Festival Review: My Top Beers And Artists of Pitchfork Octfest (Part 2)

Featuring beers from over 90 breweries, representing 20 different countries, and  a food lineup curated by Bon Appétit, Pitchfork Octfest allowed the culinary and sonic arts  to highlight the each other. Thus, here are some of my fave beers matches with some of my favorite acts.

Vince Staples – Circa’s Coconut Porter
Vince Staples – Big Fish

You know you are not a “drinker” when you order sweet beer. The brewer laughed, and passed me his fave Coconut Porter. Of course, I expected a tropical storm of taste, but the coconut was very lightly present. Instead, it highlighted the smooth bitterness of the porter: making its kicks feel more digestible. Something Vince Staples does lyrically and performance wise.

Vince Staples is a human mirror; reflecting the struggles of the black community, his own philosophies as a young artist growing in a grimmer world, and a regular guy that wants to have a good time. Lyrically, he states the obvious facts, even if they are tragic, but he does it in a way that makes the bitterness of social alienation more absorbable through the smoothness of sound. In terms of performance, he is a kick; busting his body and verbosity to bring forth an intensity that matched the giant display of images behind him.

Nao- Wal’s Sour Violet Rouge
Nao – Another Lifetime (Official Video)

It was hard for me to pick a proper beer for this artist because she is so cool. Yet, Wal’s Sour Violet Rouge is the particular beer because it tastes EXACTLY like wine, and this young lady is as refined, refreshing, and “raspberried” as the drink. She is what I call a “guarantee” artist. You can see her 20 times in a row, and each one was equally as fun as the last time. The crowd danced so much to her songs, even new tracks like, “Make It Out Alive,” and were eager to promise to be at her Terminal 5 show in January. Honestly, you will not dance as much and as gleefully with any other artist. Moreover, she is as sweet as this “ supposedly sour beer.”

The Flaming Lips – Miami Wells
The Flaming Lips – Do You Realize?? [Official Music Video]

This was a hard choice because The Flaming Lips are so “all over” in terms of sound and aesthetic, they could, technically, be every beer. Yet, I chose Miami Well for its crisp, serious sweetness, and its usage of colorfulness on its can to give the appearance of fantasy while serving rich notes of reality. The Flaming Lips, undeniably, did the same with their performance.
Giant Balloons! Robots! Glittered Shades! The Flaming Lips’ show had everything. It was an unstoppably visual/ full sensory experience, and made people revert to their inner child. Everyone was eager to sing, clap along, and play volleyball with the balloons they tossed into the crowd. All in all, they were a perfect headliner to remind people it is okay to be imaginative, kind, and a little goofy, especially as adults.

Saba – Radeberger’s Schoffehofer’s Grapefruit
Saba – “Busy” (Official Video)

This beer was so unexpectedly good. Frankly, it went down like juice, and so did Saba’s set. Like a grapefruit, he is a vibrant, present personality; that squeezes verses for their bittersweet tastes. He, immediately, stood out in the “fruit stand” of artists. Yet, like this beer, he felt like a surprise attraction. You know, as an artist, that you are giving an excellent performance when people start to migrate towards the stage. The festival had a very easy, “go with the flow” ambiance that made people float between stages and beer kiosks. Yet, seeing how many simply and subtlety flocked to hear his good music was moving, and further proof that Saba is one to watch.

Vagabon- La Virgen Jamonera

Crisp, a golden, dark amber, and with a taste that lingers long after your first sip, this beer was a standout like the artist Vagabon. She is so tender, vulnerable, and moved the audience with how dominating her presence is for being so simple. She wails on her guitar and vocals, while letting her natural grace embody the inner diaries of so many young women carrying more epiphanies and emotions than a galaxy. She sings to those keeping them all locked away for fear that they do not have the permission or prominence to expose their truest feelings. Luckily, Vagabon was the artist to do so, and she, literally, made people cry with her performance.

