The Kids Are All Write: Pitchfork Music Festival 2009

Day 1

After falafels, we ditched our car near Union Park, where we found unrestricted street parking. The first day of the Pitchfork Music Festival celebrated the back catalogue of four indie greats. Friday’s sets were billed as “Write the Night,” whereby those purchasing tickets voted online to determine the set list.

Tortoise

It’s fitting that the festival opened with Chicago’s own Tortoise. Following a brief introduction — wherein the band dedicated the first song to Chicago’s poet laureate and indie rock gadfly Thax Douglas, claiming that Thax had died that morning (it turned out to be a hoax. Thax is alive and well) — the band launched into “Seneca”, the dual-percussionist setup pummeling through what amounts to simultaneous drum solos underneath an Morricone inspired guitar line. The leading track on Standards, this piece serves as a Tortoise primer — the raucous beginning transitioning smoothly into melodies traded between guitar and synth, sporadic interruptions of electronic noise, ending climactically with rhythmic clapping. Most of the material making its way onto the night’s set was from the classic (and of course Pitchfork-approved) TNT. During some songs, Tortoise becomes a five-piece rhythm section, with only hints of melody glimmering here and there. Though less of a spectacle without their accompanying projected visualizations, the passion the band brings to their shape-shifting tunes provides a welcome kick-start to the weekend’s lineup. (Dave Knowlden)

Yo La Tengo

Yo La Tengo have recorded some of the more precious numbers in the indie rock songbook (“My Little Corner of the World” and “You Can Have It All”), as well as some of the more upbeat, thrashing jams (“Pass the Hatchet…” and “Sugarcube”). Ira, Georgia, and James worked the crowd over with highlights from their vast back catalog, showcasing all sides of the diverse music that is distinctly Yo La Tengo. James provides solid, anchoring basslines, Georgia kept a steady beat (what more could we ask for?), and Ira shredded with abandon where appropriate. The main variance in this set, and the only disappointment one could find, was the absence of any spontaneous covers. Yo La Tengo strayed from the “Write the Night” mandate to play some new material from the forthcoming Popular Songs. (DK)

The Jesus Lizard

“Shut up. Another day another dollar.” The Jesus Lizard’s set began with David Yow’s acerbic response to rapturous applause. Of course, the audience ate it up. This would be no warm-hearted reunion or nostalgia-fueled victory lap. After a decade of silence, the band sounds as ferocious and intimidating as ever. The Jesus Lizard owned the night. David Wm. Sims and Duane Denison flanked Yow with stoic expressions, as if bodyguards, allowing Yow to channel the band’s energy with flailing, convulsive disregard to his own safety, spending little time on stage. (Cole Stryker)

Built to Spill

It seems a bit unfair to let anyone follow the Jesus Lizard, let alone the noodling Built to Spill. Given the “Write the Night” theme, it was surprising to see that the audience preferred to hear material from the band’s jam-band repertoire rather than the more straightforward indie pop of There’s Nothing Wrong with Love and Keep It Like a Secret. After witnessing the Lizard, Built to Spill’s too-long interpretations of the audience’s chosen songs failed to hold my attention, though it’s understandable why the event planners would chose to headline with a band with more mainstream cachet. (CS)

Day 2: Cymbals Eat Guitars and more…

Day 2

Cymbals Eat Guitars

Brooklyn’s Cymbals Eat Guitars kicked off a hazy Saturday afternoon. Compared to the previous night’s acts, they would certainly be considered overhyped rookies. If this performance is any indication, the praise lavished on Cymbals Eat Guitars by the blog community does have a basis in reality. The band’s name may be misleading, as fitful bursts of guitars threatened to devour everything in their way. (DK)

