Hear the buzz in the air? That’s the sound of Soundboard washing tank tops at the laundromat. After all, it’s the Pitchfork Music Festival this weekend. We’ll be there, and the Reader has done everything it can to prepare you to join us. Aside from band previews and daily hour-by-hour itineraries, that also includes a B Side cover that could earn you a free three-day pass (at least for the next couple hours). There will only be two winners, but even if you’re not one of them (and don’t already have tickets), we have your back. Here’s the rest of the best shows this weekend.
The Chicago Latin Jazz Festival at the Humboldt Park Boathouse hosts Jane Bunnett on Saturday and Bobby Sanabria on Sunday. JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound headline Saturday at the Sheffield Garden Walk & Music Festival. And up the shore, the Evanston Ethnic Arts Festival turns Dawes Park into a global village, with live music, dance, art, and crafts from almost every continent. The Occidental Brothers Dance Band International headlines on Sunday.
On Thursday, Sarah Neufeld of the Arcade Fire opens for Olafur Arnalds at Pritzker. Jessica Pratt opens for Julia Holter at Constellation on Friday, and the Pharez Whitted Sextet performs at Andy’s on Friday and Saturday. The Vans Warped Tour comes to First Midwest Bank Ampitheatre on Saturday. Among the many bands is RDGLDGRN, a punk-rap group that plays around with “go-go, ska, and reggae, then siphons that concoction into a sleek and polished pop-rock sound,” in the words of Leor Galil.
More Soundboard picks below: