After natural disasters curbed Levitation in 2016, the return of the multi-day arts and culture summit formerly known as Austin Psych Fest was supposed to be about rebuilding. And while the fest was moderate in size (mostly confined to evening gigs across less-then-10 stages downtown), every show was seemingly a sold-out banger, with capacity gigs at multiple venues due to sold-out numbers. I guess that's what happens when you lure Slowdive, Electric Wizard and Brian Jonestown Massacre (amongst many, many others) to play your festival. Hopefully, this means Levitation is here to stay with its impeccably booked lineup and its relaxed and fun atmosphere.
Revolver proudly partnered with Levitation to bring you the Ministry, Chelsea Wolfe and Wiccans gig at Emo's, but outside of that, what were the key performances at the fest? Find details on some of the more memorable performances below.
5) Thee Oh Sees, Dreamdecay and Amplified Heat at Barracuda
Amplified Heat were a surprise to virtually everyone in the room at Barracuda, playing fuel-injected blues-rock that would fit right beside an early Deep Purple set. Dreamdecay's kraut-leaning post-punk was peppered with new material since their Iron Lung released LP YU, and the Seattle based-four piece impressed a mostly unfamiliar audience of around 200-plus people just prior to Thee Oh Sees' appearance. Thee Oh Sees inspired the stage dives and pitting at the Barracuda, pulling from classics across their career like "The Dream" and "Toe Cutter." With the druggy-projections providing the backdrop outdoors, it was clearly one of the wildest and most fun sets of the fest.
4) Electric Wizard and Russian Circles at Stubb's
Electric Wizard are nothing if not a total mammoth of skull-and-dripping-candle doom, and their set, which mixed old and new, positively impressed on an early evening at Stubb's. With little between-song banter, their performance was all business — fuzzy, sweet-leaf–worshipping business. Joining the Wiz was some semi-unconventional support from Russian Circles. But while the two don't thematically fit together, the latter's inspiring and tech-heavy instrumental post-rock was an excellent foil for the U.K. doomsayers.
3) Windhand and Ruby the Hatchet at Barracuda
Ruby the Hatchet's groovy Seventies-inspired hard rock delivers in all the right ways — incredible lead vocals, killer riffs and a wailing organ above it all. Windhand's Sabbathian grooves, led by Dorothia's broken angel vocals, were similarly awe-inspiring. But it was the acid-drenched oil-projections took the evening from spaced out to totally next level.
2) Slowdive and Survive at Stubb's
If there was a singular best performance at the fest, it would go to Slowdive. The combination of the soaring vocals of Rachel Goswell and Neil Halstead with the beautifully angelic cascading fretwork was truly amazing. Unfortunately for the gig overall, Survive played before Slowdive, a band that is not known for a particularly strong live show.
1) Om and True Widow at Stubb's
Half of the fun of Levitation is the art and presentation of it all, and the combination of True Widow's slow-burning doomgaze with Om's far-eastern and far-out religious repetition made for the clear winner in terms of best overall gig. It wasn't just the one-two punch of the pair or the singular performance of either, but the acid-drenched presentation, crowd reaction, the weather and the total package.
See more Levitation 2018 photographs below:
