Views From the Record Tents: Pitchfork Music Festival 2016

By Daniel Margolis

Over a decade into the Pitchfork Music Festival, the CHIRP Record Fair has established itself as one of its mainstays. It started out as a scrappy used record fair operating as a sideshow to the fest, an extension of the independent, online radio station’s annual record show in April.

Since then, the fair has evolved into a showcase for up-and-coming record labels and small businesses looking to get the word out. This past weekend, we spoke to some of the dozens of vendors spread throughout the tents to get their take on what it’s like to witness Pitchfork from behind tables stacked with crates of vinyl.

Anne Haag, Saki, Chicago-based record store

What’s the vibe like among attendees from your vantage point?

It’s been a cakewalk. People are nicer, more relaxed, able to enjoy things.

What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever seen from your record table at Pitchfork?

There’s a twisted part of me that enjoys watching couples start to fight because of heat and alcohol.

Who are you looking to slip away from the table to see this year?

Kamasi Washington, Sun Ra Arkestra.

So you’re a big jazz head?

I guess I am as of now!

Any particular album people are asking for a lot this year?

Carly Rae Jepsen.

What Bowie or Prince titles are people asking for?

We’ve had a lot of people looking for Prince’s self-titled album.

Adam Rosen, Will Johnston, Shuga Records, Chicago-based record store

How does the festival feel this year?
Adam: The line-up’s better. It’s more focused on local. It’s cool for people to see a band like Whitney here when they’re used to seeing them in a club.

Have you noticed there are a lot less used vinyl sellers in the fair this year?
Adam: Yeah. There’s too much competition on used.

What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever seen from your record table at Pitchfork?

Will: One year this drunk girl made me pick out four records for her; she was like, “Just give me four records I have to hear.” I gave her the best psych records of the last two or three years [one was Tame Impala]. Then when she got back home it came back as a charge back; she tried to claim her card was stolen. [Shuga had her on video signing for the records on an iPad and she lost the dispute.]

What Bowie or Prince titles are people asking for?

Will: That’s been the worst thing about vinyl the last couple years. It corresponds to the news cycle. People post sad Facebook statuses and go looking for those records and a week later no one gives a shit.

Who are you looking to slip away from the table to see this year?

Adam: Brian Wilson but I’m going to be disappointed. I saw him at Red Rocks a couple years ago and it was shitty.

Ted Lee, Feeding Tube Records, Massachusetts-based vinyl reseller

What’s the vibe like among attendees from your vantage point?

Escastic! Full of energy and possibility.

What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever seen from your record table at Pitchfork?

Guys will follow you around the rest of the show while you look through records at other tables saying, “See that record? I have 50 copies of that record.”

Who are you looking to slip away from the table to see this year?

Brian Wilson, Sun Ra Arkestra.

What Bowie or Prince titles are people asking for?

All of them. They’re going to re-press all of those.

Ken Shipley, Numero Group, Chicago-based reissue label

What’s the vibe like among attendees from your vantage point?

Attendance is low. The energy is also rather low.

What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever seen from your record table at Pitchfork?

One year we had a guy coming up to the table the whole night saying he wanted to buy something but that he needed to save his money for beer. Around 10:00 p.m. he comes up and shoves a crumpled-up wad of bills at us. We gave him a Deep City T-shirt and he put it on and left the T-shirt he was already wearing with us.

Who did you go see this year?

I saw Carly Rae Jepsen and it was incredible. Her album [Emotion] is the best pop album of the last couple years.

Are you seeing interest in any particular titles this year?

We get people who only have one or two of our releases so we try to steer them to one of the other 275 titles in our catalog.

Have sales of Purple Snow [Numero Group comp with a heavy Prince tie-in] increased these last couple months?

We were the only Prince available on Spotify after he died, so that started streaming hundreds of thousands of times more. And it is selling more but keep in mind it’s three years old at this point.

Lou Berkman, Carter’s Thang, Chicagoland used vinyl reseller

What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever seen from your record table at Pitchfork?

We get crazy requests for rarities that we’d never possibly have. And when it rains everyone piles in here and it gets a little nutty. We’ve had people put records on hold and then never come back to buy them or buy them and then never come back to get them. Thurston Moore shopped here one year, and he’s a big record guy, so that was cool.

Who are you looking to slip away from the table to see this year?

Brian Wilson, Twin Peaks.

What Bowie or Prince titles are people asking for?

Everyone’s always looking for Ziggy Stardust. People don’t really buy Prince.

Neeley Andrews, Music Direct, Chicago-based audiophile seller

What’s the vibe like among attendees from your vantage point?

Deader than normal.

What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever seen from your table at Pitchfork?

We had a guy whose girlfriend was passed out at the end of the table and he just kept looking through records. One time we had Thurston Moore come through shopping. When Twin Peaks was signing records a girl took down her pants and had them sign her ass.

Who are you looking to slip away from the table to see this year?

Digable Planets and Brian Wilson. We heard Brian Wilson didn’t want to be the headliner because he didn’t want to play that late; he wants to leave early. Also he won’t come over here to sign records because they couldn’t get him an air-conditioned golf cart to go through VIP to here. [The street entrance to VIP was 500 feet away.]

Jason Magicks, Record Breakers, Chicago-based store-front

What’s the vibe like among attendees from your vantage point?

The crowd seems somber. Younger. Mostly excited for Carly Rae Jepsen.

What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever seen from your record table at Pitchfork?

One year we had everyone flood in here during a rainstorm and it was arm to arm. It was some guy’s birthday and the whole tent sang "Happy Birthday" to him.

Who are you looking to slip away from the table to see this year?

Sun Ra Arkestra.

What Bowie or Prince titles are people asking for?

Any Prince. People are just like, “What do you have?”

Jordan Reyes, Moniker Records, Chicago-based record label and vinyl reseller

What’s the vibe like among attendees from your vantage point?

People expect to get sold to, so if they show interest in a certain record I’ll recommend something else as well. If an original is too steep I’ll try to steer them toward a reissue. They’re more used to buying new stuff.

What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever seen from your record table at Pitchfork?

People from other stores who say, “I have all this” can be pretty comical. I’ve been enthusiastic about the open-mindedness from people but surprised by the closedmindedness as well.

Who are you looking to slip away from the table to see this year?

Sun Ra Arkestra. [Moniker’s Robert Manis adds Carly Rae Jepsen.]

Scott Schaaf, Pinwheel Records, Chicago-based record store

What’s the vibe like among attendees from your vantage point?

It’s very relaxed and laid-back. You’d expect it to be a little more chaotic and crazy.

There are a lot less used vinyl sellers at the fair this year. Why do you think that is?

What with the boom in vinyl, it’s easier to get new vinyl. Everyone’s competing for the same used vinyl. And there are a lot of relatively new record collectors.

What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever seen at Pitchfork?

Sufjan Stevens' outfit last night.

Who are you looking to slip away from the table to see this year?

Kevin Morby. That’s my favorite record of the year. Also Brian Wilson just because 2016 has been pretty shitty for all of us.

What Bowie or Prince titles are people asking for?

We came here with first pressings of Diamond Dogs, Station to Station, Low, and “Heroes.” They’re all gone. We had an original Purple Rain and that’s gone too.