Review: Forecastle Festival Brings The Heat To Louisville

 

☆ BY ZAYNE ISOM ☆

 
 

AFTER NEAR A TWO YEAR HIATUS - Forecastle made its return this May with a stacked lineup at Louisville’s very own, Waterfront Park.  This year had a wide range of talent from Louisville native Jack Harlow, to festival veteran Tame Impala, to the exuberant Tyler the Creator headlining these three days full of music and flow.

Artists such as Phoebe Bridgers, Black Pumas, Clairo, Quin XCII, Chelsea Cutler, Charlotte Sands, COIN, Tai Verdes, Dayglow, and Kirby also took the stage over the weekend. Our very own, Zayne Isom was there to capture the weekend.  

Friday started off with a main stage performance by alternative-rock singer Charlotte Sands. Sands, best known for her song “Dress,” had the task of not only being the first performer of the day but the kickoff act to the festival. Following her set, Indigo De Souza performed a beautiful rainy set at the Boom stage just across the field. Duckwrth was up next. With his charming personality and groovy main stage performance, he had the crowd smiling and dancing for the rest of the day. COIN took the boom stage following Duckwrth, opening up with their latest hit “Chapstick.” Frontman, Chase Lawrence ran through the crowd, high fiving fans as he ran down through the barricade, to conclude their performance. 

The weather that day was not the most ideal festival weather but it didn’t seem to mind Clario fans who braved through the rain to see her sing her biggest hits “ Sofia” and “ Pretty girl.” Despite a few technical difficulties and wardrobe malfunctions, Clairo played a beautiful sunset set before fans geared up to see Jack Harlow perform in his hometown. When Harlow took the stage, a fashionably 15 minute late, he could not be seen from eye level. He made his grand entrance on the top of the stage, a mere 200 feet above ground, before walking the stage a few moments later. Jack Harlow showed his Louisville pride by wearing a University of Louisville basketball jersey during this performance and had everyone feeling “First Class” by the end of his set. 

Saturday morning started off a little rough with two acts dropping out at the last minute: Paris Texas and Princess Nokia, however, this didn’t slow Forecastle down. The day began with a soulful performance by Swedish singer/songwriter Leon;  who pointed out that this was her first performance in over a year and a half, you go girl!  After Leon, came two mainstage performances by pop artists Chelsea Cutler and Quinn XCII. The two friends captivated the audience with their quirky personalities and upbeat tunes. Chelsea ended up joining Quinn at the end of his set to perform their songs “Flare Guns” and “Stay Next to Me” together, making the crowd go wild. The Verizon worker to viral singer, Tai Verdes, took the boom stage next singing his TikTok hits “ Stuck in the Middle” and “A-O-K.”  Verdes was a natural on stage and had everyone engaged. His set was one of my favorites from the weekend. After Tai, came a beautiful golden hour set from the one and only, Phoebe Bridgers. Bridgers, known for her skeleton outfits, graced the stage in a dazzling black suit with a gray shimmery top underneath, resembling a ribcage. Her band followed behind in black skeleton onesies. With her unique fashion taste and beautiful voice, fans were in awe. To close out the evening, Tame Impala’s trippy visuals and psychedelic tunes had people in a trance. This was my second time seeing Kevin Parker, and each time his production and performance is elevated to another level. 

Sunday, the last day of the festival, did not disappoint.  You could tell that coming into this day, almost everyone had hit their peak exhaustion point but that didn’t stop fans from the turnout Forecastle received. From incredible DJ sets from JPEGMAFIA to Jai Wolf throughout the day to  energetic sets like KennyHoopla, Oliver Tree and FLETCHER to more somber moments such as Black Pumpas or Dayglow, this day was packed full of all different genres for any music lover. Oliver Tree showed his unique 80s fashion and vulgar humor, Dayglow had everyone on their feet for his performance of “Can I Call you Tonight,” and FLETCHER had fans bursting with tears with her relatable lyrics and charming personality. The night closed with an incredible performance by Tyler the Creator, marking his first show in the state of Kentucky. 

Forecastle has always been a huge weekend for the city of Louisville and this weekend was no exception. Bringing in over 75,000 guests over the course of the weekend, this was one of the festival's biggest years yet. From a rainy start to the weekend on Friday to a beautiful two days of warm sunny weather on Saturday and Sunday (typical midwest weather), it turned out to be an unforgettable weekend. Guests left the festival Sunday night, sad to see the festivities ending, but smiling and excited to come back next year.

 
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