TVD Live: Pitchfork Music Festival, 7/15

3:24pm: I’ve arrived at Pitchfork! And apparently so have the guys from Twin Peaks, who are standing in line in for a beer in the VIP area. This year, they collaborated with local brewers Goose Island to create their own beer, Natural Villain, specifically for the fest.

3:42pm: The wait to get into the fest is considerable, as people are lined up around the block anxious to get in. However, they’re able to hear Car Seat Headrest officially kick off the weekend from the Red Stage. What started off as a solo project for Will Toledo has now turned into a 4-piece band. And while young, there is a buzz about them. They sound good (I particularly like lead guitarist Ethan Ives), but I think there’s still room for them to develop more of a stage presence.

3:54pm: Here comes the rain. It’s a very light, steady shower. Nothing like I’ve seen in past years, so I’ll take it.

CAR SEAT HEADREST

4:20pm: There is a decent pot haze clouding the crowd at the Blue Stage as locals Whitney kick off their set. Formed from the ashes of Smith Westerns, their debut album, Light Upon the Lake is, in my opinion, one of 2016’s best. Keyboardist Malcolm Brown is wearing a homemade shirt—a heart surrounding the French flag—to honor the recent and horrific tragedies in Nice.

4:25pm: “My parents are here,” drummer and lead vocalist Julien Ehrlich mentions. “A lot of our parents are here…so say hi I guess,” he laughs. Shy at first, they seem to quickly ease into their set. It’s music that you play with the windows down, so it’s perfect for this environment.

WHITNEY

4:40pm: At first glance I am convinced that Joaquin Phoenix is Julia Holter’s drummer, but upon further look I am definitely mistaken. She is in a somber mood, the worldwide violence clearly at the forefront of her thoughts. “You try to laugh but…” she trails off after opening with the live debut of an older song, “Why Sad Song.”

JULIA HOLTER

5:04pm: Waiting for Moses Sumney at the Blue Stage. Between sets Spiritualized’s “Hold On” is blasting from the speakers. I take a second to take it in and recall Spiritualized’s amazing 2008 Pitchfork set. The crowd is super mellow today but I suppose this is typical of Pitchfork Fridays. Everyone is easing into the weekend and it’s wonderful because the stress of the week is dissolving, the whole weekend’s ahead, the vendors haven’t run out of anything, and the port-o-potties are clean.

5:15pm: “WHERE CAN WE FIND YOUR LATER?” a teen screams at Moses during his sound check. “I’LL TINDER YOU LATER!” he continues before saying under his breath, “The things I would let you do to me.” And, yeah, that about sums up the crowds’ sentiments about Moses. He hits his first note and I swear there was a collective audience sigh.

MOSES SUMNEY

5:26pm: Sign sighting: “The whole world can fuck off because I’m listening to Twin Peaks.” In four minutes, the world fucks off.

5:30pm: Local heroes Twin Peaks pull the youngest and most enthusiastic crowd of the day. In fact, it’s the most enthusiastic set of the day by far. It’s hard to take your eyes off the stage because they’re all so animated. The energy picks up and crowd surfing insanity ensues. I love these dudes.

TWIN PEAKS

5:42pm: Hat sighting: “In Dog Years I’m Dead.” The wearer is at most 17, but the hat is nonetheless correct.

6:23pm: Sound issues at the Blue Stage push Mick Jenkins’ set back so I run to catch some of Carly Rae Jepsen and the crowd is going wild. She has a black mullet now—a very Bowie-esque black mullet—and she is throwing her entire, tiny body into every note. The hipsters have embraced her and a cameo from Dev Hynes (a.k.a. Blood Orange) on sax only increases her street cred. She is the “Queen of Pitchfork” according to a sign in the crowd. (And yes, she does sing “Call Me, Maybe.”)

CARLY RAE JEPSEN

7:12pm: Mick Jenkins is impressing. While rushing to catch the end of his set, I overhear groups of people talking about him. “Who is this?” “I dig this!” “He’s really good.” They’re right, as he’s currently conducting the entire crowd, all of whom are ferociously waving their middle fingers in the air.

MICK JENKINS

7:29pm: The Range. One man, lotta sound.

THE RANGE

8:02pm: I’ve parked it in the field and I’m listening to Broken Social Scene. They sound great and debut a new song in between the waves of sonic nostalgia hitting the crowd. I’m particularly taken back during “Anthems for a Seventeen Year-Old Girl.”

8:23pm: Shamir is late. Major Blue Stage sound issues all day. Rushing to Beach House I see my 12th handlebar mustache of the day.

BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE

8:42pm: This is my third time seeing Beach House this year and the fourth time they’ve played Pitchfork, so I was admittedly hoping for something different from what I’ve seen from them. Especially as a headliner.

However, this is not the case. And while their music and light show are mesmerizing as usual, it feels slightly disappointing to me. But maybe I’m just spoiled because I’ve been fortunate enough to see them multiple times. Regardless, the night ends on a high note. “Peace to all of you,” Victoria Legrand says, “and thank you very much.”

BEACH HOUSE