Live music review: Austin Psych Fest 2026 weekend highlighted Black Angels, Thee Sacred Souls

It’s difficult to chose which day of Austin Psych Fest at Far Out Lounge and Stage was the best so we combined our Saturday and Sunday coverage into a single whopping review. After the elation of The Flaming Lips, it was time to get serious with The Black Angels as they celebrated the 20th Anniversary of their landmark recording, Passover. It was also an opportunity to bask in the glorious harmonies and feel good vibes on Sunday with the soulful tunes of Thee Sacred Souls closing out a Latin-themed day of music that felt made for the unofficial day of rest most Americans think of the beginning of the week as. Indeed, the vibe-shift was welcoming after two days of aural assault from some of the best psych-rock and psych adjacent acts in the world.

Saturday

​An early afternoon storm delayed the start of day two, leading to the cancellation of the first four billed acts. Commercial Breaks, Strange Lot, Dead Canyon Family Reunion, and Grocery Bag didn’t get to perform as planned, an unfortunate circumstance for those coming from out of town looking to brush up on our fruitful local Austindie scene. Catch Strange Lot on tour with Melody’s Echo Chamber this Spring. They’ve got four dates left on this run, including tonight at The Belasco Theater in Los Angeles.

Doors were eventually reopened. Returning spectators were greeted with an empowering presentation by long-running Austin rockers Annabelle Chairlegs. Singer and guitarist Lindsey Mackin isn’t new to performing live; her tranche of pop-psych songs has become local underground standards at this point. If you haven’t kicked up the dust at Hotel Vegas to “Candy Apple Red,” get to a show immediately.

Annabelle recently released their latest LP, Waking Up, featuring production by garage rock legend Ty Segall, who, by ecstatic coincidence, took the main stage next.

Garage rock titan Segall has had an endless amount of musical outlets, sounds, and records over the years. His catalog so big it’d take you ages to truly discover it all. With regular tour stops in Austin as new releases drop, Segall always has new material to offer and explosive roadshows to boot.

For his APF allotment, Ty and his trusted associates delivered some classics while also teasing new material for a potential upcoming record. Ty is still Ty, taking hold of his weapons of mass riffage with a rhythm section that carries the groove into the stratosphere. The smoke never settled for a cool down; it was all bangers for an adoring crowd celebrating the return of a true lifer for the rock and roll revival in which Levitation prides itself.

France’s Melody’s Echo Chamber has been on a steady trajectory since making her debut with the help of super producer and Tame Impala operator Kevin Parker. With Melody Prochet being the namesake and centerpiece for the Echo Chamber, her records feel formative in the world of dreamy psych from across the pond.

With her last Austin stop being at the first installment of Austin Psych Fest since returning to a one-location system in 2023, her devotees were over the cosmic moon for MEC’s return. On their comeback to the LP limelight with 2025’s Unclouded, Prochet and her ensemble enchanted the audience with a somber, yet dynamic sonic voyage that felt on brand for a day full of Levitation frequent flyers. Artists from abroad feel like they’re getting harder to attain stateside these days, and this one felt special.

​Austin Psych Fest and Levitation founders The Black Angels celebrated the 20th anniversary of their seminal debut album Passover on Saturday night, a tall order that came with high stakes for the Austin legends, who have been doing this since 2005. They didn’t fuck around. The album was executed with surgical precision as every member of the group brought their best to the Far Out main stage to bring the Saturday night home.

“Young Men Dead.” “The Prodigal Sun,” “Black Grease,” and “Bloodhounds on My Trail” are among some of the most harrowing compositions the world of neo-psychedelia has ever seen. The Angels spared no expense in making a statement not only for themselves and the festival, but for the Central Texas scene itself.

The encore following the new album playthrough also contained some pieces for a currently unannounced new record. Hopefully, more on that soon?​

We rode out our evening with a super sold-out show featuring Ty Segall for an encore bonus appearance. Ty delivered to a packed-out 13th Floor and sent everyone home with another thrasher onslaught that didn’t let up until the bar closed. A special treat for all the diehards who kept the ride going until the early morning hours.

​Sunday

​An impending late-evening storm pushed forward Sunday’s programming, a decision appreciated for fitting in all the booked talent before another storm rolled in. We spoke to Levitation’s back-of-the-house man, Steve Flynn who related his appreciation for his team’s forethought to leave room in the schedule to adjust to things like bad weather. He explained the crew had enough wiggle room in the planning to move up performances to avoid any acts being rained out. True live music professionals run things in Austin. It’s a widely admired event production commnunity by both their Austin fanbase and working music industry folks.​

The now Central Texas-based power trio, Night Beats unleashed an addictive psychedelic musical onrush, with singer and guitarist Danny Rajan Billingsley recruiting members of Austin instrumental jazz-funk-fusion alchemists Je’Texas to take over bass and drums, carrying his stripped-back psychedelia mission to heart. Despite only having three members to account for, this performance sounded huge. With Night Beats now calling the area home, more is sure to come as Billingsley and his new crew lock in together and keep the wheels turning.

The Latin theme of Sunday made for a day full of infectious dancing and Cumbia sparkle. Following suit came an impossibly fun appearance from Italian psych hardliners Dumbo Gets Mad. By the late afternoon, reality began to set in that this was the final stretch of the festival. It goes to show that time flies when the music’s great and the aura is bright. More dancing could be seen in the crowd as every last drop of zest was poured out to run out the clock on the remaining expedition time.

 

La Lom, (Short for Los Angeles League of Musicians), continued the vibes with a 60-minute jam session that showcased remarkable instrumental mechanics that seamlessly flowed with Sunday’s theme. Even on a Sunday, with fumes running low, the vibes and emotions were high, and the jams kept the energy going.

​For the weekend’s final stand, San Diego’s Thee Sacred Souls took the stage for the closing ceremony. Built off a trio; Vocalist, Josh Lane, drummer Alejandro Garcia, and bassist Sal Samano, the ‘Souls bring a mega ensemble to fully bring the dream to life, back up singers, keyboardist, horn section, percussionists, all the works. Lane’s leading man expertise extends across the whole stage to that of a conductor; every move feels calculated and rehearsed to the level of a stadium-performance production.

They delivered numbers accounted for each sound masterfully, something a little different for all of the Levitation loyalists in attendance. When things got closer to the 9 p.m. ending time, lightning started to appear in the sky, signaling the dreaded storm about to appear. Thee Sacred Souls promptly tied things up, and the crowd scattered to beat the eventual downpour. An appropriate ending for the best festival in Austin that plans for the worst when it comes to the perils of Mother Nature.

 

APF wrapped with a late-night show at 13th Floor featuring The Black Angels’ Christian Bland & the Revelators, local noise punk outfit Fuck Money, and “Funhouse,” a Stooges tribute group featuring the likes of Jake Garcia (Black Angels), Gus Baldwin (The Sketch), Billie Buck (Sailor Poon), and Damien Llanes (Je’Texas).

Austin Psych Fest will return in 2027 with Levitation happening in the Fall, September 10 – 13. Early-bird tickets go on sale soon, with the Fall lineup coming soon. Visit the Levitation website for the most up-to-date information.

Featured photo by Drew Doggett