Live music review: Fourth Austin Psych Fest at Far Out Lounge was a rousing success
Austin Psych Fest 2026 marked another festival at far S. Congress Avenue mega-backyard, The Far Out Lounge and Stage. It brought the fourth spring edition since the brand’s 2023 return, featuring a star-studded lineup and a two-stage, no-overlapping performances setup. The Cosmic Clash team was on-site all weekend and highlighted what stood out over the three-day stint in South Austin and the satellite showcases in the Red River Cultural District.
Find our APF days two and three coverage here at The Cosmic Clash in our next story -Editor
Thursday Kickoff – Mohawk
Mohawk in the RRCD hosted a stacked lineup for the kickoff to Austin Psych Fest, bringing both local and touring acts to send attendees into the weekend which set the course for the following days. Gus Baldwin & The Sketch showed up to open the bill, an appearance that is always appreciated as Baldwin and his all-star band always bring the heat when they lug their gear to any given venue. The music is fast and fuzzy, showcasing the group’s boundless creativity and keeping the tunes coming since their 2022 inception.
Seattle noise rockers Monsterwatch made their first Austin appearance since 2019, an event anticipated since the release of their debut studio LP, The Head. The record had been delayed by the pandemic and other logistics, but the album eventually saw the light of day. The Pacific Northwesterners brought a raucous set of tunes to warm the crowd up for Los Angeles psych punk extraordinaries Frankie & The Witch Fingers.
The Frankie quintet has been on a hell-raising tear since the music world emerged from the pandemic highlighted by an opening slot with Foo Fighters in Bridgeport, Connecticut on April 28. The group periodically release studio albums, singles, and live releases to a dedicated fanbase that keep their touring schedule packed.
Frankie fans give full energy at every live show. Mohawk was no exception. Circle pits and stage dives were consistent throughout the show. Lead vocalist and guitarist Dylan Sizemore has mentioned to us how much the group enjoys playing Austin, citing their out of control show at Parish with Portland’s Spoon Benders that TCC co-hosted with Resound Presents as one of their best ATX gigs.
The set closer was a highlight—a tastefully aggressive cover of Nirvana’s “Breed.” Monsterwatch vocalist John Spinney got on stage with the band while RVRB Records label head Harry Portnof joined on guitar. Yep, this amazingly fun show set the tone for the weekend.
Friday
Brazil’s Boogarins made a triumphant return to the Levitation field on Friday evening, bringing a tornado of shredding guitars and good vibes in the early evening hours. The history of Boogarins in Austin is indubitable. With a timeline that shows them taking up residency in the live music capital in the late-2010s, the Texas psych sound is readily apparent in their DNA.
The Austin connection even resulted in striking up a friendship with Black Pumas guitarist Adrian Quesada, who sat in for a tune during the Friday set. Quesada is producing their next record according to multiple people we talked to at APF.
New York City shoegazers DIIV made a main-stage appearance at the festival, delivering a highly immersive set with textural sonic architecture that showed they’re staying fresh for another coveted Austin appearance and a return to the Levitation sphere after a decade-long break. The performance featured luscious walls of sound, ethereal vocal deliveries, and tension builds that often culminated in flanging catharsis, breaking out into the first moshes of the weekend at Far Out. Some crypto jokes were also thrown in there, go figure.
Oklahoma’s world-renowned art rock institution, The Flaming Lips soared into town for a rare South Austin performance. With their last appearance in the ATX being an anniversary celebration of their landmark release Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, the Wayne Coyne-led company came and did what they were enlisted to do – bring a spectacle and radiate some much-needed positivity. “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots” Pts. 1 and 2 appeared, along with the ceremonious entries “She Don’t Use Jelly,” and “Do You Realize??.”
An epic finale for the evening took hold as a faithful tribute to Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath with a sing-along of “War Pigs.” All the expected inflatables, confetti, and laser lights were employed to thunderous audience response, all adding up to palpable joy felt throughout the Far Out grounds. A beyond-permissible cap to the first night of Psych Fest shenanigans.
APF had a special guest on Friday as progressive Congressman Greg Casar joined the party to watch Wayne Coyne and company do their Flaming Lips party for the psych rock faithful. Who doesn’t like the fun, positive vibe of the Lips? Turns out even politicians do.
All photos by Drew Doggett and Troy Gonzales for The Cosmic Clash. Featured photo by Drew Doggett
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