Live music review: Eclectic Austin Psych Fest returned to Far Out Lounge last weekend

The Spring installment of Austin Psych Fest returned last weekend to the Far Out Lounge & Stage for a three-day, two-stage, no-overlap experience that brought over 30 acts to Texas for an eclectic weekend of music from all across the trippy psychedelic spectrum. Event organizers, Levitation was, in part founded by local psych rock revivalists, The Black Angels, but the local organization has become much more over the years. Levitation has since hosted its independent record label, The Reverberation Appreciation Society. The label has seen releases from bands like Osees, Acid Dad, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Wine Lips, and more. For this year’s Austin Psych Fest, the goods were brought to the Far Out Lounge for a massive outdoor festival experience that didn’t let up until the sound curfew kicked in Sunday night. The weekend included kickoff parties, late nights, and more outside the regular festival programming. Here’s what stood out to us over the multi-day event. 

Brainstory’s afternoon dance party

Early in the Austin Psych Fest festivities, California trio Brainstory delivered a full-bodied afternoon that bore many influences while maintaining a reverbed, psychedelic overlay. The Los Angeles band was only a week removed from their latest LP, Sounds Good, and were charged up to bring their brand of soulful psychedelia to the Austin audience. Since Brainstory was formed by brothers Kevin and Tony Martin plus Eric Hagstrom, the onstage chemistry shows the group playing off each other in a way that only a lifelong brotherly bond could produce, slamming out tune after tune that showed their dedication to their bodies of work that have been coming steadily since their debut in 2019. The set was funky and made for some early-day dancing for the rapidly trickling-in crowd for the first day of Psych Fest.

A Psychedelic Porn Crumpets Friday night onslaught

Australia’s Psychedelic Porn Crumpets have never sounded more high-octane than on their new full-length release, Fronzoli. Right when you hit play, “Nootmare (K.I.L.L.I.N.G) Meow!” busts out of the gate with an onslaught of shredding guitars and progressive drum fills that will have you floored in an instantaneous fuzzy guitar freakout. When the Porn Crumpets took the stage, the vibes were as frantic as they were infectiously exciting.

While some might compare the Aussie band’s juiced-up psychedelic sound to that of King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, the musicianship of Psychedelic Porn Crumpets sets them apart, showcasing song-by-song technical ability that made the crowd frenzy at the venue’s main stage. Frontman and chief songwriter Jack McEwan’s composed pieces have gotten even more abstract with each new entry, accepting the help of his powerhouse ensemble to make their live appearances unbridled, face-melting extravaganzas – and Friday night at Psych Fest was no exception.

Courtney Barnett and her triumphant trio

When Melbourne’s Courtney Barnett took the stage and took the first guitar strum, we knew we were in for a punchy singer/songwriter treat. Joined by bassist Zach Dawes and Warpaint drummer Stella Mozgawa, Barnett took the stage at Austin Psych Fest with nothing but the bangers. “Avant Gardener” and “Pedestrian at Best” appeared, resulting in copious amounts of crowd energy that made the entire Far Out crowd look like Barnett diehards. The sound was loud for the Friday night set, eliminating any chances of the performance being just your average singer/songwriter excursion. The set didn’t feature Sunday performer Kurt Vile, but Barnett’s set made a spectral statement nonetheless.

Metz’s late-night thrill ride

After programming at Far Out concluded on Friday night, it was a race downtown to witness Canadian noise punk outfit Metz at Parish in the downtown east side. This month, The Ottawa trio released their newest record, Up On Gravity Hill, showing a robust progression for the noisemakers. Frontman/guitarist Alex Edkins has been developing his riffing craft for several LPs and projects to date, including the melodically noisy side act Weird Nightmare, who recently released a self-titled LP. With the new release, the band has experimented with longer and more complex song structures while still retaining the relentless catharsis that the band has accustomed their rabid audience to. Taking the stage well after midnight, the set featured crowd favorites “Get Off” and “Headache” while also serving up the new tune “99,” which propelled a crowd reaction like it was one of the classics. “The Swimmer” also appeared, highlighting another fan-favorite that made for roof-blowing energy on Friday night.

Tokyo’s Minami Deutsch shreds on Saturday afternoon

Since Kikagaku Moyo’s Austin stop on their farewell tour acted as the litmus test for the Fall before the return of Austin Psych Fest in 2022, Japanese psych rock has been on the local scene’s mind with each Levitation installment. Minami Deutsch is armed with two guitars, a bass, and drums. The guitar rock mastery from across the pond is readily evident for the Japanese band, and each song in the Saturday set built on the next. The set featured cathartic instrumental jams, alliterated, panicked vocal passages, and searing guitar solos that made for a refreshing splash of the tastefully emulated blend of world music and psychedelia. The retro callbacks in the set showed a unique sonic angle that captivated the springtime festival installment.

Frankie & The Witch Fingers serve up a primetime ripper

Los Angeles psych punk act Frankie & The Witch Fingers have become a genre favorite. Formed originally in Indiana as a solo project of frontman/guitarist Dylan Sizemore, the band has been solidified with drummer Nick Aguilar, bassist Nikki Pickle, and lead guitarist/synth operator Josh Menashe. Since the release of the Witch Fingers’ seventh studio album, Data Doom, they’ve been on a massive tear of countless shows that have seen the band crossing paths with Austin to the point of calling it their home away from home.

