Hangout Music Festival – Day 2 (w/ The Chainsmokers, Halsey, St. Vincent & More) @ Gulf Shores, AL on May 19, 2018 [Photos & Review]

Saturday, Day 2 of Hangout Music Festival, rolled around and with it came the Alabama heat! Luckily, festival sponsors offered ample places for fans to cool off. Mike’s Hard offered a ball pit and swings, Corona and Malibu both offered club houses where the music was bumping and drinks were flowing, and Barefoot offered a shady escape with comfy lounge chairs and bean bags. The festival itself also offered beach access points where fans could take a dip in the Gulf or lay out on a beach chair and sunbathe for a bit. For those willing to shell out a little bit more, VIP offered a pool with a great vantage point of the main stage. All of the amenities the festival and sponsors offered were put to great use as an escape from the harsh sun and heat. The best part about them was that anywhere you went, you could still hear the performances!

Saturday was off to a bit slower start, but picked up by mid-day as LeiKeli47 and Bleachers put on show-stopping performances. It was all smooth sailing from there. AWOLNATION and Manchester Orchestra pleased rock fans, both with exceptional sets. Hip-Hop and R&B fans were certainly happy today, with performances from Logic, Anderson Paak and the Free Nationals, and a highlight of the day: Tank and the Bangas.

Check out some footage from Hangout Music Festival 2018!

The night came to a close with performances from Halsey, The Chainsmokers, and the best performance of the day, St. Vincent. Halsey has quickly grown from a no-name indie-pop artist to one of the biggest pop stars in the world. Her rise to fame was swift and with it her live performances seemed to suffer because of a lack of practice and training. But, it seems as though the New Jersey native has been focused after the release of her sophomore album Hopeless Fountain Kingdom and her set, vocally, was very good.

She pulled out all of her radio hits for the show, “New Americana”, “Now or Never” “Bad at Love” and even singing her parts on boyfriend G-Eazy’s “You and I” and a slow and sultry version of “Closer” only after taking light-hearted jabs at the fact that The Chainsmokers were headlining over her. Although technically strong, the set was slow and diluted. Most Halsey fans would have been disappointed by the choice for radio hits over her best work, but it was a set made for a festival where many patrons weren’t die hard fans of Halsey.

The energy was brought back by The Chainsmokers. Despite the (well-deserved) critical disdain of their recorded music, The Chainsmokers know how to put on a spectacle of a show. Complete with fog canon, sparkler, flamethrowers, fireworks, and more, it was truly a sight to see. And they brought in one of the biggest crowds of the weekend. Miss Halsey made an appearance with them to perform “Closer” (this time in all its cookie-cutter pop glory).

For the second night in a row, the Boom Boom tent was really the place to be while the headliner was on. This time it was St. Vincent who stole the show and earned the Day 2 crown for best set. Real name Annie Clark, St. Vincent’s set was a spectacle for both the eyes and ears. Not quite as high-end and intense as The Chainsmokers’ pyro, Clark opted for strobes that moved with the music and colors that contrasted her red stage outfit and neon signature Ernie Ball guitars.

The set was theatrical and dramatic without losing the quality of the music. An exceptional performer, Clark is one of the most talented musicians in the industry today and she truly shows it with face-melting guitar solos and unbelievable vocal control and range. Her crowd was undeservedly small due to being schedule during a headline act, but those smart enough to experience St. Vincent live it were truly lucky.