Levitation is a psych-heavy, punk-emphasized music and arts festival held annually across Austin's lively Red River District and East Side venues. This past September, I had the privilege of attending my first Levitation!

Friday

I kicked off the weekend at Levitation's central hub, The Far Out Lounge, where I caught up with some KVRX friends and sang along to some of my favorite Bikini Kill songs. While I'm a big fan of Bikini Kill, my friend Alexis and I made the difficult decision to leave their set early and Uber over to Stubb's for The Garden's performance.

As someone who has seen The Garden various times over the years, it's always their crowd's intensity that leaves me fearing for my life. With this in mind, Alexis and I agreed that we would linger towards the back of the crowd. Once The Garden came on stage, I was instantly overcome with FOMO and decided I needed to be in the pit. After a few songs, we were in that pit moshing like no other.

It was sweaty and slippery, as always, but nowhere near as intense as I remembered from previous years. Then it hit me—maybe I'm unc? I recall my days when the older folk would lift me back up after taking a tumble in the pit. Suddenly I am the one helping up the young ladies in the pit in true mosh etiquette fashion. 

A majority of the setlist featured songs from The Garden's newest album, Bootleg, which they were touring in support of. Honestly, I hadn't given the album a proper listen before the show, so much of the set was unfamiliar to me.  In contrast, songs like “OC93” and “Horseshit on Route 66” instantly brought back memories of seeing them at that very venue during the Horseshit on Route 66 tour, while “Vexation”, “Egg”, “Call the Dogs Out”, and “AMPM Truck” instantly teleported me back to my first time seeing them on the Kiss My Super Bowl Ring Tour– one of the most memorable shows I have ever experienced. 

Flashback Tangent: To set the scene; it’s January of 2022, I'm a Sophomore in high school and I am sooo excited to finally hear “Call This # Now” after years of it being in my Most Listened. It’s also cool because their frontman/bassist is Cowgirl Clue’s (my favorite artist and fashion icon) boyfriend!! YAY! So there I am standing in the back of the pit at Mohawk, the lights dim, and the infamous rubber-chicken intro beat to “Clay” begins. Instantly, the entire crowd surges towards the barricade; the pushes and pulls from folks around me seem to perfectly align with each pitch bend. Not only did this show leave a huge divot in my off-brand Doc Marten’s, it ignited my love for synth-punk moshpits.

Fast-forward to this year's Bootleg tour, where I had the privilege of hearing "5 Mile Ponytail" for the first time. This goofy ahh song instantly went platinum in my earbuds as I walked around West Campus between lectures and labs. Instrumentally simple but sonically textured, the song features a jagged, heavily layered drumbeat, a wide, sub-heavy bassline, and, of course, no Garden song would be complete without a goofy sample.

Overall, it was a great show. I smiled, screamed, moshed, and crowd-surfed twice. Most importantly, we all left happy and safe.

Saturday

I returned to The Far Out Lounge on Saturday evening to catch Molchat Doma. I initially came as a casual darkwave fan, not expecting to leave as a genuine fan of the band. Known for their brutalist, brooding, and cold aesthetic, Molchat Doma's sound is often associated with post-Soviet architecture and the bleakness of the era. Their ability to transform such harsh, melancholic imagery into something so ethereal and magical is beyond impressive.

The entire production was incredible. Between the impeccable sound system, captivating visuals, and sweeping lasers, the synths and lights worked harmoniously to create a dreamy atmosphere. The music seemed to fill every corner of the venue, transforming its otherwise cold, brooding aesthetic into something warm and comforting. Egor's dancing was equally mesmerizing, his fluid, uninhibited movements were hypnotic against the band's stark electronic soundscapes. Together, the music, visuals, and movement created a beautiful performance and an experience that felt deeply euphoric. If you ever get the opportunity to see them live, I cannot recommend it enough. The power of synthesizers and frequencies!!!

Later that night, I made my way to Elysium to meet up with my mama, a close friend, and her mom! My mom and I rarely share the exact same taste in music, but we have a mutual appreciation for '80s industrial and EBM. Naturally, taking her to see one of her longtime favorites, Nitzer Ebb, was a no-brainer. Elysium is a relatively intimate venue, which meant we could get as close to the stage as we pleased.

I don't have a whole lot to say other than: what a great show! RIP Douglas McCarthy. Bon Harris sounded surprisingly similar vocally, and the entire crowd singing along to "Join in the Chant" was easily one of the highlights of the night. It was heaps of fun, and getting to share the experience with my people made it all the more special!

Sunday

Whenever I hear "Unlucky" by Lunar Vacation, I'm instantly transported back to a very specific era of my life: cuffed mom jeans, Hello Kitty hair clips, and an N95 mask on my way to grab boba with my high school friend group. For that reason, I was immensely honored (and admittedly a little nervous) to end my Levitation experience by interviewing the Atlanta-based indie band.

Concertgoers at 29th Street Ballroom

Watch the interview here!