The crowd came mosh-ready when the West Coast rockers took the stage, ready to party with Frankie once more. “Empire” opened the set as a several-minute epic that serves as a new mission statement for the group. The current lineup shows the band in pure form, “Futurephobic” followed, also from the new record that got the pit going in full force. The looks the psych and roll band gave the audience and each other made their joy clear and present; they were visibly stoked, and the crowd was too.

King Tuff and J. Mascis brought the heavy with Witch

J. Mascis from Dinosaur Jr. also plays drums in Witch. Since performing a career-spanning set as Dinosaur Jr. at South By Southwest 2024, the legendary indie rocker returned to Austin to deliver stoner metal perfection, joined by none other than garage rock demigod Kyle Thomas, professionally known as King Tuff. Although the combo’s recorded output is sparse, the message has become one of the genre’s most revered collaborations since its first release in 2006.

“Rip Van Winkle” and “Seer” made crowd-pleasing appearances, but not before a couple new tunes from the California heavy hitters that might be progressing towards their first new release since 2008’s Paralyzed. King Tuff’s vocals with Witch differ significantly from his garage project, showing the singer channeling mannerisms of Matt Pike and Kevin “Uncle Acid” Starrs.

The Black Angels keep fans guessing with the deep cuts

The Black Angels appeared for the 16th anniversary of their festival, ready to present something different for their hometown. The Black Angels are currently assembled by frontman Alex Maas, guitarist Christian Bland, drummer Stephanie Bailey, bassist and guitarist Jake Garcia, and the occasional instrumentalist for each stint of the Austin band’s live performances. The Austin Psych Fest headlining set featured Garcia’s longtime friend and collaborator, Rene Villanueva, taking over different instruments throughout the set.

Taking Saturday evening’s headlining duties, the band took the stage shortly before 11 pm and opened with unreleased cut “Molly Moves My Generation,” throwing the crowd for a loop with a tune that hasn’t appeared on any studio releases to date.  The usual bangers appeared with “Currency” and “Young Men Dead,” with “Tired Eyes” off Clear Lake Forest EP making its first setlist appearance since 2016. Another surprise came in the form of “Always Maybe.” The headlining set drifted between the hits and the deep cuts, allowing for a double Wilderness of Mirrors closing segment of the anthemic “Empires Falling” and the menacing “Without A Trace” as the clock was ticking closer and closer to curfew.

Alex Maas appears again for a Sunday special

The Black Angels frontman doesn’t rest. Shortly after the gates opened on Sunday, Maas appeared on stage alongside a star-studded cast to perform some tunes from his solo ventures. Jake Garcia also took the stage with Maas, joined by Golden Dawn Arkestra drummer Robb Kidd and guitarist Bryan Ritchie, formerly of legendary Austin metal act The Sword. An Alex Maas show retains The Black Angels’ mind-expanding elements, but with a more bare-bones approach that makes you think and listen rather than headbang from within the wall of sound. Since the release of Maas’ solo album Luca, named after his daughter, who was born in 2018, songs like “Slip Into” feel like an obvious homage to Austin psych forefathers The 13th Floor Elevators & Roky Erikson, along with Maas’ self-reflective nature that allows his solo journey’s stripped-back approach to still reign true to his 60s musical aura. It felt like a fitting occurrence to commemorate the last day of Psych Fest. 

Kurt Vile’s Introspective Comedown

When Philly’s Kurt Vile took the stage on Sunday, the thought came over attendees that the weekend was winding down. It had been an excellent weekend for APF in South Austin, and Kurt Vile was here to participate in the closing ceremonies. Vile turned up onstage with his backing band, The Violators, who were plugged in and ready to shred. “Walkin on a Pretty Day” felt like an ideal opener for the Sunday set, helping the audience to reflect on three days of musical indulgence. Kurt Vile’s influences are all over the map, touching on psychedelic rock, folk, and country, all tied together to make one big ruminative spectacle. It didn’t take long for the crowd to be contained in total bliss, as the cloud overcast produced bits of rain that came and went throughout the performance. Even if Courtney Barnett didn’t step in for some of the duo’s collaborative Lotta See Lice cuts, Vile and his trusted associates delivered.

Alvvays drops 18 to put a bow on the weekend

The final set of the weekend didn’t disappoint. Toronto’s Alvvays (Pronounced “Always”) has been on a steady but effective trajectory since their formation in 2011. Despite the Canadian act being a mere three studio albums deep, the indie outfit slashed through a whopping 18 songs to set the audience off in an off-the-charts-energy presentation. The vast majority of the set contained cuts from 2022 LP Blue Rev, a record that saw critical acclaim as one of the benchmark releases for the genre of that year. The set didn’t come without “Archie, Marry Me” from Alvvays’ self-titled debut, allowing for a bit of indie nostalgia for the closing set. Frontwoman Molly Rankin’s angelic vocal delivery is more than agreeable female-fronted strummy indie rock. She owns it and gives her refined rock and roll edge, and the cuts kept coming at rapid fire before the set hit its end without an encore.

Austin Psych Fest will return in 2025 with LEVITATION 2024 happening in Austin over Halloween weekend this Fall. All information can be found via the Levitation website. 

All photos by Drew Doggett