Kevin Bronson on February 8th, 2022

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The inaugural Abysmal Fest — curated by Jonny Pierce of the Drums and headlined by that band — will go off Saturday, July 9, at the Shine LA Outdoors.

DIIV, Sales, Teezo Touchdown, Alaska Reid and Cowgirl Clue are among the other artists on the bill.

“I can’t believe I am finally starting my own festival,” Pierce says of the event, in which Goldenvoice is partnering. “I can look back to when I was a teenager who was so in love with music that I could barely sleep at night. Those years of discovery where I was introduced to (and came to depend on) techno, punk, shoegaze, metal, grunge, garage, and house music are some of the most thrilling years of my life and still inform the way I think about music today. The irony is that those years were also some of the most painful and dreadful years of my life — and it was music that helped me get through. So much of the music that I loved was about sadness and suffering, and by listening to these artists I felt my suffering lessen and my sadness transform to little moments of joy.

“While Abysmal Fest is absolutely for everyone, I wanted it to be especially for the kids who are going through a hard time and who’s hardships could be lessened by being with others who are also struggling. We can be seen in the music and seen in each other.”

Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m Friday here.