Pitchfork Festival: Day One

She didn’t need any backup dancers or choreography as she dervish-whirled and thrusted her way through a great set, built on odes to heartbreak and fuck-you attitude. She even grabbed a pair of drumsticks for a roto tom solo.

I arrived just before Robyn began her set to a stunning silence. Before the sweet-voiced Swede jumpstarted the crowd with several selections from her Body Talk Pt. 1 album, as well as her first freedom-from-the-pop-factory single With Every Heartbeat, many people were sitting listlessly on Union Park’s fields, trying to block out the sun.

But before her set, Pitchfork organizers got on the mic to announce water prices had dropped from $2 to $1 for the rest of the weekend. One of the classiest and most intelligent moves made by any festival, and extra props to them for deciding such a change early on before lots of people got hurt. Too many fests that make such a necessary call do so toward the end, after many already have struggled through.

Broken Social Scene began immediately after Robyn ended with much quieter volume. The sudden contrast was jarring at first, as one should be ready for loudness with Pitchfork having extra speakers by both soundboards. But soon it became clear the air of peace actually fit the warmth of Broken Social Scene’s elegantly layered heartfelt folk rock.

But if there’s one way to give a festival sound crew a run for their money, bring your musician friends. All of them. And make sure there are a few acoustic string instruments to mic to ensure that everyone has a share of the feedback.

BSS’s set started with crackling speakers and other sound problems as the band tried to fit a cavalcade of strings, winds, guitars, basses, drums and singers on the stage. But as the group slowly deconstructed throughout the set, it showed that the true heart of this band is driven heavily by the crafty and bright guitar melodies of Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning.

Variety from the different forms this interchangeable outfit can take was a great touch to the set, especially once the sound problems subsided. The additional personnel included Chicago’s stalwart of awesomeness in Tortoise and Sea of Cake John McEntire (who produced the band’s latest effort Forgiveness Rock Record), as well as other Chicago locals including violinist Susan Voelz and cellist Alison Chesley. Switching sounds from Drew’s howling vocals to singer Lisa Lobsinger’s pained subtlety gave the set an interesting range.

Modest Mouse began their headlining set with seven minutes of the snaky and funky dance stomp Tiny Cities Made of Ashes. The eerie tune was marked by a big gust of wind that sweeped over the crowd as the weirdness began. Banging rhythms, shriek vocals of Isaac Brock and another group of musicians that can drastically alter their textures song to song made the set a great way to end day one.

Reactions have been about 50/50 for and against the set, which was noticeably lacking their fame catapult Float On. But after six years, and who knows how many idiots shouting for it at shows, I think we can see what else the weird band can offer. Instead, they played several new tracks off their latest release No One’s First and You’re Next, as well as tracks dating back to 1996 such as Dramamine.

Unfortunate crowd activity happened during their set: glow stick tossing. At Pitchfork. Really? Where are the hipsters to fight these ninja hippies? An overall lack in ironic mustaches, bad mullets, tight jeans, plastic shades and neckerchiefs were a bit disappointing this year, but the blue hair has made a comeback. More on that later in the weekend.

Brock took the glow sticks as an opportunity to tell a story of what happened when he ate the toxic inner contents of one.

“Learn from my mistakes,” Brock said.

While the tempo slowed occasionally for the group’s banjo-led numbers, which would be just at home in a circus lounge cabaret for bluegrass pickers, Modest Mouse didn’t stay at a walking pace for long. The stomps came back strong, and they gave the fest a great first day salute.

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