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.
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