Japandroids

Adios, 2010. You were a cool year. I liked when you did cool stuff like make the Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup, repealed DADT and got the Reader to vote us Best Local Music Blog. You weren’t so cool when you made the Cubs crappy or made earthquakes and oil spills happen. Still not sure if you were cool for Brett Favre or Ke$ha, but it’s all good. Here’s to you, 2010.

Oh, and be sure to spend you end of 2010 or beginning of 2011 seeing music. There’s plenty of great shows tonight like Japandroids at Schubas, Local H at the Bottom Lounge, CAVE at the Hideout and more.

Let’s get to it, shall we?

FRIDAY

CAVE
If you’re into this sort of thing, our very own Cave have been gracious enough to host a little New Years Eve bash for all of your ears. I think that’s pretty generous of them. Sure, usually New Years is about a quiet evening at home, maybe watching a movie with a glass of orange juice and heart healthy meal. I realize going to a show on New Years is totally crazy. The idea of being around a bunch of folks with, God forbid, beers in their hands just sounds so counter intuitive. Trust me on this one, though. If you think outside of the box, you just might enjoy yourself, and someday you’ll have a great story for the grandkids. Think it over. That’s all I ask. (Ross Meyerson)

10:00 p.m. Friday, 12/31. Hideout. 21+. 10.

LOCAL H
It’s that time of year again. It’s time for Local H’s annual NYE show! The hard rocking Chicago duo of Scott Lucas and Brian St. Clair went old school with this year’s theme “Gold Diggers 2011.” According to the show’s flier, formal attire is encouraged for all you “dapper gents” and “flapper girls.” Get your Busby Berkeley on while the band conjures up a mix of old hits, appropriate-to-the-theme covers, and balls-to-the-wall energy. Loud Loop Press attended last year’s themed NYE Show “2010: The Year We Break Contracts” and were left impressed by how serious Local H takes holiday shows. Expect no different this year. (Audrey Leon)

10 p.m., Friday, 12/31. Bottom Lounge. 21+ $50.

HOLY FUCK
If electro-rockers Holy Fuck were only remembered for their masterpiece song “Lovely Allen,” they still would have cemented themselves at least a plaque in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, if that museum weren’t too busy blowing Tom Petty or whatever it is they do in Cleveland these days other than meth. BUT, Holy Fuck, yes, is the band that bring drone to rock, and makes the results a dancefest spectacular that might be the most joyous way I can think of to ring in the new year. And though electronic music can sometimes be less-than-interesting to watch, Holy Fuck plays with so much energy and excitement and, well, happiness with what they’re creating, even those wallflowers (Jakob Dylan reference of the day) that forgot their dancing shoes will be able to enjoy the craftmanship that goes into this awesomeness. (Andy Kondrat)

7:30 p.m. Friday, 12/31. Congress Theatre. 17+. SOLD OUT.

JAPANDROIDS
It’s pretty great when a band actually lives up to the hype. Japandroids’ Post-Nothing came out of the gate screaming and gnashing its way to my top ten albums of 2009, and since then the band has released a slew of 7″ to tide us over until they give us another album. But you know what’s a better way to tide yourself over until the Japandroids give us another album? Seeing them tear shit up at Schuba’s–and you know that Japandroids can tear shit up at Schuba’s–on New Year’s Eve. Fuck and yes. To make this show even better, and well worth the thirty bucks, Chicago’s very own My Gold Mask opens the Friday show. The very same My Gold Mask that made Audrey’s top ten albums of 2010? Why, yes! The VERY same! I don’t know how you can miss this one. But, if you do, first of all you’re awful, but secondly, you’ll get another chance to see Japandroids on Saturday for a little cheaper. But without My Gold Mask, and without making out with the band at midnight. Though if they still play their version of Mclusky’s “Lightsabre Cocksucking Blues,” it’ll probably still be worth it. (Andy Kondrat)

10:00 p.m. Friday, 12/31 & Saturday, 1/1. Schubas. 21+ (Friday) & 17+ (Saturday). $30 (Friday) & $15 (Saturday).

SUNDAY

BONGRIPPER
One might think I personally put this show together as it features not one but two bands that I have recently reviewed. I assure you, dear readers, that this awesomeness was not the work of these hands. None the less, Bongripper, who not only got the review treatment but also snuck into my top ten of 2010, start 2011 out with sludge and doom. Opening are Coping who also received some kind words from yours truly. In between you can enjoy the peppy sounds of Stay Ahead Of The Weather and the post rock sounds of Castevet. Sounds delicious. (Ross Meyerson)

8:00 p.m. Sunday, 12/2. Subterranean. 17+. $8.

Atoms For Peace

A bit chilly today, but we can make it through this, Chicago. Nice warm up tomorrow and then clear sailing to sunny 80-degree days next week. Wait a second. When did this become the weather report? There could be a blizzard outside and that wouldn’t stop the fact that there’s tons of live music to be heard.

