Photos of Psycho De Mayo: Black Mountain, A Place To Bury Strangers

Yesterday, on one of the biggest drinking days in America (Cinco De Mayo) kicked off the 1st annual Psycho De Mayo, Orange county’s first psychedelic music festival. Although there were many festive party-goers in the area solely for the Cinco De Mayo celebration, the Downtown Santa Ana Arts District transformed into a center of psychedelia. From psych hippies, to confused Mexican locals, and even your crazy cult-esque Jesus worshipers with their abrasive picket signs that read “Warning … Hell Awaits You” — nothing could bring down the positive vibes bustling about Psycho De Mayo. There was just too much mind-expanding music to let any close-minded lurkers bring fans down. In fact, I think the show-goers got a kick out of the Jesus freaks.

Headlining the Mecca Stage in the Yost Theater were Black Mountain from Vancouver, A Place to Bury Strangers from New York, Dead Skeletons from Iceland, and Los Angeles’ own Dead Meadow. Supporting them were Sleepy Sun, MMOSS, Dahga Bloom, and more!

In addition to the main act, there were FREE showcases on the Alpha Stage and Omega Stage. These stages will feature two-dozen mind-blowing, acid flashback, indie garage psyche heads like Holy Wave, The Orange Revival, Blackfeet Braves, Mr. Elevator & The Brain Hotel, Shiva Trash, JJUUJJUU, and more.

Psycho De Mayo featured over 30 bands, on 3 stages, with a melting-pot of unique vendors, art installations, pop-up shops, and giveaways throughout the day. It seemed like a decent turn-out with no serious organizational problems that we noticed, and show-goers were more than pleased with the stellar musical line-up of talent. It was a rad inauguration to a festival we look forward to attending once again in the near future. Nice work, Thief!

Check out our photos of Pycho De Mayo featuring: A Place to Bury Strangers, Dead Skeletons, Black Mountain, Vinyl Williams, Dhaga Bloom, and many more bands!

Photography: Monique Hernandez

A Place To Bury Strangers