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Live Recap: Billie Eilish Brought Her Sold Out Headline Tour to Metro Chicago 10.28.18

October 31, 2018 / Rachel Zyzda

Just about a year ago, I first caught Billie Eilish at her sold out Chicago debut at Schubas Tavern. While the Schubas show was still packed to the brim with devoted fans, after catching Eilish again at The Metro this past Sunday night, it became clear that her debut was just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to a Billie Eilish show. This time around, Eilish was not only equipped with more experience, but she brought along a bigger live band and a spider-shaped production rig that filled the entire stage.

Eilish began the set hidden behind a part of the stage as her band members took their places, and after building suspense, the singer jumped out to start singing “my boy” from the 2017 EP dont smile at me. Immediately the young crowd loudly sang along with the repetitive and catchy chorus, sticking their phones in the air to document the start of the show. As the night went on, the pace of the music sometimes shifted, but the enthusiasm of the audience and the momentum of the show never waned; fans sang and danced along no matter what song Eilish was performing. Whatever energy the crowd gave Eilish, she continuously fed back to them, and she never stopped expressing her genuine gratitude. Eilish also made it clear she cared for the crowd’s well-being, and early on in the night paused her set to make sure everyone felt okay had plenty of water.

For the majority of Eilish’s set, the mood remained upbeat, most of her hook-laden pop anthems allowing for the crowd to dance along with her and the booming bass. Songs like “Party Favor” and a short cover of “Hotline Bling” that Eilish performed armed with a ukulele highlighted her versatile sound by stripping back some of the heavier production featured on some of her other material. Towards the end of the set, the singer slowed things down and staked out a spot on a stool that was stationed center stage, where she sang her latest single “when the party’s over;” a falsetto driven piano ballad.

The first chapter of the show closed out with another popular song from Eilish’s debut: “bellyache.” The singer briefly left the stage after that song, but didn’t make the overzealous crowd wait long for an encore, as they quickly filled the room with overwhelming shouts for more songs. The crowd of about a thousand that packed The Metro on Sunday mimicked that of a room of 10,000 with their deafening noise levels.

In just one year’s time, Eilish was able to sell out a room five times the size of her debut show, beef up her setlist with a handful of new singles, and deliver a show accompanied by full stage production, so there’s no telling where she’ll be at the next time she performs in Chicago. Catch Billie in a city near you (dates here) and check out photos from Sunday’s performance below.

Keep up with Billie Eilish on Facebook // Twitter // Instagram

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categories / Photos, Gigs, Reviews
tags / Billie Eilish, Metro Chicago, Photo Gallery, Live Recap, Gig Review

Live Recap: Overcoats Open Up The Vic Theatre for Mitski 10.25.18

October 29, 2018 / Rachel Zyzda

The Brooklyn best friend duo of Hana Elion and JJ Mitchell, AKA Overcoats, has been to Chicago several times over the past couple of years, each time sharing their cleverly crafted mix of electronic and folk music from their 2017 debut album Young. They’ve performed everywhere from Schubas, Lincoln Hall, The Metro, festivals, and so on. As it turns out, their show at The Vic on Thursday, October 25th created a full circle moment for Overcoats, brining Elion and Mitchell back to the same stage they’d first performed on in this city in 2016, opening for Matt Corby. Towards the end of their set last week, the pair recalled their first time at The Vic, Elion joking “We used to travel by Megabus. Now we’re adults and we rent mini vans.”

While their mode of transportation may have matured, Overcoats also continues to grow tremendously in their stage presence and their sound. When I saw Overcoats perform as headliners at Schubas Tavern in May 2017, shortly after the release of their album, Elion and Mitchell brought a full show of coordinated outfits and choreography to the small and humble stage at the Lakeview tavern. The pair has always had that sense of synchronization in their show, but they’ve managed to adapt those aspects of their show to scale as they move up to bigger stages, all while managing to keep a strong focus on their message. One of Overcoats’ primary messages is lifting each other up as women, and on Thursday night, Mitchell made that known by saying “The future is believing women” at the beginning of their set. The crowd eagerly absorbed what Overcoats had to tell them both between songs and during their songs, cheering their empowering speaking points and cheering their choreography. Some of the audience at The Vic joined along in singing some of Overcoats’ songs like “Nighttime Hunger” and “Hold Me Close,” and they also responded enthusiastically to the couple of new songs performed by Overcoats last week. One of the new songs, called “The Fool,” sounded a little edgier with a shouty chorus that channeled Le Tigre vibes. This new twist to their already complex dynamic that blends different genres together showcases Elion and Mitchell’s fearlessness as artists.

Perhaps the biggest nod to Overcoats’ talent and showmanship, though, was their ability to keep the show going on Thursday despite technical difficulties. Early on in the night, loud feedback could be heard in the house and in the band’s monitors, and it took the venue staff more than fifteen minutes to make it stop. Rather than put the set on hold, Elion and Mitchell played through the noise, determined to keep the show rolling. “We’ll just have to play louder,” they joked. Finally, at the end of the set, the feedback noise stopped, and the duo were able to wrap up their set with “Leave The Light On,” which once again highlighted their dance moves.

After coming full circle since their fist time in Chicago, it’s only a matter of time before Overcoats are not only playing, but headlining bigger stages across the country. Keep an eye out for new music and a second album from the pair, and check out photos of their’s and Mitski’s set on October 25th below.

Catch Overcoats in a city near you—upcoming tour dates here.

