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Maybe you’ve heard about this thing called Levitation Festival going down this weekend in Austin? You haven’t? Well your boys at ATH are here to help with a little Festival preview and guide as you head out to the shows starting on Thursday. The number one thing to remember is — pace yourself, drink tons of water, and wear comfortable shoes. Okay that was three things, but you get the idea. Hit the jump for some nightly recommendations and tuneage.
We have some bonus coverage for you today. Friend and photographer, Nick Radcliffe, ventured out to catch Turnstile when they came through Austin to play at Stubb’s BBQ.
A quick excerpt: “For those of you that don’t know, Turnstile shows do not gradually escalate. You’re immediately thrown into a whirlwind of flesh, sweat, beer, and TLC (Turnstile Love Connection for the uninitiated). That said, the hardcore scene is known for its sense of community. Everyone is there for a good time and look out for one another. No matter the intensity someone’s got your back, or side, or whichever side happens to be thrown into the pit. I’ll give Turnstile some credit for this set though, they did try to ease us in.”
Click through for the full review and photos from the show…
I mentioned in the Interpol review how busy it was last week for Austin’s music audience. The tours are touring again.
I’ll keep the review for this pretty brief. I have a big gallery of Cut Copy laying down the hits at Stubbs, trying some new stuff and refreshing the classics. Along for the ride was Suzanne Kraft, thoughtfully crafted songs that served to set the stage.
Click through for a few thoughts and pics a plenty…
It was a quality lineup that found balance at the headliner. Last Friday at Stubb’s, Levitation hosted Ringo Deathstarr, A Place to Bury Strangers, Kikagaku Moyo and The Black Angels. If you are familiar with these names, you can understand the ups and downs, from groove oriented fuzz, to chaos, to pure psych, to a blend of all three.
Everyone contributed best-of material, whether by playing classics, smashing guitars or just sticking with the hits. Click through to read a few more thoughts and view another rad gallery of photos from the fest.
…BUT WAIT THERE’S MORE. I got some bonus coverage of Black Midi at The Mohawk.
Japanese Breakfast’s Michelle Zauner can’t be stopped. Along with crafting JapaneseBreakfast’s brilliant third album Jubilee, she has somehow found time to score a video game and publish a memoir that became a New York Times Bestseller. So it was no surprise to hear that a morning bus fire was not enough to stop her from getting to Stubbs in time to send Levitation Fest off in style on Halloween. Hit the jump for more thoughts and photos.
The shows start coming and they don’t stop coming! Tomorrow night, we’ve got a great lineup once again gracing the stage at Stubb’s, and one that will make you come out early. Headlining the evening, we have Julien Baker, who dropped a lovely album earlier this year called Little Oblivions. Her masterful songwriting, heavily emotive lyrics, and vocals that can cut you deep should make for a wonderful evening in the gravel at Stubb’s. But before you start crying at the club, make sure to get there early for openers, Dehd, who I’m stoked for. This Chicago trio dropped one of my favorite albums of 2020 in Flower of Devotion, which is a no-skips-post-punk ripper. Take a listen to some tunes below and then scoop some tickets while you can!
After over 2 years of being a home body and living with anxiety, mixed with a dash of unease, it was an overwhelmingly cathartic experience to get out of the house to see live music again. Seeing old faces, visiting old haunts, and of course being treated to an incredible live set by one of the best live bands around, Idles. I’d say BGray and I were like little kids going to a show for the first time. Hit the jump for a few thoughts and some fancy photos from BGray.
Shows are back, y’all, and in full swing. We’ve got a bunch of touring acts coming to the ATX in the next few weeks…looking at you Levitation 2021, but also some great bands to catch while they’re in town before hand. This Monday, we’re welcoming IDLES to Stubb’s, who are known for their raucous post-hardcore/punk sounds and wildly entertaining live shows. They’re just about to drop their fourth studio album, CRAWLER, on 11/12, and they’ve released the single “The Beachland Ballroom” for us to preview the latest effort. Now, this show is sold out, but I’m sure if you scramble you can find a way in. It’s bound to be an evening of fun, mayhem, and exceptional tunes.
Yes! The return of one of my favorite festivals/events in Austin. Long ago, Levitation was once Psych Fest, and it was glorious. Then it switched from Psych Fest to Levitation, then switching from one giant beautiful field to multiple venues, and honestly its been like the best part of SXSW! It’s the part where you get music heads chasing great bands like this year’s line-up featuring Black Midi, Chicano Batman, Tinariwen, The Hives, Japanese Breakfast and more! But, at least the 2019 version, it was pretty absent the free-swag army chasing beers and keychains. This year, the event will be spread out over four days, across venues like Stubbs, Mohawk, Cheer Up Charlies and Empire.
You can grab yourself some tickets right HERE, with more bands to be announced as the date draws near. And then check the recap of the 2019 experience!
Tuesday night, the Better Oblivion Community Center graced us with their presence at Stubb’s, alongside the company of Lala Lala and Christian Lee Hutson for the first real Stubb’s Sweat of the season. One of the most buzzed about acts of 2019, BOCC is a cult of sadness, with its two founders, Conor Oberst and Phoebe Bridgers at the helm of the vessel of sadness. What we got was a great night for fans of both artists individually as well as new fans of the project. Read past the jump to get my brief thoughts on the night.
