There are more than 40 bands and artists scheduled to play the Pitchfork Music Festival this weekend in Union Park. Here’s a highly subjective guide to the best of the best:
Guide to the fest
The Pitchfork Music Festival is Friday through Sunday at Union Park, 1501 W. Randolph St. A guide to everything you need to know if you go.
.g-artboard {
margin:0 auto;
}
#g-map-park{
position:relative;
overflow:hidden;
width:280px;
}
.g-aiAbs{
position:absolute;
}
.g-aiImg{
display:block;
width:100% !important;
}
#g-map-park p{
font-family:nyt-franklin,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;
font-size:13px;
line-height:18px;
margin:0;
}
#g-map-park .g-aiPstyle0 {
font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;
font-size:16px;
line-height:16px;
font-weight:bold;
text-align:center;
color:#000000;
}
#g-map-park .g-aiPstyle1 {
font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;
font-size:14px;
line-height:16px;
font-style:italic;
color:#000000;
}
#g-map-park .g-aiPstyle2 {
font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;
font-size:14px;
line-height:17px;
font-style:italic;
color:#000000;
}
#g-map-park .g-aiPstyle3 {
font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;
font-size:16px;
line-height:17px;
font-weight:bold;
font-style:italic;
text-align:center;
color:#000000;
}
#g-map-park .g-aiPstyle4 {
font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;
font-size:14px;
line-height:16px;
font-style:italic;
text-align:center;
color:#000000;
}
.g-aiPtransformed p { white-space: nowrap; }
Red Stage
Blue Stage
Main
gate
Green Stage
LAKE
RANDOLPH
UNION
PARK
ASHLAND
Food
and
drinks
Vendors, books,
crafts, posters
and records
WASHINGTON
OGDEN
2nd
gate
Plus
VIP area
MADISON
1 p.m.
Friday
Green Stage
The Curls
1:45 p.m.
Friday
Red Stage
Melkbelly
Why to see it: Pitchfork has a long tradition of putting local up-and-comers in the lineup to entice early arrivals, and Melkbelly is definitely worth a get-out-of-work-early pass. The coed quartet carries on the city’s noise-rock tradition and blends it with indelible hooks.
2:30 p.m.
Friday
Green Stage
Lucy Dacus
Why to see it: The Virginia-based singer-songwriter may come off as a little low-key, but don’t be fooled. Her songs pack a staggering emotional punch.
2:45 p.m.
Friday
Blue Stage
Julie Byrne
3:20 p.m.
Friday
Red Stage
Joshua Abrams and Natural Information Society
4 p.m.
Friday
Blue Stage
Open Mike Eagle
Why to see it: The veteran Chicago poet and rapper is coming off a typically erudite and particularly personal album, “Brick Body Kids Still Daydream.”
4:15 p.m.
Friday
Green Stage
Tierra Whack
4:15 p.m.
Friday
Green Stage
Saba
Why to see it: Though only 23, Saba has his thumbprint all over Chicago’s hip-hop renaissance with his production work and MC skills. His latest release, “Care for Me,” is his best yet.
5:15 p.m.
Friday
Blue Stage
Julien Baker
6:15 p.m.
Friday
Green Stage
Syd
6:30 p.m.
Friday
Blue Stage
Big Thief
7:25 p.m.
Friday
Red Stage
Courtney Barnett
Why to see it: When the Australian singer-guitarist last played a big stage at Pitchfork, she made a jaw-dropping impression. Expect her sheets-of-sound guitar-playing to blast her nuanced songs skyward.
7:45 p.m.
Friday
Blue Stage
Mount Kimbie
8:30 p.m.
Friday
Green Stage
Tame Impala
Why to see it: The Australian psych-rock band’s mastermind, Kevin Parker, is overdue for new music. Maybe he’ll break out some teasers.
1 p.m.
Saturday
Green Stage
Paul Cherry
1:45 p.m.
Saturday
Red Stage
Berhana
2:30 p.m.
