Since 2013, Milwaukee musician Andrew Shelp has given the city a loud, fuzzed-out, and reverb-drenched gift every spring: Milwaukee Psych Fest. The multi-day shindig has become a welcome staple on the city’s concert calendar, one featuring psychedelic, drone, and shoegaze-leaning bands from Milwaukee, the United States, and the world. This year, from May 6-8, Psych Fest will once again pack the Cactus Club (both inside and out) for its fourth annual blowout. Here’s the complete lineup, from headliners to openers:
Friday, May 6 (10 p.m.; $10)
White Hills
Moss Folk
Vocokesh
Saturday, May 7 (outdoor stage) (1 p.m.; $10, or $20 for all-day Saturday pass)
Lake of Fire
Chives
Slow Walker
Young Revelators
Black Thumb
The 45’s (members of Chief)
Saturday, May 7 (indoor stage) (6 p.m.; $15, or $20 for all-day Saturday pass)
Ryley Walker
Klaus Johann Grobe
Murals
Levitation Room
Sugar Candy Mountain
Painted Caves
Calliope
Sunday, May 8 (3 p.m.; $10)
Nest Egg
Flavor Crystals
Tapebenders
Cult Of Lip
Piles
Blue Unit
New this year is the aforementioned outdoor stage, which will be located in the driveway/load-in alley on the club’s north side. A full festival pass is $40, and includes a limited edition CD comp of this year’s lineup.
Also of interest to psych fans is the inaugural Pfemmes of Psychedelia show, March 31 at Cactus Club. The woman-centric event will feature sets from California’s Summer Twins, Austin’s Moving Panoramas, Nashville’s Thelma And The Sleaze, and Milwaukee’s own Apollo Vermouth. So, are we going to end this with “Get psyched, Milwaukee!” You bet we are: Get psyched, Milwaukee!