Levitation Fest returned to Austin for its 18th year from Sept. 26 to 28. The metal and psychedelic music festival hosted 31 bands in total, including headliners Mastodon, TV on the Radio and Pavement.
The festival was originally founded as Austin Psych Fest in 2008 by band members of The Black Angels. The festival was initially hosted at one venue and gradually transitioned to multiple venues. This year, it returned to that one-venue format and took place in the Palmer Events Center.
Friday’s set focused on heavy metal, hardcore and punk bands. Filling the arena and grounds with scorching guitars and throat-tearing screams, the bands threw themselves and fans into crowdsurfing and moshing. Saturday’s lineup was more relaxed, featuring hypnotizing bands like Blonde Redhead and Unknown Mortal Orchestra. Sunday saw a return to the hardcore scene, with Frankie and the Witch Fingers and The Black Angels taking the stage. Indie-rock band Pavement headlined Sunday night, wrapping up the festival with a roar.