This weekend is packed with great shows from Mission of Burma, Japandroids, Thom Yorke’s new group Atoms For Pace and so much more.

Lets get to it, shall we?

Friday

HOSPITAL GARDEN
Come celebrate the release of Hospital Garden’s self-titled debut album at the Beat Kitchen. The Chicago trio, which previously opened for early 90’s alternative rock icon Evan Dando, will showcase its heavy, distortion rock sound Friday night. Hospital Garden is reminiscent of all that was great about 90’s alt rock, so come party like it’s 1995 and spazz out on the dance floor. Pogo is optional. Chicago dream-pop quartet Unique Chique are headlining. (Audrey Leon)

8:30 p.m. Friday, 4/9. Beat Kitchen. 21+. $8

THE SOFT PACK
My guess for Pitchfork this year, The Soft Pack somehow skipped AAA and jumped right to Lollapallooza’s major league. Kind of a drag in that they will most likely get swallowed up by the crowds. Fear not Chicago, for you can see them where they really belong, that being the Empty Bottle. The Soft Pack are way overrated. That said, it’s not their fault. They play fine, upbeat, steady indie rock with three simple cords and catchy melodies. No new ground indeed but good fun none the less. The UK’s Male Bonding (http://www.myspace.com/malebonding) and San Diego’s Beaters open. (Ross Meyerson)

10:00 p.m. Friday, 4/9. Empty Bottle. 21+. $10 advanced, $12 door.

JAPANDROIDS
Japandroids are music for everyone. Loud music, simple lyrics, and as much rock as you can handle. With their debut EP breaking into some of the most important top ten lists of last year, Japandroids create a sound that you can’t help but want to crank to 11. It’s sold out, but scalp a ticket on Friday at Lincoln Hall if you can; I hear they play Mclusky’s Lightsabre Cocksucking Blues in their show. That alone has to be worth the scalped price of admission. (Andy Kondrat)

10:00 p.m. Friday, 4/9. Lincoln Hall. 18+. $14r.

Saturday

ATOMS FOR PEACE
Rejoice! Thom Yorke is back in town. Albeit without Radiohead. This time the modern rock god is with his brand spankin’ new side project Atoms For Peace with a lineup that includes Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich and the Chili Peppers’ Flea among others. Early reports is that the show is heavy on Yorke’s material from his 2006 album The Eraser. That just shows you the lasting power of Radiohead and anything having to do with Radiohead. No one even questions Yorke when he wants to tour on a four year-old album. However, word on the street that the group has a few new tunes to debut, so these shows are a must for any RH fanatic. (Richard Giraldi)

6:30 p.m Saturday, 4/10 & Sunday, 4/11. Aragon. All Ages. $$47.25.

MISSION OF BURMA
Legendary Boston post-punks Mission of Burma will grace the Double Door stage in support of its latest album The Sound, The Speed, The Light. The band who influenced such artists as Sonic Youth, Nirvana, and Drive Like Jehu continues to create albums chock full of raw rock energy that are far superior to any output by today’s noise punks. You’ve seen the rest, now see the best on Saturday night. (Audrey Leon)

8:00 p.m. Saturday, 4/10. Double Door. 21+ $20.

BILL CALLAHAN
Bill Callahan is music for grown-ups. And I don’t mean that in a “Bryan Adams Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman” way. In his previous incarnation, Smog, and as a solo act, Callahan excels in music that doesn’t punch you in the face, but instead rewards the careful listener with heartfelt lyrics over well-crafted music that makes you want to replay every song immediately after you hear it. I actually had to pause Smog’s Knock Knock while writing this, because I couldn’t give the album my full attention. That being said, maybe it’s a good thing he’s playing at the Hideout on Saturday at 7 and 10pm, because you’re just going to want to watch it all over again after the first time. (Andy Kondrat)

7:00 & 10:00 p.m. Saturday, 4/10. The Hideout. 21+. $20.

Sunday

COMMON LOON
No doubt you read my blushingly glowing review of Common Loon’s debut, The Long Dream Of Birds. Well now you can catch them live and watch two dudes somehow make lush tunes out of just guitar, drums, and moxie. They are sandwiched in a pretty stella indie rock line-up including Bill Tucker, Chicago’s An Aesthetic Anaesthetic, Early Day Miners and headliner Unwed Sailor. Just a ton of music, friends. (Ross Meyerson)

7:00 p.m. Sunday, 4/11. Ronny’s. All Ages. $5.

Photo Credit: Carrie Musgrave - livebabylive.com

It’s that time again, we’ve looked ahead and started filling in our calendars with all of the awesome upcoming shows headed to Chicago in the next few months. Being the good guys and gals that we are, we’re sharing our favorites with you, all of which will surely be not-to-miss performances of artists from around the globe that includes an impressive line-up of local acts. Check out below what we think are the hot Winter/Early Spring concerts, local acts are BOLD for easy access, and let us know in the comments what we may have missed.

