On Friday, this NYC reporter will be flying down to Austin early in the morning to take in the amazing sights and sounds of the 6th-annual Austin Psych Fest. Having gone to last year’s APF, I knew I couldn’t miss this year’s celebration of some of the best psychedelic music being made today…and yesterday.
Here’s a little background from Austin Psych Fest’s website: “Austin Psych Fest was founded in 2008. Over the years, this independent festival has grown from a small word-of-mouth event to an internationally acclaimed, full weekend event that attracts attendees from all over the world. Austin Psych Fest has become the world’s premiere showcase of psychedelic rock.
Austin Psych Fest will celebrate its 6th year on April 26-28, 2013 spotlighting the best new vanguards of mind expanding music and hosting legendary artists from around the world. The lineup is programmed by producers and curators The Reverberation Appreciation Society, who also run a Record Label of the same name. Austin Psych Fest works to promote and create fertile ground for artistic expression through music and visual art, support homegrown businesses in Austin and beyond, and operate in an environmentally responsible manner.”
I can’t even begin to touch on some of the highlights of 2012’s Austin Psych Fest because it was just filled with ’em, but I can say that this year’s Fest looks to be another mind-blowing chapter. And this year, the festival will be outdoors at a beautiful riverside setting at Carson Creek Ranch. And it’s the first year that there will be onsite camping.
Take a gander at the stellar lineup which includes several classic, legendary psychedelic acts like the newly-reunited Billy Gibbons-led, pre-ZZ Top band, The Moving Sidewalks, Roky Erickson, Kaleidoscope, Os Mutantes, Silver Apples, and Spectrum scattered amongst some of the best mind-expanding acts of today and the last couple decades.
THE MOVING SIDEWALKS featuring BILLY GIBBONS • BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB • DEERHUNTER • THE RAVEONETTES • THE BLACK ANGELS • CLINIC • WARPAINT • BLACK MOUNTAIN • BORIS • OS MUTANTES • TINARIWEN • ROKY ERICKSON • SILVER APPLES • MAN OR ASTROMAN? • THE GROWLERS • THE KING KHAN & BBQ SHOW • OM • SPECTRUM • ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE • THE SOFT MOON • KALEIDOSCOPE (UK) • WHITE FENCE • DEAD SKELETONS • THE WARLOCKS • QUINTRON & MISS PUSSYCAT • TAMARYN • BESNARD LAKES • SUUNS • BASS DRUM OF DEATH • INDIAN JEWELRY • GOAT • NIGHT BEATS • VIETNAM • THE BLACK RYDER • LUMERIANS • DEAP VALLY • BLACK BANANAS • THE LAURELS • NO JOY • ELEPHANT STONE • WOODSMAN • WALL OF DEATH • YOUNG MAGIC • GARY WAR • THE CULT OF DOM KELLER • HOLYDRUG COUPLE • BRAIN PULSE MUSIC • VINYL WILLIAMS • CAPSULA • GOLDEN ANIMALS • HOLY WAVE • TJUTJUNA • RIDE INTO THE SUN • TTOTALS • DREAMTIME • THE SHIVAS • LSD & THE SEARCH FOR GOD • ST JAMES SOCIETY • HEARTS IN SPACE • THE WOLF • JJUUJJUU • HOLLOW TREES • & SPECIAL GUESTS
Here’s a great APF 2013 mix from psychedelic rock legend Peter Kember, AKA Sonic Boom, of Spectrum and The Spacemen 3:
There will be on-site camping and three stages with music—the main stage and river stage with psychedelic light shows in the evening, and a tent stage featuring psychedelic light shows all day long. The fest supports local businesses with its hand-picked food, retail, clothing, and record store vendors. There will also be multi-media installations and art exhibits by talented artists.
So make your last-minute plans to get out to Austin Psych Fest this weekend and be ready for a killer, music-filled 3-day party, psychedelic Texas-style! I’m certainly ready! Get your tickets here.
Check out The Black Angels performing “Sniper” at 2012’s APF.
Be sure to check back as we preview the festival day-by-day.
