By Sarah Lavers, News correspondent

Some music enthusiasts only dream of going to a show and hearing all the songs they would have hand-picked. But for indie fans attending the Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago, it’s a dream come true. Organizers are literally letting fans ‘write the night’ for a handful of acts, by voting on which songs they want to hear.
This unprecedented event, called ‘Write the Night:’ Set Lists By Request,’ essentially puts power in the hands of the audience, giving ticket holders the chance to choose music that classic indie acts Tortoise, Yo La Tengo, The Jesus Lizard and Built to Spill will play.
‘I think it’s a nice way to find out which songs resonate with our fan base,’ said Jeff Parker, guitarist for participating band Tortoise, in an e-mail interview with The News. ‘For the most part, we play the songs that we want to play, so it will be interesting to know what the fans want to hear.’
After purchasing a ticket, customers will receive a confirmation e-mail with a link to the website where they can cast a vote for any of the bands’ songs from particular albums, said Jessica Linker, a festival spokeswoman and founder of Thrill Jockey Records.
The Pitchfork Music Festival is a three-day event held in Chicago’s Union Park Friday, July 17 ‘- Sunday, July 19 featuring global artists. Marking their four-year anniversary, Pitchfork instituted this voting series to connect listeners with artists via the Internet based on the concept of this generation’s ‘increasing ‘on-demand’ society,’ Linker said.
Music professor Leon Janikian said he sees this as a unique opportunity for artists to transform the event into a more interactive and personal one. He acknowledged that technological advances have increased possibilities for bands and their supporters to communicate and, in turn, feed off one another.
‘All of these [new media channels], their own website, Facebook ‘hellip; all these things have changed the way bands connect with their fans,’ said Janikian. ‘I think it’s a smart option on their part to offer this. When an audience feels connected to the experience, they want to be there more.’
Andrew Phan, feature editor for campus music publication Tastemakers Magazine, said he believes the use of different media avenues is a way to enhance the dynamic of a show and a way to please an audience that has grown up used to getting what it wants.
‘I would say we’re generation ‘now.’ We’re an on-demand audience and consumer group,’ Phan said. ‘We’re used to information at our fingertips and we’ve come to expect the same from our music.’
Some, however, are skeptical as to how this demand may affect the show-going experience, forcing artists to play songs they may not have planned to.
‘I feel like it might take away some of the mystery and some of the excitement from wondering what the band is going to play,’ said junior music industry major, Lou Vitelli. ‘It could also affect their performance, especially if there’s a song they haven’t played in a while. I think a lot of bands could be caught off guard.’
At least one ‘Write the Night’ band remain positive about their upcoming performances, and see this as an opportunity to give back to loyal fans, Parker said. Nor does Tortoise expect an audience-defined set list to affect their show adversely.
‘I’m sure we’ll have to play some songs that we haven’t played for a very long time,’ he said. ‘It won’t affect the way we play, but it certainly puts the festival in a different perspective.’
Pitchfork bands exempt from the voting process, like The Walkmen, said the method sounds so positive, they would consider using it in the future.
‘Unless you have something brand new that you’re just dying to play,’ said Walkmen bassist/organist Peter Bauer. ‘I would just as soon play whatever the people who came to see us want to hear.’
Additionally, music industry professor James Anderson said, by being more attuned to their audience and the types of songs requested, bands may modify future performances.
‘One of the things this serves to do is identify who is coming to your show,’ Anderson said. ‘If you get a list of most requested songs, you know those are the ones fans want to hear and may affect what you decide to write going forward.’