So…many…concerts. They’re my favorite way to spend my paychecks, really. Which were among the top ten I saw last year? Read on, my friend.
#10: Frankie and The Witch Fingers – September 28, 2025 – Levitation Austin – Austin, TX
FATW never disappoint live. This set at Levitation Austin felt like they were playing in a hurry in the best possible way. They wasted no time on the stage and had the whole place going bonkers the entire time.
#9: Kadavar – June 27, 2025 – Levitation France – Angers, France
I hadn’t seen Kadavar since they played at the first Austin Psych Fest I attended back in 2013. They even mentioned how they hadn’t played a Levitation festival since then. They sounded great and played a great showcase of their evolving sounds from doom metal to psych-rock.
#8: The Limiñanas – June 28, 2025 – Levitation France – Angers, France
Speaking of great shows in France, seeing The Limiñanas on their home turf was the top priority for me at Levitation France last year. It was a great set that even included a cover of The Cramps’ “TV Set.” I still don’t know why they didn’t close the night and the festival. That honor went to Boy Harsher, who did a fine job, but The Limiñanas were a tough act to follow.
#7: Castle Rat – September 26, 2025 – Levitation Austin – Austin, TX
If you’re looking for a band to open your festival, you can’t do much better than Castle Rat because they set such a high bar on Day One of Levitation Austin that all the other bands that day were scrambling to catch up to them. The set included a swordfight with the Grim Reaper, a resurrection performed by a Plague Doctor (the bassist), and an eternal quest to keep a book of souls from an evil wizard. The line at their merch booth was at least twenty minutes long for several hours afterwards.
#6: Viagra Boys – September 17, 2025 – The Salt Shed – Chicago, IL
The last time I saw Viagra Boys at the Salt Shed, it was at a sold-out show inside the main building. This time it was a sold-out show on the exterior stage and it was just as bonkers. People in shrimp costumes, custom Shrimptech jackets, and wiener dog shirts were everywhere. They sounded wild and weird, which is exactly what you want from them.
Who’s in the top five? Two longtime favorites, a reunion tour I almost didn’t get to see, and two bands I wasn’t sure I’d ever get to see live. Come back tomorrow!
You can always recognize faces by the final day of Austin, Texas’ Levitation Music Festival. You see the same people who’ve been sweating and rocking with you all weekend and can tell who hasn’t had enough sleep, who’s been in the sun too long, who’s hungover, who’s dehydrated, and who’s an old pro.
The crowd was light when I arrived to see Daiistar open the final day of the festival. This isn’t because Daiistar is a bad band, quite the contrary, but the people who show up early on Sunday are either the die-hards who are getting every cent of their money’s worth for the weekend pass, the people who can only make it on Sunday and have the same logic, the fans of the first band, and those who are so deep in the festival zone that showing up when the gates open has become as automatic as breathing. All of those people got to see a good set of early-90’s vibe psychedelia from Daiistar that was a good warm-up to a hot, humid Sunday.
Starting the day with Daiistar.
Afterwards, shade spots were prime real estate at the outdoor stage for Population II, who brought their fiery cosmic psych all the way from Quebec and wowed the audience. They cracked jokes about touring, their own merch, and lack of English in between songs about everything from pizza to panic.
Population II gathering a large population of new fans.
Two friends, Wes and Chelsea, met me at the festival on this day, and I took them to see A Place to Bury Strangers. This was their first time seeing APTBS. “I envy your innocence,” I said. We walked into the indoor stage area within moments of the opening notes of the set and, of course, were greeted by what sounded like a saw mill on fire. As is now custom at an APTBS show, they came into the middle of crowd, near us, to perform a wild, weird set of hammering rhythms and distorted synth…something. Chelsea said, “It felt like they’d summoned us to be sacrificed and then put a hex on us.” We later told frontman Oliver Ackermann this and he said, “Yes! That’s it.” Chelsea said she was still thinking about their set by the end of the night.
A Place to Bury Strangers casting spells.
As if that wasn’t enough face-melting for you, along came Frankie and The Witch Fingers afterwards with a ton of groovy garage-punk chaos for which I joined the mosh pit and rocked out with the sweaty crowd for a bit (which you could easily have done outside as well since it was so hot and humid that day). FATWF always play well and are a ton of fun.
