Okay, I know it appears that this is simply a picture of an oversized Bud Light can.
While I do love a crisp, refreshing Bud Light, what I was trying to capture was the crowd — and the overall scene — beyond the Bud Light.
I spent an extended weekend in Gulf Shores, Alabama, for Hangout Fest. It’s a huge festival (they said we were in the company of 40,000 people), that takes over blocks of the city, and a decent chunk of the white beach.
There were several, smaller stages setup in the streets, one of which you can see in my picture. The two main stages are built on the sand, which makes for the BEST concert experience I’ve ever had. Think about it: sun, sand, swimsuit, drinks, and your favorite music acts?
It really doesn’t get any better than that.
I went on the trip really excited to see Jack Johnson, Wiz Khalifa, and Outkast. But surprisingly, my favorite acts were The Black Keys and Dawes. Both groups seriously rocked it, and sounded great. And I watched them while sipping on vodka with my toes in the sand.
Amazing.
The festival ran Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, with bands playing 12 hours each day. Along with my three girlfriends on the trip, we managed to fall into a pretty relaxed schedule of eating breakfast on our condo balcony that overlooked the beach, then heading to the pool for mimosas until lunch.
After lunch, we packed up and headed to the festival, leaving enough time to see all of the bands we wanted to see, and grab some street food for dinner.
On our second night there, we found a food stand that was selling foot-long corn dogs — a weakness for me. So, there we were, devouring one of the most perfect corn dogs I’ve ever had, sitting on the curb of the street, while watching a ferris wheel all lit up just a few feet away.
I felt like a kid again.
Well, a kid with a stomach full of liquor. Regardless, it was a moment I’ll never forget, and it was a short section of the night that made me stop and realize that just when I think I cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel, things might not be as bad as they seem.
To stalk my whole life on the boardwalk of Hangout Fest, check out my Twitter feed @OrangeJulius7 with Tweets marked #HangoutFest
The Bitter Lemon 