Pitchfork Music Festival Mon Jul 08 2013

Ten Ways to Keep the Night Alive: Pitchfork After-Party Guide

By Abigail Covington

The closing moments of a festival are strange. The people are high, but sadness creeps in as their beloved bands finish their sets. The sun is setting, but it's still early for a Saturday night. Droves of concertgoers pour through the exit gates and wander aimlessly in the streets, wondering ... where to next? Certainly, having somewhere to go always helps. To aid in that effort, here is the lowdown on Pitchfork's official and unofficial after parties.

Thursday

Surrounding the festival this year, is the Pitchfork holiday season, which begins on Thursday, July 18th with the official Pitchfork pre-party at Lincoln Hall. Atop the bill is the Montreal duo, Magical Cloudz, who will be flanked by sets from Pitchfork DJs. The event is free upon RSVPing and also includes free food courtesy of Chipotle. The doors open at 10pm, but you'd be wise to arrive early because capacity at Lincoln Hall is limited. If the sound of this piques your interest, RSVP.

Friday

The official festival begins on Friday with headliner, Bjork, closing out the night in Union Park. But if you want to prolong the weird, the second installment in after-shows at Lincoln Hall is there for you. Sky Ferreira and Savages, two Pitchfork festival regulars, will share the night along with a "special guest" DJ and friend to Savages, Johnny Hostile. The coupling of these breakout chick rockers should make for a riotous night and if you want in you best start trolling Craigslist or other resellers because this show is sold out. Friday night is host to another sold-out show at Schubas. Foxygen, hungry to improve their sketchy reputation for live performances, will take to stages twice this weekend so if you can't find any tickets for their show at Schubas with Gauntlet Hair and Gambles, don't miss them on Sunday at the festival.

Saturday

Saturday night's official after shows should be met with energy, so if you're feeling like you need a pick me up after Belle and Sebastian's sure-to-be-pretty set, headbang your way over to Reggie's for Pitchfork's official after party. The show features the metal heads of Pissed Jeans and KEN Mode supported by newcomers Sky Burial and Lasers and Fast and Shit. Tickets are $12 in advance/ $15 day of show and the doors open at 10pm. Purchase your tickets in advance online.

If you like things loud, Bottom Lounge is also throwing down on both Friday and Saturday and punks are welcome! Friday night's lineup is a mash up of no frills post-punk rockers, Merchandise, and DIY crooner, Daughn Gibson, with Connections and Steve Gunn playing smaller sets as well. Saturday night follows a similar trend with punkers Trash Talk, White Lung, and Ratking set to take the stage. Both shows start at 9:30pm and tickets are $7 and can be purchased online.

For the more down-tempo seeking, Saturday's party at Schubas provides, with sets from the smart and subdued, Waxahatchee, and Modern Hut and Carbonleak. The show starts at 10pm and tickets are $6 at the door with proof of purchase to Pitchfork festival and $12 without it. Purchase tickets here Meanwhile, over at the Empty Bottle, Canada's second recent internet sensation, Mac Demarco, will take to the stage with rockers Ex-Cult and OBN IIIs. The event is 21+ and starts at 10:30pm. Tickets are $13 and can be purchased online in advance.

Sunday

Sunday marks the festival's come down and "officially" closing out the 2013 Pitchfork season is the sensational and sprawling Autre Ne Veut who will perform at both the party and the after party on Sunday, the latter of which is happening at Lincoln Hall at 10pm. The night also packs in a performance by Empress Of and a DJ set by Evian Christ. Tickets are $7 with a Pitchfork Festival proof of purchase ($14 without it) and can be purchased online.

On the other side of town, and unofficially closing out the festivities is a band that can provide a big enough bang to go out on, Parquet Courts. Part Texas, part New York these raucous rockers will perform at the Bottom Lounge at 9:30pm. Tickets are $7 and can be purchased here.

With a weekend brimming with late-night options, there's no need to enter into that traditional post-Pitchfork malaise. However, if at the end of the day you still decide to pack it up so you can rest, recharge, and reboot- that's understandable. After all, there's going to be a whole lot of live renditions of "Trapped in the Closet" to endure come Sunday.