 |
While Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo and Rock the Bells are hailed as the music concerts of the summer there’s another national festival that deserves a closer look. Spanning three days and showcasing over 40 of the country’s top independent acts, Chicago’s Pitchfork Music Festival sets the stage for some of the most memorable hip-hop moments in the last few years. The 2009 roster includes alt-rap heroes, Doom (formerly MF Doom), Pharoahe Monch and a slew of others whose names you will be hearing in the near future. Though known as a great rock fest, Pitchfork deserves a better rap, so Rolling out decided to give you three of the biggest stories in hip-hop that all started on the festival’s stages. –gavin philip godfrey
2007: The Introduction of the Cool Kids
Before they ever went ‘Fishing’ with Don Cannon or toured the world with M.I.A., Chuck Inglish and Mikey Rocks were a couple of Chicago art students with a mild buzz that hadn’t quite traveled past the Illinois border. Pitchfork had The Cool Kids out for the group’s first real festival, and let’s just say the rest is history.
2007: Yoko Ono Headlines and GZA Rocks Liquid Swords
Yoko Ono created a frenzy with her fusion of music and performance art, but even that was topped by Wu-Tang’s GZA. Joined by Sonic Youth, GZA performed his classic album, Liquid Swords, in its entirety.
2008: Public Enemy Performs It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
Months before the festival kicked off, the tickets were completely sold out and a large part of that was due to Public Enemy. The entire group hit the stage and rocked It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, which marked a rare occasion where fans could catch Chuck D and Flavor Flav side by side.
What: 2009 Pitchfork Music Festival
Where: Chicago’s Union Park
Date: Friday, July 17 – Sunday, July 19
Tickets:
Single Day passes are $35
Saturday and Sunday two-day passes are $60
Three-day passes are $75
For more information visit www.pitchforkmusicalfestival.com
