Freakout Festival XII returned to Seattle November 7-10, 2024. The four-day psychedelic music festival took place across eight venues, featuring over 100 bands. Previously contained within Ballard—Tractor Tavern, Sunset Tavern, Ballard Smoke Shop, Conor Byrne, and two rooms at the Salmon Bay Eagles Club—this year’s event added the High Dive and Nectar Lounge in Fremont.
It was another compelling Freakout lineup, featuring the Seattle nonprofit’s signature mix of up-and-coming bands, legacy acts, and global sounds that emphasize Latin America. Unlike typical festivals, Freakout assumes that most bands will be new discoveries. A mobile app with audio clips and a Spotify playlist guided users toward their preferred tastes, but part of the fun was the musical exploration.
The long weekend required difficult decisions and some alacrity, due to spread-out venues and quick turnovers. Adding a festival shuttle could simplify transportation between the Ballard and Fremont sites, although the nearly two-mile route is served heavily by rideshare apps (and occasionally by Metro buses). A few missed opportunities included synth-punk artist Martin Rev, most of DAIISTAR’s set, and the strong Saturday lineup in Fremont.
It was impossible to be everywhere at once, but there were ample possibilities for individual curation. All four nights delivered great music, community, and an uniquely wild time. Although not yet announced, Freakout typically returns in early March with its Weekender mini-festival.
Peruse some highlights from this year’s festival below (all photos: Lisa Hagen Glynn). For Hardly Raining‘sprevious Freakout coverage, click here.
Thursday
Los Angeles shoegazers Sun Colony: Think Ride meets Nation of Language. Expect to hear more from this up-and-coming group.As the button confirms, punk band The Briefs have been rocking Seattle for a quarter-century. Original bassist/music-photographer Lance Mercer (at right) was back after a long hiatus.Mary Robins, expressive frontwoman of Seattle punk trio Biblioteka. They have been a hit at many recent Freakout festivals.Seattle noise-rock trio Anthers at Sunset Tavern.Seattle psych-funk group Mega Cat at Conor Byrne.1960s San Francisco garage-rockers Flamin’ Groovies at Salmon Bay Upper.Monterrey psych-rockers Los Mundos at Salmon Bay Lower.NYC darkwave duo Tempers at Salmon Bay Upper.
Friday
Brooklyn punk-shoegaze band A Place to Bury Strangers, who seem to have rightly earned their reputation as “the loudest band in New York.” Someone in the crowd proclaimed it one of the best shows they had ever seen.Swiss retro garage-punk band The Jackets put on a wild show.Mexico City punks Carrion Kids, a beloved Freakout mainstay. Frontman Miki Navajas entertained from within the crowd.Raleigh soul-shoegazers The Veldt. They return to Seattle to headline the Tremolo Festival on December 8. Aya Mara of Seattle noise group Klesa, whose pretty vocals complemented a dark blend of taiko drums and fuzzy guitar. Not pictured: A unicorn horn worn as a prosthetic penis.Mexico City experimental group Descartes a Kant at High Dive.Seattle experimental hip-hop group Shabazz Palaces. This incredibly popular set packed Nectar Lounge to the gills. Check out their compelling 2024 release, Exotic Birds of Prey. Seattle punk band Hate Knife at Salmon Bay Lower.Atlanta garage-punk group Black Lips at Tractor Tavern.Los Angeles psych-rockers Hooveriii at High Dive.
Saturday
Headliners The Black Angels. The Austin group delivered fuzzy psych-rock and their own psilocybic light show. The Freakout app warned of a “sea of humanity” flooding the Salmon Bay Eagles Club.The Sex Organs, a Swiss rock duo who played catchy garage punk while masquerading as external genitalia.Poetic Seattle pop artist TeZATalks, who rallied the crowd for post-election resistance.Portland artists 1876, “the world’s only pow-wow punk band.” Their set was refreshingly unique and brimming with Indigenous pride.Austin-based psych group DAIISTAR, a favorite find from last year’s festival. They seem to have gained a significant following in Seattle, playing both a KEXP session and a Mural Amphitheatre concert this year. (I missed all but their final song, thanks to an infuriating traffic jam on I-5.)
Sunday
Jasmina Hirschl of Mexico City–Seattle punk group Mala Suerte winds up a mini-mosh pit at the cozy Sunset Tavern.Portland soul act Ural Thomas and the Pain. The group played as part of Seattle’s Downtown Summer Sounds series this year.Seattle glam artist Scott Yoder, who showed some great songwriting and stage presence.Long-time Seattle rock band Love Battery. The group released several albums throughout the 1990s, and has reunited periodically to tour.French punk band Ménades, who played an invigorating set at Ballard Smoke Shop.
