Pitchfork Music Festival 2024 has officially wrapped! Here’s a look at some of the best sets of the weekend.
Friday, July 19, 2024
Black Pumas’ set reached its zenith early on, during “Know You Better,” when frontman Eric Burton leapt off the stage and into the crowd. Dancing, snapping selfies, and hugging fans, Burton turned the soulful concert into a communal celebration. “Look, I don’t even need security,” he joked. “Someone tickled me, though.”
–Boutayna Chokrane
As fame creeps up on Jeff Rosenstock, he refuses to trade in his morals; between Hellmode songs about self-doubt and climate change, the DIY punk stalwart thanked festival workers for taking good care of artists in one breath and shamed corporations for privatizing water in another. His fans kept it real, too: After helping Rosenstock crowdsurf while playing saxophone, they lifted an older woman in the moshpit and crowsurfed her to the front. The set had a massive turnout, making Jeff Rosenstock and his band the latest act to join the storied list of artists getting too big to play the Blue Stage.
–Nina Corcoran
Dressed in an all-black outfit and oversized sunglasses to match, Rosali performed onstage with the effortless stance of your coolest friend nursing a hangover—while still looking suave, of course. The North Carolina singer-songwriter led her band through the warm Americana, classic rock guitar solos, and lackadaisical folk strums of her new album, Bite Down, giving the music an extra edge with witty retorts and cheeky one-liners. As Rosali and her bandmates spun folk-rock made for back porch beers and lazy afternoons, she sang coolly, “Baby, I don’t give a shit.” We know, and her nonchalance is infectious.
–Nina Corcoran
In the hands of Sudan Archives, a violin is a bow and arrow, pistol, and katana. On the Blue Stage, she was armed with a quiver of violin bows that she often unsheathed to the sound of a sword slicing the air. Performing tracks from her 2022 album, Natural Brown Prom Queen, she was funny, flirty, and mesmerizing in her thermal imaging body suit. “I got a cousin in Chicago/Who got homies from the way,” she sang, pointing to her family standing left stage, “They’ll smack you in your face/A certain type of hello.” Occasionally, she cocked the violin at the audience, plucking ominous chords as she scanned the audience like a Huntress of Artemis. She may as well have superpowers.
–Heven Haile
Striding onto the stage in a black leather mini-dress adorned with silver cutout stars and “FAME” plastered on her bum, Tkay Maidza resembled an intergalactic rock queen. Against the backdrop of a red moon, the Zimbabwean Australian singer-songwriter matched the hype of her crowd, bouncing from her woozy cover of Pixies’ “Where Is My Mind?” to the twerk-inducing “Ring-a-Ling” and the vengeful trap anthem “WUACV.” Before closing her set with “High Beams,” Maidza offered a nugget of wisdom to her fans: “Be delusional that today is gonna be amazing.”
–Boutayna Chokrane
When Yaeji last graced the Pitchfork Music Festival stage, in 2021, we were fresh out of lockdown. Three years later, the Korean American electronic artist returned, whirling around the stage with an aura of emotional release. “And I’m 30,” she announced to the crowd, giggling as they cheered her on. Yaeji and her backup dancers swirled, swayed, and swung through her set. The crowd, to no one’s surprise, erupted for breakthrough hit “Raingurl,” bopping in freakish synchronization. Yaeji closed her set with a glimpse of her future, performing the unreleased banger “Booboo.” “If you resonate with my music,” she said before sharing the track, “you are a mirror for myself in some ways as I am for you.”
–Boutayna Chokrane
Saturday, July 20, 2024
From the old-heads who remember when Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe” dominated the airwaves to the youth who maybe weren’t born when the Canadian debuted, with Tug of War, in 2008, multiple generations gathered to enjoy Jepsen’s 16-year discography. For everybody, it was a celebration. Jepsen’s set was like a shot of 5-Hour Energy. If it weren’t for the barricades, I’m sure the crowd would’ve taken the chorus to “Run Away With Me” quite literally.
–Heven Haile
“We’re celebrating 40 years of friendship and brotherhood!” DJ Maseo yelled from his stand, setting the vibe for a trip down memory lane. “We’re also celebrating Trugoy the Dove!” De La Soul followed through with a wave of nostalgia, performing classics like “Potholes in My Lawn,” “Me Myself and I,” and “A Roller Skating Jam Named ‘Saturdays’.” A surprise appearance by Talib Kweli, for “Stakes Is High,” added to the sentimentality, but the hypest moment was when Pharoahe Monch joined for “Simon Says,” shaking the ground with the party people’s jumping. “A lot will come up here, collect that check, and give you a half-assed show,” Posdnuous told the crowd. “But not De La Soul!”
–Boutayna Chokrane
Pittsburgh noise-pop group Feeble Little Horse crammed 16 songs into their set, including Girl With Fish highlights “Steamroller” and “Tin Man,” heady older numbers “Chores” and “Hold,” and a brand new song. They countered their scuzzy tone with absolute charm, quipping about opening for fellow Red Stage performer Carly Rae Jepsen and more fun stage banter. “Here’s a song that Pitchfork gave a 7,” laughed guitarist Sebastian Kinsler. “Why are we here? Why do they want us?” As fans swayed in the crowd, taking in the fuzzed-out set and camaraderie, the answer was obvious.
