Weather Back-Up Plan
Everybody knows that some serious storms can happen while at the beach, so why wasn't this thought of before hand? Yes, there were tornado warnings and the rain was coming down pretty damn hard, but you simply cannot tell people that they must exit the festival premises and then wait around until another announcement is made. Where the hell are the people supposed to go? Well, I was inside the Hangout restaurant hanging out, drinking beer and eating a Po-Boy. For me it worked out, but when the rain stopped and people were allowed back in is when the real chaos started.
Sunday Re-Entry
I'm not quite sure why, but whoever was in charge decided to make the re-entry Sunday free of charge Sunday. Whether you had previously purchased a day ticket, had a three-day wristband didn't matter because the brains behind the operation decided to allow Joe Schmo off the street the same access as you. You know, some people had to save a lot of money for this concert and it was a slap in the face when the money you forked over got you the same access as somebody who didn't pay anything. I know the money went to a good cause, but seriously - if people had to pay for a show, all people should have to pay for a show.
What made this issue even worse for my group of travelers was that the artists that played Sunday were pretty much the main reason we decided to attend the Hangout Festival. Matisyahu, Michael Franti, Guster, Ben Harper, Ray LaMontagne and Trey Anastasio were the main artists that got me to buy a ticket. When it became clear that I could have seen those artists without buying a ticket, I was pretty pissed - and I was not the only one. I didn't have a problem paying to see them especially when the money was going towards the Gulf Shores clean up effort, I just didn't want people that didn't pay a dime to be able to experience the same thing as the people who forked over their hard-earned money.
The Matisyahu Ordeal
This was probably the most glaring issue of the weekend and unfortunately it is how the festival ended. Earlier during the weather delay, it was announced that Matisyahu would still be performing during some point of the day. This made my buddy and I pretty happy since he was one of the main reasons for traveling to the Hangout Music Festival in the first place. As
Overall Communication
When the torrential downpours came through the Hangout on Sunday, there seemed to be no backup plan. It seemed like a lot of decisions were made on a whim and for a rain or shine festival, this was unacceptable. Around 2:00 p.m., the rain worsened and the Hangout Festival was delayed. We happened to be in the Hangout restaurant at the time and around 3:00 p.m. announcement came over the speakers that said the Festival would be delayed until 4:00 p.m. or later. It also went on to say check back on some radio station for updates. Well, we didn't have anything better to do so we stayed in the Hangout and ate lunch and had some drinks while we waited the thing out.
Another announcement came on and said that certain artists would be playing their sets that day. Okay, that's cool - we were pumped. We headed out to the beach, but nobody really knew where to go since they didn't announce when anybody would be playing. Luckily I had my phone and could check Facebook and Twitter for updates. Seriously, why wasn't there any updates at the festival itself. It wasn't until later on did they post the modified schedule on the screens.
Between that and the Matisyahu ordeal, the festival needs to do a much better job in letting the crowd know what's going on. Yes, it was the first year of the festival, but communication is one of the most important things when entertaining a large group of people. If this festival happens again, the overall communication must be better.
Closing Thoughts
Overall, this festival had many things to proud about. However, the issues addressed above were very critical. While, I had a great time all weekend, my group was left with a bitter feeling about how Sunday was handled. If this festival takes place again, I would expect some thought to go into the decision making if there is another weather forced delay. The ticket holders are your customers, don't piss the people off that paid good money to see your product.
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