Filtering by Category: Festival
Live Recap: The Wombats and Last Dinosaurs at House of Blues
Lollapalooza week kicked off with some pre-fest after shows, including The Wombats and Last Dinosaurs on Tuesday, July 26th at the House of Blues.
Last Dinosaurs is an Australian rock band, consisting of Sean Caskey, Lachlan Caskey, Michael Sloane, and Dan Koyama. The band warmed up the crowd for The Wombats, joking that it was fitting because “The Wombats are near and dear as an Australian animal.” Throughout their set, I noticed many fans throughout the venue singing along to songs like “Zoom,” “Apollo,” and “Italo Disco,” which the band introduced by saying “If you have any Italian descent, this one goes out to you.” Last Dinosaurs has a new album coming out November 4th called From Mexico With Love, which you can preorder here.
Next up, The Wombats took the stage to a very packed venue of fans ready to dance and sing along to their entire set. The trio consisting of Matthew “Murph” Murphy, Tord Øverland Knudsen, and Dan Haggis had toured earlier this year in support of their fifth studio album Fix Yourself, Not the World, so it was fitting that their show kicked off with two newer songs from that record— “Flip Me Upside Down” and “This Car Drives All by Itself.” From the get-go, Murph and Knudsen unleashed their infectious energy, bouncing around the stage as they played. Before transitioning to a throwback track “Moving To New York,” Murph told the crowd that he “wished this song was about Chicago,” but nevertheless, the Chicagoans still went wild for the song, making the House of Blues floor literally shake from all their jumping.
The set continued to weave through The Wombats’ expansive catalog, including a few songs from 2015’s Glitterbug. As a preface for “Pink Lemonade,” Murph said “I sing a lot about fruits… lemons… this song is the first one about a lemon tonight. The pink lemon.” The other lemony song is of course “Lemon to a Knife Fight,” which comes from 2018’s Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life. The band’s good humor came through several other times during the show— about half way through, they broke out into an impromptu muzak tangent, which got a loud reaction to the crowd. “That’s very kind of you, you did not need to applaud for that,” the band replied.
The evening truly felt like a much-needed escape from everything going on in the outside world, and Murph further facilitated that release by asking the crowd to raise their hands and give him an “end of the world scream” before the performance of “Tokyo (Vampires and Wolves)” from The Modern Glitch.
The Wombats played their hit “Greek Tragedy” as their “pretend last song” before returning for a 3-song encore that pulled from songs old and new. During the official last song “Turn,” even people in the way back of the venue were dancing with massive smiles on their face. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again— it’s literally impossible to be sad at a Wombats show.
See photos of the evening below, and see where you can catch The Wombats on the road next here.
Live Recap: Pitchfork Festival 2022 Day 3
The third day of Pitchfork Festival took place on Sunday, July 17th, with breezy and cloudy weather conditions to go along with all the chill vibes.
I began my day catching a set from Taja Cheek, AKA L’Rain, and the beginning of her set featured a calming reset for all fest goers. Cheek asked everyone in the audience to take a deep breath and close their eyes, saying, “this is the only time in the history of the world that all us will be together in this space.” It was the perfect reminder to be more present with current experiences, and felt like the Calm app IRL. For the remainder of the set, Cheek’s silky smooth vocals and chill energy kept the vibes going.
Next up, Chicago’s own Kaina took the Green Stage and continued the breezy tones. “I’m from Chicago and this is my first time playing Pitchfork. I’m so emotional to be here,” Kaina told the audience. L’Rain’s set earlier had featured a saxophonist in the band, lending a soulful touch to her music— and the saxophone trend only continued with Kaina’s show. Her band features fellow Chicagoan and multi-instrumentalist Sen Morimoto, who played the sax during Kaina’s Pitchfork debut. The show featured some of Kaina’s newer music from the 2022 album It Was a Home, as well as a few from her 2019 album Next to The Sun. Kaina didn’t let her set end without giving props to her bandmates— “Pitchfork, please give it up for the band, these are my best friends,” she said.
Sunday was the day of the festival where I was least familiar with the artists on the lineup, so it was my day of discovery. One act that I experienced blindly was Sofia Kourtesis. Kourtesis is originally from Lima, Peru, but based in Berlin, Germany and her music captures a perfect blend of her hometown and current base by blending EDM sounds with Lantinx flare. Her set was at 2:45 PM but it felt like we are all in a nightclub in Berlin with the amount of bass and beat building she did in her performance. The crowd was very into her performance, and Kourtesis returned the enthusiasm by saying “We had a very hard time coming here, but to see your faces makes it worth it.”
