The set for Chicago-based band, Deeper, which opened the Pitchfork Music Festival on Saturday, July 22, was cut about 10 minutes due to thunderstorms on the second day of the three-day festival at Union Park.
Later, as light rain and dark clouds began to cover the area, festivalgoers were evacuated from the urban musical festival that features more than 40 local and international artists. They were invited back as the skies cleared.
Rae Rowe from Minneapolis said it was confusing when the Deeper set ended early, but they enjoyed it otherwise. “I loved seeing the American Indian movement shirt on the stage. That was badass,” they said in reference to drummer Shiraz Bhatti’s T-shirt.
“Sometimes you just want to feel powerful and like no one is going to take you down notches,” they said. “Like, this is the music where I could kindly get something out aggressively by kindly shoving someone and not feeling too bad about it because they’re kindly shoving back.”
Nicole Baumann from Austin, Texas, who watched the show with Rowe, said the set made them feel “frenetic,” particularly the intricate guitar parts. “It’s something I really like when I’m listening to music. It’s something my brain focuses on and I listen to a lot.”
Fans were asked to move several feet away from the stages in accordance with the festival’s thunderstorm safety protocols. “I think I’m more thankful for the potential chance of rain because it’s a hot one,” said Lizzie Manno, from Cleveland, Ohio.
Lindsay Thomaston, of Atlanta, a friend of Manno, said the two came to the festival as a way to reunite. “We both actually met through music journalism. So we tried to reconnect now that we are no longer in the same city for concerts and festivals and whatnot,” she said.
Thomaston said what they got to see of the Deeper set was “phenomenal the guitar work sounded so pristine and delicious.”
Slight delays occurred throughout the festival much of the day. The duo, 700 bliss, performing on the Green Stage, started about 15 minutes later than planned. “That was scary with the lightning, oh my god,” said DJ Haram, member of 700 bliss. This is their first time at Pitchfork but their mother comes all the time. “I like y’all’s mullets. I really do,” they told the crowd.
The Palm sets will be postponed until Sunday, July 23, at 1:15 p.m. on the Blue Stage. Other artists that were delayed a few minutes such as Black Belt Eagle Scout played abbreviated sets.
Performances were back up and running and shortly after delayed once again due to weather. Vagabon began their performance on the Blue Stage and got through only two songs before having to leave.
Brendan Caimack, of Chicago, got to see Vagabon’s performance before it ended because of the weather. “It was sad because it was the first person I came to see,” Caimack said.
Caimack said they enjoyed the stage presence and the band. “I loved the sax player and the drums and she had the keys in front of her.”
Vagabon threw red roses into the crowd before exiting the stage.
