Forecastle Festival, Day One: ODESZA, Chicano Batman, Waka Flocka Flame

As I stepped onto the grounds of Forecastle Festival in Louisville, KY, I had a weird combination of anxiety and nostalgia roiling around in my chest. You see, I grew up in the area and Louisville is the place I called home for over 18 years. I still do, to a degree, but Seattle has been the place I’ve hung my hat for the last 14, so I usually call them both home (which is confusing all on its own). But as I stared out over the Ohio River with those familiar bridges lining us on both sides, I felt at home; my accent may have even thickened a little within the first two hours I was there.

Friday was definitely the most brutal, not in the lineup, but in weather. It can get seriously hot and add on to that 70% humidity and you’ve got something really ruthless. I knew if I could get into the spirit of the festival and enjoy myself on this first day, then the rest would be much easier so that’s exactly what I did. What better way to get my booty shakin’ than to watch Chicano Batman get the groove going. In matching suits they pulled out the inner dancer in all of us and got our whole bodies moving to the music. Channeling The Temptations with their R&B vibes perfectly complimented the sleepy yet excited crowd coming out for a weekend full of music.

The Ocean stage was set up to be the electronic and hip hop stage for most of the fest. The first hip hop I caught was Waka Flocka Flame. While he had a lot of energy and actually smiled out to his audience, a lot of his set fell pretty flat. As he warmed up on the stage and played some favorites deeper into the set, I was caught up in more of the excitement but I don’t think it should have taken me so long to get there when an artist is putting on a great show.

Seattle’s own Odesza capped off the first night of Forecastle with a bang. While they continued their streak of using dramatic back lighting (leaving their faces in nearly complete darkness), it didn’t stop everyone from loving this set. I have to assume they’re hoping to pull your focus to the music and away from the men making it. However, if you managed to be up close and personal, you could see how much fun they were having running from stand up drum sets to drum machines and dancing all the while. Every time I see Harrison and Clayton perform, my face lights up from the energy they bring both through their music and their own movements. I had the chance to step backstage before they went on to take a portrait; they were ready to start and a little inside their heads but the kindest dudes you’d ever want to meet. The crowd for this set was massive (possibly due to the sun setting and the temps/humidity going down by more than a few degrees) and it felt like every person within hearing range of the main stage was dancing (whether it be with light up hula hoop, glow stick, or just bodies flowing to the music). It was the perfect way to end day one of Forecastle Music Fest. Be sure to check out the rest of the shots from Forecastle Day 1!