Levitation aka Austin Psych Fest stands for music and hedonism. The festival showcases both up and coming, and well-established bands that fall under the umbrella of psychedelic-surf-garage-shoegazey-punk rock. In other words, no pop, no dubstep and no Kanye West. Unlike many of its kind, people who attend Levitation actually have “watching bands” at the top of their to-do list, which is why the only additions to the three stages were some delicious food trucks and a long line of fantastic vintage shops.
What started out as a small event with a handful of small bands playing on different venues around Austin, Texas, has grown into a full-scale festival that just celebrated its eight edition, now at Canyon Creek Ranch, with an extraordinary line up headlined by the legendary Jesus and the Mary Chain. Even though the heavy rain from previous days called for a last-minute relocation of the main stage and their Levitation Amphitheatre, previously located right next to the Colorado River, this had little impact on the high spirits of the attendees, who had to traverse rivers of mud to watch the bands they love.
Although honestly every single band I saw was great, some highlights include, Primal Scream, Spiritualized, Tame Impala, The 13th Floor Elevators, The Black Angels, A Place To Bury Strangers, The Black Ryder, Goastt, Mac DeMarco, Thee Oh Sees, DIIV, Holy Wave, Mystic Braves and Las Robertas. Levitation ended with The Flaming Lips and their astounding show that includes a trillion colored lights, psychedelic visuals, confetti explosions, smoke machines, giant mushrooms, a dancing sun, and Wayne Coyne singing, “Do you realize that you have the most beautiful face?” Seriously, you cannot ask for more.
Photography and Text by Francesca Beltran
www.francescabeltran.com
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