Pitchfork 2010: Major Lazer went R-rated, Sleigh Bells rang if you were listening, and just about everyone hit the Pavement

Day 3 Part 2, July 18, in Chicago

By Selena Fragassi & Sarah Collins
Published: July 19th, 2010 | 12:00pm

Major Lazer also got the crowd moving, though using somewhat different tactics—namely, daggering. It’s hard to write about a performance where simulated sex is integral to the show, but it worked with Major Lazer’s over-the-top bombast and dancehall beats. The set was as tacky and spectacular as fans could hope for. It opened with two giant Chinese dragons that periodically pranced around the stage. Also included were two booty-shaking dancers, two ballerinas who likely did not learn dancing at Julliard, and a generous portion of Maker’s Mark. Oh, and sex. Lots of sex. At one point the main backup dancer brought out a ladder, which lead man Skerrit Bwoy (supported by Diplo) used to gain the appropriate height before stripping and jumping on the backup dancer to hump her on the stage. She then reciprocated the trick. It was a performance, and in turn, the crowd full of indie kids tried out their best dance-party moves all over the field. By the end of the set, the whole crowd knew that when Skerrit Bwoy says Major, you say Lazer.

Big Boi offered a more tasteful alternative to booty shaking and refreshed the crowd on remixed Outkast songs. It was thrilling to hear "Ms. Jackson," "Rosa Parks," and "So Fresh, So Clean" live, and I guess there's a certain obligation to play “Bombs Over Baghdad” after Pitchfork named it the best song of the decade. However, Big Boi’s new album, Sir Lucious Left Foot… the Son of Chico Dusty, is fantastic, and it would have been better to have heard more songs from it. He did bring out tiny B-boys and girls to breakdance for the crowd though, and children dancing are enough to distract fans from a classics leaning set. The set was a little less than expected, but Big Boi’s prowess was still proven when he convinced Pavement fans to pry their eyes off the empty stage to watch him instead. Not even Sleigh Bells could get that audience to budge. [Sarah Collins]

St. Vincent nary gets by a performance without wearing some shade of red, today a fiery blood orange sundress, which is perhaps ironically symbolic of the passion Annie Clark has playing her wildly masterful compositions. A former member of Sufjan Steven’s ensemble, Clark proved she has found solid footing in the muddy terrain of an overpopulation of female singer/songwriters with a bait and attack method that preys on even the most mindful music snobs.

A skilled guitar player from the school of Prince, it’s difficult to say exactly which function Clark fills best: type-A band leader, axe master, Shakespearian songwriter, or romanticized vocalist. This was the perplexed state she left many a person at the Connector stage who were slothily digesting the all-you-wanna-hear buffet she offered up on tracks like “Marrow” and “Save Me from What I Want.” Although best expressed in a close quarters cabaret club, Clark successfully pulled off her fleshy set in the no boundaries zone of Union Park, and sold everyone on the fact that saxophone is simply not utilized enough in non-jazz genres.

Sleigh Bells was Pitchfork’s spirited Christmas in July act that took the coveted spot directly ahead of final headliners Pavement—an amazing feat considering Brooklyn’s noise rock duo formed literally from thin air last fall and only released a rushed LP in May.

From the start, Alexis Krauss and Derek Miller’s set was plagued by sound problems. After a 25-minute delay that had many biting their nails as they realized how few minutes remained before Pavement would hit the ground, the band appeared to a Slayer-inspired intro but only got through two songs before Krauss stopped the set to remedy the audio malady that crowdgoers noticed and vocalized early on. The speakers were muffled and the soundstage crew obviously had their headphones on too tight to regard the insufficient volume levels, a major crime for you know, a “noise rock” band. But after the minor interruption, Sleigh Bells rang loud and clear and won back their approval ratings with solid performances of “Riot Rhythm,” “Kids,” and “A/B Machines.” They may have come from nowhere in 2009, but Sleigh Bells are definitely headed to bigger places in 2010 and beyond. [Selena Fragassi]

There's no objective way to write about a favorite band reunion. There's ten years of expectations and emotions tied into the performance. And Pavement, well they’re the inspiration for half the bands that played Pitchfork; their songs are the template for indie rock. There was no better band to close out Pitchfork—It was more than excitement in the air; it was longing. So when Drag City founder/former Q101 DJ "Rockin'" Rian Murphy came out to introduce the band, no one wanted to hear his eager, shambling introduction. And when Pavement came out, and the incandescent lightbulb canopy lit up for the first time in the day, the cheer was like a sigh of relief.

As if trying to diffuse the tension, Pavement started with "Cut Your Hair," letting the air out of the audience enough to enjoy the set. "Range Life," "Two States," "Silence Kit," "Trigger Cut," "Shady Lane," was the short list of songs to hope for. Pavement knew the expectations, and they met them. But all the pressure, all the perfection kept it from becoming a real rock ‘n’ roll show. Brendan Canning from Broken Social Scene turned "Two States" into an awkward sing-a-long, slopping the set up a bit. But he shouldn't be the only indie rock kid to have his dream come true. His microphone theft eased up the set, and more moments like that would have been welcome. Bob Nastanovich tried, with a mini-vuvuzela that he played between songs to bring back World Cup fever. But most of the stage banter felt forced, odd for a band with as much practice as Pavement. The songs were perfect, the way fans have been picturing them with eyes closed for over a decade. But a little bit of indie rock “fuck you” attitude would have loosened the band and the fans enough for it to have been one of the transcendent shows that last on 20 years later in the memories of old folks. Like Pavement's legendary early shows.

The question now is, where does Pitchfork go from here? With everybody's dream reunion booked, where do you go? What comes after Pavement? Good luck with that for 2011. [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