1:00-1:40pm, Green Stage
Chubby and the Gang
Photo courtesy of Sonic PR
While Charlie, aka "Chubby,” Manning-Walker of Chubby and the Gang has been involved with different bands in the British scene since 2004, he only formed this variation of an ensemble in 2019. The West London-based group consists of Ethan Stahl, Tom "Razor" Hardwick, Maegan Brooks Mills and Joe McMahon alongside Manning-Walker. The lineup is composed of different members of hardcore punk bands Arms Race, Vile Spirit and Gutter Knife.
Similarly to the bands they came from, Chubby and the Gang’s songs have a classic punk feel to them, full of bright drumbeats and cheeky lyrics—but they also mix in other genres and influences. In the short few years since the group formed, Chubby and the Gang has already released two full-length albums, including their sophomore release The Mutt’s Nuts, which was produced by Jonah Falco of Fucked Up and put out via Partisan Records. Most recently, Chubby and the Gang added an EP to their discography, entitled Labour of Love, and aptly released on Valentine’s Day this year.
I have yet to see the band perform, but I just know they’re going to be great at getting the crowd amped up and ready to take on the second day of Pitchfork Festival.
Start With: “Coming Up Tough,” I Hate The Radio” and “All Along The Uxbridge Road”
For Fans Of: Turnstile, PUP, Fontaines D.C.
Where to catch them: 2:30-3:15pm:, Green Stage
Sunday
L’Rain
ANCHR’s Sunday picks are all about the vibes and escapism. L’Rain is a Brooklyn-based singer and musician who composes experimental and mesmerizing songs— imagine losing yourself in a soundbath in the rain, and that’s kind of what L’Rain’s “Heavy (But Not In Wait)” feels like to me.
L’Rain is the moniker for Taja Cheek, who grew up around family with a music business background— her dad worked in music marketing and promotion and her grandfather owned a jazz club. Cheek’s moniker is also a tribute to her mother, Lorraine C. Porter, who unfortunately passed away before Cheek released her debut album.
L’Rain’s music has such a glossy fluidity to it, and that’s probably in part due to the ballet and dance that Cheek studied while growing up. In addition to dance, Cheek learned to play a multitude of different instruments— including bass, piano and cello. As if that’s not all, Cheek even studied music and American Studies while attending Yale, no big deal.
To date, L’Rain has put out two albums; 2017’s self-titled debut and 2021’s Fatigue. Be sure to attend her set on Sunday and drift away to a mix of L’Rain’s unique musical stylings.
Start With: “Find It,” “Two Face” and “Heavy (But Not In Wait)”
For Fans Of: Circuit des Yeux, Cassandra Jenkins, Animal Collective
Where to catch them 1:45-2:25pm, Red Stage
KAINA
Photo by Dennis Larance
Like I said, the Sunday acts are all about the escapism vibes, and Chicago’s own KAINA has the silky smooth vocals and dreamy tunes to help you drift into your personal oasis at Pitchfork.
KAINA is a first-generation Latina and was born and raised in Chicago, and she does an incredible job of composing her songs so that they fuse together Latin-inspired sounds with Chicago soul and blues. You can hear her influences shine through, yet her sound is something completely unique.
In addition to the Chicago influences that we’ll hear in KAINA’s set, there’s a strong chance we’ll see some other hometown artists joining her onstage at the fest— she’s collaborated with Sen Morimoto, Saba, and Nnamdi just to name a few. I’m also looking forward to hearing songs from KAINA’s sophomore album It Was a Home, which was released this year as a follow up to 2019’s debut Next to The Sun.
There’s a lot going wrong in the world right now, but I have no doubt we can all temporarily sway away our problems while watching KAINA.
Start With: “Golden Mirror,” “Could Be a Curse” and “Apple”
For Fans Of: Jamila Woods, Cuco, Wet
Where to catch her: 2:30-3:15pm, Green Stage