Forecastle 2015

Forecastle 2015 has once again come and gone.

First, the bad:

The lineup was initially underwhelming.

The giant Hunter S. Thompson was noticeably absent, as was his impersonator.

And the weather was unusually torturous, including a vicious storm that cut short Sam Smith's set and forced immediate evacuation.

Now, the good:

There were some really good sets, by both local on the cusp talent and under the radar performers. 

Friday:

Parker Milsap is pretty much as unconventional as it gets. An old time bluegrass style, he performed some strange songs, including one about "what if the characters in nursery rhymes were suddenly unemployed, and starting cooking meth". So ya. A really good sound, and some good songs, but a little out there for even me.

Milo Greene put on a good performance. They were one of the surprises for me early on.

Cold War Kids were excellent. Probably my favorite show of the day.

BIG K.R.I.T. and Gaslight Anthem were only OK to me, but both were entertaining.

Sam Smith - In all honesty, I was skeptical how hed translate to a music festival. But that skepticism proved unfounded. A great set until it was cut short by the severe storm that noone warned us about until 30 seconds prior to hell breaking loose.

Saturday, the Mast Stage was the place to be. 

The Revivalists were incredible. Probably my 2nd favorite set of the entire weekend. Oddly wonderful blend of alt folk, blues, and funk. Imagine if Dave Mathews Band and Counting Crows had a love child - that would be The Revivalists. 

Then some Eastern Kentucky flavor, with the on the cusp performers of Chris Stapleton and Sturgill Simpson. Stapleton, from Johnson County has an all time great voice and sounds the same live as on his album. Simpson, from Breathitt County, is poised to really breakout this summer following the festival tours and after signing his big record deal. Both put on great sets, especially Sturgill. 

Shovels and Rope were incredibly boring, to me. Their songs all sound the same, and it seemed as if they played for 5 hours. Not a ringing endorsement.

The crowd for My Morning Jacket was just insane. The hometown headliners are loved by their city, no doubt. Ive never quite understood the hype. But their set was entertaining, from what I could see from my vantage point (pictured).

Sunday:

Noah Gundersen was incredible. His haunting cover of Smells Like Teen Spirit sent chills up my spine, even though the heat index was 106.

The Steeldrivers were fine. But they haven't been the same since Stapleton left. Understandable, but a tough truth. 

Diarrhea Planet was terrific. So was Modest Mouse.

But the real standout of the day, and the weekend, was Robert DeLong. Its hard to explain exactly what DeLong does, so Ill just link a YouTube video here. Its really incredible to watch him play the keys, sing, and play the drums; all while electronically tweeking everything into a hypnotic dance/rave sound. The crowd was sparse in the beginning, but quickly became enormous; reaching from the Ocean Stage all the way to the marlboro tent. An incredibly unique performer and experience; and someone who no doubt is on the way to stardom on the international dance scene.