We had enough time for a long disco nap before heading back to Stubb’s for a night of Australian psych-rock: The Murlocs, Tropical Fuck Storm, and King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard were all on the same bill. The line to get in was almost two blocks long and went around the corner. The Murlocs were playing an energetic set by the time we got into the outdoor stage area.
Tropical Fuck Storm came afterwards with their strange blend of psychedelia, garage rock, post-punk, and stuff you can’t quite define.
The headliners, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, came out with a set packed full of musical styles (from thrash metal to electro) and riffs. They opened with an extended version of “Rattlesnake” that blew everyone’s minds and then only let up to swap guitars for the rest of their set. The crowd was fired up and singing every track.
We split at the end of their set so we could make a power walk to Antone’s to see local doom metal trio The Well. It was our first time at Antone’s, which is odd considering all the years I’ve been attending the festival. It’s a nice venue, mostly known for hosting blues acts, but they stepped up to help the festival after Parish caught on fire (no injuries, thank heavens). We wandered through hundreds of people on the street our for various Halloween parties at the bars on 6th Street. Sexy cowgirls, Jesus, Hunter S. Thompson, witches, devils, and vampires were the most popular costumes we saw. The Well weren’t in costumes, but they did deliver a loud, heavy set of spooky doom that was a great way to cap the night.
We had one more night to go in Austin, and it would bring some of the trippiest stuff we’d see and hear all weekend.
Keep your mind open.
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