Guide: Pitchfork Music Festival 2022

Q&AMusic

Jul 15

☆ BY Fiona Pestana ☆

PITCHFORK MUSIC FESTIVAL IS BACK — at Chicago's Union Park from July 15–17, and here’s what to know before attending!

LOGISTICS AND PREPARATION

Check out the festival’s info page for a full list of permitted and prohibited items. Some highlights: two sealed bottles of water and empty reusable water bottles are allowed upon entry, and bags cannot exceed 14” x 11” x 5” (35 cm x 28 cm x 12 cm).

Prescription medicines must be in their pharmacy-labeled containers, over-the-counter medicines are allowed, and both types of medication bottles must only include however much you might need for that one day. Medical staff will check medicine at the gate. If you have any other specific medical needs, contact medical@pitchforkmusicfestival.com. Accessibility details can be found on Pitchfork Fest’s info page.

Pitchfork suggests taking public transit, bikes, bike share, rideshare, or a cab ride to the festival, since parking is limited near the park. Gates open each day at noon, and you need a photo ID and your ticket to enter (kids 10 and under get in for free, though).

NON-MUSIC HIGHLIGHTS

Pitchfork Fest features amazing artistic and cultural experiences outside of their music. Between acts, check out their record fair, poster fair, small business arts and crafts fair, food and beverage tents, and merch tent.

Goose Island Beer Company partners with Pitchfork Fest to make a special drink, and this year, it’s inspired by Japanese Breakfast! Be Sweet Lager references her album art with a persimmon flavor. Some of the beer’s proceeds will go to Heart of Dinner, “an organization that aims to combat food insecurity and isolation within NYC’s elderly Asian American community by delivering care packages of hot lunches and fresh produce, lovingly paired with a handwritten and illustrated letter in their native language to bring warmth and comfort.” (Last year, I had their Faye Webster beer, and it was great).

Pitchfork works with various partners and nonprofits, but one major organization they’re teaming up with is Advocates for Urban Agriculture, “a Chicago-based organization that empowers urban growers to foster thriving communities through sustainable agriculture and equitable food systems while honoring Indigenous sovereignty, Black liberation, and immigrants’ rights. A portion of the proceeds from Pitchfork Music Festival 2022 will be donated to AUA.”

MUSIC RECOMMENDATIONS

For each day, I will offer details about my five favorite artists of the day and list five honorable mentions, mostly including amazing artists I don’t know as well as the others. You really can’t go wrong with whoever you see at this festival — the lineup is stacked.

Note: These lists will not include the main headliners (Friday’s The National, Saturday’s Mitski, and Sunday’s The Roots), as 1) they’re obviously amazing — they’re the headliners! and 2) they’re the only artists performing when they play, taking the 8:30–9:50 p.m. slot on the Green stage while the other stages go dark.

If the festival isn’t enough music, official (and likely unofficial) after-parties will be happening around the city.

FRIDAY

The weekend begins with a tragic conflict: Tierra Whack and Camp Cope performing at the same time. Whack’s raps are goofy, and sometimes she puts on funny voices while delivering them, but her lyrics cover serious subjects: poor mental health, being Black in America, loneliness. Her music ranges from cute and twinkly like a flute to perfect for headbanging, but regardless, great for dancing. Camp Cope is a completely different vibe, Australian and self-described as power emo, but equally talented. Their alternative rock both sounds and reads like punk, especially in how outspoken they are both about flaws in society and government and about the depth of the emotions they feel.

Friday’s indie pickings are ripe. Indigo De Souza plays anthemic rock, steady, passionate, and strong yet extremely vulnerable (“This is probably how I get myself killed”). Ethel Cain delivers emotional ethereal and alternative rock songs; she’ll likely make Chicago feel like a church in the suburbs. SPELLLING’s effortlessly controlled vocals and dynamic instrument layers touch many genres with the throughline of theatrics and melodrama.

NOTABLE MENTIONS: Amber Mark, Parquet Courts, SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE, Tkay Maidza, Arooj Aftab

SATURDAY

Hearing “Deepthroat” by CupcakKe live might cure most of the world’s ailments — she is such an icon. The idea of an entire crowd of people yelling “HUMP ME! FUCK ME! DADDY BETTER MAKE ME CHOKE!” in unison cannot help but conjure a laugh. If hypersexual comedy — yet genuinely great — rap isn’t your thing, skip her set, but a very fun dance party full of the alphabet mafia is guaranteed to occur.

The rest of Saturday carries completely different energies. Yeule, a self-proclaimed glitch princess, makes such layered, futuristic ambient songs as well as more dance-y, pop-y tracks. She even has music largely driven by an acoustic guitar. Her live show might balance this range, curiously manifesting her electronica beyond the recording.

Magdalena Bay will stir the crowd to a continuous groove with their bubbly, disco-influenced synth-pop. Lucy Dacus writes melodic poetry, playing a rock set while intimately inviting you into her past, talking about everything from vacation bible school to hating her friend’s dad. Japanese Breakfast performs with grace, joyfully bouncing around the stage and occasionally hitting a gong while belting every note of her songs perfectly.

NOTABLE MENTIONS: Dry Cleaning, Hyd, The Armed, The Linda Lindas, Jeff Parker, The New Breed

SUNDAY

Two top-tier lyrical rappers perform on the festival’s final day: Earl Sweatshirt and Noname. The former has been around for ages, rising to fame after joining Odd Future. His live set might focus on his new album, SICK!, or include a wide range of his beautiful, mellow yet hard-hitting raps. The latter has been a source of hope throughout the COVID-19 and racial pandemics, starting a radical book club and speaking her truth on social media while politicians and mainstream commentators fail to serve or do enough for all community members. Her music can be quite radical, too, transporting listeners with stories and witty wordplay, really making them hear and heed her words. In a world that feels like it’s falling apart, her continued efforts will inspire. Both of their sets will likely prompt deep thought.

Toro y Moi and L’Rain will be serving Pitchfork attendees extremely groovy basslines and smooth vocals in their own ways. The first will call for a dancing crowd, likely playing lots of tracks off of his latest album, MAHAL, but hopefully including other genre-bending bangers — featuring elements of jazz, hip-hop, rock, and more — from his nearly 11-hour discography. L’Rain’s vocal layers are gorgeous, threading their way through psychedelic yet often jazzy and orchestral instrumentals. Her music feels otherworldly and cinematic, sure to transport the crowd from a park to a spacey dreamstate.

BADBADNOTGOOD’s biggest tracks are their songs with other artists (Samuel T. Herring, Daniel Caesar, MF Doom, Kaytranada), making great backing music for rappers but also standout jazz arrangements that stand on their own. The ensemble will likely showcase their great range with rich, groovy instrument layers, prompting the crowd to dance and, if they include their collaborations with others, chant resonant lyrics like, “running away is easy, it’s the living that’s hard.”

NOTABLE MENTIONS: Xenia Rubinos, Erika de Casier, Sofia Kourtesis, Injury Reserve, KAINA

CHECK OUT ALL PITCHFORK MUSIC FESTIVAL DETAILS

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We couldn’t be more stoked to have Suriel Hess as our new headliner for our upcoming LA show 🤩 🫶 Not gonna lie, us & Notorious Noise kinda went OFF with this line up & you’re not gonna wanna miss it - ticket link in bio 🎫