Audiences treated to heaping second helping of musical goodness at Louisville’s Waterfront Park

By Bill Foster and Matt Rankin • All Photos by Bill Foster unless otherwise noted
What on paper and at first glance might have seemed like a fairly thin day turned out to be quite the contrary. Artists that we foolishly overlooked delivered in a big way, resulting in Saturday at Forecastle far exceeding our expectations. And what a varied day of music it was, as well! How many festivals schedule a throwback hip-hop performer and a provocative classical conductor in successive order? Or a manufactured yet interesting/promising pop-country act opposite a brash young rapper, both leading up to a surprisingly assured, apparent international superstar? Not many, in our estimation, but all were things that we witnessed on the festival’s hump day. While it was just as blazing hot as it was on Friday, the wide array of cool acts kept the proceedings upbeat and lively. As we immerse ourselves in a third day of music, art and activism, we leave you with our thoughts on some of yesterday’s highlights. – Matt Rankin
H.A.R.D.

For me, the sign of a great show by a previously unknown band is if I leave the show able to remember the songs – and even better – with a couple stuck in my head. After H.A.R.D.’s (Have a Rad Day) stellar Port Stage performance, I feel like I have their entire album stuck in my head. The Nashville-based indie punks play an intoxicating blend of guitar-fueled, dancing rock with accessible and catchy songs like “Hometown Hero,” “Sports Sinner” and “All My Friends Are Getting Drunk.” I have no doubt we will be seeing these guys on a bigger stage soon. – Bill Foster
Moon Taxi

If the Nashville group’s sold-out, multi-night run at the Mill & Mine weren’t already an indication of Moon Taxi’s prominence nationally, its late-afternoon turn on Forecastle’s main stage surely drove the point home. While it was a slight demotion, slot-wise, from the band’s last appearance at the Louisville festival, there was no indication of dampened spirits amongst the band members – or from this year’s attendees, for that matter. Breezing through a fun set that highlighted its impressive pop chops and diverse musicality, Moon Taxi successfully bridged the gap between afternoon and evening, remaining entertaining all the while. – MR
Big Wild
Before being dragged (against my will and quite forcefully, it must be said) by my BLANK pals to the Boom Stage for Nelly, I was digging the cool vibes proffered by this Massachusetts producer under the bridge. What I glimpsed of the set showcased his versatility and embrace of organic composition; vacillating between keyboards and an effects station that found him pounding an electronic drum kit, he also brought out several vocalists who injected the performance with additional life. I have it on good authority from a friend who stayed for the duration that the rest of the show was just as magnetic. – MR
Nelly

Can I see a show of hands of everyone who thought that this show would achieve anything beyond being a pleasant nostalgia trip back to the halcyon days of mass-marketed, radio-friendly hip-hop? Pretty short supply of mitts, I’m guessing. But aside from a slightly labored, sorta clichéd opening medley that either reestablished Nelly to anyone who may have forgotten about him or introduced him for the first time to a new generation of fans, the not-quite-primetime set from the St. Louis rapper was a surprisingly resonant way for Forecastle to usher in the rest of the evening’s entertainment.
To be quite honest, I dismissed this artist upon first hearing him in the last millennium, and I haven’t bothered to reevaluate his output since. However, time, growth and a fair amount of humiliation have conspired over the succeeding years to make me a more open-minded music connoisseur, and I tried to approach this Boom Stage show with the same positive outlook. It didn’t take much persuading to loosen me up, though, as the heat, free-flowing local libations and a savvy group performance combined to truly dizzying effect.
From the smooth bounce of breakout single “Country Grammar (Hot Sh*t)” to massively popular yet still-underappreciated tracks like “Ride Wit Me” and “Hot in Herre,” Nelly and his assemblage fervently and fastidiously pumped out the jams. In between songs, he came across as genuinely appreciative of both the sweet festival slot and the warm reception he was receiving from the sizable crowd – one of the largest our crew has seen gathered at that stage. While it didn’t reach transcendent territory, the appearance was better than just sufficiently likable. Even the artist’s newest material was captivating to the point that it wouldn’t be outside the realm of possibility to see him experience a late-career renaissance. – MR
Maggie Rogers

Maggie Rogers has had a remarkable rise to success. After growing up on Maryland’s Toney eastern shore, attending prestigious prep schools and, eventually, Berklee, Pharrell Williams heard her song “Alaska,” and a video of him watching it went viral. Rogers’ debut album was released only in January of this year. All of this is mentioned because it smacks of luck and privilege. Not everyone gets a 7 p.m. main-stage show at Forecastle on the strength of one six-month-old album. And yet, onstage, Rogers clearly showed that she had earned her position. She is effervescent, a whirlwind of motion and the kind of star one cannot stop staring at. Her songs are catchy but free of the Auto-Tuned, manufactured sounds that surround her on the pop charts. Her band is practiced and tight. The audience, while a bit on the small side, was one of the loudest I have ever heard. The photo pit was deafening after her first song. This was one of the best shows I have seen from an artist with whom I wasn’t familiar, and I have a feeling that she is just getting started. This is an artist to keep an eye on. – BF
Teddy Abrams and Friends