Frankie and The Witch Fingers casting spells.
We had some time for food at some point. It’s difficult to remember when you eat and which set is at which time when you’re on Day Three. We did remember that The Black Angels were up next for us. The festival’s hosts and curators always play and put on a set of some rare tracks I hadn’t heard in a while, possibly ever, which was a treat.
The hosts!
The final two bands of the night on the indoor stage were indie rock giants -— both of whom drew big crowds. First was Built to Spill, whose lead singer and guitarist Doug Martsch had some of the best guitar tones of the entire festival.
Spilling thrills for the appreciative crowd.
Next, and closing the day and the festival, was Pavement. They had a great time on stage, laughing a lot, poking fun at each other, and getting a lot of cheers from the crowd.
Pavement pounding the stage.
There’s always an odd feeling when Levitation ends. You’ve been there for multiple days and nights. You’ve made some new friends, seen the same groups of weirdos, ate some spicy food, drank too much caffeine, and your ears are sore from wearing earplugs for three straight days or not wearing them at all. You’ve experienced something…and now it’s finished. You don’t feel empty or sad, but you do wish you could squeeze another day or night out of it…and you also feel renewed and ready for next year.
See you in 2026, God willing and the creek don’t rise.
Those were the first words I heard about Day Two of 2025’s Levitation Austin musical festival as I walked toward the entrance of the Palmer Event Center. Some guy said this to his pal as they steeled themselves for the day to come. The guy was right, as the bright sun was brutal at times — especially at the outdoor stage.
I started indoors, both to avoid the peak sun and to see Hooveriii put on a solid set of psych-rock that bordered on grunge rock a couple times (which was fine by me).
Hooveriii (pronounced “Hoover Three”, not “hoovery.”)
Many of us ventured out into the sun to see Dutch disco funkers Yīn-Yīn play for the first time anywhere in the United States. They had the afternoon crowd jumping and were having a great time despite not being used to such heat.
Yīn-Yīn getting their sweaty groove on, and on all of us.
I had time for a chicken shawarma wrap (possibly the best food bargain at the festival) and some ice cream before heading back to the outdoor stage to see Model / Actriz put on a blistering set of queercore post-punk with lead singer Cole Haden prowling through the crowd while his bandmates played tight, snappy beats and riffs. Guitarist Jack Wetmore knows not only how to play, but the right moments not to play — a skill overlooked by many.
Model / Actriz bringing more heat than the afternoon sun.
I took some more time to hydrate and get a full meal (It’s a marathon, not a sprint.) before heading back indoors to join the large crowd for The Brian Jonestown Massacre, who played to a happy crowd — many of whom (at least around me) hadn’t seen them before now. It was a good set, with only minor issue when, believe it or not, Anton Newcombe decided his microphone had too much reverb.
Too much reverb? Never!
The Raveonettes were a welcome return to Levitation. I hadn’t seen them since 2013 when Levitation was still the Austin Psych Fest (which has returned in its own form). They still sound great and played classics and newer stuff.
Let’s rave on!
The biggest show of the night, and for the entire festival for me, belonged to TV on the Radio. I wasn’t sure I’d ever get to see them, so their appearance at Levitation made the decision to fly here a no-brainer. They slayed it and had everyone jumping and moving. Their energy was infectious and immediate, and a great way to close the night.
Well worth the wait.
TVOTR didn’t close my night, however. I was so wired after their set that I walked over a mile to Elysium to see Past Self and Urban Heat. I knew we were in for a treat when Past Self’s bassist started the show by playing his guitar with a bow. What followed was a mix of desert rock (They’re from Las Vegas, Nevada.), New Romanticism, and dark wave.
Past Self. Are they ghosts, musicians, past incarnations of you?
Urban Heat are local heroes who play aggressive shoegaze mixed with post-punk anger. It’s good stuff, and they seem destined for big things. They reminded me a bit of early TVOTR, which was fitting because I bumped into TVOTR’s guitarist / multi-instrumentalist Jaleel Bunton at their show and got to thank him for the great set.
