A mix of Rock, Blues, Hip-Hop and Soul with touches of Folk and R&B fills Louisville’s Waterfront Park, with headliners Odesza, LCD Soundsystem and Weezer.
Forecastle Festival returns to Louisville for its 15th year supporting art, music, and activism. What began as a small festival in 2002 has grown into a highly anticipated annual event drawing more than 60,000 fans from all over the country, featuring more than 60 bands on five stages at Waterfront Park in downtown Louisville.
Proceeds from the festival go to the Forecastle Foundation, whose mission is to protect endangered areas of the planet.
Friday, July 14, 2016: Opening Day
Headliner Odesza puts the finishing touches on a notable festival opening day with a stunning display of lights and music. Celebrating the release of a new single, “Higher Ground,†the duo perform before the largest crowd of the day at the main stage at Louisville Waterfront Park. Incorporating a bit of the old and a bit of the new, Odesza finishes up day one in style.
Friday highlights include Waka Flocka Flame and Run The Jewels, representing the hip-hop facet of the festival. A youthful and lively Ocean Stage welcomes Waka Flocka Flame who brings a trap-style hip-hop show that is bursting with energy from the very first song.
Rapper/producer El-P and rapper Killer Mike, aka Run The Jewels, bring heavy bass and intense lyrical flow to the Mast Stage as the sun sets over the Ohio River. While the temperature outside is sweltering hot, Run The Jewels do not miss a beat and the crowd in attendance take their cue for a particularly dynamic show.
Hailing from Bowling Green, Kentucky, hometown favorite Cage the Elephant roll through a dazzling set. Drummer Jared Champion shows a little local love, donning a University of Louisville basketball jersey. Vocalist Matthew Schultz evokes the style and stage presence of a young Mick Jagger with his onstage antics, jumping from risers, moving all over the stage, and interacting very closely with the crowd who cannot get enough.
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Saturday, July 15, 2016:
A gorgeous but hot day in the Commonwealth welcomes festival goers to Saturday’s events and the talk of the day is headliner LCD Soundsystem. On a stage saturated in lights and booming sounds, LCD Soundsystem overwhelms the largest crowd of the day with a 90-minute journey drawing from their almost 15-year catalog to the delight of everyone in attendance.
This day is filled with one memorable performance after another. Even though their appearance on the main Mast Stage is early in the day, Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats find themselves playing for a large audience. During a set that isn’t long enough to satisfy this crowd, Rateliff and his bandmates deliver their usual high-energy blues/folk driven music that has everyone dancing and asking for more throughout their whole set.
Vince Staples performs in the late afternoon on the Ocean Stage, which proves to be a perfect atmosphere for his intense one-man show. Performing several songs off his most recent album, Big Fish Theory, Vince gives his fans exactly what they came for while not neglecting his previous hits. As the only person on stage in front of a bright orange backdrop, Vince’s set provides one of the most picturesque moments of the weekend. Before heading off to the Main Stage to see the night’s headliner, Vince pays homage to his home town of Long Beach with an inspired performance of his biggest hit, “Norf Norf”.
Hybrid country music star and Kentucky favorite Sturgill Simpson is a must see performance for many festival attendees bringing his usual flair and energy to the Mast Stage.
One of the great things about the Forecastle Festival is the broad diversity of the artists performing. Highlighting this fact are the performances of JD McPherson, Phantogram, and Judah & The Lion. Three distinctive artists with their own dynamic flair roll through brilliant sets, each garnering new fans while satisfying the already diehard fans.
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Sunday, July 16, 2017: Closing Day
Another hot but breezy day greets Sunday’s festival attendees, many of whom are eager to see headliner Weezer bring this year’s Forecastle Festival to a close. Weezer’s set does not disappoint the overflow crowd who cram themselves around the Mast Stage as the evening sun sets over the Ohio River.
Memorable performances abound throughout the day. Touring for the first time since overcoming a cancer scare, Charles Bradley and The Extraordinares are nothing short of astounding. With an appreciation for the moment and the opportunity to perform, Charles Bradley is all smiles and thankfulness. During a set that is way too short, Charles leaves the Mast Stage crowd with one “wow” moment after another.
A little later in the day on the same Main Mast stage X Ambassadors brings the house down with an over-the-top energetic performance. Lead singer and general “do everything†frontman Sam Harris is spontaneous and unpredictable on stage. Sam, along with brother Casey Harris, tear through their hour-long set leaving many wanting for more.
A sizeable crowd jams in and around the Boom Stage as Austin Texas based indie rock band, Spoon take the stage. Lead singer, Britt Daniel is all smiles as Spoon, feeding off the energy from the crowd, roll through an exceptional set.
Once again, the Ocean Stage is upbeat and full of energy all day and that doesn’t change as STRFKR take to the stage. It’s not often that you see crowd surfing astronauts but that is one of many surprises of the STRFKR set.
Showcasing more of that great Forecastle Festival diversity on Sunday, Foxygen blew onto the Boom Stage with a flare and energy that is simply contagious.
Further cementing its place in the local Louisville community, the Forecastle Festival is always well organized and well run with ample amenities to make the entire weekend a pleasure to attend. 3 days, 60+ bands, more than 70 separate performances across 5 different stages leave the 2017 Forecastle Festival goers tired yet thoroughly satisfied.
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Forecastle Festival
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Forecastle Foundation
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Odesza
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LCD Soundsystem
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Weezer
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Event Date: 14-16-JUL-2017