Live Recap: Years & Years Brings Palo Santo Tour to The Vic Theatre, 10.15.18

October 18, 2018 / Rachel Zyzda

British electro-pop trio Years & Years and pop singer songwriter CYN kicked off the week with a sold out show at Lakeview’s The Vic Theatre.

Following a quick opening set from Australian singer-songwriter Jess Kent, CYN took the stage to shake things up and get everyone in the packed theatre ready for Years & Years’ long-awaited return to Chicago. In a way, CYN’s show on Monday evening acted as a homecoming; after growing up in the neighboring state of Michigan, CYN had attended and graduated from DePaul University. CYN’s short but sweet set began with a bang as she burst onto the stage with a rush of energy to perform her single “Believer,” a dance tune that features a bass line groovy enough to get everyone’s hips shaking. While playing some familiar singles which have racked up millions of plays on Spotify, CYN also introduced the crowd to some brand new, unreleased material, like “Bubble Bath,” which teased what her upcoming debut EP might sound like. About half way through CYN’s set, the energy slowed a bit for the performance of her newest single “I’ll Still Have Me” which juxtaposes the usual funky tones to CYN’s songs with its gentle, lulling guitar melodies and CYN’s hypnotizing vocals. CYN dedicated the song to one of her best friend’s moms before starting it, mentioning that so many of her best friends were in the audience that night. While speaking about Chicago, CYN took a moment to tell the crowd how much this show was a full-circle moment to her because just a few years ago, she had seen some of her favorite artists (Sam Smith and Kiesza) perform on the very same stage. CYN closed out her set with a few higher energy songs, closing with what she mentioned will be her new single; “Holy Roller.”

Next, after a 30 minute changeover, it was finally time for Years & Years to perform in Chicago for the first time in years (and years). The eager audience full of dedicated fans of Olly Alexander and his bandmates Mikey Goldsworthy and Emre Türkmen last had the chance to see the band perform in town at 2016’s Lollapalooza. Before that, Years & Years had performed another sold out headline show in 2015 at Park West, which highlighted songs from the group’s debut album. Now, the trio was back and bigger than ever to celebrate their sophomore album Palo Santo, which was released July 6th this year. For the Palo Santo Tour, Alexander, Goldsworthy, and Türkmen set themselves up for the best possible live show, bringing a backdrop that featured theatrical lights, steps and a platform for Alexander to dance along to their music. They also brought along a drummer to help recreate their production-heavy songs in an authentic, live setting and two backing vocalists to add a richness and depth to Alexander’s silky smooth vocals. The full band helped bring newer songs like “Sanctify” and “Karma” to life, but they also put a fresh spin on the older songs that had led many fans to first discover Years & Years, like “Shine” and “Desire.” With the fullness that the band provided to the live show and Alexander’s flawless vocal performance that never faltered, even through energetic dance moves, the momentum of the night never hit a lull. Even during the band’s one slower song, “Eyes Shut,” which featured Alexander stationed at a keyboard in the center of the stage, the energy remained high as the crowd loudly sang the all the words back. When it came time for the band to exit the stage at the end of the night, the crowd demanded an encore with an overwhelming thunder of applause and cheers for Years & Years’ comeback show. The night wrapped up with an encore of “All for You” and “King;” and the latter had everyone in the room on their feet, dancing it out one last time.

If you missed out on the dance party, check out photos of CYN and Years & Years below!

Catch the Palo Santo tour in a city near you—dates here, and listen to the album in full below.

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categories / Photos, Gigs, Reviews
tags / Years & Years, CYN, Live Review, Photo Gallery, Live Recap, Palo Santo, The Vic, Jam Productions

Live Recap: Jade Bird Closes Out Her First US Headline Run with Field Report at Lincoln Hall

October 11, 2018 / Rachel Zyzda

Jade Bird’s first US headlining run came to a close on Sunday at Lincoln Hall, with support coming from Field Report’s Christopher Porterfield. Porterfield took the stage this tour sans his usual bandmates, delivering rare stripped down, acoustic versions of songs that Field Report fans have become familiar with as their fully produced studio versions. “Jade brought me along for the banter and awkward laughter,” Porterfield joked between songs, but as he captivated the room with just his voice and his gentle guitar strumming, it was clear that he also had the impeccable songwriting skills and the musicianship to back up his witty showmanship. Throughout his hour long set that was filled with songs from Field Report’s latest album and even one he’d just written on the road, the audience showed their appreciation with their attentiveness and loud applause, and Porterfield made sure to thank them. “It’s really nice to be doing this with one another instead of at one another,” he said. While most of Porterfield’s talking points between songs remained lighthearted—like his story about hearing his song in Starbucks during one of his drives on this tour and the story of his participation in a John Prine tribute at Eaux Claires Festival— he made sure to use his platform for the better and encouraged everyone to vote and to be kind to each other before he left the stage. “Let’s encourage each other and be kind to each other.”

