Day two of Austin Psych Fest was super sunny and super dusty. As mentioned in the Austin Psych Fest Day One Review, the independent festival is celebrating their 7th year Anniversary. The festivals growth has been miraculous over the years. This years Saturday lineup consisted of Pure X, Zombie Zombie, Bardo Pond, Bambino, The Octopus Project, the Temples, and many more.
Pure X (Austin Locals) took the Reverberation stage at 4:30. The stage cast a nice shadow over the crowd allowing for the fans to get out of the treacherous sunlight. Sweat was glistening on everyone’s faces, including lead singer Nate Grace while performing “You’re In It Now,” the title track off their EP of the same name. Their heavy use of effect pedals made for a mellow instrumentation that the whole crowd seemed to just sway too. Pure X also recently released their LP Angel, and played “Starlight” from it. The lead guitarist was thrashing his long hair around and really feeling the music, while a few fans at the front joined along.
Inside the Levitation Tent Zombie Zombie was getting everyone off of their feet with their electro-pop beats. Zombie Zombie is french duo consisting of Etienne Jaumet and Cosmic Neman. During their set, the two were dancing and holding on to their hats while headbanging and getting the crowd pumped. The tent made for an elaborate light show, and gave the performance more of a night time feel. Zombie Zombie utilizes horns, heavy drums, synths and the theremin to create their sound. It was hard for anyone in the crowd to stand still during their song “Rocket 9.” Even the 5 year olds with their families were grooving around their parents. When they announced their last song, the crowd booed, so it’s evident almost everyone was enjoying themselves.
Next Bardo Pond played the Elevation stage and announced they were going to play a lot of songs off of their new album Looking For Another Place. The large crowd consisted of some fans packed around the stage, while the majority took a seat on the hill overlooking the stage and the river. Lead singer Isobel Sollenberger performed passionately throughout the whole performance. Her transitions between vocals and the flute created a lengthy psychedelic sound. The use of thick distortion and washes of white noise also created a mellow vibe, which was reflected onto the crowd. Not many people were up and moving around, but rather just resting while enjoying the sound and atmosphere of Bardo Pond’s music.
Back at the Reverberation stage, Bambino was ready to take the stage. His blues/rock vibe attracted a large crowd, making it seem as if it were the place to be this day. Fans all the way in the back of the crowd were dancing or moving at least some part of their body. No one could stay still while he played his infectious rhythms. He played his hits “Amidinine” and “Azamane Tiliade,” and requested an increase of bass to get the crowd moving more. This left the crowd clapping, whistling and hollering at the end of his performance. He and his band members took a bow to end their performance while the smoke machine was still spewing and lights were flashing.
Austin locals The Octopus Project took the stage under the Levitation tent, with silver star balloons reaching the top on either side of the stage. The lights reached all sides of the tent making a colorful performance. The strobe lights had fans in the front bouncing and moshing while they played songs off of their latest album Fever Forms. There was heavy cheering when they played their big hit “Truck” which was the last song of their set.
At twilight Temples was taking the Reverberation stage. A crowd mobbed around the front as smoke machines were queued, and the psychedelic backdrop lit up. Lead singer James Edward Bagshaw bounced around his curly hair while playing “A Question Isn’t Answered.” During “Shelter Song,” balloons with lights inside of them bounced over the crowd. Bagshaw stated that psych fest was one of the best festivals to dance at, and the crowed did exactly that; dance.
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