Filtering by Category: Gigs
PHOTOS: Osees at Thalia Hall
Last week, Osees returned to Thalia Hall for another two sold out shows on Friday and Saturday night. Check out photos from their Friday show with Mr. Elevator below, and keep an eye on upcoming events from Osees here.
RECAP: Japanese Breakfast at Thalia Hall
Last week, Japanese Breakfast began their two-part residency at Thalia Hall, playing two sold out shows at the Pilsen venue on September 15th and 16th. The shows took place during Japanese Breakfast’s tour in support of the 2021 album Jubilee.
The setlist heavily focused on songs from the new album, but we also got to hear Michelle Zauner and her bandmates expand upon their sound in reimagined favorites like “Everybody Wants To Love You” and “Road Head.” An elaborate backdrop of multi-colored light discs added an additional layer to the show’s production, yet it never overpowered the authentic roots of the performance.
If you missed out on the first run of shows, Japanese Breakfast will be back at Thalia Hall on October 11th and 12th. Check out photos of the September 16th show below, and snag your own copy of Jubilee here.
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.
Pitchfork Festival 2021: Friday Recap and Photos
Pitchfork Festival has come to be one of those weekends that I look forward to all year. It’s a place I can reunite with friends from all over the city, and see live music from artists I’ve come to know and love over the years, as well as discover new favorite artists. Needless to say, the anticipation for Pitchfork Festival 2021 was at an all-time high after the pandemic-caused gap year and the push to September this year, but the wait was well worth it. Music-goers at Union Park over the weekend were graced with a weekend of clear skies and warm (but manageable) temperatures while they soaked in the sounds of more than forty different acts. Read up on the highlights of Friday below, and keep an eye out for further festival coverage coming soon.
Dehd
ANCHR started off our Pitchfork Fest experience this year by catching a homecoming show from trio Dehd, which also acted as the band’s first official performance since their 2020 album Flower of Devotion was released. Throughout the evening, I heard many festival attendees state that Dehd was their favorite set of the day, and for good reason.
Veering away from a traditional band lineup, Dehd delivers an unwavering and boisterous blend of surf rock with post-punk with just three members; Eric McGrady keeps a steady beat on a standing drum set as guitarist Jason Balla and bassist Emily Kempf share a dual vocal duty. The band’s song “Lucky”—which they opened their Pitchfork set with— really showcases the dynamic of Balla and Kempf’s vocal partnership as they belt out the sing-along worthy “sha la la la las” of the song’s chorus together. Dehd’s records have such a fun and freeing attribute to them, but seeing them performed live only amplifies that mood. The set on Friday also included a new tune, so be sure to keep an ear out from new material from Dehd.
Black Midi
If you want a truly unique live music experience, you can always count on the experimental vibes of England’s Black Midi to shake things up. Fronted by vocalist Geordie Greep, the band mixes everything from frantic bass lines, thrashing guitar riffs, avant-garde keyboard melodies and saxophone to create a sound that’s entirely their own.
The band added to their musical performance by carrying out a bright green sofa to the stage, which remained in place throughout their set. Potted plants and rolling wardrobe rack accompanied the couch onstage, lending a theatrical element to their show. The extra effort that Black Midi went through to make their set an experience didn’t go unnoticed or unappreciated by the audience, who returned the energy with a raucous mosh pit.
Kelly Lee Owens
At every music festival, there’s got to be at least one artist you’re discovering for the first time, and Kelly Lee Owens was that act for me on Friday. With a silky swirl of atmospheric, hypnotic electronic melodies and ethereal vocals, Owens’ music provided an entrancing oasis after the chaos of Black Midi’s performance.
Hailing from Wales, and currently based in London, Owens used to write poetry as a child, which now translates into a fluid, poetic nature in her stage presence. While performing tracks from her two full-length records, including 2020’s Inner Song, Owens commanded the entire crowd solely on her own and minimal equipment, accompanying her sound with striking dance moves.
Animal Collective
Animal Collective continued with the quirky and experimental vibes, bringing the Pitchfork Festival goers another opportunity to mirror the high amount of energy bouncing off the stage.
Animal Collective has played Pitchfork Festival in the past, but their expansive catalog of music dating back to the early aughts allows them to curate a unique setlist for their listeners. The creative energy of Avery Tare keeps Animal Collective fans on their toes, especially in a live setting. While the group finished up their late evening set on Friday, Tare threw down some wild and jarring howls at the end of their song “The Purple Bottle,” leaving the stage on a literal high note.
Phoebe Bridgers
The crowd’s energy peaked on Friday night when singer-songwriter Phoebe Bridgers and her bandmates appeared on the Green stage, all donning the headliner’s signature Skeleton onesies.