The positive vibes and friendly tone that Porterfield had set up during his performance lingered through the remainder of the night. Jade Bird first cut her teeth playing solo sets or playing support slots in The States, but on Sunday night, a packed house anxiously awaited her first go as the main act. Earlier in the day, Bird had played a solo in-store performance at American Eagle in the suburb of Oak Brook, and she began the show that evening on her own again for “What Am I Here For,” before inviting her band onstage. The delicate opening song had the immediately crowd hooked, but Bird really kept everyone engaged by easing them all in and gradually picking up the pace; throughout the night the audience remained on their toes as Bird switched between more mellow, sombre songs to bellowing, upbeat tunes. Right around the half way mark of the set, Bird’s bandmates left the stage again for her to perform a couple of songs on her own at the piano, including a cover of Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)” and the very sombre “If I Die.” Bird juxtaposed that mood by immediately following up the latter with her latest single “Uh Huh,” a cheeky anthemic song that really showcases the power behind Bird’s vocals. The rest of the set included a couple of new, unreleased songs and covers by The Bangles and Johnny Cash, highlighting the wide array of influences she pulls from. At this early stage in her career (Bird hasn’t even released her debut album yet), Bird demonstrates remarkable writing talent and incredible vocal control, allowing her to give her songs a full spectrum of dynamics; From her stunning soft vocals to her wailing growls, Jade Bird is a force to be reckoned with.

If you missed out on this last tour, stay tuned for new music from Jade Bird coming soon, and check out our photo gallery from the Chicago show.

Jade Bird Facebook + Instagram

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categories / Gigs, Photos, Reviews
tags / Jade Bird, Live Recap, Photography, Photo Set, Lincoln Hall, Field Report

Live Recap: Hippo Campus and The Districts at The Riviera 10.06.18

October 09, 2018 / Rachel Zyzda

In celebration of their sophomore album Bambi, Hippo Campus returned to Chicago to play their biggest headline show here yet, bringing along Philadelphia’s The Districts to warm up The Riviera Theatre. The Districts had been in town only a few weeks prior to perform at Riot Fest, and although the crowd at the theater varied from those that watched their Riot Fest set, the audience on Saturday night eagerly soaked up the 45 minute set.

While the stage changed over for main event, devoted fans of Hippo Campus buzzed with excitement, everyone in the packed theater ready to hear some of band’s new material live for the first time. Bambi had just been released a week before, on September 28th, and the band didn’t make fans wait long to hear the new material; In fact, they hit the stage by opening with the new album’s title track. The new music streak continued with “Honestly” and “Doubt” before the set slipped back into older staples like “Suicide Saturday” and “Simple Season.” The setlist for the rest of the night remained a thoughtful mix of the band’s discography, featuring a couple of albums and EPs.

Saturday marked only the second night of the tour so far, so if you missed out, check out our photo recap below and see where else you can catch Hippo Campus next here.

Hippo Campus Facebook // Twitter // Instagram

The Districts Facebook // Twitter // Instagram

Listen to Bambi in full below:

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categories / Photos, Gigs, Reviews
tags / Hippo Campus, The Districts, Live Recap, Photo Gallery, Photography

Live Recap: Stella Donnelly and Natalie Prass at Lincoln Hall 9.19.18

September 21, 2018 / Rachel Zyzda

This week Australian singer-songwriter Stella Donnelly kicked off her North American tour supporting Natalie Prass, performing at Lincoln Hall on Wednesday, September 19th.

It’s rare for a solo performer to completely captivate an entire room the size of Lincoln Hall, but Donnelly not only took the challenge; she surpassed all expectations and had the crowd engrossed from the start. She took the stage on her own, armed only with her guitar, her voice, and razor sharp wit, and she provided a 40 minute set that showcased her clever and thoughtful songwriting, her raw vocal power, and her authentic stage presence. Lyrically, she toes the line between sincere and cheeky, managing to tell serious stories in a personable way.

On Donnelly’s six-song debut EP Thrush Metal, listeners get the chance to observe her writing talent, but when performed live, her talent shines through even more. Its the type of performance that still demands the audience’s attention without any extra fluff or unnecessary bells and whistles. For most of the songs performed on Wednesday night, the mood of the room remained lighthearted; like when Donnelly introduced a song about her boss paying her late (“he paid me a week later. I was on the wrong pay roll,” she said at the end of the song) or when she described another song as being about a relationship on its last leg, in which both people are working to salvage it (“In Australia we call it polishing a turd”). However, one part of her set tackled the very serious issue of sexual assault, when Donnelly introduced her song “Boys Will Be Boys.” She was mindful enough to give a content warning before introducing and playing the song, which very candidly recounts the story of an assault that happened to a friend of hers. While the issue is still very relevant, especially in the music scene at the moment, Donnelly said she wrote the song three years ago before there was this much open conversation happening about the matter. With most of her songs, but particularly “Boys Will Be Boys,” Donnelly demonstrates a fearless approach to songwriting. If there’s a story to tell, Donnelly will deliver, and based on the audience response at her live show, people are here to hear her.

Photos of Stella Donnelly and Natalie Prass on September 19th in Chicago

Check out all of Stella Donnelly’s upcoming tour dates here and listen to Thrush Metal in full below.

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categories / Photos, Gigs, Reviews
tags / Stella Donnelly, Lincoln Hall, Natalie Prass, Photography, Live Recap

Live Recap: The Inaugural Bellwether Festival

August 15, 2018 / Rachel Zyzda

Bellwether Festival made its debut over the weekend, bringing some of the freshest names in indie music as well as some celebrated classics to the festival site, which usually plays home to a renaissance festival. The first-time, two-day festival encountered some setbacks, like a storm that forced the cancellation of Friday's headliner MGMT, but Bellwether also excelled in other ways. Limiting its grounds to feature only two stages within easy walking distance and limiting the lineup to rule out any schedule overlap allowed for the festival attendees to focus on the music and see every artist.

