Pitchfork: an indie music festival to revel in

When you think of a music festival, astronomically priced tickets and ridiculously large crowds probably come to mind. Factor in the possibility of a long drive and you might begin to think about just staying at home this summer. Think again. Pitchfork Music Festival is one of the biggest indie music events in the Midwest-it has gained popularity by keeping admission prices low and giving fest-goers room to enjoy some of their favorite indie artists on three different stages located in Chicago's Union Park. Pitchfork the music festival is put on by Pitchfork the online publication, along with their production partner, At Pluto, both of which are based in Chicago.

Prices for P4K 2009 changed very little from 2008 and that's because Pitchfork isn't looking to make gains in that way.

"We're don't budget our year out with the expectation that this is going to be a big money-maker," said Scott Plagenhoef, Pitchfork's editor-in-chief. "This is something that we like to do, it's a nice extension of our website, and obviously we want it to do well, so we keep doing it."

And Pitchfork is doing well. This year, tickets sold out almost a month in advance, and when 900 extra tickets were offered a week before, they sold out within two days. Over the three days of Pitchfork, Union Park was filled with fans of all ages and from all over. Here's a day-by-day recap of Pitchfork Music Festival 2009.

On Friday, fans were just beginning to enter Union Park and by the time the first band went on at 5 p.m. a healthy crowd had gathered. Only four bands played that evening on the Connector and Aluminum Stages, but Built to Spill easily drew in the largest crowd of the evening. Prior to their performance, The Jesus Lizard, Yo La Tengo, and Tortoise also played.

Saturday, a noticeably larger amount of people made their way in. The Balance Stage opened and drew many of those people to the southwest corner of the park to see performances by Matt and Kim, The Wavves, and Ponytail. The crowd energy was strong enough to break the photo pit barrier while Ponytail played. As the evening went on, Doom, Beirut, a multitude of indie bands brought fans back to the main stages (Aluminum and Connector). The night was finally capped off by The National, who drew in one of the largest crowds for Saturday night.

Sunday, Union Park filled. Acts like Blitzen Trapper, The Thermals, The Walkmen, M83, The Vivian Girls, and Grizzly Bear performed. The crowd for M83 doubled in anticipation for the last and arguably the biggest performance of Pitchfork: The Flaming Lips. Well known for their live performances, The Flaming Lips didn't disappoint. In fact, as their equipment was being set up (amps and microphone stands wrapped in neon orange tape and confetti cannons) the crowd immediately began applauding. When they finally took the stage (through a video screen vagina), the crowd exploded. When lead singer Wayne Coyne rolled out onto the crowd inside a giant inflatable ball, the crowd went completely insane. Amidst confetti and giant balloons, The Flaming Lips concluded Pitchfork Music Festival 2009 with the most anticipated performance of the weekend, making this another successful year for P4K.

For those who want to participate in Pitchfork next year, here are some tips:

-If you're staying in Chicago, make sure you're staying within reach of Union Park via public transportation; you'll find that the experience is much more enjoyable when you don't have to worry about parking a car.

-If you're heading up from Champaign-Urbana or the surrounding areas, you might consider taking the Amtrak train to Chicago.

-Find your hotel deals early.

-This year, the three-day pass for Pitchfork was $75, but you can buy a single day pass for $35. The three-day passes sold out first, but Pitchfork organizers released 300 more tickets for each day, and those sold out within two more days. So if you think the tickets are sold out next year, stay tuned for another release of passes.

-Be prepared for all types of weather. All of the events are outdoors, and since Pitchfork is in the middle of weird Illinois weather season, be sure to have shorts, sunscreen, long pants, and rain gear handy. If it's raining, the shows will go on!

-You can only bring in sealed, bottled water to the venue. You cannot bring in food, beverages, pets, video cameras, professional cameras, or lawn chairs.

-The festival highly encourages biking!

-Know who is playing at each stage, and when; this will help you get a good vantage spot before the crowds start to fill up the spaces.

-Be a good person from the community and help others to have fun.