Storms, Sold-Out Sets and an Oil Spill in the Background: Inaugural Hangout Fest Rocks Gulf Shores

Tens of thousands of music fans converged on the beach in Gulf Shores for the inaugural Hangout Music Festival, a three-day event that brought a rare jolt of energy and economic activity to a Gulf Coast community bracing for the fallout of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Local condominiums, restaurants and shops saw a surge of business as festivalgoers filled the beachfront for a lineup that ranged from jam bands to hip-hop to flamenco-inspired guitar.

The debut of the festival, staged directly on the sand in front of The Hangout restaurant and entertainment complex in May 2010, marked an ambitious bet that South Baldwin County could support a large-scale touring music festival.

A Weekend of Big Sets on the Sand

The festival's first day set the tone with a set from the Black Crowes, the Georgia-born rock band whose blues-inflected sound could reportedly be heard from outside the festival gates, drawing curious passersby toward the beach even before they had passed through security.

Saturday brought a wide range of sounds to the two main stages. Toubab Krewe, an instrumental band known for blending West African string instruments with American roots music, offered what many attendees described as an easygoing, exploratory soundtrack well suited to a beach afternoon.

Later in the day, the Mexican-born guitar duo Rodrigo y Gabriela brought their rapid-fire, percussion-driven flamenco style to the stage, drawing one of the weekend's more enthusiastic crowds with a sound built around two acoustic guitars and no backing band. Gov't Mule, the veteran Southern rock and jam outfit fronted by guitarist Warren Haynes, delivered its characteristically muscular, full-force live set later that evening.

Moon Taxi, a rock and jam band that was still building its national profile in 2010, emerged as one of the weekend's pleasant surprises. Festivalgoers who caught the set noted the band's high-energy performance and the sense that the musicians themselves were as invested in the moment as the crowd in front of them.

A Late Replacement Steals Saturday Night

Saturday night closed with a headlining set from The Roots, the Philadelphia hip-hop group known for its live-instrumentation approach to the genre. The band stepped in as a late replacement after the Flaming Lips, originally booked for the slot, were unable to perform. By most accounts, the swap worked out well: The Roots' set carried out across the open beach, reportedly drawing listeners onto the balconies of nearby condominium towers, and closed to loud, sustained applause from the sand below.

Storms Force a Sunday Evacuation

Lightning moved into the area on Sunday, prompting organizers to evacuate the festival grounds as a safety precaution. The storm's intensity was significant enough that at least one parked vehicle in the festival's vicinity was left partially submerged by rising water.

Once the weather cleared, organizers reopened the grounds without additional charge, largely as a practical matter — with single-day wristbands and passes already scanned for entry, there was no simple way to re-admit only paying ticket holders, so the gates were opened back up to the public. Crowds returned to the beach quickly once the lightning threat passed.

Closing Acts Find Their Rhythm Despite the Delay

The rest of Sunday's lineup pressed on despite the disruption. Ben Harper, the singer-songwriter known for blending folk, blues and reggae influences, took the stage as the evening progressed. Trey Anastasio, best known as the frontman of Phish, performed with his side project Trey Anastasio Band (TAB); the set was capped off with a fireworks display over the beach and was widely regarded as one of the highlights of the weekend.

Reggae and hip-hop artist Matisyahu closed out the festival with a performance that took on an unusual shape because of the day's weather delays. With the outdoor schedule pushed back, his set was moved indoors, resulting in a smaller, more intimate audience. Attendees who caught the shortened, indoor performance described it as an unexpectedly close and memorable way to end the festival's first year.

A Festival Born Amid a Crisis

Less than a month before the festival's opening weekend, the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded roughly 40 miles off the Louisiana coast on April 20, 2010, killing 11 workers and setting off a blowout nearly a mile below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico. Oil flowed from the ruptured well for approximately three months before it was capped in mid-July 2010, making it the largest accidental marine oil spill in United States history.

The festival's organizers had already pledged that festival profits would go toward Gulf Coast protection and cleanup efforts rather than canceling or postponing the debut, and anti-BP artwork and messages of support for Gulf Coast communities appeared around the festival grounds throughout the weekend.

Oil from the spill reached Alabama's shoreline in early June 2010, a few weeks after the festival, with tar balls and oil washing up on the beaches of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach during what would normally have been the height of the summer tourist season.

Related coverage from South AL News

• First Hangout Music Festival Announces Star-Studded Lineup for Gulf Shores Debut
• Hangout Fest's Debut Weekend Pledges All Profits to Gulf Oil Spill Cleanup
• Hangout Fest 2011 Lineup: Paul Simon, Foo Fighters and Widespread Panic Headline Gulf Shores Beach Festival
• Dauphin Island Tourism Fell During July 2010 Oil Spill