Forecastle Festival XI: Day 2

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Photos by C. Michael Stewart

By BRADEN LAMMERS

The second day of the 11th Forecastle Festival started brightly enough, but around 4 p.m. the threat of severe weather rolled in and threw a few big waves at the Forecastle ship.

All was righted as the storms missed downtown Louisville and the night moved on, by the end of the evening it was all but forgotten.

Dawes

Dawes took to the Mast Stage after the aforementioned weather delay, about an hour and 15 minutes behind schedule. But the Los Angles transplants played a brisk set to make up for the interruption.

And they were impressive.

What Dawes showcased was among the best musicianship of the entire festival. They played a clean, harmonious, enjoyable set.

Alabama Shakes

Alabama Shakes followed Dawes onto the Mast Stage and may have been facing unfair expectations.

Having never heard the band live, there was an anticipation that the energy, passion and soul would bowl the audience over. Unfortunately, it didn’t. Mind you, they still sounded good, but lacked the energy that was expected.

It didn’t help that when the Alabama Shakes slowed down the pace, they could barely be heard over the murmur of the crowd.

It took well into the band’s set before Brittany Howard showcased the force and zeal in her singing that has drawn comparisons to Janis Joplin. It was showcased in “Be Mine” and “I Ain’t the Same.”

Joy Formidable

While the Alabama Shakes were wrapping up, one of the best performances of the festival was underway on the Boom Stage.

The Joy Formidable was high energy, they were loud and the crowd was thrilled. In contrast to the Alabama Shakes the energy they brought to the stage was unexpected and they put on a stellar rock show.

It was their first time in Louisville, and if they come back, go see them. Among the best tracks were “Cradle” and the band’s finale “Whirring.”

Jim James

One of Louisville’s favorite sons was welcomed with open arms to Forecastle, as expected.

James is quite the showman and showcased it again Saturday night.

Louisvillians have come to expect it from James and those out-of-towners who hadn’t seen him before were shown why.

A special moment during his set was when James closed the show with The Beatles “Let it Be.”

The Black Keys

A delayed set, and 20 minutes after the rescheduled start time, The Black Keys took the stage as the Forecastle Festival’s headliner.

Guitarist and lead singer Dan Auerbach walked on stage and said, “let’s get moving.” And like that they were off.

The Black Keys opened with “Howlin’ for You,” and stuck to playing most of the tracks off of their two most recent albums, “Brothers” and “El Camino.”

They peppered a few older tracks into the middle of the set and with a shorter show they didn’t delve too deeply into their catalog.

Keeping with the songs most of the audience knows kept the energy up throughout the show.

The Black Keys closed Saturday night with a flourish. The duo played an extended version of “I Got Mine” that whipped the Louisville crowd into a fervor.

Saturday’s performances ended to the sounds Forecastle revelers chanting, “encore.”

Forecastle Festival sets sail Friday

By BRADEN LAMMERS

LOUISVILLE — Thousands of people, four stages, three days of music and one foundation.

The Forecastle arts, music and activism festival is back for its 11th incarnation, starting Friday, July 12 and running through Sunday, July 14.

Since its inception in 2002, the festival has seen steady growth moving from Tyler Park in Louisville to the city’s 85-acre Waterfront Park. Crowds have continued to grow each year, marked by the festival’s 10th anniversary show last year — and its first partnering with AC Entertainment — which drew about 35,000 people to the three-day event.

And this year’s festival organizers are expecting crowds to double, hosting between 70,000 and 75,000 people during the three-day weekend.

Forecastle Festival Spokesperson Holly Weyler said the lineup selected for the event has a broader appeal to attract a wide variety of concertgoers and bands were selected that weren’t necessarily playing the summer festival circuit.

“We have an incredible lineup this year,” she said.

Among the featured acts for the festival are The Black Keys, Robert Plant presents The Sensational Space Shifters and The String Cheese Incident.

“As the landscape of music festivals keeps growing, what we’ve found over the years is the [festivals] that have staying power are the ones that differentiate themselves,” Weyler said. “We try to curate an interesting experience that you’re not going to get at every festival.”

