Review: Worlds Collide (Forecastle 2018 Day Three)

Worlds Collide: The Allure And Reality of Party Cove.

In Saturday's Forecastle 2018 Daily Review we said Forecastle has just about hit the breaking point with technical failures, laxed security, understaffed emergency medical services, and extreme heat.  Without the drop in temperature Sunday at Forecastle 2018 would have surely ended in pure chaos.

It seems our Saturday Review, It's The End Of The World, grabbed the attention of the wider world; skyrocketing to be the 3rd most read article in our 12 year history in under 24 hours. Mostly due to our critical review of the technical aspects of the festival, and namely Party Cove; the section of the park reserved for the younger audience with Ferris Wheels, EDM DJs, Low lighting, and absolutely no Emergency Services.   With so many eyes on Forecastle, and a mountain of news media coverage, we seemed to be the only media source to call attention to the lawlessness of the newly expanded Party Cove. The Courier Journal ran two stories on Saturday about Party Cove, neither of which mentioned the lack of supervision that the rest of the festival received.

We mostly tried to draw attention to the lack of services provided to thousands of kids, but most people expressed disgust in the abhorrent behavior of the Party Cove crowd. Which we agree was shocking at times; Myself and our photographer Marife Bautista where tracked down and bullied by 2 kids who demanded we erase photographs we had taken of them trying to hide their unconscious friend from emergency services.  Marife, who has covered Forecastle for years, even expressed doubts of wanting to return due to the changing nature of Forecastle. And I truly understand, at times I considered the same, but mostly in Saturday's review I wanted to point out the logistical errors by the event organizers that led to these problems. Sure there was some bad apples in Party Cove, perhaps a lot of bad apples, but as former teenagers ourselves we are well aware of how kids are going to act with absolutely no supervision.

Glittertitz Crowd At Party Cove

In Friday's Forecastle Review, It's A Brave New World, I mentioned that I thought the management's decision to expand Party Cove and to move the more family friendly WFPK Port Stage as far as possible from it was probably a good idea. With changing demands, and the Coachella Kids outnumbering the older crowds, it only made sense to adapt. But after many fest goers gawked at the dress and attitudes of the Party Cove crowd, the idea of 2 separate events is starting to make more sense.

Wether this is at all a remote possibility or not  one thing is clear;  Marooning thousands of teens (and also preteens) in the far eastern edge of the park without security, supervision, or even a First Aid station needs to end. One festival goers even remarked that the attitude of the Emergency Services team was akin to a ski resort medical team: slide them down the slope and out the gate as quickly as possible and let it be someone else's problem.

Blood Soaked Shoe Print

Blood Trail across a Walking Bridge

At one point on Sunday I noticed a fresh blood trail at the exit of the park and followed it towards the river, across a walking bridge, up to the VIP tent where a security guard told me something happened in VIP and a visitor had burst an artery and an EMT walked the visitor out of the park; The blood was not cleaned up and remained for the entirety of the day.

Team 37: Marife Bautista & John King

I truly understand the idea as a media outlet to ignore these issues and only focus on the positive aspects of the fest (Our Comrades at Never Nervous even stated this in their Saturday Review), but at the risk of not being invited back, I feel it is necessary to speak up about these issues, especially when it puts our friends and family at risk. 37FLOOD is proud to hold the distinction of being the longest running independent news outlet to continually cover Forecastle, and we look forward to it every year, even though we have never been granted full access like Never Nervous, The Courier Journal, and the other media outlets get. But there are far greater issues here than just not being invited back; and without speaking up and demanding change we risk that our beloved local festival could turn into something unrecognizable, something that no longer represents the values we hold ourselves to.   

