The 2009 Pitchfork Music Festival Starting Lineup!

(swiped from Pitchfork Media)

Last week, we announced that the fourth annual Pitchfork Music Festival would jump off at Chicago's lovely Union Park July 17-19. If the mere fact that our festival is happening again wasn't enough to convince you to save the date and book any necessary flights, this should. We can now announce a few of the bands who will play this year's fest, as well as a truly badass new feature.

First, the schedule:

Friday, July 17

Built to Spill
The Jesus Lizard
Yo La Tengo
Tortoise

Saturday, July 18

The National
Pharoahe Monch
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
+ many more!

Sunday, July 19

Grizzly Bear
The Walkmen
Vivian Girls
+ many more!

OK. Now. In past years, we've booked our Friday night lineups by teaming up with All Tomorrow's Parties and their "Don't Look Back" series, presenting bands playing classic albums all the way through. Last year, Public Enemy performed It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, and Sonic Youth performed Daydream Nation in 2007.

This year, we're doing something different.

Starting on Friday night, we're kicking off a new series called "Write the Night: Set Lists by Request." You, the audience, vote on which songs all four bands-- Built to Spill, the Jesus Lizard, Yo La Tengo, and Tortoise-- will play. It'll work like this: When you buy your ticket, you'll get a confirmation email. That confirmation email will include a link to a page where you can vote on which songs from each band you want to hear. The bands will tailor their set lists accordingly. Oh, and did we mention this is the Jesus Lizard's first American show in a decade? Righteous, yes?

Tickets go on sale March 13, and voting starts the same day. Voting ends June 12.

Of course, we'll announce a ton more bands in the coming months.

Pitchfork Music Festival 2009!

(swiped from Pitchfork Media)

Drum roll: The fourth annual Pitchfork Music Festival will take place in Chicago July 17-19. So cancel that "screw the recession" European vacation ASAP-- it's not worth it. The Pitchfork Music Festival, on the other hand, is definitely worth it. Not like we're biased or anything. The three-day fest will once again take place at Chicago's lovely Union Park, so get ready to gawk at the coolest sunglasses you've ever seen while soaking in the finest music known to man...on earth...and in space. It will be mega.

Tickets go on sale Friday, March 13.

I know what you're thinking: "So which incredibly awesome bands are going to be there this year?" Slow down. We can't give everything away at once. Stay tuned to this space for a regular stream of festival updates in the coming weeks. While you're waiting, go ahead and check out Deerhunter's Bradford Cox performing with Spoon from last year's show or Girl Talk doing that thing he does with special guests Grizzly Bear at the '07 fest over at Pitchfork.tv.

But feel free to circle and/or highlight July 17, 18, and 19 on your cat-a-day calendar this very second.