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The Hang Out Music Festival in Gulf Shores Alabama, was by far the best festival I have every been to, hands down.. all the way to the sand.
Imagine you are ankle deep in the the smoothest, silkiest white sand for miles, you are surrounded by thousands and thousands, (over 40K) of happy, beach loving, music enthusiasts, drinking beer, being merry. To the left is the beautiful and perfectly temperatured Gulf of Mexico, to your right is a ferris wheel, lots of food, friends, shade and drinks.. oh yea and in front of you, ( and behind you on other end of beach) is the Flaming Lips, Foo Fighters, My Morning Jacket, Xavier Rudd, and Paul Simon.
Like I said, the most incredible festival, EVER!
A small taste of each day for you.. now close your eyes and imagine..
We enter the first day of The Hang Out. Palm Trees. More skin than clothes. Sand. Beautiful people everywhere. And music. Lots and lots of music.
Started the day with a chill Easy Star All-Star set, full of reggaefied, dubbed out Beatles, Pink Floyd, and Radio Head covers. It was awesome! Somehow found my way into the "Big Kahuna VIP" section to enjoy unlimited free drinks, food, iphone cases, and other unnecessary junk. I wanted to be with MY people, not these VIP people.
I made my way to the Boom Boom Dance Tent. And just to help in painting the perfect Hang Out picture in your head, there were four total stages; two ON the sand one far east, one far west, each could accommodate 20-30k people. Then there was the Boom Boom stage which was off the beach, and prefect for the acts with light shows, this is also where the late night shows were, ( we will get to these later).
Beats Antique, was getting ready in the Boom Boom Tent, a band a had never even heard of, but I will mention now made my BEST OF Hang Out List. Very difficult music to put any sort of label on, but I will try my best. They are electronic, but with a very heavy middle east/ belly dancing kinda influence, a sprinkle of hip/hop w/ a hefty hint of afrobeat; great for dancing. Very groovy, in all senses of the world. Awesome show!
They get a little heavy sometimes, but balance it out with some soulfully delivered drums. Like a witches spell, you are overtaken by their sound, and forced into the trace of dance, along with the thousands others around you.
They started making music together back in 2007, in San Fransisco, when Zoe Jakes, together with her manager Miles Copeland collaborated on a new project. This combined Zoe's unique belly dancing fusion of tango, break dance, and Indian dance, with the live instruments of different drums, and many comments of electronic beat makers.
My Morning Jacket – Not only have I never seen My Morning Jacket before, but I had barely even heard their music, and didnt have a single song of theirs on my itunes. I true Morning Jacket virgin. I heard they were great, and put on a bitchin' live show.. but I really had no idea what I was getting into.
They were playing on one of the two beach stages, so any spot was a great spot as far as I was concerned, but some people just like to be close. Thanks god for them. b/c personally as a 6'2" broad shouldered man, I get a bit self consioud about moving up too close to the stage, when there are so many "little" people behind me. I just want everyone to enjoy the show.
So, I suck it up, and march to the front with my gang. We get a perfect spot, close to the stage… and then it begins. The most incredible set of music I have ever witnessed. Song after song they kept the jams coming, not allowing for a single second of rest.. not that i wanted to anyway.
I specifically remember right when they started the begining notes for "One Big Holiday" my friend Wanger whom I was with, ( yes I'm Woody and I hang out at HangOut w/ Wanger, what a pair. We rock!) was irresistibly shaking from excitement. I asked if he was ok, as he was literally jumping to and fro with a mile wide grin on his face. Yes he was ok.
My Morning Jacket and Beats Antique were by far the first days best acts.. Today was the best day of my life!!
And there are still two more days of this festival.. Happy Hangout!!!
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