Next up, I caught a few minutes of Injury Reserve on the Red Stage, and it was another first-time discovery for me. The hip hop group from Tempe, AZ is composed of Ritchie with a T and Parker Corey, and the duo performed their set on a hazy, fog-filled stage.
BADBADNOTGOOD unfortunately had to drop off from the Sunday lineup due to illness, but we got to experience Natural Information Society in their place. I saw the ensemble recently open up for Kurt Vile at Thalia Hall, but they switched it up at Pitchfork Festival by playing one long piece for the entirety of their set. The band set up included brass instruments, woodwinds, and of course— a saxophonist! Sunday’s line up was essentially “more saxophone!” instead of “more cowbell!”
Noname was up next back at the Red Stage, delivering another dose of hometown pride to the festival ground. Noname has played that same stage at Pitchfork Festival before, but this was definitely the most packed I’ve seen the audience. Fans were loudly screaming her lyrics back at her, and it was obvious Noname was very appreciative of the support. Her set also had a guest appearance from rapper The Mind.
After almost a full day of no rain, the clouds eventually opened up and we got a brief shower of downpour that had some fans scattering towards trees and the record fair tents for cover. The rain also caused a short delay for the next sets from Earl Sweatshirt and Tirzah, who played at the Green and Blue Stages respectively. Lots of fans stuck it out and rejoiced when Earl Sweatshirt and his DJ finally took the stage. Earl Sweatshirt kept the chill vibes going, telling the crowd he came out in flip flips. Despite being laidback, he did try to rile up an empty spot in the crowd, but realized there was a huge mud pit that prevented everyone from packing into that section.
Toro y Moi closed out the Red Stage with some funky, electronic-based grooves. The set started out kind of slowed and subdued, but continued to pick up to a point where the whole crowd was dancing along. Setlist highlights included “The Difference” and “Ordinary Pleasure.”
The Blue Stage wrapped up for the entire weekend with a delightful set from Cate Le Bon. Le Bon put on a very polished and serene performance, which included songs like “Pompeii,” the title track of her latest album, and fan favorite “Moderation.” Her band also included a (you guessed it) saxophonist, bringing the daily sax count up yet again.
The Roots closed out the entirety of Pitchfork Fest 2022 with a bang, bringing their feel-good tunes to the Sunday evening audience. Their set was a non-stop medley of dance-inducing grooves— from the performance of “Jungle Boogie” at the start of the set to “Move On Up” at the end, they kept the hits coming. Their set also featured a guest appearance from Hannibal Buress, who had done a DJ set in the new Zelle tent earlier in the weekend.
See the full photo recap of Sunday below, and make sure to revisit the day 1 and day 2 recaps.
Live Recap: 80/35 Festival
Back after a two-year pandemic-induced hiatus, Greater Des Moines Music Coalition’s annual 80/35 Festival (named for interstates I-80 and I-35) returned to Western Gateway Park in “downtown-ish” (as one festival tee-shirt put it) Des Moines for two days on Friday, July 8th and Saturday July 9th. The festival, which includes numerous free stages for local and smaller acts sponsored as well as a larger ticketed headliner stage sponsored by Hy-Vee, is a non-profit festival which is 100% volunteer run committed to strengthening the live music scene in greater Des Moines.
The diverse line-up began on Friday afternoon with Guided by Voices taking the Hy-Vee stage first and getting the sun-drenched crowd roaring to life which powered through the hour set. The stage, with a viewing area split down the middle between general and VIP admission sections, filled up as GBV presented “21 of their over 1,600” songs, as Robert Pollard pointed out between numbers. Next up was Japanese Breakfast, who thundered onto the stage with a gong which prominently features on their Jubilee track “Paprika.” The tempo continued with the energetic “Be Sweet” and the summer dreamy and breezy “Kokomo, IN” rounding out the first three tracks on the LP before bringing in earlier favorites from the discography all performed while bathed in the hues of a gorgeous Iowa golden hour.