If you missed out on the fest, check out the top five moments of the weekend below.

"Golden Days" Met The Golden Hour During Whitney's Set

Following the success of their debut project Light Upon The Lake, Whitney toured relentlessly for the better part of two years, playing several headline runs and appearing on the major festival circuits. Their early evening set at Bellwether marked a rare live set from the group this year, as they've been slowly, but surely chipping away at their sophomore effort. Beginning with a quick sprinkle of rain, Whitney's set revisited their beloved first album, including their popular single "Golden Days." The band performed the anthemic break up song just after the sun had broken through the rain, delivering the perfect soundtrack to Friday's golden hour. The set also included a Neil Young and NRBQ cover, as well as Whitney's unreleased song "Rolling Blackout" that has become a staple of their live shows. As the set closed out, lead singer Julien Ehrlich left the crowd with the promise of new music soon; "See you next time. With a new album. We've been working on it...we're happy about it."

Local Natives Egged on the Rain

Like Whitney, Los Angeles' Local Natives are between albums at the moment, but lead singer Taylor Rice also teased their next album. "We're almost done with the fourth record. We can't say much but we like it," Rice told the crowd. While the news gave the audience something to look forward to with the future of Local Natives, the crowd also got a chance to celebrate the past with the band. Kelcey Ayer of the band reminisced on the band's history, noting that they just hit their ten year anniversary. "In honor of that we're gonna close the set with a few Gorilla Manor songs," the band announced before revisiting songs from their first album. Just before playing their final song of the set, "Sun Hands," Rice commented on the fact that they'd managed to hold off the rain despite the lightning filling the sky behind them. "If it rains, just go crazier. It's our last song so give it everything you've got," the frontman said, egging on the inevitable storm brewing, which let loose just as Local Natives left the stage.

Japanese Breakfast Invited The Flaming Lips to Olive Garden

Fronted by Michelle Zauner, Philadelphia outfit Japanese Breakfast has been hitting the road consistently following the release of Soft Sounds From Another Planet last summer. Despite their taxing tour schedule, Zauner and her band brought their usual energy and witty stage banter to their Bellwether Fest set. Between songs, Zauner called attention to the fact that the festival site also hosts a renaissance fair; "I should have worn my John Snow Outfit," she joked, adding that she was hoping to see more capes in the crowd. She also shared the band's excitement to be a part of the small but mighty lineup, expressing her admiration of that night's headliner, The Flaming Lips. "If they're here, we would like to extend an invitation to the Olive Garden," Zauner said about Wayne Coyne and co before ending the set with an explosive, high energy jam with her band.

The Psychedelic Furs and Echo & The Bunnymen Evoked 80's Nostalgia

After Japanese Breakfast's set, the lineup turned back to the era of The Breakfast Club, with back to back sets from post punk bands The Psychedelic Furs and Echo & The Bunnymen. The Psychedelic Furs kicked off the nostalgic streak, attracting zealous fans to the front rows to chant frontman Richard Butler's name just before they took the stage. Their set had fans from all generations singing along to the hits like "Pretty in Pink" and "Love My Way," and the band sounded as tight as ever. Butler's signature vocals remained strong throughout the whole set, and the band's saxophone player added some spice to the songs. Echo & The Bunnymen kept the post punk train rolling during their set, frontman Ian McCulloch also sounding great as the band played through their hits. Again, fans from all different generations flocked to see the iconic group, one fan in the front even donning a Donnie Darko mask as a nod to the band's song "The Killing Moon" being featured on the film's soundtrack.

The Flaming Lips Covered MGMT

While the weather forecast showed a chance of storms all weekend, the rain managed to hold off most of Saturday. Despite the clear skies on day two, the muddy grounds and disappointment of headliner MGMT's cancelled set lingered in the air and reminded the festival goers of the previous night's storm. The festival staff offered some perks, like free Saturday entry for Friday ticket holders, to lessen that sting, but The Flaming Lips were the ultimate festival heroes when they covered MGMT's song "Kids" at the beginning of their set. Lead singer Wayne Coyne set up the cover saying that the cancellation from the rain was obviously no one's fault, and MGMT had left him a note in the green room. The "note" ended up being lyrics to "Kids," which Coyne began reading slowly, before the band pitched in with the melody and Coyne began singing. The cover came after the group had opened their set with "Race For The Prize," which they paired with a confetti cannon, giant balloons, and lots of fog. The theatrics continued nonstop for the entire show; the bright lights and colorful props lifting the spirits of everyone at the festival and ending the weekend on the most magical note. One of the absolute highlights of The Flaming Lips' production came towards the end of the set, when the band covered Bowie's "Space Oddity"; Coyne stepped inside of a giant bubble and floated along the top of the crowd during the performance. As Coyne said, the rain that had put a damper on Friday's headlining set was no one's fault, and the spectacular close of Saturday night outweighed the set backs.

Check out more photos of the whole weekend below, featuring Whitney, Dr. Dog, Local Natives, Allah-Las, Japanese Breakfast, The Psychedelic Furs, Echo & The Bunnymen, and The Flaming Lips.

Bellwether returns next year on August 9th and 10th. Get more details here.