She explained that the festival has been able to maintain its grassroots feel, even with its growth during the last decade from a few hundred people at Tyler Park into a festival that welcomes thousands to the region.

“This is not your normal festival … I think people see Forecastle as genuine,” Weyler said.

KEEPING IT LOCAL

Local bands and homegrown acts have been a feature of previous Forecastle Festivals, even after the event had grown to attract national acts. This year’s event is no different.

“We’ve always wanted to make sure, even as the festival grows, that we have an opportunity to have local bands featured,” Weyler said. “We try to make sure those local acts are represented well.”

Among the local bands playing during the festival are Southern Indiana-based Houndmouth, who will play the main, or Mast Stage, Friday night, as well as Louisville’s The Pass, who will play the WFPK Port Stage on Friday night.

There are four total stages for this year’s event, along with the two previously mentioned acts, who will take to the Boom Stage, located on the west side of Waterfront Park and the Red Bull Music Academy Ocean Stage, located on the east side of the venue.

My Morning Jacket played to a crowded Waterfront Park last year. Photo by C. Michael Stewart

Other acts with ties to the region include the 23 String Band playing the Port Stage Saturday afternoon, Freakwater playing the Port Stage Saturday night, AMTRAC playing the Ocean Stage Saturday afternoon and My Morning Jacket frontman Jim James will be playing as a solo artist on the Mast Stage Saturday night.

And local act, A Lion Named Roar will be playing the Port Stage Sunday.

BOURBON LODGE

Another feature that was in place for the 10th anniversary Forecastle Festival and has been brought back this year, but this time is much bigger, is the Bourbon Lodge.

“It’s a whole bourbon program,” Weyler said. “It’s got a big educational component and is a lot of fun as well.”

She said the lodge was brought back and expanded from a 30 foot by 30 foot space to more than triple in size because of a goal to highlight the region to out-of-towners.

“What we saw was a great opportunity to share this great bourbon culture we have here,” Weyler said.

Of the 70,000-75,000 festival attendees expected to go to the festival over the course of the weekend, it is estimated 55-60 percent are from out-of-town, Weyler said.

As a result of the expansion, the three bourbon brands represented last year have grown to 11, offering 30 different varieties of bourbon.

A pop-up restaurant from Jim ‘N Nick’s and Chef Edward Lee of Milkwood called Smoked is also tied to the Bourbon Lodge. It will feature pulled pork from Jim ‘N Nick’s and collard greens, ginger cole slaw and WTF potato salad from Lee.

“It’s so unique to what the festival is all about,” Weyler said.

THE FOUNDATION

While the focus of the Forecastle Festival tends to be on the musicians descending on the region during the weekend, at its core is the Forecastle Foundation.

The nonprofit is designed to educate and protect the global environmental, show how individuals can reduce their carbon footprint and work to preserve the world’s most threatened biodiversity hot spots.

Hot Spots are the richest areas of life on the planet, cover only 2.3 percent of the Earth’s surface, but account for more than 50 percent of all plant and animal species, according to the Forecastle Foundation’s website.

Weyler said the foundation is currently working on two projects in hotspots: one in Kentucky, in a natural land trust on Pine Mountain; and another in a South American rainforest along the Atlantic coast, teaching sustainable farming practices.

Photo by C. Michael Stewart

WHO TO CHECK OUT AT FORECASTLE

The News and Tribune’s Editor Shea Van Hoy and Reporter Braden Lammers put together a list of bands that should not be missed at the Forecastle Festival:

Friday, July 12:

• The Pass — 5:30-6:15 p.m. on the WFPK Port Stage: Louisville rock group The Pass has generated quite the interest around the city the past couple of years, and with good reason. Why I don’t think the energy of their live shows totally translated to their second album, “Melt” — released late last year — the band is a lot of fun to see in person. To call the band simply dance rock would be wrong, because that term seems to dismiss the rocking part, something the band does well. Still, expect a lot of bodies shaking at the band’s set. — Shea’s pick

