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JAPANDROIDS

by Jake McKenzie
photo by Camilo Christen

Crowd-pleasing rock and roll doesn’t get much better than the crowd-pleasing rock and roll produced by Canadian rock duo Japandroids. With influences ranging from the palatable and pleasant Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty to the more eclectic post-punk sounds of The Replacements and Hüsker Dü, Japandroids are truly making summer rock for the modern era. While their debut album Post-Nothing made quite a splash, it was their sophomore effort Celebration Rock that really got rock fans celebrating, leading Rolling Stone to dub it one of the “Top 10 Summer Albums of All Time” (it came in at the bottom of the list, but with The Beatles and The Beach Boys there was some stiff competition.) Japandroids played over 200 shows on the heels of Celebration Rock and continue to tour with their latest release Near to the Wild Heart of Life. It’s clear this band loves a good live show, and if you plan to attend be prepared to sing.

7:45-8:30 PM
Blue Stage

ALEX CAMERON

by Jake McKenzie
photo by Cara Robbins

After Alex Cameron self-produced his debut Jumping the Shark, the Sydney, Australia native caught the attention of Foxygen and subsequently toured with everyone from Mac DeMarco to Kevin Morby and Angel Olsen. After striking up a friendship with Killers frontman Brandon Flowers, Cameron co-composed five tracks for the band’s fifth album, Wonderful Wonderful. Claiming that “Failure has been underexplored in music,” Cameron has crafted and cultivated a stage persona of a failed entertainer with a commitment to theatrics that is something to behold. He only takes interviews from the inside of a run-down bowling alley, and is often joined onstage by his “business partner” and saxophonist Roy Malloy. Even in private interviews, it’s tough to tell where the character ends and the actual human being begins. But one thing is clear: Alex Cameron’s carefully cultivated weirdness is absolutely meant to be seen on stage.

5:15-6:00 PM
Blue Stage

KELLY LEE OWENS

by Erin Malysa
photo by Kim Hiorthoy

Kelly Lee Owens has produced a steady stream of releases starting with 2016 EP Oleic, 2017 single “More Than A Woman” and now her full-length self-titled album, which is hauntingly electronic at its heart with references to early Krautrock in its drive. On the track “Keep Walking,” Owens dedicates space to the moments between the echoing chorus of “keep walking” and the verse of: “City through the window, make it our own, run to it / Plastic cherry blossom, eyes never close, run to it.” The distance of a city, passing by with all of its opportunity and adventure, is what Owens longs for. It’s why she urges the listener to keep walking, keep moving, and forge ahead. Even if what you see feels unreal, is not quite within reach, or is treacherous with its siren call of fakeness…it’s just too hard to not witness, too hard to turn away, too hard to close your eyes.

2:45-3:30 PM
Blue Stage

RAVYN LENAE

by Dylan James
photo by Jingyu Lin

Ravyn Lenae sings like she’s been alive forever. Her voice is eternal, but she’s still just a teenager. Before graduating high school last year, Lenae went out on her first North American tour as support for fellow Pitchfork Fest performer and Chicagoan Noname. After graduating, Lenae went on tour with SZA. But while all of these artists exude effortless cool, Lenae’s style of R&B is prodigiously funky. And despite her mature style, her youth can be heard in her freshness. Sounding like she found something new and wants to show it off to everyone, wandering festgoers will be drawn to the sounds of her stage like magnets. Still without a full-length, Atlantic Records promptly signed Lenae last year after the buzz of her two previous EPs. This year’s Crush EP brings cosmic Afro-futurism to Lenae’s repertoire, making her a perfect lead-up to Sunday sets from Chaka Khan and Ms. Lauryn Hill.

3:20-4:10 PM
Red Stage

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