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categories / Reviews, Festival, Gigs
tags / Music Festival, Bellwether Festival, MGMT, Local Natives, Whitney, Allah-Las, Japanese Breakfast, Psychedelic Furs, Echo & The Bunnymen, The Flaming Lips

Live Recap: The Wombats Bring New Music, The Hits, and Infectious Energy to Their Lollapalooza Aftershow

August 06, 2018 / Rachel Zyzda

This past Thursday night, The Wombats closed out the first day of Lollapalooza 2018 with a sold out aftershow at Lincoln Hall

As the clock struck midnight, hoards of music fans had piled into Lincoln Hall to celebrate the end of the first day of Lollapalooza with The Wombats. Although they had just performed out in Tinley Park with The Pixies last month and at Lollapalooza earlier that day, the last time The Wombats had performed as a headliner in Chicago was more that two years ago, when they played The Metro in support of their album Glitterbug. Despite the late start time of the aftershow, old and new fans of the band buzzed with anticipation during the moments leading up The Wombats’ entrance to the small stage, everyone anxious to hear some of their old favorites as well as the freshest material from this year’s Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life.

The set began with the new; The group opened with “Cheetah Tongue,” the first track off their fourth studio album, but from there on, the setlist took twists and turns through The Wombats’ extensive catalog of material. Following “Give Me a Try” from Glitterbug, the band threw it back to 2011 and 2007 with “1996” and “Kill The Director.” While The Wombats did a great job at compiling a setlist of songs that highlighted each of their album eras, one of the best experiences of the show was looking around and seeing fans scream the lyrics along with lead singer Matthew Murphy and dance throughout the night with unwavering gusto, during every single song. Murphy and bandmates Dan Haggis and Tord Øverland have continuously mastered creating music that blends clever and sharp narratives with danceable melodies and grooving bass lines, allowing for fans to connect with the lyrics while dancing it out.

Live, the trio translates their records to life with a keen stage presence and unmatched chemistry, which stems from their years and years of playing music together. Despite their grueling tour and travel schedule as of late and the fact that they had played Lollapalooza earlier that afternoon, The Wombats never skimped on the energy during their show at Lincoln Hall; Øverland still delivered his signature kicks and jumps as he played bass and Murphy often paraded around the stage with his guitar. The entire room was already beaming from ear to ear as the set came to a close, but the band still had one more surprise up their sleeves. During iconic tune “Let’s Dance To Joy Division,” three people dressed up head-to-toe in wombat suits rushed the crowd and stage to close out the night, and everyone (even the wombats) clapped along to the athemic bridge of the song.

Following the humorous guest appearance, The Wombats (the band) returned for an encore, bringing along the costumed wombats again. The three song encore consisted of one of their recent singles, “Turn,” “Tokyo-Vampires & Wolves” from their earlier days, and “Greek Tragedy” from their third album, once again equally representing all of their eras. No matter what year your favorite song from The Wombats comes from though, there’s no denying their music and their live show has a timeless quality to it; it will always be a challenge to find anyone having a bad time at a Wombats show.

Check out photos from the show below, and see where you can catch The Wombats next here.

Listen to Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life in full below.

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categories / Gigs, Festival, Photos, Reviews
tags / The Wombats, Lincoln Hall, Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life, Lollapalooza, Photo Gallery, Review

Pitchfork Festival Recap 2018

July 29, 2018 / Rachel Zyzda

Thousands of music fans returned to the familiar stomping grounds of Union Park for another successful Pitchfork Music Festival this past weekend. Looking at the thunderstorm-filled weather forecast during the days leading up to the festival, many of the festival goers speculated if the schedule would stay on track and if any sets would be canceled, but surprisingly the weather turned out to be close to perfect with minimal rain and lots of breeze. In addition to the ideal festival weather, P4K 2018 also featured more Chicago artists than it ever has in the past, and they also had a fair balance of female and male performers, which is something many other music festivals have failed to provide with recent line ups. If you missed out on the festival this year, dive in below to see what other standout moments happened over the weekend.

Friday

Julie Byrne and her her harpist eased the crowd into Day 1

Friday morning and early afternoon did end up having some rain showers, but by the time singer songwriter Julie Byrne took the stage just before 3PM, the drizzle had died down, leaving a cloudy, cool breeze in the air. Bryne's mellow music and ethereal vocals perfectly complimented the gray skies, giving everyone a tranquil introduction to their festival weekend. Byrne's live band also included a rare harpist, which further hypnotized the crowd and eased them into what would inevitably be a long weekend of lots of great music. Byrne also gave a shout out to Chicago when she reminisced on her time she spent living here, before playing her song "Melting Grid" from her 2017 album Not Even Happiness.

Julien Baker Captivated a Large Crowd on her Own

Most of the time when solo artists perform live, they're joined by a live band to help them fill out the arrangements and make a more dynamic performance, but Julien Baker took the stage at Pitchfork completely alone at the beginning of her set. Armed with her guitar and her powerful vocals, Baker completely captivated the large crowd that overflowed the area around the Blue Stage, opening with "Turn Out The Lights." After performing the title track of her latest album, the chilling track "Appointments" from the same album, Baker was eventually joined by a violinist, who added a special touch to Baker's narratives. Again, it's rare to witness a solo performance as powerful as Baker's but with her vocal gusto and emotive stage presence, her shows are always something special.

