Arroyo Secodelic lands in Highland Park this weekend. What to know about the new music festival

A new four-day music festival takes over Figueroa Street in Highland Park this weekend.

The Arroyo Secodelic Festival will feature 65 bands, with acts hailing from Los Angeles, Mexico and as far as France and Holland.

The festival was co-founded by Guy Keltner and Tom Segal. Keltner said he’s organized shows for nearly 14 years now, most notably with Freakout, an annual underground music festival he started in Seattle that draws thousands.

Keltner told LAist he wants Arroyo Secodelic to be a place for music discovery, pairing rockers Flamin’ Groovies — who are celebrating six decades as a band — with local bands like El Sereno’s Windows and Levitation Room.

“I’m just trying to kind of present to L.A. like ‘Hey there’s a ton of great music happening that you don’t know about,’” Keltner said.

Headliners include OC legends Adolescents, iconic punk band FEAR and L.A. psych-rockers The Warlocks.

The neighborhood collaboration will span seven stages, with shows at traditional venues like the Lodge Room, as well as De La Playa Records and North Figueroa Bookshop.

“I think it’s going to be nice to do something unconventional. This whole thing is run by independent businesses. So even beyond just the bands, there’s a DIY spirit to the venues,” Keltner said.

The weekend-long festival will also include acoustic sets, artist signings, and book readings by performers like Kid Congo Powers of The Cramps and The Gun Club fame.

Keltner said he hopes Arroyo Secodelic will serve as a bit of an antidote to what he sees as some “cosplay” rock and roll taking up space in L.A. right now: bands he feels are not investing as much in the artistry.

“Underneath all of it, there are great bands,” Keltner said. “There’s so much talent in the city, it’s just not in the places you’re usually looking.”

Arroyo Secodelic runs from May 22 to 25. More info at the Arroyo Secodelic website.