The Real Chicago

Top Menu

  • Home
  • E-newsletter
  • Contact

Main Menu

  • Home
  • The Big City Blog
  • General Features
  • Around Town
    • First Look – Reviews
    • Hidden Gems
    • Inside Scoop
  • Eat. Drink. Shop.
    • Good Eats
    • Signature Dishes
    • A Round of Drinks
    • Shop Around the Corner
  • The Local Angle
    • Chicago Insider
    • The Local Corner
    • My Chicago
  • Interviews
  • Forum
Sign in / Join
  • Home
  • E-newsletter
  • Contact

logo

Header Banner

The Real Chicago

  • Home
  • The Big City Blog
  • General Features
  • Around Town
    • First Look – Reviews
    • Hidden Gems
    • Inside Scoop
  • Eat. Drink. Shop.
    • Good Eats
    • Signature Dishes
    • A Round of Drinks
    • Shop Around the Corner
  • The Local Angle
    • Chicago Insider
    • The Local Corner
    • My Chicago
  • Interviews
  • Forum
Breaking News

Chicago’s hidden gems: Kiss Kiss Cabaret, Unabridged Bookstore, Lulu Belle’s Pancake House and TNT at The Annoyance

First Look - ReviewsOld
Home›featured-blogs›First Look - Reviews›First Look review: Pitchfork Music Festival, with the help of Kendrick Lamar and St. Vincent, earned its stripes yet again

First Look review: Pitchfork Music Festival, with the help of Kendrick Lamar and St. Vincent, earned its stripes yet again

By TheRealChicagoOnline
July 26, 2014
1211
0
Share:
Kendrick Lamar

Pitchfork photo by Jessica Lehrman

By Scott Hartge
Photos courtesy of Pitchfork Music Festival

Once Chicago starts to thaw out from its gripping winter months, it’s hard for people to not get swept up in the excitement of festival season. Pitchfork Music Festival is certainly one of the festivals to get excited about. Located in Union Park, Pitchfork provides a staggering variety of music from intriguing, up-and-coming acts to large musical titans, as well as affordable food and drinks, and most importantly, manageability. This year’s version had a few hiccups here and there, but overall it was a great success.

Pitchfork crowd - Kristina Pedersen

Photo by Kristina Pedersen

Expectations going in: This was my fourth time attending Pitchfork, so my expectations were high. Pitchfork and its consistent layout always provide a stress-free environment. With three stages, two of which placed in a large field with another tucked away in a corner of the park, the organizers do a great job of using the space in Union Park. Unlike Chicago’s most popular beast of a music festival, Lollapalooza, all the stages here are relatively close to each other, allowing for quick trips from one set to another.

The music: The proximity between stages certainly came in handy with the amount of quality acts that played this year. Music veterans such as Neutral Milk Hotel, Beck, Slowdive and Sun Kil Moon graced the stages with their impressive live shows, while popular new acts like Grimes, Cloud Nothings, Deafheaven and Chicago’s own Twin Peaks played passionately.

My personal favorite act was the cathartic performance given by St Vincent (real name: Annie Clark), who provided a tight performance with her beautiful experimental pop and virtuoso guitar playing. Another favorite of mine, and for the crowd, was the new hip-hop phenomena Kendrick Lamar. He performed with a live band, adding substantial depth and detail to his songs. His Sunday headlining set was the perfect way to end the festival on a cool summer night.

The grub: The food at Pitchfork was what you would normally find at a festival. In other words, there were plenty of choices between burgers, pizza and barbecued meats. What really sets Pitchfork apart, though, is the amount of healthy options available. The tent I visited the most all weekend was operated by Whole Foods and placed strategically next to one of the only water refill stations (more about that unfortunate aspect soon).

The Whole Foods tent sold an assortment of fruits at affordable costs. Spending two dollars on a banana and an apple Beck at Pitchforkwas much more appealing than the eight dollars I spent on a lackluster cheeseburger that upset my stomach. You could also find free food at numerous places, most notably the Chipotle tent. If you had an hour to kill in line, the two free tacos and water bottle from Chipotle could be considered worth it.

Festival perks: The atmosphere at Pitchfork was another great pull. If you had time to spare between acts, you could browse the immense CHIRP Radio record fair. Dozens of record labels and local Chicago record shops set up tables with hundreds of records to dig through. The Flatstock Poster Fair was another enjoyable aspect. An entire street was blocked off for different vendors and artists to sell their music posters, many of which were not available during recent tours. Although the posters could be on the pricey side, they still provided a fun browsing session.

Complaints: The only issue I had was the very limited number of water refill stations — most only provided four or five fountains each. The lines were incredibly long as a result, tempting some folks to just cut the line altogether.

Final thought: Pitchfork, in every aspect, has stayed fairly consistent in recent years, and that is fine by me.

TagsBeckCloud NothingsDeafheavenGrimesKendrick LamarLollapaloozaNeutral Milk HotelPitchfork FestivalSlowdiveSt. VincentSun Kil MoonTwin Peaks
Previous Article

Good Eats at Girl and the Goat: ...

Next Article

First Look review: Crowded, wild and rainy, ...

0
Shares
  • 0
  • +
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

TheRealChicagoOnline

Related articles More from author

  • General Features

    Fun in the sun: What’s your expected highlight of the summer?

    May 28, 2016
    By TheRealChicagoOnline
  • The Big City Blog

    The Big City Blog: Six Chicago music events I’m still looking forward to this summer

    July 3, 2017
    By TheRealChicagoOnline
  • OldThe Big City Blog

    The Big City Blog: Chefs on the Grill tasting event, Grant Park Music Festival, Pride Fest at Kit Kat and ...

    June 13, 2014
    By TheRealChicagoOnline
  • Around TownGeneral Features

    Sun and fun: Five must-do activities now that Chicago’s best season is upon us

    June 14, 2012
    By TheRealChicagoOnline
  • We Ask, They Answer

    We Ask, They Answer: Q&A with The Orwells on starting out in music, favorite Chicago venues and Australian wildlife

    October 13, 2017
    By TheRealChicagoOnline
  • My Chicago

    My Chicago: What is something you’re definitely planning to do this summer in the city?

    June 30, 2010
    By TheRealChicagoOnline

You might be interested

  • Around TownGeneral Features

    Coffee craze: Exploring the best, most unique independent coffee shops Chicago has to offer

  • Around TownGeneral FeaturesOther Recent Articles

    A day at the museum: Exploring the iconic Field Museum in Chicago

  • Around TownGeneral Features

    Love is in the air: Romantic spots to spend Valentine’s Day in Chicago

Originally launched in 2006, The Real Chicago — as a glossy entertainment magazine, website and email newsletter — has consistently provided the very best insider information, features and reviews to help both tourists and active locals get the most out of exploring the greatest city on Earth.
© Copyright The Real Chicago. All rights reserved.

Login

Welcome! Login in to your account
Lost your password?

Lost Password

Back to login