Fucked Up

On the evening of Day 1, I overheard Fucked Up’s Damien, aka Pink Eyes, talking to someone at the festival’s record fair about the joys of being a new father. This 300-pound gorilla met the guy’s toddler daughter, shook her hand and introduced himself politely. This adorable display was at odds with the menacing, beach-ball rending monstrosity seen on the afternoon of Day 2. This particular monstrosity hopped down into the crowd (he had the decency not to stage dive) and the crowd parted like the Red Sea. He came barreling right at me, and I was able to duck to the side before I was smothered by his sweat-soaked flesh. The band’s post-hardcore energy was a refreshing counterpoint to the rest of the day’s limp-wristed folk. Most of the set’s songs were drawn from the band’s latest record, The Chemistry of Common Life. Despite lacking the album’s prog-rock synthesized flourishes, the songs translate superbly to the stage, although the vocals were often disappointingly lost in the mix. Damien tells us he gives the audience an 8.8. (CS)

Plants and Animals

Where taxonomy is concerned, I would have placed Plants and Animals’ recordings in the “folk-ish” classification. Their live sound reflected this in part, but when stripped of any studio pretensions, the band is more akin to the guitar-heavy sounds of fellow Canadian Neil Young. The sun came out for a few brief moments while they occupied the stage, making the ridiculous sunglasses on singer/guitarists Warren Spicer and Nic Basque seem a little less out of place. (DK)

Ponytail

Ponytail’s Dustin Wong and Ken Seeno have filtered their technical guitar work through a wild, artful imagination. Their psychedelic West-coast surf rock is laced with a Far Eastern vibe, played with unparalleled adrenaline. When you add Molly “Malibu” Siegel, who provides groanings which cannot be uttered to the mix, you’ve got a feel-good summer party. (Note that Molly’s expression mirrors that of her Michael Jackson T-shirt). (DK)

Day 2: Yeasayer/Ponytail Interview

Yeasayer

Yeasayer have also garnered a reputation as a must-see live act. They’ve become a staple on the festival circuit, playing Lollapalooza and having been included on some All Tomorrow’s Parties lineups. Singer/guitarists Anand Wilder and Chris Keating display some captivating vocal trade-offs, and with the addition of multi-instrumentalist phenom Ahmed “Sinkane” Gallab, they’ve tightened their performances even more. (DK)

Yeasayer/Ponytail Interview

PM: There’s some pretty technical guitar work going on everywhere in Ponytail’s songs. Are there any guitarists that were particularly influential?

Dustin Wong (Ponytail): Yeah, the Ventures. I listened to them a lot. They’re an instrumental surf band from the ‘60s. They’re really popular in Japan, they’re kind of gods over there. Their melodies were really Japanese without them intending it to be. They would ask them to do covers of Japanese songs. I just like that kind of unintentional melding of cultures.

Anand Wilder (Yeasayer): That reminds me, I read that Donovan autobiography, and he said that when he went to India, he was playing his songs for some professional musician, and he’d play a song, and the musician would be like “Yes, I know this song. This is a ragga #17.” And Donovan would be like “No, I wrote this”. And he’d play another song. And the guy would say, “Yes, I know this as well. This is a raga #412.” It’s like they’ve done it all. Every melody’s already been used.

PM: What’s your musical heritage prior to Ponytail?

DW: I was in a band called Ecstatic Sunshine, which was like two guitars, I was mainly in guitar duo bands before I joined Ponytail. It was the first band where drums and vocals were incorporated.

PM: You’re wrapping up your tour with Yeasayer. What have been some of the highlights of being on the road with them?

DW: Those guys are so professional. It’s amazing. And we can’t sing at all.

AW: You can sing.

DW: But you guys have crazy harmonies going on. There’s this one song, I think you’re calling it “One” right now. Anand is singing most of the melodies on that one. And it blows me away. I like blow up. Tonight, I was watching, and I thought I would cry.

PM: Anand, you grew up in Baltimore. Were you familiar with the people from Ponytail back then?

AW: No, we never really crossed paths until Jason Foster (the head of We Are Free) found us through someone who was through Baltimore. I think we met you guys at SXSW three years ago. Yeasayer went down there, Ponytail went down there. We got wasted, and that was the most fun. We played with Hanson. It was just a fluke. And now we’re on the same label. We’d never gone out on tour until now.

DW: I’m glad this happened.

