Read all about music here – Pitchfork Music Festival draws smaller crowd than usual

Pitchfork Music Festival draws smaller crowd than usual

By ARIEL CHEUNG  AND DARRYL HOLLIDAY Staff Reporters

July 16, 2011 12:40AM

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Updated: July 16, 2011 1:37AM

Pitchfork, the three-day music festival expected to draw 50,000 people to Union Park this weekend, has become an annual rite of summer for many city residents.

But unlike previous years at the seven-year-old fest, Friday night’s crowd did not appear to be a sell-out, and tickets remained for Saturday. Sunday’s show was sold out.

Still, those who attended Friday were just as enthusiastic to be there and were happy they enjoyed mild weather before an expected heat wave wallops the Chicago area.

“The weather today is great,” said Adam Zielinski, 26, who attended the outdoor event with his girlfriend, sister and her boyfriend. “But I can’t say as much for the rest of the weekend.”

This is Zielinski’s sixth time at Pitchfork, who came to see Friday night’s headliner, Animal Collective.

“We’re all just having a great time,” he said. “It’s something that we do every year — get together, listen to some great music and just hang out.”

He added: “What’s great about this festival is that there are so many great types of music and so many different types of artists who are trying to express themselves.”

Many attendees were planning on spending the entire weekend at the festival (three-day passes are sold-out), including John Case, 29, who showed up Friday with some co-workers.

“It’s about being out in the city, meeting people, listening to some great music and just kind of enjoying life,” Case said. “It’s something else great to do on a weekend in Chicago.”

Kate Puckett, 24, broke out in an impromptu dance during Neko Case’s performance.

“This is amazing — there are really good beats,” Puckett said. “I like to feel the music.”

Along with headlining bands Fleet Foxes and TV on the Radio, a number of other popular and critically-acclaimed groups will perform Saturday and Sunday, including No Age, Destroyer, the now-notorious Odd Future Wolfgang Kill Them All and local favorite Chrissy Murderbot.

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