The One-Day World of Wizard Rodeo
Photo by Oscar Moreno
For its fifth year, Wizard Rodeo posed the question, “What is Wizard Rodeo?” and answered it with a communal art festival that feels, each year, like a brief glitch in reality.
Held annually at The Long Time in Driftwood, Wizard Rodeo is a small, artist-led gathering that is equal parts music festival, art fair, and field day, bringing together musicians, craftspeople, families, friends, and pets.
The weather was kind, and nature generous. The breeze gently shook pecans off their branches and scattered them on the ground. Wild watermelons pushed through tall grass. The air carried the scent of sage, bonfire smoke, whiskey breath, and warm apple cider. Children ran freely, kicking soccer balls across the baseball field, playing tag, and swinging from tire swings. Dogs fetched sticks nearby. Adults drifted between vintage vendors, hand-dyed textiles, live screen-printing, chain-stitching, ceramics, and music stages. Overalls were the unofficial dress code; deodorant, optional.
HoneyBunny played a punk-leaning set that flirted with “spooky cumbia” and ska, punctuated by a surprise cover of Peaches’ “Fuck the Pain Away.” They were followed by Thor Harris—yes, of Swans—wearing a wizard hat while playing clarinet and synthesizers for his meditative drone set.
Photos by Alejandra Sol Casas
Indestructible Creative All Stars delivered soulful, experimental jazz. With two saxophones and two upright basses, their set asked questions about love, such as what it is, and how it waters life. On the back porch in the drone zone, Shiva’s Medicine Chest embodied the festival’s family-forward ethos as Marc Smith’s two-year-old son, Martín, shook maracas and tambourines and contributed impromptu vocals.
Photos by Alejandra Sol Casas
The Central Texas Mycological Society returned to celebrate mushrooms through hands-on education, guided walks, and conversations about the magic of fungi.
Garrett T. Capps made good on the idea that any song can be a party anthem and that life is fun. Martín once again stole the show and moved people (me, at least) to tears when he joined his dad on stage for “People Are Beautiful,” shouting into the microphone in his little toddler voice that “People are beautiful... YOU are beautiful.”
Photos by Alejandra Sol Casas
Joey Reyes provided the score for Blipswitch, a dance performance that transformed his sonic swells into movement. Dressed in black bodysuits and fringed magenta and blue masks, the flock turned the baseball grounds into an interpretive experience.
Photos by Alejandra Sol Casas
Inside the High House, a tribute to filmmaker Les Blank unfolded through photographs lining the walls. His films looped behind a black curtain. Frank Hurricane and Little Mazarn both overflowed the space long before their scheduled sets. The entire “Big” Mazarn lineup barely fit on the stage, and trying to see them became a logistical challenge. With no space to sit or stand, people perched on windowsills, packed shoulder to shoulder, or listened from the porch and front steps. Outmatched by the crowd, I sadly retreated far out to the field to crochet.
Photos by Alejandra Sol Casas & Oscar Moreno
Bill Callahan dealt with technical difficulties with the patience of a saint. Though he released an album in February, he opted not to tour, making Wizard Rodeo his only live performance of the year. A Wizro veteran, Callahan thanked Garrett for inviting him and mentioned he’d return anytime he was asked. Momentarily distracted by a skull-emblazoned sweatshirt onstage, he shared a dream about symbols and their meaning before playing “Porcupine Tattoo,” originally recorded as a duet with Noah Cyrus.
Photos by Alejandra Sol Casas
Under a waning gibbous moon, Being Dead closed out the night with unburdened humor and joy. What I love most about Being Dead is the band’s obvious friendship, how free and sincere it radiates.
Year after year, Wizard Rodeo endures because of the trust it places in its community. Its values extend beyond the music, reflected in zero-waste efforts that encourage attendees to avoid plastic and divert more than 90 percent of waste from landfills. Together, it created space for kids, dogs, laughter, curiosity, and transcendence. And for right now, that’s pretty cool.