PM: Logistical concerns aside, if you could play a show together anywhere in the universe, where would it be?

AW: The moon would be cool.

PM: Yeah the moon’s been on the news a lot lately with Walter Cronkite and all that.

DW: I bet the aliens out there, they’d play a lot differently, like they could just think the music and it would be there.

AW: Black hole.

DW: Yeah, playing, the sound of just getting sucked in.

PM: Yeasayer’s done some pretty serious touring over the past few years — it’s not playing in a black hole — but you’ve played Europe with Beck, toured with MGMT — what’s been the coolest part of your life on the road?

AW: Playing with Beck was pretty awesome. That’s someone I’ve looked up to my whole life. (Pauses to autograph a poster).

DW: I love your signature, by the way.

AW: Same since fourth grade. But anyway, Beck was awesome, just to meet him, I was starstruck. Nirvana, Beck — that was the first contemporary music I really got into. And I idolized him, went to see him when I was a kid.

PM: So how did you get connected with him — did he handpick you to go out for some shows?

AW: Yeah, I guess. We talked to him only once before the tour. We asked “Have you heard our album?” And he was like “Yeah! Of course I’ve heard the album. I picked you guys to tour with me.” So I guess he did, and that was really flattering. I guess my biggest regret was not saying “Dude, you’re so awesome, you influenced me so much — you’re such a genius!” And we never got a chance to party and bro down with him. I remember the last day I was like “Guys we’ve got to get a picture with him!” And they were like, “No…” trying to play it cool.

DW: So did you get a picture.

AW: Yeah, I got a picture. MGMT went on tour with them for like a month after that, and I think now Andrew is going out for herbal tea with him.

Wavves

After a 20-minute delay, Nathan Williams didn’t freak out or collapse on stage. There. Happy? (CS)

DOOM

One would be forgiven for mistaking the crowd’s cries of “DOOM” for booing, but I’m sure DOOM takes it in stride. Hype-man Big Benn Kling-on stirred up the crowd. Taking the stage a bit late, DOOM showed up in heavy camouflage. He must have stopped at Cabela’s on the way. With mushmouthed aplomb, he stuck mostly to cuts from his DOOM persona, though he made a short detour into Viktor Vaughn territory. The crowd was abuzz with rumors about DOOM lip synching. I’ve also heard that he demanded to be paid up front, in cash, before performing. Whatever the case, DOOM entered, sold rhymes like dimes and left. (CS)

The National

It’s amazing how far the National has come in the last couple of years, considering that they’ve toiled in semi-obscurity for a decade. The National’s sound lies on your dad’s satellite radio dial somewhere between Interpol and Coldplay, and they are well on their way to becoming as big as the former, if not the latter. At this point, they are used to playing stadiums, opening for Modest Mouse and R.E.M. Closing Day 2, the National delivered an intimate, understated series of tunes and goofy banter, suiting the twilight hour. Frontman Matt Berninger finally broke the simmering tension with wild screams during “Abel.” The second half of their set left us energized as we stole away into the Chicago night in search of some deep dish. (CS)

Day 3: Dianogah Interview, the Mae Shi…

Day 3

The Mae Shi

Dog tired festivalgoers enjoyed the anthemic spazz-rock of newly three-pieced the Mae Shi, complemented by on-stage collaboration from a hip-hop duo Yea Big and Kid Static. Some are calling this the Mae Shi’s last show. Others are saying that it wasn’t even technically the Mae Shi. (CS)

Dianogah

Chicago’s Dianogah, who have been playing together since 1995, gave the audience a twin bass guitar assault. Thankfully, their sound has not evolved much since that time, recalling Slint, Rodan, and other sorely missed bands from the ‘90s Touch and Go roster. Gang vocals (and kazoos) accentuated their rollicking final song, “You Might Go Off”.

Dianogah’s Jay Ryan is perhaps more familiar as one of Chicago’s finest poster artists and as operator of The Bird Machine print studio. We had a conversation with Jay about his band, printmaking, and some exciting aspects of his domestic life. (DK)

Dianogah Interview

PM: The gang vocals (and kazoos) on “You Might Go Off” were a highlight of your festival set. What’s your favorite song with gang vocals?

