We are Halfway to Forecastle! The Waterfront near Joe’s Crab Shack was jammin’ as Halfway to Forecastle took place this past Friday. The event marked the halfway point until the much anticipated 10th anniversary of the Forecastle Festival. Multiple stages and headliners gave the crowd a lot to look forward to as the festival got underway Friday afternoon. The weather gods were kind to the festival, providing a clear, low humidity, and rain free night for concerts featuring Pretty Lights, Big Boi (Outkast), RJD2, Twin Shadow, BoomBox, The Pass, OK Deejays, Lydia Burrell, BottlePOP, and Ishi. This year was the first event to be born from a partnership between Forecastle Festival and AC Entertainment.
The Wharf was packed with people of all ages ready for some good tunes! People dressed for the event, many wearing glow in the dark rings, necklaces, and headbands. As I made my way to the main stage for Big Boi, the size of the crowd gathered for this event became very clear…hundreds of people were in one place at one time! People of all ages came to the show; some to hang out toward the back and some to jam up close to the stage.
I walked through the rows of vendors who set up tents to showcases organic t-shirts, outdoor sports, handmade jewelry, while the Louisville Water Company provided free refills of Louisville Tap Water. The beer vendors served Bluegrass Brewing Company (BBC) beers and Red Bull, a major sponsor of the event, set up a tent in the center for cocktails. The décor of the grounds was amazing; a nautical theme provided a great backdrop for the evening. To the side of the stage, a VIP area dressed with sheen fabrics and comfortable furniture gave a moment of relaxation to the weary musician.
The music was amazing! The bands came out with a lot of energy and in turn the crowd responded with loud applause. I was fortunate enough to get to the front of the crowd for the Big Boi, The Pass, and Pretty Lights shows; all very good! Big Boi really made a good impression with the crowd and when Pretty Lights took the stage, the ladies went wild! The Pass played a great set while fans took to their feet and danced!
The idea of Halfway to Forecastle is a mini fest of sorts, a precursor to the much larger Forecastle Festival, taking place in the summer of 2012. Details of that show are not yet available, but will be in short order. The staff of the festival, the sponsors, the bands, and the vendors all put in a lot of effort to make Halfway to Forecastle a huge success and until next summer, we will all be asking, are we there yet?
Comments