Pitchfork

The 2007 Pitchfork Music Festival is nearly upon us! By now you know the basics: the big gig goes down Friday, July 13, Saturday, July 14, and Sunday, July 15 at Chicago's Union Park, tickets are completely sold out, and pretty much all of your favorite bands are playing.

Union Park is located at 1501 W. Randolph Street in Chicago. Detailed directions lie ahead, but first, here's that dream rundown, one more time:

Friday, July 13 (in conjunction with ATP/Don't Look Back):

5:00 Union Park opens

Connector Stage
6:30 Slint perform Spiderland
***Ticketholders take note: SLINT WILL BEGIN AT 6:30PM, NOT AT 7 AS INDICATED ON FESTIVAL TICKETS***

Aluminum Stage
7:45 GZA performs Liquid Swords
9:00 Sonic Youth perform Daydream Nation

Saturday, July 14:

NOON Union Park opens

Connector Stage
1:00 The Twilight Sad
2:00 Voxtrot
4:00 Battles
6:00 Mastodon
8:00 Cat Power and Dirty Delta Blues

Aluminum Stage
1:30 Califone
3:00 Grizzly Bear
5:00 Iron and Wine
7:00 Clipse
9:00 Yoko Ono (with special guests)

Balance Stage
1:00 Ken Vandermark's Powerhouse Sound
2:00 William Parker Quartet
3:10 Beach House
4:10 Fujiya & Miyagi
5:15 Professor Murder
6:15 Oxford Collapse
7:15 Dan Deacon
8:30 Girl Talk

Sunday, July 15:

NOON Union Park opens

Connector Stage
1:00 Deerhunter
2:00 Menomena
4:00 The Sea and Cake
6:00 Stephen Malkmus
8:00 The New Pornographers

Aluminum Stage
1:30 The Ponys
3:00 Junior Boys
5:00 Jamie Lidell
7:00 Of Montreal
9:00 De La Soul

Balance Stage
1:00 Fred Lonberg-Holm's Lightbox Orchestra
2:00 Brightblack Morning Light
3:10 Nomo
4:10 Craig Taborn's Junk Magic
5:15 The Cool Kids
6:15 Cadence Weapon
7:15 The Field
8:30 Klaxons

Not sure what the hell a Connector stage is, let alone where to find it? Looking for the box office? Will call? ATMs? Pick up a handy festival map! Everybody who enters the festival grounds will receive a copy of the map with a schedule and list of vendors.

As with Pitchfork events the past two summers, water will once again be available by the bottle for the meager sum of $1.00. That's less than the price of a ketchup packet at most festivals! So drink up and stay hydrated without incinerating your pocketbook.

What to do with all those extra bucks you won't be blowing on water? Why not take a load off at the DEPART-ment craft fair, the Flatstock 13 poster fair, or the WLUW record fair? It's also not too late to catch the last acts in the festival-sponsored LunchBreak series at the Chicago Cultural Center. And that eMusic comp is still free for the downloading.

Hey! Some travel info:

Address

Union Park
1501 W. Randolph Street
Chicago, IL 60607
(Corner of Lake St. and Ashland Ave.)
Get map

Directions

Pitchfork Music Festival at Union Park is easy to get to via the CTA. For more detailed directions please visit the CTA's Trip Planner.

By Bicycle

We highly encourage biking to the festival, and will provide a guarded bike parking area at which you may store your bike while you attend the event.

By Train

Located, literally, just steps off the Ashland Green Line/Pink Line stops. [Green Line riders take note! There are actually two "Ashland" stops. One, called "Ashland/63rd", might as well be in another time zone. Do not use this stop! Use the "Ashland" stop that's between the "Clinton" and "California" stops. Also, don't use the Orange Line Ashland stop! Only the Green and Pink lines stop at Union Park. Thanks.]

By Bus

#9 Ashland to Ashland and Lake.

By Car

With so many options and directions to come by, we've just listed a few. Please visit maps.yahoo.com for further detailed directions. Also, please be advised that there is no parking available at Union Park. If there's any way you can avoid driving to the festival, avoid it.

