Alabama is stepping up in the ranks of having great music festivals. BamaJam has been a success as mostly a country music festival the last few years and this year an Alabama beach will be the site for a new festival.

Since the late 1950s, The Hangout has been known as a popular meeting spot on the beaches of Gulf Shores, Ala. The bar and grill by the same name has also been popular since around the same time. When The Hangout owner Shaul Zislin met with AJ Niland of Huka Entertainment in October of last year for booking needs, an idea was born.

“He asked us to come start helping with entertainment at his venue, bringing in national acts down there,” Niland said. “He invited us down for ‘Shrimp Fest,’ this festival that happens to be located around his restaurant on the public beach area, and asked if there was something that we could do on a rock ‘n’ roll level on this space.”

Niland, who along with Huka Entertainment co-owner Bennett Drago, had been looking to create a beach festival for a while.

“We’ve been trying to get a festival down at the beach for quite sometime because nobody in the country is doing a beach festival,” Niland said. “And it just happened to be that the moons aligned that night. Being that its the geographical location, that’s what locals know it as and it’s kinda a catchy name, we decided to call the festival ‘The Hangout’.”

But the creators of “The Hangout” didn’t want the festival to take place in the parking lot like “Shrimp Fest,” they wanted to have it right on the beach. Niland said that with Zislin’s connections and the cooperation of the City of Gulf Shores and the State of Alabama, they were able to have the festival directly on the beach.

“The Hangout Beach, Music and Arts Festival” is set to take place on May 14-16, only seven months after its creation. Bands booked include Trey Anastasio and TAB, John Legend, The Black Crowes, Alison Krauss and Union Station, Gov't Mule, The Flaming Lips and more.

Niland said that it usually takes up to 16 months to create such a large festival.

“It’s a really insane timeline,” he said of the seven months.

But the guys of Huka Entertainment had festival experience. They have worked with large festivals for the last seven years and usually built the stages in each venue. But they did ask for some help with “The Hangout.”

“This is on the level of a major festival,” Niland said. “Every department head we hired from another festival- from Bonnaroo, Coachella, Austin City Limits, Lollapalooza ... we didn’t want to take any chances of having first year mistakes.”

When it came time to book the bands, the guys wanted to give Alabama music they don’t usually get the chance to see.

“We really wanted to find stuff that was beach appropriate, but at the same token was really tailored to what folks in this region want to see, but don’t really ever get a chance to see,” Niland said. “We really wanted to bring awesome music to folks in this area.”

Niland said that they built up a reputation with some of the bands over the last few years and that the bands and their agents and managers involved are excited about the festival.

“They really felt it was something new and creative,” Niland said. “The weather has been really crappy in the midwest and northeast and here we are fresh in spring talking about doing great music on the beach in the sun. It really resonated with folks and they really got behind it.”

Indie/rock band El Cantador is among the list of performers and singer/guitarist Heath Underwood said he thinks the festival is a great idea.
“We heard about it and really wanted to play it,” Underwood said. “It has a great line-up.”

Niland added that it was a challenge booking some of the bands and that they didn’t get everyone they wanted, but in the end the line-up is better than they could have hoped.

The festival is limited to 35,000 people a day. Between 40-50,000 would fit, but the creators didn’t want festival goers to feel crowded.
“We want it to be kinda flowing and open and we want people to be able to enjoy the beach,” Niland said.

The creators expect 20-25,000 for the first year, putting them in the same category as some of the larger festivals that include Rothbury and Wakarusa.
“The Hangout Beach, Music and Arts Festival” will also offer more than music including art, stunts and more.

Niland added that this festival is something they’ve been working towards for a long time and thinks it’s great for the area.

“I think overall what we’re trying to show is that one - Alabama has beautiful beaches which people are blown away by; two - we’re really wanting to show the country that we can have an awesome festival like these other guys and have it down in Alabama. Something we can all be kinda proud of.”

For more on the festival, visit hangoutmusicfest.com.

ARTIST PROFILES:
The Wayne Mills Band


Wayne Mills has been in the music business for more than 14 years. The Arab, Ala., native grew up playing sports. He played baseball in junior college and was a walk-on for the University of Alabama football team. But when the season of his current sport was over, he found himself looking for something to do.

“When sports was over I had all of this free time that I’d never had and I started playing guitar, out of boredome really,” Mills said. “I just stuck with it.”
Mills formed a band in college with a friend and played the cover scene, not taking the music too seriously.

“When I first started playing it was just all about the party,” Mills said with a laugh.

Mills and his bandmate played together for a few years, but Mills became interested in writing his own music. Fastforward 14 years and Mills has a full band, The Wayne Mills Band, and plays 80 percent original tunes.

“When I first started, one out of about 15 songs might be good, but over the years I’ve gotten a lot of my own songs,” Mills said.

