Saturday gallery featuring Hippo Campus, Middle Kids, Ron Gallo, Cage the Elephant. Rainbow Kitten Surprise, and Snoop Dog.
Sunday gallery featuring Future Thieves, Mondo Cozmo, The Record Company, Lizzo, Noname, and Weezer.
The Sydney based trio Middle Kids never disappoints with their live show, always providing some engaging banter between their indie rock narratives. During their early afternoon set, bassist Tim Fitz mentioned between songs that he kept reading the crowd's t-shirts, calling attention to one that said "Science is Real." After the shirt chatter, Middle Kids played a new song from their upcoming album in addition to songs from their self-titled debut EP, like "Old River," which shows off lead singer Hannah Joy's powerful and emotive vocal range. Their viral and most-streamed song "Edge of Town" was once again the crowd favorite, with the early festival arrivers singing along and jumping around during the song's building and dynamic bridge. There's no doubt that Middle Kids will soon be playing the later slots at festivals across the country if they continue to deliver as much as they already do.
Middle Kids performing on The Enterprise Stage
Minnesota's Hippo Campus drew a large (and dedicated) crowd early on for their 2PM slot, the front few rows of the crowd screaming back the lyrics to the band. The crowd's energy amplified when the band played their most popular song "Suicide Saturday," which is already ironically upbeat, featuring a perfect sing-along melody for a festival. The title sounded even more out of place as a massive crowd danced and sang along to it with the perfect backdrop of a sunny Saturday afternoon. The band's hour long set kept the crowd engaged the entire time, lead singer Jake Luppen roaming the entire stage to jam with his bandmates and visit each side of the crowd. Live band member DeCarlo Jackson on the trumpet also added another layer to Hippo Campus's already vibrant performance.
Jake Luppen working the crowd at The Budlight Stage
The Nashville via Philadelphia rocker Ron Gallo always brings the laughs and lighthearted humor to his live show, but don't underestimate the power of his message. Although he began his set by reading the stage name and thanking other festival sponsors off a piece of paper, reciting it all in a monotone voice for comedic value, Gallo and his bandmates immediately followed up with an intense jam session, waking up any of the festival stragglers just getting there at 6PM, or reenergizing those that had been their all day. Gallo also dedicated his song "Entitled Man Keep Your Hands Down Your Pants" to all the women of the crowd, using his music to convey the message that it's never okay to assault a woman, in any way. By not taking himself too seriously, but singing about and calling attention to serious issues both onstage and on his social media, Ron Gallo makes is easy for listeners to hear his message.
Ron Gallo at the BMI Tunespeak Stage
There's never a dull moment during a Cage the Elephant show, and they proved themselves once again as they played during the sunset on Saturday night. From lead singer Matt Shultz jetting around the stage and bouncing back and forth in the manner of Mick Jagger, to his brother Brad Shultz jumping offstage and playing right at the crowd barricade in the second song, the band's energy never wavered. After playing hit after hit throughout their set, Shultz also took a moment to address the crowd about a serious issue, saying "Suicide is not cool, it should not be glorified," before telling the crowd he loved them all. The theme of the first day of Lou Fest seemed to be Rock'n'Roll with a powerful message, and Cage The Elephant delivered that ten times over.
Matt Shultz performing at sunset at The Enterprise Stage
North Carolina's indie rock band Rainbow Kitten Surprise (don't let the name fool you) closed out the Tunespeak BMI stage on day one with their harmonies and dance moves. Drawing quite the crowd, their emotive and slightly theatrical set began with their popular song "Cocaine Jesus," which begins with the full band harmonousily singing a capella before launching into their full sound. Lead singer Sam Melo lent his theatrical, almost interpretive dancing style to his unique and distinguishable vocals during the entire set, hardly ever standing still for more than a second. Anything but mellow, Melo told the crowd that he likes to jump when he gets hot, and continued to zip from one end of the stage to another, spinning and using his hands to emphasize the music. In addition to the visual entertainment, the band sounded incredibly in sync and in tune.
Sam Melo of Rainbow Kitten Surprise closing out The BMI Stage.
As the old saying goes, don't judge a book by its cover. You also shouldn't judge a band by its name...at least in this case. Hailing from Boone, North Carolina, Rainbow Kitten Surprise blend unique vocal tones with infectious, melodic riffs for a sound completely different than what you'd expect based on their band name. And man, do they know how to put on a live show. Catch them playing Fitz's Stage at Hangout Fest on Saturday at 2:30PM.
Photo Credit: Emily Quirk
For Fans Of: Lewis Del Mar, Alt-J, Modest Mouse, Sir-Sly
Start With: "Cocaine Jesus" and "Devil Like Me"
Having only been around for about a year, this trio of producers from Jersey are blowing everyone's expectations out of the water. With catchy choruses and their clean production style, the band has earned their huge streaming audience (they have over 9 million monthly listeners on Spotify). A R I Z O N A's debut album actually comes out the first day of Hangout Fest, so they're sure to pack even more energy into their set than usual. Get to know more about this new band by checking out our interview, then go see them at Hangout on Saturday at 1:30PM on the BMI Stage.
Photo Credit: Jimmy Fontaine
For Fans Of: Kevin Garrett, FRENSHIP, LANY, Jack Garratt
Start With: "I Was Wrong" and "Oceans Away"
The multi-talented, singer-songwriter and producer Timothy Showalter, (AKA Strand of Oaks) leaves his stamp on his diverse and dynamic songs with his distinct voice. With some songs that lean more towards the folk realm, and others like "Everything," with its amped up guitar layers, Showalter's set will be sure to have a little something for everyone. Make sure you get down to the Mermaid Stage at 2:45PM on Sunday to catch him! Get ready for the show by listening to the newest album, Hard Love.
Photo Credit: Maclay Heriot
For Fans Of: The Lumineers, Big Thief, Band of Horses, Bright Eyes
Start With: "Radio Kids" and "Shut In"
The somewhat mysterious duo Foreign Air craft hypnotizing tunes with infectious melodies that will be sure to have you moving. With a debut EP, called For The Light, and a new single under their belt, there's no telling what will be in store for Foreign Air once they release their debut album. Head down to the BMI Stage on Friday at 4PM to dance on the beach to the sweet sounds of Foreign Air.
For Fans Of: Glass Animals, Foals, Local Natives, Sylvan Esso
Start With: "In The Shadows" and "Call Off The Dogs"
Louisville, Kentucky based rockers are taking 2017 by a storm with their new album The World's Best American Band. Live, the band exert incredible energy, putting everything they've got into delivering an unforgettable rowdy and electrifying performance. If you want to blow off some steam with some good ol' fashioned Rock'N'Roll, go see them at The Mermaid Stage at 2:30PM on Friday.
Photo Credit: Jesse DeFlorio
For Fans Of: Twin Peaks, Ty Segall, The Orwells, Fidlar
Start With: "Judy French" and "The Stack"
