Levitation Festival: The Psychedelic Heartbeat of Austin
- HIDEOUS Magazine
- Oct 2
- 3 min read
Words by Angelika May
Austin Psych fest, which launched in 2008 caused a ripple effect on the global music scene. Founded by The Black Angels and their friends, the festival tapped into the city’s rich psychedelic rock lineage. By 2015, the festival had been reborn as LEVITATION, which was a nod to Austin’s legendary 13th Floor Elevators. The rebranding of Levitation marked a new era, although still rooted in psych rock, the festival expanded into metal, dream pop, punk, indie, darkwave and electronic, with a mission to carry the spirit of the 1960s sonic experimentation into present day. In turn this created a cultural effect, pushing the community together to release their boundary-pushing art and sound. Since 1991 Austin has carried the title of “Live Music Capital of the World” boasting more live music venues per capita than anywhere else in the U.S. It is also home to Austin City Limits, South by Southwest, and a creative spirit that is encapsulated in the local slogan “Keep Austin Weird.”
As a tourist, the best way to experience Austin’s nightlife is through a festival such as Levitation, which sprawls across Austin’s most popular downtown venues, each offering a unique sense of character and atmosphere. Walking between venues, you feel the pulse of a city that is messy, electric and wholly authentic. At Mohawk, the multi-level outdoor platform gives audiences a commanding amphitheatre-style view, the dive-bar grit of the 13th floor feels like a home from home, sticky floors and moody interior galore. At Stubb’s BBQ, the massive outdoor stage accommodates huge crowds, though its rigid security process can dampen the mood. Meanwhile, Kingdom is the batcave of Austin, perfect for those who are nocturnal, with striking lighting design that curates a full-scale sensory experience.
The Palmer Events Centre was the piece de resistance. With its immersive 360-degree psychedelic projections, video installations, and air-conditioning (a welcome escape from the Texas heat), the venue feels less like a concert hall and more like stepping into an immersive art exhibition. Outside the Palmer Events Centre is where you find the crux of the community, artist boots and stalls selling handmade wares line the walkway, with memorable contributions such as Eliana’s hand-drawn photo booth. However, if there was one area that falters, it was the food. While stalls offered some local flavour, including Texas BBQ, vegan and vegetarian options were limited and often overpriced, one festival goer paying $16 for a sparse falafel dish after vendors ran out of plant-based ingredients. It’s a small blemish on an otherwise vibrant experience.
Across the weekend, Levitation delivered a phantasmagoria of sound. At Mohawk, Beach Fossils gave fans their nostalgic, jangly dream pop and reverbed washed melodies, whilst Boy Harsher at Stubb’s transformed the space into a darkwave cathedral. Warmduscher brought some chaotic South London post-punk into a cramped, clammy 13th Floor, before The Brian Jonestown Massacre took over the Palmer Events Centre with hypnotic psych-rock, and for once continued the entire set without having a tantrum. Other highlights included, Martin Rev (of Suicide), Built to Spill, Being Dead’s scrappy local energy, The Black Angel’s bringing Levitation back to its roots. Destroyer added an off-kilter edge with Dan Bejar’s idiosyncratic lyricism before Pavement closed the weekend with a headlining set that was absolutely triumphant, a reminder of indie rock’s slacker-era brilliance. The lineup felt like a guided trip through decades of underground sound, and was an attestation to the pure spirit of Levitation festival.
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