Forecastle 2017 (photo: Allan Fine)
Forecastle provided a fantastic weekend of music. Once I arrived, I quickly wandered waterfront park to the different stages, before settling in–luckily, I happened to catch one of the best acts I hadn’t been aware of beforehand: Joseph.
With triple female lead vocals doing some pretty stellar harmonies, Joseph’s set very successfully spanned between pedal-steel-driven americana and synth-bass dance rock, with most of it following into sort of modern indie folk, anchored by their standout vocals.
Joseph at Forecastle 2017 (photo: Loch & Key Productions)
The other highlights for my Saturday evening were Sturgill Simpson and LCD Soundsystem. Sturgill Simpson and his band expertly tore through his tunes in a manner that felt similar to a really, really excellent classic rock band, full of warm tones and live energy. It was a pleasant reminder that I really need to spend some more time with his Grammy nominated album that came out last year.
Sturgill Simpson from behind the stage at Forecastle 2017 (photo: Brian Hensley Photography)
I also spent a little bit of time at the Vince Staples set, where he delivered a lot of energy and an exciting, lively stage presence. After, I moved on to LCD Soundsystem.
LCD Soundsystem. Oh man, LCD Soundsystem. Definitely 100% the highlight of the entire festival, if not the highlight of my live music experiences for the last year or so. They sounded better than the records. Everyone was singing along. Everyone was dancing. The middle aged man behind me said seeing them live was on his bucket list. It was a very, very good time.
LCD Soundsystem headlining night one of Forecastle Fest. They played at both Forecastle and Pitchfork Music Festival this weekend. (photo: Brian Hensley Photography)