MONDAY, JANUARY 25

Cacaw – Empty Bottle

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27

DJ Krush – Empty Bottle

Streets on Fire – Double Door
One of our 10 Chicago Bands to Watch in 2010, they bring angular and frantic guitar riffs as lead singer Chadwick spouts his gnarled, rambling messages over at tight rhythm section. It’s fun yet dark and, at times, nearly psychotic.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 29

Adam Franklin – Hideout

Earth Program – Ronny’s
One of our 10 Chicago Bands to Watch in 2010, and it’s their record release party!

The New Deal – Park West

SATURDAY, JANUARY 30

Cold War Kids – Vic Theatre

Pentagram – Empty Bottle

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3

Asobi Seksu – Schubas

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4

State Champion – Bottom Lounge

The Entrance Band, Lights, White Mystery – Empty Bottle

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5

Dark Star Orchestra – Vic Theatre

Gov’t Mule – House of Blues

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 6

The Academy Is… – Metro
A special show in celebration of the 5 year anniversary of their debut release Almost Here with and opening set by Minneapolis based pop group Sing it Loud.

Dark Star Orchestra – Vic Theatre

Mavis Staples – Old Town School of Folk Music

Jemina Pearl – Beat Kitchen

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 7

D.R.I – Reggie’s Rock Club

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11

Mako Sica – Hideout

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13

DOOM, Mos Def – Congress Theater
Rescheduled from January 29th.

Fucked Up, Kurt Vile – Empty Bottle

Gene Ween Band – Lincoln Hall

Mariah Carey – Chicago Theatre

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14

Mariah Carey – Chicago Theatre

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15

Editors, The Antlers – Vic Theatre

An Evening With The Residents – Logan Square Auditorium

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16

Nosaj Thing – Lincoln Hall

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18

St. Vincent – Metro

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19

Four Tet – Empty Bottle

Trey Anastasio – Riviera Theatre

Smoking Popes – Reggie’s Rock Club

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20

Chicago Underground Duo – Hideout
Album release party for 2010’s Boca Negra on Thrill Jockey.

Patti Smith – Park West

Smoking Popes – Reggie’s Rock Club

Tortoise – Lincoln Hall

Scott Lucas and the Married Men – Schubas
Local H frontman Scott Lucas is striking out on his own with his new group The Married Men. This show at Schubas is a record release party for their debut album “George Lassos the Moon.”

The Sweeps – Bottom Lounge
One of our 10 Chicago Bands to Watch in 2010

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 21

Bela Fleck and The Africa Project – Old Town School of Folk Music

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22

El Perro Del Marr – Lincoln Hall

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25

Paul Di’Anno (original singer of Iron Maiden), Bible of the Devil – Reggie’s Rock Club

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26

Screeching Weasel – Reggie’s Rock Club

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27

Alkaline Trio, Cursive – Metro

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28

Cursive, Alkaline Trio – Metro
Cursive live is not to be missed. Frontman Tim Kasher is hilarious and unpredictable, which are all necessary components for a great live performance. Additionally, according to Audrey Leon Cursive’s “Mama, I’m Swollen” is one of the best albums of 2009.

TUESDAY, MARCH 2

Furthur – Auditorium Theatre

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3

Furthur – Auditorium Theatre

Streets On Fire – Empty Bottle

One of our 10 Chicago Bands to Watch in 2010

THURSDAY, MARCH 4

Gomez – Vic Theatre

FRIDAY, MARCH 5

Citizen Cope – Vic Theatre

J. Davis Trio – Bottom Lounge

moe. – Riviera Theatre

SUNDAY, MARCH 7

The Avett Brothers – House of Blues

Magnetic Fields – Harris Theater

SUNDAY, MARCH 8

Magnetic Fields – Harris Theater

TUESDAY, MARCH 9

Califone – Lincoln Hall
All My Friends are Funeral Singers will be shown along with a live performance of the soundtrack.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10

Califone – Lincoln Hall

JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound – Tonic Room

Vetiver – Empty Bottle

FRIDAY, MARCH 12

Hockey – Lincoln Hall

Kreator, Voivod, Nachtmystium – Bottom Lounge

Muse – United Center

Pelican – Beat Kitchen

SATURDAY, MARCH 13

RJD2 – Metro

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists – Bottom Lounge
Ted Leo is heading back to the Windy City to blow the roof off of the Bottom Lounge with songs from his latest release “The Brutalist Bricks,” many of which were performed at Lincoln Hall’s grand opening last October.

SUNDAY, MARCH 14

Orphaned Land, Indian – Bottom Lounge

MONDAY, MARCH 15

My Gold Mask – Empty Bottle
One of our 10 Chicago Bands to Watch in 2010.