As evening turned to night, Father John Misty took the stage with his band for one of their first North American tour dates in support of the new album, Chloe and the Next 20th Century. Several songs from the new “obsolete Jazz” album (Tillman’s own words) were played along with favorites across the catalogue by Tillman’s 12-member band which sprawled out comfortably across the stage. Tillman and company seemed confident with the new material and in wonderful spirits with a buoyant energy that never eased up across the 19 tracks presented, closing out the night with a spectacular rendition of “I Love You, Honeybear,” which saw Josh Tillman maneuvering his way into and throughout the crowd.
Saturday, which started earlier (and hotter) than Friday, featured a full schedule of local and touring bands stretched across several city blocks that surrounded the main grounds. Among the street vendors, beer tents and food trucks that scattered the avenues, the sounds from the un-ticketed acts served as breadcrumbs to festival gems with not only the sounds of their music but also that of audience reactions. These tempting echoes, cascading down streets, between buildings and around blocks, worked to pull in and reward those that decided to venture away from the main stage and ticketed grounds. There, discoveries abounded, such as the post-punk Brooklyn-based quintet Geese and the Sydney and Melbourne-based dance pop group, Haiku Hands, which both commanded the attention of those present at the Kum & Go stage. Several blocks away, at the Local 5 Emerging Artist stage, Kelsie James (singer songwriter from Des Moines) pulled in an amble crowd of admirers with her tender and sturdy songwriting under the late-afternoon sun.
Back on the Hy-Vee Main Stage, 80/35 favorites Envy Corps fired up the afternoon crowd for the Chicago-based Jamila Woods who laid down several tracks from 2017’s HEAVN and 2019’s LEGACY! LEGACY!—including some unreleased music that set perfectly against the sunny, crisp summer afternoon. Following Woods came the bombastic and unstoppable Future Islands which saw Samuel Herring thundering across and on top of the stage in his usual exuberant, characteristic way, as they performed songs from latest LP As Long As You Are which is accepted gladly by a firecracker audience whose feet were often grass as often as their hands were in the air. Topping off the night and entire festival was headliner Charli XCX, bringing 21 songs from across the discography to an excited and buzzing main stage with every demographic of festival goer represented, including plenty of wide-eyed children starstruck watching from their parents’ shoulders, concluding a weekend that they will likely long remember and the greater Des Moines area’s return to live summer festivals.
Live Recap: Pitchfork Festival 2022 Day 2
The second day of this year’s Pitchfork Festival kicked off on Saturday, July 16th. The rainy weather had cleared up, leaving behind a muddy Union Park for the fest’s second day.
When I arrived to the park on Saturday, I immediately noticed that larger crowds had come out for the fest that day—everything from the size of the crowd to the merch lines were larger.
I began my day catching a set from The Linda Lindas on the Green Stage, which was the original slot for Chubby and The Gang before they had to cancel their appearance here. I was sad to miss Chubby, but if anyone was going to fill in, I’d want it to be The Linda Lindas. The group composed of Bela Salazar, Eloise Wong, Lucia de la Garza, and Mila de la Garza has been garnering a huge fan base for their refreshing reboot of Riot Grrrl influences. While playing their set, the band members would often dance over to each other, demonstrating an incredible sense of chemistry and stage presence to go along with their great sound. Their setlist included songs from their album Growing Up, in addition to the track “Monica” from their self-titled EP—which Salazar dedicated to her cat named Monica. The group ended their set with a cover of Bikini Kill’s “Rebel Girl.”
Next up, The Armed began over on the Blue Stage, and this was absolutely the most bonkers, rowdiest show I think I’ve ever seen at Pitchfork. I absolutely loved it. The band is mysterious in the way that they’re a collective hardcore group with rotating, anonymous members, and their performance at Pitchfork included some of the members wearing costumes or face paint. With so many members in the rotation, they all took turns leading the vocals on the microphone, and they often joined fans out in the mosh pit. I’m looking forward to hopefully seeing The Armed back at Pitchfork another year on a bigger stage so they can expand upon their wild spectacle.
Hyd, the stage name of singer and performer Hayden Dunham, took the Red Stage next for a show that was a 180 from The Armed, but spectacular in its own way. Hyd entered the stage on her own, in a dramatic fashion, using movement to accentuate her music. “I have a few songs for you,” she told the audience before performing her single “The Look On Your Face.” If you’re a fan of Caroline Polachek, you should listen to Hyd not only because the two have collaborated together, but because they produce a similar style of music and stage presence. Hyd had a flowery, hazy vibe about her and she glided across the stage through choreographed movement.