Preoccupations- 4 Pines Summer Ale

You cannot beat a fresh, cold summer ale, and Preoccupations are the same way in sound. The two Aussies that passed me their proud, Sydney based beer were friendly, bright, and had smiles that were as drinkable as this beer. Once again, Preoccupations felt the same, and the openness of the festival made their raucous rock feel lighter and even more engulfing with the chilled air.

Nile Rodgers and Chic- Nicaragua Craft Beer’s Panga Drops
Nile Rodgers, CHIC – Till The World Falls (Lyric Video) ft. Mura Masa, Cosha, Vic Mensa

Nile Rodgers is a legend, and he showed it. He scoped through all his funkadelic hits, and did not need Cher, Bowie, Diana Ross, or his other collaborators to summon their level of magic. Yet, I chose this beer because, frankly, everyone tried it. They were extremely strategic in bringing little cans, and passing them around to assure that the hundreds that came walked away with their crisp lager. In some ways, Mr. Rodgers has done the same. Everyone knows his hits, and they are classics because anytime they are played, if you are human, you will dance. By the end of his set, the stage was filled with members of the crowd ready to boogie.

Hop Along- Virtue Cider’s Michigan Cherry

When life throws you cherries, you turn around and make a beer with it. This is not the actual phrase, but it captures the mindset of this delicious beer and Hop Along’s MO. They take the raucous of punk rock, the simplicity of pop hooks, and the moodiness that comes with both to make music. Moodiness is a good word to describe their lyrics, and how they manage
to encompass that a human heart is the equivalent of pendulum swing. Yet, like Frances’ Quinlan’s voice, this cider is what you have when you want to feel good again.

The Courtneys – Veza Sur’s Guava Sour

Again, I only discovered sour at this festival, which goes to show Pitchfork Octfest was for both the aficionados and the “know-nothings” like myself. Yet, this beer would leave everyone feeling ignorant because it has the most brilliant ingredient . GUAVA! This sweet, sour fruit has just the right amount of tanginess to make your taste-buds feel kicked, and The Courtneys are the same in dynamic. Yes, their rhythms feel as bright and blossomed as this fruit, but their sweetness has several, seeded lyrics that remind you no juice/ emotion comes without life’s squeezing situations.

Hatchie- Wicked Weed’s Specialty Golden Angel

This young lady is rising in popularity; just like this delicious beer. With blends of apricot and apple, it is so crisp you feel the fruit was cut just before the glass was served to you. Hatchie sings her songs the same way; as if she just fell in love, broke up, or dreamed right before got on stage. She treats every song like it was a note she had to tell you, her friend, and with her cool, effervescent vocals you certainly gain a bond with her words.

Kamaiyah – Bronx Brewery Slow Your Roll Session IPA
Kamaiyah – Addicted To Ballin’ (Lyric Video) ft. ScHoolboy Q

My beloved BX was represented at Pitchfork, and I like to think this Oaklander has a lot in common with my Boogie Down Bronx. Her rap style is a combination of toil and ease; bringing forth a bombastic freneticism wrapped with a finessed calm. In other words, she can either take you out of the ring or treat you like her inner circle. Such an honest, but fun dynamic is definitive of the BX and this beer. Slow Your Roll, definitely, asks you to drink it calmly. It is a heavy beer that demands to be sipped, enjoyed, and admired like her rap flows.

Madison McFerrin- Taihu Brewery’s Imperial Stout
Madison McFerrin – Insane

Artful, effortless, and flowing with splashes of color in style and vocals, I chose the Rubus for Madison Mcferrin because this beer, as well, takes a lot of craft to be handed for consumption. You can tell Madison has a vision of herself that is so ornate and specific, you can see how her music floats upon her mind. If anything, her performance is an invitation for your to witness her creative world; watching her display her dreams as if she is her own entertainer.

Shopping – Birra Del Borgo – Rubus
Shopping – The Hype

I loved this beer and its maker. It felt grated and potent in deliciousness, and Shopping is equal in personality. They simply make you want to jive and funk through your day, which might be why they moved across the stage like magnets swirling on a fridge. They could not keep still in their attachment to their songs, and made you feel like you were following the leaders in embracing their warm sound, despite the rising cold.

For More Information On Pitchfork Octfest Click Here.