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Summerfest Highlights: July 1st

July 03, 2017  /  Rachel Zyzda

With so many acts over the course of nearly two weeks, the highlights reel of Summerfest is endless. The festival kicked off June 28th, and headliners range from classics like Paul Simon and Tom Petty to new popstars like The Chainsmokers and Alessia Cara. With over ten stages, those are just the tip of the iceberg.

This past Saturday, we traveled to Milwaukee to get in on some of the fun by checking out the likes of The Naked and Famous and Bleachers. In case you missed it, here are the top three moments of that day, as well as the full photo gallery!

Flint Eastwood Called The Crowd Out

I've only had to privilege of seeing Flint Eastwood perform twice now, but both times, she's blown me away with her endless supply of positive energy. Some performers, especially those at festivals, accept the fact that the whole crowd isn't there to see them, but Jax Anderson (Flint Eastwood's real name) doesn't let anyone use that as excuse to not get involved with the music. "Nobody is too cool for this," Anderson addressed the Milwaukee crowd, encouraging everyone to stand up, put their hands up, and sing the hook of her song "Monster" back to her. "We're going for loud, not pretty," Anderson also told the Summerfest audience, encouraging everyone to give as much energy as possible. By the end of the set, everyone had loosened up and reciprocated the energy that Anderson exudes during every single one of her shows. 

MUNA Performed New Songs

The trio MUNA were everywhere last summer, playing major festivals like Lollapalooza and touring with Børns...and it doesn't seem to be slowing down this year. Fronted by Chicagoan Katie Gavin, the now LA-based group also consisting of Josette Maskin and Naomi McPherson are on the road with Bleachers currently, and they will be out with Harry Styles in the fall (no big deal). Despite their insane touring schedule, Gavin introduced two of their songs performed during Summerfest as new ones, called "In My Way" and "Loser."  MUNA's debut album just came out in February, so as a big fan of their work, it's pretty exciting to hear there's already new material in the works. 

Bleachers Reminisced...and Then Stripped

Shortly before Jack Antonoff's band Bleachers took the stage as headliners on Saturday night, Michelle from FM 1021 (the local alternative station) introduced them, reminding the crowd that Bleachers had played one of their first ever shows at Summefest 2014. Well, Michelle isn't the only one that remembers that performance...about halfway through their set, Antonoff recalled bandmate Mikey taking his sweatshirt off during the 2014 set and the crowd going wild. Mikey proceeded to take off his jacket, getting the same rowdy response this time around. The band also performed new songs from the latest Bleachers album, Gone Now. 

Photo gallery of The Naked and Famous, Flint Eastwood, Calum Scott, MUNA, and Bleachers.

Summerfest is still going on through July 9th. Grab tickets and checkout the lineup here.

categories / Festival, Gigs, Music, Photos, Reviews
tags / Summerfest, Music Festival, Bleachers, Muna, Flint Eastwood, The Naked and Famous, Calum Scott, Live Review, Concert Photography, Photography, Photo Gallery

LIVE: (Sandy) Alex G with Japanese Breakfast and CENDE at Bottom Lounge

June 30, 2017  /  Rachel Zyzda

Collaborations and (unexpected) crowd surfing seemed to be a common theme at Wednesday night’s sold out (Sandy) Alex G concert at Bottom Lounge. Kicking things off, Brooklyn based CENDE got the early crowd warmed up. Towards the tail end of their set, they brought out Michelle Zauner of Japanese Breakfast for the first cross-lineup collaboration of the evening.

After CENDE left the stage, the room continued to fill in as Zauner and her band quickly set up for their own set. When 7:30 struck, an undeniable wave of energy swept through the room during the first notes of Japanese Breakfast’s introductory song. The crowd remained attentive and supportive as the band moved through their performance of old favorites and new tunes taken from the upcoming album Soft Sounds From Another Planet, out July 14th on Dead Oceans. Zauner introduced one of the new ones, “Road Head,” about halfway through the set, which got the crowd cheering and intrigued by the title. Zauner also set the scene for Japanese Breakfast’s latest single “Boyish”, telling the crowd to imagine you were at prom with a disco ball illuminating the room, and your crush makes a beeline for you...only to pick the person next you. During this friend-zone anthem, Zauner’s dreamy vocals rang out, her blunt and relatable lyrics echoing through the venue. The mellow mood picked back up with the viral song “Everybody Wants To Love You,” with the crowd screaming along to the call-and-response style chorus and moshing. As Zauner gave a shout out to CENDE and (Sandy) Alex G for being the best tour mates before leaving the stage, the crowd displayed an unwavering display of appreciation for Zauner’s heartfelt narratives and easygoing stage presence.

