WEEK OF MAY 14-20
Arts & Encouragement We'll Always Have Hangout... hope, help and other signs of humanity at a time when we really need it...
For us here at Inweekly and most Gulf Coast music fans, mid-May is all about one thing and one thing only—Hangout Music Fest. This weekend—May 15-17—was supposed to be the beachfront festival’s 11th installment, and like many of you, we were supposed to be heading to Gulf Shores, Ala., to enjoy some bands in the sand with 30,000 of our not-so-closest friends. But, of course, COVID-19 canceled those plans.
Photo Courtesy of Hangout Music Fest
Stevie Wonder at Hangout 2013 / Photo by Hana Frenette
Mumford and Sons at Hangout 2017 / Photo by Greg Riegler May 14, 2020
And it's a damn shame, too, because Hangout 2020 was going to be amazing. The highly anticipated lineup—which was arguably their biggest yet as proven by the fact that it sold out in record time—included Post Malone, Billie Eilish and Lana Del Rey. Since we aren't beach-bound this weekend, we decided to share some Hangout highlights. It's honestly incredible to look back at the past decade and think about
how many amazing acts have graced the Hangout stages. From straight-up icons like Stevie Wonder and Tom Petty (RIP) to hip-hop heavyweights like OutKast and Chance the Rapper to indie darlings like St. Vincent and Spoon, Hangout really has delivered impressive and diverse lineups year after year. They even earned some serious bragging rights by booking more than a few acts before their careers really took off, like Kendrick Lamar—who played Hangout back
in 2013 and returned to headline the festival in 2018 fresh off the announcement of his historic Pulitzer Prize win. We've been lucky enough to attend and cover Hangout every year since it started, and while we're super bummed the 2020 event isn't happening as planned, we have no doubt they will be back and better than ever next year. And we'll be there too, like always, to cover it. Until then, we hope you enjoy this stroll down memory lane. {in}
Tom Petty at Hangout 2013 / Photo by Hana Frenette
Khalid at Hangout 2019 / Photo by Carol Rice
St. Vincent at Hangout 2018 / Photo by Carol Rice
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