Published: November 26, 2024 at 4:00 p.m. by Aurélie Communier
The Freakout Festival was held November 7-10 in Seattle.
Credit : The Freakout Festival was held November 7-10 in Seattle.
For over 10 years, the Freakout Festival has become a must-see event for all music fans, particularly garage punk fans, living in and around Seattle. For its 12th edition, the organizers brought together more than a hundred groups and artists who performed from November 7 to 10 in various clubs and rock bars in the Ballard district, recalling the excitement of our bars in Bastille and the warm, punk side of Camden.
This year, we were able to make some great discoveries there, but also find cult groups such as The Black Angels, the Flamin' Groovies, The Briefs, The Black Lips, A Place To Bury Strangers and Lydia Lunch.
The big surprise of this festival was the presence of a few French groups who were able to honor us with high-energy concerts which won over the American public, who are rather picky when it comes to rock! Among the well-known faces of our radio, I was able to meet the Howlin' Jaws, Ménades and also the country duo Tulsa Tender Two (in which we find Lucas, the guitarist of the Howlin' Jaws).
While waiting to post my interviews with our Frenchis, I wanted to share with you some of my favorites that I saw at the festival, between garage punk, psyche rock and riott grrrl. Quite a program!
—> PANCHO AND THE WIZARDS (USA – Calfornie)
Among the big discoveries at this festival, it’s impossible not to introduce PANCHO AND THE WIZARDS. The group comes to us from California and offers us a rock universe reminiscent of the sounds of Black Sabbath, Oh Sees and Jane's Addiction. A good mix of hard rock, psyche and a punk energy on stage that makes you want to dance wildly. For the moment, the group has released two albums and an EP. A new opus should arrive by 2025, and I advised them to come see us in France on occasion.
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/panchoandthewizards/
Youtube : https://www.youtube.com/@panchoandthewizards8089
Bandcamp : https://pancho-thewizards.bandcamp.com/
—> DAIISTAR (USA – Austin)
With Daiistar, you don't need drugs to get high… Their music is enough to take us far away into colorful and warm layers of 90's sounds. Their music takes us back into the psyche rock scene with Happy Mondays style, while adding a noise dimension which brings a certain power to their concert. The band released their debut album “Good Time” in September last year, a record they recorded with Alex Maas of the Black Angels.
Instagram : https://pancho-thewizards.bandcamp.com/
Youtube : https://www.youtube.com/@FuzzClubTV
Bandcamp : https://daiistar.bandcamp.com/album/good-time
—> MUERETE TU (Mexico – Mexico City)
This 2024 edition of the Freakout Festival was also marked by the presence of many musicians on stage, driven by a real Riot Grrrl energy… Committed and angry punk like the Mexican group Muérete Tù, visibly very touched by the invitation and to find themselves on stage in Seattle, given their many thanks during their live performance. The group shares on stage their anger, their pain and their uncertainty which resonates for all the young women evolving in this world of 2024 which has just re-elected Donald Trump as President of the United States, an event which greatly marked the groups present at the event. Muérete Tù is a young group, formed in 2021, with an endearing trio on board, Camila Ortiz, Eliud Maya and Roberto Robles. The group released a rather promising debut EP “Justo Donde Me Dolìa” last year, full of punk anthems, sung in Spanish.
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/fearpegzilla/
Youtube : https://www.youtube.com/@pegzilla7054
Bandcamp : https://pegzilla.bandcamp.com/track/eyes-of-phthonos
—> JULEZ AND THE ROLLERZ (USA – Los Angeles)
The five Californians rocked the stage at the Salmon Bay Club with highly communicative energy and good humor. Their music is a mix of rock'n roll and oldschool garage rock that makes you want to dance until the early hours. Comprised of Jules Batterman (lead vocals, guitar), Morgyn Payge (bass vocals), Shea Carothers (synth, vocals), Hannah Hughes (guitar, vocals) and Emi Desire (drums), Julez and The Rollerz released their debut EP in June last year. Looking forward to discovering the rest of their adventures!
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/julezandtherollerz/
Youtube : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgR3EpxSWPECp-5fy-gazOw
Bandcamp : https://julezandtherollerz.bandcamp.com/
—> THE JACKETS (Suisse – Berne)
The Jackets' music oozes fuzz and coolness! It was in the den of the Tractor Tavern that the group warmed up the audience just before the arrival of the Black Lips, one of the headliners this Friday evening. The power trio, from Bern in Switzerland, delivers energetic garage rock very inspired by 60's groups like the Sonics and The Milkshakes. The strong element of the group is Jackie Brutsche (AKA Jack Torera), singer and guitarist of the Jackets, who did not hesitate to literally roll on the ground on stage before ending up in the audience for a masterful stage diving , all without letting go of his guitar and running his black makeup, reminiscent of that of a certain Alice Cooper. The group took the opportunity to present their new album “Intuition” on stage, released on October 18.