Urban Heat in the middle of the night.
Up next, psychedelia, indie rock, and a couple sets that might cause you to seek a chiropractor afterwards.
I couldn’t think of a better way to kick off the first full day of Levitation 2025 than a slow-motion sword fight between a Rat Queen and a rat skull-headed incarnation of Death over a book containing countless souls.
That’s how Day One of the festival started in its new home — the Palmer Event Center. The new space is impressive. The interior stage is in a massive cave-like room with 360-degrees of projections to keep you tripping all day if you’d like. Oliver Ackermann of A Place to Bury Strangers described it to me as “amazing,” and I think he and his bandmates (still a bit bleary-eyed from their recent South American tour) are eager to blast the place on Day Three.
First to blast it, and setting a high bar for the rest of the bands to come for the rest of the festival, were a band consisting of a vampire, a druid, a plague doctor, and a warrior queen.
Castle Rat came out to an exuberant crowd as the voice of a distant wizard told us they had been given the task of protecting The Bestiary — a book of souls they must protect at all costs from evil forces. As a friend put it, “Listening to them is like opening your Dungeons & DragonsPlayer’s Handbook for the first time.” They proceeded to flatten the place, ending their too short forty-minute time slot with the aforementioned sword fight.
Castle Rat versus Death.
The line for Castle Rat’s merch was at least twenty minutes long for hours after their set. I later met their drummer, The Druid, and told him my friend’s description of their music. He laughed and said, “Yes! That’s exactly what we’re going for.”
Now is forever in this realm!
The exterior stage is in a smaller space, and set up facing south with the unintended result of having many of the bands (depending on their set time) staring into the afternoon sun. One such band was Skloss, who’d just returned from a tour in Scotland and had become unaccustomed to such bright sunlight. Guitarist SandyCarson had trouble seeing his foot pedal board a couple times, resulting in what drummer / singer Karen Skloss called “the Skloss experimental set” by the end. Regardless of the pedal trouble, they still put on a loud, psychedelic show that blasted as hard as the sun.
Pizza for Skloss!The pattern speaks.
I had to get some hydration and calories by this point, so I missed the opening of Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol‘s set, but got there in time for a lot of solid rockers such as “Heel,” “1-800-EAT-SHIT,” and “I’m the Fucking Man.” They sounded great, even better when I saw them at Levitation last year at Stubb’s BBQ on a much bigger stage.
Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Whatever the Fuck
I had a little time to wander for a bit, checking out the various vendors there, and then got to see most of the set from Austin’s own The Sword — who played to a packed house indoors. Their set got a bit funky by the end, which I thought was great.
The Sword cutting through time and space.
I took a much-needed disco nap back at the hotel after their set, and it was almost too good of a break. I woke up groggy and debated not going downtown to see the late night show for which I’d purchased a ticket a while ago. I decided to go outside, get some fresh air, and make the decision. It turned out to be a good one.
I didn’t get to Elysium in time to see Austin drag star Louisanna Purchase perform, but did get there for the last half of Auragraph‘s drum and bass set that had the place bumping. Much like the Boy Harsher show the previous night, the goth and queer crowd was out in force here — which is always great to see.
Auragraph dropping science.
Pixel Grip was playing down a man with synth player Jonathon Freund not being able to make the show, but pre-programmed loops and chords keyed up by drummer Tyler Ommen worked just fine and singer Rita Lukea commanded the stage and the jam-packed crowd. They had the floors shaking multiple times. It was a wild end to a wild day.
Pixel Grip showing us their stamina.
Up next for Day Two…post-punk, disco, and a DJ set from my favorite band.
LEVITATION returns with another stacked four-day lineup and new festival grounds, Palmer Events Center, in addition to nightly venue programming across Austin’s Downtown Red River District. The expanded footprint brings larger acts to the weekend, and the festival’s Night Shows continue to offer intimate club experiences downtown, celebrating the independent music scene—from up-and-comers to national headliners. For over a decade, LEVITATION has delivered thoughtfully curated lineups that span psych, dream pop, punk, indie, metal, darkwave, electronic and all genres in between. Passes for LEVITATION 2025 are now on sale, and night show tickets can be purchased separately – all at the ticket link HERE.
