Review: The Macks open for Acid Mothers Temple
Mississippi Studios, Portland, OR — October 9, 2025
On a autumn evening at Mississippi Studios, the local heavy-psych outfit The Macks stepped onto the stage to begin a night that would stretch psychedelic boundaries. As the support act for Japanese space-rock veterans Acid Mothers Temple, The Macks had their work cut out for them — but by the time their set ended, they had more than earned the room’s attention.
The Macks’ Set
From the first notes, The Macks made clear they were aiming for impact. Their sound, already described in past interviews as a blend of “walloping heaviosity,” threading blues, thrash, krautrock and vintage rock influences, The Macks came through in spades. They opened with driving, riff-based passages textured by swirling keys and a taut rhythm section. Vocalist Sam Fulwiler alternated between snarling intensity and more melodic lines, riding over guitar lines that veered between bluesy leads and heavier, more distorted interludes.
The band showed strong dynamic control: moments of quiet tension—thin, reverb-soaked guitar lines or delay-laced keys—gave way to heavier climaxes, letting the crowd catch their breath before being pulled in again. Their pacing was confident, and they seemed comfortable stretching a song a bit longer than in a small-room setting, knowing they had a psych crowd in the house.
By the end of their set, the crowd seemed primed and ready — a solid victory for a local band opening for a psychedelic giant.
The audience was a mix of longtime psych-rock fans and local Portland scenesters — the kind of crowd that leans forward in their seats during quieter passages and cheers when things erupt. There was an anticipatory buzz even before The Macks began, and by their closing chord the energy was humming in the room.
In Context: The Macks’ Growth
This show was a chance to see The Macks in a spotlight where they could leave more than a local impression. Having been named Portland’s Best New Band in 2022, wweek.com they’ve steadily been building a reputation for blending vintage influences with experimental edges. Their recent interview suggests they’ve been intentionally pushing their sound to be tighter yet more adventurous. oregonmusicnews.com
Here, backed by a tour slot with Acid Mothers Temple, The Macks looked confident, capable of holding their own in the opening slot of a cosmic saga.
PHOTO BY ELLE JAMES
PHOTO CREDIT: ELLE JAMES
PHOTO CREDIT: ELLE JAMES
PHOTO CREDIT: ELLE JAMES
PHOTO CREDIT: ELLE JAMES
PHOTO CREDIT: ELLE JAMES
PHOTO CREDIT: ELLE JAMES
PHOTO CREDIT: ELLE JAMES
PHOTO CREDIT: ELLE JAMES
Acid Mothers Temple: Cosmic Devotion
After a short reset, Acid Mothers Temple emerged to a roar. The band, celebrating nearly three decades of hypnotic freak-outs, launched immediately into a cosmic jam that felt less like a “song” and more like a gravitational pull.
Leader Kawabata Makoto stood at the center of it all, coaxing feedback and shimmering drones from his guitar as if divining messages from another planet. Around him, the rest of the band summoned a sound that was equal parts celestial and earth-shattering — synths swirling like nebulae, basslines rumbling like tectonic plates, and percussion that seemed to fold time itself.
There were no breaks, no banter — just wave after wave of sonic ritual. The audience, once restless from The Macks’ high-energy set, surrendered to the trance. Heads nodded in time; eyes closed; a few brave souls swayed as if caught in the orbit of something much larger than themselves.
By the time the final note decayed into the wood beams of the room, Mississippi Studios felt like a space capsule floating somewhere far from Portland.
PHOTO CREDIT: ELLE JAMES
PHOTO CREDIT: ELLE JAMES
PHOTO CREDIT: ELLE JAMES
Photo Credit: Elle James
PHOTO CREDIT: ELLE JAMES
PHOTO CREDIT: ELLE JAMES
Two Halves of the Same Trip
Together, The Macks and Acid Mothers Temple delivered a show that showcased the beautiful spectrum of psychedelic rock — from garage-born grit to intergalactic improvisation. The Macks grounded the audience with raw emotion and swagger, while Acid Mothers Temple dissolved the boundaries of song and self altogether.
It was a night that felt both intimate and infinite — a reminder that live music still has the power to shake you loose from the everyday and send you spinning somewhere new.