Bridgers has attracted the attention of many music fans with her vulnerable and witty storytelling abilities that are present across her discography. Phoebe’s become an expert at mixing in humor and honesty with some of her most personal moments, making her lyrics both oddly specific and relatable. Take the lyrics in her hit “Motion Sickness” from her debut album— most fans can relate to the annoyance sparked by an ex-partner that Bridgers describes in the song, but the line “And why do you sing with an English accent?" signifies a very specific call-out of a certain someone(if you know, you know). Bridgers opened the set at Pitchfork with this song, and the crowd singing along almost drowned out her own vocals (pun intended).
From that catapulting start, the remainder of the set leaned heavily towards songs from the 2020 album Punisher, allowing fans to hear most of the songs live for the first time since the record’s release. Bridgers also sprinkled in a performance of the boygenius tune “Me & My Dog” and a cover of Bo Burnham’s “That Funny Feeling” from the acclaimed Inside comedy special. From the laughter to all of the feels, Phoebe Bridgers’ set started the festival off on a great note.
See more photos of the first day below, including Dehd, Hop Along, Black Midi, The Fiery Furnaces, Animal Collective, Kelly Lee Owens, Big Thief, Yaeji, and Phoebe Bridgers.
PHOTOS: JD McPherson and Drive-By Truckers at Out of Space
This past weekend, Out of Space returned to Temperance Beer Co for four nights of music and good times. Check out photos from Friday night’s show with JD McPherson and Drive-By Truckers below, and see what other shows are coming up at SPACE here.
7 Pitchfork Fest 2021 Acts To Get There Early For
After a Summer of no music festivals in 2020, we’re thrilled that we’re getting to experience Pitchfork Festival in 2021. While the fest usually takes place in July, we might actually get a break from the usual sweltering humidity with its move to September this year. Pitchfork is giving us some incredible headliners for 2021—including Phoebe Bridgers, St. Vincent and Erykah Badu— but make sure you don’t snooze on the rest of the line up. To help you out, we’ve compiled our recommendations of must-see acts who are worth getting to Union Park early for next weekend. Grab your tickets here if you haven’t yet, and keep reading on for ANCHR’s top picks below.
Dehd
Photo By Alexa Viscius
We’ve got to start this list off with some hometown heroes; Dehd. Composed of Jason Balla on guitar and vocals, Emily Kempf on bass and vocals, and Eric McGrady on drums, the Chicago trio crafts tunes that are a boisterous blend of post-punk and surf rock. By utilizing both Kempf and Balla’s vocals, Dehd lends a playful and dynamic nature to their music. That dynamic spans across three albums, including 2020’s Flower of Devotion. Dehd’s extensive catalog of songs are sure to have you grooving along to their Pitchfork set.
If you don’t want to take our word on it, The FADER, Pitchfork, Paste, NPR Music, UPROXX, and Vice were all among publications to showcase Flower of Devotion on their best of 2020 lists. Dehd recently announced the 2020 album will be getting a reboot in September, when they’ll be releasing an album full of remixes to the original songs, including Pitchfork Fest alum Lala Lala’s remix of “Desire.”
For Fans Of: Mac DeMarco, Omni, Priests
Start With: “Flood” and “Loner”
Where to catch them: Friday 9/10, at the Green Stage from 2:30 PM – 3:15 PM.
Pitchfork Aftershow on Saturday, 9/11, at The Empty Bottle
Divino Niño
Photo by Alexa Viscius
The list continues on with another Chicago classic. Divino Niño is a five piece rock band based in Chicago composed of Camilo Medina, Javier Forero, Guillermo Rodriguez-Torres, Pierce Codina, and Justin Vitorri. Forero and Medina formed the band in Chicago when they moved here for college, after initially having met in Bogota, Columbia as children and reconnecting later in life in Miami.
Blending together dreamy psych and funk vibes with bilingual lyrics, there are fewer bands better suited for an outdoor music festival than Divino Niño. Their 2019 album Foam flows from bop to bop, so be sure to bring your dancing shoes to their set.
For Fans Of: Post Animal, The Marías, Mild High Club
Start With: “Foam” and “Coca Cola”
Where to catch them: Saturday, 9/11 at the Green Stage from 2:30 PM – 3:15 PM
Pitchfork Aftershow on Friday, 9/10, at The Empty Bottle
Dogleg
Photo courtesy of Dogleg
If you’re looking to start your Pitchfork weekend off on the right foot, look no further than Detroit, Michigan’s Dogleg. Originating as a solo bedroom project from guitarist and songwriter Alex Stoitsiadis as a way to concretize his mantra of “Play fast,” Dogleg has since expanded to include Chase Macinski on bass, Parker Grissom on guitar, and Jacob Hanlon on drums. Since the initial inception and release of the debut self-titled EP in 2016, Dogleg released a handful of follow up singles leading up to their critically acclaimed 2020 debut album Melee.
