Why you should or shouldn't be excited for Forecastle

Forecastle Festival just released their second wave of artists and the announcement has been met with a mixture of positive and negative reactions. If you're like me, then you were immediately off-put by the use of emojis as hints building up to the second wave release. Not that I mind emojis when used in the right context, but it just felt like a half-hearted attempt to pander to Forecastle's younger fan base, and seemed like it was done by someone's dad that just got a smart phone for the first time and thinks he's clever now that he has "the emojis." With the polarizing nature of the lineup, I want to address why you should and why you shouldn't be excited for this year's Forecastle Festival.

Why you shouldn't be excited for Forecastle

The headliners get progressively less exciting with each passing year. We were spoiled when we had bands like The Black Keys, Beck, Jack White, Outkast, or Bassnectar fill a headlining spot. These artists have all earned headlining spots at major music festivals like Coachella, Bonnaroo, and Lollapalooza in the past. I wonder if Forecastle got spooked that they suddenly were growing into a larger festival, and decided to dial everything back a bit so as to stay true to their humble beginnings. But I liked the progression forward. Louisville hosting a major music festival is a big deal for the city, bringing in all kinds of tourism money and helping solidify Louisville's musical presence. It's far too often that bands on major North American tours will opt to skip Louisville in favor of playing Indianapolis, Cincinnati, or Nashville. Forecastle is proof that Louisville can most certainly host any size act. Not to mention that the city is already well prepared to host large crowds over a week. That's why we're the Derby City baby. 

There are a lot of good bands to see this year, but the headliners are what drum up the most excitement, and I feel this year is a bit of a let down. Two of the headliners, The Avett Brothers and Alabama Shakes, already shared main-stage performances back in 2013. A little variety would be nice. Plus, I miss having a large hip-hop or electronic headliner to spice the headliners up a bit.

Why you should be excited for Forecastle

What Forecastle lacks in headliners, it more than makes up for in the undercard acts. This year there is quite the eclectic mix of artists. From bluegrass and folk to psychedelic rock to hip-hop and DJs, we've got it all. Forecastle alumns Gary Clark Jr and Moon Taxi are back this year, and both are guaranteed to put on a killer set. Dan Auerbach (of The Black Keys) brings his side project The Arcs this year. Their debut album Yours, Dreamily was released in the later part of 2015 and has some phenomenal rock songs on it. This is a can't-miss performance. Other great artists to consider are psychedelic rockers Unknown Mortal Orchestra and White Denim, electro-funk duo Ghostland Observatory, Americana musicians Shakey Graves and the group Pokey LaFarge, singer-songwriter Sarah Jarosz, gospel/jazz singer Liz Vice, and indie-pop duo Sylvan Esso.

Also returning to Forecastle are Mr Harlem Shake himself Baauer and the dynamic drum-n-saxophone electronic duo Big Gigantic, both of whom I imagine will both throw down giant dance parties under the bridge. While I'm not the biggest fan of Hudson Mowhawke, he's recently signed to Kanye's GOOD music label and is sure to throw down some dope beats. The set I'm most excited for under the bridge is Danny Brown. This guy is energy personified and is sure to get everyone in the crowd going hyphy.

I also think we're in for a special treat this year with Teddy Abrams and Friends. If that name sounds familiar to you, it's because Abrams is the music director for the Louisville Orchestra, and according to Forecastle's website, is "curating a special Louisville-centric showcase with artist collaborations, orchestral arrangements, and more." This sounds like a unique set that I hope to catch.

All-in-all, Forecastle is worth going to every year if you're a denizen of Louisville. At the very worst you'll find some artists you like that you have never heard of before. In that respect I will always appreciate Forecastle Festival. But I also feel like they could easily take this festival to the next level and book some major headlining acts and put Louisville on the map. Until such time, Louder Than Life will take the crown as Louisville's major music festival.