| Print |

Written by Matt Wallin Tuesday, 29 May 2012 21:04

Article Index
Hangout Music Festival | 05.18-20.12
Saturday
Sunday
All Pages

Gulf Shores is in my backyard and I was jonesing for a festival, though, so despite my initial reservations I decided to go. I am so glad that I did. 
Chris Cornell. Photo: Matt Wallin

 

Jack White. Photo: Kevin Bub

I’ll have to admit that I was a little underwhelmed when I saw the lineup for this year’s Hangout Music Festival in Gulf Shores, Ala. Maybe it’s because they set the bar so high last year (Paul Simon, Foo Fighters, Avett Brothers), or it may be that I liked most of the acts on the lineup but I just didn’t love them. For my tastes, it didn’t have the star power or the rare get that I was used to seeing at a festival. I had wanted to make this year my first trip to Hangout, but after the lineup dropped I wasn’t so sure. Gulf Shores is in my backyard and I was jonesing for a festival, though, so despite my initial reservations I decided to go. I am so glad that I did.

I have always approached music festivals the same way: See who has the best lineup, and then go to that festival. The weekend of May 18-20 and the Hangout Music Festival changed that forever.

As we headed south, I was slightly anxious and still had my defenses up. We arrived in town on Thursday around midnight. As we drove into town, the smell of the Gulf poured through the vents in our car and reminded me that we were about to be at a music festival on the beach. It was like aromatherapy that instantly loosened me up. The temperature was about 75 degrees, but it wasn’t like a normal 75 degree temperature in the south where it can feel like 100: 70 degrees in Gulf Shores comes with a constant, gentle breeze. It wasn’t hot, but it melted away the rest of my defenses. The temperature and location were perfect all weekend, and one of the true highlights of the festival. Bonnaroo may be bigger, and may have a more impressive lineup, but it can’t touch the weather.

Friday

I woke up Friday morning in an air conditioned room in Island Winds West, which is a short third-of-a-mile walk from the festival entrance. Being so close allows you to sleep later without missing any bands, and lets you come back to the room for a break or to eat throughout the day. This is a huge plus.

As we walked in, we were impressed with how small the crowd seemed. While festivals like Coachella and Bonnaroo can have as many as 100,000 people, The Hangout only has around 35,000. It can’t be overstated how much that improves the experience.

Each day was packed with bands. My Friday featured sets from Hey Rosetta!, Switchfoot, Rebelution, The Alabama Shakes, Yelawolf, Coheed & Cambria, Dawes, Paul Oakenfold, Chris Cornell, Wilco, and Jack White.

Friday’s first band Hey Rosetta! played the Xbox tent that would later host mainly EDM and rap. Last year’s Xbox tent was on a hot parking lot; this year’s version featured fresh sod, which helped the tent feel cool the entire weekend. They were playing unopposed but had a small crowd for their set as people filtered in and got acquainted with the festival grounds. Switchfoot kicked off the Letting Go stage. Lead singer Jon Foreman spent more time in the crowd than he did on stage. Their covers of “Sabotage” and “Been Caught Stealing” really got the crowd pumped and singing along. It was interesting seeing a self-proclaimed Christian singer like Foreman omitting the “Oh my God” portion of “Sabotage” in keeping with his faith. (Side note: Was that Tony Cliffton on the drums? Rebelution was the first band to play the main stage. They looked like they were having a good time, and their crowd was packed. Their blend of reggae was a great way to open up the main stage and sounded great echoing over the beach.

The Alabama Shakes got a pretty early time slot for a band that has been blowing up like they have lately, and it was packed. Their set opener “Hang Loose” should be the official song of the Hangout. Lead singer Brittany Howard strutted around stage, punching on the guitar and channeling the swagger of James Brown as she played to the crowd and howled into the mic. She’s so confident and cool; their whole set was rocking. It was packed, but it was still possible to get a good spot.

At most festivals, you’ll have to make a decision between people playing at the same time. It’s hard if it’s two bands that you love. When it’s bands you don’t care for, in the case of acts like Yelawolf and Coheed & Cambria, it’s not as hard. I decided to split my time between the two.

There wasn’t a lot of rap at Hangout this year, but Gadsden, Ala., native Yelawolf did his best to represent the genre. He must have said something about being from Alabama 100 times. (I think he’s from Alabama.) The coolest part of his set was a Beastie Boys tribute. After part of his show, I decided to check out Coheed & Cambria. I had never been a fan of Coheed’s music but I was really impressed by their set. It was an epic production and they sounded amazing. I doubt I’ll check them out again anytime soon, but if I ever see them at a festival again I’ll make sure to go. Their show was a highlight for a lot of the people I talked to for the rest of the weekend. It was cool seeing them cover Goyte’s “Somebody That I Used to Know” with lead singer Claudio Sanchez’s wife Chondra Echert doing a good job filling in for Kimbra.