Mills’ first full band stayed together for about eight years. The band came close to signing a record deal, but with the more pop style of country coming out at the time the label didn’t think the band was marketable enough.

Soon after, the band went their separate ways and since then Mills has changed out each member of his band three or four times.

In 2007, it seemed Mills might get another break when he signed with World Records Nashville. The band recorded a single and music video, but two weeks after his first single went to radio, the label folded.

Two years ago Mills put together the current line-up of The Wayne Mills Band, which consists of Gary Craig on bass, Curt Brewer on drums, Luke Davis on guitar and occasionally Jason “Rowdy” Cope on guitar, when he’s not touring with country musician Jamey Johnson.

“It’s really just a process of finding the right people that were going to be professional and our styles really meshed,” Mills said. “I’ve finally got a line-up now that I feel like we’ll be together for a long run.”

With his newest band, Mills has just finished his sixth studio album, “The Last Honky Tonk.” Mills said that it’s the most country record he’s ever done. He left his home in Nashville to record the album in Holleywood, Calif. Mills added that he used L.A. studio session players whose styles were a little different and edgy.

“I just wanted to kinda get out of Nashville just for a different sound,” Mills said. “We came out with a really good sounding record. It’s country, but it’s real edgy and raw. In my opinion it’s heads and shoulders above anything I’ve ever done.”

The album hasn’t officially been released yet, but is being sold at Mills’ shows. They plan to shoot a music video soon and release the album around the same time as the video.

Throughout the years, Mills has played with musicians that include Jamey Johnson, Willie Nelson, Charlie Daniels, Dierks Bently and Travis Tritt, just to name a few. But his upcoming gig is one that he is especially looking forward to - BamaJam.

Mills and Jamey Johnson have been good friends for the last 10 years and Johnson’s manager helped Mills book the festival.

Mills will be performing in the company of big country acts like Kenny Chesney and Hank Williams, Jr. He said this will be the biggest crowd he has ever played for and admitted that he was a little nervous.

“I definitely feel extremely lucky and blessed to be on this lineup,” Mills said.

Mills and his band perform around 200 shows a year and Mills said he stills loves the reaction of the crowd.

“My favorite thing is watching the crowd have a good time,” Mills said. “I like the connection you get with the crowd. It’s almost like a new chance every time we play. I like playing music that the crowd can react to and seeing them and their reactions to the songs.”

Mills counts becoming a member of “The Grand Ole Opry” as a long-term goal, but for now he’s just happy how the year is turning out. Along with BamaJam, a Wayne Mills Band racecar has been created and they will entertain the U.S. troops in Qatar for the “USO” in May.

“There have been a lot of frustrations over the years and a lot of really cool stuff is happening this year,” Mills said. “I think it’s going to be a really good year for us.”

Extreme fame and fortune may not be in the cards for The Wayne Mills band, but Mills is okay with that.
“It would be great to be recognized and win some awards and all,” Mills said. “But really more than that I would just like to get to play music for the rest of my life.”

For more on The Wayne Mills Band, visit waynemillsband.com.

Lucero


Memphis, Tenn., band Lucero has been on the music scene for 13 years. The guys met in their younger years while checking out local shows and after so many years together are finally seeing their hard work pay off.

The guys are playing well-known festivals this year that include Coachella, Bonnaroo and BamaJam.

“This is the first time we’ve hit so many at one time,” said guitarist Brian Venable. “I guess you could say we’ve seen more popularity this year.”

Venable added that he’s excited about the Bonnaroo performance. The band played the festival a few years ago, but have a better timeslot this year.

“I think Bonnaroo is exciting because it’s close to home,” he said. “That’s the one that most of our friends and family know about. Bonnaroo is only a couple hundred miles away from Memphis. My little sisters are real excited. That’s my gauge right now. My 18 and 19-year-old sisters think it’s cool.”

The guys say that their music is hard to define, but believe it falls in the rock/southern rock genre.

“I think we’re just rock ‘n’ roll, but these days you can’t just say that anymore,” Venable said. “I think it’s a mixmatch of our favorite bands and influences that we’ve all brought to the table to make it what it is.”

Venable cites his personal influences as punk and old blues and country, which is all evident in Lucero’s sound.

Lucero’s sixth studio album, “1372 Overton Park,” was released last October. The name refers to address of the loft the band shared earlier in their career.
Venable describes the latest album as the band’s version of a Memphis soul album.

“We were kinda curious about putting some horns on it and had Jim Spake come in and put the horns,” Venable said. “I think in the end we ended up making our version of a Memphis soul record.”

Venable described the band’s live show as fun and rowdy.

“People get drunk, they get rowdy singing along, sometimes they throw beer,” he said. “We get a high percentage of stage diving for the type of music we play.”
In the beginning, the guys of Lucero were more worried about getting every chord right during a performance, Venable said that now it’s more about relating to the audience.

