Preview – The Cosmic Clash

Live music preview: Seven bands to see at Austin Psych Fest 2026 at Far Out

April 23, 2026 Case Cockrell 44 Views Austin Psych Fest, Boogarins, Christian Bland, Dead Canyon Family Reunion, DIIV, dream pop, Elysium, Far Out Lounge, Gran Moreno, Gus Baldwin, Holy Wave, Levitation, Melody's Echo Chamber, New Candys, Night Beats, psych-rock, psychgaze, rock n roll, space rock, The Black Angels

The 2026 edition of Austin Psych Fest returns on May 8 – May 10 to the Far Out Lounge & Stage, their fourth consecutive Spring edition since reviving the original brand to a one-location format. With an all-star lineup from all over the psychedelic and indie rock spectrum, acts from all over the world will make their way to South Austin at Far Out’s massive backyard for a two-stage, no-overlap, three-day, rock and roll shindig designed with the true music fan in mind. Stage visuals will include projections from Mad Alchemy, Slim Reaper, TV Eye, Attic Space, and more. The fest will also feature satellite events to kick off the weekend and late-night shows in downtown Austin after Far Out programming concludes.

Culture Live Preview

Live event preview: Fairy Fest 420 or No Tech Bros at the Altar of Frankie G

April 17, 2026 Robert Dean 451 Views Austin, Austin event, Coven Nightlife, culture, Fairy Fest, femme, Frankie G, LBGTQA+, live event, Pease Park, preview

And at the altar of groove, with her candles burning bright, is Frankie G, Austin’s Grand Madame of the Night. She’s a little bit Elysium — our beloved goth institution — but also lurid, international, mysterious, and a girl’s girl who wants to upend the system. Her parties go viral because she curates them for energy, for women to feel like goddesses and the algorithm is noticing. Monday’s upcoming Fairy Fest at Pease Park is a good example. The 420 themed party has this description on their ticketing page:

Thr Groanies 1 SLC Urban Lounge Ryan Wesley Odom

Greg Ackerman Live Music Preview

Live music preview: SLC act The Groanies dropped new EP, album release show April 10

April 5, 2026 Greg Ackerman 603 Views album release, album review, Church and State, garage psych, garage rock, live music, Musor, new music, psych-rock, punk rock, Salt Lake City, SLC, SLC music, The Groanies

One of the first Salt Lake City acts we saw after dipping into the SLC underground music scene was The Groanies who played Urban Lounge a couple years back. The garage punks impressed with a hard hitting set that had us coming back for more the next time the group played at International Bar. Then we caught ’em again at Urban’s Psych Lake City event. We were hooked. This up and coming band, hit us right in our garage-psych sweet spot. Naturally we were thrilled when The Groanies dropped a new EP this week and announced an album release show with Musor and Skrude on Friday, April 10 at Church and State. Advance tickets are available in the link or click the poster to grab your $10 ticket to what promises to be a fun night. The band let us know they organized a taco truck along with ice cream and coffee vendors.

Case Cockrell Live Music Preview

Live music preview: Six SXSW 2026 day parties music fans should show up for

March 12, 2026 Case Cockrell 1451 Views 13th Floor, Bikini Beach, Caitlin King, Club X, Cosmic Plants Clash, day parties, Fleet Coffee, Grocery Bag, J Graves, Killer Kaya, live music, Megan From Work, mohawk, music festival, Nug, Pink Fuzz, preview, Semihelix, So Many Cults, South by Southwest, Sunshine Spazz, SXSW, The Cavalier, This is Lorelei, Water From Your Eyes, Webberville Block Party

What’s South By Southwest (SXSW) without daytime shenanigans? For each year’s SXSW installment, different activations pop up all over the city to bring SX-goers daytime programming before things switch over to an all-official format. These “Day Parties” mostly feature cover-free programming, sometimes featuring official SXSW artists who give non-credentialed music fans opportunities to join in the festivities during the week. All listed events occur between 12 p.m. and 7 p.m., are free for attendees, require no badge, and are subject to capacity. Make sure to RSVP for seamless entry to the events. For a larger list of SXSW day parties, head to our curated list of the best events to hit up.

Case Cockrell Live Music Preview

Live music preview: Six more buzz bands to see at SXSW 2026

March 10, 2026 Case Cockrell 1725 Views Annabelle Chairlegs, Austin Music, Bikini Beach, buzz bands, electronic music, experimental music, garage rock, live music, Marijuana Death Squads, new music, Nug, Pink Breath of Heaven, post-punk, preview, psych-rock, punk rock, rock n roll, shoegaze, SXSW, SXSW 2026

The 2026 South By Southwest (SXSW) music festival is days away. The roster of music festival artists can seem overwhelming at first glance. With a lineup that can satisfy every kind of music lover, The Cosmic Clash is bringing you six more buzz bands you should put on your list for the upcoming long week of music in Austin. All set times, along with venues, can be found on the SXSW website and the SXSW GO mobile application.

Case Cockrell Live Music Preview

Live music preview: Six buzz bands to see at SXSW 2026

March 5, 2026 Case Cockrell 2174 Views buzz bands, Geordie Greep, goth, gothic music, Hot Garbage, Jacuzzi, no wave, Pons, progressive jazz, psych-rock, rock n roll, Rosgarden Funeral Party, shoegaze, South by Southwest, Spoonbenders, SXSW

The 2026 edition of South By Southwest (SXSW) is fast approaching with the festival running March 12-18. The list of acts making their way to Austin for the seven-day music festival spans multiple genres and geographic origins. With this in mind, The Cosmic Clash team has curated a group of official artists or buzz bands we think you should put on your list for the long week of around-the-clock music. With a smaller setup than previous years, the SXSW music programming will offer a touch-and-go path for locals and travelers alike to see an array of both tenured and up-and-coming talent. All set times, along with venues, can be found on the SXSW website and the SXSW GO mobile app.

