So the Forecastle Festival is finally here. As far as local festival events go, there’s none bigger, thanks to what I hear is the sheer will of organizer J.K. McKnight. The festivities start Friday, and as most of Louisville knows by now, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will make a speech on Sunday.
It’s not our intent to inflame the war of words between the city’s two alternative weeklies, but to point out a logical difference in approach. If it needs repeating, I’ll do so. The papers have different missions, and most of the time cover different topics. But music is one topic which both strive to excel in, so it’s something worth comparing.
A few weeks ago, we noted that both publications featured cover stories and in-depth coverage of the TerraStock Music Festival, which is not really as big a local deal as Forecastle.
LEO put an image of Kennedy on its cover this week, and assigned a full feature on the activist’s visit. Inside, there’s three pages on music and a full schedule listing. There’s also a page and a half of advertising related to the Festival. Over at Gannett, editors chose a feature on dumpster diving instead of a Forecastle-related cover. That feature is pretty interesting, but it’s not timely and if I were McKnight, I’d be a little upset that the Forecastle event didn’t merit a cover.
But inside there’s a Q & A with Kennedy and a detailed, act-by-act guide to Forecastle bands. If I were going to check out the music, I’d carry this issue along with me.
So in the spirit of hoping we can all get along, let’s recognize our differences and appreciate both approaches.
4 responses so far ↓
1 kelly // Jul 23, 2008 at 4:53 pm
Nice point…maybe that’s maybe why I read LEO and just look at the pictures in Velocity because they have very little content worth reading.
2 Leslie Stewart // Jul 24, 2008 at 7:26 pm
As official Forecastle publicist, I can’t blame Velocity for not putting the festival on the cover, especially since they know that their competitor is our official media sponsor. And I’m sure they’re somewhat wary about duplicating coverage after the TerraStock issues . . .
3 josh // Jul 24, 2008 at 8:41 pm
… Or maybe it’s ’cause the line-up for Forecastle sucks this year. More mediocre acts than you can shake a stick at. The fourth-most popular Wu Tang member and a bunch of bands you can see anytime for $5.
4 Leslie Stewart // Jul 25, 2008 at 11:56 am
Actually, I think the music gets better every year, just because it continues to diversify. I’m not necessarily a fan of every single style of music represented, but I love the idea that we’ve got everything from hip-hop stalwarts to a Grammy award winning bluegrass band. There’s literally something for everyone. My two fave bands from last year were complete surprises - Mucca Pazza and the Chicago Afrobeat Project.
If you keep open ears - and an open mind - Forecastle is a great event no matter who the musical headliners are. And I’m not just saying that because I’m the festival publicist. Forecastle is a mission and a mindset as much as a musical event.
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