Lightening things up and taking the energy to another level, (Sandy) Alex G and his band took the stage to “Life is a Highway” around 8:30PM, and the crowd packed in even closer to the stage. “Judge” from the new album Rocket led the formal setlist of the evening, with Giannascoli (the full name behind ‘G’) starting off standing center stage with his guitar. The violinist of the group joined Giannascoli in his center-stage spot during the third song of the evening “Bobby,” which he released as a co-lead single with “Witch” back in March. Shortly after performing both of these debut singles from Rocket, Giannascoli moved over to the keyboard posted up next to his mic stand to perform a few tracks from his 2015 album Beach Music, like "Bug" and "Kicker." As the set progressed, the energy of the crowd only amplified, with Giannascoli hopping down from the stage at one point to join his fans in the pit, and some of the audience crowd surfing. Although he has diverse sonic range that goes everywhere from lo-fi to country, an Alex G concert is one of the last shows you’d expect to see crowd surfers. The performance drafted such an electric energy that it didn't exactly feel out of place, though. 

At just about 9:30, Giannascoli and his bandmates left the stage, part one of the set drawing to a close. The group soon returned for a request-based encore, including crowd favorite “Brite Boy,” which guest starred Zauner of Japanese Breakfast again. The fact that the group is able to take requests and keep the setlist fresh for each show displays their raw talent and steep musicianship.

To ensure you don’t miss out on your own unique (Sandy) Alex G set, spiked with collaborations from the equally brilliant Japanese Breakfast and CENDE, head here to get tickets to the remainder of the tour! To hold you over until these bands make their return to Chicago, check out the photo galleries below.

Japanese Breakfast

(Sandy) Alex G

Listen to Rocket here:

categories / Gigs, Music, Reviews
tags / Sandy Alex G, Alex G, Japanese Breakfast, CENDE, Concert Photography, Photo Set, Photos

LIVE: Elliot Moss at Baby's All Right 6.24.17

June 27, 2017  /  Gabriela Cocco

Multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer Elliot Moss graced the stage at the legendary Baby’s All Right in Brooklyn, New York on Saturday night.  As soon as you walked into the 280-person venue, an eerie yet calming sense hung in the air, a vibe that closely matches the mood in some of Moss's tunes. The singer has described his main goal as taking the listener through an unworldly experience, and Moss did just that this past weekend, using his electro-pop sound and ethereal vocals. Throughout the night, he kept the talking to a minimum and focused on delivering a show that left the audience hanging onto every chorus and craving more.

Elliot Moss at Baby's All Right 6.24.17

Elliot Moss at Baby's All Right 6.24.17

Kicking things off with “High Speeds” from his debut album, Moss quickly opened up, revealing himself in his songs. Raw, unfiltered emotion comes through in all of his songs, especially during a live performance. With his endless talents, Moss effortlessly goes through each song with his piano and guitar with such passion, that it’s hard to not feel the same emotions he tries to portray through his songwriting. Song’s such as “Even Great Things” and “Slip” deal with issues such as the loss of a loved one and depression. Although the topics are dark, Moss delivers it in a way that shows both sides to each situation, and he's managed to turn the pain into a way for his listeners to cope. 

Moss's therapeutic and hypnotizing set consisted of songs from both his first album “High Speeds” as well as his new EP “Boomerang”. By the end of the night, the crowd was begging for an encore. Once again, Moss did not disappoint and delivered with “I Can’t Swim” and “VCR Machine”.

Leaving the venue, the room buzzed with positive remarks about the performance that had just transpired. There is no doubt that there are only good things coming for Moss this year as he continues to tour. You can check him out on the rest of his tour here. 

The Set List

  1.    Highspeeds 
  2. Faraday Cage    
  3. Closed Loop   
  4. Falling Down and Getting Hurt   
  5. Plastic II  
  6. Even Great Things    
  7. Slip
  8. Best Light 
  9. 99
  10. About Time
  11. Big Bad Wolf
  12. Without the Lights
  13. I Can’t Swim
  14. VCR Machine

Can't get enough of Elliot Moss? Check out our interview with him here. 

categories / Gigs, Reviews
tags / Elliot Moss, Live, Gig Review, Gigs We Dig, Baby's All Right, NYC, Contributors

Eaux Claires Day 2: The Highlights

June 18, 2017  /  Rachel Zyzda

The second day at Eaux Claires 2017 carried even more collaborations and improvisations, which make up the core of the festival. Although there had been a potential thunderstorm brewing all day, the rain held off until the evening, which is when the festival organizers had to improvise with the schedule. Tune in to find out which artists teamed up on Saturday, who played surprise sets, and how the fest made up for the change in schedule. 

