Pitchfork Festival 2022 Preview

Even QRO has to admit that there is no music website like Pitchfork, which sets the bar for the rest of us. And for years they’ve been raising that...
Pitchfork
Pitchfork

Even QRO has to admit that there is no music website like Pitchfork, which sets the bar for the rest of us. And for years they’ve been raising that bar with Pitchfork Festival at Chicago’s Union Park, where they recruit all the acts they & you know & love. After returning from COVID hiatus last fall (QRO ’21 recap), now it resumes its July setting, Friday-Sunday, 16th-18th:


FRIDAY, JULY 16th

 

Green Stage

 

The National, 8:30 PM – 9:50 PM

Cincinnati-by-way-of-Brooklyn’s The National (QRO photos outdoors) hit it big in 2007 with Boxer (QRO review) and tracks like “Fake Empire”, “Mistaken For Strangers”, and “Apartment Story” (QRO video) – and again in 2008 with the Virginia EP (QRO review), but that just presaged 2011’s High Violet (QRO review), which debuted at #3 on the Billboard charts (QRO expanded edition review). An impressive and much-in-demand act (QRO live review), they’re fitting in nicely as even festival headliner (QRO photos headlining a festival) or curator (QRO photos curating a festival), like at London’s All Tomorrow’s Parties (QRO photos), Eaux Claires (QRO photos at Eaux Claires ‘15), or Boston Calling (QRO photos at Boston Calling ‘14).

Blown up to the point that New York Times Magazine ran a feature on them (QRO spotlight on) & Obama used (a family-friendly) bit of “Mr. November” (QRO video at a festival) as a campaign song, The National (QRO photos at a festival) returned from an hiatus in 2013 to take North America by storm (QRO photos headlining a festival) behind Trouble Will Find Me (QRO review), after having done so in Europe (QRO photos in Europe), the festival circuit (QRO photos at a festival), the European festival circuit (QRO photos at a European festival), Canada (QRO photos at a festival in Canada), Croatia (QRO photos at a Croatian festival), Singapore (QRO photos in Singapore) & their own Brooklyn (QRO photos in Brooklyn), plus both Barcelona’s Primavera Sound (QRO photos at Primavera Sound) and Portugal’s NOS Primavera Sound (QRO photos at NOS Primavera Sound). They’ve since keep it going (QRO photos in 2014), including headlining American festivals (QRO photos headlining an American festival).

In 2017, The National (QRO live review) released yet another amazing album, Sleep Well Beast (QRO review), which won the Grammy for Alternative Album of the Year (QRO live review at Grammy party), and in 2019 came out with I Am Easy To Find (QRO review) and another big tour (QRO live review in ’19). They play Pitchfork for a third time (QRO photos at Pitchfork ’09), after having to cancel 2020, with an electric live show (QRO live review), making for a perfect return (QRO photos at a festival).

The National
   

Parquet Courts, 6:15 PM – 7:15 PM

Bringing grunge back has been the active Parquet Courts (QRO photos at a festival), who come back to Chicago for their own third Pitchfork (QRO photos at Pitchfork ’19), after this year’s release of Sympathy for Life.

Parquet Courts
   

Also:

Indigo De Souza, 4:15 PM – 5:10 PM

SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE, 2:30 PM – 3:15 PM

Arooj Aftab, 1:00 PM – 1:40 PM

Indigo De Souza
   
   

Blue Stage

 

Amber Mark, 7:45 PM – 8:30 PM

Meet Pitchfork favorite Amber Mark, “whose soulful pop will make you dance and cry at the same time,” as she returns to Pitchfork for her second time, now with this year’s debut full-length, Three Dimensions Deep.

Amber Mark
   

Dawn Richard, 6:30 PM – 7:15 PM

A rare artist to emerge from the reality show grinder, Dawn Richard got her start two decades ago on Making the Band 3, becoming part of Danity Kane. She later formed the duo Dirty Money, who then joined up with Diddy as Diddy – Dirty Money. However, more recently she has been making her solo way, most recently with last year’s acclaimed Second Line, and returns to Pitchfork.

