As I sit here writing this, the Flash-Tat tan lines are fading, and my hair is almost finally sand free. These are the gentle souvenirs of a weekend filled with sun, fun and crazy good music this past pre-Memorial Day weekend (May 20-22). While a storm threatened to keep the party from starting, start it did. The bad weather early-on cleared the way for days ruled by the sun and nights illuminated by the full, full moon. For seven years the Hangout Music Festival has brought together tens of thousands of happy music lovers and many of their favorite bands to Gulf Shores, Alabama. This year was no exception–it was amazing!
Day one kicked off a bit late due to storms. Pepper opened the weekend to the delight of thousands of ‘hanger-outers’ singing along to songs such as “Lucy.” A stroll down the beach lead me to the BMI stage where I heard the compelling vocals of Bully. Reminiscent of the great Bonnie Tyler, this is one hard core lady! A little further down the sand, fans were treated to the Bluesy, driving beats of the oh-so dreamy Moon Taxi.
As night fell on day one, some local heroes mounted the BMI Stage. The Revivalists literally stole the show! This Gulf Coast people’s pick is a family run operation, and they are tight! During a romantic ride on the giant Ferris wheel, I experienced Walk The Moon’s “Shut Up and Dance.” If you have never watched a show from this perspective before, I highly recommend it! My night ended over at the Surf Stage being entertained by Alabama Shakes. The group’s lead singer and her guitar seems as thought they have become one in a soulful expression of music and emotion.
Day two was literally epic! Still fuzzy from the past night’s festivities, I started my day at the Axis TV Stage with Kurt Vile and The Violators. Unfortunately, Calvin Harris was involved in a car accident on his way to Gulf Shores. While luckily only suffering from minor injuries, he was still unable to perform. This opened up an opportunity for The Griswolds to perform on the main stage. Fortunately for the Australian group, they did not disappoint! Excited to be there, these quirky Aussies made the most of their first trip to Alabama by crushing their set on the Hangout’s main stage!
Next up on the Hangout Stage was Portugal the Man; who rocked it with charging beats and melodic harmonies featuring John Gourley’s manly falsetto that at times drops to surprisingly low notes.
As the sun set over the Hangout Stage, the full moon rose over the Surf Stage and Day two’s crowd favorite Cage the Elephant took over. “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked” was sung in chorus by thousands of adoring fans. On my way back across the beach, I decided to drop by the Mermaid Stage. So glad I made the pit stop to check out an amazing reggae-rock band known as Nahko and Medicine For The People. I’m telling you that even SOJA wishes that he could capture Nahko’s sound and he has featured him on many of his tracks.
Day two closed with Panic at the Disco. It is true that they got off to a bit of a slow start and unfortunately lost some of the crowd, but shame on those who left because when they turned it up they cranked it! This guy can do it all and he has some mad piano skills. No one should ever, ever attempt to sing Freddy Mercury unless they can absolutely nail it and this guy was good. Mama Mia!
Day three = LENNY KRAVITZ! The whole of my morning was spent in anticipation of finally coming face to face with my man, Lenny. He kept us all waiting while the crowd chanted his name, but once he took the stage he fulfilled all of our rock star dreams! He opened with “American Woman,” and, as if to prove just what kind of rock star he really is, he continued to improvise a jam session to “My Mama Said” during a sound issue. Lenny’s set fittingly ended with “Let Love Rule” – the first track off of his first album.
The Hangout Fest 2016 ended with the always-incredible Florence + The Machine. During their show, I kept picturing a young Stevie Nicks singing “Rhiannon.” This blazing red haired fairy goddess is a complete force of nature! She literally walked out across the crowd to be surrounded by her fans that appeared to worship her.
Fireworks followed Florence’s set and The Hangout 2016 officially came to a close. A sweet end to an amazing time! Can’t wait to see what next year brings to the Hangout 2017.