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Live Recap: Turnstile with JPEGMafia and Snail Mail at Aragon Ballroom

Chicago’s Aragon Ballroom hosted a sold out show from Turnstile, JPEGMafia and Snail Mail on Sunday, October 23rd to finish up the weekend.

Snail Mail, the project of singer-songwriter and musician Lindsey Jordan, kicked off the evening bright and early around 6 P.M. At the beginning of their set, Jordan and her bandmates experienced some technical difficulties, but the show must go on—and Jordan proceeded to still give a stellar performance through the challenges. Snail Mail’s performance may have been short and sweet, but Jordan still squeezed in some friendly banter in between songs, including telling the audience about a fever dream she had in which she’s playing a big room and having guitar pedal issues (essentially the exact scenario that was happening in real life). The setlist ranged from featuring songs from the early EP days to tracks like “Heat Wave” and “Pristine” from the 2018 album Lush, as well as newer songs like “Ben Franklin” and the title track from 2021’s Valentine.

Towards the end of Snail Mail’s set, the crowd had grown larger and was beginning to fill in even the outskirts of the room. The larger crowd only amplified the energy for the second act of the night, rapper JPEGMafia. Fans throughout the venue welcomed him to the stage by chanting “Peggy!” and I even spotted a “Peggy for president” sign in the front row. JPEGMafia reciprocated the audience’s tone by bursting onto the stage with flashing, electrifying lighting and launching into his set with the song “Jesus Forgive Me, I Am a Thot.” The energy remained high as he worked through his setlist, typically sharing anecdotes about each song before performing them. Before performing his song “BALD!”, JPEGMafia told the crowd that he looked around the room and saw a bunch of beautiful heads of hair. Another highlight was his cover of the iconic Carly Rae Jepsen song “Call Me Maybe,” which JPEGMafia performed A capella. The audience was also treated to some sneak peeks of unreleased material that JPEGMafia called “previews” to his new music.

Speaking of previews, during JPEGMafia’s set, we got a taste of the rowdy moshing that would take place during the entirety of headliner Turnstile’s set. Turnstile performed on the Aragon stage after playing at the legendary Lollapalooza festival this summer, and the Chicago crowd welcomed them back by chanting “TLC!” ahead of their set starting. The band marked the beginning of their set by playing Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” through the house speakers before diving into their massively popular song “HOLIDAY” from their 2021 album Glow On. From then on, the setlist heavily pulled from that same album, including performances of songs like “BLACKOUT,” “FLY AGAIN,” and “MYSTERY.” I watched the majority of the show from the Aragon balcony, at any given point during the show, the crowd on the main floor remained a spectacle as the sea of people continued to jump around nonstop, despite the rising temperatures in the venue. Vocalist Brendan Yates matched their energy, jumping around the stage and stripping his shirt off after the first couple of songs. By the end of the night, the audience and band had worked up so much momentum that the floor of the venue was literally slick with sweat.

Overall, the evening showcased a dynamic and diverse line up, highlighting indie rock, rap, and hardcore punk music all in one show. See where you can catch the tour next here, and check out the photo recap of the Chicago show below.

Pitchfork 2019 Recap: Sunday, July 21st

Pitchfork Festival’s final day rolled around on Sunday, featuring a lineup packed to the brim with some of my favorite artists to close out the fest. Throughout the weekend, the weather forecast for Sunday had gone back and forth— varying from raining all day to showing clear skies and temperatures in the 70s. When the morning rolled around, it looked like we might have gotten stuck with cooler temperatures and rain—especially when gates were postponed nearly an hour with rain and threats of lightning. However, after the morning and brief early afternoon storm, the gates opened and the rest of the day went smoothly and according to plan.

Sunday’s theme definitely revolved around the camaraderie in the Chicago music scene, with incredible sets from some local artists that featured multiple guest appearances. In addition to the Chicago music community, here are the rest of the day’s highlights.

Morgan Simpson of Black Midi

Morgan Simpson of Black Midi

London’s Black Midi played the Green Stage in the early afternoon, getting the energy ramped up for the day with their experimental hard rock. The festival site by the main stage had flooded with the early morning rain, but despite the puddles, fans watching Black Midi didn’t let some mud get in the way of their fun. The band’s high energy was matched by the crowd, who started a muddy mosh pit early on in the set.


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Next up, Chicago’s Tasha made her much-deserved Pitchfork Festival debut over on the Blue Stage. Tasha’s 2018 album Alone at Last showcases her smooth and soulful indie pop, and her set at Pitchfork provided a tranquil escape for festival attendees. I’ve seen Tasha perform captivating solo sets several times throughout the last year, but her festival set was one of the first times I’ve seen her with a backing band. The addition of the band gave her intimate songs a layered and more full sound. Tasha also treated fans to some brand new, unreleased songs, which she performed solo.





