Forecastle Festival which takes place July 14-16 is going big in 2017 for its 15th anniversary, with Tuesdays first wave announcement of the lineup including LCD Soundsystem, Weezer, Odesza, Cage the Elephant, PJ Harvey and Run The Jewels.
Last years headliners Avett Brothers, Ryan Adams, etc. took a more populist approach, and the lineup, in general, featured a heavy number of artists that had played in Louisville within the past year. But this years lineup is much more ambitious, and wide-ranging, featuring an artist who, as of yesterday, had no U.S. dates scheduled (PJ Harvey), a duo that rarely missteps with a highly-anticipated new album on the horizon (Run The Jewels) and an indie powerhouse that hasnt been back from hiatus for all that long (LCD Soundsystem). The mid-lineup announcements are extremely smart and tuned in as well, with Modern Baseball, Charles Bradley, Lucy Dacus, John Moreland and Beach Slang all being solid selections.
Per usual, there is a Louisville representation, with Twin Limb, which just released its excellent debut full-length Haplo and is currently touring with Jim James; Teddy Abrams & Friends, which was a thing last year, but we know the Louisville Orchestra music director is versatile enough to make it completely different; Quiet Hollers, which is currently working on a new record; and Jack Harlow, a quickly rising voice in the citys hip-hop scene.
Its a promising start, probably already the best lineup the festival has had since 2014. And a few more moves might make it better than that one.
The three-day festival takes place at Waterfront Park. General Admission weekend passes are available now at ForecastleFest.com and all Ticketmaster outlets, with a limited quantity starting at $149.50 + fees.
Here's the full announcement:
LCD Soundsystem
Weezer
Odesza
Cage the Elephant
PJ Harvey
Run the Jewels
Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats
GRiZ
X Ambassadors
Vince Staples
NEEDTOBREATHE
Teddy Abrams & Friends
Conor Oberst
Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaires
Modern Baseball
Cashmere Cat
STRFKR
Judah and the Lion
Foxygen
Waka Flocka Flame
Twin Limb
LANY
Rayland Baxter
Giraffage
Ekali
JD McPherson
COIN
John Moreland
Lucy Dacus
Beach Slang
Kaiydo
Brent Cobb
Mondo Cozmo
Mandolin Orange
Adia Victoria
The Shelters
Aaron Lee Tasjan
Big Thief
Jack Harlow
Ages and Ages
Pell
Quiet Hollers
Farro