The band’s intense punk riffs blend with a touch of nostalgia-drenched emo to create a fast-paced ferocity that will get the Pitchfork crowd amped and ready for the rest of the weekend.
For Fans Of: PUP, The Frights, Jeff Rosenstock
Start With: “Kawasaki Backflip” and “Fox”
Where to catch them: Friday 9/10, at the Red Stage from 1:45 PM – 2:25 PM
Pitchfork Aftershow on Saturday, 9/11 at Subterranean
Horsegirl
Photo by Sun Picture Music
Another Chicago act you can’t miss if you want to support local? Horesegirl. Composed of Penelope Lowenstein (she/her), Nora Cheng (she/her), and Gigi Reece (they/them), Horsegirl formed about two years ago after the group had performed together as a Sonic Youth cover band. Lowenstein and Cheng had originally met when their similar taste in music bonded them as attendees of a local music program. Lowenstein and Cheng often create a dual vocal effect, joined by Reece’s backbone of drum beats, to create music that makes a statement.
While they only have three singles released so far, I’m excited to see them live for the first time at Pitchfork and discover what else their set has in store.
For Fans Of: Porridge Radio, Lala Lala, Snail Mail
Start With: “Ballroom Dance Scene” and “Sea Life Sandwich Boy”
Where to catch them: Saturday, 9/11 at the Green Stage from 1:00 PM – 1:40 PM
Oso Oso
Photo courtesy of Oso Oso
The brainchild of musician and songwriter Jade Lilitri, Oso Oso began in 2014 as a side project from Lilitri’s former band State Lines. Following the initial release, Lilitri has now released three albums under the Oso Oso project, the most recent being 2019’s basking in the glow.
Most of Oso Oso’s catalog is full of lyrics that can rouse reflective pondering from listeners, while simultaneously delivering upbeat melodies you can get lost in. In similar fashion, the third album showcases Lilitri’s introspective musings fused with a pop punk soundtrack. If you’re looking for a set at Pitchfork where you can belt along to some heartfelt lyrics while dancing around, make sure you’re there to hear Oso Oso play “basking in the glow.”
For Fans Of: The Front Bottoms, The Hotelier, Remo Drive
Start With: “gb/ol h/nf” and “Track 1, Side A”
Where to catch them: Sunday, 9/12 at the Blue Stage from 2:45 PM – 3:30 PM
Pitchfork Aftershow on Saturday, 9/11 at Subterranean
Tomberlin
Photo Credit: Ebru Yildiz
While Cassandra Jenkins unfortunately had to cancel her upcoming tour (including her slot at Pitchfork Fest), we now have Tomberlin filling in for her. I first had the pleasure of seeing Tomberlin perform at The Hideout in Chicago alongside Hand Habits back in 2019, where she completely mesmerized the audience and kept us all hooked on her every word. Sarah Beth Tomberlin (better known solely by her last name) is a singer-songwriter currently based out of Los Angeles with roots in Louisville, Kentucky. She followed up her stunning debut record At Weddings with an EP entitled Projections in October 2020, and I’m excited for the chance to hear some of the newer songs performed live.
The combination of Tomberlin’s ethereal vocals and delicate melodies gives me the sensation of wrapping myself in a cocoon of blankets. The sense of comfort and coziness that songs like “Hours” and “You Are Here” evoke makes Tomberlin the perfect soundtrack to transition from Summer into Fall. It will also make for a great laid-back way to start the final day of the festival.
For Fans Of: Hand Habits, Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker
Start With: “Hours” and “Wasted”
Where to catch her: Sunday, 9/12 at the Green Stage from 1:00 PM – 1:40 PM
Special Interest
I haven’t yet had the honor of seeing Special Interest perform live, but I just know they’re going to be one of the best sets at the fest. If you’re looking for a completely unique experience, you can’t miss this group from New Orleans, Louisiana.
It’s difficult to assign a genre to Special Interest, but their song “Street Pulse Beat” swirls together moody synths with a pulsing drum machine and a punk bass line. Throughout their three albums, they tackle reimagining dark electronic and punk music, creating an eccentric vibe that’s entirely their own. Interestingly enough, the group began in 2015 as a duo who only planned to play one show. When they started out, Alli Logout and Maria Elena played guitars and power tools over the beat of a 70’s Univox drum machine— before ultimately being joined by Ruth Mascelli on electronics and Nathan Cassiani on bass. They’ve since garnered a reputation for the intensity of their live shows, so don’t miss out on their festival set or after show.
For Fans Of: Idles, Boy Harsher, Squid
Start With: “Street Pulse Beat” and “Disco II”
Where to catch them: Sunday, 9/12 at the Red Stage from 1:45 PM – 2:25 PM
Pitchfork Aftershow on Saturday, 9/11 at Smart Bar
Keep an eye out for more Pitchfork Fest coverage all next weekend, and take a trip down memory lane below.
Featured
