From being a mecca for authentic Louisiana food to a bustling college town, Baton Rouge is a city that means many things to many different people. In recent years, the city’s music scene has seen significant growth, begging the question: Does Baton Rouge have what it takes to support a true music festival?
On Saturday, March 7, the answer proved to be an astounding yes during LA Psych Fest’s inaugural concert.
Organized by the members of Blue Widow, a local psychedelic punk band, and the band’s manager, Cole Dewey, the one-day festival aimed to fill a notable gap in Baton Rouge’s entertainment culture.
From 2 p.m. to 2 a.m., Psych Fest brought the underbelly of the overpass to life, with more than 30 vendors stationed along the stretch between Chelsea’s Live to Brickyard South. The two venues, as well as an additional stage beneath the overpass, hosted performances from bands including NeoSoul500, Grocery Bag and Sunscape.
From the beginning of the event, Psych Fest was teeming with a lively crowd. Attendee Döuno, who is also an artist, came to the event to cheer on friends who were performing.
“I gotta show love and come support,” Döuno said. “It’s been good. There’s so many people — like-minded people — on a vibe, chilling.”
Sunscape. took Brickyard’s stage just an hour after the festival kicked off.
“We expected good times, but obviously I didn’t expect it to be such a good turnout,” Sunscape. guitarist and vocalist Lucas Broussard said.
The Baton Rouge band had a packed crowd during the entirety of its performance, with many guests being completely new to Sunscape.’s music.
“Seeing a bunch of new faces and seeing a bunch of people like our [music], it’s a really good thing to experience,” Sunscape. bassist Tanner Smith said.
Between sets, guests were able to grab food, including crawfish, and shop from a variety of local small businesses.
Psych Fest had a handful of things working against it: many LSU and Southern University students had left town for spring break, weather forecasts showed heavy and consistent rain for the evening and the festival was entirely new to the public. Despite these hurdles, the festival sold out of tickets the night before the event.
“I didn’t expect it to sell out before the day of,” vendor Melinda Jacob said. “I did think it would do really well, because I think BR has been really wanting bigger art and music events.”
Jacob started 2 Girls 1 Shirt with her friend Natalie Nickens only a few months ago. At their first pop-up during White Light Night in November, Blue Widow lead singer Anderson Powers approached the pair about Psych Fest.
“Everyone is so nice and funny and really interested in our stuff,” Nickens said. “The vibes are great.”
2 Girls 1 Shirt was one of the many clothing vendors at Psych Fest, with a handful of booths selling jewelry and vintage fashion.
Also present were advocacy groups. Among them was STFU PAC, whose members aimed to inform attendees about upcoming elections.
“We are making sure that we get the word out,” STFU PAC member Amanda Martello said. “People need to know that they need to check their registration and make sure that they’re active and ready to go by April 25.”
LSU’s Collegiate Recovery program was also tabling at Psych Fest, with free supplies including fentanyl test strips, condoms and Plan B. The program is based in 167 Coates and provides support to LSU’s community
“Our real hopes and dreams are harm reduction,” volunteer Danielle Airhart said. “If anyone on campus — students, faculty — anyone on campus needs help with recovery in any way, shape or form, that’s what we’re here for.”
Beyond the music itself, Psych Fest became a melting pot of Baton Rouge’s creative community.
Starting at 2 p.m., Therapy Boards hosted a skating pop-up and began a skateboarding competition at 3 p.m., adding to the already stacked entertainment throughout the festival.
One of the more trafficked booths was Alexa Wolfkiel’s tattoo pop-up, where she offered an array of flash tattoos inspired by the event’s psychedelic theme.
“This has been so much fun,” Wolfkiel said. “I love the high energy. I love meeting so many different people in the community, especially other artists.”
With seafood boils, soul music and a growing network of creatives, the festival highlighted the untapped potential of Baton Rouge’s entertainment scene.
“Support your community, show up for those you love,” Wolfkiel said. “That’s how we are strong together. Keep making art. Keep creating.”
Though nothing is confirmed yet, the organizers have hinted at the possibility of making LA Psych Fest an annual event, and it’s safe to say that Baton Rouge is ready for it.