Review – Page 6 – The Cosmic Clash

Live music review: Nuclear Daisies make a splash at Hotel Vegas

November 3, 2025 Robert Dean 1516 Views album release, Brit rock, dance party, First Taste of Heaven, hard rock, heavy rock, indie rock, live music, My Bloody Valentine, new music, Nuclear Daisies, Orbital, Review, rock n roll, Stereo MCs, uplifting music

Every once in a while, you’ll be at a show and wag your finger because you just know. That familiar light pops on that a music nerd can recognize when the band onstage isn’t just another local band; they’ve got the sound that moves beyond “this is good” to “this is international.” I’ve been to easily over a thousand shows in my life. I have seen many a band. Sometimes, you catch a Spiritual Cramp and can see from a million miles away, “these guys are gonna blow up,” and slowly but surely, those tours keep getting bigger. I said the same thing about Fontaines D.C., and after catching Austin’s Nuclear Daisies onOctober 28 at Hotel Vegas, I think it’s pretty obvious they have all the correct DNA to make a splash. Some of us can remember when Die Spitz was playing Chess Club. Now, they’re headlining Stubbs.

MeowWolfHouston_Obsidiodyssey_PhotoCreditTarickFoteh_4

Review Robert Dean

Gallery review: Hunter S Thompson would have loved Meow Wolf

October 29, 2025 Robert Dean 1294 Views art, culture, experimental, gallery, Houston, Hunter S Thompson, Immersive art, Meow Wolf, Meow Wolf Houston, Music, Radio Taves, Review

I take every chance I can get to escape the wheels of the capitalist death machine. My phone is constantly telling me someone’s been shot in a mall, or the asshole with the long red tie has done something to make me clutch my humanity pearls, so when an opportunity to melt away into dimensions unknown presents itself, I’m taking it. This past weekend, to celebrate my boys’ birthdays, we took them to Meow Wolf’s Radio Taves experience in Houston, and I’m still thinking about it. I got lunch next to a fucking rat in a blonde wig while a three-titted bar was above my head. This place was madness of the Hunter S. Thompson variety—save the ether binge.

Case Cockrell Live Music Review

Live music review: Die Spitz sold-out Stubb’s for debut album release

October 28, 2025 Case Cockrell 2033 Views art rock, Die Spitz, Fuck Money, hard rock, hardcore, live music, punk rock, Review, rock n roll, shoegaze, Stubb's, Stubb's BBQ, The Opera, Third Man Records

A sold-out show at Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater in Austin can be one of the most treacherous live music experiences in the downtown area. For the occasion of hometown heroes Die Spitz, exceptions had to be made to celebrate their debut album release Something To Consume via Jack White’s Third Man Records on Friday, October 24. The Austin hard rock quartet has been busy the last couple of years, racking up multiple headlining tours, opening slots for the likes of Amyl & The Sniffers, Viagra Boys, and Sleater-Kinney, and dropping new tracks ahead of their recent full-length studio release. For their homecoming after multiple stints worldwide, Die Spitz brought fellow Austin acts The Opera and Fuck Money to help them celebrate this monumental occasion.

Water From Your Eyes Brushy St Commons Troy Gonzales

Case Cockrell Live Music Review

Live music review: Water From Your Eyes returned to Austin with new record

October 24, 2025 Case Cockrell 1891 Views Brushy Street Commons, experimental music, Hooky, indie rock, It's A Beautiful Place, jazz, live music, Matador Records, Nate Amos, new music, Parish, Rachel Brown, Review, rock n roll, Samira Winter, thanks for coming, This is Lorelei, Water From Your Eyes, Wet Dip, Winter

Noise pop duo Water From Your Eyes formed when Amos relocated to Brooklyn, spurring a songwriting partnership that’s several records deep and becoming a tenured indie act. Since the release of their critically acclaimed Matador Records full-length Everyone’s Crushed in 2023, songwriting team Brown and Amos have been working to build their sonic relationship that shows the crowds getting bigger and the chatter in the online music spheres louder. For the unveiling of their seventh studio album and second Matador entry It’s a Beautiful Place doubling down on their hard-to-pinpoint approach, the duo hasn’t stopped creating or halted their relentless stints of touring. For their third stop in Austin in two calendar years at the recently rebranded Brushy Street Commons (formerly known as Parish), the Amos and Brown-led group showcases that they’re here to stay awhile and continue their surreal, self-aware brand of Gen-Z social commentary.

Live Music Review Robert Dean

Live music review: Cavalera Conspiracy played Chaos A.D. in full at Come & Take It Live

October 20, 2025 Robert Dean 3706 Views Burton C Bell, Cavalera Brothers, Cavalera Conspiracy, Chaos A.D., Come and Take It Live, death metal, Dino Cazares, Fear Factory, heavy metal, Igor Cavalera, live music, Max Cavalera, metal music, Milo Silvestro, Review, Sepultura

I’ve seen a lot of bands do the whole “playing the seminal album” thing over the years. For a long time, the gold standard was Roger Waters doing Dark Side of the Moon—an experience that was incredible both visually and sonically. Despite being a much smaller affair, the Cavalera brothers gave that experience a run for its money, performing their masterpiece Chaos A.D. at Come and Take It Live on Friday, October 17. If you’re a Sepultura fan, this was probably the closest, tightest, and most raw celebration of that album you’re ever going to get.

