The weather was perfect, the birds were chirping and the vibes were high at Far Out Lounge for the third annual Austin Psych Festival. The same organizers as Austin’s fall festival Levitation run the annual festival, and their sixteen years in the industry is evident. An impressive lineup of local, national and international Psychedelic acts (that, notably, immediately captured attention in international festival forums) swapped between two stages.
Since The Black Angels founded it in 2018, Levitation and its accompanying festivals have become cornerstones of the psychedelic community. The Austin Psych Fest 2025 experience extended to pre-festival shows at Mohawk and Hotel Vegas on April 24 and late-night performances throughout the weekend (none of which I was able to attend, unfortunately).
The energy this year on Saturday was buzzing and busy. Montucky was flowing, and an impressive plinko-style can recycling system was in place to incentivize returning cans. Festivalgoers were able to sprawl on the ground in gravelly area, and there were kids, with ear protection, running in the crowd. People sported band tees while perusing an impressive merch and vinyl section, and lined up for signatures after shows.
Below are my music highlights from the day.
Below are my music highlights from the day.
STRFKR
STRFKR was my very first real concert as a young teen, a costume-clad vision in my memory. Some things haven’t changed – aliens and astronauts joined the band onstage (one of whom crowd-surfed in the splits). The energy was incredibly high for such chill music. Songs like “German Love” and “Pop Song” still elicit a sing-along. Nevertheless, it’s apparent the band has matured into their sound with a setlist full of hits, and so has their adoring fanbase. I almost cried as the final confetti cannon boomed and the sun set behind the stage, at how perfect the whole scene was.
Sasami
Sasami brought an unapologetic energy to her set, taking over the smaller stage at Far Out after STRFKR’s chill set. Calling multiple times for people to “open the pit”, her music ranged from psych-rock, to metal. Her energy onstage transferred to the audience as a small moshpit formed. In addition to the powerful sound, trippy visuals took center stage at Psych Fest onstage and throughout the grounds, and this set was no exception. Whirling vortexes of multicolored lights changed to anime scenes to background the music. To top it off, Sasami capped the set with an intricate solo on a French horn adorned with bows, which captivated the audience.
Other small festivals, take note – Austin Psych Fest 2025 is doing it right by not overselling their space, and hyping their genre-specific audience through consistently solid bookings. It’s a festival that you hope than rather to continue to grow, will continue to flourish. We need more of those in Austin.
Photos by Lena Wright
