The sun was shining down on the final day of Pitchfork 2023, a much-needed reprieve from the rain that plagued Saturday afternoon and forced a temporary evacuation of Union Park.

Chicago DJ Ariel Zetina got the festivities started with her eclectic electro mix. The rest of Sunday’s lineup promises a good deal of international flavor with Colombian soundscape artist Lucrecia Dalt, London art pop duo Jockstrap, Jamaican multi-talent Koffee and Niger guitar phenom Mdou Moctar wrapping things up before the big finale from Bon Iver.

Palm

Sunday afternoon’s set by Palm was attention-worthy for two reasons. Of the performances canceled by weather-related delays on Saturday, this was the only one that Pitchfork officials announced would be moved from Saturday to Sunday. 

Additionally, the quartet announced on June 13 that its current tour would be its last.

Palm played in November at Sleeping Village and on Friday at a Pitchfork after show, making Sunday afternoon perhaps the last time Chicagoans will have an opportunity to see the band, which includes singer-guitarist Kasra Kurt, singer-guitarist Eve Alpert, bassist Gerasimos Livitsanos and drummer Hugo Stanley.

Alpert seemed to have a wistful facial expression as she pulled out a camera to photograph the crowd both before and after the set, documenting an important episode in the band’s history.

Owen Ziliak/Sun-Times

Offering a mixture of art rock, math rock and curated blasts of noise, Palm delivered a casserole of controlled chaos. 

Just as fans of avant-garde jazz can discern certain musical logic that might elude the casual listener, the hardcore Palm fans in Union Park soaked in the frequent, frenetic time-signature changes that Stanley fueled from behind his drum kit.

The 45-minute set included an explosive rendition of “On the Sly,” from the band’s acclaimed 2022 album, “Nicks and Grazes.” 

Influenced by Sonic Youth, the band blended aggressive sounds with soaring vocals by Kurt and Alpert, with lyrics perhaps selected as much for their sounds as for their meanings.

The show concluded with “Dog Milk,” from the band’s 2018 album, “Rock Island.” The tune featured an electric guitar riff reminiscent of a steel drum, an intriguing sonic element that Kurt created with a MIDI pickup.

Many in the Union Park crowd knew the importance of the occasion, getting perhaps a final glimpse of an art-rock band that has followed a unique artistic path. —Bobby Reed