The A.V. Club attended Sound And Gravity last fall, which drew an obvious Pitchfork comparison as both were co-founded by Mike Reed. Whereas SAG skews toward the into-jazz-years-old crowd that’s still inquisitive, Warm Love Cool Dreams is the more apt replacement festival. I don’t love comparing either event to the nearly 20-year run of Pitchfork, but the fest’s departure did leave a huge hole in summer weekends in Chicago, and as someone whose varied musical taste is hard to explain to strangers, this one hits the best for me. There’s always something you can dance to (Pixel Grip, Nourished By Time), something beat-focused you can just vibe out to (Moin, Tortoise), something you can rock out to (headliners The Jesus And Mary Chain and Courtney Barnett), and something you maybe just heard of and need to see live to know more (Lauren Auder, YHWH Nailgun).
Left: Jim Reid of The Jesus And Mary Chain; Right: Smerz (Photos: Josh Druding)
WLCD delivered on the people-watching front—while the years of spotting NBA jerseys in the crowd have passed, we have returned to the era of full-thrifted looks and ironic vintage t-shirts and silly hats (that was me with a silly hat on day two). But I’m not sure the overall curation of the festival would totally click for anyone who isn’t a former college radio DJ or omnivorous listener. Did, say, Whitney fans attend both days, excited to see Kumo 99? The old heads who were there the first day for Tortoise and/or The Jesus And Mary Chain, and young goth industrial femmes there for Pixel Grip, didn’t seem to stick around for the second day, which featured my favorite acts, Moin and Nourished by Time (who are, admittedly, a little harder to categorize). But Pitchfork always offered a similar mix, with lesser-known acts going on in the afternoon and more established artists taking over in the evening. As a music fest, Warm Love Cool Dreams is still a toddler; it’s still finding its audience, so what matters most is that people show up with an open mind.
Outside of some cheeky billboards around town and Empty Bottle’s own social media posts, Warm Love Cool Dreams felt under-promoted; additionally it had competition from the well-known Sueños Music Festival and newcomer Forever Mine. One advantage WLCD certainly has is the production quality at Salt Shed; even when a couple of artists arrived late and barely got to soundcheck, staff was unflappable and the sound was excellent through the weekend. Though it’s the only music festival happening on Salt Shed grounds this year, the still-young venue is a Chicago favorite for its sound quality and hospitality.
While Chicago hosts a decent amount of festivals outside of the juggernaut Lollapalooza, Warm Love Cool Dreams is the only real “indie rock” festival diverse enough to replace what Condé Nast killed. We have several EDM-type festivals where you can take drugs if you want; the aforementioned “Big Ears Of The Midwest” Sound And Gravity; city-run classics like the Jazz Festival and Blues Festival; and plenty of free options with the Millennium Park Summer Music Series. WLCD is still a new festival getting its footing, but it’s already shown that it’s evolved in its second year. I can’t wait to see what the next iteration brings to Chicago.
Keep scrolling for more great stories.