Courtney Barnett

Punch Brothers. Photo: Marife Bautista 

But there were other issues at Forecastle 2018 than just deprived indifference; the split festival layout plan also came with musical changes as well. While the eastern edge of the park was reserved for the EDM/MDMA kids, the western edge held mostly AAA/Adult Contemporary acts like Courtney Barnett and The Punch Brothers, and the Mast Stage also mirrored the AAA format during daylight hours with acts like Jason Isbell and Trampled By Turtles leaving only the festival closers, like Arcade Fire, as the real draw.

Jason Isbell

Trampled By Turtles. Photo: Marife Bautista

Arcade Fire. Photo: Marife Bautista

For me having the headliners as tried-and-true acts like Modest Mouse and and Arcade Fire, both of which had their heyday a decade ago, is a mixed feeling. I'd love to see newer acts that also bring a large drawl (like in years past with Run The Jewels) but I also recognize that these older bands have a better shot at appealing to the largest audience.

Arcade Fire Finale

But for me, the most creative aspects of Sunday at Forecastle was the addition of local favorites like Maiden Radio, Teddy Abrams & Matt Myers, White Reaper, and DJ Samosa.

Maiden Radio. Photo: Marife Bautista

Teddy Abrams & Friends. Photo: Marife Bautista

All that said, I have been attending Forecastle since the very first one, and have seen it change immensely; and change I am not opposed to. But since we know Forecastle is willing to change, we just need to speak up so they know what changes its patrons want most.

And that was Sunday at Forecastle 2018!

Arcade Fire

Fire in the Rafters

Punch Brothers in the Crowd

Review: It's The End Of The World (Forecastle 2018 Day Two)

If Friday at Forecastle 2018 was a harbinger of the stark new reality of Festival Culture, Saturday was the dead reckoning.   This morning's headline from the Courier Journal read 'The Crowd Goes Hard While Trying To Stay Cool', an understatement; Poor planning, technical difficulties, extreme heat, and Party Cove lawlessness pushed Forecastle to its limits. 

In yesterday's review, It's A Brave New World, we wrote about the technical and genre changes at Forecastle this year; namely the moving and shrinking of the WFPK Port Stage by 2/3s, and the expansion of Party Cove by 2/3s. Throngs of tiny short & half shirt clones spilled out of the packed Party Cove and Ocean Stage area into the rest of the fest with outlandish displays of sex, drugs, and no concern for rock n' roll as EDM and MDMA fueled the day. 

3pm at Party Cove

One third of the park is now reorganized to house the wild Coachella kids, and one third at the opposite end of the park holds the all local music WFPK Port Stage and the lackluster AAA/Adult Contemporary Boom Stage, with the Mast Stage only coming alive for the headliners such as Modest Mouse and Chris Stapleton (and local heroes Houndmouth) right in the middle.

Houndmouth with Aaron Cracker Photo: Marife Bautista 

The War On Drugs Photo: Marife Bautista

Hiss Golden Messenger Photo: Marife Bautista

Margo Price Photo: Marife Bautista

DJ Samosa Photo: Marife Bautista

With this new polar split with Adult Contemporary for the older folks (Margo Price, Hiss Golden Messenger, The War On Drugs, Jenny Lewis) on the Western edge and EDM madness on the Eastern Edge (DJ Samosa, Glittertitz), the only truly eclectic and wide ranging music for the totality of Saturday was the WFPK Port Stage, curated by Louisville Orchestra Conductor Teddy Abrams, with standout acts being the Forecastle Symphony and the West Louisville Showcase hosted by Jecorey '1200' Arthur. 

1200

With an amazing ode to the West End by poet Lance Newman to start and a continual parade of this city's best talent such as Wheatley Elementary's Young Prodigies, AMPED, River City Drumcorp, and Kentuckiana Idol's 1st winner, Chanson Calhoun, the West Louisville Showcase was easily the most entertaining experience on Saturday; except maybe headliner Chris Stapleton who managed to rock the Mast stage despite major technical difficulties that delayed the set for nearly an hour.

