Yuck
Old-fashioned indie-rock? Is that a thing now? I dunno, but that’s what Yuck sound like to me. Hopefully, in the tradition of old-fashioned indie rock, their live show will sit right in that sweet spot between endearingly sloppy and a big, fat mess.
How to Dress Well
Does anyone even know what Tom Krell looks like? This is a big mystery that might not survive the Sunday sun, but I’m extremely excited to see if Krell’s craftsmanship extends to his live show.
OFWGKTA
There’s no more anticipated set this weekend. The build-up here has been tremendous. In my tight circle of Pitchfork press acquaintances, we’re all unnerved because there won’t be a photo pit. I don’t know if that was the festival’s decision or a request from Odd Future’s management. Either way, combine that with the concert videos Pitchfork has posted in their news feed in the past couple of months, and pay attention to the crowd buzz in Union Park, it starts to seem like everyone’s expecting a riot. That poses an interesting question… If you know a riot is gonna happen, do you show up?
Shabazz Palaces
Like Digible Planets, but weirder than The Blowout Comb. Yes, please.
Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti
Speaking of weirdos, this promises to be a show. Ariel’s given to eccentric behavior while performing, and they’ve had a few recent chances to upgrade their antics for bigger crowds. Pitchfork’s writers have done pretty much everything in their power to make sure that he’s beloved by their readers, so this will probably be a mutual admiration love-fest. That can be fun.
Superchunk
Actual, old-fashioned indie rock! Their new album is surprisingly solid, but I’m still hoping they get wise and kick out the old favorites. That would serve the under-educated portions of the festival crowd well.
Kylesa
Kylesa make metal that is both good and enjoyable. They also look cool, like all good metal dudes do.
Deerhunter
They nailed the sweet spot of modern indie rock, especially on Halcyon Digest. A good bit of guitar, a solid back-beat, a lot of dreamy atmosphere. These songs sound personal on record, but if the band is tight enough, the tunes will open up to embrace crowd.
Cut Copy
I’m pretty new to the Cut Copy party, and still not sure I wanna go into the back room. Regardless, their dancy-rocky-poppy sound is probably just right to end the festival. I’m kinda hoping to be turned into a believer.
TV on the Radio
Oh wait, there’s one more! Their last record dropped with such an incredible lack of impact, that I almost forgot about them. Here’s the thing, though, their live show is legitimately incredible. During Animal Collective and Fleet Foxes sets, most of the crowd seemed to be doing something else with the music as a bit of harmless background music and it didn’t actually seem too inappropriate. TVotR demand more attention though, and they’re willing to work for it. Expect a few thousand people to be talking about this in the morning.