As another Fun Fun Fun Fest weekend comes to a close, we find ourselves wondering what could possibly top the past three days; between badass bands, some of the best fest food around (Lucky J’s! Frank!) and plenty of Gosling sightings, the weekend was full of unforgettable moments.

Photos and Art

Up close and personal with your favorite artists.

Day 1 in photos: Black Joe Lewis, Okkervil River, Passion Pit and Ryan Gosling

Day 2 in photos: Spoon, Lykke Li, Ra Ra Riot and Anarchy Wrestling

Day 3 in photos:Closing out Fun Fun Fun Fest

Poster art reminiscent of the late 60s proves the industry remains alive and well at Fun Fun Fun Fest

Reviews

Whether you want to re-live your favorite sets or catch up on the ones you missed, our reviews give you a front row view.

All hail Slayer

The band’s set was absolutely, non-stop, pummeling metal, because that is what Slayer is and does. If you wanted nuance, hope you caught Boris’ set on the Black Stage. If you wanted anthems of destruction and odes to Satan, then Slayer is your band.

Henry Rollins is your cool punk rock uncle now

Henry Rollins opened his set on the Yellow Stage at Fun Fun Fun Fest on Sunday with a simple request of the audience: “Don’t be offended and don’t take anything I say about Texas personally.”

Flying Lotus’ cosmic drama

Genuine love for the music made Flying Lotus’ alien sounds even more impressive, challenging the way people listen to it live, the mass of nodding heads and cloud of smoke hanging above them the seal of approval.

Austra comes into the light

The costumed backup singers (and twin sisters) harmonizing with Stelmanis gave the set a more primal feel, without the smeared mascara and ripped fishnets—electronic music expertly dug up through punk roots.

M83 gets massive

Judging by the throngs of people who crowded the general vicinity, the group's last two albums Saturdays = Youth and the recent Hurry Up, We're Dreaming have catapulted them to a much larger level of recognition among Austin music fans.

Lykke Li leaves them wanting more

Her use of visuals (monochrome outfits, thick smoke, billowing curtains and percussion as theatre) to enhance her performance really showed forethought and planning—it seemed that every second was planned long before we witnessed it.

Four Tet battles the elements

Four Tet, specializes in laptop-based electronic music which blends loads of moody atmospherics with slow builds and releases. The music is pretty, textural, and really designed for headphones or car listening rather than a club dance floor.

Childish Gambino owns the Blue Stage

If the Fun Fun Fun Fest crowd were indicative of the wider rap-consuming culture, Childish Gambino might be the biggest rapper in the world. For a guy who, a year ago, was mostly known—if at all—as part of the ensemble of a low-rated sitcom on America's 4th place network, the crowd hyped to see Gambino on the Blue Stage was staggering.

With Public Enemy, Chuck soars, Flav bores

At showtime, a large, enthusiastic crowd was ready to hear their cherished favorites. What happened next was miles better than what metal fans at Danzig suffered through, but still wasn't quite up to the heights the audience anticipated.

Wugazi proves itself worthy of the name

If ever an act were tailor-made for Fun Fun Fun Fest, it's Minneapolis' Wugazi. For a festival built on punk rock, hip hop and the DIY work ethic, nothing is more appropriate than a basement-bred, labor of love mash-up of the music of Fugazi and the Wu-Tang Clan, two acts that exemplify the DIY spirit more than almost any other.

Okkervil River eschews nostalgia for rock and roll

Okkervil River made its reputation and rose to prominence as purveyors of sad folk-y songs. But it’s been a while since that was what the band really offered in a live setting, and the Fun Fun Fun Fest performance on the Orange Stage on Friday was another firm reminder that this is a Big Rock Band now.

Omar Souleyman’s wild ride

First of all: How exactly to dance to Syrian pop star Omar Souleyman's music is a personal choice, and no one will judge you, because the spectacle itself is the equalizer.

Danzig Legacy an epic disappointment

So, fuck Danzig, basically.

Artists Exposed

In-depth intros to a few of our favorite bands.

Discover hilarious (and hilariously weird) acts on the Yellow Stage

With the recent news that SXSW will be expanding their comedy programming from six to eight nights, it’s clear that comedy is becoming a huge part of traditionally band-focused festivals. Check out some highlights here.

Nobunny’s costumed art-rock and lo-fi hits

Oakland art-rocker Nobunny celebrates an important milestone this year; no, he hasn’t landed a modeling deal from strutting around onstage in nothing but a terrifying bunny mask and tiny underwear. 2011 marks Nobunny’s 10^th band-iversary, a decade of catchy, lo-fi hits and unforgettably off-the-wall sets.

Sweet and sneering Ty Segall

Segall’s sound is his own, an eclectic mix of surf rock-inspired vocal melodies, reverb-soaked guitar lines and punk drum beats that can be soft, sweet and almost folksy on one track, sneering and sarcastic on the next.

Heartless Bastards bring soulful, solid rock

Occasionally messy, Heartless Bastards’ rock n’ roll borrows some pop elements, but also calls on simple riffs reminiscent of the glory days of grunge. There’s a bluesy undertone to some tunes, too, which isn’t surprising given early influences that include The Stones, Neil Young and Otis Redding (or the fact that Rolling Stone likened her vocals to "the swagger and spit of a young Robert Plant").

Puerto Rico’s hook-heavy Davila 666

The comparison of Puerto Rico's Davila 666 to The Ramones has been over-used to such an extent that I really didn't want to mention it, but there I just went. Yes, they're a group of young, fearless partiers who all (save for one) have adopted the Davila surname in a unified front of music and mayhem.