Lance Newman

Young Prodigies of Wheatley Elementary School

Chanson Calhoun

River City Drumcorp Photo: Marife Bautista

River City Drumcorp

 The largest congregation of LMPD Police Officers of the entire weekend that I saw was at the West Louisville Showcase, with no less than half a dozen officers at any given time, which I initially chocked up to extremely poor taste until the events that proceeded next. 

six cops and a Colonel Sanders at the West Louisville Showcase 

'I Eat Pussy For Free' homemade shirt at Party Cove

As soon as the West Louisville Showcase ended at 7:30 I walked directly over to Party Cove to see local favorite James Lindsey but instead found a horrific scene at the Party Cove entrance of an unconscious boy covered in vomit with two girls pouring water on him and three other boys standing in front trying to hide the situation from passers by.   

7:30 at Party Cove

 I asked them why they hadn't gotten the EMTs to help and they told me to leave. I looked all around Party Cove for a First Aid Station or a Police Officer and found none, , as they all seemed to be patrolling the West Louisville Showcase, leaving an entire 1/3 of the fest without a medical tent or security. When I told the kids I would go get help they started dragging this kid further into Party Cove.

Party Cove Entrance

 I had to run all the way over the Mast Stage First Aid Station and waited for an EMT to become available due to the large amount of fest goers needing assistance. By the time the EMTs and I made it all the way back to Party Cove the kids had vanished. I asked the EMTs why there wasn't a First Aid tent in Party Cove and they replied that they were too shorthanded.   I don't know what became of this kid, but later 2 of the kids that dragged him off found me, pushed me up against a barricade and demanded I erase the photos on my phone. It wasn't until I managed to take their photographs and told them I was going to show the photos to a police officer that they left me alone. Obviously there was no Police in Party Cove to the show the photos to but it finally got them to stop screaming at me while pinning me up against the wall.

Bullies

 These kids were so nervous about anyone finding out what they were up to at Party Cove that they were willing to put their friend's life at risk. The fact that there was virtually no oversight at Party Cove allowed thousands of teenagers to put themselves at extreme risk. The 'Festival Culture' that has emerged over the last few years has completely taken over Forecastle at the expense of everyone involved. And the management's plan to maroon these kids far away from everyone else as well as without basic medical and security services is completely unacceptable. As the prevailing Music Fest in our beloved city we need to demand changes as lives are being put at risk for the sake of making a dollar.
And that was Day Two!

Chris Stapleton Crowd Photo: Marife Bautista

Chris Stapleton Photo: Marife Bautista

ACAP Hour with Daphne Willis Photo: Marife Bautista

West Louisville Showcase Photo: Marife Bautista

West Louisville Showcase Photo: Marife Bautista

Forecastle Symphony Photo: Marife Bautista

Photo: Marife Bautista

Read our Forecastle 2018 Day One Review, 'It's A Brave New World', Here

Review: It's A Brave New World (Forecastle 2018 Day 1)

To brag about our little news grinder a little bit; 37FLOOD has the distinction of being the longest running independent media outlet to cover Forecastle, since our inception in 2007, and we have seen it change immensely over the years. And this year has some of the biggest (if not immediately noticeable) changes to date.

4pm at Party Cove

The layout for the last several years has included 3 stages settled on the northern edge of the park, the Boom (northwest), The Mast (due north), and the Port Stage (northeast); with the Ocean stage, nestled under the I-64 Overpass, and Party Cove on the Eastern side of the Park.   When Forecastle first moved to the Great Lawn the eastern edge of the park held a stage exclusively for local artists (called the Bluegrass Catastrophe) but after a few years was replaced by the WFPK Port Stage showcasing 'AAA' format bands to a large outcry from fans of local music and local bands alike.  

After a while the 'Party Cove' was added between the Ocean Stage (primarily reserved for hip hop and electronic acts) and the WFPK Port stage to accommodate the young EDM Coachella Juniors covered in glitter. This seemed like a great idea, a way to entertain the under 20 crowd as well as separate the more Molly oriented behavior from the older and family related crowd. 