“Now it’s more about watching everybody get real excited and sing along and just interacting with the crowd,” he said. “It’s a really cool feeling.”

For more on Lucero, visit luceromusic.com.

El Cantador

Mobile, Ala., band El Cantador recently played Tuscaloosa and were in for a surprise. The band that played before them had a much different sound and the band didn’t think they could follow.

“It was just that thing that sometimes happens when you get the misconception like ‘oh, we’re not going to be able to follow this act,’ said singer/guitarist Heath Underwood. “Like, the crowd is going to want this certain kind of thing.

But how the night ended made Underwood realize what he loves about performing music.

“It’s almost like a challenge, like you have to earn the crowd,” he said. “It’s cool ... you feed off them and the other way around.”

The indie/rock band has been together for four years and feel that their sound has changed over time.

“I really like it right now,” Underwood said. “I guess we’re kinda in transition right now. We’re working on some new stuff that’s exciting.”

El Cantador is booked to play “The Hangout Beach, Music and Arts Festival” in May and were booked to play the festival before they even found out about it.
“I sent an email to Huka [Entertainment] saying we just saw this festival and we’d love to play it,” Underwood said. “Then he called me back and left a message saying ‘man we already had you guys scheduled to play it since November.’ ”

The band is looking forward to playing such a different festival.

“This will blow away ‘Bayfest’ that they put on every year,” Underwood said. “I think Huka is doing a good thing. I know they’re excited to see something come through that everybody’s been wanting.”

For more on El Cantador, visit myspace.com/vivaelcantador.

FESTIVAL INFO
Music festival season is close and The Corner has your info. for the best upcoming music festivals hitting an area close to you:

Wannee Music Festival
Where: Live Oak, Fla.
When: April 14-17
Lineup: Widespread Panic, The Allman Brothers Band, Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi Band, George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic, North Mississippi Allstars and more.
Tickets: Advance $178; Gate $188
Web site: waneefestival.com

Sweetwater 420 fest
Where: Atlanta, Ga.
When: April 17 - 18
Lineup: George Porter, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Stanton Moore Trio Feat. Anders Osborne and more.
Tickets: Free
Web site: sweetwater420fest.com

Rites of Spring Music Festival
Where: Nashville, Tenn.
When: April 23-24
Lineup: TBA
Tickets: Single day: $45; Advance weekend $55; Gate weekend $65
Web site: ritesofspring.com

New Orleans Jazz Fest
Where: New Orleans, La.
When: April 23 - May 2
Lineup: Pearl Jam, Allman Brothers Band, The Black Crowes, Anita Baker, My Morning Jacket, Widespread Panic, B.B. King, Jeff Beck, Darius Rucker and more.
Tickets: Single day tickets: Advance $45/Gate $60; Weekend passes sstart around $350.
Web site: nojazzfest.com

The Hangout Beach, Music and Arts Festival
Where: Gulf Shores, Ala.
When: May 14-16
Lineup: Trey Anastasio and TAB, Zac Brown Band, John Legend, Ben Harper and Relentless7, The Black Crowes, Alison Krauss and Union Station, Gov't Mule, The Flaming Lips and more.
Tickets: $159
Web site: hangoutmusicfest.com

BamaJam
Where: Enterprise, Ala.
When: June 3-5
Lineup: Kenny Chesney, Hank Williams Jr., Jake Owen, Colt Ford, Miranda Lambert, Jamey Johnson, Dierks Bentley, Train and more.
Tickets: $130
Web site: bamajammusicfestival.com

Bonnaroo
Where: Manchester, Tenn.
When: June 10-13
Lineup: Dave Matthews Band, Kings of Leon, Stevie Wonder, Jay-Z, Weezer, The Flaming Lips, Regina Spektor, The Black Keys and more.
Tickets: $234.50 and will move up to $249.50 after those are sold out.
Web site: bonnaroo.com

Lilith Fair
Where: Will hit Atlanta
When: August 8
Lineup: The full tour consists of Sheryl Crow, Kelly Clarkson, Sara Bareilles, Norah Jones, Sarah McLachlan and more. Only 11 artists will perform at each venue. The Atlanta show will feature Sarah McLachlan, Indigo Girls, Gossip, Sia, Court Yard Hounds and five other artists.
Tickets:
Web site: lilithfair.com

Essence Music Festival
Where: New Orleans, La.
When: July 2 - July 4
Lineup: Mary J. Blige, Alicia Keys, Jill Scott, Keri Hilson, Charlie Wilson, LL Cool J and more.
Tickets: Starting at $159
Web site: essencemusicfestival.com

Alex City Jazzfest
Where: Alex City, Ala.
When: June 11-12
Lineup: TBA
Web site: alexcityjazzfest.com