Music Festival-ization: Which spring festival is right for you?

Music Festival-ization: Which spring festival is right for you?
Mark E. Ortega
Grimygoods.com
March 22, 2016

Coachella takes place a little less than a month from now, which means festival season is nearly underway. There are now more music festivals taking place in the United States than ever before. Thievery Corporation’s Rob Garza told us last year that there’s a huge festival-ization going on right now, and he isn’t wrong. Here at Grimy Goods we’ve compiled a comprehensive guide based on the spring festivals we’ve covered over the past few years. Take a look to find out what festival is right for you.

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The Weeknd, Florence + The Machine, Cage the Elephant among chief Hangout Fest acts

The Weeknd, Florence + The Machine, Cage the Elephant among chief Hangout Fest acts
Mark E. Ortega
Grimygoods.com
January 20, 2016

Among the dozen or so festivals I covered for Grimy Goods in 2015, the beach-side Hangout Fest stood out as easily the most unique and definitely one of the most memorable of the bunch. When Beck’s fest-closing set ended last year, I was already making plans to come back in 2016.

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Beck closes Hangout Fest with a bang -- is the beach-side fest the Coachella of the south?

Beck closes Hangout Fest with a bang -- is the beach-side fest the Coachella of the south?
Mark E. Ortega
GrimyGoods.com
May 19, 2015

The beach-side Hangout Music Festival saved the best for last on an action-packed Sunday night headlined by a greatest hits-type set from the GRAMMY award-winning Beck.

A wonderful weekend at Gulf Shores all came to a close with Beck wasting no time getting to the classics. My media wristband allowed me access to the VIP area, and one of the benefits of that at Hangout was being able to rest my feet in the stageside pool — something that was much appreciated after putting a lot of wear and tear on my dogs the whole weekend.

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Father John Misty, Sylvan Esso upstage headliners Saturday at Hangout Fest

Father John Misty, Sylvan Esso upstage headliners Saturday at Hangout Fest
Mark E. Ortega
GrimyGoods.com
May 18, 2015

The weather forecast in Gulf Shores for day two of Hangout Fest was not looking great as the day approached. Somehow, the skies held up and it turned out to be a beautiful day packed full of awesome music and good times.

The headliners were upstaged by some of the talent on the undercard on a light Saturday.

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Foo Fighters shred day one of Hangout Fest, but the ladies rule the day

Foo Fighters shred day one of Hangout Fest, but the ladies rule the day
Mark E. Ortega
GrimyGoods.com
May 17, 2015

he Foo Fighters took their role as Friday headliners at Hangout Fest seriously, pulling out all the stops in a two-plus hour set on the main stage.

“We’re going to play as many songs as we can until they kick us off the f*cking stage,” rock god Dave Grohl said early in the band’s set — and he delivered on that promise. The Foo Fighters played 19 songs, from their biggest hits to a couple covers including Queen and David Bowie’s “Under Pressure.” They dragged out some intense solos and breakdowns in almost every major song, bringing the crowd to the point of exploding a number of times before dialing it back.

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Hangout Fest soft opens with Joey Bada$$, Mayer Hawthorne and The Word

Hangout Fest soft opens with Joey Bada$$, Mayer Hawthorne and The Word
Mark E. Ortega
GrimyGoods.com
May 15, 2015

Last year, Hangout Fest’s Thursday kickoff party featured acts like Iron & Wine, Bombay Bicycle Club, Girl Talk, and Bonobo. While this year’s kickoff party didn’t pack quite that much of a punch, it still gave VIPs and those willing to shell out $40 an idea of what to expect this weekend on the beaches of Gulf Shore.

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Hangout Fest 2015 brings bands -- and DJs -- to the beach

Hangout Fest 2015 brings bands -- and DJs -- to the beach
Mark E. Ortega
GrimyGoods.com
May 14, 2015

Grimy Goods contributor Mark E. Ortega is embarking on a six-week music festival tour around the United States. After a stop at Shaky Knees in Atlanta, Mark’s next stop is Gulf Shores, Alabama for Hangout Fest. Here’s a preview of the festival below.

There’s that old saying about how you shouldn’t bring sand to the beach — but they never said anything about bands (or DJs). Hangout Fest is a unique festival in that it takes place right on the beach in Gulf Shores, Alabama, with most people (myself included) staying in condos that are located near the festival entrance.

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