JR: The best gang vocals I can think of were (are) at Naked Raygun shows, which have built in “oh-way-oh” sing-along parts which pretty much everyone within a quarter-mile of the stage MUST sing along with.

PM: Every so often, you’ve been hitting the lecture circuit. Could you give a brief summary of your talking points for those of us unable to attend?

JR: My talk has evolved over time, but is basically an overview of where I came from when I was getting into making posters, a step-by-step look at the printing process, some photos of my dog, and a review of some favorite or remarkable projects we’ve done over time. Sometimes people actually sit through the whole thing.

PM: Given the state of the economy and the fact that I have more posters than I have room for on my walls, why should I buy any more prints at Flatstock?

JR: You need new posters because you are a well-rounded, constantly developing person who learns new things with every blossoming hour of your short, exciting life. Your brain absorbs information, you develop new tastes, and while you respect where you’ve been, you’re not stuck in your old ways. You grow, and your mind needs a new poster on the wall to represent one small aspect of your new favorite band. You have exactly $30 too much, and that ‘Sugar Ray’ poster on your wall isn’t doing you any good at all.

PM: Any artists at Flatstock whose work you’ve been particularly impressed with or intrigued by?

JR: I like all of them for various reasons, seriously. They can’t be compared, like apples and oranges, like root beer and back rubs. However, I would like to “give props” (which means to highlight the qualities of a person) to a couple of the new folks who have come into their own in the last year or so: Jon Vogl, Kevin Tong, Phineas Jones, and Justin Santora. You see what’s missing from that list? Women. Why are there only like a dozen great women making posters? We need some more women to throw down.

PM: What recent projects have you been excited about that you’d like to share with the general public?

JR: Oh yes. Our neighbors took down a big tree, so this coming winter’s firewood is all coming from one maple. Usually we scavenge a garage full of wood from various small piles we find on the curb when we’re out. First, I chainsawed the logs into roughly 15-inch-long pieces, and stacked those. The project has been splitting the logs, bringing the firewood into the garage and stacking it in a way which won’t fall over.

Also, even though it is mid-July right now, my lettuce and chard are finally coming in, so that’s good.

PM: What’s a favorite dish to make with your homegrown chard?

JR: Throw half a yellow onion in a pan, sizzle it, add the chard, cook it down, then scramble some eggs over the top. This meal works well if you’re planning on sitting and reading for a while.

Pharoahe Monch

Taking the stage to the unforgettable stomping Godzilla beat from “Simon Says”, Pharoahe Monche, backed by DJ Boogie Blind of the X-Ecutioners and singers Showtyme and MeLa Machinko, delivered a much more satisfying performance than yesterday’s DOOM set. Boogie managed to work in a subtle dig at DOOM’s lip synching antics before Pharoahe launched into angry tracks from Internal Affairs and Desire. I couldn’t help but enjoy the irony of a thousand pink fists raised to lyrics like, “Matter-a fact, kinda like this cat, for a white.” (CS)

Day 3: M83 Interview, DJ/Rupture and more

DJ/Rupture

DJ/Rupture blended a dizzying array of styles, tempos, and cultures. Eastern European folk rubbed shoulders with Ol’ Dirty Bastard, dubstep, and Nina Simone. The cool breeze and shade from the trees kept revelers cool. I was fortunate to witness a wonderful festival moment during Rupture’s slot. One guy danced alone, then another joined. Then another, and another. After ten minutes there were about fifty people dancing behind the sound stage in an area that had only moments earlier seen a few sitting around texting. (CS)

M83

During “Teen Angst” I heard the words “this song is unreal” from what I’d estimate was a 15 year-old boy being exposed to M83 for the first time. My hope is that this youth will pick up a guitar, mess around with some keyboards, and release a masterful work of nostalgic synth-rock by the time he’s twenty. This world needs more Anthony Gonzalezes. The mild-mannered Gonzalez is capable of starting a party by saying a few simple words — “don’t be afraid to dance” — and letting the music take hold of that suggestion. (DK)

M83 Interview

PM: Any favorite songs to play live?

