Friday, March 6, 2026
The Cosmic Clash

prog rock

Megafauna 2026 Michael Worchel
Greg AckermanLive MusicPreview

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

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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.

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Acid Mothers Temple 2 29th St Ballroom Troy Gonzales
Case CockrellLive MusicReview

Live music review: Japan’s Acid Mothers Temple at 29th Street Ballroom with The Macks and ST-37

Case Cockrell 1179 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

Japan’s Acid Mothers Temple returned to Austin for their fourth local appearance in two years at the 29th Street Ballroom in the University of Texas campus area on Sunday, marking another stopover for the band’s constant touring schedule that often has seven shows in seven cities per week. Acid Mothers Temple is a prolific force in the world of psychedelia, bringing their noise-infused brand of the genre through the crossbreeding of progressive rock, drone, and krautrock. For this stop, Acid Mothers Temple enlisted the help of Portland, Oregon garage rock outfit The Macks and local Austin psychedelic institution ST-37. 

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Case CockrellLive MusicReview

Live music review: Levitation 2025 ramble with Pavement, Mastodon, The Black Angels and more

Case Cockrell 1500 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

Levitation Festival 2025 took place September 26 – 28  and marked another successful installment in a new location, with more than 30 acts making their way to Austin for yet another Black Angels-sponsored party featuring talent from all over the world. With a new HQ at Palmer Events Center on Barton Springs Road, the convention center turned into Levitation’s psychedelic playground for three days over the last weekend. Each day of the event brought unique vibes that spanned the festival’s usual suspects, first-timers, and legacy acts, all of which helped bring the star-studded booked talent to life for the three-day, two-stage rager. The Cosmic Clash team made their way to the convention center for the weekend to capture the action and highlight every moment that stood out to us at Palmer.

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The Groanies 2 PLC 2025 Ryan Odom
Greg AckermanLive MusicReview

Live music review: Psych Lake City rocked with The Groanies, Seeking the Sun and Musor

Greg Ackerman 3499 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

One of the aspects of the Salt Lake City music scene that can be appreciated is the strong foundation provided for cutting edge local acts provided by venue operators like annual Urban Lounge event Psych Lake City which took place August 15-16 at the popular downtown spot. Eleven years in, this mini-fest has consistently showcased up and coming psych-rock acts along with psych-adjacent artists. This year’s edition was a perfect example. The Cosmic Clash was on hand for the second evening of performances, as The Groanies, Seeking the Sun and headliners, Musor rocked Urban. The showcase put a spotlight on the quality of young acts SLC has to offer.

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Grandmaster Gala 2025 Troy Gonzales
Case CockrellLive MusicReview

Live music review: Grandmaster Gala Two at Paramount with Nolan Potter and Urban Heat

Case Cockrell 3408 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

The second annual Grandmaster Gala took place at the Paramount Theatre in Austin last Saturday, July 26 bringing the best of the local music scene, band curated visual art, and a sendoff of one of Austin’s most adored acts. The event came as the first time local mega ensemble Grandmaster took the stage at the world-famous venue, bringing a destination event for the band and their peers that have been a part of their meteoric rise in the local scene since their inception in 2023. The event was hosted by Austin show promoter Jake Ames, a task that was not taken lightly to mark a new chapter of Grandmaster and their already loyal local following. 

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Semihelix HSN 2025 13th Floor Troy Gonzales
Greg AckermanLive MusicPhotos

Live music photos: Hot Summer Nights featured Andrew Cashen, Semihelix, Portrayal of Guilt and more

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The Red River Cultural District’s cover-free Hot Summer Nights event took place last weekend in venues all over the downtown neighborhood July 24-26. Nearly 150 primarily Austin-area artists took to the stage at Mohawk, 13th Floor, Elysium, Chess Club and a dozen other RRCD venues. This is the eighth year the neighborhood organization has organized the event which spawned from its original sister event, Free Week which takes place the first week of January each year. Resound Presents founder, Graham Williams is credited with originating that event while he was working as a talent booker at the original Emo’s on Red River and Sixth Street. featured in this photo story is Andrew Cashen and Disciples of Creation, shoegaze/psych rockers, Queen Serene, Pearl Z, Sexpop, Mujeres Podridas, Stop Motion Orchestra, Portrayal of Guilt, Semihelix and lots more.

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White Denim Sagebrush Paul Ramsey landscape
Case CockrellLive MusicReview

Live music review: White Denim delivered epic two set show at Sagebrush

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White Denim appeared earlier this year at Red River Cultural District staple Mohawk, joined by Nolan Potter’s Nightmare Band, and featured a sit-in from guitarist Raze Regal to commemorate their long-awaited joint album Raze Regal and White Denim Inc. Petralli and company opted for far-South Austin haunt Sagebrush on September 26 for their triumphant return to Austin. Not only this, the announcement came with the note that the Austin gig would be a two-set performance, producing a career-spanning evening with the legendary Austin indie rock act. To describe the Thursday night shindig, a word that comes to mind is “Epic.”

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Kilby Block Party 2024
Greg AckermanLive MusicReview

Live music review: Kilby Block Party on day one featured Vampire Weekend and a host of gifted female performers

Greg Ackerman 2904 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

In Salt Lake City one of the most beloved and revered music venues is Kilby Court, the tiny, DIY performance space for which the Kilby Block Party music festival is named. Celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the legendary club, organizers and venue operators, S&S Presents are also marking the fifth year of the festival with another stellar lineup that attracted fans from all over the country to the Utah State Fairpark for what is turning out to be an incredible weekend of musical performances. Friday’s lineup included Vampire Weekend and a host of gifted female performers including; Joanna Newsome, Courtney Barnett, Alvvays and Blondshell among others.

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Chicano Batman APF 2024
Case CockrellLive MusicReview

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

Case Cockrell 2952 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

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.

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Nolan Potter's Nightmare Band
Case CockrellPremiere

Video premiere: Nolan Potter’s Nightmare Band released great new single and clip Dig Me As I Am

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Since restructuring his live ensemble in 2022, Potter and his trusted associates have been performing at a frantic pace, but no signs of new material with the second version of his band have appeared until the release of their new single and self-produced video “Dig Me As I Am.” The single comes as the first offering from the band’s forthcoming new record, The Perils Of Being Trapped Inside A Head, due out April 26.

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White Denim at Mohawk
Case CockrellLive MusicReview

Live music review: White Denim played triumphant homecoming with Nolan Potter at Mohawk

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White Denim returned to their hometown of Austin, for a special homecoming Saturday, February 17. Founding singer, songwriter and guitarist James Petralli is something of a local legend. With over ten records, countless tours, and a now-defunct Austin studio all in his prolific body of work, White Denim has since relocated to Los Angeles, taking his rock vehicle with him and rendering the White Denim name synonymous with his own creative musings. For Saturday night’s gig at Red River Cultural District’s Mohawk, Petralli and company proved that their ties with Austin are indispensable, no matter how far away they go from their once hometown sanctuary. The venue was packed with fans.

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