Culture Greg Ackerman Preview

SXSW preview: Flatstock offers unparalleled free fine art show to fans

February 26, 2026 Greg Ackerman 1471 Views Billy Perkins, culture, fine art, Flatstock, live music, poster art, preview, printmaking, South by Southwest, SXSW

As a purveyor of good music, The Cosmic Clash rarely discusses visual art as we’re usually busy telling readers about music we love. Fans already know, visual art is a relevant component of the independent music scene that matters to us. Flatstock, the fine art poster show that has been present at South by Southwest (SXSW) as long as we can remember. In fact, Flatstock has been around since their first exhibition in San Francisco in 2002. The show features hand-printed and limited-edition poster art by over 50 artists and studios from around the globe for sale – all of whom will be in attendance to interact with visitors directly. The location this year is new as the Austin Convention Center is a pile of rubble at the moment. The new location at Moonlight Exhibit Hall is in the Austin Marriott Downtown (304 E Cesar Chavez St.) on March 13-15, 2026 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

Case Cockrell Live Music Preview

Live music preview: Austin Psych Fest returns to Far Out May 8 with stacked lineup

February 5, 2026 Case Cockrell 948 Views Adrian Quesada, Al-Qasar, Annabelle Charles, APF, Austin Psych Fest, Boogarins, DIIV, Dumbo Gets Mad, Flaming Lips, Glaze, Grocery Bag, La Lom, Latin psych, Levitation, live music, Momma, Money Chicha, New Candys, Night Beats, preview, psych-rock, rock n roll, The Black Angels, Thee Sacred Souls, Trish Toledo

Austin Psych Fest returns this Spring on May 8 – May 10 to the Far Out Lounge & Stage, bringing yet another Spring festival edition to South Austin and a stacked three-day lineup. The 3-day festival will feature APF legacy acts and underground picks that showcase yet another year of reverberation appreciation from the Austin homegrown festival. The lineup features acts from all over the world to commemorate its fourth Spring edition since the return to an annual Springtime, one-location, two-stages, no-overlap festival experience. This one is a music fan’s dream format. All tickets can be purchased on the Levitation website.

Greg Ackerman Live Music Preview

Live music preview: Megafauna and Slomo Drags premiere singles, play Mohawk February 6

February 3, 2026 Greg Ackerman 975 Views 101X Homegrown, Andrew Cashen, Austin, DJ Dead Flowers, hard rock, indie pop, live music, Megafauna, mohawk, new music, preview, prog rock, psych-rock, rock n roll, Slomo Drags, song premiere, Transit Method

This Friday, January 6 Andrew Cashen and Disciples of Creation are set to headline Mohawk. We love Cashen’s solo act as well as his other projects, A Giant Dog and Tear Dungeon but we’re here to tell you about a couple of impressive singles dropping this week from veteran Austin acts, Megafauna and Slomo Drags who are on the bill with the singer. Both bands have new songs to share with fans while they prepare to release more material in 2026 and perform for fans Friday evening at the crown jewel of Red River Cultural District rock clubs. The entire bill is worthy of any real Austin music fan’s attention with the three aforementioned artists, along with Transit Method and DJ Dead Flowers. The whole shebang is presented by 101X Homegrown and show host John Laird who knows a thing or two about Austin music.

Live Music Preview Robert Dean

Live music preview: Matt Pryor of The Get Up Kids is coming to 13th Floor

January 8, 2026 Greg Ackerman 1417 Views 13th Floor, concert, Emo, Emo rock, indie rock, live music, Matt Pryor, new music, preview, rock n roll, Semihelix, singer songwriter, The Get Up Kids, The New Amsterdams, The Salton Sea

I have a deep love for The Get Up Kids. Their 1999 classic Something to Write Home About is an all-timer for me—one of those records that somehow still hits the same decades later. (I’ve been caught hoarse-singing along to “Action-Action” more than once in my life.) So when word came down that frontman Matt Pryor is dropping back into town, armed with nothing but an acoustic guitar, I was immediately in.

Case Cockrell Live Music Preview

Live music preview: Free Week starts January 9 with over 80 bands

January 6, 2026 Case Cockrell 1257 Views 13th Floor, Billy King and the Bad Bad Bad, concert, Cormae, Elysium, Free Week, Grocery Bag, live music, Mineral, mohawk, Mountain Time, music festival, Parker Woodland, preview, Red River Cultural District, RRCD, Stubb's, The Bright Light Social Hour, The Oxys, Valhalla

Free Week in Austin’s Red River Cultural District returns this coming weekend on January 9 and 10, bringing yet another array of cover-free showcases to the downtown area to kick off 2026 with live music from the city’s fruitful scene. The event will feature a baker’s dozen venues and over 80 performing artists to showcase Austin’s nightlife. The RRCD is managed by the Red River Merchants’ Association, a coalition of over forty local small businesses found within the District, which include not only live music venues, restaurants, hotels, retail shops, and other small businesses, but also the Austin Symphony Orchestra, First Baptist Church, German-Texan Heritage Society, and Waterloo Greenway.

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