Photo of The Lumineers By Jade Ehlers

Dozens of artists and bands are descending upon Gulf Shores, Ala. this weekend for Hangout Fest, and folk rockers The Lumineers are one new crowd-pleaser joining the party.

Last year Denver, Colo.’s folk rock trio The Lumineers faced a major setback when someone broke into their tour van and stole most of their instruments and gear.

“We had been robbed of most of our musical instruments in Los Angeles, in broad daylight, right outside the La Brea Tar Pits,” the band’s percussionist Jeremiah Fraites tells Magazines.com. “We drove to the LAPD and reported the crime. We were number 3,600-something of that day since midnight. We then drove from the LAPD to a house show where we played using borrowed instruments. It was one of the best shows we ever played.”

Launching a campaign through the direct-to-fan platform PledgeMusic, The Lumineers were able to replace their stolen necessities with help from their devoted fans in less than a month. With their instruments back in hand, the two-man, one-woman outfit finished their self-titled debut, which they released with Dualtone in April of this year to wide critical acclaim.

Now, with a fresh new album to their rootsy name, The Lumineers are headed down to Gulf Shores, Ala. this weekend to take part in the third annual Hangout Music Fest, which takes place right on the beach (jealous yet?).

“We have never played or been to Hangout before,” says Fraites. “We’re all very excited and are honored to play it though. There are so many great bands going, it’s hard to choose which act I’ll try to see. We don’t have much festival experience in general, so it will be a fun event to break into summer!”

Aside from their upcoming Hangout Fest debut, The Lumineers have recently made appearances on shows like “Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” where they brought their upbeat, danceable hit “Ho Hey” to an excited audience.

“Performing ‘Ho Hey’ on Conan was unreal. Words can’t express …” Fraites begins, “but I’ll try. Oblivion of pleasure. A shopping cart full of nerves. Blackout joy. Surreal. Unreal. Didn’t happen. Not real. Not to me. Never. Amazing. Would go back any day, any time, any second. Dream come true.”

Perhaps he’ll feel the same way after sharing a festival bill with the likes of Dave Matthews Band, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jack White, Randy Newman and more. Hangout Fest kicked off yesterday (Friday, May 18) and lasts through Sunday. Even if you can’t make it out to the beach show, check out The Lumineers and get a taste of their summery folk sound.