Make it through pungent smells of every type, past the army of flat-billed backwards baseball caps, and be welcomed to the 2014 Pitchfork Music Festival by Hundred Waters. Lead singer Nicole Miglis proudly announced her first-time festival presence in a natural voice, full of ease and grace, successfully leading her quartet through an ambient electro-pop hula-hoop; music for a pleasant picnic. No better way to start, and the start is the only place where Hundred Waters belongs, their set perhaps a bit too passive for some. In response to the lackadaisical afternoon, Miglis stretched her voice to the highest heights, melodies melting into shifting samples, until the fearless monster of digitized bass bottomed out a crowd ready to dance. Whether or not they actually did is beside the point, Hundred Waters is the archetype for a new generation of musicians, no longer interested in the strictly acoustic world of their elders. Or perhaps Neneh Cherry will prove that the kids have more to learn than they might think. (Kenneth Preski)
Solo Survivor: James Swanberg Navigates the Live Music Shutdown “The responsibility of having a drummer or a bassist would really stress me out,” says Swanberg. “My stress level compared to a traditional band, is a lot smaller, and I’m fortunate for that.”
Jerusalem on Lake Michigan: Chicago’s Birthright Claim To Gospel Music Festival With the occasional exception of crossover artists like Sir the Baptist at Lollapalooza—gospel isn't going to make a significant showing at any festival that’s not exclusively gospel-dedicated. Fortunately for Chicago, the gold standard in that regard occurs annually on our lakefront.
