After four days of LEVITATION bliss and a minute to process the myriad of incredible musical performances we saw, it’s time to put a bow on Austin’s premier mid-tier music festival. After jumping from Empire Garage to Barracuda, Mohawk, and Stubb’s all weekend, we’re convinced Rob Fitzpatrick and the rest of the LEVITATION crew are some of the nation’s best curators of artists from around the globe. Last year, the festival included a number of stellar acts that fit neatly into the LEVITATION fold from South America. This year, a few acts from Japan filled that role alongside the usual slate of headliners; Kurt Vile, Black Moth Super Rainbow, A Place To Bury Strangers were supported by an equally impressive list of far flung acts to close out the festival on Sunday, November 10th.
On Sunday evening Dinosaur Jr. began the proceedings at Stubb’s BBQ equipped with their signature wall of sound amplifiers. A giant stack of Marshalls were arranged in a semi-circle around front man, J. Mascis. Across the stage bassist, Lou Barlow stood in front of a considerable amount of bass amps, shaggy mane of hair flying about as he wailed on his four-stringer. Early in the set, the band rolled out their exquisite cover of The Cure’s, “Just Like Heaven” before dropping back into the meat of their set of original material. The conclusion of the performance saw headliner Kurt Vile make an appearance with the band, foreshadowing J. Mascis’ guest slot with Vile later in the evening.
Following that set, Dallas Acid’s extremely chill show, complete with Chinese gongs, vintage keyboards and startling visuals took place across Red River Street at The Mohawk. The vibe set the stage for North Carolina-based Black Moth Super Rainbow. The experimental, electronic / analog hybird act features TOBACCO aka Thomas Fec (vocoder, effects) and his partner, The Seven Fields of Aphelion (keys, effects) and a super-tight bassist, STV SLV, and tireless drummer, Iffernaut. While Fec hides behind his stack of equipment, the latter beats on those drum skins while wearing a Balaclava-like hood.
The progression of the performance was much like Portishead side project, Beak’s slow ramp up the night before at Empire Garage. BMSR’s music began low-key, slowly introducing elements until some type of apex was reached in the setlist. Iffernaut and STV SLV began propelling the group forward with an insistent, punctual rhythm section. Aphellion’s incredibly dexterous performance on keys was brought to new heights. We actually heard fans remark that both her and BMSR’s drummer were bad ass artists, thus assisting in validating the claim that behind every good man (or band) are good women. That’s not to say TOBACCO’s groundbreaking vocoder affected vocal work and songwriting isn’t the basis of BMSR. It’s an observation that the entire group contributes equally to the success of the act.
Feeling good after another mind-expanding and pleasing performance by Black Moth Super Rainbow, we set out for Barracuda over on Seventh Street to close out the evening with more stellar performances. When we arrived, UK act The KVB were setting up on the outside stage at Barry’s. The Jesus and Mary Chain meets electronica duo were wrapping up their first U.S. tour, arriving from Houston that afternoon to Austin. We chatted with tour manager, Keeton Violet before the show. He was pleased both with the attendance at the show and the communal vibe of the gathering. We were pleased with The KVB’s deliciously retro-yet-not musical stylings that combined element of UK goth rock with electronic drumbeats, keys and effects. The layered guitar work somehow meshed well with a digital backbeat. It more than worked. The KVB have a proven fan base in the UK. They’re making headway in America finally.
With the conclusion of The KVB’s entertaining performance, local gaze rock heroes Ringo Deathstarr played the inside stage. Their heavily distorted guitars and exceptional rhythm section fired up the audience for A Place To Bury Strangers’ headlining show outside. The trio of Oliver Ackermann (guitar, vocals), Dion Lunadon (bass, vocals) and Lia Braswell (drums, vocals) produce the type of noise rock LEVITATION was made to showcase. The band took the stage amid a swirl of stage smoke, strobe lights and thunder, frantically moving about, swinging guitars wildly while they threated to destroy their instruments before the show really got underway. Of course, the talented entertainers did no such thing, instead delving into a catalog of songs that induce a visceral reaction one cannot deny.
The group posted video online of third track in the setlist, “Fill the Void” as it happened from their 2015 release Transfixation. The group also included track, “We’ve Come So Far” from the same album during the performance. A new wrinkle in the stage set-up are dual video projections happening behind Braswell in addition to strobe and lighting effects. The brighter scheme appears to acknowledge newish member Braswell’s influence as well as the band’s evolution as a live music act.
The second half of the set featured a procession of guest performers from the band’s that played the evening curated by Death By Audio FX, Ackermann’s guitar effects pedal company. Included in that group was Elliot Frazer of Ringo Deathstarr. The guitarist turned in a fine effort behind Ackermann and Lunadon who were masterful throughout the show. Their one-two punch of stage histrionics and showmanship really raise up APTBS in terms of performance ability and entertainment value. It’s why we rarely miss an opportunity to see the Brooklyn mainstays when they come to Austin.
