Saturday, November 14, 2026

psych-rock

Brian HillsmanLive MusicReview

Live music review: Halloween at Far Out Lounge with The Jesus and Mary Chain, Protomartyr and more

On a warm, humid Halloween evening last month, South Austin’s Far Out Lounge was nearly overflowing with show-goers as the venue hosted another impressive live-music presentation with The Jesus and Mary Chain, Protomartyr, Austin acts; Daiistarr, Holy Wave, Blushing, and Commercial Breaks rounded out the bill. DJ Tropicana Joe kept things moving between sets. It felt like Far Out kind of saved Halloween for psych rock fans in Austin.

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Greg AckermanLive MusicPreview

Live music preview: Austin psych rockers Holy Wave set to play International Bar November 18

Longtime Austin psych rockers, Holy Wave are set to play International Bar in downtown Salt Lake City on November 18. The foursome from El Paso who have been making music in Central Texas for about two decades come with a beautiful album in tow, I’m DADA which will easily make our list best Austin albums of 2026.

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Case CockrellLive MusicPreview

Live music preview: A Jesus and Mary Chain Halloween at Far Out Lounge and Stage

The last time the Jesus and Mary Chain played Austin, it was Levitation Festival on Halloween weekend in 2022, at Stubb’s, with Protomartyr on the undercard. Both bands return October 31 for Halloween, this time to the Far Out Lounge & Stage in South Austin, with Holy Wave, DAIISTAR, Blushing and Commercial Breaks filling out the night. Tickets for the show are available directly from Far Out Lounge or the JAMC website.

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Case CockrellLive MusicReview

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

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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Live MusicReviewRoger Stafford

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

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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April DawneLive MusicReview

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

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

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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Case CockrellLive MusicPreview

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

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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Case CockrellLive MusicPreview

Live music preview: Six bands to see as Levitation returns to multi-venue format

Levitation returns to Austin September 10-13. Founded by members of The Black Angels and rooted in the city’s psych scene, the fest outgrew that single genre label a long time ago, with lineups running doom metal, darkwave, punk, and electronic acts alongside the psychedelic elements. After centering 2025 at Palmer Event Center, it’s back to the multi-venue format that’s anchored the fest since 2018. The Far Out Lounge & Stage on South Congress carries 2026’s main programming, with showcases scattered across downtown filling out the rest. Here’s who’s worth building your schedule around curated by The Cosmic Clash team. 

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Case CockrellLive MusicReview

Live music review: King Gizzard’s Field of Vision nights two and three with no song repeats

King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard don’t rest. The Melbourne sextet closed out the second Field of Vision Festival with two more three-hour sets on August 15 and 16, pushing deeper into the Meadow Creek grounds in Buena Vista, Colorado they’d already claimed as their own. They’d fired the first shot on day one: a surprise drop of their 28th LP, Alien Metal, with zero warning. Then came the dare. “No song repeats,” the band promised Friday night, and fans spent the rest of the weekend hunting for new-album cuts and deep tracks to see if that promise would hold. Field of Vision was three of only seven U.S. tour dates. There was no room to coast.

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April DawneLive MusicReview

Live music review: Diary of a Perimenopausal Gal at King Gizzard’s Field of Vision Festival

It’s almost 1 a.m. and our ride is coming at 4:30 a.m. My chest is tight from not knowing if I have everything done at home and at work, but it is what it is. When I wake up from my short nap, it’ll be go time to head from Austin to Colorado for King Gizzard’s second Field of Vision Festival in Buena Vista August 14-16. The psych rock, metal, electronic and rock n roll band from Australia has become a touring phenomenon.

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