Saturday was all about the theatrical choreography because next up, Yeule brought similar vibes back on the Blue Stage. Yeule is the alias for vocalist, songwriter and producer Nat Ćmiel from Singapore. Fans flocked to see Yeule perform, and she did not disappoint and she fluidly moved along to her glitch-pop tracks. As she performed songs from her 2022 album Glitch Princess, Yeule’s stage persona was amplified by her costume and dramatic make up that balanced the delicacy of her ethereal vocals.
Next up, Dry Cleaning brought their effortlessly cool vibes to the Green Stage, performing their mix of experimental rock, spoken word and post punk. For their second song, they brought out a guest saxophone player, and the sax guest seemed to be the theme of the weekend as it kept popping up in different sets. Dry Cleaning mostly performed songs from their 2021 album New Long Leg, but they also included their new single “Don’t Press Me.”
The duo of Mica Tenenbaum and Matthew Lewin, aka Magdalena Bay, brought their synth pop over to the Red Stage. The pair came onstage in coordinated outfits, with Tenenbaum sporting a microphone headset similar to those that Britney Spears and other 90s pop divas wore. I saw Magdalena Bay perform at Lincoln Hall earlier this year and was struck by how intense their fanbase was, and that same energy was present amongst the crowd at their Pitchfork performance. Tenenbaum danced and swirled across the stage during their entire set, as she and the band performed songs from their album Mercurial World.
The night wrapped up with a trio of Indie Darlings, the first being Lucy Dacus over on the Green Stage. Dacus took the stage wearing a brightly-colored outfit featuring rainbow and cloud details, and her fans were some of the most vocal of the entire festival. I could hardly hear Dacus over the sounds of fans shouting along the lyrics to songs like “Hot & Heavy” and “Night Shift.” The last time I had seen Lucy Dacus, she had performed at Thalia Hall, laying on a couch the entire time because of herniated discs, so it was wonderful to see her return to performing in full form. Towards the end of her set, Dacus even treated the festival audience to a cover of the iconic “Believe” by Cher, which was the first time she’s performed this cover live.
Japanese Breakfast closed out the Red Stage for Saturday night, a level up from the last time the band had performed at Pitchfork over on the Blue Stage. Michelle Zauner brought along a stage full of musicians in addition to her regular bandmates, adding depth to her songs with string musicians and a saxophone. The set opened with Zauner banging a gong during “Parprika,” while the rest of the set had her rotating between playing guitar or dancing around the span of the stage. Towards the end of the show, Jeff Tweedy joined Japanese Breakfast as a guest vocalist, singing “Kokomo, IN” from the album Jubilee. The band and Tweedy also performed a cover of Wilco’s “Jesus, Etc…” and Zauner thanked Tweedy by saying “Jeff tweedy is my favorite songwriter of all time.”
The second day of the festival concluded with Mitski, who was welcomed onstage with overwhelming applause. Mitski sauntered onstage to moody lighting framing her graceful movement. Mitski put out her sixth album Laurel Hell earlier this year, and her set featured some of those songs like “Working for the Knife” and “The Only Heartbreaker,” but she also sprinkled in tunes from earlier albums like 2018’s Be the Cowboy and Puberty 2. Mitski’s stage presence was the perfect way to end the theatrical tone of the second day at Pitchfork.
See the full photo recap below, and stay tuned for coverage of the third day of the festival.
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
See the full Pitchfork Festival schedule here, and get ready by listening to the playlist below.
Live Recap: Just Like Heaven Music Festival
Last weekend, ANCHR hit the Just Like Heaven music fest in Los Angeles. Tune in below to hear all about our experience there!
First of all, on the bill was a great and diverse mix of music, from DJ Them Jeans playing the crowd in until Interpol ended the night, the music never took a break! Back to back to back, stage to stage, the music remained uninterrupted over the course of the day.
The fest itself was laid out over Brookside at the Hollywood Bowl; the terrain is smooth and mostly level, with lots grass and easy to get around. Parking was ample and for VIPs it was provided. The main stage, The Orion, had its own dedicated VIP and Clubhouse viewing sections but the stage was high enough if you wanted to be in the GA melee the view was still good, even if it was crowded. The secondary stage, Stardust, was lower but still located with a great sightline no matter where you were, VIP, Clubhouse or GA. The stages were far enough apart that the lights could be seen but the music from the other was just a soft din between sets.
