Since 2013, Milwaukee musician Andrew Shelp (Moss Folk) 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. “I definitely believe that Milwaukee Psych Fest holds up against most other independent music festivals around the world, let alone the country,” Shelp told us before the 2014 installment. If the just-released lineup for 2015 is any indication, he’s right again.
Starting Thursday, May 14 and running through Sunday, May 17, the Cactus Club will play host to nearly two dozen bands ranging from beloved Milwaukee favorites (Space Raft, Drugs Dragons, Calliope) to international groups (Ancient River). Of special note is the reunion of Milwaukee psych-rock legends Feck, who haven’t played a show since the late ’90s.
Ticket information for the 2015 Milwaukee Psych Fest has yet to be announced, but here’s the lineup, which looks terrific:
Thursday, May 14
Feck
Space Raft
Drugs Dragons
Friday, May 15
Retribution Gospel Choir (Duluth)
The Myrrors (Tucson)
Moss Folk
Saturday, May 16 (early show, 3-8 p.m.)
Verma (Chicago)
Has A Shadow (Mexico City)
Nest Egg (Asheville)
Burning Palms (Tucson)
Calliope
Saturday May 16 (late show, 9 p.m.-1 a.m.)
The Paperhead (Nashville)
Jovontaes (Lexington)
L.A. Witch (Los Angeles)
Ancient River (London, England/Austin, Texas)
Sunday May 17
Holy Wave (Austin)
Ttotals (Nashville)
Plastic Crimewave Syndicate (Chicago)
VATS (Minneapolis)
Naan Violence (Atlanta)
Golden Donna (Madison)
Geena
Vocokesh