Frightened Rabbit @ Pitchfork Music Festival 2009
I arrived at day three of the Pitchfork Music Festival roughly five minutes before the start of Frightened Rabbit’s performance, and the Scottish four-piece really got my day off to a great start with an engaging and lively 45 minute set. Despite Scott Hutchinson proclaiming his throat was shot, “But fuck it, I’m going to go for it,” the band’s members certainly poured themselves into their passionate songs and easily won over the swelling early afternoon crowd. Opening with “The Modern Leper” got things off to a stellar start, and Frightened Rabbit quickly followed that up with the rousing “Fast Blood.” Hutchinson mentioned that it felt like the band has played Chicago even more than Glasgow recently, and the group clearly felt at home in front of a receptive and adoring audience.
“Old, Old Fashioned” got the crown clapping along with the drum beat and singing right along with the band. With “I Feel Better” Hutchinson audibly struggled with the higher registers on his vocals, though he still managed to drive the song forward with his hopeful and insightful lyrics. “Good Arms vs. Bad Arms” was a slow building, stormy mass that soundtracked the gloomy weather which loomed overhead. “The Twist” found Hutchinson manning the keyboards with his brother Grant providing the propulsive beat; the track was a bouncy highlight of the set. “Head Rolls Off” was moving and superb, and continued the momentum and intensity of the band’s stirring set. Andy Monaghan and Hutchinson formed a massive dual guitar attack on the set closer “The Greys,” that was expansive and explosive, and really found the band stretching out on a frenetic extended jam which closed the song. Frightened Rabbit set the bar high with the first set I witnessed during day three, and proved that the band has a live show that doubles the passion of its recorded work that is already infused with plenty of heart.
[review by Erik Thompson, photos by Jon Behm, video byJosh Keller]
Though I probably didn’t give it an honest chance, the band’s set didn’t do much for me. I was a ways out for it, compared to other sets I saw, but the sound seemed extra-bland… even despite the distance.