Pitchfork Music Festival

[WaronWar]

Got back to my house about an hour ago because I had to take public transportion, but tonight was alright.

 

I did not see Slint perform "Spiderland" because I was at the other stage sitting as close as I could be to the stage or along the fence. GZA performing "Liquid Swords" was good expect I could not appreicate it's value enough because I always have trouble understanding rappers live.

 

Sonic Youth's performance of "Daydream Nation" was great, but the crowd suck! One it was jammed packed that one could not move at all. Second, when the band started to play, all 16,000 people jammed into a small park had the great idea of shoving one another back and forth. In short, I was pissed off because I could hardly pay attention to the music because I was too busy trying to prevent myself from falling on my ass and being trampled or being raped on by fellow concertgoers that were high on their own spirit.

 

But I am looking forward to seeing Califone tomorrow, Yoko Ono, and some others that I can't remember because I am too tired.

 

Side Note: Sonic Youth did one encore after performing "Daydream Nation" with three songs. They were:

 

1. Incinerate

2. Rena

3. Jams Run Free

 

Sorry if there any mistakes in here, but I am just really tired.

[LouieB]

Beat me to it....I am writing after a night sleep, but I remember what happened. I was not going to Pitchfork, but got a call at the last minute from an aquaintanced named Carter who is a record dealer. As a result I got a free ticket to all three days and will be selling LPs with him during that time and catching some acts. Yesterday started nice and mellow and built into a crazed packed crowd by the time Sonic Youth came on. So look for me between Touch and Go and Drag city selling LPs out of milk crates. Stuff is pretty reasonable, but much of the better stuff has already been sold.

 

I caught Slint doing Spiderland, an album that has always left me a bit cold. While hailed as an indie-rock masterpeice, it encompasses everthing that is great about indie rock and everything that is wrong too; it has scope and ambition and interesting textures, as well as vision, but it also is rambling and vague, with inconsequential vocals and alot of guitar noodling. There were some great dual guitar parts, without the rhthym second, but when the band played as a whole there was a sameness that bordered on monotony. Frankly I enjoyed the performance as a whole and can now go back to the album with a bit more understanding of the concept of this piece, but to call this orchestral, as some of the blubs on it have, is overstating the case a touch. I must say though that the audience was rapt and silent during the music, at least where I was, near the front.

 

I heard GZA while selling tons of LPs to indie rock kids now nostalgic for a time they don't really remember. GZA sounded like your usual hip hop group and I wasn't the least interested in this.

 

Sonic Youth brought down the house and the night in great fashion. The punchy shorter songs from this era were tuneful and noisy, without being indulgent. The crowd loved it and managed to slide in near the front by going along the fence by the speakers. Frankly from the back of the field the sound was way not loud enough, but up front it was plenty loud and the audience was digging the hell out of them, as was I. Moving around was interesting to see how the various parts of the fest were reacting. Up front a mosh could have easily broken out, but in back people were chatting and hanging out and making the scene.

 

A few tips on going to Pitchfork if you are heading out today. Parking is reasonably easy early on if you go just to the north and west of Lake St. and west of Western. There is a huge industrial area of warehouses with plenty of street parking, but of course the later you go the further away you will have to park. There are plenty of portajohns, but be prepared to wait in line a bit, so don't have that extra beer if you can't wait. Rain is predicted for today, in a scattered fashion. It may not come at all, but it is already windy. The line-up today is filled with bands I personally have never heard of, but that's not so unsual, others here will have heard of them. Califone is early and may have a short set (sorry Wendy), but Cat Power is later and she will be playing right before and with Yoko Ono and this should be something to see. Of Montreal is later( I think) and Iron and Wine is right around dinner time.

 

There are food boths, which I have not yet checked out and more stuff to buy than most will have money for including lots of used and new LPs, CDs, posters, clothing and other rock crap. Have fun and come by and say hi.

 

LouieB

[MrRain422]

I thought I saw you there, Lou.

[willywoody]

I thought I saw you there, Lou.

 

i probably saw lou too. i was a little overwhelmed by all the vinyl there and the few things i saw on friday were gone by sunday. you snooze you lose.

[jc4prez]

http://lastwaltzer.blogspot.com/2007/07/do...onic-youth.html

 

theres my review. wish id known you were there lou would have popped into to say hello

[LouieB]

I got word I was going pretty late, although I posted up right away I was there. I thought the record selling was pretty overwhelming from a browsing point of view (I bought some stuff at other vendors), but I had a ball selling and talking to people about various albums we had in the crates. It was amazing to ask people where they were from. Very fun.

 

Some guy on day two wanted a copy of a Toto album....

 

LouieB