FORECASTLE

Get to the Forecastle Festival early and keep these great afternoon performers company

Courier Journal

Chicano Batman is one of five Forecastle Festival bands for which you should arrive early to see perform.

Every day at a major music festival begins with a potentially sad scene. Someone has to be on stage before the majority of people show up – or before anyone shows up, for that matter – and that means a few bands each day are essentially thrown to the wind.

But those early sets are also an opportunity. There's an undeniable sense of camaraderie among both the musicians and fans, which can lead to performances that feel far more intimate than one would expect when standing in a field.

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Here are five performers at the Forecastle Festival, Friday through Sunday in Waterfront Park, who have the early slots. All of them deserve an audience that, if not large, is at least enthusiastic.

Chicano Batman, 4:30 p.m. Friday, Mast Stage

First, that name! That's solid gold. Chicano Batman is a Los Angeles quartet that expertly merges several time-honored genres – Brazilian tropicália, American funk, Norman Whitfield-style psychedelic soul and garage fuzz – into a sound that feels so perfectly 1973 that it comes back around to sounding future-proof.

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Mondo Cozmo, 3:30 p.m. Friday, Boom Stage

Mondo Cozmo, aka Josh Ostrander, has had a big year with his song "Shine" reaching No.1 on Billboard's Adult Alternative Chart and getting Ostrander a spot on "Jimmy Kimmel Live." His latest single, "Automatic," is No. 27 and rising.

From Philadelphia, Ostrander is no rookie. He's been in the business for 20 years and one of his earlier bands, Eastern Conference Champions, hung around the periphery of the major label world.

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As Mondo Cozmo, he works out of Los Angeles and embraces a classic sound that blends folk, old-school alternative rock, and a whole lot.

Jack Harlow, 3 p.m. Saturday, Ocean Stage

Louisville's Harlow is a rapper just out of high school with a gift for words, impressive technique and a lot of stage presence. The Atherton grad's early stuff was largely all about technique as he powered through lyrics with speed and precision, but now that he's old as hell – he turned 19 in March – he has begun exploring different textures.

His recent "Routine" is a between-the-sheets slow roll that pays homage to the Isleys and was produced by Louisville native Willy Will, who has worked with Little Wayne, Rihanna, Static Major and many others. Forecastle always delivers a major Louisville hip-hop moment, and it's Harlow's turn.

Lucy Dacus, 2:15 p.m. Saturday, Mast Stage

Dacus is a 21-year-old who has been composing music for nearly her entire life, but her sing-song toddler nonsense has gracefully matured into pointed songs about young adult nonsense. Her debut album, "No Burden," is a throwback to classic 1990s indie-rock record.

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Sun Seeker, 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Ocean Stage

Sun Seeker is a young band from Nashville – all three are 21 – that traffics in old sounds. They are from the Gram Parsons school of what he called Cosmic American Music, capitalization required, which is essentially a melodically rich blend of folk, country and white-kid soul. Look for their debut EP, "BIDDEFORD," on Third Man Records.

Reporter Jeffrey Lee Puckett can be reached at 502-582-4160 and jpuckett@courier-journal.com.