THURSDAY, MARCH 18

Experience Hendrix – Chicago Theatre

P.O.S. – Bottom Lounge

FRIDAY, MARCH 19

Gil Mantera’s Party Dream – Empty Bottle

Appleseed Cast – Bottom Lounge

SATURDAY, MARCH 20

Alice In Chains – Aragon Ballroom

Norah Jones – Chicago Theatre

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24

Air – Riviera Theatre

JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound – Tonic Room

Matthew Good – Double Door

THURSDAY, MARCH 25

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – Metro

Vampire Weekend – Riviera Theatre
Check out Andy Kondrat’s review of Contra, and let us know what you think of the band’s sophomore effort.

FRIDAY, MARCH 26

Tegan and Sara – Aragon Ballroom

Vampire Weekend – Riviera Theatre

THURSDAY, APRIL 1

The Black Lips – Logan Square Auditorium

Spoon, Deerhunter – Aragon Ballroom

FRIDAY, APRIL 2

Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O, Plastic Crimewave Sound – Empty Bottle

Passion Pit – Congress Theater

SATURDAY, APRIL 3

Xiu Xiu – Lincoln Hall

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7

Henry Rollins – Vic Theatre

THURSDAY, APRIL 8

The xx, jj – Lincoln Hall
Each group put out killer albums last year making several of our top 10 lists.  This pairing of double consonant named bands will be grooving and moody and is already sold out.

FRIDAY, APRIL 9

Japandroids – Lincoln Hall
Check out Dan Henshaw’s review of their 2009 release, Post Nothing, a favorite of Andy Kondrat’s.

SATURDAY, APRIL 10

Mission of Burma – Double Door

FRIDAY, APRIL 16

Dr. Dog – Metro

King Sunny Ade and His African Beats – Old Town School of Folk Music

MONDAY, APRIL 19

Hot Chip, The xx – Riviera Theatre

FRIDAY, APRIL 23

Trans Am – Empty Bottle

SUNDAY, APRIL 25

B.B. King – House of Blues
The legend returns for another show at the HOB. If you haven’t seen him and Lucille do yourself a favor and get out for this concert.

THURSDAY, APRIL 29

Yeasayer – Metro

FRIDAY, APRIL 30

Owl City – Aragon Ballroom

One of the knocks against two-piece bands is that they lack variety in their sound, and that the music can become samey and repetitive. It’s true that duos are often forced to work with a smaller set of sounds and sometimes the music can suffer. However, recent years have seen talented two person acts step up and make great records. Dodos, High Places, No Age and others have overcome their small lineups and created awesome music and it’s time to add Vancouver’s Japandroids (made up of Brian King on guitar and David Prowse on drums, which each handling vocal duties) to that list.

True, their debut album Post-Nothing will do little to quiet critics who harp on duos for a lack of sonic variety, but Japandroids impressively take their modest arsenal of sounds and create a thrilling, catchy, and very fun LP. First single “Young Hearts Spark Fire” is the star of the show. It’s a blast of noisy and energetic garage rock that proves to be very infectious. It moves along quickly, as do most of the tracks on the album, and the pace is a major plus, as it helps keep the energy level up, which is great because these kind of songs feed off of that energy.

What’s interesting about “Young Hearts Spark Fire” is the different phases it goes through. It starts fast and keeps the pace for awhile until breaking down after the first chorus, and then picking up again shortly thereafter. It does this a few times, and it makes the track a thrilling and unpredictable listen that feels like it’s flying by the seat of its pants the entire time. The most interesting part though is the melancholic lyrical content that betrays the tune’s fun feel. “We used to dream/now we worrying about dying/I Don’t wanna worry about dyin’/I just wanna worry about sunshine girls,” sing King and Prowse. The whole thing feels so destructive and unhinged it’s impossible not to get swept up in the sound and chant along.

Another highlight is mid-album track “Heart Sweats”. The track plays up tense, frustrated verses for its first few minutes. The verses are accusatory barbs flung at a lover that the singer has some nasty things to say about. Despite having a “heart cold as ice” and a “soul as black as death” though, the Japandroids are still smitten, as the vocalist admits, “still my heart sweats.” The XOXOX chorus is when the song finally cashes in the quieter tenseness of the verses and it’s a simple but great moment when it happens, and you’ll be hard pressed not to shout the letters along with them.

At eight tracks and 40 minutes, Post-Nothing does a good job of getting in a getting out before the shtick gets stale. It’s a pretty consistent album that does a small handful of things very well. Sure, the same sounds permeate the entire record but Japandroids manage to do something unique enough on each song that I never get bored or feel like skipping a track. Post-Nothing is unapologetic and unfiltered lo-fi garage rock that does a great job of scratching that itch for something loud and uncomplicated.