Dawes sounded great doing “A Little Bit of Everything” and a cover of the John Lennon song “Jealous Guy.” Their acoustic-based music reminds me of Wilco. Lead singer Taylor Goldsmith spent most of the set making funny faces and really playing to the crowd. Their gentle music mixed with the gentle breeze for a great combination.

JPaul Oakenfold. Photo: Kevin Bub

I decided to catch about 30 minutes of Paul Oakenfold before Chris Cornell started. After some slow shows, it seemed like a lot of people were ready to rage. I was looking forward to a nice change of pace, but even after the music, started it took Oakenfold forever to get into his set. I don’t know if he was busy with some technical issues or couldn’t be bothered to interact with the crowd. The music sounded good, but he seemed disinterested most of the time. Remixing festival headliners Jack White and Red Hot Chili Peppers was a nice touch, but I didn’t want to risk missing Chris Cornell for a mediocre Oakenfold show so I left his set. Seeing Chris Cornell was one of the highlights of the day. Cornell played at the time of day when the sun is starting to set, but it’s not quite dusk. He played solo, stripped-down versions of songs from his solo career and his bands Temple of the Dog, Soundgarden, and Audioslave. His versions of “Hunger Strike” and “Like a Stone” sounded the best.

Wilco. Photo: Kevin Bub

Wilco played after Chris Cornell. Wilco is one of those bands that has so many albums that you could love 20 of their songs, go to their show, and not even see one of the 20 songs you love. That’s happened to me a couple of the times that I’ve seen Wilco. So for me, seeing “Jesus, Etc.,” “Whole Love,” “Heavy Metal Drummer,” “I'm the Man Who Loves You,” and “I'm Always in Love” all in a row was amazing.

When Jack White was announced as the third headliner, a lot of message board folks wondered out loud whether or not he was big enough to handle it by himself. Any doubts anyone had have been put to rest. White’s set blazed through songs from his recently released solo album, The White Stripes, The Raconteurs, The Dead Weather, and Rome. His set took advantage of two backing bands, the first the all-male Buzzards. The Buzzards were really high energy, highlighted by a drummer and keyboard player who stood up, jumped around, and slid all over the stage while they played. White’s all-female band called themselves The Peacocks; they rocked, too, but spent most of their time being laid back and following Jack’s lead. The new album plays live like a lot of older White Stripes stuff and sounded great. Jack White closed his set with “Seven Nation Army” as fireworks exploded in the background.

 

Saturday

I started the day off sitting on my balcony eating breakfast, drinking coffee, and listening to The Givers. I really wanted to be front and center for their set but just couldn’t get up and moving fast enough. The music sounded great as it drifted across the beach and into our condo.

One of the best things about music festivals is discovering new music. As we walked in, we passed a band we hadn’t planned on seeing, The Devil Makes Three, and were drawn in. Their outfits and music were a combination of suit vests, bowler hats, tattoos, and beards that hang down to your belt. My favorite lyric was, “You'd never understand the things my friend Eric put us through/ He had this PowerPoint presentation about this girl he wanted to do.” #LOL We ended up watching their entire set.

After some bluegrass, it was only natural that we’d want to see a rapper, right? I decided to catch Mac Miller over Julian Marley for two reasons: One, I’ve seen the entire Marley family tree (save Bob) several times, and two, everyone on the Internet seems to hate Mac Miller. (Except for Mac Miller blogs and message boards; I’m sure they love him.) People’s blinding hate for him made me want to see him. It was hard to get too into it since I didn’t know the lyrics to any of his songs, but it was a pretty good time. It was one of the most packed out tent shows of the weekend, and from what people were wearing, it looked like Mac Miller had dressed them all (bright neon shirts, shoes, and shades). #swag

“People who said they wouldn’t still be doing this at 30 or 40 are up here in walkers now,” said Randy Newman halfway through his set. We’re glad he didn’t give it up. Randy Newman’s afternoon show was the first big set of the day for me, and he was easily one of the biggest legends of the weekend. The crowd sang along to on-point versions of “Short People” and “You’ve Got a Friend in Me.” Newman’s banter between songs was hilarious and made his show a lot of fun.

I really wanted to see the entire sets from both Skrillex and Gary Clark, Jr., but for entirely different reasons. Since I couldn’t do that, I decided to split my time between the two. I started out in the front of the pit for Skrillex. Wow; what an experience. This was the loudest and youngest show I was at, by far. The crowd was full of teens who were ready to rage, and Skrillex did not disappoint. Skrillex was the opposite of Paul Oakenfold, constantly engaging the audience, talking, yelling, making eye contact, and encouraging everyone to throw down. Every time the beat would drop, a machine would send smoke and dry ice into the sky and into the first few rows of the crowd. I don’t really get the appeal of listening to it at home on your computer, but his shows are a party from start to finish.

