As the final day of Pitchfork got underway Sunday, it was hard to tune into the music rather than the loud chatter circling the park. Just before the first act of the day took the stage, President Joe Biden made the announcement that he would not be seeking re-election.
“Hey did you hear about Biden?” Chicago Votes could be heard asking passersby to its booth near the Blue Stage. A new partner for Pitchfork Festival this year, the organization is described as a non-partisan non-profit “on a mission to make democracy fun and equitable by engaging and developing a new generation of leaders from all corners of the city.” Reps at the booth were handing out stickers to children, engaging adults in conversation, and confirmed they had registered more than 100 new voters as of publication.
In addition to talking up the national election, the group also encourages Chicagoans to be informed and take part in local balloting as well. Of the other activations drawing in a healthy crowd, the large Nespresso iced coffee lounge continued to be a hit, particularly as the final day began with some of the warmest and most humid conditions of the weekend.
People were slowly starting to trickle their way into Union Park as Chicago’s own Akenya took the Green Stage, blanketing the field with her mighty yet warm vocal power. The multi-disciplined talent was a formidable gateway to the feminine energy forthcoming in the park today with acts like Nala Sinephro, Jessica Pratt, Mannequin Pussy, MUNA, Brittany Howard and of course the music mother herself, Alanis Morissette (carrying over from last night’s Carly Rae Jepsen-Jessie Ware-Bratmobile trifecta).
“Chicago, is it hotter than July up in here?” Akenya said, poking at the sweltering summer day. Joined by a skilled four-piece backup band and three ebullient backup vocalists, Akenya was a total maestra leading the ensemble into a harmonious delivery of gospel, R&B, soul, hip-hop and jazz.
Her reputation as a go-to music director for a slew of contemporaries (including Chicago rapper Noname) and also a frequent collaborator of Chance the Rapper and even Mavis Staples preceded Akenya’s set, as she came into her own well-deserved spotlight. “Is it alright if I move over to the piano and get a little intimate?” she asked before showing off another of her talents.
Among the standouts of the set was the new single “Hades Moon,” which appeared to be a live debut. It will be included on her forthcoming debut LP “Moon in the 4th,” alluded to with the celestial imagery in the backdrop behind the musical outfit. There was also her biggest single to date, “Decay,” delivered with aplomb. “Thank you all for over a million streams,” she said to preface the song.
Exiting the stage with the same confidence she entered it, Akenya left little doubt she will be one of the next musical names to hit big. —Selena Fragassi
“Thank you so much everyone for being here! This is my first time performing in America!” said experimental jazz artist Nala Sinephro on stage Sunday at Pitchfork Music Festival.
Those were just about the only words spoken by Sinephro over the course of her time on the Blue Stage.
Sinephro’s performance stands out as a terrific example of the historically diverse bookings at Pitchfork, one of the few major American festivals willing to stage a 45-minute instrumental jazz performance on a festival main stage.
Moving deftly between harp and modular synthesizer, Sinephro was backed by an incredibly tight three-piece group featuring drums, saxophone and additional keys during a set largely defined by unthinkable improvisation and subtle, nonverbal cues.
Pausing 23 minutes in, Sinephro turned, looking to her right, as she motioned a thank you to the passionate early Sunday audience.
Beginning on harp, she coaxed an array of sounds from one of the world’s oldest stringed instruments, veering between delicately plucked, but quiet moments, and more manic noise which almost sounded more like a violin.
Turning, Sinephro manipulated sound even further via the modular synthesizer, emitting an array of interplanetary, cosmic sounds throughout the set.
This was not the laughable smooth jazz of FM radio. It was an intense, thought-provoking performance that helps to push the jazz genre forward in 2024.
On the harp, Sinephro, who will release her second studio album “Endlessness” this September, conjured up images of Alice Coltrane. As the set cruised toward finish, saxophone and intense drumming created a sense of urgency that would’ve fit right into a live performance of John Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme.” —Jim Ryan
Not everything has to be a competition, of course, but when it comes to the best set of Pitchfork Festival Weekend 2024, Model/Actriz definitely was in contention.
The Brooklyn quartet, by way of Boston, is a fireball of performance-art power — so much so they should be studied by bands of the future for how to expertly command an audience. Alluring frontman Cole Haden literally had Union Park on its knees at one point (even scolding his own father in the crowd to get down).
Haden spent much of the set deep in the crowd, stalking willing victims and getting inches from people’s faces, either staring them down for a full minute without breaking character or loudly reciting lyrics in their ears. His "Mommie Dearest" shtick, donning a white scarf, dark sunglasses and red lipstick that he kept applying, only made the whole thing seem more like a bona fide thriller. Just not one that anyone wanted to run away from.
Since the 2023 release of debut album “Dogsbody," Model/Actriz has been on the lips of many who applaud the band’s queer themes, unstigmatized poetry and sheer noise — especially anyone who has seen the group live. It’s not just Haden, either; guitarist Jack Wetmore, bassist Aaron Shapiro and drummer Ruben Radlauer are just as pleasantly punishing with an aural assault of post-punk, noise rock and industrial fury on tracks like the let-loose “Mosquito.”
If Haden is the eyes and soul, the three musicians are the backbone that makes sure everything keeps from toppling over into farce. Like the Warhols of the New York art scene and the Bowie iconoclasts of the music world, the band is gunning for singular-name status. Rumor is Model/Actriz is working on new music, so it shouldn’t be too much longer now. —Selena Fragassi
Playing the Red Stage at 5:15 p.m., check back for a review.
Playing the Green Stage at 6:15 p.m., check back for a review.
Playing the Blue Stage at 7:45 p.m., check back for a review.