Any album bursting with this much youthful energy and skillful songwriting is bound to be a blast, and it’ll be interesting to see if Japandroids can keep the fun levels on high over the course of more full lengths, but for now Post-Nothing is enough.
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Catch Japandroids Thursday, October 10, at Schubas. Tickets are available right now at Schubas.com for only $12! It’s an all ages show and starts at 3 p.m., so get there early. Their 21+ show on Wednesday night is sold out.
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Tickets for the 5th annual Pygmalion Music Festival set for September 16 – 19 in Champaign-Urbana are going fast. Festival passes are sold out as is the headlining performance from Iron and Wine.

If you still want to catch a few of the acts such as RJD2, Lucero, YACHT, The Antlers, Japandroids, Headlights, Wavves, Autolux and Low in some of Champaign-Urbana’s more intimate venues, then act now. Only a small number of single show tickets are still available.

You can find an updated schedule – changes include addition of Saturday’s day parties and adjustments due to cancellation of Solid Gold – after the jump:

Complete Pygmalion Music Festival 2009 Schedule:

WEDNESDAY

Canopy Club:
8:30 PM — Common Loon
9:30 PM — Mt. St. Helen’s Vietnam Band
10:00 PM — Owen
11:00 PM — Japandroids
12:00 AM — Headlights
1:00 AM — Physical Challenge DJs

THURSDAY

Blues:
11:45 AM — Liesel Booth
12:30 PM — Pamela Machala

Sandella’s:
12:45 PM — Tracey and Tricia
1:30 PM — Stanton McConnell
2:15 PM — Cara Maurizi

Red Herring:
6:00 PM — Morgan Orion and The Constellations
7:00 PM — My Dear Alan Andrews
8:00 PM — Post Historic
9:00 PM — Early Day Miners
10:00 PM — World’s First Flying Machine

Krannert Art Museum:
6:40 PM — Liz Janes
7:20 PM — Brooke Wagonner
8:00 PM — Denison Witmer
8:45 PM — My Brightest Diamond
9:45 PM — William Fitzsimmons
10:45 PM — Bob Nanna

Courtyard Cafe:
7:30 PM — Butterfly Assassins
8:30 PM — Deelay Ceelay
9:30 PM — Starfucker

Canopy Club:
6:20 PM — Ohtis
7:00 PM — Santa
7:40 PM — Mason Proper
8:20 PM — Company of Thieves
9:00 PM — Elsinore
9:40 PM — Joe Pug
10:30 PM — Decibully
11:10 PM — Maserati
12:10 AM — Margot and The Nuclear So and So’s
1:00 AM — Lucero

The Highdive:
9:00 PM — Geist
10:00 PM — DJ Belly
11:00 PM — DJ Mertz
12:00 AM — Skream

FRIDAY

Blues:
11:30 AM — Girls Next Door
12:00 PM — Ryan Groff
12:45 PM — William Fitzsimmons
7:00 PM — The Jips
8:00 PM — Empires
9:00 PM — jigGsaw
10:00 PM — So Many Dynamos
11:00 PM — So Long Forgotten

Sandella’s:
12:45 PM — Final Pygmalion Effect
1:30 PM — Matt Wagemann
2:15 PM — Kilroy et al

Channing-Murray:
6:30 PM — You and Yourn
7:15 PM — Hathaways
8:00 PM — Good Night and Good Morning
9:00 PM — Low

Red Herring:
10:30 PM — Oceans
11:30 PM — Pet Lions
12:30 AM — TBD

Canopy Club:
6:20 PM — Zach May and The Maps
7:00 PM — Ganglians
7:40 PM — Phantogram
8:20 PM — BLK JKS
9:00 PM — Jookabox
9:40 PM — Maps & Atlases
10:30 PM — Pomegranates
11:10 PM — The Antlers
12:10 AM — Autolux
1:00 AM — Wavves

Cowboy Monkey:
10:00 PM — Angie Heaton
11:00 PM — Mazes
12:00 AM — Cameron McGill and What Army
1:00 AM — The 1900s

Mike N’ Molly’s:
5:15 PM — The Delta Kings
6:15 PM — The Duke of Uke
7:15 PM — The Number One Sons
8:15 PM — Tina Sparkle
9:15 PM — Gentleman Auction House
10:15 PM — Light Pollution
11:15 PM — Neoga Blacksmith

Bentley’s:
9:30 PM — Village
10:30 PM — The Horns of Happiness
11:30 PM — Alpha Mile
12:30 AM — Golden Quality

SATURDAY

Parasol Records:
12:00 PM — Tim Stephens
12:40 PM — Morgan Orion and The Constellations
1:10 PM — Cameron McGill and What Army
1:40 PM — Peninsula
2:10 PM — Boston Fleener (of The Jips)
2:40 PM — Drew Danburry (acoustic)
3:10 PM — You and Yourn
3:40 PM — New Ruins (acoustic)
4:40 PM — The Horse’s Ha (acoustic)

