Australian psych-rock band King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard made their U.S. debut at the Austin Psych Fest in 2014. When I saw their ridiculous name on the lineup, I was moved to look up a couple of their videos on YouTube, and became an instant fan. I got tickets for their third U.S. show – at Beat Kitchen in Chicago – a few days after Psych Fest. I was expecting a big turnout, but the crowd barely outnumbered the band and I was able to get some great photos without getting in anyone’s way.
It was an amazing show, and when they came back several months later, a couple hundred people showed up, and a few months after that they filled a big theater. Now they’re pretty much playing arena shows and I couldn’t be happier for them because there’s not a friendlier, harder-working (26 albums in ten years!) band out there. See the full gallery on flickr.