Palmer Events Center will serve as the heart and main venue for LEVITATION 2025. Located on the shores of Town Lake overlooking the Austin skyline, the venue features an expansive 75,000 square foot environment for the indoor stage, providing a huge canvas for the artists on stage and 360 degree lighting and visuals, day or night. The indoor experience is accompanied by an outdoor stage set to a backdrop of lush trees and the Austin skyline. The new venue offers amenities like an air-conditioned, indoor experience for the main stage, ample outdoor green space, plenty of room to stretch out and hang, and an immersive setting for the music and visual experience that LEVITATION is known to offer. The new location brings abundant space for interactive art and video installations, a DJ stage, vintage clothing pop-ups, gear and record vendors, a food truck court, an expanded poster show, and much more to explore throughout the weekend.
“We’ve been searching for the right location to bring a multi-stage experience back to LEVITATION for years, and we found it right downtown. The venue offers a huge upgrade in production overall with endless possibilities for the visual experience, and great amenities – air conditioning, nice bathrooms, ample parking, a giant shaded outdoor courtyard, along with the production infrastructure needed for a world-class show. All of that in a beautiful park in the heart of the city,” explains LEVITATION co-founder and festival director Rob Fitzpatrick. “and the proximity to downtown means we’re still able to host shows in our Red River venues; these clubs are the heart and soul of our music scene in Austin and it wouldn’t be LEVITATION without them. We’re very excited to create something remarkable and built to last in this new home for the festival, and we can’t wait to experience this lineup with everyone in September.”
“LEVITATION 2025 brings back a larger multi-stage festival in the spirit of when it was held at the ranch – and just steps from where Fun Fun Fun Fest called home – but this time we’re doing it at a venue that has everything we need – and with a roof over our head,” adds Resound Presents founder Graham Williams. “We couldn’t be more excited about the new venue and the future of LEVITATION in this new space.”
The central festival hub at Palmer Events Center will host some of LEVITATION’s biggest acts with daytime and evening performances. Later each night, attendees can explore the city’s famed Red River and downtown venues with night shows running Thursday through Sunday at Stubb’s, Mohawk, Elysium, Kingdom, 29th St Ballroom, 13th Floor and more.
Friday, September 26 starts off strong and heavy at Palmer Event Center – stacking metal titans MASTODON, the only Texas show from the reunited ACID BATH, progressive death metal phenoms BLOOD INCANTATION and Austin’s own doom metal masters THE SWORD, plus more on the main festival grounds.
Saturday brings a head-spinning bill topped with NYC’s indie greats TV ON THE RADIO, the damaged grooves of UNKNOWN MORTAL ORCHESTRA, infamous psych outfit THE BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE, dream rockers BLONDE REDHEAD, along with WEDNESDAY, LA FEMME, MODEL/ACTRIZ and more.
Sunday’s lineup combines a 90s indie dream lineup with a rare performance from PAVEMENT, indie stalwarts BUILT TO SPILL and DESTROYER with heavy dose of psychedelic rock from festival founders THE BLACK ANGELS, psych punks FRANKIE AND THE WITCH FINGERS, A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS and BEING DEAD.
The festival nighttime programming kicks off as early as Wednesday, September 24 and runs through the night of Sunday, September 28, featuring acts like MDOU MOCTAR, BEACH FOSSILS, BOY HARSHER, SUDAN ARCHIVES, THE DANDY WARHOLS, NEAL FRANCIS, DRUG DEALER and many more.
The full LEVITATION 2025 lineup at Palmer Events Center, with all corresponding night show programming, is detailed below.
