Introduction
Independently organized in 2008 as the Austin Psych Fest by members of the band The Black Angels and their friends, the event launched a movement that led to the formation of other events of a similar nature all over the world. Austin Psych Fest was renamed LEVITATION in commemoration of Austin’s psychedelic rock pioneers the 13th Floor Elevators, who reunited and performed at LEVITATION 2015 for the band’s 50th anniversary celebration.
In 2018, LEVITATION relocated to its original home in downtown Austin, where it reinvented itself as a festival that is accessible on foot, small in scale, and centered on the local community. The festival highlights the city’s internationally acclaimed music venues. As a follow-up to tremendous weekends of sold-out gigs every year since then.
In the past decade, in addition to the flagship event held in Austin, the group has coordinated LEVITATION events in France, Chicago, and Vancouver. In addition, they have held continuing events in Austin and unique events in Europe and Latin America, as well as a massive and diversified yearly LEVITATION showcase at SXSW.
In 2022, LEVITATION FRANCE celebrated its ninth year, and details on the event’s tenth annual iteration are short to be announced. Since 2010, the record label known as The Reverberation Appreciation Society has been responsible for the publication of records by important bands in the psych and garage rock scene. Some of these bands include Night Beats, Holy Wave, Ringo Deathstarr, and many others.
A Brief History of Levitation Music Festival
- Levitation is a music festival that takes place every year and lasts for three days. It was formerly known as Austin Psych Fest. It is organized and put on by The Reverberation Appreciation Society. This event has been hosted at Carson Creek Ranch in Austin, Texas, ever since its sixth iteration, which took place in 2013. They were motivated to build a music festival in their image by the creative boom of the 1960s and also by events such as ATP and Primavera Sound, which served as their source of inspiration. This once-small, locally organized event has blossomed over the years into a full-weekend celebration that is now recognized on a global scale and draws participants worldwide.
- In 2015, the Austin Psych Fest was rebranded as “Levitation” in recognition of the 13th Floor Elevators as the city’s first band to play psychedelic rock. Rob Fitzpatrick, Oswald James, Christian Bland, and Alex Maas are all members of The Black Angels, and together they make up a creative collaborative known as The Reverberation Appreciation Society.
- In addition to the festival held in Austin, the organization has expanded into additional cities commencing in 2013 with Levitation France. In 2015, Levitation Vancouver and Levitation Chicago were added to the roster of events. The band is also responsible for running the record label known as The Reverberation Appreciation Society and for curating events at music festivals such as SXSW in Austin, CMJ in New York City, Le Guess Who? in the Netherlands, and NRMAL in Mexico City.
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When is the Levitation Music Festival?
The annual Levitation Music Festival is held over the course of three consecutive days in the month of October.
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How Much Do Tickets Cost at the Levitation Music Festival?
Downtown Austin is home to a variety of performance spaces, including Stubbs, Empire, and Barracuda, all of which host live musical acts. A few months before the event, several different sorts of passes, such as general admission tickets, weekend passes, stub passes, and deluxe stub tickets, will be available for purchase. There are also options available for individual show passes. You can purchase them either online or at the venue itself up until they are sold out.
On the main market, the price of a Loyalty 3-Day General Admission Pass is $199 to $221, and the price of a Loyalty 3-Day VIP Pass is $499 or more. Parking passes have fees of at least $60. Tickets for the Levitate Festival can be purchased online at the event page for a price as low as $156 if you are interested in purchasing tickets at a discount. Quick hint: once you have selected the day of the event you want to attend, use the button labeled “sort by price” to arrange all of the tickets for the Levitate Festival in descending order of the price.
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The Food and Drinks Available at Levitation Music Festival
During the course of the festival, the event grounds will play host to over thirty different Food Trucks. All of the food is obtained from local businesses, and there is a wide variety of alternatives available, including farm-to-table cuisine, barbeque, handcrafted pizza, delectable baked goods, and smoothies.
To maintain the authenticity of our grassroots ambiance, we choose each of our merchants with great care. The bar scene at Rexicana Surf Cantina is a family affair, as it is operated by the same crew that runs the restaurant and food trucks. Throughout the course of the weekend, their bar staff puts in a ton of effort to ensure that fans have access to ice-cold beverages such as craft beer, ready-to-drink cocktails, an eco-friendly bottled water.
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Tips Before Attending the Levitation Music Festival
Find a Place to Stay Close to the Event
If you want to avoid having to Commute or drive back and forth during the festival, the most convenient alternative would be to stay in a hotel or Airbnb that is located downtown and is within walking distance of the event.
