Forecastle Festival 2013 Preview Fest Founder Discusses Event’s Future & AC Entertainment Partnership by Jason Ashcraft / photo courtesy of Forecastle Festival
In the world of music festivals, everything changes. Eventually. And Louisville’s annual mammoth-sized music, art and activism Mecca, Forecastle Festival, now in its 11th year, is no exception. The festival will once again take place on Louisville’s Waterfront Park, from July 12-14. What started as a small neighborhood gathering in Tyler Park in 2002 has evolved into one of the Midwest’s largest platforms for musicians, artists and activists alike, with
tens of thousands flocking to the banks of the Ohio River each summer. Last year, Forecastle founder JK McKnight announced a partnership with Bonnaroo producers AC Entertainment. “One of the biggest assets AC Entertainment brings to the table is experience, and the relationships that go along with that,” McKnight explains. “In addition, a laserlike focus heavy on festivals, which is different than concerts. Festivals are brands, and have to be approached in a different way.”
That approach has lead to a number of expected changes with the core management shift to AC. The most obvious - perhaps only to the Forecastle faithful - is the music roster, which is a bit light on Louisville-area artists when compared to years past. “We’re always going to have a local and regional stage. I think that’s never going to change,” McKnight adds. “It’s part of our DNA. I think as the festival grows and expands, we’ll be able to use more real estate, which could open up more opportunities [for local artists],” he continues. “This year I’ve put together a list of probably 15 to 20 local artists that I thought were really special and deserving of an opportunity like this. These were artists that were really out there, touring constantly, pushing the envelope, building their brand. You can look at numbers and statistics, and see them growing in the market. People are responding, which is what we want to see. We want something that catches our eye. If we see other people responding to it, that’s important. The festival’s not about our personal music tastes. I think that’s a misconception,” McKnight candidly comments. A few of those carefully selected artists hailing from the Louisville area include My Morning Jacket frontman Jim James, the up-and-coming folk-jammers Houndmouth, retro-rockers The Pass, the bluegrass-Americana sounds of 23 String Band, and the alt-country up-comers A Lion Named Roar. As for the Forecastle headliners, festivalgoers will enjoy Robert Plant and his Sensational Space Shifters, The Black Keys, The Avett Brothers, The Flaming Lips, The String Cheese Incident, Outkast’s Big Boi, and Alabama Shakes (just to name a few). Forecastle is also expanding beyond the festival’s official grounds with a number of late-night afterparty concerts at Louisville Palace and aboard the Belle of Louisville. “Every year, the late-night component of the festival is always something that we think about,” McKnight explains. “This year String Cheese is doing the Saturday night at the Palace, which is the first year of its kind that the Palace has ever done. But yeah, the Belle of Louisville is an iconic venue. I don’t see us ever quitting that tradition of trying to do shows on the Belle. It’s a lot of fun!”
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To read the entire interview with Forecastle Festival founder JK McKnight, visit www.performermag.com. And for more on this year’s event, head to www.forecastlefest.com.
JULY 2013 PERFORMER MAGAZINE 11