Exile on Main St.:
1:30 PM — Elsinore
2:30 PM — Zach May and The Maps
3:30 PM — Santa
4:30 PM — The Curses

Courtyard Cafe:
5:00 PM — The Daredevil Christopher Wright
6:00 PM — Lymbyc Systym
7:00 PM — Brighton, MA

Krannert Center:
7:30 PM — The Books
8:45 PM — Iron and Wine
10:00 PM — Princeton
11:00 PM — Ra Ra Riot

Canopy Club:
9:00 PM — Physical Challenge DJs
9:45 PM — Porno Galactica
10:45 PM — YACHT
11:45 PM — The Hood Internet
12:45 AM — RJD2

Red Herring:
10:00 PM — On Again Off Again
11:00 PM — Now Now Every Children
12:00 AM — Drew Danburry
1:00 AM — Sunset Stallion

Cowboy Monkey:
10:00 PM — Lonely Trailer
11:00 PM — The Horse’s Ha
12:00 AM — Gazelle
1:00 AM — New Ruins

Mike N’ Molly’s:
8:15 PM — Tyson and The Friction
9:15 PM — Steel Eater
10:15 PM — Scurvine
11:15 PM — The Life and Times

Bentley’s:
10:30 PM — Take Care
11:30 PM — Marmoset
12:30 AM — Mordechai in the Mirror

I know what you’re thinking. “Uh, wasn’t PItchfork like a week ago?” Why, yes. Yes, it was. Better late than never, I suppose.

We went ahead and posted a review of the main event, The Flaming Lips, which you can read here. But now we’ve compiled a number of contributor reviews for a better overall look at last weekend’s highlight performances, which you can read after the jump…

Friday, July 19 – “Write The Night: Setlists by request”

Tortoise
If you read our interview with Tortoise drummer/other-ist John Herndon, you’d know that the band decided to go full on with the Write The Night democratic process and play only their most popular songs from the fan votes. This was something that Yo La Tengo and The Flaming Lips couldn’t completely deal with. But Tortoise did, and it made for an grand opening to the festival. Their slow building, vibraphone-driven psychedelic meets jazz-rock jams were a perfect way to open a festival on a cool, rainy July evening. They played a number of tunes from their debut, self-titled album, which elicited a strong positive reaction from the crowd. – Richard Giraldi

Yo La Tengo
How do you begin to choose a Yo La Tengo set? Stylistically, they are all over the map. This bore itself out when Ira didn’t even touch his guitar till the 4th song in. But his lurching and convulsing on “Cherry Chapstick” reminded everyone that, although they seem to be turning into a lounge act, there’s still a guitar freak waiting to unleash itself at any time. In a short set, the highlights really were the older tunes “Cherry Chapstick”, “Tom Courtney”, and “Sugarcube”, and, because of his excellent falsetto, James’s “Stockholm Syndrome,” which always brings me to the edge of tears. Much like the band these days, theirs was an uneven yet satisfying set. – Ross Meyerson

The Jesus Lizard
“Thanks for your support!” snarled Jesus Lizard front man David Yow after hitting a thin patch of fans while crowd surfing and inevitably falling to the ground. It was this sort of brash sarcasm in the air that made The Jesus Lizard’s triumphant Chicago return performance so visceral and entertaining. No doubt about it, this was pure, who-gives-a-fuck rock n’ roll – Booming bass, big drums, fist-in-the-sky riffs and a middle finger brandishing front man. As Yow leaped into the crowd with total disregard for the safety of the fans or himself, it was obvious age had no effect on these guys. The crowd – many of whom were middle aged men who had bought one day passes specifically for this performance – was completely enthralled and energized by every passing moment. Fan favorites from the 1991’s Goat such as Seasick, Here Comes Dudley and Monkey Trick sounded as fierce and menacing as they did 18 years ago. – Richard Giraldi

Built To Spill
This was the set I thought the crowd would get most right. But when they opened with “Liar,” I realized it was not to be. Maybe it’s because I think Perfect From Now On is, well, a perfect album and would have loved a set loaded with songs from it that hearing them play “You Were Right” and “Conventional Wisdom” felt like we were wasting our time. But, strong emotions aside, Built To Spill still sounded as good as always and tunes like “Kicked It In The Sun” and “Big Dipper” always bring a smile to my face. If i may sum up by quoting Built To Spill quoting The Rolling Stones, they were right when they said you can’t always get what you want. But Built To Spill has so much that you still get what you need. – Ross Meyerson

