"Normally at this time I'd tell you to go out and all form a band, but there are so many of you out here that there'd be too many bands. So I'm going to tell you all to go home and write something interesting, direct a good movie, or do something that I will like. And if you go home and do nothing, then I will be very, very disappointed in you."

So said Eddie Argos, lead banterer of cheeky London band Art Brut at Pitchforkapalooza today. In the name of satisfying Mr. Argos' hope, here goes a recap of today's events in Union Park, Chicago. Click for more…

1:03 - Local rockers Hot Machines (one part Ponys, one part Miss Alex White, one part Baseball Furies) play their own brand of sleazy garage rock, but it gets old rather quickly.  They spit hot fire, but in doses.

1:15 - 8 Bold Souls, a local jazz band and member of the AACM, give my day the kickstart it needs in the small but at least shaded Biz 3 tent. Epic and flashy, they're a great ensemble.

Yes, that man is playing two trumpets. 

1:36 - Came to the realization that the turkey sub I snuck in from Subway had mayo in it, so it was definitely time to eat it. It tasted fine.

2:00 – What happens when you give Tom Waits a pirate backing band and kazoos, Playskool toys, and colorful feathers as instruments? Philadelphia's own Man Man. Energetic, excessively goofy, and just a whole ton of fun. God, it's so fucking hot and sunny today.

2:36 – Band Of Horses continue to suck live. Sorry guys, loved the record, but you need some more practice. I expect an improvement (and some new rockers) next time.

3:30 – The Mountain Goats take the stage, and I'm still not impressed by Mr. Darnielle's brand of indie rock. Sorry, but off-kilter and quirky lyrics while playing acoustic guitar a Dylan does not one make. I instead checked out Flatstock 9 , the cool little convention of poster designers and makers (put together by the American Poster Institute). Check out the work of Mr. Mike King at Crash Design, from whom I picked up a great Mission Of Burma poster.

4:27 - Destroyer puts on another great show, this time with songs primarily from his latest and excellent record, Destroyer's Rubies. Dan commenting "This is a song about, uhm," kicks off "Modern Painters." Oh Dan Bejar, you're so cryptic!

5:05 – Art Brut improve three-fold since the last time I saw them back in April, and put on one of my favorite shows of the day. Highlight (during "Emily Kane"): "If I went up to Jay-Z, he'd be like, 'Eddie, you got 99 problems but a bitch ain't one.' And I would say 'You don't need to be profane, but I get what you're saying." Oh Eddie, so charming. Art Brut Top of the Pops, indeed.

6:10 – Ted Leo keeps the spirit of independent music alive by being the single most intense performer today. How he managers to sing like that all the time without damaging a vocal cord amazes me.

7:10 – The Walkmen take the stage and lead singer Hamilton Leithauser takes the time to remind us that he's way cooler than the rest of us decked out in his aviators.

7:35 – Hunger conquers, so we cut the Walkmen a little short and it was time for a little Persian food. Check out this dude who I ran into in line. 

7:50 - All this sweating has pushed my first pee break this far back.

8:15 – In the middle of a great Futureheads set, I run into fellow UCLAradio.com DJ and lover of music of all sorts, Christina! Yay!

9:00 – The Silver Jews start 10 minutes early, satisfying everyone's appetite a little early. For a band that has never toured until this year in their 17 year existence, they are amazingly confident and at ease. Combine this with David Berman's excellent songs, and you have today's best performance from the band that has done the least amount of it; and in front of their largest crowd ever, too! What a fitting end to a great day.

Well Eddie, I hope that makes you happy. Stay tuned to the blog for more updates on Pitchfork Music Festival, Day Two!

- Carman