Live music review: Eclipse Utopiafest brought eclectic music and community to Central Texas this month

October is a busy season for Austin music enthusiasts. With big affairs like Austin City Limits Music Festival and more indie celebrations like Levitation Festival which takes place later this month, Utopiafest brings something different to the table. Based in bucolic Utopia, Texas’ stunning Four Sisters Ranch, the festival is backdropped with an otherworldly view of the Texas Hill Country. Eclipse Utopia organizers Travis Sutherland and Wayne Dalchau have spent over the past decade working tirelessly to craft a small cap music festival that stresses the importance of expanding any music fan’s horizons while cultivating a community that keeps fans of the festival coming back year after year. For this Fall’s edition of the festival, the Utopia team celebrated the solar eclipse with an eclectic lineup that brought an array of diverse musicians that take the Utopiafest mission to heart.

Thursday Evening  – Trouble in the Streets

For those unfamiliar with Utopiafest, most attendees bring their camping gear to enjoy the festival under the stars. This means tents, camp kitchens, the works. The regular festival programming started on Friday, but since it was this reporter’s first time at the festival, we decided to roll in Thursday night for the pre-party, which contained a special joint set from Trouble in the Streets and Wax Logic’s inaugural performance of Pink Floyd’s classic, The Dark Side of the Moon. A fitting album for a lunar event; the last track is called “Eclipse,” go figure. When camp was set up, the Utopia devotees made their way down to the stage, a pleasant two-minute walk to witness the rare performance.

Front-woman Nnedi Nebula Agbaroji does not hold back for any instance she takes the stage, with every TitS performance being an electrifying experience. The ensemble wasn’t messing around, ripping through all of the Floyd tunes effortlessly, with added flair that made it feel like their own. The peak came with a mesmerizing performance of “Great Gig in the Sky,” with Nnedi singing the vocal solo with an unmatched thunderous passion. When the smoke cleared after the set, festival head Travis Sutherland welcomed the crowd and announced that campfires would be allowed, allowing a campsite gathering to close the welcome night in Utopia. The pre-party also featured sets from Wonky Tonk alumni Major Darlin and Austin celestial indie rock act Satalites; both delivered sets that pumped up the crowd for the following Pink Floyd joint. 

Friday

Megafauna

One of the best things about Utopiafest is that there is no overlap between the two festival stages. The weather was a refreshing detour from the harrowing Texas summer, only allowing for a few hours of heat during the day. An early evening highlight came with Austin hard rockers Megafauna. Fronted by longtime Austin rocker, Dani Neff, the Austin prog and indie-rock riff masters brought a set of explosive drum fills, searing guitar solos, and vocal star power. Armed with a precise rhythm section and Neff’s lyrical heaviosity, the Utopia community got a grungy afternoon treat that set a high bar for the rest of the weekend festivities. The set featured little banter, making for less talk and more rock. Save for a brief thank you from Neff to the festival heads who made it all happen. 

Tomar & The FCs

Tomar & The FCs brought a high-energy R&B party to the main stage as the sun set, allowing for some anticipated cool, festival-ready weather. The ensemble all got to showcase their chops with solo sections that brought funk and jazz elements with Bandleader Tomar Williams, who got his start on the Chitlin Circuit as far back as the 80s. The wide array of musicians that made their way to the Utopia Festival became more apparent as the weekend progressed. Armed with horns, a vast percussion section, and voices of utmost soul, the all-out funk session brought the attendees into a glow stick-throwing frenzy. 

Trouble in the Streets

A second helping of Trouble in the Streets was just what the crowd needed to catch their second wind. For this 2nd set of the festival, the Austin electro R&B act performed a completely different set of music, consisting of primarily original tunes, save for a raging cover of Rage Against The Machine’s “Bulls on Parade.” The crowd got rowdy for the side stage set, singing along to every word with the popular Austin band. The crowd exploded when the Austin act slid into the Rage Against The Machine cover track, a cut everyone could be heard singing along to. Synth player Andy Leonard got to shine on the solo section of the track, showcasing his undeniable knack for arranging cover tunes like this and making them the band’s own.

Money Chicha

Friday night closed with a Cumbia jam sesh that served as an ideal closer for attendees to dance the night away. Combining Columbia and Peruvian music sounds, Austin’s Money Chicha brought an all-out dance party armed with auxiliary percussion and no-holds-barred guitar solos. The set also featured psych-rock sensibilities, with lengthy and introspective instrumental jams that show why the Austin music scene has adopted them as a crowd favorite.

Saturday

Saturday kicked off with a performance in the field, dividing the festival grounds and the campsites from Austin staple The Octopus Project. Armed with a guitar, keyboard, and theremin, the Austin electro-psych experts played their way into the solar eclipse. While the music seemed more ambient than their usual high-octane psych and roll jams, the vibe was set immaculately for the impending solar event. When the eclipse was in its complete state, the music stopped, and attendees donned their eclipse glasses and witnessed the “Ring of Fire.” The energy in the air was undeniable. People were amazed and speechless, and you could feel it.

Viben & The Submersibles

Austin’s Viben & The Submersibles served up an early afternoon Scuba Funk spectacle. Frontman Benny Fish always brings his contagious jam-funk energy to every stage, and the Four Sisters Ranch was no exception. Viben and his band have been killing it in the scene for quite some time now, sharing stages with national acts and giving them a run for their money. The Viben ensemble approaches each song with focused emotion while bringing vibes-first energy in the early afternoon of the weekend at the ranch. Fish is a handini on the keys, modulating and jamming his way through every cut.

Andrea Magee

A welcome discovery came in the form of Andrea Magee and her backing band. Based in Austin, Texas, Magee brought an energetic set showcasing her talent and her backing band’s willingness to materialize her mission. Armed with a bodhran drum and a flute, Magee showcased her massive musical diversity by incorporating sounds of World Music while showcasing her Folk/Americana roots. The Austin artist also has a weekly residency at Austin’s C-Boys, appearing every Monday, adding to Austin’s diverse music scene. Magee is also known for being a part of Brian Wilson’s backing band for three years on his solo tour. Andrea Magee and her band killed it in the last set of the afternoon before turning things over for the evening.

The Octopus Project

(Night Set) – The Octopus Project goes all out to showcase everything they’re about for every gig. Bringing entrancing visuals, thumping rhythms, and sprinkles of psychedelia. Since seeing the band multiple times in Austin, the Austin act loves experimenting. The instrumentation that stretches outside rock and roll tradition works to the band’s advantage, making noises that only add to the boiling instrumentation that boggles the mind with every live show—seeing this band with the Hill Country scenery in the background made for a unique spectacle for a pre-headliner highlight.

!!! (Chk Chk Chk)

Nic Offer and !!! (Pronounced Chk Chk Chk) have been at it for ages and are nine albums deep as of 2023. Known for his inclusive dancing stage antics, frontman Nic Offer has kept Chk Chk Chk a steady dance-punk act that can captivate any stage the New York act inhabits. Since stopping in Austin & San Antonio on Chk Chk Chk’s current tour, Offer and the band have kept the spectacle going, making Four Sisters Ranch into a packed dance club for the duration of their set. Offer even went into the Utopia Fest crowd to dance with the audience members, as is tradition for Offer and the gang.

Eclipse Utopia was an opportunity for enormous musical talent and community. It was invaluable for us to see the culture that Utopia Festival has cultivated, with some attendees telling us that they had been attending the festival since its inception. With one big campout left in the bank for April, Travis Sutherland reiterated to the audience after select sets that the community and fandom have kept the festivities alive. Follow Utopiafest on Instagram to keep up with the latest fest news. We’re looking forward Viva Utopia in April!