The third annual Pitchfork Music Festival takes place this weekend in Chicago’s Union Park. The festival showcases an array of noteworthy artists performing on three different stages, including Spoon, Animal Collective, No Age, The Hold Steady, Boris, Ghostface, Dinosaur Jr., Atlas Sound, and many more. While the majority of the festival will be taking place on Saturday and Sunday, Pitchfork will also be presenting “Don’t Look Back” in association with All Tomorrow’s Parties; the acts include Mission of Burma, Sebadoh, and Public Enemy performing their most groundbreaking albums. The festival also features artwork and concert posters from many talented designers and artists from all across the nation, as well as tents stocked with reasonably priced vinyl, CDs, clothes, books and more. Tickets are going fast; three-day passes, two-day passes and single-day tickets for Saturday have all sold out. So get the remaining tickets while you still can. Fortunately for all those who can’t attend, a majority of the shows will be webcast live. All you need is Adobe Flash Player 9 and the link posted below.
Pre-festival activities begin today. At 3 p.m., Pitchfork Music Festival hosts a discussion with Public Enemy about the making of their groundbreaking album, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back at Chicago’s Cultural Center Claudia Cassidy Theatre. Admission is is free with a mandatory RSVP at rsvp@pitchforkmusicfestival.com. At 6pm, festival performers Fleet Foxes, Extra Golden, Hawk and a Hacksaw, and Boban Markovicat will provide free outdoor performances at Millennium Park’s Jay Pritzker Pavillion.
ALARM Staff Picks For Pitchfork Music Festival 2008:
Mission of Burma (6:00, Friday) As part of Pitchfork Music Festival and All Tomorrow’s Parties “Don’t Look Back” series, Mission of Burma will play their first studio full-length album, Vs (Ace of Hearts, 1982) in its entirety. Although the Boston based post-punk quartet broke up only one year after releasing the album (due to singer Roger Miller’s chronic tinnitus), their music has inspired countless musicians ever since. Reuniting in 2005, the group has continued their own legacy with the release of The Obliterati (Matador, 2006) and live performances resulting in both fan and critical acclaim.
Icy Demons: (2:20, Saturday) A musical collaboration from Need New Body’s Griffin Rodriguez (credited as Blue Hawaii) and Man Man’s Christopher Powell (credited as Pow Pow), Icy Demons recently released their third full-length album entitled Miami Ice (Obey Your Brain, 2008). Incorporating such genres as Krautrock and the Canterbury Scene, Miami Ice is the latest work of experimental and genre-bending work by this Chicago and Philadelphia-based group. The album does not disappoint with its variety of instruments and eclectic lyrics incorporated into every song.
Fuck Buttons: (3:15, Saturday) First formed during early 2004, Bristol-based experimental duo Fuck Buttons rotate between prog rock, noise, and drone on their records. The group’s debut album, Street Horrrsing (ATP Recordings, 2008), was released earlier this year to critical acclaim, especially from Pitchfork Media, which awarded the album an 8.6 out of 10. Since their formation, the group has amassed a dedicated cult following for their live shows, which in the past year included gigs with Caribou throughout North America and the ATP vs. Pitchfork Festival in May of 2008.