Show Review: Austin Psych Fest

The group over at Levitation have been dominating the Austin landscape with incredible lineups for nearly two decades, and we were fortunate to be on-hand this year at The Far Out Lounge. The line-up did not have a single weak spot, and the weather was actually pretty great, all things considered (warm but not hot!). Take a jump below and read some thoughts on the festival and the acts on hand. Special thanks to Michael Maly for his photography gifts. Check more of his work HERE.

 

By and large, Austin Psych Fest 2025 was a success. The brand has branched out into psychedelic adjacent acts, making for an extremely diverse lineup. And, while Austin Spring weather can be finicky, it managed to hold up this past weekend, save for like ten minutes of light rain drops; we even had some consistent cloud cover. All that to say, if you were fortunate enough to be in attendance you were lucky, but if not, we’ll fill you in on what you missed.

Now, if we’re merely talking about the music, there wasn’t a dip in the gifts we were given. But, as it’s branded as a festival, with a historic lineage in Austin, there are definitely some curmudgeon-y gripes on the event as a whole.

For starters, the festival is less a festival nowadays, and more just a bunch of bands who’ve embraced the genre playing at a venue. There’s probably about 120 meters between the two stages, thus forcing a staggered line-up, and if you don’t enjoy a band, there’s nothing to do. There’s no real lounges, or places to sit, or games to play…you either watch the band or you don’t…and those are your options. I remember the glorious days at Carsten Creek where there were chairs along the water, shops to browse, and stages spread across, so you could watch multiple bands in a 1 hour period.

Alas, maybe it’s the North of the river sentiment, but I was disappointed with the above, but also because it put the Far Out Lounge’s issues on display. For me, and I get, I live in North Austin, but having zero parking is unacceptable. I get it if you’re in a downtown area, but there are limited options for public transportation (only one bus line), thus forcing ride share options on attendees. Alas, there aren’t a lot of places to host a fest, and particularly one that branches outside the Live Nation circuit, so it is what it is. Water was also an issue, as there was only one trough, and urine-sample-sized cups to drink (plastic no less). My favorite comment in relation to the hosts was from a guy I met at the bar, saying he wished he wished he had prepared “for spending his day walking on legos.”

But, complaints aside, the music ruled. And ultimately, that’s why we were here. Unfortunately, I missed Saturday, as my mom went to the ICU, so family first. Still got some photos to share.

Friday Highlights:

I love to be early, so I showed up, walked around the space, and then took in a late afternoon set from Jesse Sykes; it was the perfect appetizer, soft and expansive, playing a mellow brand that swayed in the afternoon breeze. Portland’s Federale, with ties to BJM, delivered a classic brand of modern psych, bringing out Alex Maas to aid in some vocal touches. When German outfit Kadavar took the stage, they brought a robust brand of rock n’ roll, and the swagger to make look cool; I think there set was one of the more successful for up-and-coming bands. We got to close out the day with the 1-2-3 punch of Godspeed, Octopus Project, and Explosions in the Sky. It was interesting to see the contrast in storytelling between Godspeed and Explosions, while one uses film clips to expand their music, the other uses billowing smoke and lighting to add to their visual connection. I will still say, one of my favorite sounds of the last two decades of indie rock is the machine gun drumming of Chris Hrasky.

Sunday Highlights:

Let’s be real, all of Sunday was a highlight for me. It started with Los Mirlos, who I’ve been listening to for quite some time; I recommend Root of the Chicha for a starting point, and a portal into psychedelic cumbia. King Hannah absolutely killed their early afternoon set; they remind me of a little bit of a less anxious version of Ought, bringing this sort of post-punk style that definitely needs repeat listens. Then I treated myself to Dean Wareham doing a Galaxie 500 set, which was my personal highlight; they closed their set with a cover of New Order’s “Ceremony.” Yo La Tengo was great, as they always are, and closing with a 15 minute jam, moving between noise and quiet. And then there was J Mascis and Dinosaur Jr. They are touring behind Without a Sound, kicking off the set with “Feel the Pain,” but fans also got other hits in their set, like the first tune of the encore, “Freak Scene.”