Day two of Austin Psych Fest was playful, with electrifying entertainers that stirred excitement for the final day of the festival.
The middle day of the festival had a hearty attendance, bright with anticipation for the next. It was the most interactive day, there was no shortage of fun to be had.
Dummy
Dummy is a noisy, psychedelic, dream-pop group from LA. Saturday at the fest, they immediately started the stage like a stove. Everyone’s attention was focused on the quartet, which sounded much louder than they looked. Their shy personas tucked behind their scorching sound which ignited the night. Their 2024 album Free Energy is leading them on a tour that includes stops in Mexico City, Berlin, and NYC.
STRFKR
Confetti clouded the air as STRFKR struck the stage with “While I’m Alive”. The audience jumped around, mimicking the streamers in the air. Singer Joshua Hodges was rocking a pink bob for the occasion, while alien background dancers filled the empty space. The group is known for their upbeat synth-pop and their 2024 album delivers just that. It features songs like “Always/Never” and “Together Forever” that are impossible not to bounce around to.
SASAMI
LA singer SASAMI is a student of the stage and a practiced performer. She is clever as a drag queen with jokes so sharp they take time to sting. She owned the stage and crowd with the range of her voice and personality. She was wearing a white tank top that read “I hate a neutral ass bitch” with red boots, long like her black hair. She was opinionated and pleasantly impatient. She let us hear a few songs off her 2025 album Blood On the Silver Screen like “I’ll Be Gone” and “Love Makes You Do Crazy Things”.
Kim Gordon
Legendary artist Kim Gordon, founding member of Sonic Youth, quickly took control of the Willie Nelson stage at Austin Psych Fest in a white t-shirt reading “Gulf of Mexico”. Her voice is addicting and timelessly cool. I thought “I’m A Man” was good through headphones until I heard Kim’s inflection live. I felt uniquely proud, like she was talking to only me. The experimentation in her most recent album The Collective is inspiring. She blends distortion and industrial sounds to make something uniquely of the era.
WOMBO
Louisville trio Wombo closed the Janis stage, keeping up the pace of the last performance. Sydney Chadwick’s voice filled the air like smoke, sneaking all around our ears. Guitarist Cameron Lowe was moving effortlessly across the fretboard, the notes bouncing off like sparks. Joel Taylor’s drumming held it all together while The Far Out Lounge began to switch gears.
Darkside
Austin went ambient as Darkside took over the Willie stage to close out a long day of fun. The group enjoys experimenting with electronic and acoustic elements and describes themselves as “psychedelic techno”. They released an album in February titled Nothing which features fast-paced songs like “Gruacha Max” that need to be danced to. It was the perfect blend of movement and magic to end night two of Austin Psych Fest.
I am a student at Texas State studying Digital Media and Psychology. I am always carrying my camera with me, it feels like my true voice. Some of my favorite artists are Courtney Barnett, Tainy, Frank Ocean, Art Lown, Fleshwater, Turnover, SZA and Wynton Kelly. Central Texas always has talented people passing through and I try to catch as many shows I can. I really love fashion, part of the fun of going to a concert is seeing what the artists wear on stage and everyone's outfits in the crowd. I tend to use musical elements in my fashion photography, the two are so intertwined to me. I also love to read and run, but not always at the same time.
I am an Austin-based photographer and social media manager. My love for photography started in high school which lead me to study communications at Texas Tech University and The University of the Incarnate Word. Aside from my love for photography and live music, I enjoy spinning vinyl, kayaking, biking, and chilling with my cat, Petrie.