The Creek Acted as a Collaboration Hub

Just like Day 1, The Creek stage opened on Saturday with a People Mixtape set. The second volume of People Mixtape remained instrumental and came across as a genuine jam session between friends (which is what a lot of the performances at Eaux Claires really are). After entrancing the group with the 1PM mixtape set, Aaron Dessner and Justin Vernon returned to same stage only a couple of hours later, to perform as Big Red Machine. For this collaborative set, Dessner and Vernon were joined by even more of the acts playing the festival, like s-t-a-r-g-a-z-e and Mouse on Mars. With their jam-packed line up and debut of new music, Big Red Machine was able to draw a huge crowd to one of the festival's smaller stages. 

Eaux Claires curators Justin Vernon and Aaron Dessner performing People Mixtape Vol. 2

Eaux Claires curators Justin Vernon and Aaron Dessner performing People Mixtape Vol. 2

The Sad Saxes Joined This Is The Kit

This Is The Kit once again made it onto the highlights list. After an incredible performance at the Flambeaux stage on Day 1, This Is The Kit now moved their set into the woods at The Oxbeaux Stage on Saturday. Once again joined by Aaron Dessner, the three piece of Kate Stables, Rozi Plain, and Jamie Whitby-Coles were also joined by The Sad Saxes. Although the two groups were working together on the fly, with Stables at one point explaining to the saxophone choir how she envisioned their contribution, the collaboration paired perfectly and sounded well-rehearsed. At Eaux Claires, there's never any shortage of really talented musicians going with the flow to make something special together. At the end of the mesmerizing set, the crowd gave a standing ovation. 

Kate Stables of This Is The Kit performing at The Oxbeaux 

Kate Stables of This Is The Kit performing at The Oxbeaux 

Jenny Lewis Packed the Sparreaux Stage

Featured as an "Artist in Residence," Jenny Lewis was never officially on the 2017 lineup. On Friday, a set named "Jenny Lewis and Friends" appeared unannounced in the app, set to occur at 3:30 on one of the smallest stages, the Sparreaux stage. Well before the start of the set, an overflowing crowd camped out to be able to see this special, last-minute set. Lewis described herself and her friends as "Hawaiian psychedelic swing band" from Minneapolis, called Econo Lodge. The set opened with an improvised performance before moving into the crowd favorite "Just One Of The Guys."  

Jenny Lewis at her surprise set

Jenny Lewis at her surprise set

Feist Played Her Entire New Album 

Shortly before Feist was set to take the stage, Eaux Claires narrator Michael Perry took the stage to announce a change in schedule. "There's only one thing we care about more than art," he said, adding that they would be improvising some schedule changes due to safety concerns with the incoming storms. Feist ended up getting a 15 minute extension on her set, which she used to play her new album Pleasure from start to finish. Between the songs, Feist would explain her vision behind the lyrics and compositions, vividly describing one song as the chase scene in a movie. She ended her set by singing out her appreciation for the crowd and her excitement over seeing Paul Simon perform later. 

Feist performing before the rain hit

Feist performing before the rain hit

The App Revealed Paul Simon and yMusic's Set List

Paul Simon's set at the festival acted as the debut performance of a collaboration with yMusic. Although this set had originally been bumped up to 7:30 from 8:30 with the oncoming storms, a downpour hit the festival during Danny Brown's set. When Simon and the yMusic ensemble eventually took the stage around 8PM, the official festival app paired with the setlist, announcing the songs as they started. Similarly to Bon Iver's performance last year, festival goers were able to keep up with the order of songs in real time. 

Paul Simon performing with yMusic

Paul Simon performing with yMusic

The Festival Organized an After Party After Wilco 

The collaborations and surprises don't end there--Day 2 also featured a set from Field Report at The Decorum, and after a stunning performance from Wilco that closed out the festival, it was announced on Bon Iver's Twitter that some of the evening's cancelled performances from the smaller stages were being moved to the Lismore Hotel in downtown Eau Claire. Sets at The Lismore included Mouse on Mars and Velvet Negroni.  

