Looking around while waiting for Clipse to take the stage on Saturday of this year’s Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago, one was forced to wonder – are these people really the ones that listen to this? A brief glance down at my own digs: American Apparel tee, wallet chain, skate shoes, and I realized that I wasn’t exempt from such speculation. But with a packed crowd stoked to see the Virginia-based hip-hop duo, it wasn’t the right time for us, or Clipse for that matter, to question the larger issues behind this peculiar dynamic. They took to the stage with DJ Jus Ske and flew into a ruthless set starting with “Momma I’m Sorry,” from last year’s stellar Hell Hath No Fury. The dynamic was quickly set – this shit was going to be loud, essentially turning into a version of rap karaoke. Jus Ske played tracks from Clipse’s discography while Pusha-T and Malice enthusiastically shouted their lyrics at us like they didn’t have microphones. This meant, more or less, that the Neptune’s nearly immaculate beats were almost entirely abolished, and the smooth flow of the Thornton brothers gave way to a ruckus that never let up.

The set consisted heavily of tunes from Hell Hath No Fury – they played 8 of the 12 songs, but they also graciously dipped into their back catalogue, performing “Cot Damn” and “Grindin,” probably the two best tracks from Lord Willin’ and even dragging out some far more remote stuff, asking “Where the real Clipse fans at?” and then busting out two joints from the We Got It 4 Cheap mixtapes. One of the highlights was undeniably the appearance made by Re-Up Gang member Ab-Liva for three tracks, who added a jolt of variety into the Clipse set, with his laid-back verses providing just the right complement to Clipse’s in-your-faceness.

The brothers didn’t hesitate to remind us that no matter what anyone said or how many records they sold, that Hell Hath No Fury was the record of the year in 2006. I’ve never disagreed with them, and Saturday’s performance proves them as an equally impressive live presence, drawing an enormous crowd to their feet and singing along with the often mightily catchy choruses. This is what mattered more than anything all weekend – in a heavy line-up of big name indie bands, most of them inspired little more than standing and head-nodding. After all, it’s a long weekend, and energy has to be saved for the right spots. But in a world in which it seems we all want to analyze what we’re listening to, sometimes it feels right to just be a fan and fall in love with some music just because. I think when Malice and Pusha led us through the chorus of “Chinese New Year,” with who knows how many kids unleashing the “Rat-tat-tat-tat” sound of vocalized gunfire out over a peaceful Chicago afternoon, that the question of where the Clipse fans were at was duly answered.