In addition, both stages boasted some of the best video screens and sound I’ve experienced at a festival; like ever. Not a moment or word spoken on either stage was lost to the din of the crowd and the video screens were crisp, clear and tracked the stage action perfectly.
So pretty much no matter where you were, you could see and hear at least one of the stages. And if you weren’t listening you could have been eating—anything. From vegan fare to burgers, everything you could think of were represented in the food tents that flanked most of one side of the set-up. Tables, with sunshades and without, were ample or you could just pick a spot in the grass in the shade. Separate drinks tents were there for the boozy or the bland and the number of locations made it so the lines were never ridiculously long.
Merch tents with festival branded and band branded merch moved like clockwork with at least a couple dozen attendants working the tables. My friend tried to pick up several different T-shirts but sadly they had sold out pretty quick.
Overall, JLH is held in a well laid out, well apportioned space built for the vast crowds to make it feel like it wasn’t vastly crowded.
The Music
The biggest downside to the fest overall was that the stages were run on a tight, efficient schedule that made catching all the acts you wanted to a little tough if they were on opposing stages. For once a delay to start would have been appreciated. If you were at Orion, you would have to cut short one to make it to the next at Stardust in time. Sometimes lag time between acts is actually a good thing, but there was none at JLH. Down to the rotating stage for Orion that meant sometimes as few as five minutes between sets!
Gates opened and as the crowds made their way in there was music from DJs Them Jeans on Orion and Cosmic Kids on Stardust. As the lawns filled up, the first bands of the day took to Orion, where I spent the bulk of my time.
First up were The Cribs, with a short and sweet setlist that included a nod to the 15 year anniversary of “Men’s Needs.” They were a fun and energetic start to the day on the big stage.
Followed up by The Raveonettes, who’s set was a bit more subdued but sounded fantastic. Unfortunately because of the time sets and distances staying at Orion meant missing Geographer and Islands who were loaded up on the Stardust stage— too far away and the band times too close together to make it.
But back at Orion something was brewing and that was The Teaches of Peaches played in full by Peaches in honor of its 22 anniversary. And Peaches outdid even herself on this one! The dancers, the old lady stage persona she was dressed as, and the term is being used loosely, were fabulous. She made multiple costume changes include her black “Thank God for Abortion” one-piece. The crowd loved her and for good reason!
After her set I ducked over to the Stardust stage to catch !!!. Fun, high energy and a great time was had, then it was time to run back to Orion because The Hives were coming up next and well…The Hives tore the place down. So much loud, fun with Howlin' Pelle keeping photogs and security on their toes as he jumped off the stage and made for the barricade or turned and ran down the aisle to the center of GA without missing a beat or a lyric. The crowd was having fun, but so were The Hives.
And just when you think you can’t top something, Franz Ferdinand proved that they, in fact, were up to following someone as impressive as The Hives. They were amazing, including the refreshed line up with new drummer Audrey Tait stepping smoothly into the big shoes behind the kit. Honestly, having seen Franz play multiple times, this show was right on point. They looked, sounded, and felt so alive and fun— the entire crowd was dancing along.
Bloc Party was next on the Orion and probably suffered slightly coming after two of the (IMO) best bands of the day. They sounded good but frankly almost everything after the spin-along energy of Franz and the Hives feels slower, less frantic. I made my way back over to the Stardust to catch Chromeo, who was fun and dancey with a crowd chanting for them as they took the stage.
After Chromeo, it was time to grab some food and take a few minutes out of the sun before heading back to the big stage to catch the end of The Shins who sounded great and the crowd really seemed to love.
Then Modest Mouse took the stage to play a great set including their newest as well as, of course, the crowd favorite “Float On.” Even though the sets from both The Shins and Modest Mouse were not terribly dynamic after some of the acts, the music was solid and entertaining. I was questioning my logic of skipping M.I.A. for Modest Mouse in the end though.
Finally, headliners Interpol took to the stage bathed in a dark array of moody lighting in front of a crowd that had been waiting faithfully for the band. Their sound was great even though they seemed a somewhat dark end to an otherwise bright and amazing day. 14 songs and two encores later, they brought JLH to its inevitable close.
Overall, Just Like Heaven was a well planned and well coordinated festival with ample amenities and a great mix of music.
If you missed the festival, check out the photo gallery below featuring Chromeo, Franz Ferdinand, Peaches, The Hives and more!
