Pitchfork Music Festival is a Chicago mainstay, taking place in Union Park since 2006. The annual event — which boasts more than 40 bands over the course of three days — hosts around 60,000 attendees as well as legends including the Isley Brothers, LCD Soundsystem, Erykah Badu, and The National. Over the past decade-plus, the festival expanded to Paris, Berlin and London.
From July 21-23, the 13 acre park provided a modest backdrop that rotated an array of talent from various genres. The Smile, Perfume Genius and Alvvays performed on day one of the festival. However, the second day of Pitchfork was marred by lightning, which forced attendees to temporarily evacuate the park.
Upon their return that evening, folk facet Big Thief delivered a tender set of epic proportions. On Sunday, Kelela enchanted onlookers with ethereal vocals and Bon Iver provided emotional renditions of some of his most notable hits.
Here are seven of the most unforgettable moments from Pitchfork 2023.
Killer Mike Takes Everyone To Church
In June, Killer Mike released his first solo album in 11 years, Michael. Though he has been making music alongside El-P as one-half of Run The Jewels for the last decade, Killer MIke's refreshing return to form on his latest project was both galvanizing and long overdue.
Not only did he take us to church on Michael, but he boldly brought his sermon to Pitchfork. Killer Mike — who donned all white attire to match his accompanying choir — gave an excited crowd a poignant performance. From the dynamism of "Down By Law" to the resilience of "Run," the emcee gave his all to some of his most devoted fans. Hearing his voice crack during "Motherless" reminded the audience that even the strongest griot needs love and community.
Leikeli47 Gets The Crowd To Strike A Pose
Leikeli47's discography is full of audacious anthems that place women — and their bodily autonomy — front and center. In recent years, the Brooklyn emcee’s songs have taken on new meaning and life, which was very apparent on Pitchfork’s Blue stage.
Leikeli47 not only brought a fierce attitude while giving the crowd renditions of "Look," "Miss Me" and "Wash & Set," but she invited fans onstage to strike a pose alongside her. Whether they were voguing, twerking or jumping, those lucky audience members did exactly what Leikeli47 wanted them to: enjoy the moment without thinking too much about it.
The Smile Basks In Psychedelia
Thom Yorke could live in Radiohead reverie forever and still remain one of music’s most vital auteurs. However, by forming the Smile, he doubled down on pushing the boundaries of his ingenuity alongside fellow Radiohead member Johnny Greenwood and drummer Tom Skinner. The group's debut album, A Light For Attracting Attention, was released in 2022 and predictably met with acclaim.
During their Pitchfork set, saxophonist Robert Stillman livened up "Pana-Vision," "Colours Fly" and "People on Balconies." Yorke ended a night saturated with psychedelic sounds with "Feeling Pulled Apart by Horses," reminding the audience of his creative depth.
JPEGMAFIA Riles Up The Audience
The energy JPEGMAFIA brings to the stage is downright manic, and his time at this year’s Pitchfork Music Festival was no different. The electrifying musician balanced his offerings of solo hits ("Jesus Forgive Me, I Am a Thot," "1539 N. Calvert") with songs from his collaborative album with Danny Brown, Scaring The Hoes ("Steppa Pig," "Garbage Pail Kids").
Even when Peggy poked fun at the event by calling it "Conde Nast Fest," he still expressed gratitude to everyone in attendance. He also did a mean cover of Carly Rae Jepsen’s "Call Me Maybe" sans autotune after an audio malfunction, proving himself to be a true artist.
Jockstrap Effortlessly Enchant The Audience
All of the hype surrounding Jockstrap, which praises the electro-pop pair’s ability to concoct dissonant yet riveting melodies,, to proven to be warranted. The UK pair's eclectic debut album, 2022's I Love You Jennifer B, featured an 18-piece orchestra and voyages into experimental territory which can be tricky to pull off in a live capacity. However, Jockstrap were more than up for the challenge.
Vocalist Georgia Ellery strutted her best dance moves as she donned gold lamé, oscillating between singing and captivating the crowd with her violin skills. Songs like "Debra" and "Glasgow" were as enchanting as they were impressive.
JLIN Turns The Stage Into Her Creative Zone
Jlin has managed to take her immense love of music-making and transform it to an experience that is thrilling both visually and sonically. At Pitchfork Fest, the Pulitzer Prize-nominated musician transformed the Blue Stage into her own personal studio.
The Indiana producer recently announced that a mini-album featuring electronic versions of her songs, Perspective, will be released in September. She treated Pitchfork's audience to a preview of the project by including the hushed yet accentuating rhythms of "Fourth Perspective" in her set, but Jlin executed it with such intensity that it reminded everyone just how much of a master she is at her craft.
Soul Glo Gets The People Going
This Philly facet formed in 2014 and quickly elevated hardcore punk into an even more complex genre. Named after a fictitious commercial in the classic film Coming To America, Soul Glo brashly combine rap, metal and screamo for an exhilarating sound.
At Pitchfork, they made sure that mosh pits were galore as the electrifying trio completely dominated the stage. Songs like "GODBLESSYALLREALGOOD" showed off not just the excitement the trio manage to drum up in listeners, but the emotional turmoil they embed in their catalog. Whether it’s growing up or growing apart, the discography of Soul Glo encapsulates an assortment of experiences.