The Radio Department walks onto the Blue Stage flashing confident smiles and utters a brief “hello.” From there it’s all business and pleasure for the rock quartet as they roll through a snythy, slow-purring and glimmering set of melodic, mellow and chillaxed tunes. Just what we needed on day such as this.
No Age’s formula is simple and very effective. Play hard, fast and loud. That’s what the fans want and that’s what the art-punk Los Angeles duo deliver for 45 minutes. Crowd-surfing. Sweat dripping from all pores. Faces filled with ecstasy.
Coming back to Pitchfork for the second time, but now as the Saturday night headliner, Pacific Northwest indie-folkers Fleet Foxes glide into the moment cautiously, gradually feeling out their songs and the crowd vibe. It's a solid set with harmonic flashes and flourishes. But eventually I wish that one of two things would’ve happened instead: 1) Fleet Foxes switch headlining spots with DJ Shadow so we can get the full effect his illuminated projection ball and close the night with a bit more party-friendly thumps and rumble. Or 2) have a DJ Shadow vs. Fleet Foxes live mashup between the two stages. Pitchfork is an experimental and cutting-edge festival when it comes to the music, and I think they could experiment more with the performance options to make something like this happen next year.
Next Up for Day Two: TV on the Radio, Odd Future, Toro Y Moi, and more. And who knows, maybe we will see some stage-to-stage mashups?
If you're looking for a great mobile guide to the festival, be sure to download the Pitchfork iPhone app. It rocked and it's one of the best festival apps I've ever used!
Were you at Pitchfork yesterday? What were your favorite performances?
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