The best thing about July is that we get to go out for another edition of the Pitchfork Music Festival, the bad thing about it is that once it’s done, it’s done.
While I like to reflect, it’s never easy to whittle down my thoughts to decide what was best about the fest. This festival’s smaller footprint inevitably leads to some tough scheduling decisions, but I think I figured it out well enough and got to experience a good chunk of everything.
From classic Hip Hop to Punk to Dance/Electronic, these are our Top 12 Artists we saw perform at Pitchfork Music Festival 2024.
Alanis Morissette
Pitchfork Music Festival makes it really difficult to not include headliners on this type of list, but don’t mistake that for a complaint. Was introduced to the #p4kfest stage with a sort of sizzle reel that not only provided some context to her journey to this date, priming the crowd to properly receive an artist who has not only been delivering on the musical front but someone who has also hasn’t shied away from standing up for what she believes.
Bratmobile
I wasn’t planning on having this takeaway, but Pitchfork Music Festival 2024 was about rekindling my love for Punk music, and a band like Bratmobile sure helped. Having riot grrrl royalty around offered more than a nostalgia act, though I did appreciate hearing about singer Allison Wolfe’s history with Chicago from 20 years ago like drinks at Rainbo Club and hanging with Liz Phair. Their set was fun and Punky, vintage in vibe more than simply aesthetics. The riot grrrl movement occurred decades ago, yet those struggles are still affecting people and luckily their music still feels fresh and relevant enough to soundtrack our battle with what ails us today.
Brittany Howard
One of the easiest choices for this list, the Alabama rocker brought all the good vibes to Union Park. Her powerful voice and the soulful solo music that made up her set gave us a beautiful way to see the sun go down on the last day of the festival.
Crumb
While I don’t typically think of which stage hosts my favorite artists, I think the Blue Stage offered a great way to balance the experience for festgoers by providing a space for more unconventional and Indie sounds to thrive in its intimate layout surrounded by trees. Crumb’s brand of dreamy lo-fi psychedelia fit in perfectly with the Sunday evening vibes that were brewing as the sun tucked behind the rising buildings and the stage lights finally got to do their thing.
De La Soul
One of the most influential, revolutionizing, and beloved acts, De La Soul hit the stage to celebrate their legacy and the spirit of their late co-founding member, Trugoy the Dove. With surprise appearances from Pharoahe Monch and Talib Kweli, De La also made their set about showing love to Hip Hop as a genre.
Jamie xx
5 years ago, it’d been hard for me to show major love to a Dance/Electronic artist but ever since I saw Jamie xx at Re:SET I have changed my tune about experiencing this kind of musical act at a fest, and I’m happier for it. The older I get, the more I gravitate towards taking in shows from the back of the crowd, and if there’s one thing that Dance music has showed me is that you can have just as much fun (if not more) when you have a little more space to actually dance.
Jeff Rosenstock
I have been familiar with his name for years, but I never quite knew enough about Jeff Rosenstock to have an actual opinion about his music or his live show. This year I’ve really been getting back to my Punk-loving roots and Rosenstock delivered on so many fronts – from the raw energy to the open dissent of some of the fest’s sponsors and the unabashed calls for a ceasefire. The Blue stage had some of my favorite sets of the entire weekend, and smaller acts like this helped me reach that conclusion.
Mannequin Pussy
This was the band I most wanted to see this year (in general, not just at this festival), and I’m glad to say Mannequin Pussy is worth the hype. Lead singer Marisa Dabice is explosive in the most entertaining way and her vocal performances are the driving force behind the wide range of sounds the Philly band offers on 2024’s I Got Heaven, which does indeed sound as good (better, even) played live. Capping it off with Colins “Bear” Regisford calling for a free Palestine and an end to anti-Semitism before ripping into their last song made for a perfect end to what the band came to prove.
Model/Actriz
One of my favorite artists of this year’s #p4kfest. The energy turned all the way up from the start when Cole Haden came down from the stage and into the crowd to do a couple of tracks. What I liked most about it was that Haden didn’t just go into the crowd for a brief adrenaline boost for the audience, but spending the length of a song
Sudan Archives
The violin never looked so dope. I first-experienced Sudan Archives’ show
Water From Your Eyes
Another great up-and-coming band doing their thing at the Blue stage. Lead singer Rachel Brown appeared to be fighting laryngitis but she powered through it and delivered a performance that would more than make up for having snuck into Pitchfork years ago.
Yaeji
She did the most while using the least. The choreo stood out as the best part of her act, but overall her warm energy
