Freak Nest Festival adds FNG collective + The Orange Peels reunion show
FREAK NEST FESTIVAL ADDS DEAD MEADOW, A-1, FALCONS, AFTERTHOUGHT AND THE TOP CHEFS, SAMSON, AND BAGHEAD + SPECIAL REUNION PERFORMANCES FROM COO COO BIRDS, DOWN DIRTY SHAKE, AND THE ORANGE PEELS TO THE LINEUP
THESE ARTISTS TO JOIN SUNSQUABI, SUGAR CANDY MOUNTAIN, SHAHERI, AND MANY MORE - AUGUST 22 +23 AT PUBLICWORKS, SAN FRANCISCO, CA
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – FREAK NEST is very pleased to announce the addition of Dead Meadow, A-1, Falcons, Afterthought And The Top Chefs, Samson, Baghead to the lineup, as well as reunion performances from Coo Coo Birds, Down Dirty Shake, and The Orange Peels, and a Good Duck Records stage takeover!
For the last ten years, FREAKNEST has been but a breath in Bay Area warehouse folklore. A decade after its inception, the independently funded festival is making its return to San Francisco this August 22 and 23 at PUBLICWORKS.
At the core of FREAKNEST is a focus on musical diversity, community, and a full spectrum of artistic expression. Taking place over two days and across three stages, the event will feature over forty acts from various schools, forms, and styles of music and art. Live Painting. Art Installations. Projections. Food. Dance. Performances ranging from Balkan brass to deep house, hip hop to bluegrass, psych rock to New Orleans second line and everything in between.
The artist driven, community led non-profit record label Good Duck Records is beyond elated to part of Freak Nest, and proud to announce a slew of Good Duck artists gracing the bill. Through fundraising and private donations Good Duck supports, highlights, cross promotes, and distributes the incredibly diverse and eclectic pool of talented musicians in the Virgin Islands and beyond. With the relocation to the San Francisco area of co-founder Allen Clapp, Good Duck is expanding its wingspan into that area to further grow the community.
Look for live performances by Good Duck artists Mother Goat, the Housewives of St John, Chasing Hues, PuZL and the Orange Peels staging an invasion of the loft stage across the 2-day event to bring the weird, wild and wonderous ways that the V.I. music scene has born, and share our community label project to redefine how recorded music is supported.
Keeping it local, Freak Nest is very proud to announce that San Francisco-based hip-hop collective Family Not A Group has chosen to bring their immaculate vibes to the party. FNG is known for their Hip-Hop, R&B and Bay Area Classics Day Party at El Rio on Mission Street. Attended by thousands over five years, this year in August they’ll be at PublicWorks instead of El Rio. Real Bay Area energy brought to you by real Bay Areans!
The initial lineup of FREAK NEST 2026 includes:
Dead Meadow
A-1
Falcons
Stoop Sessions with Afterthought
Sucka Free Collective with Baghead
A Good Duck Records takeover
The Orange Peels
Down DIrty SHake
Coo Coo Birds
Inspector Gadje
MJs Brass Bopper
Milli Shaw return
Samson (DJ amp up)
SunSquabi
Sugar Candy Mountain
Shaheri
The Helltones
The Blank Tapes
Inspector Gadje
Gaucho
Justin Waves
The Orange Peels
Belle and Chain
dustcollector
Mother Goat
Michael Musika
Indianna Hale
Chasing Hues
Soundhoose
The Shimmering Leave
The Housewives
PuZL
The Jimmy Touzel Bluegrass Explosion
ABOUT FREAKNEST
The first FREAK NEST was held in 2016 in Dogpatch/Bayview Industrial Grey Area, at co-founder Taylor Lissandrello’s warehouse, The Cave. Thrown together on a shoestring budget the festival ran from noon to midnight, featuring a nonstop performance model, with “marching” style bands performing in the middle of the crowd during set breaks. The small event showcased over a dozen Bay Area musical acts as well as visual artists and various performers. The event was a success and became the proof of concept to be brought to a larger scale.
Co-founder Matthias Wesner thought it imperative that FREAKNEST reawaken on its 10-year anniversary. “I got tired of watching the corporate takeover in the music and arts community and wanted to do something about it” he says. “So, we called all of our favorite bands from the Bay Area and beyond to put together something different.” “We have been putting our heads together to bring back this festival rooted in musical and artistic inclusiveness and diversity,” Lissandrello continues, “and we are grateful for the way it has come together.”
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