The eighth annual installment of Austin Psych Fest was held in its prized location, Carson Creek Ranch, from May 8th–10th. Part of the inherent beauty of the grounds is the option to set up camp and surround oneself with rockers from near and far. Weather reports told of historical rain falls had hit the area two days leading up to the festival. The forecast wasn’t looking too hot either.
Shortly after setting up camp, we huddled around the campers’ entrance gate to get this experience underway. As time elapsed, the clouds above began to surround the perimeter and without a moments notice the sky opened up and drenched the entire crowd. People were taking shelter under trucks, other were basking in its glory. What most of us did not realize was why exactly we were waiting. The following day, news broke that two of the stages had to be moved around because of flooding. Another obstacle for the fine staff of the festival and they handled them with such grace.
Once the gates were opened, the crowd of revelers marched on up and over the serene creek running along the grounds.
The first act that I came across was the group HolyDrug Couple from Chilé. The members of the band appeared to be fresh out of high school but played as if they were veterans. HDC is an experimental band that infused a melodic digital sound with beautiful percussions and strings. About the height of their set, during a particularly angelic moment, the clouds spread apart and the sun shone. I could sense that the festival was going to be a great one.
My next move I made was to see the charming trio Mini Mansions. Their demeanor on stage was very professional but belted out ambiguously sounding melodies.
The next transcendent experience Friday night was the band from Providence, Rhode Island named Lightening Bolt. These guys were a mix of metal rockers and performance artists. The drummer was the most profound of the bunch. The only thing I could see he had on was a frightening clown mask. This fella was a machine. He would move with such intensity, but with remarkable precision.
By this time, nightfall filled the sky, psychedelic lights filled the stages and projectors shone across grounds. The band that gave an excellent show in this environment was Tame Impala. The Australian group played all of their hits and was able to connect very well with the onlookers.
The last act of the night was the Toronto metal band, Metz, which gave a dynamic performance with a viscerally charged sound.
Beginning early Saturday afternoon, the temperature began to rise and I attribute it to the Heaters. The young band played before a compact crowd but treated it as the show was in a stadium.
A change of pace to the festival was introduced by two men from India, Gourisankar & Indrajit Banarjee, seated on front of the stage and played their respective instruments with extreme fervor and tempo.
The punk, garage and psych band Ex Cult put on a fantastic show. The front man had moments on stage that embodied the spirit of the UK punk scene. He would overtly growl while staring down the crowd as if to challenge them.
Another exciting experimental band was Chui Wan. They played a multitude of instruments and experimented with different frequencies, relationships of noise and sub genres of psych.
The genre of Indie Psyche was a popular one this year and Thee Oh Sees was a component to this. The vast blend of electronic, trance, a traditional sound and muffled vocals gave way to a brilliant sound.
Primal Scream was a crowd favorite Saturday night because of the abundance of their joyous music. They continued to pump positive energy throughout the crowd.
The final band of the day was The Jesus and Mary Chain. The track list that was performed was a very thorough depiction of their illustrious career.
As the saying goes, ‘Save the best for last’, well APF surely did, in my book at least. The first band I witnessed Sunday was The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger. The duo, half comprised of Sean Lennon, played flawlessly with exuberant finesse.
Made my way to the Levitation tent just in time for the ZZZ’s. This talented trio of women from Asia created an atmosphere of groove and noise.
As the sun began to set, Mac Demarco came on stage and brought a beach psych pop vibe that shook up the crowd. Felt a great sound for the start of summer.
The night was ignited with the local Austin band The Black Angels. This group has truly navigated successfully with their career and played an unbelievable show. They didn’t seem to play that many from the new album but the tracks were electric.
The 50th anniversary of the 13th Floor Elevators was publicized well and brought out a sizably dedicated crowd. Rocky stood tall and humbly produced the show of their lifetime.
The final show of this year at the celebrated Reverberation Stage was The Flaming Lips. These guys performed a show with the same energy and intimacy as with any other. They pulled out all of the stops with tantalizing visuals, premier lighting effects and peculiar props. Not only was their show devout, but also they presented an exclusive and intimate show on the Campground Stage.
At the beginning of the weekend I couldn’t have envisioned such a sensory stimulating experience. This heartfelt festival is one that we all will remember for years. Thank you to all that participated!