Pitchfork Rundown: Sunday

Finally......

Sunday, July 20
1:25 p.m. High Places --
Ehhh. I've heard some of their recorded stuff and been alright with it (while not crazy about it), and this set was no different. It was hot as hell, they weren't very engaging, and the music wasn't entirely my taste.
"Canary"

2:20 p.m. HEALTH -
Oh, the HEALTH controversy. I haven't heard anything but their remix album (which, admittedly, is a lot of fun to dance to) and hype and hype and hype, and I was pretty disappointed. Their schtick seems to be hurling themselves around like mad and pausing to look really fucking exhausted at every opportunity. I would believe the latter, except that they all walked onstage looking, well, really fucking exhausted. Clinging to drums and sinking to the ground and inhaling great lungfuls of air and panting them out at us. I didn't buy it.
"Crimewave" (Crystal Castles v. HEALTH)

3:15 p.m. King Khan & the Shrines ++
Such a phenomenal, engaging, entertaining band really doesn't need to rely so much on fodder for the crowd. Their live show is so great off of their personalities alone, that the rest just seems to get in the way. I was neutral on Khan's gold cape and navy boxer briefs (in this crowd, I was just thankful they weren't American Apparel briefs), but really bothered and put off by the bands 'cheerleader', some chick in a blue flapper dress and gold-spangled underwear that I saw way too much of. Where the musicians' glee was infectious, hers seemed affected. Khan doesn't need the act--why include it? It would have been better without.
"I Wanna Be a Girl"

5:00 p.m. The Dodos +++
My surprise hit of the festival. I particularly enjoyed the standard aluminum trash can serving as a kick drum.
"Nerds"

7:00 p.m. Spiritualized +++++
SO LOUD. SO DAMN GOOD. We were in the second row, near-deaf, dancing around gleefully. The soul singers added a perfect element, and the Spaceman was stoic and weird as ever. After two shows I got used to the routine: never a word between songs, never an acknowledgement of the crowd's yells, then a sudden act of violence--battering into a microphone or hurling a guitar across stage--before exiting, coming back on to clap at the audience, and exiting for good.I was so struck by this show and seeing them again in Nashville Tuesday night that I got goosebumps when I realized how close I was to them. We worked our asses off for an encore, but it didn't happen. Does anyone know if these guys have ever played an encore?
"Soul on Fire"

8:00 p.m. Dinosaur Jr. ++++
This probably pulled the most diverse crowd of the festival, and
"Back to Your Heart"