Pygmalion 2019 Preview
Local music festival Pygmalion is approaching, with another strong and exciting lineup for Illini and CU-area natives alike. Headlining the musical acts of the festival is Atlanta rapper J.I.D, who has been on tour since releasing latest album, Dicaprio 2. The organizers of Pygmalion are certainly in tune with U of I students as this headliner is one of the most anticipated performances of Pygmalion 2019. Also featured on the lineup Chicago-based rapper IsaiahG. In addition to the aforementioned rappers, there are six other solo acts at the festival. Excitement is brewing for Japanese Breakfast, the solo musical project by Asian-American Michelle Zauner. Her experimental, lo-fi pop sound is an exciting addition to the lineup, heightened by the fact that Michelle is also hosting a book talk for her recently-released Crying in H Mart. Other solo acts include contemporary Saharan artist Mdou Moctar, indie-folk songwriter Lady Lamb, bedroom songwriter Jerry Paper, grindcore band Captured! by Robots (with one human member and several robot musicians), Sudanese-American songwriter Dua Saleh, Latina indie-pop Chicago starlet Tatiana Hazel, and local dream-pop artist zzo. While there's a wide variety of solo acts to listen to at Pygmalion, musical groups are where the festival shines. Of note is Vancouver-based Indie-Rock group The New Pornographers performing around the premiere of their latest album, In the Morse Code of Brake Lights. Another awaited group is the Soul-tinged musical collective Black Pumas, having released their debut album this year. Mirroring the inclusion of world music in the solo acts is the appearance of Brazilian psychedelic rock band Boogarins. Other musical groups include Milwaukee-based folk band Dead Horses, punk rock sister duo Bleached, Chicago-based indie-pop band Beach Bunny, and Chicago punk quartet Retirement Party. Pygmalion also has its fair share of local acts, including electro-pop group Mermaid Heaven, indie-country-folk-rock band Relevator, pop-rock group Carly Beth, post-metal band Shazu, and funk-fusion band The Data Waves. With the plethora of acts present, Pygmalion 2019 is the music festival to be at this fall. Be sure to visit thisispygmalion.com for tickets and more information.