The last day of Hangout Fest started out wet. As I made my way through the gates and headed to the Surf Stage to catch Sueco’s set, a weather evacuation advisement alerted the crowd to exit and seek shelter. After about an hour we were able to enter back into the festival safely. It was still raining but luckily there was no lightning in sight, so we were able to enjoy the rest of the day a little bit cooler thanks to the drizzle.
Even though there was an evacuation, the Hangout Team was able to adjust the schedule, so we didn’t miss any artists that were set to play in that hour of evacuation. I was definitely happy about that as I didn’t want to miss Sueco’s set, and he did not disappoint. He put his all into his performance and even though he was staying dry on the stage, he went out in the rain for a couple of songs to sing along with the crowd.
Later I headed over to the other side of the beach to catch Head and the Heart at the Hangout Stage. A couple of days prior to their Hangout appearance the band made an announcement that Charity Rose would not be able to perform due to Covid. As a nice surprise treat for the crowd, the band brought out the lovely Jade Bird for part of their performance. Jade is also currently an opening artist on tour with the band.
Before night approached, and as the rain let up, I was able to catch some pretty awesome sets from Louis the Child, Fletcher, Blu DeTiger, and Phoebe Bridgers. Over at the Hangout Stage, screams erupted from the fans as Jack Harlow took to the stage. He started off strong with “Nail Tech” and played a good bit off his new album including “Young Harleezy”, “Side Piece” and “Dua Lipa”. Despite his new album, Come Home the Kids Miss You, released a mere two weeks prior, the crowd sang along.
We had a brief respite from the rain only to have it re-appear right as Megan Thee Stallion took to the stage. Sadly, it wasn’t a drizzle like earlier in the day. It was a full-on torrential downpour. While I was trying to keep my camera dry, Meg was giving Hangout Fest attendees the Hot Girl Summer they all deserved. The rain let up enough to allow Megan to join the crowd below the stage and even grabbed a fan’s phone and sang the lyrics to “Girls in the Hood” as the phone recorded.
As Tame Impala closed out the night, I looked back fondly on this Hangout Experience. It wasn’t my first Hangout Fest, and it won’t be my last. This year though was an exceptional one. Despite the weather, the rain could not dampen the spirits of fans in attendance. We all had waited three years for the return of Hangout Fest, so no amount of bad weather would ruin the weekend. As we continue to shake off years of lockdowns and isolation, it’s good to know that music and festivals like this will be there to help us along the way.