Anderson .Paak and the Free Nationals at Suwannee Hulaween 2016. Photo by: Matthew McGuire.
Anderson .Paak and the Free Nationals at Suwannee Hulaween 2016. Photo by: Matthew McGuire.

Soak Up the Music with a Curated List of the Hottest Bands at Hangout Fest 2018

In May 2018 the city of Gulf Shores, Alabama will be taken over by music connoisseurs from all over the country.

We love the festival so much that I wanted to share three amazing acts that they booked to perform.

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The first video has an interesting message up on the screen before the song starts. During my last concert, I was noticing the lack of thought being put into the banter, also known as the conversation the musicians share with the audience in between their songs. The banter was typical stuff, and I was thinking, wow, they should have ghostwriters for this material.

Portugal. The Man is such a good band, they not only have ghostwriters, but the even have the emotional security to make fun of themselves on stage about it. It is an excellent twist.

The second video showcases their wildly successful song ‘Feel It Still’ from their Woodstock album.

In 2016, I caught the band performing at Hangout Fest and was impressed with their style of live music. Since then we have been able to cover them in a more intimate setting at The Pageant Theater in St. Louis. Overall, they are excellent to catch on the beach with a group of friends.

The third video provides a look into the world of the talented group known as Anderson .Paak and the Free Nationals. The song in the video is ‘Come Down’ from their album Malibu. Anderson .Paak has also worked with Talib Kweli on a few projects. In regards to music festival fantasy booking, I would add Talib to the lineup and have him perform on the same day as .Paak to hopefully get some on stage interaction going between the musicians.

I was able to cover Anderson .Paak and the Free Nationals twice so far with my first show being at Hulaween in Florida in 2016 and at Icelantic’s Winter on the Rocks outside of Denver in early 2017. Both shows were far above average performances.

The final video was recorded at Decadence NYE 2017 in downtown Denver and provides a look into the world of ODESZA. I recorded last weekend, and was blown away with the performance.

I was able to interview the duo before their 2015 set at Bonnaroo Music Festival. In comparison to the most recent show, the band has progressed immensely.

Each of these three acts are international talent with above average abilities. It is a special treat to catch them live on stage.