LEVITATION returns to Austin, Texas

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LEVITATION
Red River Cultural District, Austin, TX
November 7-10, 2019

Review and Photography by Michael Mullinex

During the week of November 7^th-10^th, Austin’s premier music venues joined in for the Levitation Festival and brought some incredible names of Alternative music to the city. With most of the highlights coming from the Red River Cultural District the festival featured a wide array of acts from trippy psychedelic performers, to Hard Rockers, and indie jammers.

The festival’s central focal point was the Stubb’s BBQ Waller Creek Amphitheater, boasting an incredible lineup of talent from wildly different backgrounds such as Devendra Banhart, Kurt Vile, Vagabon, and even Austin locals, The Black Angels. Fans poured into the open-air lot to see the whimsical Indie-Rock performances of singer-songwriter Angel Olson as well as get energized by the fist-pumping sonic wave that was Dinosaur Jr. Without question though the most highly anticipated performance from this lineup was the Flaming Lips, who took to the stage with their hit Race For The Prize, setting off confetti canons and throwing dozens of large balloons into the jubilant crowd. The Flaming Lips were not only eccentric but warmly inviting. Half of their stage setup alone was dedicated to a bright back-lighting and an obscene arsenal of balloons and other fun props for crowd-participation. As the band played through crowd-pleasers like She Don’t Use Jelly or Felt Good To Burn (the first time the song has been played in over 20 years) the crowd was roped into a fun atmosphere that transcended genre. The party element was unmistakable and the streamers and confetti from this set lingered around the venue for the remaining nights of the festival.

Aside from the draw at the Mainstage, the palpable excitement during the festival was driven by the Hard Rock and Heavy Metal acts, centered primarily around The Mohawk Club. It should come as no surprise that Stoner Metal mainstays like High On Fire and Windhand could pack in sold-out shows with their fiercely loyal fan-bases. However, what was truly unique was to see emerging talent such as Creeping Death assert themselves as a future force of the genre. For a band that sounds like a Metallica cover-band, the savagery of this group was on full display as they launched out on their first song, Ripping Through Flesh. Within sheer moments, the band had a hungry crowd cheering for more, and it was clear their attention on National Metal Radio has been well earned. Probably the most unique Metal act of the weekend was Deafheaven appearing at the Empire Garage. What at first appears as a full-frontal Black Metal assault soon sheds its skin gives way to their Progressive Metal center. Being perfectly editorial, this band was mesmerizing to listen to, able to blend together competing elements (not just in sound, but philosophical roots) in a way that sounded completely seamless. The highlight for the Metal side was definitely the raw aggression behind Red Fang, igniting one of the largest mosh pits of the weekend. Red Fang has no gimmicks, no-frills, just the uncut energy they pump into anthems like Dirt Wizard, Wires, Antidote, and of course, Prehistoric Dog. If you were a Metalhead in Austin this weekend, the team behind Levitation Fest had you covered.

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