by Jacob Ganz

"We have a new record, but we're not going to play anything off it, because you guys only voted for the old [stuff]."

That quote, from Tortoise's John McEntire near the end of his band's set, about sums up the good and bad in a fan-selected setlist. Tortoise, Yo La Tengo, The Jesus Lizard and Built to Spill all played Pitchfork's first night, a.k.a. the so-called "Write the Night" portion of the festival. If you're a fan, this sort of a thing means you know that you'll hear hits, but the chance of getting any curiosities is pretty slim. If you're new to one of the bands, you can always check out the vendors or lounge on the lawn and take in the view from the Jumbotron.

All four bands at the festival's first night could reasonably be called '90s acts, though all but The Jesus Lizard have kept putting out records through this decade. Yo La Tengo's set was drawn pretty equally from the band's career, and they sneaked a new song into a nicely varied set. Tortoise, well, I'm not familiar with most of Tortoise's repertoire, but most of its very long, very lovely songs sounded like a perfect soundtrack for a montage of an indie-rock convention, which it basically was.

 
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The reunited Jesus Lizard plays in front of the renamed Willis Tower.

The Jesus Lizard played the only Jesus Lizard song I know, but provided plenty of entertainment otherwise. The band broke up in 1999, and the time off fueled anticipation for its return. The crowd was ready for the hometown band to show it something raw, and the band, looking weathered but confident, obliged. Lead singer David Yow dove into the audience before he sang a word, and went back in for more at least twice.

When he wasn't in the crowd, Yow spent the rest of the set pacing from one side of the stage to the other, spitting and rushing to the edge of the stage, generally making the job of the cameramen who were shooting for the Jumbotron difficult. The rest of The Jesus Lizard pretty much stood still while they roared through their songs, but they're ferocious songs, and the band can stop on a dime.

I ran into a couple of friends, I ate some ice cream, I got rained on and dealt with the press tent's intermittent wireless access. Then again, I got to hear thousands of people sing along with Built to Spill during "Kicked It in the Sun," so I can leave happy. I'll be back tomorrow.