Hangout Music Festival has announced their 2017 lineup and it is decidedly jam-free. What started as a festival that booked acts like Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, Trey Anastasio Band, Dave Matthews Band, String Cheese Incident, My Morning Jacket, Umphrey’s McGee, and Pretty Lights has now officially gone mainstream. Perhaps it’s a sign of the musical times, perhaps it’s a reflection of new-ish owners Goldenvoice putting their undeniable imprint on the event, but consider this writer let down by the very mainstream 2017 lineup.
Headlined by Mumford & Sons, Twenty One Pilots, Frank Ocean, and Chance The Rapper, Hangout Fest 2017 will also see Major Lazer, Weezer, DJ Snake, MGMT, Sigur Rós, Band of Horses and more descend on the beaches of Gulf Shores, AL for a weekend of fun in the sun. Franz Ferdinand, Mac DeMarco, Local Natives, and Rüfüs Du Sol will all perform at the fest, and an out-of-left-field booking for reggae-fusion star Shaggy should provide some form of nostalgic entertainment. See below for the rest of the lineup, and find out more information on Hangout Festival 2017 at their website. Check out Hangout’s previous amazing lineups here, and shed a tear for what used to be an amazing festival. I’ve provided a few of the lineup posters below so you can see just how much this festival has changed over the years.
In 2016, Hangout began their move in this new direction. While the top line featured bands like The Weeknd, Calvin Harris, and Florence + The Machine at the top of the bill, Alabam Shakes, Portugal. The Man, Moon Taxi, Kurt Vile and the Violators, and The Revivalists all carried the torch for improvisational music.
in 2015, Zac Brown Band, My Morning Jacket, Umphrey’s McGee, Galactic with Macy Gray, Beats Antique, Trampled By Turtles, GRiZ, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Gramatik, Rubblebucket, Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaires, and Xavier Rudd & The United Nations all acted as the glue the held this diverse lineup together. The festival was shifting towards the mainstream, but was decidedly still jam-friendly.
Now look at the lineup for the first two years of the festival. Trey Anastasio Band, Zac Brown Band, Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals, The Black Crowes, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Gov’t Mule, The Flaming Lips, Michael Franti & Spearhead, the Funky Meters, Matisyahu, Keller Williams, and Grace Potter & The Nocturnals dominate the 2010 debut lineup. 2011 featured one of the best festival lineups of all time, with Paul Simon, My Morning Jacket, Foo Fighters, Widespread Panic, The Black Keys, Pretty Lights, Bassnectar, Primus, Ween, Warren Haynes Band, and so many other amazing bands rounding out the lineup.