Wilco closing out the night

Wilco closing out the night

While the festival may be over for this year, we'll soon be posting photo galleries and interviews with The Autumn Defense and This Is The Kit from the weekend. Stay tuned for those and start counting down the days until Eaux Claires 2018! 

Words and Photos by Rachel Zyzda

 

categories / Photos, Gigs, Festival, Reviews
tags / Eaux Claires, Music Festival, Justin Vernon, Aaron Dessner, Wilco, Feist, Jenny Lewis, Paul Simon, Field Report, This is the Kit

Eaux Claires Day 1: The Highlights

June 17, 2017  /  Rachel Zyzda

On Friday, June 16th Wisconsin's beloved Eaux Claires festival returned in full force, with its signature artist collaborations, surprise sets, and art installations involving crowd participation. Although there were many highlights, Friday undoubtedly belonged to Francis (of Francis and The Lights). Read on to find out what surprises day one entailed, which traditions carried on, and how Francis stole the show with not one, but four appearances.

Early Arrivers Got a Special Show at The Creek

If you're an EXC veteran, you know that the formal schedule is never really the full list of all of the performances, and that live collaborations and guest performers are what make Eaux Claires so special. So naturally, going into day 1, the 12:15 slot on The Creek Stage labeled as "People Mixtape Vol. 1" sparked some curiosity. Sure enough, at 11:45 the app sent out a notification that the performance would include Justin Vernon and Aaron Dessner, the curators of the fest. (Side note: if you read our preview of Eaux Claires, you know that the app is a must.) The intimate set for the early festival arrivers featured what Vernon and Dessner described as a "work in progress," but the performance went over so smoothly. Francis also joined the band for the first half of the set, disappearing towards the end for a reason that was also revealed in the app notifications. 

Justin Vernon performing during People Mixtape Vol. 1

Justin Vernon performing during People Mixtape Vol. 1

Francis Gave A Dance Lesson

As noted earlier, the app sent out another notification before the end of the People Mixtape performance, alerting festival goers that Francis would be teaching dance at The Decorum stage at 1 PM. The roughly 45 minute performance featured an introduction with the house dance team of the festival, delivering a moving, beautiful, and entertaining opening number. Following up their opening moves, Francis himself took the stage to many cheers to teach the crowd the "Friends" and "May I Have This Dance" dances. The crowd loved it and happy obliged after Francis instructed them to try the moved featured in these songs. This performance represents a perfect example of why Eaux Claires stands out from any other festival...the spur of the moment, unique experience added some unexpected fun into many of the festival-goers days. 

Francis teaches the art of dance

Francis teaches the art of dance

This Is The Kit Teased Their New Album

The Bristol-born, Paris-based This Is The Kit provided some soothing early afternoon tunes on the Flamebeaux stage. During their set, the frontwoman Kate Stables mentioned the band's upcoming album Moonshine Freeze will be out July 7th, and they performed some of the new tracks like "Bulletproof" and the title track "Moonshine Freeze." Aaron Dessner also joined the band onstage, as he had produced their previous record and helped out by playing on the upcoming record. If you missed out of their brilliant performance yesterday, catch them again today at 2PM on the Oxbeaux Stage.

Eaux Claires curator Aaron Dessner joins This Is The Kit

Eaux Claires curator Aaron Dessner joins This Is The Kit

Francis Asked The Crowd To Have This Dance

As the Eaux Claires evening set in, the crowd got ready for a full Francis and the Lights performance back on The Creek stage. By far one of the most packed performances of the day, the set easily could have taken place on one of the main stages, but the more intimate setting made for an incredible experience. Although the set started off slow, with Francis sitting at his keyboard, he got things moving about 15 minutes in, working the entire stage, which includes two ramps on the side. Last year, Francis closed out the festival, debuting "Friends" with Justin Vernon and a surprise appearance from Chance The Rapper. This year, he brought up his choreographer to the stage, and the crowd still went wild for the viral song. Closing out his set, Francis played his other crowd favorite "May I Have This Dance," asking some lucky audience members if they'd like to join him on stage. Definitely a once in a lifetime experience, the impromptu backup dancers were all smiles when the song finished. Francis was such a hit with his overflowing crowd that they even demanded an encore and he obliged. 