PALMER EVENTS CENTER LINEUP
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 26 MASTODON • ACID BATH THE SWORD • BLOOD INCANTATION THE ARMED • SECRET CHIEFS 3 • CASTLE RAT
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27 TV ON THE RADIO UNKNOWN MORTAL ORCHESTRA THE BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE BLONDE REDHEAD • WEDNESDAY • LA FEMME THE RAVEONETTES • SWERVEDRIVER • MODEL/ACTRIZ GOAT GIRL • YIN YIN • HOOVERiii
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 28 PAVEMENT THE BLACK ANGELS • BUILT TO SPILL DESTROYER • FRANKIE AND THE WITCH FINGERS A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS • BEING DEAD UPCHUCK • DILES QUE NO ME MATEN • POPULATION II
+ MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED
NIGHT SHOWS
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24 – KICKOFF NIGHT MDOU MOCTAR + MORE @ RADIO/EAST BEACH FOSSILS + LAUNDER + GIRLPUPPY @ MOHAWK
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 25 BOY HARSHER + MARTIN REV + KUMO 99 @ STUBBS NEAL FRANCIS + MORE @ MOHAWK WARMSUSCHER + MORE @ 13TH Floor TEEN SUICIDE + MORE @ BALLROOM DESIRE + JOHNNY JEWEL @ ELYSIUM STARJUNK 95 + DR. GABBA @ KINGDOM
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 26 SUDAN ARCHIVES + JAMILA WOODS + SINKANE @ STUBBS THE DANDY WARHOLS + KULA SHAKER @ MOHAWK PIXEL GRIP + MORE @ ELYSIUM ROSE CITY BAND + MORE @ BALLROOM
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27 PUP + JEFF ROSENSTOCK @ RADIO/EAST DRUGDEALER + SKINSHAPE + SONS OF SEVILLA @ MOHAWK PILE + FACS @ BALLROOM LA FEMME (DJ) + MARIE DAVIDSON (LIVE) @ KINGDOM
The top 15 live shows I saw in 2024 range from doom metal to post-punk. Read on!
#15: The Well – Stubb’s BBQ – Levitation Austin, November 03, 2024
The Well never disappoint. They opened this night of metal at Levitation Austin’s main stage and set a high bar right away. The mix of older material with upcoming stuff from (hopefully) a new record landing this year was top notch.
#14: The The – Salt Shed, Chicago, IL, October 25, 2024
Here’s a band I wasn’t sure I’d ever get to see live. Matt Johnson returned with a new The The album and then a world tour. It was his first time in the U.S. in over two decades. They played two sets: The first being The The’s new album, Ensoulment, in its entirety and the second being a “time traveler’s set” of classic material. Johnson still sounds great.
#13: A Place to Bury Strangers – Stubb’s BBQ – Levitation Austin, October 31, 2024
Here’s another band who never disappoint. It was my girlfriend, Holly’s, first time seeing APTBS. I told frontman Oliver Ackermann (dressed, like his bandmates, as a vampire for Halloween) before the show that I envied her innocence. Her review? “I need a neck adjustment after that.” I don’t think I can sum it up better.
#12: Jon Spencer – Stockroom East, South Bend, IN, July 11, 2024
Holy $#!+. Jon Spencer and the rhythm section of The Bobby Lees played a forty-minute drive from my house. This small venue almost couldn’t handle their energy. The small crowd at this show got a great gift from them.
#11: Gang of Four – Far Out Lounge – Levitation Austin, November 01, 2024
Here’s another band I wasn’t sure I’d get to see live. This great set by Gang of Four was one of the top highlights of 2024’s Levitation Austin Music Festival for me. Everyone in this crowd was hyped to see them, and Jon King smashing a microwave with an aluminum ball bat was gold.
My top ten shows of 2024 include some old favorites and one final (?) tour. Come back tomorrow for more!
We decided to end Levitation 2024 with a lot of metal.
My girlfriend slept and relaxed during the day, while I went to End of an EarRecords (where Drop Nineteens were doing a signing) and scored some fun CD compilations of everything from Italian late 1970s disco to classic British punk.
We were famished by late afternoon, and I realized that my girlfriend hadn’t yet experienced Stubb’s for their food, so it was an easy decision to go there. She fell in love with their Serrano cheese spinach.
I was surprised that the show that night, featuring Gran Moreno, The Well, Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol, Pentagram, and The Sword, didn’t sell out right away – especially since it included The Sword reunion set. Lo and behold, it did sell out before day four arrived and the crowd was massive.
