Thursday, October 1, 2026
The Cosmic Clash

live music

Khemmis 3 Ripplefest Six Justin Clark
Case CockrellLive MusicReview

Live music review: Ripplefest Six Goes Doom for a Weekend at Far Out Lounge

Case Cockrell 184 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

Ripplefest returned to South Austin’s Far Out Lounge September 17 through 20 for its sixth year of doom metal excess. The crowd came ready for all the sludgey riffs they could handle. Founded by Ryan Garney of Lick of My Spoon Productions, the festival has built a name as a family reunion for the stoner doom metal scene, pulling bands in from across the globe. The Cosmic Clash team was on the ground for all the Ripplefest action. Here’s what stuck with us.

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Stick Men 1 13th Floor Troy Gonzales
Live MusicReviewRoger Stafford

Live music review: supergroup Stick Men with Oogwei at 13th Floor

Roger Stafford 232 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

What could bring out a crowd of experienced music lovers on a hot, sticky Tuesday, September 8 night? The progressive mastery of Stick Men. With Tony Levin on Chapman stick, Markus Reuter on touch guitar and Pat Mastelotto on drums, they are one of those three piece bands that somehow create a much larger sound than should be possible. The trio played a well crafted and substantial set supporting their September release of Let’s Thrak Again. This album is a direct descendant of King Crimson’s Thrak and that relationship set the musical agenda for the evening.

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Squid Pisser 3 Lost Well Troy Gonzales
Case CockrellLive MusicReview

Live music review: Squid Pisser hosted packed metal lineup at Lost Well

Case Cockrell 274 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

Los Angeles hardcore supergroup Squid Pisser hosted a packed lineup at Austin metal stronghold The Lost Well on Thursday, August 27, bringing their horror-infused attack to town. The masked outfit shares members with GWAR, Cancer Christ, Duck Duck Goose, and more. The Lost Well’s Airport Boulevard location is thoroughly broken in now, the bookings keep stacking up, and the underground metal scene keeps flourishing under the ownership of longtime Austin venue operators Marcello and Tasha Murphy.

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Live MusicReviewRobert Dean

Live music review: Nevermind the Bollocks, Here’s My Sex Pistols Review

Robert Dean 438 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

Getting your first copy of Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols is a rite of passage for kids getting into punk rock. Somewhere around 13–16 years old, everyone manages to get a copy of that record, either as a gift, a burned CD, or because someone’s hot older sister shoved it into your hands. Well, that’s how it went in my day. Now we’ve got playlists and Spotify, so the natural order of things has changed. But whatever. Kids are still finding out about the Sex Pistols, and that’s always a good thing like they did September 12 at Emo’s.

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Bikini Kill 4 Levitation 2026 Justin Clark
Brian HillsmanLive MusicReview

Live music review: Opening Levitation night with Bikini Kill, Die Spitz, Gibby Haynes Butthole Surfers Mania

Brian Hillsman 545 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

Levitation 2026 officially kicked off on Friday, September 11. South Austin’s Far Out Lounge hosted a doozy of an opening night, featuring a Butthole Surfers reunion show—officially deemed Gibby Haynes: Butthole Surfers Mania —that stunned, followed  by Die Spitz, and Bikini Kill. The show was completely sold out.

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Cabaret Voltaire by Pooneh Ghana for Lev 26-07988
April DawneLive MusicReview

Live music review: Peter Hook, Cabaret Voltaire thrilled at Far Out Lounge for Levitation 2026

April Dawne 634 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

I like to think of myself as a diehard rock and roll lover who does what she can to see and do all the things. Sometimes that’s easy and sometimes life gets in the way. Be it money problems, work schedules, personal issues, you name it, they come up as reasons not to leave the house, much less attend a music festival, but when it’s one of your favorite festivals, Levitation which took place last weekend in Austin, you find a way to rally.

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Case CockrellLive MusicReview

Live Music Review: Reverb Appreciators Survived the Heat at Levitation 2026

Case Cockrell 559 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

Levitation Festival returned to Austin this past weekend (September 10-13), bringing a stacked international lineup back to a multi-venue format for its 2026 edition, with showcases scattered across the city. The bill pulled in longtime regulars, first-time festivalgoers, and a handful of acts making their first Central Texas appearance since they formed. Oppressive heat ran through all four days as the festival’s defining backdrop, but it didn’t stop Levitation from delivering for its loyal reverb appreciators once more, extending a run that’s outlasted a wave of beloved festivals in an increasingly unstable independent music scene. The Cosmic Clash team was on the ground for all four days. Here’s part one of what stuck with us.

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ReviewTroy Gonzales

Single review: Wild Heaven’s “One To Go” Is a Slow Burn With Teeth

Case Cockrell 617 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

Who said lightning doesn’t strike twice in the same place? We have once again been given the privilege of previewing

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Levitation 2023 Daniel Cavazos
Case CockrellLive MusicPreview

Live music preview: Seven more bands to see at Levitation 2026

Case Cockrell 663 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

Levitation 2026 is coming up fast, and with programming scattered across Austin, a tight plan is a necessity if you want to catch everything worth catching. The festival will take place over a four day stretch on September 10 – 13, bringing a wide variety of bands to build a packed fest experience. The festival traces back to The Black Angels and founder Rob Fitzpatrick, who’s kept the lineups deep and eclectic year after year. Here’s another round of seven bands curated by The Cosmic Clash team worth building your schedule around. Set times and tickets are on the Levitation website.

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The Rupert Selection 1 Cabot Matt Bass
Live MusicMatt BassReview

Live music review: The Rupert Selection Turns Off Cabot Into Evening to Remember

Matt Bass 546 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

Do you ever leave a show and have that moment of realization that you just witnessed something really special? That was the vibe walking out of Off Cabot this past Sunday (8/23) after The Rupert Selection, Bad Larrys, Spinworld, and a surprise set by Reilly Somach + The Frozen Ponies rocked the sold-out downtown club in Beverly, Massachusetts, all while the sun was still out. The event was a benefit for Reilly who’d been diagnosed with cancer. 

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Social Distortion 3 Moody Amp Robert Deanpng
Live MusicReviewRobert Dean

Live music review: Social Distortion Sang Their Hearts Out at Moody Amphitheater

Robert Dean 717 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

Attending Social Distortion’s show at the Moody Amphitheater, on August 28, it was probably my tenth time seeing the band. I know what to expect at one of those shows: lots of gray hair, lots of parents trying to pass on their music to their kids, and those on the come up looking back to the classics as something of their own. Catching Australia’s The Chats was a plus;

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