Hangout Music Festival Day 3

Stevie Wonder wraps up a beautiful weekend at the Hangout Music Festival at Gulf Shores, Alabama.

Stevie Wonder brought Hangout to a close Signed, Sealed, and Delivered

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Karen O, front woman for The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, looked as flashy as usual during the bands set on the beach. Adorned in a green glitter suit and a Michael Jackson T-shirt, she was far from beach attire, but her flashy style matched the tone of their set. The band played hits including “Heads Will Roll,” “Cheated Hearts,” and their 2004 hit “Maps,” which Karen O dedicated to Stevie Wonder, who followed them.

Throughout the weekend, the beach vibe was as dominant as any headliner in shaping the day, and that vibe was as much the point of Hangout as the music. Before leaving the stage, Karen O. acknowledged as much when she sent a shout-out to the “ganja smokers” and the “weekend warriors.”

Imagine Dragons

This Las Vegas band drummed in the mood for the last day of Hangout. Lead singer Dan Reynolds sang while banging on his huge bass drum in the center of the stage during the opening of the set. Imagine Dragons played an array of upbeat hip-hop jams with a funky mix of percussion-heavy sounds. During the middle of their set they played a rendition of Ciara’s, “Like a Boy,” where Reynolds got on the mic and yell “What you mad? Can’t handle that?”  The group’s infectious dance groove had the crowd going wild when they played their hit, “Radioactive.” Afterwards, Reynolds told the crowd that he’d broken his hand but that the show must go on.

Stevie Wonder

From John Lennon to Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder managed to honorably pay tribute his influences songs while also flawlessly playing his originals. The rendition of the Beatles' “Day Tripper” and Bob Marley’s “Is This Love” presented Wonder as he reached effortlessly from classic rock to reggae. Halfway through the set, Wonder spoke out against gun violence saying that things were far more beautiful alive, and he told the crowd that his daughter Aisha was recently engaged in New Orleans - news that brought cheers for the substantial contingent of New Orleanians that made the drive.

Naturally, Wonder played from his own substantial catalogue of hits including "For Once In My Life," "My Cherie Amour," "I Just Called To Say I Love You," and "Signed, Sealed, Delivered." Every song he played, whether a cover or an original, transmitted a message of gratitude and compassion for life and music. He finished with an extended version of “Superstition” accompanied by a spectacular fireworks show that brought the fourth annual Hangout Music Festival to a close. 

The closing fireworks, by Scarlett Rayner