There’s about another third of this crowd behind us in this photograph. The turnout was wild. I hadn’t been around that many metal fans since probably Psycho Las Vegas in 2020. The line to buy The Sword’s merch was over an hour long for some people, and people were dropping money like mad. Metal fans always bring cash to spend.
We missed the first part of Gran Moreno’s set, but what we heard was a lot of heavy Latino garage rock from the duo. Up next were local doom darlings The Well, who crushed it as always and teased their upcoming album with “Christmas Lights.” The night crept in during their set, which was appropriate for their material.
The Well casting a Darkness 150′ radius spell.
Up next were another Austin trio, Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol, or, as I saw them listed on a fan’s shirt, “Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Whatever the Fuck.” The mosh pit for their show of what I call “goofy metal” (I mean, they have a song called “Peanut Butter Snack Stix,” after all – which they played.) was insane. Their drummer is impressive, laying down thunderous stuff. They also teased new material coming soon.
Metal legends Pentagram showed they still have chops and commanded the stage with wizard-like power. The gray hair and beards only seemed to be lightning erupting from their bodies.
The crowd was at full capacity by the time The Sword hit the stage, and everyone was singing / yelling “Barael’s Blade” with them for the opener. “Cloak of Feathers” was a welcome addition, as was “The Hidden Masters.” Crowd surfers were abundant and everyone was going bonkers for most of their set.
It was a heroic return for them, as big as some of the epic tales they spin on their albums. “I didn’t know there were so many different kinds of metal,” my girlfriend said.
It was another fun year in Austin. The vibe was, as always, great, and the people were all lovely.
On Day Three, at the Hotel Vegas “Levitation Lounge,” I chatted with a father, Eric, and his son, Charlie from Minneapolis. Charlie had convinced Eric to come with him for the festival, and Eric was surprised to discover “This is all my music.” He was stunned at the sounds he was hearing, and loved how “You tell people you’re here for this festival, and they don’t know what you’re talking about. I love that. It’s like they don’t know it’s going on.”
Levitation still, somehow, feels like a secret even though it brings in some of the best bands in the world. “The level of musicianship here is amazing,” my girlfriend said after experiencing the festival for the first time.
Like any other marathon, the three-quarter mark is when it really starts to hit you. The same can be said of Levitation Austin, as Day Three is when the festival starts culling the weak and you begin to hear people saying things like, “I tapped out at one a.m.,” “He wanted me to go to another show last night, but I just couldn’t,” and “Austin is kickin’ my ass today.”
It’s also when you start having weird synchronous moments with people you’ve seen at the festival. My girlfriend and I have seen the same woman at all but two of the shows we’ve attended so far. She’s come all this way from England to express her love for a festival cameraman. He’s married, by the way, and this woman’s friend isn’t happy that he’s been dismissive of her. There’s also “blond guy,” who looks and dresses like a character from an early 1990s video game and I think has been on some kind of illegal drug for three days, “Asian guy with a splint on his right index finger,” and “Guy with the big King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard patch on his jacket.”
We started Day Three with some friends and great BBQ (as one does in Austin at least once where you’re here) at a place called KG BBQ that mixes Texas BBQ with Egyptian flavors. It’s great. We then headed to Hotel Vegas for the “Levitation Lounge,” where no one bothered to check out RSVP tickets, and we had free drinks while listening to a DJ set by Death Valley Girls.
Death Valley Girls dropping science.
I was wearing my “Death Valley Girls Official Fan Club” shirt and was spotted by Bonnie Bloomgarden, the leader of DVG. She remembered me as the guy who keeps his phone set on black and white and, in a moment of joy for me, from this blog. They’d opened for Osees the previous night there and I told her I was excited to hear their new “Earth, Wind & Fire-sized line-up” later that night at Parish.
My DVG shirt proved to be popular. I had more comments on it than any other shirt I’ve worn all weekend. At least four people pointed at me and said, “Great shirt,” and then told me how they’d seen their Hotel Vegas set the previous evening and were amazed by it.
The surprisingly tall Dry Cleaning walked in not long after my lovely conversation with Ms. Bloomgarden. I thanked them for their set at the Far Out Lounge the previous night, and they told me how much they love playing in Austin. They were all delightful people and played a fun DJ set of their own that dropped in some classic Sade and Wham! tracks.
