by Jacob Ganz

The last time I attended the Pitchfork Music Festival, it was 2006, and on the plane from D.C. to Chicago, I sat three rows behind a certain junior senator from Illinois named Barack Obama. Three years later, if the festival hasn't seen the stunningly rapid rise in prominence that Obama has enjoyed, it's maybe for the best. Pitchfork — the site and the festival — thrives on an appreciation of the little guy, and on providing an avenue by which that guy can become maybe not so little. A large part of the festival's charm is seeing bands that aren't quite ready for massive outdoor stages try to stretch their sound to fill the space.

Not that the festival is stocked completely with up-and-comers. The National headlines Saturday night, and The Flaming Lips will close out the festival on Sunday. Tonight's lineup features sets — voted on by fans — from four bands well beyond their first album: Tortoise, Yo La Tengo, The Jesus Lizard and Built to Spill.

Over the weekend here in Chicago, I'll talk with musicians playing the festival, bloggers, vendors, festival planners, Pitchfork writers and people who actually paid to get through the gates. I'll post bits of these conversations here, and try to figure out how to tweet festival goings-on at the allsongs Twitter page from my ancient cell phone.

But it won't all be work.

 

Union Park may not be massive, but Pitchfork makes the best of its limited size. The festival schedules its two main stages so that the band on one starts as soon as the band on the other finishes. There's never any overlap, or sound from one stage bleeding toward the other. Which can make it particularly nice to watch a band whose music might get drowned out at a larger festival.

In 2006, Band of Horses, with just one release under its belt, played a jangly, echoing afternoon set that sounded perfect drifting out over the sunny infield. I've got high hopes for a similarly warm feeling from the set by the French electronic artist M83 on Sunday evening. Other bands might not have to stretch so far. The Thermals' shouty garage jams (Sunday at 4:15), Beirut's swooning horns (Saturday at 7:15), and the layered punk rage of that band from Toronto whose name The New York Times tells me I can't print (Saturday at 2:30) should all translate well.

If things get too professional, there's always a sweaty time to be had in the festival's lone tent. I'm psyched like eighth grade to finally catch Ponytail live tomorrow, and after Camden's post on the band yesterday, the Japandroids set on Sunday has risen high on my must-see list. I'll let you know if they live up to the hype. And hey, if Wavves has another freakout, I'll be sure to describe it immediately, in all the immaculate detail 140 characters will allow.

If you're heading to Pitchfork (or even if you're not; the festival's site will host live streaming video all weekend), let us know what you like, who disappointed, and what you want Built to Spill to play ("Kicked It in the Sun"!!!).