• Houndmouth — 6:30-7:30 p.m. on the Mast Stage: The Southern Indiana band is on a meteoric ascent having just released its debut album “From the Hills Below the City.” Going from small venues to playing major festivals and late-night talk shows, the group’s blend of folk-influenced indie-rock is accessible to a wide audience. And the band’s on-stage presence is infectious — they have as much fun as the crowd. Jump on the bandwagon now, so you can say you knew them back when. Houndmouth is also playing a separately ticketed show on the Belle of Louisville on Saturday, July 13 with special guests Night Beds, The Wheeler Brothers and more. — Braden’s pick

Saturday, July 13:

• Alabama Shakes — 6-7:15 p.m. on the Mast Stage: Aptly named Alabama quartet, Alabama Shakes created an enormous amount of buzz off its debut 2012 album and big voice of vocalist Brittany Howard. This band should play right down the middle of the Forecastle crowd — they’re a great mix of rock, soul and blues. So expect the hippies and hipsters to show up in equal force. — Shea’s pick

• The Joy Formidable — 6:45-8 p.m. on the Boom Stage: The Welsh rockers will hit Forecastle to deliver something the festival has lacked a bit in the past couple of years — a noisy rock band. The power trio is touring in support of 2013’s “Wolf’s Law” and expect the band to unleash a welcomed wall of noise on the Louisville crowd. — Shea’s pick

• The Black Keys- – 10 p.m.-midnight on the Mast Stage: Yes, they’re the headliners. Yes, there is a reason they are Saturday’s featured act. The Akron-based duo is a blues rock band, pure and simple. The music is straightforward and their performance is rocking. What is most impressive is that much, and that depth of sound, can come from a drum set and a guitar. Having seen The Black Keys multiple times, they are an act not to be missed. — Braden’s pick

Sunday, July 14:

• Tennis — 2:45-3:45 p.m. on the Boom Stage: This is my underground pick of the weekend, although I’ve never seen Tennis play live. On the band’s two albums, however, Tennis makes music that simply makes you feel good. It sounds like the beach and summer, fitting right in with Forecastle’s nautical theme. Both albums from the husband-and-wife-led band –“Cape Dory” and “Young & Old” — are great listens. Get there early on Sunday for some great pop songs. — Shea’s pick

• Grace Potter & the Nocturnals — 5-6:15 p.m. on the Mast Stage: I have an album or two from Grace Potter and her band, but never really listen to them. The music just isn’t for me. Her live show is a different story however — the energy and camaraderie Potter and her band brings to the stage is hard to top. It’s a compliment to say that the band’s live show is one most any music fan can enjoy, even if they showed up knowing nothing about their songs. — Shea’s pick

• The Forecastle Incident — 5:45-7 p.m. on the Boom Stage: This performance is guaranteed to be one-of-a-kind because it will be a one-time performance for the Forecastle Festival. The String Cheese Incident — playing Friday night on the Mast Stage and a separately ticketed show at the Louisville Palace Saturday — will return to the Forecastle Boom Stage Sunday. The show will feature some interesting collaborations and some surprise acts — as I have been assured by festival organizers. If you want to experience the uniqueness of Louisville’s premiere outdoor music festival, this is the performance that should encapsulate it. — Braden’s pick

Best Albums of 2012

By BRADEN LAMMERS

1. The Shins, “Port of Morrow”

A five-year hiatus and an entirely new lineup –except for James Mercer—has done little to slow down indie music stalwarts The Shins. The band’s March release was their best since The Shins second full-length album in 2003, “Chutes Too Narrow.”

Layers of rhythm and harmonies, accompanied with Mercer’s beautifully crafted lyrics make this album my runaway favorite for 2012.

The lyrics reflect Mercer’s growth through the years and remain smart and insightful. It is what audiences have come to expect from him. Best of all, the Shins continue to can blend musical styles into a genuine, distinct and unforced sound. And they can replicate it without becoming stale. They are a rarity.

My favorite tracks: “It’s Only Life” and “Simple Song.”

2. Margot & the Nuclear So and So’s, “Rot Gut, Domestic”

Margot & the Nuclear So and So’s have reached that perfect balance. The Indianapolis-based band’s fourth full-length album marries the grit and grime of an alternative garage band with genuine harmonies.