Dry Cleaning towering over the decks.
We wanted to stay for the Black Angels DJ set, but it was Day Three and we needed a disco nap. It turned out to be the right call because Austin got slammed with rain for about an hour and we would’ve been soaked on the walk back to our pad.
We came back to Hotel Vegas to first see local shredders Grocery Bag take the stage, and they played a wild set of fierce garage rock. Be sure to look them up.
Paper, plastic, or power?
After that was night number three of Osees’ four-night residency at Hotel Vegas. They ripped into it straight out of the gate (as always) and immediately floored by girlfriend, who was seeing them for the first time. She was amazed by their manic energy and how “they just go for it.” They threw in some punk ragers with a couple psych-rock cuts, showing how they can change shape faster than a D&D doppelgänger.
We then walked six blocks along 6th Street, maneuvering around stumbling drunks and people still in Halloween costumes lining up to cram into a small club spinning overplayed dance tracks from the early 2000s, to get to Parish and see DVG perform their heart-lifting yet spooky set of psychedelia. It was strange at first to see them with no guitars (apart from Sammy Westervelt on bass), replacing them with saxophone. “They sound like a spooky version of Morphine,” I thought. My girlfriend loved them and empowerment and spiritual healing messages they convey in their lyrics.
We headed to the Parish’s small lounge after the set and another guy pointed out my DVG shirt. It turned out he and his friend were at KG BBQ and noticed my shirt there. They’d seen DVG’s Hotel Vegas set and fell in love with them. One of them, Shafiq, got my “spooky Morphine” reference, and they were both from Chicago and frequented a lot of the same bar. The other, Imran, had been at the same Slift and Meatbodies show I attended at Reggie’s Music Joint weeks earlier. We all bonded over Gen X bands and chai.
Wine Lips, whom Shafiq had seen before (“First tickets I bought.”) and described as “The Toronto Osees,” came out and just went nuts. That might be the best way I can describe their set of crazy garage-psych. It was damn impressive. They barely let you take a breath.
Wine Lips drunk with shredding.
We stopped at a shawarma food truck on the way back, where I was again complimented on my DVG shirt, and then got back in time to settle down with my overflowing chicken and falafel wrap and watch the opening scenes of Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla. You can’t wrap up a festival day much better than that.
The weather stayed nice for us on Day Two of Levitation Austin. There was no rain, and it was overcast – which meant that the sun wasn’t beating down on us at this place.
There is no parking.
We spent most of our day here. It was a first time for both of us at the place, and the Austin Psych Fest in the spring is held here. You have to take the bus or use a ride-share service to get here because it’s on a busy road and there’s no where to park for miles. That being said, it’s a nice place big enough to hold two outdoor stages and multiple vendor booths. I would’ve enjoyed more food truck options other than pizza (which looked delicious, by the way), and we’ll bring a blanket next time, but the place reminded me of the La Chabada venue at Levitation France. You can easily hop back and forth between stages at both places.
Up first were Meatbodies, whom I’d recently seen in Chicago. They were the first band of the day and had a good crowd for a 4:30 slot. They had fun and set the table for everyone else to follow with a night of garage-psych, electro, cosmic rock, and post-punk.
They had to cut their set a bit short, as the second band of the day was in the process of unleashing fierce dance-punk on the main stage. Special Interest came out ready to fight and / or fuck. “Fierce” is how my girlfriend described their wild set.
We could hear parts of Fat Dog‘s set, which was described by one of the sound engineers as “Like Fontaines D.C., but hornier.” We decided to get close for Gang of Four, who are on their final tour, and were the big draw of the day for me. They didn’t disappoint, playing a lot of classics and destroying a microwave in the process. Jon King‘s manic energy made my girlfriend wonder if he might have a heart attack on stage, but one look through his unbuttoned shirt showed how ripped he is.
We hung out in the same area for Dry Cleaning, who somehow had to follow Gang of Four. Lead singer Florence Shaw (whom my girlfriend described as “fucking weird”) spoke, a bit nervously, about all the great bands playing that day. She and her bandmates didn’t have to worry, however, as they put down a great post-punk set. I love the addition of their saxophonist on this tour. The echoing horn is a sharp touch.
