Mar 30, 2026 10:30 PM
Flea Finds His Jazz Thing
In the relatively small pantheon of certifiable rock stars venturing into the intersection of pop music and jazz, the…
Kamasi Washington will perform at the Pitchfork Music Fest in Chicago, which runs from July 15–17.
(Photo: Courtesy of the artist)Fans at this year’s Pitchfork Music Festival can look forward to a healthy dose of jazz and improvised music. In addition to its usual roster of new and noteworthy rock acts, the festival, which runs from July 15–17 in Chicago, boasts an impressively diverse lineup, including jazz artists Kamasi Washington and the Sun Ra Arkestra.
Chicago music enthusiasts will recognize familiar faces in Twin Peaks, one of the city’s most promising garage-rock bands, who will perform at the festival on July 15. Other performers slated for opening night include Beach House, Broken Social Scene, Carly Rae Jepsen, Girl Band, Julia Holter, Mick Jenkins, Moses Sumney, The Range, Shamir and Whitney.
July 16 will feature sets by ANDERSON .Paak and BJ The Chicago Kid, whose styles meld jazz, soul and hip-hop into novel configurations. Also performing will be rock veteran Brian Wilson, who will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Beach Boys classic Pet Sounds by performing the album in its entirety.
Circuit des Yeux, Digable Planets, Holly Herndon, Jenny Hval, Kevin Morby, Martin Courtney, Oneman, Royal Headache, Savages, Sufjan Stevens, and Super Furry Animals round out the day’s schedule.
July 17 marks the festival’s most jazz-oriented day of programming, with performances by saxophone phenom Kamasi Washington and bassist Thundercat, who appeared together on Washington’s breakout disc, The Epic (Brianfeeder). The Sun Ra Arkestra, led by saxophonist Marshall Allen, is also scheduled to perform.
Among the other artists scheduled for July 17 are Empress Of, FKA twigs, Holy Ghost!, The Hotelier, Jeremih, Jlin, LUH., Miguel, NAO, Neon Indian, Oneohtrix Point Never, Porches, RP Boo and Woods.
Tickets for the 2016 Pitchfork Music Festival are on sale now. Three-day passes are available for $165 and single day passes are available for $65.
The festival will take place in Union Park, located at 1501 W. Randolph St. Among the items that fans are allowed to bring into the park are sealed bottles of water and medium-sized backpacks.
For more details and to purchase tickets, visit the festival’s website.
“Cerebral and academic thought is a different way to approach music,” Flea says of his continuing dive into jazz. “I’ve always relied on emotion and intuition and physicality.”
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