Austin Psych Fest kickoff w/ Golden Dawn Arkestra, Caramelo Haze, JaRon Marshall, Cazayoux, the Point

If a weekend’s worth of brain-melting Psych Fest debauchery at the Far Out Lounge isn’t enough to satisfy your reverb quota, get a head start at Thursday night’s pre-festival kickoff. Recent teasers from jazz fusion duo the Point, including rollicking instrumental “Máquina Pura,” are sure to please groove-hungry audiences. Intercontinental ninepiece Cazayoux excels in celestial Afrofunk, while neo-soul connoisseur JaRon Marshall meshes virtuosic swagger with quiet introspection. Post-cumbia supergroup Caramelo Haze is an obvious choice for the psychedelic pregame, and the fully immersive Golden Dawn Arkestra is a dream you won’t want to wake up from – until the next day, of course, when Psych Fest kicks into high gear. – Genevieve Wood