SYD Celebrated The Internet's New Album

Lead vocalist of The Internet and solo artist SYD hit one of the festival's main stages in the early evening hours, bringing her silky smooth vocals and effortlessly cool demeanor to the growing crowd. Earlier that day, The Internet had released their brand new album Hive Mind, and fans and Pitchfork were eager to see if any of the new songs would make it into SYD's solo set. After performing songs like "All About Me" and "Got Her Own" from 2017's Fin, as well as her Kaytranada collaboration "You're The One," SYD did in fact bring out some of The Internet to perform a few of their brand new tracks. The hypnotizing set finished with one of The Internet's most popular tracks, "Girl," allowing for the audience to get the full experience of SYD's discography.

Big Thief Made a Comeback

It seem's like the members of Brooklyn's Big Thief never take a day off; after releasing full albums in 2016 and 2017 and touring in between, Buck Meek of the group also somehow managed to release his debut solo album and tour it this year. Buck Meek has played a couple of times in Chicago as his solo project, but this performance at Pitchfork was the first time the full band had played a show in town this year, and they were welcomed back by the Chicago audience with open arms as they performed crowd favorites from both of their albums. Their show stood out among all of the performances of the weekend with lead vocalist Adrianne Lenker's emotive delivery of her narratives and the magnetic chemistry among the group.

Courtney Barnett Had a Hype Man

Before Courtney Barnett performed as the second to last act on Friday, flocks of fans had gathered in front of the red stage, anxiously buzzing for the Australian singer to take the stage. A lone fan started a chant for their apparent favorite song off Barnett's new album Tell Me How You Really Feel: "Nameless, Faceless." Before long, the majority of the crowd was chanting the song title along with the no longer lone fan and the anticipation for the show peaked. Barnett and her band rewarded the enthusiastic audience with another stand out set of the weekend, amplifying the already high energy on the studio versions of Barnett's records.

Tame Impala Made it Rain

Following Courtney Barnett's set, fellow Australians in Tame Impala hit the Green stage, closing out the first night of the festival. Before they even walked onstage, trippy lighting and visuals illuminated the stage, prefacing their psychedelic rock tunes. A couple of songs in, the rain that had been looming in the forecast all day finally fell upon the massive crowd watching Tame Impala, falling just after the band had already showered the front rows with confetti. The rain couldn't put a damper on the infectiously jovial mood of the audience, and the rain even added another dynamic layer to the multicolored visuals swirling around on the stage screens. Just as soon as it hit though, the rain had passed leaving the crowd to dance around in the aftermath of the storm.

Saturday

Paul Cherry Played His Debut Album in Full

Chicago's own Paul Cherry checked a huge accomplishment off his bucket list when he opened up the second day of the festival. Cherry brought his dreamy psych-pop debut album to life with the help of a full band, which included Kevin Krauter from Hoops and Mat Roberts from Mild High Club. The super group performed the 2018 album Flavour in full--"even the instrumentals," as Cherry pointed out. Although the early set definitely had a thinner crowd than the later performances, plenty of festival goers made sure to get there on time and show their support to one of their own.

Zola Jesus Made a Theatrical Entrance

Singer songwriter Zola Jesus took the stage in the early afternoon to suspenseful introduction music, donning a layered red dress that covered her entire body and face. She began her set singing through the garment, eventually pushing the red veil back to reveal her face. The extensive catalog of Zola Jesus explores different sonic pockets, ranging from delicate piano melodies to ominous synths, but her powerful and evocative vocals always stand out on her records. During her Pitchfork performance, Zola Jesus and her band brought all those aspects of her records to life, pairing them with a simple yet theatrical production featuring her outfit and choreography. Despite the heaviness of her songs, between them, the singer made light-hearted banter with the crowd, shouting out any audience members from Wisconsin, where she had attended college.

Moses Sumney Walked the Catwalk

Moses Sumney's incredible vocal range and live band lineup that even included orchestral instruments would have been enough to make his set stand out as a highlight, but his showmanship and interaction with the audience is what really set his show apart from others. Sumney worked the entire stage as he played songs from his 2017 album Aromanticism and his latest single "Make Out in My Car," giving the whole audience his attention throughout the show. Towards the end of his set, Sumney got even more up close and personal with the crowd when he left the stage to walk up and down the catwalk barricade in front of the stage.

Girlpool Reminisced About Myspace

Cleo Tucker and Harmony Tividad, better known as Girlpool took the Blue Stage on Saturday afternoon, providing festival goers a chance to sit back and relax to their laidback indie rock tunes. Girlpool have a sound that's instantly like-able, drawing in a huge crowd of both their avid listeners as well as curious passerby looking to discover new music at a festival. Between songs, the pair made witty banter to keep the entertainment rolling; Harmony Tividad even reminisced about Myspace at one point, sipping Gatorade and recalling that she had once included the drink in her Myspace bio. The duo's natural stage presence continued to add another layer to their performance, making them a fan favorite.

Blood Orange Brought a Production and New Music

Dev Hynes, known by his stage name Blood Orange, returned to Pitchfork Music Festival this year, delivering a full production and new music. Hynes and his full band performed in front of revolving videos being projected on the screen behind them. In addition to the visual layer added to the performance, Hynes added choreography and dance moves as well as backup singers to fill out the layered production. While most of the set consisted of tracks from his 2016 album Freetown Sound, Hynes threw a couple of new songs in, including "Charcoal Baby" from his upcoming album Negro Swan, out August 24th.

