Written By: Charles Jeffery

Edited By: Rosemary A.W. Roberts

Cheese came pouring out of the doors of the Palace Theatre in Louisville, KY. It revitalized an army of sunburnt smiling fans who walked across town to witness the late night spectacle to Forecastle Music Festival, and no one was disappointed. When String Cheese Incident began with the heavy hitter opener, “Howard”, it set the mood and everyone was ready to get down on their good foot for the evening. The energy persisted into the second song and it came with an umbrella straw on a tropical breeze because “Can’t Wait Another Day” transported the Palace to a beach on the Ohio river. Staying consistent with the vibe the jams were poignant and powerful, which carried us into a bluegrass favorite “Orange Blossom Special”. The train whistle at the onset of the song begins on Michael Kang’s violin; this gives me goose bumps every time I hear it, because you know something special is coming behind that train. Cheese felt like keeping it classy and grassy so they covered Gordon Lightfoot’s “Cold on My Shoulder” which made Bill Nershi and the traditionalist fans ecstatic. “Sometimes A River” was a pure display of the band’s ability because they traded off the lead many times and it felt seamless. Then to add a cherry to the top of that song they transitioned into “Bam!” Kyle Hollingsworth killed this in all of its bass and drum glory. Then they surprised the crowd with a sweet transition into “Minor Swing”; the two songs really worked well together.

“Just one Story” was a roller coaster of a good time. The musicians have to love playing this song because they each get a chance to demonstrate their talents. The next song was their chance to rest for a second and slow the tempo down as they played “Hotel Window”. Kyle wanted to take everyone to church early that Sunday morning, as he played on the organ. “Impressions” jammed and was like a trance with a guitar resounding through a dream, and then Kyle started talking with his keyboards’ vocal sampling effects. “Colliding” is another one of those songs that Cheese plays that makes me want to be outside and laying in the sun. The crowd caved into the bounce for this song and even the security guards were moving. The last song of the set was “Restless Wind”, and it seemed fitting to play one more song with bluegrass roots in it to keep a good balance to the set. The band left the stage to the dismay of the crowd who were hoping for a 4 am curfew. They instead encored with a Led Zeppelin cover of “Ramble On” which rocked and had me anticipating Robert Plant coming out with them since he was scheduled to play at Forecastle as well; alas, it didn’t happen.

The show was a sweet way to end the night and a great way to get out of the heat and into the fire. The crowd was in it to win it and the band did not disappoint. They came out of the gates hard and fast with the “Howard” and didn’t take their foot off the gas until they played “Cold on my Shoulder”. The rest of the show was an intense roller coaster of fun transitions and their signature mixture of bluegrass and rock to coalesce into one hell of a dance party.