Dawn Richard
   

Camp Cope, 5:15 PM – 6:00 PM

The self-described “power emo” of Melbourne’s Camp Cope come across the planet to Pitchfork behind this year’s Running With the Hurricane.

Camp Cope
   

SPELLLING, 4:00 PM – 4:35 PM

Chrystia Cabral, a.k.a. experimental pop musician SPELLLING, finally makes it to Pitchfork after having to cancel in 2020, riding last year’s The Turning Wheel.

SPELLLING
   

Tkay Maidza, 2:45 PM – 3:30 PM

The Zimbabwe-born Australian singer/rapper Tkay Maidza (QRO photos at an Australian event) hits Pitchfork behind last year’s third mixtape, Last Year Was Weird (yes it was…).

Tkay Maidza
   
   

Red Stage

 

Spiritualized, 7:25 PM – 8:25 PM

After the demise of the space-rock Spaceman 3, Jason Pierce stayed in the stratosphere as Spiritualized (QRO live review). They created the seminal Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space twenty-five years ago, and Spiritualized (QRO photos) comes back to Pitchfork (QRO photos at a festival) behind this year’s Everything Was Beautiful, because with Spiritualized, it all truly is.

Spiritualized
   

Tierra Whack, 5:15 PM – 6:00 PM

Catch the “Mumbo Jumbo” of Tierra Whack (QRO photos at a festival), as her Whack World returns to Pitchfork after having to cancel in 2020.

 

Also:

Wiki, 3:20 PM – 4:10 PM

Ethel Cain, 1:45 PM – 2:25 PM

Tierra Whack

 

 

SATURDAY, JULY 17th

 

Green Stage

 

Mitski, 8:30 PM – 9:50 PM

Gotta love anyone who names an album after a Milhouse Simpsons quote, like Mitski’s 2014 Bury Me at Makeout Creek. Since, then she has only grown in acclaim & success (QRO photos), and comes back to Pitchfork (QRO photos at a festival) behind last year’s Be the Cowboy (QRO ’22 photos).

Mitski
   

Lucy Dacus, 6:15 PM – 7:15 PM

Norfolk’s Lucy Dacus (QRO photos) has found lots of new fans during the COVID pandemic, like her fellow members of boygenius, Phoebe Bridgers & Julien Baker. She comes back to her second Pitchfork (QRO photos at a festival) behind last year’s amazing Home Video (QRO review) and finally putting out her single “Thumbs” (QRO review) and current big tour (QRO photos the weekend before).

Lucy Dacus
   

Also:

Dry Cleaning, 4:15 PM – 5:10 PM

Chubby & The Gang, 2:30 PM – 3:15 PM

Jeff Parker & The New Breed, 1:00 PM – 1:40 PM

Jeff Parker
   
   

Blue Stage

 

Low, 7:45 PM – 8:30 PM

The ‘Slowcore’ (a term the band actually despises) outfit Low (QRO live review) have had a slow building since their start in Duluth. They got a larger audience when signing to Sub Pop for 2007’s Drums and Guns (QRO review), but didn’t quite achieve all they could on 2011’s C’mon (QRO review). However, 2013’s The Invisible Way (QRO review) was a return to form, and they come back to Pitchfork (QRO photos at a festival) for a third time, behind 2015’s Ones and Sixes (QRO review) and last year’s Hey What.

Low
   

Karate, 6:30 PM – 7:15 PM

Fusing everything from emo & hardcore to jazz was Boston’s avant Karate, who this year announced a reunion – and trip to Pitchfork, of course.

Karate
   

Iceage, 5:15 PM – 6:00 PM

Copenhagen’s punk rock outfit Iceage (QRO photos at a festival) deliver on record (QRO song review), but struggle a little live (QRO live review). They come back to Pitchfork for a third time (QRO photos at a festival), behind last year’s Seek Shelter.