Impromptu dance party during Francis and the Lights

Impromptu dance party during Francis and the Lights

Justin Vernon Got Pissed Off About Balloons

Following Francis's set, everyone rushed to the main stage, Lake Eaux Lune, to see the set officially labeled "Bon Iver Presents John Prine & The American Songbook." The nearly 2 hour set featured all sorts of live collaborations, surprise guests, rain...and balloons. Towards the start of the set after Jenny Lewis and Mountain Man had joined Justin Vernon onstage, Vernon called out the many balloons floating around in the crowd, admitting that they were pissing him off, if he's being honest. Despite his annoyance with the balloons, Vernon continued to deliver a magical set with the likes of The Staves, Field Report, This Is The Kit, Spank Rock...and John Prine himself. Although it started to downpour towards the end of the set, nothing could put a damper of this special performance. 

John Prine Tribute

John Prine Tribute

Chance Closed Out The Night With Friends

Last year, Chance attended Eaux Claires via sneak attack, showing up unannounced for the very end of Francis and the Lights' set, where we saw Chance, Francis, and Justin Vernon perform "Friends" (including the epic dance moves). This year, Chance came in full force, with his backing band The Social Experiment and a big-scale production. Just about halfway through his performance, Chance flipped the script on last year's performance of "Friends," this time inviting Francis and Justin to join his set for the performance. Before we witnessed this Eaux Claires tradition, Francis first joined Chance to perform their remix collaboration of Francis's song "May I Have This Dance," followed by "Summer Friends."  After his guests left the stage, Chance continued his massive show, which included confetti during his hit "No Problem." The most special part of Chance's show was that despite the huge crowd and full blown production backing him, he performed graciously and humbly. 

Chance is joined by Justine Vernon and Francis

Chance is joined by Justine Vernon and Francis

Stay tuned for Day 2 highlights and a full gallery of all the highlights from the festival. As always, follow along on our social media for live updates throughout the day. 

 

Word and Photos by Rachel Zyzda

categories / Gigs, Photos, Reviews
tags / Eaux Claires, Justin Vernon, Aaron Dessner, Highlights, Festival, chance the rapper, Francis and The Lights, This is the Kit, John Prine, Concert Photography

OXBEAUX 2017: A Prex Claires Kick Off At The Oxbow Hotel Featuring The Shouting Matches and More

June 16, 2017  /  Rachel Zyzda

Last night the town of Eau Claire got ready for the third annual Eaux Claires Festival (AKA TROIX) with four incredible bands, all performing in the parking lot of the new Oxbow Hotel. Kicking off the evening, EC’s very own trio Idle Empress took the stage promptly at 7:30 PM, playing a half hour set. Fronted by Laura Anderson, the band performed their hypnotizing indie tunes, Anderson’s haunting vocals striking the evening crowd. After a short stage change, Minneapolis’s DEM YUUT took the stage right around 8:20, the band’s frontman beginning to sing their opening song off stage. Their loop-heavy electronic-tinged indie music possessed traces of Sir Sly and The Neighbourhood influences, yet their songs all packed a refreshing and unique twist. Check them out next month on tour with Now, Now.

Taking us towards the end of the evening, Milwaukee’s own Field Report made their comeback on the Oxbow Hotel stage. Although the band mentioned it had been a while and they only recently started playing again after they’d been on hiatus, the four band members exuded a complete sense of comfort and ease playing together. Their performance had an air of effortlessness, yet it was still packed with passion and entranced the entire crowd. Closing out the night, The Shouting Matches graced the stage with one of their rare live performances. The legendary trio of Phil Cook, Brian Moen, and Justin Vernon became a foursome with musician Jill Heinke joining them onstage, and together they ended the evening in epic fashion. Although Cook and Vernon joked that they didn't practice much when they had to re-intro a song, their set had a magnetic, magical energy to it, similar to the vibes at Eaux Claires Festival. The crowd remained hooked and eager for more during The Shouting Matches 45 minute set, which acted as the perfect teaser for the weekend ahead. 

Check out our photo galleries of each of the bands at the OXBEAUX event last night, then keep your eyes on all of ANCHR's socials this weekend for more coverage of TROIX. 

Idle Empress

DEM YUUT

Field Report

The Shouting Matches 

categories / Photos, Gigs, Festival, Reviews
tags / OXBEAUX, TROIX, Eaux Claires, The Shouting Matches, Idle Empress, DEM YUUT, Field Report

Gang of Youths Deliver a Raw and Wonderful Performance in Minneapolis 6/6/17

June 09, 2017  /  Morgan Winston

Gang of Youths’ Minneapolis show this past Tuesday was one of the most raw, honest and wonderful shows I have ever been to. The smaller crowd and venue allowed for an extremely powerful connection between frontman David Le'aupepe and the audience. 