Saturday
Green Stage
Zola Jesus
Why to see it: Nicole Hummel dives into daring, eerie art-pop. Unfortunately, the daylight slot isn’t ideal for her dark-tinged music, but she’ll likely make something of it nonetheless.
2:45 p.m.
Saturday
Blue Stage
Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith
3:20 p.m.
Saturday
Red Stage
Nilufer Yanya
4 p.m.
Saturday
Blue Stage
Circuit des Yeux
4:15 p.m.
Saturday
Green Stage
Moses Sumney
Why to see it: The towering singer excels at ambient soul music, and builds his own insular world on record and stage.
5:15 p.m.
Saturday
Blue Stage
Girlpool
5:15 p.m.
Saturday
Red Stage
Raphael Saadiq
Why to see it: The former singer in Tony! Toni! Tone! and longtime producer will deliver R&B ballads and groovers with a stylish, old-school flair.
6:15 p.m.
Saturday
Green Stage
Blood Orange
6:30 p.m.
Saturday
Blue Stage
This is Not This Heat
Why to see it: The United Kingdom trio This Heat drew up a road map for post-punk in 1976, and now have reformed with founding members Charles Bullen and Charles Hayward to extend the legacy.
7:25 p.m.
Saturday
Red Stage
The War on Drugs
7:45 p.m.
Saturday
Blue Stage
Kelela
Why to see it: The artist’s 2017 album, “Take Me Apart,” merges esoteric atmospherics and beauty, a bold and boundary-free statement of black female self-empowerment.
8:30 p.m.
Saturday
Green Stage
Fleet Foxes
1 p.m.
Sunday
Green Stage
Nnamdi Ogbonnaya
Why to see it: The multi-instrumentalist has played drums and bass and rapped in countless inventive Chicago-based projects.
1:45 p.m.
Sunday
Red Stage
Irreversible Entanglements
2:30 p.m.
Sunday
Green Stage
Kweku Collins
Why to see it: The Evanston producer-MC has burrowed into the loaded Chicago scene with dynamic performances and a consistent flow of music, including the recent single “Sisko and Kasidy.”
2:45 p.m.
Sunday
Blue Stage
Kelly Lee Owens
3:20 p.m.
Sunday
Red Stage
Ravyn Lenae
4 p.m.
Sunday
Blue Stage
Japanese Breakfast
4:15 p.m.
Sunday
Green Stage
Smino
5:15 p.m.
Sunday
Blue Stage
Alex Cameron
5:15 p.m.
Sunday
Red Stage
Noname
Why to see it: Fatimah Warner’s stunning debut, the 2016 release “Telefone,” announced the arrival of a major new voice in the local hip-hop scene, and anticipation is high for a follow-up.
6:15 p.m.
Sunday
Green Stage
DRAM
6:30 p.m.
Sunday
Blue Stage
(Sandy) Alex G
7:25 p.m.
Sunday
Red Stage
Chaka Khan
Why to see it: One of the most versatile singers in funk history, Khan is sure to play the hits that made her a legend, but here’s hoping she also dips into the new material she has in the pipeline, including the scintillating Switch-produced single “Like Sugar.”
7:45 p.m.
Sunday
Blue Stage
Japandroids
8:30 p.m.
Sunday
Green Stage
Lauryn Hill
Why to see it: The former Fugees singer will perform her highly influential debut album, “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill,” on its 20th anniversary.
Greg Kot is a Tribune critic. On email at greg@gregkot.com or on Twitter @gregkot*
Sources: Pitchfork, Chicago Tribune reporting
Created by the Chicago Tribune dataviz team on Twitter @ChiTribGraphics
//graphics.chicagotribune.com/kot-pitchfork-picks-2018/js/app.min.js
(function(document) {
var CSS = [
“//graphics.chicagotribune.com/kot-pitchfork-picks-2018/css/styles.css”
];
CSS.forEach(function(url) {
var link = document.createElement(‘link’);
link.setAttribute(‘rel’, ‘stylesheet’);
link.setAttribute(‘href’, url);
document.head.appendChild(link);
});
})(document);
