Hangout Festival 2015: Day One – Foo Fighters, Spoon, Galactic with Macy Gray

Music Features Hangout Festival

Hangout Festival has finally arrived, and despite ominous forecasts the weather held out, making for an ideal day one of good views and great music. Check out some of the highlights below, and keep an eye out for galleries, videos and more highlights as we power through the weekend.

Cold War Kids
We only managed to catch the tail end of Cold War Kids’ set, but favorites like “Hospital Beds” and “Saint John” made us glad we did. Cold War Kids are always a force to be reckoned with live—they’re one worth hustling to.—Bonnie Stiernberg

Umphrey’s McGee
There was a pretty huge crowd out to see Umphrey’s, and while the band showed up with their signature blend of jam-band sensibilities and rock ‘n’ roll energy, onlookers got even more than they bargained for when Lupe Fiasco, whose set had been canceled earlier, came out for an energetic take on “The Show Goes On” with Umph providing the instrumentals. —Dacey Orr

Spoon
Spoon was a full-circle music experience for me, since I actually discovered them by a Paste sampler back in 2007. Britt Daniel took the stage in wood-framed sunglasses and a black button-up, smiling to see the massive Hangout crowd next to the ocean. They played in the afternoon, at peak-beach perfection with the cloudy weather holding off until the music started to wane. Daniel was right at home, singing songs from new and old albums, leading the crowd in raucous performances of “The Way We Get By” and “Inside Out,” among others.—Sarah Lawrence

Galactic with Macy Gray
Most festival crowds probably still know Macy Gray primarily from her 1999 hit “I Try,” but on Friday night, Gray joined forces with New Orleans’ Galactic for a funky set that showcased her signature raspy voice and her ability to work a crowd. Gray’s so much more than “I Try,” and her performance convinced everyone gathered at the Palladia stage of that fact. Galactic’s instrumental grooves added to the talented singer’s live chops—all in all, a great set from an unexpected source.—Bonnie Stiernberg

Foo Fighters
Dave Grohl and company made a big deal about the fact that they were gonna rock out until the powers that be shut them down—they brought up the 11 p.m. cut-off time more than a few times—but when all was said and done, they wound up wrapping up by about 11:05. Whether festival organizers called their bluff or not, they still managed to squeeze in a really strong set, one full of classic Foo Fighters material (“Times Like These,” “The Pretender,” “Best of You,” “My Hero”), surprise guest appearances (from the Preservation Hall Jazz Band and members of Zac Brown Band), a shoutout to the recently departed B.B. King and plenty of covers (The Who’s “Young Man Blues,” The Faces’ “Stay With Me,” The Rolling Stones’ “Miss You” and Queen’s “Under Pressure”). It was everything you could possibly want from a Foo Fighters headlining spot. So who cares if they didn’t play deep into the night?—Bonnie Stiernberg

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