Iceage
   

Also:

yeule, 4:00 PM – 4:45 PM

The Armed, 2:45 PM – 3:30 PM

yeule
   
   
Red Stage  

Japanese Breakfast, 7:25 PM – 8:25 PM

The solo project of Michelle Zauner (QRO photos at a festival), Japanese Breakfast (QRO photos outdoors) already brought Soft Sounds from Another Planet (QRO review) in 2017, and last year wowed the world with Jubilee (QRO review) and Crying in H Mart: A Memoir, including a wonderful return to touring (QRO 2021 photos) with her beautiful show, gong included (QRO photos at a ’22 festival). And she’s coming back to Pitchfork after playing the season finale of Saturday Night Live!

Japanese Breakfast
   

Also:

Magdalena Bay, 5:15 PM – 6:10 PM

Hyd, 3:20 PM – 4:10 PM

CupcakKe, 1:45 PM – 2:25 PM

Magdalena Bay

 

 

SUNDAY, JULY 18th

 

Green Stage

 

The Roots, 8:30 PM – 9:50 PM

Pitchfork welcomes The Roots, a.k.a. ‘best band in late night’! Black Thought & ?uestlove’s outfit (QRO photos at a festival) has met with critical and popular acclaim for years now, fusing hip-hop and jazz into an original & enjoyable package, along with collaborating with just about anyone you can name. Quite a few years ago now, the group (QRO photos outdoors) signed on as the house band for the new Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and now serves on the new Tonight Show (and are partly responsible for it moving to the Big Apple), and while this limited their touring (QRO photos at a festival in New York), not so their records, like 2011’s Undun (QRO review). And the Philly natives, when not slow-jamming the news with President Obama, find the time to come to this Second City (QRO photos outdoors) to headline (QRO photos headlining a ’22 festival).

The Roots
   

Earl Sweatshirt, 6:15 PM – 7:15 PM

The massive hip-hop collective Odd Future (QRO live review) keeps giving – there’s frontman Tyler, the Creator, R&B star Frank Ocean, and Earl Sweatshirt (QRO photos at a festival), who’s also worked with the likes of Flying Lotus, in Lotus’ Sealab 2021-inspired alter-ego, Captain Murphy. He comes back to Pitchfork for a third time (QRO photos at Pitchfork ‘19), behind this year’s Sick!.

Earl Sweatshirt
   

Also:

Natural Information Society, 4:15 PM – 5:10 PM

KAINA, 2:30 PM – 3:15 PM

Pink Siifu, 1:00 PM – 1:40 PM

KAINA
   
   

Blue Stage

 

Cate Le Bon, 7:45 PM – 8:30 PM

Wales-by-the-way-of-Los Angeles, Cate Le Bon (QRO photos in U.K.) has worked with the likes of Gruff Rhys, Neon Neon, and Manic Street Preachers, but comes back to Pitchfork (QRO photos at Pitchfork ’19) all on her own, off of this year’s Pompeii.

Cate Le Bon
   

Tirzah, 6:30 PM – 7:15 PM

Essex’s Tirzah comes to Pitchfork behind last year’s sophomore full-length, Colourgrade.

Tirzah
   

Also:

Xenia Rubinos, 5:15 PM – 6:00 PM

Erika de Casier, 4:00 PM – 4:45 PM

Sofia Kourtesis, 2:45 PM – 3:30 PM

Xenia Rubinos
   
   
Red Stage  

Toro y Moi, 7:25 PM – 8:25 PM

One of the big names in chillwave, Chazwick Bundick – a.k.a. Toro y Moi (QRO photos) – had one of the new genre’s touchstone records in 2011 in Causers of This (QRO review), but has since moved to a more varied sound, especially live (QRO live review). He comes back to Pitchfork (QRO photos) for a third time (QRO photos in Chicago), behind this year’s Mahal.

Toro Y Moi
   

Noname, 5:15 PM – 6:10 PM

Off of an appearance on “Lost” in Chance the Rapper’s 2013 mixtape Acid Rap, Noname (QRO photos at a festival) has made her own name, and returns to Pitchfork.

Noname
   

Also:

Injury Reserve, 3:20 PM – 4:10 PM

L’Rain, 1:45 PM – 2:25 PM

Injury Reserve

 

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