Pitchfork Music Festival day 3 review

After two rain-filled days at Union Park, the final day of Pitchfork 2012 was hot and sweaty. The sun beat down on thousands of fans, and a few celebrities, taking in the punk, electronic and indie mix of music for the day.

Early Sunday afternoon was all about the punk rock. The first big act of the day was New Zealand psychedelic rock outfit Unknown Mortal Orchestra. Decked out in full-on hippie regalia, the band brought slick, well-crafted spacey rock to the early crowd. Even this early in the day, the band garnered quite a bit of audience feedback, with many fans singing along to their hits "How Can You Luv Me" and "Little Blu House."

Next up on the agenda for the day was San Francisco's riotous wrecking crew of a band Thee Oh Sees. Built from the wild imagination of front man John Dwyer, Thee Oh Sees are famous for their rip-roaring live show, and their performance at Pitchfork only strengthens that claim. When a band loves what they do, it really shows in their live show, and Thee Oh Sees clearly are enamored with playing music for people. Head-banging and hopping around on stage just as much as any enthusiastic fan, Dwyer and company played every note like was their last.

As Thee Oh Sees began to close out their set, they called out across the field toward their good friend from San Francisco who was setting up his stage. That friend was none other than rock icon in the making Ty Segall. Perhaps the most prolific artist at the festival (and at only 23, that is saying something) Ty Segall's body of work is as large as it is excellent. And the huge crowd of anxious fans weren't the only ones who felt that way - members of Wild Flag, Thee Oh Sees, and Sleigh Bells were in attendance at his show, singing along with all of his grungy rock and roll.

Much like Sleigh Bells the day before, Segall knew how to work his audience. As a huge rock and roll fan himself, he knows what he wants out of the perfect rock show and injects it into his. Right alongside his superb original set list, Segall belted out AC/DC's "Dirty Deeds (Done Dirt Cheap)" and surfed the crowd for a solid 10 minutes as his band rocked out onstage, after inciting an “oi” chant from the crowd. Bonus points for the awesome female drummer.

Keeping the punk vibe going, The MEN took over where Segall left off. The MEN have never played by the rules. Rather than sticking to a specific subgenre of punk, the MEN have tried a little bit of everything, and have always pulled it off effortlessly. Their latest album, Open Your Heart, was ridiculously addictive and ingenious and that sound carried over to the live show beautifully. Taking the blue stage by storm, The MEN blasted through their set like pros, leaving the crowd sweaty and breathless. Punk scene, take notice, The MEN have set the new standard.

Taking a break from the onslaught of rock and punk music, New Jersey trio Real Estate cooled off the crowd with their signature dreamy guitar-pop. Having opened for The Shins on their most recent tour, Real Estate have had the chance to hone their live show. Where their albums could potentially seem too laid-back and shimmery, they have worked their live show in a way that keeps the music upbeat and highly infectious. Was it a memorable performance? Not necessarily, but it was enjoyable in the sweltering heat of the mid-afternoon.

Over at the blue stage, rising MC Kendrick Lamar took the stage to a massive audience prepared to enjoy some of the freshest, most compelling rhymes on the rap scene today. Fans were not however for who would make a surprise appearance. Apparently Lamar has some famous fans, as none other than Lady Gaga showed up onstage to give Lamar a hug and give her support to the west coast rapper.

Surprise appearances aside, Lamar gave an incredible performance to the big audience gathered at the blue stage under the trees. Fans were treated to not only some of the best rap at the festival, but to some of the best crowd interaction of the festival. Lamar included the crowd in every song, keeping his performance fresh and wholly original.

Following Lamar was the experimental act Oneohtrix Point Never. The ambient music in the forest of the blue stage put the crowd in a strange trance-like state. While interesting, this was not the kind of music you can enjoy on a beautiful day outside. It probably would’ve been more enjoyable to be sitting somewhere by yourself, contemplating the complexities of the universe than standing with hippies smoking incense.

Meanwhile, electronica made a major comeback back at the green stage with Rhode Island beat wizard Araabmuzik. Known as one of the fastest beat creators in the business, Araabmuzik didn't take long to bring the party back to Union Park. Loud and fast, he turned the green stage field into a sweaty dance party, with energetic twenty-somethings bouncing around like gangbusters. To top it all off, Araabmuzik brought out Chicago up-and-comer Chief Keef onstage to perform the last two songs. For Chicago electronic fans, this was a show to remember.

Shifting over to the red stage, the mood shifted drastically. Gone was the party feel of Araabmuzik, replaced with the classic hipster vibe for which the festival is known. Almost unanimously accepted as one of 2012's best albums, Beach House's Bloom wowed critics and fans alike with its spacious, powerful fusion of electronic sounds with sparkling guitar.

The formidable duo of Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally has, in recent years been putting in the work, producing three quality albums and touring relentlessly. That effort shows in their superb stage show, hitting every note perfectly and extending their sound beyond that of similar bands. As the sun set, the larger-than-life shimmer of "Lazuli" soothed the anxious, sweaty crowd and perfectly set the mood for the rest of the night.

Beach House might have induced some napping fest goers, but the naps didn’t last for long. Sunday night meant one thing – the first Vampire Weekend performance in Chicago since September of 2010, and their first US festival appearance since October 2010.

“It’s been a long times since we’ve played shows and longer since we’ve played festivals” said lead singer Ezra Koenig, “but you seem nice.” Nice was an understatement. If the mad rush to pack toward the stage upon the band’s opening of “Cousins” entrance wasn’t a sign of excitement, the nonstop bouncing and singing along was. The set included much of their library from “Vampire Weekend” and “Contra,” and a promise of a new album on the way.

The band played a 16-song set followed by an encore demanded by the screams of fans. For not playing many shows in the past year, Vampire Weekend sounded great as ever, giving hope that their third LP will not disappoint. Closing the show with “Walcott,” the bands traditional closing number, the crowd showed no sign of exhaustion even after a long weekend in the heat.

Despite downpours, sweltering heat, and too much body pain being passed around, Pitchfork Fest 2012 was a success. Who’s ready for Lollapalooza?