Saturday, July 18

Disappears
Chicago outfit, Disappears were the first to play at Balance stage on Saturday and expectedly, but regretfully, the crowd wasn’t too large. Fronted by guitarist/vocalist Brian Case (of locals The Ponys and 90 Day Men), the band, clad in tense, dark tones, bashed out their songs against a backdrop of daylight, trees, and fresh air. It was odd at first to see this gothy post-punkish group in such a setting but this is also why it worked. Playing in an open stage, Disappears’ music sounded clearer than it would in some cramped bar. That is not to say that Disappears’ no-bullshit songs won’t be able stand on their own, regardless of venue. “Magic” best showcased the band’s caliber with noise-y guitars and a catchy blues/kraut-rock groove punctuated by Case’s echo-y “Oh’s!” – Justin Aier

Cymbals Eat Guitars
Cymbals Eat Guitars got Saturday at the festival started off on the right note, running through roughly forty minutes of their straight-from-the-nineties indie rock without any hiccups. The set mostly featured cuts from the excellent Why There Are Mountains LP, which debuted earlier this year. Album opener “And the Hazy Sea” was particularly well done, featuring an awesome (extended?) guitar solo. Venturing away from the album proved successful also when they performed a beautifully melancholy rendition of their new single “Tunguska,” which came across well in a live setting. The sound was good with lead singer Joseph D’Agostino’s vocals coming through loud and clear and sounding very near to those on record. Smartly, the band closed with arguably their best song, “Wind Phoenix,” into which they seemed to inject an extra amount of energy with this live rendition. All told, it was a great set from a great band that proved to be just the energetic and catchy opening that Saturday’s proceedings needed. – Dan Henshaw

Plants and Animals
A decently sized crowd greeted Montreal trio Plants and Animals for their early-afternoon set on Saturday. The band responded with a solid set filled with several tracks from last year’s Parc Avenue album, as well as a couple new songs. The new material sounded good enough, but the set dragged a bit during these songs, not because of a lack of quality, but likely because of the crowd’s unfamiliarity with the new tunes. Predictably the band fared the best when they stuck to the Parc Avenue material that everyone had presumablycome to see. “Bye Bye Bye” was particularly great as the catchy album opener translated seamlessly to a live setting, and the crowd responded well, shouting the title along with the band during the chorus. Undeniably the best part of the set was an energetic and fun rendition of “Mercy” which the band plowed through with reckless abandon. It was a particularly fun performance that punctuated an otherwise solid-to-good set. – Dan Henshaw

Fucked Up
It’s a credit to frontman Pink Eyes that despite some sound troubles that marred catalog highlights and excellent tracks like “Twice Born” and “Son The Father” among others, watching Fucked Up’s 45 minute set Saturday never felt like a chore. Entertaining from start the finish, the band plowed through tracks from The Chemistry of Common Life such as “Magic Seal” and “Black Albino Bones,” as well as other highlights from their repertoire. Quickly losing his shirt, Pink Eyes grabbed and bit every beach ball that came his way, tossing the deflated plastic aside as he spit the pieces out, even as the he tore through the songs. Eventually donning one of the larger balls as a hat, it was his antics and banter that kept the set from being a loss. Whether the mics for the two guitarists weren’t on or they just weren’t audible, either way their vocals were sorely missing from the tracks mentioned above where their powerful yells provide the weight for the choruses in addition to Pink Eye’s strangled snarling. His stage presence and energy were incredible as he filled the time between the songs with some humorous banter, even baiting Pitchfork a bit when lavishing praise on the crowd, “I give you guys and 8.8”. – Dan Henshaw

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
After listening to TPOBPAH’s self-titled album repeatedly for the past 3 months I was hyped to see them. It was therefore a bummer when I realized that the sound system at their set wasn’t too great. Also, the singers were a bit off key at points. But of course, I only imagined their live show to live up to the pop-perfection of their studio album. High expectations aside, TPOBPAH really started to warm up mid-set, playing with a looser, yet more precise feel and with the vocals naturally falling into place. By the time the first notes of “Everything With You” started, I had forgotten about sound quality and was mesmerized by this talented, classy pop group. The band mentioned that Pitchfork was one of the bigger crowds they’ve played to. A few more shows and I guarantee they’ll be playing even bigger crowds soon! – Justin Aier

Ponytail
This band will not appeal to everyone via stereos or headphones, but man, what a live show! Not only was I was astounded by the energy and fervor of all four members on stage, but Ponytail ended up being a favorite at Pitchfork 2009. Granted energy and fervor were aplenty last weekend, but Ponytail was undoubtedly the most genuinely-glad-to-be-here-let’s-fucking-rock-out band in the festival’s bill. Being used to verse-chorus-verse structures with actual lyrics, it was surprising by how quickly the crowd was drawn to their music. Their hooks and riffs may not be as obvious, but are as catchy as you’ll find in any pop band. Siegel’s vocals sound as strange and enticing as Iggy Pop may have back in the 60s. And most importantly, the chemistry the band shares with itself and the audience will simply just make bop your head and grin uncontrollably. – Justin Aier

