Hangout Festival 2013 – Festival Blast

2013’s Hangout Festival closed this year with both a bang, and a sweet note, as Stevie Wonder left his piano during the middle of the set to talk about growing up in Alabama, his faith in God, and how grateful he was to have been able to provide for his mother before she died. 

Crying as he spoke, he also talked of his love for his fans, and how much he would love to see great changes in the way the world works, specifically in the way people treat each other.

Of all the music at Hangout this year, I really went to see Stevie.  I missed him at Bonnaroo a few years ago, and I didn’t want to let it happen again. 

Huka Entertainment did a good job in this, the fourth year of the fest.  All of my complaints from when I first attended in 2011 have more or less been remedied.  There are plenty of watering stations, and the festival grounds have been expanded to include the adjoining street, which leaves the sand mostly empty.  Walking on the sand is still a chore when you have to, but at least you don’t have to do it all the time.

The overwhelming, obtrusive and almost comically enthusiastic police presence has been toned down significantly, replaced by private security.  I didn’t see shakedowns at the gate, as I’ve seen in past years, and there wasn’t constant chatter about people being busted.  

Everyone realizes that the law needs enforcement, but putting on a festival of this sort is a balancing act between safety and security while still allowing festival goers to feel like they’re not under constant surveillance and threat.

Overall, this years Hangout Festival was a success.  The multi-tiered VIP system was a huge hit, there were a wide variety of food and drinks to be had and the expanded grounds made for a much more comfortable festival experience. 

The lineup this year, which is something I’ve greatly appreciated about Hangout in the past, was a little more mainstream.  Huka usually manages though to pull in at least one “out of the ordinary” act.  In 2011it was Paul Simon and in 2012 (for me) it was Steve Winwood.  This year it was Stevie Wonder, and he didn’t disappoint.

Other shows I enjoyed were Tom Petty, Gov’t Mule, The Black Crowes, Bass Nectar, Public Enemy, The Roots and the Trey Anastasio Band.  

There were lots of other, lesser known, but super popular bands who hit it off with the crowd, including Kings of Leon, Passion Pit, Nicki Bluhm & The Gramblers, Moe and Moon Taxi.

As with last year, Huka added a “Bonus” night on Thursday, which was headlined by Umphrey’s McGee. 

All in all, the 2013 Hangout Festival was a success.  The weather was beautiful and Gulf Shores is starting to feel like my home away from home. 

Almost three years after Deepwater Horizon oil spill poisoned the Gulf, the economy in Gulf Shores is showing signs of recovery and the overall attitude feels more hopeful and positive.

I’ve grown to love the laid back attitude, the scenic views, and the absolutely gorgeous ocean.  

I stayed this year again at Spectrum Resorts “Beach Club.”  I can’t express how much I’ve grown to enjoy this place.  The Beach Club is 12 miles away, down Fort Morgan road.  The distance wasn’t a big issue, because Spectrum provided a shuttle bus which ran all day for a nominal fee.

Going “Home” each day (because that’s what it felt like) was a relief.  The Beach Club, unlike the other condo developments closer to the venue is isolated, away from the liquor and T-Shirt stores.  We stayed in a three-bedroom condo with all of the comforts of home, which opened up on one of six swimming pools and a meticulously maintained yard. 

They have a new restaurant on the property as well, headed by Chef Brody Olive, and the food is fantastic.

I love the Hangout Festival, but the Beach Club gives me the headspace I need to really enjoy it. 

I’m a seafood fanatic, and in Gulf Shores, there’s a dizzying array of restaurants to choose from.  I’ve lived in Hawaii, and I’ve eaten raw tuna at the fish market in Hilo.  Needless to say I’m something of a seafood snob.  This was my second year looking for good seafood in Gulf Shores and this time I struck gold.

I found a place right next to the Hangout venue called the Steamer and they made the best seafood I’ve ever had.  That’s a pretty big statement, given my history, but surprisingly to me, it’s true. 

There are only two things you can do to make seafood right.  The first is to start with fresh ingredients, and the second is to cook it right.  They scored five stars on both points.  Combined with excellent service, it couldn’t have been better.

The Steamer doesn’t serve any fried food, as the name suggests, it’s all steamed.  We had raw oysters, crab legs, crab cakes, and a variety of other food and drinks which couldn’t have been fresher or better. 

I guess what I’m saying is that The Hangout isn’t like other festivals.  It’s an amalgam of retail experience.  It’s not a camping trip for most people.  It’s condos, apartments, restaurants, and all of those things make it in some ways a relief from camping only festivals. 

I think that finally the festival on the “Beach” has found its niche. 

~Fil Manley

"You got one tiny moment in time, for life, to shine, to shine, to burn away the darkness." 

~Matisyahu

filmanley@gmail.com

The full lineup for the Hangout Festival 2013 was:

Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Stevie Wonder, Kings of Leon, Trey Anastasio Band, The Shins, Bassnectar, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Black Crowes, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Kendrick Lamar, Afrojack, Steve Aoki, Grizzly Bear, Slightly Stoopid, The Roots, Passion Pit, Ellie Goulding, Imagine Dragons, Big Gigantic, Bloc Party, Gov't Mule, Jim James, Wolfgang Gartner, Porter Robinson, Baauer, Public Enemy, Moe., Galactic, Dirty Projectors, GROUPLOVE, Toots and the Maytals, Lissie, Holy Ghost!, The Breeders, Best Coast, Ra Ra Riot, Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit, Twin Sister, Ryan Bingham, The Sheepdogs, Shovels and Rope, Moon Taxi, The Revivalists, Zion I, Lance Herbstrong, Anders Osborne, Twenty one pilots, Delta Rae, Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers, The Bright Light Social Hour, The Werks, The Tontons, Brassft Punk, The Kingston Springs, The Mowgli's, The Wild Feathers, Chancellor Warhol, Luella and the Sun, The Weeks, Space Capone, Wild Cub, Colin Lake.