JPEGMAFIA on one of his many trips into the crowd

JPEGMAFIA on one of his many trips into the crowd

One of the best things about music festivals is that you can go in with expectations of what bands you’re seeing and what time, but you’re always given the chance to see a band you’ve never seen perform, or even listened to before. On Sunday of Pitchfork, rapper JPEGMAFIA was that artist for me. I wandered over to JPEGMAFIA’s set with no expectations, having never seen him before, and his stage presence was one that immediately drew me (and everyone else) in. After making his way onstage, it didn’t take long for the performer to become very close with the audience; He began his set giving photographers and people in the crowd hugs ,and shortly after, crowd surfed. Throughout his set, he probably spent more time in the crowd than onstage between all of his surfing and standing on the barricade to dance with the audience. JPEGMAFIA is a performer who demands your attention and puts all their energy into keeping your attention for the duration of the show, and he put on one of the best sets of Pitchfork Weekend.




Lisa-Kaindé and Naomi Diaz of Ibeyi

Lisa-Kaindé and Naomi Diaz of Ibeyi

Ibeyi is a duo of French twin sisters Lisa-Kaindé and Naomi Diaz, and while I’ve listened to them for years, I unfortunately never had the chance to see them perform before their set at Pitchfork. Ibeyi’s performance at the fest was well worth the wait and reinforced how much of a fan I am of their music. They started their set and immediately brought positive vibes and good spirits with their kind energy and smiles, but it was their sisterly harmonies and strong vocals that gave me goosebumps. My favorite part of their set was when they used their music to share their political beliefs, performing their song “No Man Is Big Enough For My Arms,” which samples part of a speech by Michelle Obama.


Laura Lee, Mark Speer, and Donald Ray "DJ" Johnson of Khruangbin

Laura Lee, Mark Speer, and Donald Ray "DJ" Johnson of Khruangbin

Texas trio Khruangbin has also been a favorite of mine to see live, and their set at Pitchfork Festival was no exception. While they’re a band of few words and play a lot of instrumental jams, they were able to capture a large crowd with their entrancing blend of funk, soul, and psychedelic tunes. Khruangbin has an effortlessly cool stage presence, making them the perfect Sunday afternoon act.


Julien Ehrlich of Whitney

Julien Ehrlich of Whitney

Hometown heroes Whitney made their return to Pitchfork Festival, following up their 2016 performance at the fest with a kickoff to their new era. Earlier this summer, the band announced their highly anticipated sophomore album Forever Turned Around would be released August 30th, so naturally their first hometown show in almost a year featured some never before played songs. In addition to the new material, what really made Whitney’s set special was the sense of community—both onstage and offstage. When the band performed their popular tune “Golden Days” from their debut album, they got a little help from their friends, including Pitchfork acts Ric Wilson, Tasha, Chai, Snail Mail, Soccer Mommy, and Lala Lala. The audience also sang and swayed along to all of their old favorites from Light Upon the Lake.





Charli XCX

Charli XCX

Charli XCX was definitely one of the more mainstream artists to play Pitchfork Festival this year. As a pop artist, Charli XCX is an artist whose songs are everywhere— songs that you’ll know 99% of the words to because they’re so catchy they stick with you after only a couple of listens. Despite the larger than life pop anthems that she’s known for, Charli’s stage set up was actually pretty minimal. Two massive yellow cubes acted as a backdrop, and the singer made her entrance onto stage by herself, sans a backing band. Though her setup was simple, her fanbase proved to be mighty; Fans camped out at the Red Stage all day to get a prime spot, they wore pink cowboy hats and held up signs with references to her songs. The dedicated fans helped make the set so powerful— as they danced and sang along, the positive energy radiated throughout the crowd.


Robyn closing out the festival

Robyn closing out the festival

Robyn closed out the whole festival with one of the most fun and cathartic shows I’ve ever seen. Robyn’s set up featured a delicately draped backdrop and backup singers, but at the center of her incredible performance stood her legendary electro-pop songs. Getting to experience the live performance of songs like “Call Your Girlfriend” and “Dancing On My Own” in a huge crowd of both friends and strangers all singing and dancing along was the best way to close out the festival weekend.




Photos of Flasher, Black Midi, Tasha, JPEGMAFIA, Ibeyi, Clairo, Khruangbin, Whitney, Chari XCX, Snail Mail, and Robyn