Yeasayer
One of the best sounding and most fun sets of Saturday belonged to Brooklyn art-pop outfit Yeasayer. After several hours of good to solid sets, Yeasayer’s forty minutes on the festival’s Connector stage stood out as a particularly well done and all around fun affair. It all succeeded so mightily because the sound was near perfect, with all parts coming through the speakers with great clarity and excellent balance. Of course that wouldn’t mean anything if the songs weren’t up to par. But Yeasayer really brought it, performing highlights from 2007’s All Hour Cymbals such as “2080” “Sunrise” and “Wait For Summer” as well as some new tracks from an in-progress second album. The set was further buoyed by a great rendition of the band’s Dark Was the Night contribution “Tightrope,” which sounded great live and dripped with the near-studio quality that permeated the rest of the set. – Dan Henshaw

Beirut
As Saturday’s festivities began to wind down, Beirut took the Connector stage for a 65 minute set that drew from almost all of the band’s releases. While the material was strong, some sound troubles kept it from being an all-out success. Zach Condon’s voice came through fine, as did most of his sizeable backing band, but in the park the horns seemed to lose a lot of their impact, at least from where I was standing. Perhaps things sounded better to those stationed closer to the stage, but from farther away the sound was somewhat muffled. It’s the robust horn section that gives Beirut’s best songs their flavor and this particular weight was sorely missing from catalog highlights like “Postcards From Italy” and “Elephant Gun.” The normally powerful and swelling horns that give these tracks their potency came through the speakers weakly and the songs suffered. Still other tracks sounded good, weakened horns notwithstanding. – Dan Henshaw

The Black Lips
There is just something about four dudes who look like 1950’s greaser thugs playing a hybrid of edgy 1960’s brit pop and 1950’s American garage rock that gets you going. The Black Lips live energy is almost unparalleled. The crowd pushed and shoved their way to the front for an all-out thrash workout. The band, who were victims to a shortened set because of band backup from early in the day, never wavered or slowed down. Every song was pedal to the floor, maximum R&B carnage. At the end of the set during a rambunctious version of “Bad Kids” form 2007’s Good Bad Not Evil, a number of fans crowd surfed onto the stage and danced with the band. Really, it was more unorganized chaos than a concert. But it was fun, dammit. – Richard Giraldi

The National
With the sun setting on the festival’s second day, it was The National’s job to end the day with a rocking finale. And they did, delivering one of the best sets of the entire weekend. The sound was near-perfect as the band tore through 18 songs in about 80 minutes. There were hardly any lulls to speak of in a set that drew heavily from 2007’s acclaimed Boxer (all but three cuts from the album were present) and featured highlights from their previous album Alligator as well as some tracks I (and the rest of the crowd it seemed) didn’t recognize. The Boxer material sounds great two years later with “Mistaken For Strangers” still being a highlight that sounds great live. Bathed in blue light, frontman Matt Beringer delivered a particularly poignant version of “Slow Show” that ended up being one of the highlights from the set. It should be mentioned that Berginger is at this moment one of indie rock’s best frontmen. In addition to his excellent voice he is a great live performer with phenomenal stage presence. His aptitude for live performances was on full display during the set, especially as he shouted through the chorus of “Abel,” moving about the stage with great energy. Still the best moment of the set came when Beringer entered the crowd during “Mr. November,” and screamed the final chorus while being hoisted up in the air by the crowd. It was a spectacular moment that was not only one of the best of the amazing set, but of the entire festival. – Dan Henshaw

Sunday, July 19

The Walkmen
Just by looking at them, you knew The Walkmen were all business. Probably the only band all weekend where all the members wore collared shirts tucked into khakis, The Walkmen gripped the large crowd with their folk-tinged, rhythm-heavy indie rock. Front man Hamilton Leithauser’s almost Dylan-esque vocals and riveting stage presence recall R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe. Near the end of their set, the band offered the upbeat “Louisiana” from 2006′s A Hundred Miles Off as the sun broke through the clouds for the first time that day, which gave the performance a surreal and almost spiritual feeling. – Richard Giraldi

Japandroids
Vancouver two-piece Japandroids might not have been the best or most accomplished band featured at this year’s Pitchfork Festival, but their set was easily among the most fun and hard-rocking performances of the whole weekend. Japandroids spent the better part of an hour tearing through their fantastic Post-Nothing album. I simply can’t stress how much they just flat out rocked. The sound was good enough and the band played to its strengths by simply playing fast and loud and keeping the between-song banter to a minimum. “The Boys Are Leaving Town” got the crowd pushing and shoving immediately and the duo kept the energy level up the entire time with other thrashers like “Rocker’s East Vancouver,” “Heart Sweats,” and “Young Hearts Spark Fire.” The band matched the audience’s intensity as guitarist/vocalist Brian King jumped about, swinging his hair wildly and drummer David Prowse pounded away furiously. It was one of the most all out physical and satisfying sets of the festival. – Dan Henshaw

The Flaming Lips
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