Pitchfork Music Festival is back for another year of excellent sounds and vibes at Union Park. Clear skies and actually enjoyable temps reigned supreme on the first day of the festival and looks like that will be the case the whole weekend. Which is a welcome surprise as rain is typically on the forecast for this fantastic festival.
Day One featured lots of highs like headliners Black Pumas jumping to the crowd, Sudan Archives pulse pounding performance, Jeff Rosenstock's energetic and welcoming set and so much more! So check out our thoughts and photos of Day One and take a look at our recaps of Day Two and Day Three.
Black Duck
When three incredible Chicago musicians come together, you need to take a listen. Douglas McCombs, Bill MacKay, Charles Rumback are Black Duck and started out Day One of Pitchfork Music Festival with a hypnotizing set. An improvisational instrumental set maybe not be the most explosive way to start a festival, but it certainly was enjoyable.
- Julian Ramirez
Angry Blackman
As a stark contrast to the opening set of the day, Angry Blackmen lived up to their moniker as the completely rattled the green stage with their set. The Chicago pair of Brian Warren and Quentin Branch were intense and unrelenting as their fow and minima beats laced the perfect experimental hip hop vibes. Urging the crowd in a call and response fo "I say 'Angry', you say 'Black'", Angry Blackmen were a great wake up call for the early Friday crowd.
- Julian Ramirez
The too tall VIP stands that block the view for a good portion of the audiences at the Green and Red Stages
I'm not a fan.
- Julian Ramirez
Doss
I don’t think anyone was expecting or ready for the killer DJ set that Doss put on at the blue stage on Friday afternoon. Her shy demeanor was overshadowed by her magnificent mixing and booming bass that encapsulated the tiny bubble that is the blue stage. The audience was having a grand time dancing to her phenomenal set. Being one of the few DJ acts all weekend, Doss was definitely a no-brainer can’t miss set and I am glad I had the opportunity to catch her on Friday!
- Andrew Lagunas
Yaeji
Singer, DJ and producer Yaeji was welcomed back to Pitchfork this year after performing at the fest back in 2021; and she came in stronger and better than ever before! In support of her latest record, With A Hammer, she performed a hefty amount of tracks from it. Yaeji put on what was probably one of the highlights of Friday’s diverse roster of sets and really got the entire crowd hyped up. I managed to make my way to the very front and it was a transcendent experience. Not only did she sound just as good live as she does on her records; she also is an exceptional performer on stage! Yaeji orchestrated entire choreographies for all of her numbers and even included backup dancers throughout her animated set which included her iconic track, “Raingurl” that really ramped up the Pitchfork vibes for the evening. She then ended with a new unreleased song that already has me thrilled and looking forward to her new work because it was an absolute banger of a song. Yaeji put on a flawless performance that left myself and her audience absolutely buzzing!
- Andrew Lagunas
100 Gecs
Ever heard the classic early 2000s THX movie intro through massive festival speakers? Well if you caught 100 Gecs set on the green stage on Friday then you might have picked up on this iconic sound sample that intros the eclectic duo’s powerhouse anthem, “Dumbest Girl Alive.” With the exception of their song “One Million Dollars,” 100 Gecs performed their entire new album 10,000 gecs which is always a treat when artists perform a majority or all of their album that they are touring! The band’s noisy aesthetic reverberated throughout the whole park and it made for a lighthearted and amusing early evening set!
- Andrew Lagunas
Jeff Rosenstock
You know what rules? An inclusive set with a 666/weed/Pride flag as its backgrounds. Add to that Jeff Rosenstock and you have yourself one of the most energizing sets of Day One. Rosenstock was on fire as he and his band tore through tracks of his latest album HELLMODE. There wasn't a single moment were both the band and the crowd weren't completely in sync with one another, feeding off the fun atmosphere of the blue stage. The red and green stage may be bigger, but with acts like Rosenstock, the blue stage is were you want to be!
- Julian Ramirez
Jai Paul
Having the opportunity to see Jai Paul at this year’s Pitchfork was an absolute treat! The electronic R&B singer made both his Chicago and Pitchfork debut on the red stage Friday night just before headliners Black Pumas took to the limelight. Paul is a mysterious figure but his music resonates with so many and rightfully so. Jai has a way with incorporating his broad spectrum vocals in with his soul-stirring musical productions. His set had the entire red stage audience dancing and jumping as the evening rolled in. There honestly was not a single dull moment in his set, and he concluded with his top ranked tracks on Spotify, “Jasmine,” “BTSTU” and the absolute crowd pleaser (and what seemed like what everyone was waiting for) “Str8 Outta Mumbai.” Jai Paul put on what was easily my favorite set of the day; it was raw and full of emotion and you could tell just how happy he was to be performing and the positive reception his music has gotten from fans after so many years.
- Andrew Lagunas