Anyone who witnessed the brilliant performance of Terry Riley’s “In C” two years ago or last year’s smorgasbord of local and mostly youthful talent knew to press close to the Port Stage on Saturday evening for whatever the LSO maestro had on deck for this iteration of Forecastle. Much more a vibrant rock star than a stuffy classical composer, Abrams imbues the recitals of his collected players with more passion and reverence than most standard artists can muster. On tap this year was a full presentation of Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 5,” but it was unlike any rendering you’ve ever heard.
The spine of the work was kept intact, but Abrams infused it with modernity and played up the more lighthearted elements of the composition rather than focusing on the famous, brooding first portion. The result was a joyful, life-affirming piece that simultaneously and effortlessly demystified classical music and united the disparate audience, irrespective of individual tastes. Headbanging merged with fey swaying from those in attendance, and the emergence of an adept beatboxer midway through the movement solidified the wonderfully absurd nature of the spectacle: a turnt symphony smack dab in the midst of a mainstream music festival.
It is not advisable for anyone bordering on dehydration to be so consumed and overwhelmed by a performance that he/she sob uncontrollably and repeatedly during its course, but such was the case for me with this concert. (Five times, I’m pretty sure.) The beauty Abrams and the gathered musicians conjured was nothing short of genius, and the roaring reception the company received at its conclusion was more than justified. – MR
Midland

Midland is a band that people either love or hate; they are critically reviled yet possess a fanatical fanbase. There is a divide in modern country music between Music Row pop acts and authentic country made by dues-paying bar bands, and Midland makes a living obliterating that line. From their manufactured backstory (in no way are they an Austin bar band) to the fingers of Shane McAnally all over their record, there is a lot of legitimate criticism to be made. And yet, onstage, they are fun and charismatic, mixing in their own songs with a healthy helping of covers from Springsteen’s “Tougher Than the Rest” and “Atlantic City” to ZZ Top and Tom Petty. They spend as much time on the speaker cabinets as on the stage itself, and they have a crackerjack four-piece band to supplement the official trio.
And yet, it’s all so … obvious. The Petty cover was – of course – “Last Dance With Mary Jane,” and the ZZ Top – of course – was “La Grange.” There is a lot of “of course” in a Midland show. The constant standing on the speakers is cool and exciting, but often it runs on the wrong side of the line between having fun and posing. But there is an undeniable appeal to their stage show and to their own songs, and the young crowd of wannabe Nashville bachelorettes ate it up. After three Midland shows, I still don’t know what I think. There is a good band under that Nashville sheen; I just hope we see it someday. – BF
Playboi Carti
What began as a disaster transformed over time into a solid and engaging performance. Starting late and prefaced by far too much audience pandering from the hype man, the main draw finally appeared and battered the Ocean Stage with bruising bass and singsong-y but catchy lyrical hooks. Watching from a safe distance in the dusty field stage left afforded an interesting view of the proceedings; the crowd was one of the largest I’ve witnessed at that stage in multiple years of attending Forecastle, and it was whipped into a frenzy by repeated calls from the stage for a mosh pit.
After the massive backlash Eminem experienced for including gunshot sound effects in his Bonnaroo appearance last year, it’s a bit shocking that the Atlanta rapper would opt for the same (multiple times over), but I didn’t see anyone around me flinch. Although perhaps he wasn’t even there to make a determination about the matter: According to quite a few social media posts, a theory has been posited that the actual artist had been replaced with an imposter for the performance. Either way, after the rough beginning, the set was entertaining and raucous throughout. – MR
Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals

Aside from a fair amount of time three years ago spent listening to the Cali-bred, soul-influenced hip-hop artist’s sophomore release “Malibu,” I haven’t really kept up with Paak’s career. Suffice it to say that I was rather surprised (albeit pleasantly so) when he landed the primo headlining gig at Forecastle this year. Color me shocked, then, when his elaborate, LED-heavy stage setup and masterful command of the environs combined to jubilant effect, resulting in one of the very best performances of the weekend, bar none.
Paak’s star has risen so meteorically for good reason, however, as was evidenced by the infectiousness and sheer grandiosity of this performance. Dividing his time fairly evenly between the platform and a posh drum kit perched atop a massive, brightly lit riser spanning nearly the full length of the stage, Paak flexed his lyrical muscle song after catchy, hook-laden song. His backing group The Free Nationals matched every one of his creative tangents with equal prowess, pumping out the jams with both fluidity and precision. Stunning stuff all around, and a fitting finish to a great day. – MR