Pitchfork Festival 2021: Sunday Recap and Photos
Tomberlin
Singer-songwriter Tomberlin filled in for the opening slot on the Green stage somewhat last minute, when Cassandra Jenkins had to cancel her current tour. Armed with solely a guitar and her voice, Tomberlin was able to captivate the building, early afternoon crowd. The stripped down performance gave everyone a chance to fully soak in and appreciate the thoughtful lyrics.
Between her indie folk songs, Tomberlin delivered funny quips and banter to the audience. As she played, the sky remained clear with a breeze passing through Union Park, and it felt like the perfect way to ease into the final day of the festival.
Special Interest
Special Interest followed Tomberlin on the Red Stage next, completely shaking up the mood and cranking up the volume. Combining moody electronic beats, punk riffs and an intense stage persona, the band from New Orleans put on a show that falls within my top three of the entire weekend.
Fronted by vocalist Alli Logout, Special Interest’s show never lacked in exuberance or action. Logout swung the microphone stand around, made outlandish facial expressions and paced across the entire stage, making the full audience feel connected to the performance. The stark contrast between Special Interest and Tomberlin highlighted the incredible range of artists we’re lucky enough to see at Pitchfork every year. If you get a chance to catch a Special Interest show, don’t miss it.
Caroline Polachek
Caroline Polachek took over the Green Stage later in the afternoon, providing a mesmerizing set filled with eloquent dance moves and a charming presence.
As Polachek sauntered and swayed across the stage, she also showcased a phenomenal vocal range alongside her stage presence. Earlier in the afternoon, Polachek gave an interview to Pitchfork stating that she pulled influence from Celine Dion in her new material, and that inspiration definitely translated to a lot of her vocal inflection during her Pitchfork set.
Polachek’s show delivered it all: production value, a fun and confident attitude, and electric energy from the crowd. The audience seemed especially into the performance of “Bunny is a Rider,” which Polachek released earlier this Summer, and we also got a sneak peek of an unreleased track during her show. Stay tuned for more new music from Caroline Polachek soon.
The Weather Station
The Weather Station performed to an absolutely packed Blue Stage on Sunday afternoon, and if there was an award for best style coordination among band members, they’d differently win it. Led by singer-songwriter Tamara Lindeman, The Weather Station took the stage all donning coordinated outfits in golden earth tones.
Besides being visual stunning, Lindeman also enchanted the audience with her serene vocals. The set opened with the single “I Tried to Wear the World,” a collaboration with Jennifer Castle, before pivoting to many songs from the 2021 album Ignorance, including “Parking Lot” and “Tried to Tell You.” The full band lineup onstage (including a clarinet player) gave a richness and layered texture to the live sound of these songs.
Thundercat
Thundercat gave us another genre-defying set over at the Red Stage later on Sunday evening. The brainchild of musician and songwriter Stephen Lee Bruner, Thundercat has become known for his fun-spirited mix of funk, jazz, r&b and electronic musical stylings.
Thundercat’s performance had a sprightly energy to it, which was reciprocated by the crowd dancing along. We got to experience lots of extended jams and jazzy bass riffs to kick off the set, especially with songs like “Interstellar Love” and “I Love Louis Cole.” The set wrapped up with the hit “Funny Thing” which even had audience members all the way at the back grinning from ear to ear and grooving along. Thundercat’s set was the perfect transition into. the evening of the final day at Pitchfork.
Check out more photos from the last day of Pitchfork below, including Tomberlin, Special Interest, The Weather Station, Caroline Polachek, Oso Oso, Thundercat, Andy Shauf, and Erykah Badu below.
Pitchfork Festival 2021: Saturday Recap and Photos
Saturday afternoon at Pitchfork Festival 2021 began with more incredible performances and beautiful weather. Read up on our highlights from the festival’s second day below, and revisit our favorite moments from the first day here.
Bartees Strange
Bartees Strange is an artist I (very) regretfully had been sleeping on until catching his powerful performance at Pitchfork Festival this year. After playing in other projects, Bartees Strange began as a new solo endeavor for musician Bartees Leon Cox Jr. in 2017. Strange’s music refuses to be pigeonholed into one genre, and instead pulls in slices of rock, jazz, and hip hop. In 2020, he released a diverse debut album called Live Forever, as well as an EP of covers of songs by The National. The festival set included his take on the popular The National song “Lemonworld.”
