PAPERMAG correspondent Justin Goncalves packed a toothbrush and a dream and headed Midwest-ward to check out the indie rock wet dream that is the 2007 Pitchfork Music Festival. Here’s his report from the front lines.
If ever there were a reason to venture out to Chicago, the first night (Friday, Jul. 13) of the 2007 Pitchfork Music Festival was it. On paper, "Don't Look Back" -- a joint venture with All Tomorrow's Parties, featuring various and legendary bands playing their legendary albums in full -- seemed nothing short of a spectacle. With Slint's Spiderland, GZA/The Genius' Liquid Swords, and, for the first time on American soil, Sonic Youth's Daydream Nation, I was excited, to say the least. Unfortunately, whether it was because of insurmountable expectations or the sound problems that plagued the festival throughout the weekend, Friday night's showcase was thoroughly underwhelming, with the lone exception being the seemingly infallible Sonic Youth.
Slint
Slint began their set with some repetitive distorted guitar work, wrought with harmonics and pitch bending. Spiderland is an album that is certainly a grower --guaranteeing to take a few listens before it even begins to sink in. That being said, for many of the people in the crowd, most of which who had made the trek for GZA or Sonic Youth, the album's subtleties fell on not quite deaf but perhaps apathetic ears.
Slint's guitarist's excitement was infectious.
GZA/Genius
So maybe one shouldn't expect that much from Slint. After all, Spiderland was released and recorded over 15 years ago and the band has been relatively inactive since. GZA, on the other hand, had no excuse. As one of the most important MCs in the brief history of hip-hop and a founding member of the best Asian-inspired rap clan of all-time, this was going to be the show of the lifetime. Liquid Swords was released in 1995 and quickly accumulated both critical and public acclaim, putting another Wu-Tang Killah Bee on the charts (Raekwon's Built Only 4 Cuban Linx was released earlier in the year). Even when GZA and Raekwon removed themselves from the restrictions imposed by the group, the numerous Wu-Tang cameos keep the album fresh. Rather than rapping any verse spit by Ghostface, Raekwon, or the late O.D.B., GZA and crew just glossed over the song as if the Genius was the only voice on the track. And it's not as if GZA made up for it in energy. His presentation of Liquid Swords made a strong contender for worst rap set of the weekend (more on that later).
GZA checks his cell phone mid-set.
Sonic Youth
After my repeated attempts to sneak into the photo pit were thwarted, I decided to try and push my luck (and my press pass) a bit further and head into the VIP section. The good news: I saw Man Man's Honus Honus, Dan Deacon, and Ÿ's of Brooklyn's own Grizzly Bear. The bad news: distance and darkness rarely make for good photographs., which, in this case, truly is shame as Sonic Youth truly delivered. Everyone was there to see Sonic Youth and it showed; tickets weren't selling for ten times face value on craigslist for no reason. Daydream Nation, released in 1988, is the Iliad of the Indie rock canon, with unconventional song structures, unorthodox guitar tuning, and a female singer that sounds like a chain-smoking hooker (but in a good way). From the opening riff of "Teenage Riot" to the Rather Ripped encore, Thurston Moore and company, now pushing 50, didn't miss a beat.
Can you believe Kim Gordon is 54?
Check back tomorrow for more "Stick a Pitchfork in Me," as Justin reports from the second day of the Pitchfork Music Festival.
