Saturday was the clear heavyweight in terms of the number of quality bands that played this year’s Austin Psych Fest. Every moment was packed with someone excellent playing. We hustled nonstop to cover bands and still felt remorse at all the bands we missed. We were onsite from 1PM until 1AM, and if we did each of the 16 performance we saw justice, you’d be here reading all day. Instead, we’re opting for incisive brevity. Here’s one sentence about each of the bands we saw on Saturday at Austin Psych Fest.
1. Mirror Travel continues to be one of Austin music’s strongest assets with streamlined yet impressively noisy rock, and we’re not the only ones who think so.
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2. Although admittedly mind-expanding, Mark McGuire bent the “psych” descriptor with his set of nuanced electronic loops and programmed beats over live guitar.
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3. Yamantaka // Sonic Titan is one of experimental pop’s most exciting forces–noisy, theatrical, and altogether impressive to watch.
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4. Generating a staggering amount of noise, Destruction Unit lived up to their name by obliterating both eardrums and musical gear in a no-holds-barred rager.
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5. Brazillian band Boogarins channeled classic psych-rock and were one of a few bands that showcased Austin Psych Fest’s commitment to bringing in acts from all over the world.
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6. Austin’s own Pure X sounded far more groovy than I’d expected live, eschewing some of the lo-fi experimental tendencies and inducing a chilled-out vibe as the sun began to set.
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7. Yet another international band, France’s Zombie Zombie killed it with the aid of two drummers and plenty of whirling synth-scapes.
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8. Born in Niger, Bombino might hold the status as the most fascinating and heroic international act of the weekend, as he has literally risked his life to pursue his musical endeavors and continues to win over crowds with his energetic and undeniably danceable desert pop.
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9. Simply put, The Octopus Project delivers amazing sounds and sights live, from their projections to their heartfelt stage antics to their immaculately constructed electronic-pop songs.
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10. Temples are good on record, but they’re even better live, where all of their T. Rex reference points are on full display and their songs are at their most crunchy and heavy.
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11. I’ve seen Unknown Mortal Orchestra before, but what I saw Saturday night was a whole different band: a recently shorn Ruban Nielson jumped around the stage like a madman as the group performed one of the weekend’s best sets, balancing both captivating energy and infectious songs.
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12. The Horrors performed under dim lights with an inexplicable jaded intensity, somehow simultaneously relaxed and utterly intent.
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13. After more than a decade of waiting, fans of Medicine were treated to a set of the group’s trademark ambling, powerful, and noisy rock songs.
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14. Illuminated intermittently by seizure-inducing pulses of light, Avey Tare’s Slasher Flicks powered through a frenetic set of experimental electro-pop numbers.
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15. Brian Jonestown Massacre is a name almost psynonymous with classic psych rock, and the group played the part Saturday night, exuding the late 60s coolness that lies at the heart of the genre.
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16. Utilizing costume, performance art, energetic dancing, confetti, and ornate projected light, of Montreal continues to put on one of, if not the, most entertaining sets in live music–a great way to end the second day of Austin Psych Fest 2014.
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Stay tuned for the final day of coverage. All photos © Bryan Parker & Pop Press International. Click any image to open in slideshow viewer.
