Pitchfork 2010: Best Coast and Beach House prove Girls have the edge and Surfer Blood catches the wave of Cali rock that shines down on the park

Day 3 Part 1, July 18, in Chicago

By Selena Fragassi & Sarah Collins
Published: July 19th, 2010 | 12:05pm

Let it be known, Best Coast likes to “indulge.” When not talking about the band’s stimulus of choice, Bethany Cosentino sings about it. And she sings about it quite well. The frontwoman of the L.A. trio who, together, bring a laidback, sandy surf vibe to re-invented ’60s girl group numbers were the first act on a female-friendly Sunday lineup.

They quickly thanked the fence-to-fence crowd for “getting wet” in an early day thunderstorm and waiting around to see their band whose late July debut is already garnering bulletin board attention across blogs and paper mags alike. “This all reminds me of Woodstock in the ‘90s,” the neon sunglasses–clad singer joked, “but without Limp Bizkit.” After warning that they would not be playing any songs by friend Wavves, Cosentino, bassist Bobb Bruno, and new drum Ali Koehler (Vivian Girls) careened through a carefree set of beach jams including “Sun Was High (So Was I),” “When I’m With You,” “Crazy for You,” and new single “Boyfriend,” which had many male admirers in the crowd raising hands when Cosentino wailed, “I wish you were my boyfriend.” The set was short (but then again, so is the band’s 29-minute album), yet memorable—every song giving a contact high that lingered through most of the day as the simple choruses played over and over in reveler’s heads.

Leaving the Coast, the crowd made their way to the Beach House set across the park where glittering diamond stage props brought glimmers of hope for a much-anticipated set. Singer Victoria Legrand and partner Alex Scally have made more than a few of the festival rounds this season but the airy grounds of Pitchfork became one of the more appropriate settings for their brand of floating dreamscape pop. Released in January, Teen Dream (Sub Pop) is an appropriate title for the band’s debut that is just as much a staple for culture tasting, floral romper–wearing high schoolers as it is a reflection of the idiosyncratic idol status given to blazer beauty Legrand whose husky pipes could cause a pandemic of teenage smoking to acquire the desired results. Swan songs like “Zebra” and “Norway” were befitting of the final day of the festival, which brought in a breeze from the east and proved that the estrogen was in retrograde and caused more than a few to fall in love with the sirens who commanded the park until sundown. [Selena Fragassi]

Girls entered the stage with lead singer Christopher Owens looking Rick Astley–esque in a broad-shouldered, brightly printed ‘80s shirt and pleated khaki trousers. He called out to Cass McCombs who had just been on the adjacent stage and waved to the crowd before starting the set off right with one of the band’s bouncier tunes. But the momentum quickly faded into slower songs; their retro pop is a sweet way to start off the day, but the dreamier songs wilted in the summer sun. The crowd cheered and swayed along, but the guy who offered free water bottle showers elicited almost as much applause. A few of the songs were saved by Girls’ knack for building into a great big buzzy chorus, but much of the middle dragged. By the end, Girls had popped the tempo back up, and their better moments revealed why the group drew such a big crowd early on the third day.

Local Natives were a perfect example of how to keep energy up and tempo slow. Their harmony-driven tunes had a fire behind them that crackled in the choruses. “Airplane” had the whole audience bouncing, despite being a tender song about loss. The fans were clearly present here, turning most of the songs into sing-a-longs and had more of a response to Local Natives’ originals like “Sun Hands” than they did to their cover of Talking Heads’ “Warning Sign,” a true remake that leant eerie harmonies to the classic tune. However, the Natives didn’t escape the noise bleed issues the Balance stage was plagued with all weekend. The subtle harmonies on "Shapeshifter” couldn’t compete with Beach House across the park, but as the song built, it drowned out the surrounding sounds to create an aural cocoon of beautifully crafted indie pop.

Shortly thereafter, the Balance stage area saw a quick turnover, as fans of Local Natives streamed out and fans of Surfer Blood poured in. The Surfer Blood fans packed the field so full a crew member came onstage to point out pockets where there was more room, and to suggest a trip to the air-conditioned Greyhound bus for over-heated revelers. Surfer Blood embraced the festival setting, playing a laid-back set with enough front-of-the-stage guitar solos to keep the audience cheering. “Take it Easy” drew a huge response, and the band seemed simply happy to be there. Guitarist Thomas Fekete admitted to watching the Pitchfork Fest in an online stream last year, and they showed their appreciation for being added to this year’s bill with a solid set. “Floating Spiritual Vibes” and “Twin Peaks” both had the audience moving, but “Swim (to Reach the End)” put them over the top. It was a song that sounded synthy and bombastic enough to fit into an ‘80s arena rock comp, while the chunky guitars provided a crucial pick-up for the crowd and left them with feel-good vibes that carried throughout the day. [Sarah Collins]

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Read up on Pitchfork Day 1: Part 1 and Part 2

Read up on Pitchfork Day 2: Part 1 and Part 2

Read up on Pitchfork Day 3: Part 1 and Part 2

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presbr (about 1 year)
What in the blue blazes does this mean? "Released in January, Teen Dream (Sub Pop) is an appropriate title for the band’s debut that is just as much a staple for culture tasting, floral romper–wearing high schoolers as it is a reflection of the idiosyncratic idol status given to blazer beauty Legrand whose husky pipes could cause a pandemic of teenage smoking to acquire the desired results."

presbr (about 1 year)
Ditto this: "Swan songs like “Zebra” and “Norway” were befitting of the final day of the festival, which brought in a breeze from the east and proved that the estrogen was in retrograde and caused more than a few to fall in love with the sirens who commanded the park until sundown." ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????