I-90/94
Take 90/94 East to Chicago.
Take EXIT 50A toward OGDEN AVE.
Stay straight to go onto N. RACINE AVE.
Turn slight right onto N. OGDEN AVE.
Turn right onto W. Randolph to 1501 W. Randolph.

I-290
Take I-290 East to Chicago
Take EXIT 28B toward PAULINA ST / 1700 W / ASHLAND BLVD.
Stay STRAIGHT to go onto W CONGRESS PKWY.
Turn LEFT onto S ASHLAND AVE.
End at N Ashland Ave & W Lake St.

I-55
Take I-55 N / STEVENSON EXPY N.
Merge onto I-90 W / I-94 W via EXIT 292A toward WISCONSIN.
Take the WEST RANDOLPH ST exit: EXIT 51B.
End at 1501 W Randolph St

And all the fine print:

General Info

The Pitchfork Music Festival is a three-day event showcasing dozens of bands and artists on three stages. With so many blockbuster festivals gouging their attendees out of absolutely obscene sums of money, only to confine them in uncomfortable, tight spaces and skimp on basic necessities, our goal is to do the right thing: create a reasonably priced summer music festival that provides an overwhelmingly positive, comfortable, and fun experience for both attendees and musicians.

Hours

Friday: 5pm to 10pm. Saturday and Sunday: Noon to 10pm. Box office opens July 13th at 10am.

Tickets

If you are picking up tickets at will call, please bring an ID and your Ticketweb purchase confirmation number.

Children

Children of all ages are welcome, and children under the age of 11 will be admitted free when accompanied by an adult.

ATMs

ATMs will be available on festival grounds.

Lost and Found

Please visit the box office for all lost and found items.

Access and Special Needs

For information regarding access for people with disabilities, please e-mail access@pitchforkmusicfestival.com

Rules and Regulations

Re-Entry Policy

Please bear in mind, there will be absolutely no re-entry into the festival.

Prohibited Items

All attendees will be searched upon entering the festival grounds. The following items will not be allowed: Tents, flags, refunds or exchanges, lounge chairs, instruments, knives or other weapons, video cameras, audio recording devices, professional cameras, pets, food, beverages (other than sealed bottled water), drugs or drug paraphernalia.

Cameras

No video recorders and no cameras with detachable lenses will be allowed on the festival grounds. If you are at all unsure about the equipment you're planning to bring, leave it at home!

Non-Prohibited Items

Digital cameras (non-professional), disposable cameras, film cameras (non-professional), fanny packs, sealed bottled water, backpacks/satchels (medium-sized), hats, sun block, lighters, sunglasses, cigarettes, folding chairs.

Alcoholic Beverages

A valid ID is required to purchase or consume alcoholic beverages on the festival grounds.

Security and Safety

Chicago's well-respected and experienced Safety Security Systems will be providing their services at the Pitchfork Music Festival. Please respect and follow all rules and regulations. They were created with your safety in mind.

Weather

The Pitchfork Music Festival will take place rain or shine (forecast is calling for sunshine! Fingers crossed!). All acts advertised have confirmed their appearance at the Pitchfork Music Festival. However, acts are subject to change without notice. Please visit this website regularly for the most up-to-date information. All rules and regulations are subject to change.

Please Respect Our Neighbors

Union Park and the surrounding historic neighborhoods have been very gracious in welcoming us to their home several years in a row. Show respect for them as you enter and leave the festival. Please don't be overly loud, don't litter, and don't post or distribute flyers in the neighborhood.

The Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation has informed us that they will be ticketing people for posting flyers on light poles, telephone poles, or any other piece of city property. At $250 per flyer, you might want to reconsider whether this will be a cost-effective way to promote your band/energy drink/toothpaste/movie night/etc.

* * * * *

Last but anything but least, we'd like to thank everyone who purchased tickets to the 2007 Pitchfork Music Festival. With your help we can all look forward to another unforgettable gathering!