LEVITATION music fest taking over Palmer Center, showcasing 'all things interesting, out there, weird'

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin’s psychedelic rock music festival is back and in a new home.

LEVITATION is marking its 18th year this weekend. The fest has a stacked lineup that’ll perform across two stages at the Palmer Events Center and at venues in the Red River Cultural District.

The three-day fest celebrates Austin’s history of psychedelic rock and programs “everything from metal to electronic and all things interesting, and out there, and weird,” LEVITATION Co-founder and Festival Director Rob Fitzpatrick said.

LEVITATION was started in 2008 by Fitzpatrick and his friends in the band The Black Angels, Austin’s “local psychedelic rock outfit,” as Fitzpatrick described them. It started back in 2008 as Austin Psych Fest, which is now a separate festival held in the spring.

Fitzpatrick said the festival became LEVITATION in 2015, named after a song by “our psychedelic rock godfathers here in Austin, Texas, The 13th Floor Elevators,” he said.

The 13th Floor Elevators actually coined the term “psychedelic rock” in the mid-60s, Fitzpatrick explained.

“While San Francisco is known for being more of like, you know, the epicenter of the 60s psychedelic scene, it actually started in many ways here in Austin with the 13 Floor Elevators,” he said. “So we took our name after a song by The Elevators, sort of in honor of that spirit. They were, you know, innovators and sort of like musical outlaws, you know, to be pulling that off in the state of Texas in the 60s was unheard of and just very inspirational.”

LEVITATION has historically happened across the Red River Cultural District, but festival organizers announced in May that it would be primarily at the Palmer Events Center this year, while still holding some shows in the Red River area.

“We’ve been searching for the right location to bring a multi-stage experience back to LEVITATION for years, and we found it right downtown. The venue offers a huge upgrade in production overall with endless possibilities for the visual experience, and great amenities – air conditioning, nice bathrooms, ample parking, a giant shaded outdoor courtyard, along with the production infrastructure needed for a world-class show,” Fitzpatrick said in a press release at the time.

Fitzpatrick said the festival is unique and offers an alternate experience compared to Austin’s other music events because they “have a different audience” and they’re “sort of bringing the record collection of our community to life here on our stages,” he said.

“What we do is try to, we ask our audience, who do you want to see? And we’re looking to book their favorite bands of all time,” Fitzpatrick said. “So it’s a lot of like record collectors and people who are really passionate about underground music and stuff that is maybe a little left of center in terms of, you know, style.”

He said LEVITATION is essentially what happens if you “take the innovation and spirit of 1960s psychedelia, and you follow that through the history of punk and dark wave and electronic music and like, 90s indie.”

There’s also a visual component to the festival. There will be about 2,000 feet of linear video in 360-degree projections where the main stage is at the Palmer Center. Fitzpatrick said the visual aspect is equally as important as the music and that the experience is meant to be immersive overall.

Fitzpatrick said the lineup has something for everyone and it’s basically “someone’s playlist come to life.”

If you’re not going, and you’re worried about traffic in the area, Fitzpatrick doesn’t think there’s much to fret over.

“We’re not ACL, you know. So we’re expecting 7,000 people here a day, versus 75,000 for ACL,” he said. “So I don’t think… traffic isn’t going to be bonkers.”

Shows at the Palmer Events Center will wrap up around 10:30 p.m. each night, and then the energy will stay alive downtown in the Red River area with the “night shows,” though some of the night shows are already sold out.

Tickets for the fest are still on sale, and there are different options to choose from. Check the LEVITATION website for availability.

You can also find a “know before you go” guide and a list of FAQs on the festival’s website.

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