Sunday

Kweku Collins Had High School Classmates in the Audience

Evanston rapper and producer has been buzzed about in Chicago for a couple of years now, but his early Sunday performance marked his Pitchfork Chicago debut. Despite his 2:30PM start time on the third of the festival and the rainy morning, Collins still drew a large crowd of enthusiastic fans. Among the throngs of festival goers echoing the lyrics back to Collins, he recognized some of the audience members as his former high school classmates. Being 21, Collins admitted that his high school days weren't that long ago, but you could tell it meant a lot to him to have some hometown support. Collins also used his performance time to put his platform to good use; during his set he addressed one of the common issues at music festivals. "Guys watch your space. Your presence is not a burden until you make that shit a burden," continuing on to add that if we all go about it the right way and be respectful, everyone can have a great time. His statement set the tone for the final day of the festival and left everyone walking away with a smile.

RAVYN LENAE Made the Crowd Pinky Promise

Immediately following Kweku Collins' performance, another young Chicago artist took the Red Stage across the way: Ravyn Lenae. The R&B singer certainly made an entrance when she sauntered onstage draped in a sparkling fringe dress and carrying a microphone covered in red faux fur. Lenae's impressive range and vocal chops backed up her glittery stage set up, and she quickly had the crowd wrapped around her finger. Early on in her set, Lenae asked for the audience to raise their pinkies and promise to dance and sing along to her music, and they happily obliged.

Japanese Breakfast Collaborated With An Old Tour-mate

Michelle Zauner, known under her moniker of Japanese Breakfast, made her Pitchfork Festival debut with her usual exuberant stage presence, projecting that positivity out into the crowd. Following her incredible set that featured songs from her two albums as well as a cover of "Dreams" by The Cranberries, Zauner returned to the Blue Stage a short time later, this time joining her former tour mate (Sandy) Alex G during his set. The two had toured together in 2017, and at Pitchfork they reunited to perform the crowd favorite "Brite Boy."

Chicago Artists Made the City Proud

Chicago remained the name of the game on Sunday at Pitchfork; following the performances of Nnamdi Ogbonnaya, Kweku Collins, and Ravyn Lenae, the Chicago acts just kept rolling. Rapper Noname delivered a special show with her full backing band and a few guest appearances from her fellow Chicagoans Ravyn Lenae, Smino, Saba, and Joseph Chilliams. The guests during Noname's set showcased the collaborative nature in this city's music scene.

The legendary Chaka Khan, another Chicago native, took the Red Stage next, keeping the hometown theme going. Her set consisted of nonstop hits, from her solo songs like "I'm Every Woman" to "Ain't Nobody," as well as songs from her funk band Rufus, the crowd never stopped singing along.

Lauryn Hill Actually Showed Up

Throughout the entire day and even the entire weekend, festival goers continued to speculate if Lauryn Hill would show up, and if she did show up, how late she would be. The legendary artist has earned herself an infamous reputation for cancelling shows last minute or showing up hours late. Needless to say, no one really had high expectations as the night began to come to a close and the headliner was scheduled to begin, but everyone got a pleasant surprise when Ms. Hill's DJ took the stage right on time. After about thirty minutes of hype brought on by the DJ and her other band members who began to trickle onstage, Lauryn Hill finally graced the Green Stage, rewarding the swarm of eager fans that spanned multiple generations. The weekend ended on a high note as the festival goers got to celebrate the 20th anniversary of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill with the icon, who has since cancelled some of her upcoming tour dates.

Check out more photos of the entire weekend below

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categories / Music, Photos, Reviews, Festival, Gigs
tags / Pitchfork Music Festival, Music Festival, Photo Gallery, Julie Byrne, Julien Baker, SYD, Big Thief, Courtney Barnett, Tame Impala, Paul Cherry, Zola Jesus, Moses Sumney, Girl Pool, Blood Orange, Kweku Collins, Ravyn Lenea, Japanese Breakfast, Noname, Smino, Chaka Khan, Lauryn Hill

5 Hometown Acts to Show Up Early For at Pitchfork Festival 2018

July 18, 2018 / Rachel Zyzda

Pitchfork Music Festival returns to Chicago's Union Park this year, once again bringing a diverse lineup featuring both up and coming and established artists of different genres. For the past few years, the lineup has continued to feature some of the best talent in the city; In 2016, Whitney, Mick Jenkins and Twin Peaks performed, and last year's lineup included Joey Purp, Jamila Woods, and NE-HI. This year, the stacked lineup features even more local artists, including well-versed names like Saba and Noname, but there's several other Chicagoans playing throughout the weekend. Check out our five must-see hometown acts that are worthy of an early arrival to Pitchfork Festival.

Paul Cherry

Who: Singer, songwriter, musician and producer extraordinaire Paul Cherry has become a staple in the Chicago rock scene with his dreamy bedroom psych-pop tunes. While rejuvenated psych rock has been done by many over the last few years, Cherry stands out with his signature reverb vocals and quirky textures used on his debut album Flavour, released March 31st by Feeltrip Records. Following the album release, Cherry spent weeks on the road promoting it, joining Post Animal for a leg of their last national tour. With his recent announcement of a European tour, it doesn't look like Paul Cherry's tour schedule will be slowing down any time soon, so make sure you catch him in town this weekend. After his Saturday set at the festival, you can catch an official Pitchfork aftershow at Schubas on Sunday, July 22nd featuring Paul Cherry, Bunny, and Slow Pulp--get tickets here.

Fun fact: Paul Cherry produced Anna Burch's album and sometimes plays in her touring band.