We heard part of Pissed Jeans‘ set, which sounded crazy, and they had a lot of fans at the Far Out. I saw plenty of their band shirts on people in the crowd (“Excuse me, are those Pissed Jeans you’re wearing?”), and then headed over to see Slift, who were once again wrapping up their U.S. tour at Levitation. They wasted no time, using every bit of gas left in the tank. Crowd surfers were abundant during their set and they practically blasted the east fence off the place. “I think Slift stole the show,” my girlfriend said.
We wrapped up the night at Kingdom in downtown Austin, a venue that’s the opposite of the Far Out. It’s pretty much a rave warehouse that you can only access through a door in an alley. We hit the dance floor during MJ Nebreda and Doss‘ sets, which were full of so much bass that we were both buzzing by the end of the night. It was fun to hang out with a crowd of ravers (many of whom still in costume a night after Halloween) after hanging out with rockers for several hours.
Up next, night three of Osees‘ four-night residency at Hotel Vegas.
LEVITATION returns this Halloween weekend, taking over Austin, Texas music venues with an eclectic and expanded menu of music and art October 31 – November 3, 2024!
4 Day Passes and Single Show Tickets are available now, here.
For over a decade, LEVITATION has delivered lineups that span psych, dream pop, punk, indie, metal, darkwave and electronic music. It’s a beloved record collection manifested into a 4 day weekend, with lineups that span continents and generations: a heady amalgamation of vintage gear, immersive light shows and visuals, buzzing amps, moody synths, and good times in Austin, Texas.
This year’s festival brings a full platter of psychedelia, shoegaze, punk, metal, and electronica – a collection of underground legends, music vanguards and pillars of modern music and indie music culture.
The multi-venue format encourages fans to choose their own adventure through the weekend – you can buy single show tickets for over 30 different shows, or go all in with a 4 Day Pass and indulge in the entire 4 day Halloween weekend.
Many of the shows are mini-festivals in their own right. Slowdive, Drop Nineteens, Airiel, Ringo Deathstarr and Glare close out the weekend, topping off a 4 day shoegazer’s dream across 4 venues, including lineup highlights Panchiko, Swirlies, Julie, and Wisp. Punk legends the Jesus Lizard top off a stacked bill with Gang Of Four, Dry Cleaning, Special Interest, Pissed Jeans, Fat Dog and more – all on one ticket on Friday at The Far Out Lounge. Jazz Is Dead brings a 3 night residency with French greats Cortex and Adrian Younge. Psych punk titans OSEES make a 4 night stand at Hotel Vegas, an Austin tradition that’s seen them play nearly as many Levitation events as festival founders The Black Angels – who top off a Halloween night show brimming with international talent: Niger’s Mdou Moctar, and Brazil’s Boogarins. Local heavies The Sword ride high at Stubb’s on Sunday, with highly influential proto-metal outfit Pentagram, local rippers Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol, and The Well. Saturday night brings Texas thrash giants Fugitive with hardcore heroes Integrity, plus more across a two stage lineup. Indie dream team Soccer Mommy and The Drums pair up to crush Stubb’s on Friday night, while Tycho, Washed Out, Hania Rani, Wu Lu, Arushi Jain and more bring bliss across a two stage lineup at The Far Out Lounge on Saturday night. LEVITATION 2024 adds a new downtown venue, Kingdom, which will host late-night sets from the likes of genre-defining and expanding DJs and producers such as The Dare, Axel Boman, and Patrick Holland with more to be announced.
More highlights include French heavy space-rock masters Slift who headline Mohawk, London’s Nilüfer Yanya, and Japan’s Boris bringing their album ‘Amplifier Worship’ on a two stage lineup with A Place To Bury Strangers. Australia’s Mildlife team up with UK chill auteur Arc De Soleil. The UK makes a strong showing with EMB pioneers Nitzer Ebb, Manchester stalwarts The Chameleons performing their 1986 classic ‘Strange Times’, and first wave post-punks The March Violets, all performing headline sets at Elysium.
