Got a late start on day 2, arriving just in time to catch the haunting experimental electronic buzzes of Fuck Buttons on the Balance Stage and the harmonic soft melodies of Fleet Foxes drifting from the Aluminum Stage. Caught about a song of each and then headed to the Sparks tent to get my day started right. Tromping through the muddy grass pits of Union Park, I headed to check the one and only master of grime himself, Dizzee Rascal, rock the Chi crowd hard on the Connector Stage.
I had caught Rascal rock the SXSW crowd this past March and became a big fan since. As soon as he came to the stage with his two man crew, he commented on the general Pitchfork demographics, “I see you around all into dis funk, nah nah nah,” mimicking the more toned down indie rock groups, “Well Funk dat shit, we’re gonna party now and bring the noise!” Rascal then did just that, the smooth injection of polished, head bobbing hip hop, party jumping was brought. After a two song warm-up,
Rascal continued to speak with the crowd in his thick London accent, “This ain’t no fucking picnic, we come from England; I speak your language but I don’t know if you can understand a single word I’m saying—but I can tell you, you will know my name by the time I leave here—what’s my fuckin’ name?” Rascal hyped as the crowd eagerly answered his question shouting choruses of “Dizzee Ras-calll’s” in anticipation of keeping the party hot. Rascal then rocked new and old songs alike, and livened up the crowd with my personal faves “Sirens” and “Fix Up Look Sharp.”
Gotta give props to Pitchfork for mixing up the mix with the different musical sounds, Mr. Dizzee Rascal is definitely still fresh as hell.
