There’s a lot to reflect on after the final day of Hangout 2023. Between amazing sets, new friends, sunburns and sore feet, day three finished the festival just as smoothly as it started. A full weekend with no weather stops or major safety incidents or late sets. The BLANK crew caught some incredible performances and spent a lot of time wandering around the grounds to make sure we soaked up everything the festival had to offer one last time.
If you gave a 13-year-old kid a couple of Mountain Dews and a microphone, then sent him out in front of a few thousand people, you’d probably get something similar to The 502s opening set at the Surf Stage. Glistening with sweat and childlike wonder, the six piece brought a playful energy to the beach to kick off our last day. I was struck by the strength of the bond between the band members. Frontman Ed Isola took extra care to introduce each band member and give them each praise as he ran around the stage, weaving between the stationary members. Their Lumineers-esque pop folk sound features banjo and saxophone on top of the standard four piece. There were several moments where he would let another member take the front spot to rip a solo or dance around, including the final song where each member of the band came forward to sing a verse.
Yung Gravy is known for his charm and his love of hot moms, as well as rapping – mostly about those two things. It’s a personality that has brought him fame on the internet, but I was a little skeptical of how it would translate in a live setting. But, between passing out water bottles and lunchables to making sure attendees were staying safe, he really did charm the audience. Several of his songs feature samples of old-timey classics like “Mr. Sandman” juxtaposed with comedic lyrics about making blueberry muffins with your mom. It makes for fun beach music, and it’s even better coming from the gravy train in person.
Having exploded on TikTok with his song “Stick Season” since the pandemic, Noah Kahan brought a new kind of rock to the Surf Stage.
It wouldn’t be wrong at all for a first time listener to describe Noah’s music as chill. That’s a common atmosphere for folk music, and there is certainly something about a mandolin and a brush on a snare drum that makes one think of campfires and walks in the woods. However, Kahan’s music actually isn’t very chill. His band brings in elements of rock, such as overdrive on punchy acoustic guitar, while Kahan belts brutal and honest lyrics about alcoholism, divorce, therapy and other heavy topics.
Noah Kahan is proof that it’s possible to cry in a mosh pit, and that kind of songwriting accuracy is even more dangerous in a festival setting. The crowd sang all of his lyrics at top volume for almost all his songs.
As one of the world’s foremost hit makers of the last few years, Calvin Harris is a legend in the Electronic and Pop worlds and he is known for delivering iconic festival sets. Hangout really leaned in to this narrrative on day three, closing down the final day with two big EDM sets (Skrillex closed the Surf Stage just before Harris closed the main stage).
Massive smoke and fire cannons lined the front of the stage, which featured a massive LED panel platform where Calvin Harris stood. He played chart topping hit after hit featuring vocals from the likes of Rihanna and Frank Ocean, with insane bass heavy breakdowns in between. As a festival that features a broad range of musical styles, Harris was a fantastic pick to headline as Electronic stans and newcomers alike left impressed and amazed.
While the BLANK crew walked away from the Hangout Stage, singing Sweet Home Alabama under the fireworks for the last time, I caught someone say to their friend, “Well, back to reality. It was a nice three days.” It was disappointing to overhear that because I think if a music festival can teach us anything it’s that centering your days around love, friendship and happiness is possible. The idea of ‘going back to reality’ implies an everyday life without those things. There’s nothing wrong if an attendee walks away from an experience like Hangout happy they got to see their favorite artists. It’s still a good and necessary escape. But it’s my hope that some people learned something deeper about themselves. Complete strangers whose names I still don’t know told me they loved me, shared food and water, and complimented my hair or outfit. They don’t know my political or religious beliefs, they just know I’m a human trying to be happy in the same situation they are. That reality doesn’t have to exist in a bubble at Hangout, or any other festival for that matter, and if 40,000 people can be inspired to go put love into the world in such a way – I’d say that experience was worthwhile – and one that has staying power.