–Nina Corcoran
Under a full moon, Jamie xx transformed the stage into a sensory wonderland, blending distorted live footage of the dancing crowd along with a hypnotic light show. A masterclass in atmosphere and pacing, the English DJ opened with the summery “Baddy on the Floor” and mixed his way through tracks like Henry Rodrick’s “Don’t Believe” and Lemon D’s “This Is LA.” He paid tribute to Chicago, too, with DJ Rashad and DJ Spinn’s “Brighter Dayz,” making the crowd bop their heads so hard it looked like they were ready to pop off. Closing with his latest collab with Robyn, “Life,” Jamie xx kept the crowd exhilarated.
–Boutayna Chokrane
Saturday evening, Jessie Ware brought the Pearl Club to Chicago. “In our club, we demand that you free yourself,” she proclaimed while twirling around in her mirrorball jumpsuit. Flanked by her “Pearlettes”—a cadre of two unbelievably flexible dancers, two dynamic background singers, a guitarist, and a drummer—the self-proclaimed musical theater nerd invited the crowd to indulge in some guilt-free hedonism. No disco revival is complete without a cover of the goddess of disco herself, Cher. Ware’s rendition of “Believe” came complete with the Brit singing face-to-face with gyrating fans who fully took her command of “Pleasure is a right!” to heart.
–Heven Haile
“I wrote this song at 17, which was around the age I dreamt about playing at Pitchfork, so this is very weird,” Kara Jackson confessed to the audience before performing “Ray”—a track from her 2019 EP A Song for Every Chamber of the Heart. Usually, Jackson rides solo with her acoustic guitar, but, on Saturday, she’s joined by a four-piece band. Still, her performance of “Dickhead Blues”—the proclamation of self-worth on 2023’s Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love?— is the first time I’ve seen a crowd twerk to the sound of acoustic guitar plucks. That and her medley of “No Fun/Party” and SZA’s “Love Galore” solidified her place as the future of folk.
–Heven Haile
Last year’s deeply moving Unwound reunion shows were a lesson in emotive tenacity, and the post-hardcore band sounded even more confident, centered, and determined while closing out the Blue Stage on Saturday. With a Repetition-heavy setlist, guitarist Justin Trosper and drummer Sara Lund pummeled through a raw set that channeled the frenzied focus of the late Vern Rumsey, as honored by stand-in bassist Jared Warren. After a soul-purifying rendition of “For Your Entertainment,” each member took turns tossing flowers from the stage until the whole crowd smelled like roses. As one kid yelled in the empty field afterward, arms out wide and head tilted to the sky, white carnations in hand, “Unwound is the best fucking band.”
–Nina Corcoran
Sunday, July 21, 2024
Sunday night’s headliner and festival closer, Alanis Morissette, kicked off her buzzing set with the iconic “Hand in My Pocket” and the first of many harmonica solos—setting the tone for a night filled with adolescent nostalgia and angst. She kept the energy high with classics like “Head Over Feet” and “You Oughta Know,” fans screaming the lyrics at the top of their lungs as they happily shed tears. When Morissette started to spin during the crescendo of “Smiling,” it was clear she was as engulfed in this moment as we were. Just when it felt like the night couldn’t get better, Muna joined the alt-rock legend for a special performance of “Ironic.” What a way to wrap up the Pitchfork Music Festival.
–Boutayna Chokrane
Festival lethargy and imminent weekday dread typically hit mid-Sunday as the sun begins to set, but Crumb and their mellow psych-rock let everyone enjoy the evening and ease out of the weekend. The quartet worked through Amama songs and older favorites, like “Ghostride” and “Balloon,” with slick precision, leaning into the grooves and rhythmic breakdowns. Crumb amplified their jams with an enchanting setup of dangling metal flowers that opened and closed, a translucent orange drum set that glowed, and overhead rainbow lights.
–Nina Corcoran
With her four-piece band, Jessica Pratt delivered some much needed respite after two incredibly frenetic days. Although the sun was baking us alive— notably Pratt, who exclaimed, “I’m melting like Rudy Giuliani”—her enchanting croons traveled through a rapt audience. Mouthing along to her lyrics, the crowd did not dare to breach a whisper and disrupt the intimate atmosphere. We all knew better than to interfere with Jessica Pratt’s divine melodies.
–Heven Haile
In a sultry, soft-spoken voice, Marisa Dabice elongated the “s” each time she said her band’s name—“Mannequin Pusssssy”—during a set seemingly aimed at making the crowd comfortable with the uncomfortable. They raced through I Got Heaven material, a run of hardcore tracks, and howling pop-rock songs with snarling sentiments. An indelible frontperson, Dabice purred every line of stage banter—convincing men to scream “pussy” as loudly as possible, scolding religion and “God-fearing parents who [try] to make you ashamed”—while hiking up her dress. Was it satire? Does it even matter if it was just awesome?
–Nina Corcoran
“This song goes out to any dykes that are out here tonight,” Katie Gavin of Muna announced early in the group’s set. Since their debut, Muna’s shows—led by singer Gavin and instrumentalists Naomi McPherson and Josette Maskin—have served as a bubbly pop catharsis and a place of refuge for marginalized people. With their infectiously upbeat pop tracks, a “Free Palestine!” proclamation, and the dedication of “Kind of Girl” to their trans fans, they accomplished just that Sunday afternoon.
–Heven Haile