Reserve a Decent Parking Space in Advance
Downtown Austin does not have a parking lot that is specifically reserved for the Levitation Fest. If you want to arrive by car, you will need to make prior arrangements to pay for parking at a meter, in a parking lot, or a parking garage.
Screenshot Mobile Tickets Before Going to the Venue
There is a possibility that you will not have service at the location, and this provides an excellent assurance that you will have the tickets when you arrive.
Arrive Early for Performances
Get there early because if you wait until the doors open, you’ll have to wait in line for who knows how long. If you get there early, you won’t have to. You run the risk of missing a performance by one of your favorite bands. It is preferable to arrive early rather than late.
Eat Beforehand
Although most venues do not sell food, there are eateries and food trucks located in the areas surrounding most venues. It is best to eat beforehand because there is no assurance that there will be food available, which is especially true if you follow a vegan diet.
Come Prepared by Being Aware of the Restroom Situation
At certain shows, you may be required to use the porta potties. It’s not always possible to find a place to wash your hands or glance in the mirror. Bring along your preferred method of sanitation, be it hand sanitizer, wet wipes, or something else entirely.
Wear Boots or Comfy Sneakers
In several locations, the typical concrete flooring was replaced with pebbles and mud instead. At some events or venues, wearing shoes with high heels or platforms may not provide the most comfortable experience if you need to walk around.
Bring a Small Backpack
If you intend to purchase anything, you should ensure that the backpack you bring has adequate storage capacity for it. During the event, you won’t have to worry about holding any products thanks to the bag. In addition to this, it can provide you with additional storage space for items such as sunscreen and bottled water.
Plan Ahead
This music festival is not your average all-in-one event that takes place in a single venue. It takes place over several various locations located across the downtown area, each of which has a unique capacity, schedule, and method of purchasing tickets. The key to making the most of it is to prepare in advance.
Put together a brief timetable, be familiar with the locations of the venues you intend to visit, and have a plan for which performers you intend to see in advance. You will need to have a plan for where you’re going and when you’re going to get there because there is a big distance between many of the sites.
It is important to pay attention to how the wristbands and ticket levels truly work to prevent any unpleasant shocks from occurring. There is no assurance that you will have admission to every venue, and some wristbands will not allow you to enter every venue on the schedule.
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Levitation France
Levitation France is an annual event that began in 2013 and is hosted at Le Chabada in the city of Angers in France. The Black Angels, Dead Meadow, Night Beats, Wall of Death, and The UFO Club were among the 17 bands that performed at the first Levitation France festival, which took place on September 20 and 21, 2013, in France. Loop, Moon Duo, Woods, Allah-Las, La Femme, and Al Lover were among the performers at the second annual Levitation France event, which took place on September 19 and 20, 2014. The 18th and 19th of September 2015 saw the return of Levitation France.
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Facts You Did Not Know About the Levitation Music Festival
- Since its start a little more than a decade ago, Rob Fitzpatrick, who is in charge of booking, together with Black Angels members Alex Maas and Christian Bland, have worked toward the goal of making Levitation a hub for psychedelic rock to continue flourishing in Austin, which is considered to be the genre’s spiritual birthplace.
- The Levitation Music Festival takes place in a variety of locations across downtown Austin’s Red River District and the east side of the city. Each year, the event presents over 30 events at venues ranging from intimate bars to Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater, bringing scores of musicians from hundreds of bands and thousands of fans from all over the world to Austin’s world-renowned music venues.
- In the past ten years, in addition to the flagship event held in Austin, the organization has coordinated LEVITATION events in France, Chicago, and Vancouver. Furthermore, they have held continuing events in Austin and special events in Europe and Latin America, in addition to putting on a massive and diversified yearly LEVITATION showcase at SXSW.
- Since the year 2010, the record label known as The Reverberation Appreciation Society has been responsible for the release of albums by influential bands in the psych and garage rock scenes, such as Night Beats, Holy Wave, Ringo Deathstarr, and many others.
- The Levitation Music Festival has managed to maintain its status as an independent event despite the growing trend of large live music corporations purchasing other festivals. The festival hosts established stars, legendary bands, and up-and-coming artists who are creating the scene today. Each year, the festival spreads these performers around venues in downtown Austin, incorporating the city into the festival experience.
- As a result of the expansion of Austin’s Levitation event, heavier and more psychedelic forms of sludge, punk, metal, and progressive rock music are no longer ignored. This is a positive development. This is by far the most major accomplishment of the festival, and it is something that has come about as a direct result of the event’s success.
Conclusion
LEVITATION is one of the festivals that stands out as being one of a kind because of its emphasis on experimental and avant-garde styles of music that stretch the limits of psychedelic rock and electronic genres. This festival challenges the conventional assumptions of what music festivals and events experiences can be like.