When: Saturday, 1PM on the Green Stage

For Fans Of: Mild High Club, Post Animal, levitation room

Start With: "Hey Girl," "Like Yesterday," and "So Easy"

Kweku Collins

Who: 21-year-old rapper, producer, songwriter, and Evanston-native Kweku Collins makes his Chicago Pitchfork Festival debut this weekend (he played the annual Pitchfork Paris fest in 2016), and it certainly seems like it's been a long time coming. Despite his young age, Collins' discography holds a certain depth to it, which makes sense when you consider he grew up in a musical family and has been playing music for essentially his whole life. Collins' air of experience mixed with his refreshing take on hip hop has earned him endless praise for his debut Nat Love (2016) and the more recent grey EP released in 2017. The traction he's gained has taken him on to tour the country and play major festivals like our own Lollapalooza, so do not miss him this Sunday. If you're not going to the festival, you can also catch Collins at Schubas on July 21st--grab tickets here.

When: Sunday, 2:30PM on the Green Stage

For Fans Of: Vic Mensa, Kid Cudi, Frank Ocean

Start With: "Lonely Lullabies" "Stupid Rose," "Vanilla Skies"

The Curls

Who: Self-proclaimed art rockers The Curls have created a stand-out sound in a scene that can sometimes seem oversaturated. With multiple vocalists and the incorporation of different instrumentalists, the group has a chameleon-like quality, pulling together aspects of genres like psych, pop, and jazz to craft something of their own. Their last record, 2017's Super Unit, boasts ten tracks that sound nothing alike, in the best possible way. Their flexible and varying sound will be sure to keep audience members on their toes during their Pitchfork set, so make sure you don't miss it. Just in case you might get stuck at work and miss the very first set of the entire festival, you can also catch The Curls at The Hideout on Friday night with Deeper--get tickets here.

When: Friday, 1PM on the Green Stage

For Fans Of: OHMME, Lala Lala, Palm

Start With: "Prickly Feelings," "I Can't Tell U," "Do It Right"

Melkbelly

Who: Noise-rock group Melkbelly has continuously garnered buzz among the masses in Chicago's DIY scene since 2014, when friends of artistic and musical backgrounds came together to create this new project. After releasing their debut full length Nothing Valley last October via Wax Nine Records, the outfit has performed all across the city; From Thalia Hall to the Empty Bottle and Schubas to The Hideout, you'd be hard pressed to find a venue Melkbelly hasn't played. This weekend, the band can tick one more landmark achievement off their bucket list when they play Pitchfork Fest. If you've hit your Friday afternoon slump, this band will be sure to crank up the volume and get your blood flowing during their early Friday afternoon set. You can also check out Melkbelly with fellow Pitchfork performer Nnamdi Ogbonnaya at their official aftershow on Saturday, July 21st at SubT--grab tickets here.

When: Friday, 1:45 PM on the Red Stage

For Fans Of: NE-HI, Flasher, Wolf Alice

Start With: "Kid Kreative," "Off the Lot," "Greedy Gull"

Nnamdi Ogbonnaya

Who: Songwriter, rapper, and multi-instrumentalist Nnamdi Ogbonnaya has become a seasoned musician playing in bands like Monobody and Ittō, but when he's not behind the drumkit, he's working on his own solo project. As a solo artist, Ogbonnaya doesn't shy away from the strange, creating completely unique eclectic hip hop tunes, like those on his 2017 album DROOL. His exuberance and busy beats will be sure to get you moving early on the final day of the festival. Like all of these artists, you have a second chance to catch Ogbonnaya if you find yourself running on empty on Sunday morning; he'll be playing with Melkbelly on Saturday at the SubT. Grab tickets here.

When: Sunday, 1PM on the Green Stage

For Fans Of: Shamir, Knox Fortune, Danny Brown

Start With: "hOp Off," "let gO Of my EgO," "nO drOOl"

If you've been snoozin', you can still purchase your 3-day passes or single day tickets to this year's Pitchfork. Single day tickets run from $75, or you can snag a 3 day pass for a discounted rate of $175. If you're feeling fancy, you can even upgrade to Pitchfork PLUS, which runs for $375. All ticket information can be found here.

Check out our past P4K Fest Coverage below:

Jul 23, 2024

Pitchfork Music Festival 2024: Sunday Highlights

Jul 23, 2024

Jul 22, 2024

Pitchfork Music Festival 2024: Saturday Highlights

Jul 22, 2024

Jul 21, 2024

Pitchfork Music Festival 2024: Friday Highlights

Jul 21, 2024

Jul 5, 2024

Pitchfork Music Festival Kicks Off in Two Weeks

Jul 5, 2024

Jul 25, 2023

Sunday Recap: Pitchfork Music Festival 2023

Jul 25, 2023

Jul 23, 2023

Saturday Recap: Pitchfork Music Festival 2023

Jul 23, 2023

Jul 22, 2023

Friday Recap: Pitchfork Music Festival 2023

Jul 22, 2023

Jul 7, 2023

Pitchfork Festival 2023: 7 Acts to Get There Early For

Jul 7, 2023

Jul 18, 2022

Live Recap: Pitchfork Festival 2022 Day 2

Jul 18, 2022

Jul 16, 2022

Live Recap: Pitchfork Festival 2022 Day 1

Jul 16, 2022

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categories / Festival, Reviews, Gigs
tags / Pitchfork Music Festival, Music Festival, Preview, Paul Cherry, Kweku Collins, The Curls, Melkbelly, Nnamdi Ogbonnaya