April 19th and 20th were the dates for
the Milwaukee Psych Fest held at the Cactus Club. Organized by local psych band Moss Folk
member, Andrew Shelp, the idea to feature Milwaukee bands paired with national
and regional acts. The idea came after
Mr. Shelps band played Echo Fest, a similar event held in Detroit. I was there Saturday night to see Detroit’s
Sisters of Your Sunshine Vapors. Taking
the sparsely lit stage, complete with special effects; courtesy of someone
placing and manipulating gels on grade school overhead projectors, they had
complete command. Starting out the show
was tribal dance beats, heavy rhythms, and lots of reverb. Then came drums and bass
holding it all together with a intense, repetitive drone like throbbing. Vocalist Sean Morrow is dark and moody, and
sings with a Jim Morrison swagger. The
psych influences are obvious but I think there also a heavy Michigan influence
as well. The hard bluesy element takes
cues from MC5 and I can’t help but hear a little Rationals in the reverb guitar
work. “Green Eyes and Dream” from the
Spectra Spirit album, started with a slow build up, repetitive and deliberate. The music was slowly churning, hypnotic rhythms
building up to a bombastic finish, like a bad acid trip…or good depending on
your perspective. Closing with the
Velvet Underground’s “Run Run Run” , the Sisters of Your Sunshine Vapor put on
a very dark and serious show, filled with atmospheric vocals, tons of reverb and
fuzz, and sometimes a little scary and intense.
The kind of show that sucks you into the music and effects and then all
of a sudden you are in a bath tub missing a kidney.