Bartees Strange played his set with such a sense of conviction, pouring his entire heart and soul into his vocal performance and overall stage presence. I had the chance to see him play a festival after-show on Monday night to a packed crowd at the Empty Bottle, and it felt like we were all witnessing his dreams come true in front our eyes. Strange put on such a polished, yet raw and humble show that it was impossible not to become an instant fan.
Divino Niño
If you read our recommendations on must-see acts at the festival, you’ll know that Divino Niño was already at the top of the list for this weekend. Even though I had high expectations and I’ve seen them many times before, Divino Niño’s Pitchfork set exceeded those expectations by a landslide.
Thanks to the strong chemistry between band members Camilo Medina, Javier Forero, Guillermo Rodriguez-Torres, Pierce Codina, and Justin Vitorri, the group had an unwavering air of confidence and ease surrounding their festival performance on Saturday afternoon. Divino Niño is a project founded on happenstance, as Medina and Forero met as children in Columbia and reconnected in Miami as teenagers, before ultimately beginning to make music together in Chicago during college. From the poise and commanding stage presence that Medina, Forero and their bandmates demonstrated during this show, it truly felt like everything was as it should be during those moments.
With so much turmoil happening in the outside world, Divino Niño’s set provided a much needed escape and a chance to dance away our worries to the sound of their dreamy, psychedelic pop tunes.
Waxahatchee
The soothing escapism continued later on Saturday evening with a stunning set from Waxahatchee, the project of singer-songwriter Katie Crutchfield.
Crutchfield and her bandmates took their places on a stage decked out in roses, in front of a dreamy, cloud-filled backdrop that donned the name of Waxahatchee’s newest album, Saint Cloud.
Waxahatchee is one of those tried and true artists who consistently delivers incredible performances, and their Pitchfork set was no different. Like many artists at the fest, Waxahatchee was performing new songs from their 2020 album to this audience for the first time, so the set relied heavily on Saint Cloud songs, like “Fire” and “Lilacs.” Crutchfield and her band also sprinkled in some older gems from 2017’s Out in the Storm, like the crowd favorite “Recite Remorse.” The show wrapped up with a cover of “Light of a Clear Blue Morning” by the great Dolly Parton.
Ty Segall & Freedom Band
Before Ty Segall and his bandmates began officially playing, they had to wrap up some last minute soundchecks. Even with the minimal and quick riffs they ran through during this final soundcheck, the anticipation and eagerness already palpitated throughout the crowd.
When Segall and the band began shredding through their psychedelic, garage rock songs for the full show, the energy from the crowd became even more electrifying and added to the overall experience. Segall’s extensive catalog of records are great to listen to at home or in the car, but nothing compares to the magnitude of the live show. Throughout the set, we got to hear some newer tunes from the 2021 album Harmonizer amongst other classics like “Squealer” and “Finger” from earlier albums.
Angel Olsen
One of the best aspects of concerts and festivals is the sense of community behind them. While most of those community vibes happen among festival attendees, there’s also the collaborative element between the artists that you can only fully experience in a live setting.
Angel Olsen’s set that took place just after sunset had one of those moments, when Sharon Van Etten made a surprise appearance to join Olsen in performing their 2021 duet “Like I Used To” and close out the set. Prior to the special closing moment, Olsen kept the large crowd hooked with her ethereal vocals and witty stage banter. Before playing her hit “Shut Up Kiss Me,” Olsen joked with the audience that she was going to be trying out a brand new song she and the band had never played before-- which only piled on the excitement from the crowd when they recognized the opening lyrics of the tune.
St Vincent
Saturday night at Pitchfork closed out with a full-blown theatrical production from St. Vincent. The headlining set began with backup dancers and singers gracing the stage in 1970’s disco style garb, with Annie Clark (AKA St. Vincent) making her grand entrance shortly afterwards.
The entire stage setup and groovy costumes of Clark and her band truly felt like a trip back in time, continuing the theme of escapism during the festival’s second day. St. Vincent’s beautiful and charismatic performance of course included songs from the 2021 album Daddy’s Home, but the earlier half of the set called back to a lot of earlier material like “Birth in Reverse” and “New York.”
View more photos of the festival’s second day, including Horsegirl, Bartees Strange, Divino Niño, Amaarae, Waxahatchee, Ty Segall, Kim Gordon, Angel Olsen, Jamila Woods, and St. Vincent below, and stay tuned for Day 3 coverage.
