Fortress Festival 2018 is the second annual two-day music festival in Fort Worth, Texas. It is a partnership between the festival organization and the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, and a wristband to the festival includes admission to the museum as well. The lineup this year seemed quite divided between the two stages and two days: the first day consisted of (mostly old school) hip-hop on the larger stage and indie pop on the smaller stage, while the second day was more heavily folk and indie bands.
The Vibe
FF’s vibe contrasts with ACL in many ways. It’s a lot smaller, the crowd is older, and attendees are very friendly. It’s held in a small field right in the middle of the Fort Worth cultural district, minute’s walk away from the Modern and the Kimbell Museum. There were only two stages that took less than two minutes to walk in between, and none of the set times overlapped, making it possible for festival goers to see all the acts (if they don’t mind standing in the back). The smaller artists will often walk off stage and right by where the audience is standing, making it easy to ask for a photo op. People are friendly as well; there’s none of the pushing and shoving that is common to larger festivals. The outskirts of the festival were populated with small stands of local businesses selling merch, art, and food.
The Acts
Best new discovery that I would listen to again: Cure for Paranoia
This Dallas-based rap group is headed by two vocalists, Cameron McCloud–a blue mesh crop top-wearing black guy with half-bleached dreads–and Stan Francisko–a curly blue-haired white guy. This eclectic group was fun to watch, and used their raw talent and lyricism to make their performance stand out. Stan’s rich vocals and Cameron’s bars made for a satisfying combination that I would for sure add to my Spotify playlist.
Most memorable moment: Rapsody
Rapsody has already proven her talent and lyricism in recorded projects, but her poetic live performance secured her spot in my eyes as one of the best up-and-coming rappers. She not only gave a powerful performance, but also spoke words of encouragement to new artists and gave a special shout-out to the women in the audience. She then invited a man from the audience onstage, asking “Are you single? I’m single. I just want to have some fun” and proceeded to dance with and tease him onstage. While I thought it was funny, it seemed a bit antithetical to her feminist approach. That being said, Rapsody gave one of the most striking performances of the day.
Best at getting the crowd vibing: De La Soul
De La has been around forever (literally before I was born) and you could tell from the enthusiasm of the crowd. The hip-hop trio definitely used their numbers to get the crowd going. Throughout the set was a dynamic interplay between two of the members, each picking a side of the crowd and getting them to cheer louder. Their fun ad libs and raucous personalities, alongside their danceable music made for the most fun act of the first night.
Best music to listen to when you have no worries: Pearl Earl
This all-female group exuded a cool, psychedelic look and feel starting with their colorful fashion all the way to the ambience of their vocals. Marked by strong vocals melting into a prominent guitar presence, they sound like the perfect background music for a John Hughes-style dance montage. The four-year-old band from Denton brought a uniquely bright and vibrant sound to the stage that got the flower-crown-wearing audience members grooving.
Act with the most fearless leader: Andy Pickett
Andy Pickett is a rock. A rock with long hair, a curly beard, and a commanding presence–both figuratively and physically. He’s a soulful singer and you can tell he loves what he does–“I love my piano, just like my piano loves me”–he croons, all with his eyes closed. Although Andy is the namesake of the band, he’s surrounded on stage by a group of talented young musicians, including Ray Osborn, Ben Marrow, Chuck Brown, Peter Marsh, Brock Miller, Cameron Smith, Ricky Williford, and Reid Murphy, who stunned the crowd with his saxophone solos. Only having formed in January 2018, four months before their festival performance, this is definitely a band to keep on your musical radar.
Overall, the festival entailed a lot of new musical discoveries. Festival goers need not be discouraged by unfamiliarity with the lesser-known acts, because the intimate setting created an even better experience for interacting with artists. Being able to attend all the acts in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere was one of the major pluses of Fortress Fest.
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