There is just enough of everything.

Lead Singer Richard Edwards takes the audience right to the edge of uncomfortable anguish. And when coupled with the sweetness of Emily Watkins vocals, their harmonies shine.

Toss in the bizarre –a track devoted to former NBA center “Arvydas Sabonis”— that’s fun and energetic with the next few tracks evoking darkness, longing and desperation.

Enough crunch, enough distortion, enough energy, enough humor, enough filth. Margot & the Nuclear So and So’s toe the line beautifully and land in the second spot on my best of the year list.

My favorite tracks: “Disease Tobacco Free” and “The Devil.”

3. The Walkmen, “Heaven”

The indie rock five-piece returned to form in its seventh full-length album.

“Heaven” is more refined than any of the band’s previous albums and it is their best effort since at least 2006, when they released “A Hundred Miles Off.”

Genuine song structure, better balance, catchy rhythms and more optimistic lyrics highlight the growth of the band through the decade.

Their decision to work with producer Phil Ek, of Fleet Foxes fame, has paid off. The Walkmen have shown glimpses of being capable of producing tremendous music, they just needed to focus their sound. They did it in “Heaven” without losing their identity.

My favorite tracks: “Heartbreaker” and “The Love You Love.”

4. Heartless Bastards, “Arrow”

Cincinnati transplants the Heartless Bastards have taken on the soul of their Austin, Texas home picking up a tinge of an alt-country sound. But the bands roots are deeply sunken in the blues.

Mellow, deep, soulful, the Heartless Bastards put out a solid album that delivers track after track. There’s also enough rock to keep listeners engaged, snapping them back from falling into a hypnotic trance.

“Arrow” is a little more stripped down and straightforward than previous releases. Sometimes less is more, especially when it’s paired with Erika Wennerstrom deep soulful voice.

My favorite tracks: “Parted Ways” and “Only for You.”

5. Alabama Shakes, “Boys & Girls”

Another big voice fronting a blues-rock band rounds out my top five list.

The Alabama Shakes burst onto the scene in 2012 garnering immediate success and critical acclaim for their debut album “Boys and Girls.”

The album likely connected with so many audiences because it is a trip back in time.

The soul in lead singer Brittany Howard’s voice is unmistakable and unforgettable.

She offers the passion that is rare for an artist and draws immediate parallels to Janis Joplin and Aretha Franklin.

Backed by simple blues rhythms The Alabama Shakes let their strengths shine, Howard’s voice and energy.

Boys & Girls was an excellent debut album that will carry heady expectations for their next release.

My favorite tracks: “Hold On” and “On Your Way.”

 

Review: “Boys and Girls” by Alabama Shakes

Alabama Shakes’ debut album “Boys and Girls” is a trip back in time.

The group that was formed in 2009 sounds more like a band that had their heyday in 1969, which is apparent from the first track. Leading the way for the group is the unmistakable soul in lead singer Brittany Howard’s voice. Paired with guitarist Heath Fogg, bassist Zac Cockrell and drummer Steve Johnson the group easily falls into the category of rhythm and blues, firmly entrenched in gospel roots, evident in “I Found You.”

Record Rating: 6.8 of 10

Tracks featuring soul-swinging melodies are generally on the mellow side, but there are certainly high-energy numbers, like “Be Mine.”

If you think you’ve heard the band before, you probably have. Aside from “You Ain’t Alone” being featured in a jewelry store commercial —played ad nauseam during the holidays— it’s because they sound a little bit like every rhythm and blues band of the 60’s with a female vocalist A touch of Joplin here, a little Aretha there, a dash of Tina Turner-like energy, maybe that’s why I found comfort in the album.

I have to admit I am a sucker for a good blues album and a big voice, both of which are apparent on “Boys and Girls.” But Alabama Shakes have certainly not reached that legendary status. And what allows the audience to connect with the group may also lead them into anonymity.

While I enjoyed the album, a lot of that had to do with its retro feel. So Alabama Shakes have to be careful they don’t fall into a band that “sounds like” other bands, without developing their own sound.

— Braden Lammers