AG: I like “Couleurs” — it’s from our last album — I mean the way we arrange the song and play the song on stage its really fun.

PM: How does the sound of your live band compare with your approach in the studio?

AG: Except for the very first album I always play with musicians in the studios. I like that, I love playing with other musicians. I started to love music on the guitar, after that, I was more into the synthesizers and electronic music. I like to combine different sounds and musicians from different sides of music.

PM: Other bands from France such as Air, Stereolab or the Cocteau Twins sing in both English and French. Is it a conscious decision for you to sing only in English?

AG: Maybe, on the next album, I’ll try singing in French — I’m always looking for new things to do. I don’t really think about it — because I listen a lot to American bands and English bands. When I was a kid I would listen to rock music — and the language of rock music is English to me.

PM: What bands when you were younger did you really attach to?

AG: I was really into Sonic Youth and the Smashing Pumpkins, and I was also really a Brian Eno fan. I was listening to a lot of his “Ambient” works.

PM: “Digital Shades Vol. 1” was released in 2007 — will we be seeing more in this series?

AG: Yes, if there is a Volume 1, there will be a Volume 2 for sure. The problem is, I don’t know when. I still have a lot of work to do, I still need to work on the new studio album. I have a lot of ideas — it’s more of a side project — kind of like Brian Eno had his “Ambient” series. It’s my vision of ambient music. It can also be seen as collecting some “B-sides” that don’t fit into the albums. And the thing is that I can do almost any of it in my own studio — I don’t have to go to a proper recording studio — and I can do whatever I want.

PM: Do you see yourself maybe going into the production side — producing for other bands?

AG: I’d like to — it’s very interesting to work with other bands. I’m doing that when I’m remixing people — I usually just keep the vocals and change the entire music behind it. It’s like producing just one track. I’d love if a band trusts me enough to produce an album.

PM: You’ve been recording and touring with M83 since a relatively young age. Is there anything else you aspire to do — musically or otherwise?

AG: I’d love do movie soundtracks — I love films. I have a few projects coming up next year and hopefully it’s going to work out. Nothing I can really say because nothing is definite yet.

The Very Best

One can’t help but wonder if Malawi’s own Esau Mwamwaya would be here if he hadn’t made the cunning decision to remix indie favorites Vampire Weekend and MIA. Oh well. He provided those of us who dared forego the Flaming Lips’ epic finale with a joyous evening dancehall set. One of his dancers did her moves from the confines of a metal folding chair, her broken leg preventing her from doing the one thing she was brought on tour to do. Poor girl. She gave it a go anyway, and provided those within view an adorable show of confidence. (CS)

The Flaming Lips

The Flaming Lips delivered eighty minutes of unadulterated joy to close out a fine weekend at the Pitchfork Music Festival. The band members entered in dramatic fashion through a portal in their visualization screen. Wayne Coyne, encased in his bubble, rolled out across a crowd of flailing arms. Frogs, white mice, bursts of confetti, and oversized balloons added to the grandiose spectacle as the Lips opened their set with “Race for the Prize”. After three days of sore feet, throbbing eardrums, and insufficient sleep, it was a welcome reminder of how good rock music can feel.

Coyne fumbled around with his list of the top requests for their “Write the Night” set, making playful banter with the crowd. Eighty minutes is not nearly long enough to cover every song we want to hear, but they did manage to hit several favorites. We were treated to tender, yet insistent versions of “Fight Test” and “Yoshimi pt 1”, and a rousing rendition of the saccharine “She Don’t Use Jelly”. The Lips ended the night quite predictably with the top request as selected by fans — “Do You Realize??” — their uplifting summation of beauty, happiness, death, love, and outer space.

The line to at the subway platform was packed with tired, smiling festival-goers. I was worn out myself, but I couldn’t help but smile back and think about the orange and yellow confetti being tracked through the streets and subways of Chicago. (DK)