Many complained that that Forecastle was going too far into the mainstream 'Festival' Culture and no longer represented the city. This change coincided with AC Entertainment, management company for Bonnaroo, taking over the management reins. It's true Forecastle became a mirror of the other regional fests, with the same headliners as Bonnaroo and an almost complete drop of the 'Art and Activism' moniker it began with. 

But time moves on and Fests in general have changed; the music has taken a back seat to festival culture; many people go to fests now to become engulfed in glitter, wild clothing, and EDM (Electronic Dance Music) as well as MDMA.

5pm: The Great Empty Lawn

At a broiling 92 degrees, a good 5 degrees lower than tomorrow's forecast, Forecastle 2018 got rolling at 2:30pm on Louisville's Great Lawn on Friday July 13th. Despite long lines at the gate for entry, by 5pm the Great Lawn in front of the main stage, called the Mast, was virtually empty. 

By contrast Party Cove was packed despite the oppressive heat.

5pm at Party Cove

This might be why this year Forecastle decided to shrink the WFPK Port stage by 2/3s and move it from the northeast edge of the park to as far away as possible in the southwestern edge of the park, expanding Party Cove by 2/3s. Ocean stage as also been incorporated to Party Cove, with more EDM bands on that stage while sharing more Hip Hop acts on the Party Cove Boat.

Party Cove Stage (Boat).

There was noticeable shock by some long time fest goers at the take over of the EDM crowd and the shrinkage of the WFPK Port stage, but in a complete act of correcting past mistakes the WFPK Port Stage is now 100% Louisville Acts, and curated entirely by Louisville Orchestra Conductor Teddy Abrams.  

Flagship on the Ocean Stage

Ocean Stage crowd for Flagship

Bernie & Hickory Bond at WFPK Port Stage

Louisville Orchestra Conductor Teddy Abrams

Crowd at WFPK Port Stage to see Louisville Leopard Percussionists

 Speaking to 37FLOOD on Friday Abrams said before his Jazz/Funk performance he welcomed the change, mentioning that the smaller stage and addition of picnic tables gave the Port Stage a more family friendly atmosphere. And it seems to be right move, as at 4:30 pm the entire festival grounds were completely empty except Party Cove and the Port Stage to witness the Louisville Leopard Percussionists.

WFPK's Meg Samples introducing the Louisville Leopard Percussionists

Like it or not, it's a changing world, and Festivals are changing, fueled by corporate bottom lines and big money sponsors. The largest crowds on friday were concentrated at the Ocean Stage/Party Cove area on the eastern side of the park, only slightly giving way at 10:30 for Modest Mouse on the Mast Stage, and possibly the most well known act of Friday. The M.O. of larger fests over the last few years has been to stack the deck with a multitude of EDM DJs and groups and topping the night off with older established groups like Flaming Lips, Beck, Jack White, and Modest Mouse, forgoing mid-level newer groups in lieu of cheaper methods of entertainment (EDM for the MDMA crowd).  

Louis The Child EDM Explosion

10 pm: Louis The Child 

Modest Mouse

Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse

While Friday may be the lightest day in terms of well known and traditional pop groups, the crowds at Forecastle 2018 far preferred the party atmosphere exported from Coachella and expanding across the country, and thus it makes sense to reorganize Forecastle accordingly, regardless of older loyal Forecastle goers wishes. 

Saturday promises more traditional attractions like Houndmouth (Main Stage7:45pm), Chris Stapleton (Mast Stage 10pm), Margo Price (Boom Stage 5:30), Jenny Lewis (Boom Stage 7:15), and Hiss Golden Messenger (Boom Stage 4pm), with more creative electronica like the West Louisville Showcase (Port Stage 6:25 ),  James Lindsey & Vane (Party Cove 8pm), and the ghost of Freaknik himself T-Pain (Ocean Stage 9pm) 

And that was Day One!

Read our Day Two Review, It's The End Of The World, here.