Kevin Bronson on June 28th, 2012

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Words and photos by Matt Draper

For fans of layered, wafting guitars and introspective yet noisy backdrops, the longtime Sunday night weekly Part Time Punks showered said devotees with the stacked 11-act Shoegaze Festival last Sunday at the Echoplex. Dubbed “the world’s first” (I wonder …), the event featured performances from contemporary ’gazers such as Weekend, Whirr and Tropic of Cancer, some ’90s heyday acts like Lorelei (the Slumberland Records band playing their first-ever West Coast show) and Half String (who haven’t played since 1997 and reunited for the fest) and local psych-rock leaners Sky Parade.

Though the 9-hour gathering provided an encompassing recap through DJ sets, cultish reunions, used vinyl bin digs and very cheap, and questionable, tacos, PTP’s trump card was in getting former Ride singer-guitarist Mark Gardener, playing Ride songs, as their headliner. That band was not only responsible for the now classic albums “Nowhere” (1991) and “Going Blank Again” (1992), but also crucial in helping sow the seeds for the U.K. Britpop scene that would soon follow.