Sean C. Morgan
The annual Psychostock festival returns this weekend with a variety of bands and musicians beginning at 10 a.m. on Aug. 23 in Sankey Park.
“The same thing we do every year,” said organizer Jonathan Pelcher.
“People show up,” said organizer Andrea Culy. “It’s all awesome. We have a good time.”
“It’s a chance for artists to express themselves,” said organizer Patrick Culy. “It’s a family-friendly event. It’s free. It’s a great experience.”
Bands who have confirmed attendance include Regulo Jr., a Portland industrial band; The Berated, which includes Pelcher and Patrick Culy, an industrial punk death pop group from Sweet Home; Dead Kingmaker, a metal act; Bury the Goat, a metal group from Lebanon; Jobe Woosley of Sweet Home playing folk rock; Nuclear Salt, a punk act from Salem; Jacquline Ohmer, a singer-guitarist from Sweet Home; and Evergreen, a Sweet Home rock band.
Other groups are expected as well, Andrea Culy said.
“There’s never a plan. It’s kind of a free-for-all,” Pelcher said, adding that people are invited to bring their instruments and play.
“The whole point is to perpetuate your art,” he said, and that applies to more than music. Vendors are welcome to set up booths for free during the festival, and they are welcome to sell their art there.
“Bring your drums,” Patrick Culy said. “Bring your art. Bring yourself.”
One thing that is planned at some point during the festival is the annual “Scream-Off.”
Donations will be accepted for the Sweet Home Auditorium Remodel Committee during the festival. The SHARC project includes repairs and improvements to the Sweet Home High School auditorium. Among them are repairs to the stage, painting, new lighting and a sound system.
Spectators wander in and out all day long, Andrea Culy said, so counting attendance is difficult. Usually, there are anywhere from 50 to 100 people milling about. The festival has had up to 300 attending at once.
For more information, visit psychostock.webs.com or Psycho-stock’s Facebook page.