Hanging at Hangout Festival? If not, watch Umphrey’s McGee, Mariachi El Bronx, Primus, Flaming Lips, Ween and others in live webcast

There’s been a lot a’ buzz around Alabama’s Hangout Music Festival in the last few weeks, including numerous ticket promotions and a relatively heavy ad campaign.  Hangout has lined up a live webcast deal with iClips and Spin (more on that below) and added a fifth stage  for its second year – a sign of their aspirations?  Will the (sold-out) Hangout break-out as the next big name festival?  Will it become to May what Coachella is to April, Bonnaroo is to June, Lollapalooza is to August and ACL is to October??

Self-proclaimed as “Three Days of Sun, Sand and Music”, Hangout is the only festival on a beach, distinguishing it from the sweaty (sometimes muddy) open fields of most fests.  That alone could offer a unique vibe to build upon over coming years.  But more importantly, it’s the artists that will draw music-lovers and frat boys alike to the Gulf Shores (not to mention music-loving sorority sisters, and perhaps even their parents).  Hangout overtly covers all angles and demographics of the rock festival talent market.  Making Friday the unofficial jam-band night, Saturday is more alt-and-indie-oirented, and Sunday tips towards rootsy.  They’ve managed to bring in some big draws as well: Cee Lo Green, Foo Fighters, Black Keys and Paul Simon.  So beautiful, or so what? We’ll see…

On Friday, May 20 — Widespread Panic, My Morning Jacket, STS9, Bassnectar, The Warren Haynes Band, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Umphrey’s McGee

On Saturday, May 21 — The Flaming Lips, Cee Lo Green, Primus, The Foo Fighters, The Avett Brothers, Minus The Bear, Medeski Martin and Wood, The Dead Confederate and Mariachi El Bronx (one of several bands Ray Suen is in; he sometimes plays with The Flaming Lips too – and apparently will at the Hangout; he’ll also possibly join them at the Dave Matthew Caravan shows, as he did at the Atlanta Soft Bulletin shows).  Note though, this is not a Soft Bulletin show (as incorrectly reported by several sites).

On Sunday, May 22 — Paul Simon, The Black Keys, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Girl Talk, Ween, Matisyahu, Drive-By Truckers, Amos Lee, JJ Grey & Mofro, Old Crow Medicine Show, Keller Williams, Galactic, Trombone Shorty, Portugal The Man and many more.

http://twitter.com/#!/FutureHeartDay/status/32556066571026433

http://twitter.com/#!/rayrayagogo/status/32568459334254592

If you are going, bring 10 cans of non-perishable food to donate to the Conscious Alliance food drive to receive this free poster: