Day 2 at Ptichfork Festival 2015 was incredible! Here is a summary of the day:
Transportation – Again, the CTA was spot on! Trains ran on time and the staff kept things orderly and efficient. (Please do the same for Riot Fest and any future Pearl Jam concerts at Wrigley Field!) Waiting for the trains, I particularly enjoyed giving Chicago Police officers a fist pump and thanking them for their service.
Weather – A mixed bag. Of the three days, this was supposed to be the hottest day and the lowest chance of rain. It started out hot and humid, and we ended up getting a storm around 3:00, and it later turned out to be clear and breezy. Typical Chicago weather potpourri! Some lightning forced the festival to shut down for about 40 minutes.
Facility – I did a 180 on the food and beverage lines on day two. Maybe I hit it at the right time, but around 7:30, I got food and beer with virtually no wait. I found a Cajun stand and had some excellent red beans and rice; a generous portion for just $5.00. Did not buy as much beer today due to the fact that I smuggled in 12 ounces of Jack Daniels in a hip flask. While seeing Parquet Courts and standing near the center aisle, I also discovered that Pitchfork volunteers supplied free bottles of water for the asking. That beat waiting in line and the water station. And there was a stand that had free fruit where I got a delicious apple.
Post Festival Fare – Stopped at Gene and Judes on the way home after exiting the Blue Line. Chicago style hot dog, fresh cut fries and a Supreme tamale. Dynamite late night munchies!
Music – As with Day 1, I saw some entire sets and caught bits of a couple of other sets. Here is the list:
o Protomartyr – This band was playing when I entered the park, so I heard just a small sampling. One of the Parquet Courts band members mentioned that they played a great set, so they are on my radar for a future opportunity.
o Mr. Twin Sister – Wanting to pace myself in the heat, I went to see this band at the Blue Stage which was the area with the most shade. I came across a tent sponsored by Vans and sat down on the front step. I really enjoyed the rather ethereal electronic sounds of Mr. Twin Sister, and I thought the lead singer was excellent. I spent part of the time talking with a couple from L.A. that I met at the tent. During the set, it started to rain, and it turned into a heavy rain. I was fortunate and lucky to be in the tent! Then lightning started and because there were live wires in the tent, they kicked everyone out. But within minutes of leaving the tent, the rain stopped, the storm moved on and the festival eventually got restarted.
o Kurt Vile and the Violators – Good rock band. They played on the Green Stage and I mainly saw them because I was at the Red Stage waiting for Parquet Courts.
o Parquet Courts – This is when the day really amped up for me. Parquet Courts was my #1 band to see today and they were great! They rocked loud and hard with their post-punk garage rock attack. They played a lot of their material including most of my favorite album, Sunbathing Animal. They were so much fun to see and the fans were really into it, including a few crowd surfers.
o The New Pornographers – This was the only band in the line up that I had seen before. I like the band but I can’t say that I’m a huge fan. I have just two of their albums and only listen to them occasionally. However, I really enjoyed them the first time I saw them and today was no different. They are just a wonderful live band. They play a brand of power pop that includes beautiful harmonies, lush instrumental layering and complex chord structures. I’m not saying they sound like a Phil Spector production, but they do create a sort of “wall of sound” that sucks you in. No, Neko Case was not with the band, but Simi Stone was added as a second lead female vocalist and she and Kathryn Calder meshed really well. They played a great set which included, Sing Me Spanish Techno, my favorite song that I did not get to see them play the last time.
o Sophie – After TNP’s, I went to get some food and decided to low-key-it at the Blue Stage for a spell. Again I retreated to the Van’s tent where I listened to Sophie. Basically synth-pop, they played a nice set with Sophie creating some beautiful vocals.
o Future Islands – I only saw two songs while I was waiting for Sleater-Kinney. Hard to judge by two songs, but I was not impressed. They had a monotonous beat that was permeating throughout the park and the two songs I saw them play featured the same tired beat.
o Sleater-Kinney – Oh my God was this band great! I just thoroughly enjoyed their brand of Punk or “Riot Grrrl” rock that these ladies played. Great songs and hard driving guitars and drums along with passionate vocals. I wish they could have played a longer set. I wanted them to play all night!
o Photos – Parquet Courts (1 & 2), The New Pornographers (3 & 4), Sleater-Kinney (5 & 6).
