Here’s what to expect at this weekend’s Hangout Music Festival
After a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19, the Hangout Music Fest is making its triumphant return this weekend from May 20–22. The annual three-day music festival has been held on the white sand beaches of Gulf Shores, Alabama since 2010. Every year, thousands of music lovers from across the country (and even the world!), flock to Alabama to see their favorite artists perform in a truly one-of-a-kind atmosphere. The entire affair is essentially a giant beach party hosted by top musical performers. I mean, where else can you see Grammy award-winning artists play their top hits while you’ve got your feet in the sand and a clear view of the blue-green ocean? Here are three things not to miss if you’re lucky enough to be headed to Hangout this year.
Where to see semi-professional and professional sports in Alabama
Long thought of as a hotbed for only collegiate sports, the state of Alabama in recent years has proven that there’s a lot more to see when it comes to athletics than the Crimson Tide and Auburn Tigers. In addition to minor league baseball teams in cities like Huntsville, Birmingham, and Montgomery, the Magic City is making some big moves in the world of sports, in large part thanks to the opening of the new Protective Stadium downtown. With the World Games making its debut in Birmingham later this summer from July 7–17, it’s shaping up to be a hot summer for sports in Alabama. Though the World Games events last just 10 days, Alabama’s many minor league and semi-professional sports team offer a sport for every season. Get to know your home teams below!
The Soul of SoulGrown: 10 Questions with CEO, Courtney Hancock
Let’s get to know SoulGrown’s new CEO a little better, shall we?
Huntsville’s newest music venue opens this month
When Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit take the stage in Huntsville on May 13, it will be an extra special homecoming for the band. Their performance, along with those of other Alabama artists Brittany Howard, Drive-by Truckers, Emmylou Harris, John Paul White, St. Paul and the Broken Bones, and Mavis Staples is part of the First Waltz, a grand opening weekend-long event for the city’s new state-of-the-art music and event venue Orion Amphitheater. The venue, developed by Mumford and Sons’ band member and owner of entertainment and hospitality group Venue Group Ben Lovett, will usher the beginning of a new era for the city’s growing music scene.
6 questions with up-and-coming musician Lilly Hart
Lilly Hart’s junior year of high school was supposed to be the busiest time of her life. During the spring of 2020, the high schooler from Lilburn, Georgia was set to travel to several cities as part of her school’s basketball team, play in the golf state championship, and finish the year with a 4.0 GPA. All that changed when March rolled around, and COVID-19 turned everything upside down. Never one to sit still, Hart immediately pivoted and began exploring another passion of hers: music. “I had written before but this time I took it seriously,” she says. “I started to set goals and one of those goals was to release a song on all platforms. It was a hard process to navigate but I ended up reaching that goal when ‘Love is Addiction’ came out in the fall of 2020. After I released one, I kept writing and setting goals.”
Questlove shines a light on Alabama women at 2022 Met Gala
Oscar-winning filmmaker, musician, producer and composer, Questlove, took a meaningful approach to the year's theme of "Gilded Glamour" by "representing for African-Americans in this country." Questlove explained in an interview with Vogue that "because the Gilded period is a little bit different for our story... I wanted to highlight Black women who have sacrificed for the country. So I'm rockin' their quilt right now."