This year's Pitchfork Music Fest (July 19-21) lineup is the best it's been in a long time, which comes at a cost: The inevitable scheduling conflicts.
Here are the four biggest question marks posed by the Pitchfork schedule, announced Thursday:
Friday
Frankie Rose (3:20 p.m., Blue stage) vs. Daughn Gibson (3:30 p.m., Red stage)
Do you want to begin your fest with something light and airy or a moody baritone? It's totally a matter of preference, and you really can't go wrong. -- MP
Saturday
Savages (4:15 p.m., Green stage) vs. METZ (4:45 p.m., Blue stage)
The English band's '80s-leaning debut "Silence Yourself" has made them one of the buzziest groups of the year. Enjoy them for a while, then take off; you shouldn't miss a second of the hard-rocking Canadians, whose razor-sharp guitars are savage in their own right. -- MP
Sunday
Tree (1 p.m., Green stage) vs. DJ Rashad (1 p.m., Blue stage)
Why you gotta put the two local openers on against each other, Pitchfork? What, we can't enjoy a legendary juke DJ working the crowd of Hold Steady shirt-clad fest-goers into a frenzy AND a fascinating performance from one of the better rappers in Chicago's new scene? We have to choose? I'm just saying--it's a conspiracy or something.-- EW
R. Kelly (8:30 p.m., Green stage) vs. TNGHT (8:45 p.m., Blue stage)
The advantage would clearly lean toward the Pied Piper of R&B, right? Don't sleep on Hudson Mohawke and Lunice, however; expect hardcore beats and, since they'll be coming off of their work on Kanye West's recent "Yeezus" record, could we see some local appearances? Time will tell. -- EW
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