When I got to Gary Clark, Jr., my ears were still hurting from Skrillex, but it didn’t take me long to get into the groove he was laying down. Much like the Alabama Shakes, it seems like his music was made for the beauty and wide open expanses of the beach. His live songs had even more blues and jamming than his album could hold. From what I could see in the crowd, several faces were indeed melted and/or rocked off.

Another band I was really excited to see was Dispatch. Since they broke up before the festival scene was really what it is today, they missed out on playing a lot of festivals. This summer, it seems like they are trying to make up for lost time. Dispatch is one of those bands an album can’t do justice to; they were made for live shows and festivals, with a live show that was a constant display of musical ability. They took turns singing, harmonizing, trading instruments, and looked like they enjoyed every second of it. The crowd sing-alongs to Simon and Garfunkel’s “Mrs. Robinson” and their hit “The General” were some of the best moments of the festival.

As the sun set, we walked across the beach and took in parts of String Cheese Incident and Flogging Molly. We were too tired and to hungry to enjoy all of their sets, so we got some food from an Atlanta area taco truck, rested, and got a good spot for the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers drew one of the largest crowds of the weekend. Their setlist spanned their entire career, covering early hits like “Suck My Kiss,” “Under the Bridge,” and “Scar Tissue,” and newer songs like “Monarchy of Roses.” They jumped around like they were in a 90-minute Zumba class set to their own music. If you’re ever at a RHCP show and get bored or don’t like a song, just focus on Flea. He was dripping in sweat after the first song, and his bass sounded amazing all night. His sound adds a lot to every song. Their encore was a jam-packed medley of some of their biggest hits: “Around the World,” “Soul to Squeeze,” and “Give It Away.”

 

Sunday

Sunday is always my hardest festival day. I’m so excited on Friday that I try to make myself see every second of every show, and by Sunday it’s all caught up to me. A lot of Sundays find me exhausted and not really enjoying some of the sets. But the comfortable weather, small crowds, cozy bed, walking distance of the festival, and three meals a day left me feeling great and excited.

Delta Spirit had one of the shortest sets of the weekend. Their 45-minute slot was shortened even more by sound problems. When they finally got started, they put on a great show. Their lead singer spent some of the time between songs rambling and making fun of band mates in such a way that I didn’t know if he was kidding or if the band was having problems.

Young the Giant was one of my most anticipated shows of the weekend. Their debut album has been one of my favorites since it came out in 2011, and until now I had never had the chance to see them play live. Their show was a lot of fun; they were high energy and sounded great. It’s strange when you’re the only person you know who likes a band and you see them at a festival where everyone knows the words to every song. Cage the Elephant followed and put on a loud, rocking show, playing originals and a cover of the Pavement song “False Skorpion.”

Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros delivered one of the best shows of the weekend. Their 12-piece band ran through a dozen songs, including highlights “40 Day Dream,” “Janglin',” and “Home.” Band leader and lead singer Alex Ebert spent almost as much time in the crowd as he did on stage. He walked among us singing, dancing, hugging people, and saying hello. As he ran through us, people crowded around for the chance to high five or hug him. It really got the crowd into the show, and even though people were tired, it got them up and dancing. After the Edward Sharpe show, we made friends with some people who had come in to get a good spot for the Dave Matthews Band. We had such a good time with them, and were so tired, that we decided to hang out and keep our good spots for the DMB show instead of trying to cross the beach to see The Flaming Lips. Everyone was so friendly all weekend, and especially at this show, that it made the wait go by quickly.

The Dave Matthews Band was the final headliner of the festival. For reasons that I’ve already mentioned, they had a tough task: Close a three-day festival where everyone is tired and has a long drive ahead of them. Depending on who you asked, the show was either the best someone had ever seen, or their least favorite DMB show to date. From my perspective, it was somewhere in the middle. The band did several jammed-out versions of older songs and played some of their best new music. The encore of “Save Me” and Stefan solo/“All Along The Watchtower” would have probably been cool for someone who had never seen it, but for someone seeing it for the hundredth time, it left something to be desired. But it was obvious that the band was enjoying playing in such a beautiful location, mentioning it several times and looking fresh and vibrant during their set.

The Hangout was an incredible experience. While some festivals can feel like work, the Hangout felt like a vacation. It’s such a beautiful and comfortable place that even a lineup that doesn’t completely meet your needs can come to life and be a blast. The smaller crowds mean you can get closer to the bands, and the amazing weather means you have the energy to enjoy it. Hangout plans to be back next year, and now, so do I. | Matt Wallin