Case Cockrell Live Music Review

Live music review: garage rock behemoths Osees played Hotel Vegas residency

October 20, 2025 Case Cockrell 1807 Views concert, Dan Rincon, DMBQ, garage rock, Hotel Vegas, John Dwyer, live music, Osees, Paul Quattrone, psych-rock, punk rock, Review, rock n roll, Thee Oh Sees

Los Angeles garage rock behemoths Osees returned to Austin for their annual, (sometimes bi-annual) residency at Eastside live music stronghold Hotel Vegas over the last weekend. Continuing their regular Austin tour stop tradition with a discography that gets bigger with every calendar rotation. With a solidified lineup defining the current iteration of esteemed bandleader John Dwyer’s everlasting rein, the Osees delivered another weekend of the eclectic paradigm that set the standard for the dozens of psych punk groups that make the Dwyer-led company a source of everlasting influence. Despite being on the road to promote their latest release Abomination Revealed At Last, the West Coast berserkers only performed one song from the new release and ventured into a rare, deep cuts, setlist territory.

Wet Leg by Greg Noire for ACL Festival 2025 107024

Case Cockrell Live Music Review

Live music review: Eight artists that stood out at ACL Festival 2025

October 8, 2025 Case Cockrell 2623 Views ACL Fest, Americana, Austin City Limits Music Festival, BLues, Cage the Elephant, Dr. Dog, indie rock, live music, Lucius, Magdalena Bay, MJ Lenderman, Modest Mouse, Review, rock n roll, The Strokes

Austin City Limits Music Festival (ACL Fest) 2025 weekend one on October 3 – October 5 marked another successful installment at Zilker Park, with an eclectic array of acts making their way to Austin for yet another October in the heart of the city. The talent performing featured acts from all over the world, bringing all genres to generations of music lovers who make their way to Central Texas by the tens of thousands for the musical extravaganza. Between legacy acts and rising artists, there was no shortage of spectacle to behold during the first weekend at the big park with a beautiful view of the city skyline. The Cosmic Clash team made their way to Zilker to capture the action and highlight eight artists that stood out to us throughout the first weekend of programming.

Live Music Review Troy Gonzales

Live music review: Unwound marked 30 years of The Future of What at Mohawk

October 7, 2025 Troy Gonzales 1974 Views concert, hardcore, live music, mohawk, Porcelain, post hardcore, post-punk, punk rock, Review, rock n roll, Unwound, Vern Rumsey

On Thursday September 11, one of the 90’s most influential post-hardcore bands, Unwound played at the Mohawk as part of their ‘30 Years of The Future of What’ tour, which would see the band play their third album in it’s entirety. Admittedly, I had not seen them live during their heyday, but this time around I would not let the opportunity slip away again.

Case Cockrell Live Music Review

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

October 2, 2025 Case Cockrell 2151 Views A Place to Bury Strangers, Blood Incantation, Built To Spill, Castle Rat, DAIISTAR, death metal, Frankie and the Witch Fingers, Fuzz Club, Hooveriii, Levitation, live music, Mastodon, metal, Model/Actriz, noisegaze, Pavement, prog rock, punk rock, Review, rock n roll, shoegaze, Skloss, space rock, stoner metal, The Armed, The Black Angels, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Wednesday

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.

Live Music Review Robert Dean

Live music review: Acid Bath, Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol led Levitation 2025 metal day

October 1, 2025 Robert Dean 1934 Views Acid Bath, heavy metal, Levitation, live music, metal, music festival, Palmer Events Center, psych-rock, Review, Rickshaw Billie's Burger Patrol, rock n roll, stoner metal, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Sword

Hats off to the folks behind the scenes at Levitation Festival. They pulled off a diverse event at a little-used location to great effect. The Palmer Events Center sounded great and showed a lot of promise for what the festival can be in the future. Keeping parking at $10 a day was a smart move that kept fans happy. The food and drink options were crazy expensive, but I understand that goes with the territory of putting a festival on – but on the real? $19 for a brisket sandwich is banana town. Just walk down the street to Whataburger next year.

Case Cockrell Live Music Review

Live music review: The Dandy Warhols assert legacy at Levitation Night Show

September 30, 2025 Case Cockrell 1917 Views concert, Courtney Taylor Taylor, indie rock, Levitation, live music, mohawk, Night Show, psych-rock, Review, The Dandy Warhols, Zia McCabe

Portland, Oregon indie rock socialites The Dandy Warhols aren’t just surviving the volatile world of music, but thriving for the generations of vinyl collectors that hold them dear as a formative force that sparked a love of music and acting as a harbinger of an industry revolution. With countless tours under their belt, a relentless and boundary-breaking creative output, The Dandy Warhols have gone independent, away from the clutches of major label business and built their own studio for all Dandy endeavors since the turn of the millennium. For Austin’s 2025 Levitation Festival, the Pacific Northwest hardliners went to work to further assert their legacy with a Friday (September 26) late-night performance at Mohawk in the downtown, Red River Cultural District. For fans new and old, what the Dandys made for a career-spanning set of favorites and deep cuts alike.