Shabang Festival 2025 Recap

KCSB’s Digital Media Coordinator, Avery, visited San Luis Obispo to check out the annual Shabang Festival! As 2026 tickets begin to go on pre-sale, we hope our review of this year’s festival gives you something to look forward to next spring.

words and photos by Avery Morgan

Those who love concerts and live in Santa Barbara know that the drive up to a San Luis Obispo show is much more favorable than the dreaded trek to LA, so I always get excited to go to Shabang Festival. Seeing the stacked 2024 lineup (Peach Pit/George Clanton) had set my expectations high. The festival began in 2014, when two college friends hosted an informal/DIY concert at Cuesta Ridge, a mountain overlooking Cal Poly. The tradition continued, though the founders ended up getting a federal misdemeanor from the SLO Parks and Recreation Department after Shabang #5. Now, the festival relocated to Laguna Lake Park. For Shabang’s 11th year running, they booked big names such as Wallows, Briston Maroney, and Jungle (DJ set). However, I was most interested in a name in small font on the lineup — Slow Pulp! Having toured with bands like Death Cab for Cutie and Pixies, they are nowhere near “underground”, but I’ve loved their tunes for many years.

Last year I learned to bring sunglasses, stock up on energy chews from REI, and take many breaks to hide in the shade. Shabang’s grounds are sprawling and green, with a well-tended golf course and lake as its backdrop. Compared to other music festivals, I appreciate how the stages at Shabang are relatively close together, making it easy to catch plenty of sets. With granola bars and caffeine chews stuffed into my boots (don’t tell Shabang security pls), I met up with our KJUC General Manager, Dawn! Dawn didn’t have foresight from the previous year to sneak snacks in, so I watched her eat a $20 food truck meal while we rested in the shade. 

I started off the day by catching Amttrak’s set at the Cuesta Ridge stage (the stage name pays homage to the fest’s OG location). It felt strange to see a slowcore/shoegaze-y band in broad daylight, but they made it work. Their set delivered a hypnotic, casual ambience. After their set, I found the Amttrak lore to be quite elusive — I struggled to find out any information where they’re from or when they formed. So, I shot the band a DM, and learned that they formed at Cal Poly and are still SLO-based. A new single from the band will be releasing sometime this June, but for now you can listen to their 2023 EP, Sprinter.

Next up was Slow Pulp at the Laguna Lake stage! I’d seen the band once before, opening for Alvvays at the Wiltern, but I’d had a horrible view and all I remember about their set is they all dressed up like Scooby Doo characters to celebrate Halloween. The band formed between childhood friends Teddy Mathews (drums), Alex Leeds (bass/vocals), and Henry Stoehr (guitar) in 2015, then expanded to include Emily Massey on vocals and guitar in 2017. It’s hard to imagine Slow Pulp without Massey, as her stunning vocals and lyrics contribute so much to their iconic sound. Slow Pulp has proved themselves to be trailblazers in the current indie-rock scene, alongside bands like Alvvays, Momma, and Soccer Mommy. Their set included fan-favorites like “Falling Apart” and “Broadview”, which turned into sing-alongs when Massey turned her microphone out to the audience. Occasionally, Massey would set aside her guitar to prowl around the stage, striking poses that every concert photographer in the pit got excited about. 

The crowd was glued to Massey’s every move as she jumped around the stage. The band continued to play as the sun set behind SLO’s rolling hills. As a press photographer, I was allowed to walk backstage to shoot the band from behind, which gave me a full view of the crowd that had formed, stretching far, far back to the entrance of the festival. Several beach balls were thrown out into the audience, which seemed to give someone the courage to toss something at the band — their phone. The band members remarked, “Oh! Someone’s phone!”, and continued to take a couple selfies before handing it back to security. They played my favorites: “Idaho” and “New Horse”, some of their folkier tunes. Other songs included powerful screams from Massey (like the buildup at the end of “High”). Their set had me craving even MORE SLOW PULP!!!! Massey’s lyricism and voice, alongside the band’s skillful playing, brought Shabang a set with a beautifully crafted mix of folk, indie-rock, and shoegaze sounds.

The Laguna Lake stage ended with a set by Goth Babe, a name I’d heard about but never listened to. When I peeked at Goth Babe’s Instagram before they played, I was so surprised to see the singer is a hardcore environmentalist, with many collabs alongside outdoor brands like KEEN and Parks Project. I expected to see some folky tunes to end the day! However, Goth Babe once again surprised me by bringing out 2 DJs (?) behind him. While he did have an acoustic guitar and did appear to be strumming it, I wouldn’t have known that if my eyes were closed. The two men at the mixing board behind him overpowered any of the sounds the lead singer was making. I read plenty of concert reviews of Goth Babe after the show, curious to hear other people’s thoughts. Most reviews described his music as “electronic-indie”, which might just not be a genre I’m accustomed to.

As I was leaving the venue, I saw plenty of guys hopping the fence, trying to sneak in. Little did they know that Shabang’s security was posted up right on the other side of the fence, ready to escort them back out. This strategy was particularly intriguing to me, because they were sneaking in with less than 30 minutes of the festival left. Maybe a Jungle DJ set is truly worth all that hassle, but I was happy to head out a bit early. My favorite part about Shabang is its proximity to everything — the grounds are nearby downtown SLO (I recommend grabbing lunch there before the fest), the walk from the parking lot to the entrance is shockingly close, and the hills allow for the stages to be close together. I’m no sound technician, but my theory is that a completely flat festival ground would carry the sound further, making stages spaced further apart.

I’d like to share my predictions for the Shabang 2026 lineup. Though the festival seems to be leaning increasingly into its EDM side, which I have little insight into… I think they’ll book: Flipturn or Still Woozy (they always have someone Peach Pit/Hippo Campus-y), King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard for a 10 hour marathon set, and JPEGMAFIA (but he will cancel day of). See ya next year, Shabang! -AM