Opening their set with their newest single “What Can I Do If The Fire Goes Out”, the band arrived in full force. This song teases their sophomore album and stays true to their quick and flashing guitar lines and pounding drums. The softer tones of their loud alt-rock music provides an excellent platform for Le’apepe’s lyrics, without which their meaning might be lost beneath the noise. Le’apepe took the time to explain nearly every song to the crowd, giving each one an important weight. It’s easy to get lost in their catchy anthem songs, but this show gave me the chance to step back and really understand the lyrics.

Many of the themes in their debut album The Positions, released in 2015, deal with Le’apepe’s experiences with his former wife’s cancer and his trying personal experiences. “Knuckles White Dry” gave Le’apepe the chance to share one of the most trying times in his life with the audience while the rest of the band ceased playing. This is a man that examines the entire spectrum of humanity and remains so grounded while doing so.

Much to my excitement, they played three new songs that I assume will be included in the second album. Le’apepe joked with the audience about playing the same songs for four years and expressed the band’s need for variety. After these new songs, Le’apepe quoted Charles Bukowski, “as the spirit wanes the form appears”. This quote served as the inspiration for their song “Do Not Let Your Spirit Wane”, a nine minute triumph of profound lyrics, airy guitar and complex layering. I willingly got lost in it.

At the conclusion of their set, Gang of Youths returned to their hits “Magnolia” and “Radioface." Le’apepe’s presence became more playful, leaving the stage to dance with the audience and suggestively shaking his hips and beating his hand in time with the music. I think that “Radioface” live was an amazing improvement on their recorded version. The grittier live sound accompanied Le’apepe’s desperate singing to create an amazing atmosphere to close out the night. He made sure to thank the crowd for making the venue feel full, and I left the show more in awe of this band than before.

Keep up with all Gang Of Youths news here, and pre-order their new album here. 

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Hangout Highlights Day 3

May 22, 2017  /  Rachel Zyzda

Hangout Fest 2017 wrapped up with a stellar day of music and almost perfect weather. The early afternoon rain quickly passed, leaving clouds and a cooler temperature than the first two days at the Alabama festival.  Besides the weather, here are the highlights of the final day of Hangout Fest!

The Crowd Loved LANY So Bad

LA-based trio LANY drew a brave and exuberant crowd for their 1:45PM set, the front row screaming as the band sauntered onto Fitz's Stage. Despite the fact that it was windy and raining, LANY persevered and delivered an incredible performance. A few songs into the set, frontman Paul Jason Klein told the crowd that they deserve the world for sticking it out and waiting in the rain. As the set progressed, the crowd also sang along to every word, proving how loyal the LANY fanbase can be. Their show ended on a high note (literally) with the viral song "ILYSB," which features a catchy, falsetto-driven chorus. 

Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival

Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival

 

Shaggy Impersonated Bill Clinton

For such an early afternoon set, Shaggy drew a very large crowd to his 1:30PM performance on The Hangout Stage. Towards the end of his set, the Jamaican singer played his smash hit “It Wasn’t Me,” and gave important advice for his fellow players. During the bridge of the song, he told everyone if they ever get caught cheating, "don't do like like Tiger Woods," but follow the footsteps on the ultimate player, Bill Clinton. A full on "I did not have sexual relations with that woman" impression followed. Hearing the iconic song live was definitely a bucket list checkmark for the entire crowd. 

Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival

Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival

Franz Ferdinand Showed Off Their High Jumps

Franz Ferdinand's lead singer Alex Kapranos was all about the high kicks and jumps during their early evening set on the Fitz's Stage. While the Scottish band put on an incredibly energetic show and their set consisted of new songs, nothing was more iconic than the synchronized jumping that the crowd did during the hit "Take Me Out." This set was also their live comeback, after the band took some time off to work on their new album LateNightTales.  

Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival

Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival

Chance The Rapper Played His First Show In Alabama

Chance The Rapper announced during his show that this was his first time ever being to Alabama, and he went all out to make his first time special for the Gulf Shores crowd. Backed by the very talented The Social Experiment, Chance delivered a layered and dynamic sound to the overflowing Surf Stage crowd on Sunday night. In addition to the support from The Social Experiment, Chance didn't skimp at all on production quality, with pyrotechnics, massive beach balls, and different interactive videos playing during each song. During his set, a fan appropriately held up a "W" Flag, since Chance's first time at Hangout was no doubt a victory. 

Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival

Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival

Mumford Closed Out Hangout 2017 With A Bang

Fans flocked to the final set of Hangout Fest, completely packing the beach to watch the band of British brothers take the stage. Mumford and Sons put on a show that rocked, yet still lulled the crowd with their beautiful harmonies. Every time Mumford and Sons perform, you can tell they give every ounce of energy that they have to produce the best show possible. Their Hangout Set closed out with a fireworks finale, wrapping up Hangout Fest with a bang.

Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival.

Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival.

That's all, folks! Check out our Facebook page for some videos of select sets. We hope you watched our Instagram story throughout the weekend and enjoyed following along Hangout Fest 2017 with us! 

Thumbnail Image Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival.

categories / Festival, Gigs, Music, Reviews
tags / Hangout Fest, LANY, Mumford and Sons, Chance The Rapper, Franz Ferdinand, Shaggy, Festival, Live Music

Hangout Highlights Day 2

May 21, 2017  /  Rachel Zyzda

Day two of Hangout Fest brought even more festivities and more music than the first day. Although it was supposed to storm all day, the good vibes kept the rain away until the evening. Check out which of the countless acts stood out on the middle day of Hangout 2017!

Mondo Cozmo Chugged a Beer at 12:30 PM

Singer-songwriter Mondo Cozmo kicked off Saturday's performances on the Fitz's Stage in style...by chugging a beer. Right at the start of their hour long set, Frontman Josh Ostrander pooled all of the cash that he and his band had and asked for a volunteer in the crowd to go on a beer run. When the volunteer returned, the crowd started a "chug" chant, and Ostrander stepped up to the challenge. The rest of his set included a live premiere of an unreleased song, and every song had the crowd moving along. Later in the afternoon, Ostrander also performed an acoustic set for some lucky festival goers (photographed below). 

 Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival

 Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival

A R I Z O N A Played On Stage Way Too Small For Them

The Jersey natives ironically named after another state hit the BMI Stage at 1:30 on Saturday, to a massive crowd on the beach. With all of their streaming success (the band is close to 9 million monthly listeners on Spotify), A R I Z O N A definitely could have played one of the bigger stages at Hangout Fest. Despite having some technical difficulties, the show went on, albeit acoustically for some songs, and the crowd was loving it. About halfway through the set, the party got even crazier when a hamburger, a donut, and a poop emoji float was thrown into the crowd. 

 Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival

 Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival

Mutemath Covered Black Hole Sun

Mutemath also drew a huge crowd at The Hangout stage for their 1:30 PM set, which included a special tribute to the late Chris Cornell. The New Orleans based band performed a stunning version of "Black Hole Sun" by Soundgarden, in respect of Cornell. Later on in their set, they had a surprise guest, who helped out with her singing and dancing skills (photographed below).  

 Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival

 Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival

Local Natives' Frontman Took A Walk In The Crowd

Local Natives delivered an incredible set filled with positive vibes at 2:30 on The Surf Stage. During their third song, Taylor Rice hopped off stage to join the crowd, microphone and all. Rice also took some time during the set to promote activism among our generation, reminding the crowd that we all have a choice of what happens to the world before they played "Fountain Of Youth." Their feel-good set wrapped up with Rice going back into the crowd with an epic stage dive.

Lewis Del Mar Crowd Surfed With A Giant Turtle

Hands down the best set of Hangout Day Two, Danny Miller and Max Harwood of Lewis Del Mar kept their word on their promise to play their asses off for the crowd. Not only did they deliver a gripping rendition of Kanye's song "Runaway" with special guest Anna Wise, but lead singer Danny Miller also took a ride on a turtle float towards the end of the set. Their dynamic and explosive performance concluded with the crowd going all out for the duo's viral song "Loud(y)." Check out the video of Miller's epic crowd surf below.

The Crowd Collectively Cheered During The Start Of "The Funeral"

Band of Horses kicked off Saturday evening at the festival with their mesmerizing set at The Hangout Stage. Their relaxed folk sound was the perfect breather for the festival goers that had been going since gates opened at 11. The highlight of their hypnotizing set had to be when the opening chords of "The Funeral" rang out and the entire crowd cheered with recognition of the popular track. 

 Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival

 Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival

The rain finally arrived during Saturday evening, pushing up Twenty One Pilot's start time to 9PM, but unfortunately the festival had to be cut short just before 10PM due to the storm. Stay tuned for updates from the final day of Hangout Fest. 

 

Thumbnail image courtesy of  Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival

categories / Festival, Gigs, Photos, Reviews
tags / Hangout Fest, Lewis Del Mar, Twenty One Pilots, A R I Z O N A, Mutemath, Mondo Cozmo, Anna Wise, Local Natives, Fesitval

Hangout Highlights Day 1

May 20, 2017  /  Rachel Zyzda

This past Friday afternoon, music fans flocked to The Hangout in Gulf Shores, Alabama for a stacked and diverse line up, filled with rookie and veteran musicians of different genres. In addition to the endless options of acts choose from, the festival also offers some unique activities and plenty of chill-out spots to offer their attendees an oasis from the blazing Alabama sun. Stay tuned for a more in-depth look at all the other experiences that Hangout Fest has to offer (like their puppy kissing booth and wedding chapel), but for now tune in to find out about Friday's music highlights.

Joseph Woke Us Up With Harmonies

Joseph took the stage at 1:30 PM on Friday, right in the wee hours of the afternoon, as the crowd slowly trickled into the festival grounds to get acquainted with the lay of the land and the hidden gems of the festival. The Portland, Oregon-based Joseph immediately drew in the eager crowd with their tantalizing harmonies.  The fact that the band consists of three sisters definitely plays a hand in the way that their vocals mesh so well, but besides the harmonies, all three sisters gave a stellar vocal performance. Their boundless talent impressed the early afternoon crowd to say the least.

Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival

Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival

Mac DeMarco Ripped His Shirt Off With His Bare Hands

Known to never disappoint with his live performances, Mac DeMarco warmed up the festival crowd for the nighttime sets with some of his familiar antics. After his trademark move of smoking cigarettes while performing multiple songs, DeMarco closed out his incredible set by stage diving during the last song, "Still Together."  To top that epic moment, when he returned to the stage, he ripped off his own shirt with his bare hands, finishing the song sans shirt. Oh, and his drummer played the whole set in his underwear. 

PS. Check out our Instagram story for a video of the stage dive. 

Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival

Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival

Barns Courtney Hosted a Sweaty Sing Along

Singer-songwriter Barns Courtney drew an eager and friendly crowd during his evening set at the BMI Stage, which happened to be clashing with MGMT. During his popular tune "Glitter & Gold" Courtney got the receptive crowd to sing the chorus back to him. The track came a few songs into his set, and after exerting his energy in the humid Alabama temperatures, Courtney took a tune-and-talk break, telling the crowd "I'm a sweaty little bitch." If you've ever been to a Barns Courtney show, you know you can expect some laughs betweens songs.

Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival

Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival

Sharks Invaded MGMT's Set

As the sun began to set during MGMT's viral hit "Electric Feel," at least a dozen blowup sharks were released into the crowd at the Hangout Stage. The crowd had already been exuding positive vibes during the set, but the energy skyrocketed during this surprise addition to MGMT's show. The additional fun fit right in with the vibes of this beach festival.

Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival

Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival

Weezer Played Hit After Hit While Rivers Cuomo Rocked a Bucket Hat

A few songs into Weezer's nighttime set, I overheard a fellow festival-goer exclaim that Weezer was the best set of the day, and I'd have to agree. The music vets took the stage with an air of rock and roll poise that comes from years and years of making and performing music. In addition to the sense of ease and comfort that flowed between the band members, their set consisted of hit after hit, the crowd singing along to nearly every word from their opening song "Hash Pipe" to their final song, "Buddy Holly." Oh, and lead singer Rivers Cuomo totally rocked a bucket hat while delivering every hit. 

Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival

Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival

Phoenix Filled In For Frank

Night one concluded with Phoenix delivering an incredible comeback set in support of their first album since 2013. Their appearance at the festival came as last minute addition when Frank Ocean dropped out of his headline slot a week prior to the festival, citing production delays. Phoenix's energetic and fun-filled show contained a mix of older and new songs that kept the crowd moving, almost making up for the pain of Frank dropping out. 

Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival

Courtesy of Hangout Music Festival

 

Stay tuned for highlights of Day Two, and follow us on Instagram and Twitter for live updates!

categories / Festival, Gigs, Reviews
tags / Hangout Fest, Music Festival, Barns Courtney, Mac DeMarco, MGMT, Phoenix, Weezer, Joseph, Highlights