In the waning moments of the Pitchfork Music Festival in 2019, with Khruangbin’s vibey guitar music wafting over the sun-dappled, sleepy Sunday crowd, I bumped into a stranger who recognized me. The man asked: Didn’t we sit next to each other on a plane back from Toronto just a few weeks ago? Indeed we had, […]
Tag: Pitchfork
Posted inCity Life
Agenda: Fri 7/15/22
There’s no shortage of outdoor theater in Chicago in the summer, and Midsommer Flight is right in the mix with (appropriately enough) A Midsummer Night’s Dream, opening tonight at 6 PM in Lincoln Park (behind and across the street from the Lincoln Park Cultural Center at 2045 N. Lincoln Park West) and running there through […]
Posted inBest of Chicago
Best surprise success story kick-started by a Medium essay on emo
Eric Reyes writes clean, bittersweet rock songs whose hooks almost feel like a sugar rush. Under the name Snow Ellet, he renders the admittedly fine lines separating emo, indie rock, and pop punk entirely meaningless; his guitar frizz and yearning yelp belong to all of the above, and he can win over dyed-in-the-wool fans of […]
Posted inMusic
Pitchfork announces the lineup for its delayed 2021 music festival
Plenty of COVID-related uncertainty still surrounds the Pitchfork fest, as it does any large-scale event—but we can be reasonably sure about who’s scheduled to play.
Posted inMusic
KeiyaA levels up even with live music shut down
Chicago-born singer-songwriter KeiyaA beat the odds by turning her debut album, Forever, Ya Girl, into a multidimensional artwork.
Posted inMusic
Nnamdï grows up on Brat
Prolific musical polymath Nnamdï uses his new solo album to teach himself something about work-life balance.
Posted inMusic
The Pitchfork Music Festival announces its 2020 lineup
For its 15th year, the famously eclectic fest has booked headliners the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Run the Jewels, and the National.
Posted inArts & Culture
Changing spaces
Douglas, Union, and Grant Parks have served as valued community centers for Chicago since the mid-1800s. Today, all three parks host thousands of attendees for popular private music festivals—Lyrical Lemonade Summer Smash, Pitchfork Music Festival, and Lollapalooza, respectively—taking on a different personality for one weekend each summer before returning to their treasured role as neighborly […]
Posted inMusic
Charli XCX claimed her pop crown at Pitchfork
She’s long been an expert collaborator, but she’s finally ready for stardom on her own terms.
Posted inMusic
The quest to be Pitchfork’s perfect consumer
What happens if you indulge every corporate sponsor at Pitchfork? Does the Chase Sapphire Lounge have to let you in?
Posted inMusic
Mavis Staples sanctified Friday night at Pitchfork
Even when Mavis Staples wasn’t singing gospel at Pitchfork, her powerful spiritual voice could bring together generations.
Posted inMusic
At Pitchfork, all the world’s onstage
Cate Le Bon, Black Midi, Ibeyi, and Chai are among the acts from abroad at the festival this year.
Posted inMusic
Valee runs up a high score
In recognition of Valee’s Pitchfork debut, the Reader attempts to quantify the Chicago rapper’s braggadociousness.
Posted inMusic
Why haven’t the Isley Brothers conquered the rock market?
The legendary R&B band can rock hard too, but they’ve never crossed over like Sly Stone or Prince.
Posted inMusic
The Reader’s guide to the 2019 Pitchfork Music Festival
Even on a weekend it shares with the Silver Room Block Party and the debut of ComplexCon Chicago, Pitchfork stands out for its far-sighted, eclectic bookings.