Hot Fun in the Summertime
cool off with some æstival festivals
PITCHFORK
The Pitchfork Music Festival is the hipster holdout of the Midwest. Chicago’s Union Park is transformed into an indie music paradise for three days in July—Chicago’s hottest month—and music lovers in the Illinois area congregate to celebrate their love and wardrobes. Unlike its sibling festival, Lollapalooza (or “Monster-palooza”), Pitchfork is a manageable festival for both you and your wallet, with around 40 bands performing on three stages. Plus, what better way is there to experience the Windy City than to commune with its hippest crowd?
Union Park is situated in the West Loop area of Chicago, at 1501 W. Randolph St., and is accessible by the Green line on the “L,” Chicago’s public transportation system out. The park has a clear view of the Sears Tower, as well as the ideal balance between sun and shade. The festival also vendors from all of Chicago’s trendy boutiques and hip restaurants. Last year, Temptation Ice Cream—local and vegan—especially won the crowd over.
Once again, Pitchfork is collaborating with ATP (All Tomorrow’s Parties) and their “Don’t Look Back” concert series to present three major bands playing their seminal records live. Last year brought Sonic Youth’s Daydream Nation, but this year, Public Enemy will bring their 1988 record, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, to the stage. Mission of Burma is performing Vs., and Sebadoh is performing their record Bubble and Scrape. Saturday and Sunday are packed with great bands, including Columbia grads Vampire Weekend. New York heavyweights The Hold Steady, Animal Collective, and High Places and indie giants such as Dinosaur Jr. and Elf Power are also gracing the stage. Here’s a fun game to play if you get bored: count how many people are wearing American Apparel. I think I got to 200 last year. Pitchfork plays July 18-20th in Chicago’s Union Park. Be there or be square.
–Lianna Carrigan
ALL POINTS WEST
If you’ve spent summers past lamenting that there are no good indie-rock music festivals on the East Coast, don’t worry—Jack Johnson’s got you covered. This bizarrely eclectic lineup features not only Johnson, but also Columbia darlings Amadou and Mariam, Cat Power, and Radiohead in their only American tour stop. The festival, which runs from Aug. 8-10 in Liberty State Park, Jersey City, is as pricey as a West Coast festival, with tickets costing well over $200. With all the free opportunities this summer, the weekend lineup seems a bit excessive, but a two-day pass could be worth it to see Chromeo compete with the Roots, or Animal Collective follow Kings of Leon. The park is easily accessible by light rail or train, so spend a few days out west of New York City to see what’s probably the best (and priciest) line-up this summer.
–Jennie Rose Halperin
CENTRAL PARK SUMMERSTAGE
Every summer, the City Parks Foundation organizes a broad variety of free concerts and artistic performances in Central Park. Founded in 1986, SummerStage has since provided New York City audiences with a variety of quality performances. The event aims to bring New Yorkers together and provide a setting for local and emerging artists, along with more renowned acts. All told, the concert series has hosted over 1600 artist performances and entertained more than 2.5 million people.
SummerStage is not just for musical acts. Bands have been complemented by film presentations, literary readings, and dance shows. At the heart of the concert series, however, is the collection of musical artists featured every year. In past years, SummerStage has hosted acts from a wide variety of disciplines and genres, including The Strokes, Billy Bragg, The Killers, Fiona Apple, Bob Weir, and Patti LaBelle.
There are three broad categories for the musical act featured this year: “Honoring Soul,” “World Talent in a Global City,” and “New York City-Based Artists.” Among the acts who honor soul, the renowned Mavis Staples will be performing Friday, June 13th. Acts like Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Stephanie McKay, Jamie Lidell, and the Menahan Street Band will perform later in the summer. Representing the “World Talent in a Global City” are artists including pop-folk singer Yael Naim, Los Lonely Boys, and roots-reggae artist Mosh Ben Ari. The “New York City-Based Artists” category includes Vampire Weekend, as well as Lemon, Will Power, La Bruja, the Roy Hargrove Big Band, and Black Dice.
The festive, inclusive atmosphere can cool a New Yorker off much better than lemonade or air conditioning, and this year’s outdoor stage will not disappoint.
–Reid Sandelands
SASQUATCH
Though it’s a bit of a hike for those staying in New York over the summer, the Sasquatch Music Festival this Memorial Day weekend is a can’t-miss for those on the left coast. It’s at the Gorge, a legendary amphitheater in central Washington state. It’s also relatively inexpensive, as West Coast festivals go—until the week of the festival, it’s $66.50/day. This price doesn’t include camping—an integral part of the experience—but at a $40-daily rate per vehicle, that’s easily split between friends. This year’s lineup is diverse enough to ensure you’ll encounter all types: R.E.M. and The Cure for throwback types, Death Cab and the Flaming Lips for the kids you were kind of friends with in high school, Flight of the Conchords, Michael Ian Black, Michael Showalter, Horatio Sanz, and Eugene Mirman for comedy enthusiasts, Dengue Fever for the Cambodian pop aficionado, Blue Scholars and Dyme Def for hyper-literate multicultural rap fans, and Throw Me the Statue for, um, me! You get the idea. Road trip, anyone?
-Alexandria Symonds
Also in the summer, in the city: Croton Point Park Clearwater Folk Festival, Broadway Under the Stars, McCarren Park Pool Parties, New York Philharmonic and Metropolitan Opera in Central Park, River to River, Lincoln Center Festival, Celebrate Brooklyn!, Washington Square Music Festival, and more!