Levitation (formerly Austin Psych Fest) is an annual 3-day music festival developed and produced by The Reverberation Appreciation Society. Since its sixth year in 2013 it has been held at Carson Creek Ranch in Austin, Texas. Inspired by the creative explosion of the 1960s, as well as by festivals such as ATP and Primavera Sound, they set out to create their vision of a music festival.
Over the years, this independent festival has grown to an internationally acclaimed, full weekend event that attracts attendees from all over the world. In 2015 Austin Psych Fest was renamed LEVITATION in honor of Austin’s legendary psychedelic rock godfathers The 13th Floor Elevators.
The Reverberation Appreciation Society is a creative collective composed of Rob Fitzpatrick, Oswald James, and Christian Bland and Alex Maas of The Black Angels. In addition to the festival in Austin, the group has branched out into other cities beginning in 2013 with Levitation France and in 2015 with Levitation Vancouver and Levitation Chicago. The group also runs The Reverberation Appreciation Society record label and presents events at Austin’s SXSW, The Netherlands’ Le Guess Who?, NYC’s CMJ and NRMAL in Mexico City.
The first annual Austin Psych Fest was held on Saturday March 8, 2008 at The Red Barn in north Austin, featuring performances by The Black Angels and Ringo Deathstarr among others.
In 2009, the festival was extended to three days and was held from March 13–15 at the Radio Room, a short lived venue on Sixth Street. The Seeds’ Sky Saxon performed with Shapes Have Fangs as his backing band and Austin psychedelic legends The Golden Dawn performed their 1968 album “Power Plant” in its entirety. The lineup included modern psychedelic heavies Dead Meadow, A Place to Bury Strangers, Wooden Shjips, The Warlocks, and The Black Angels.
The third Austin Psych Fest was held April 23–25, 2010 at The Mohawk, a multi-stage venue on Red River. 41 acts performed, among them, The Raveonettes, Warpaint, The Gaslamp Killer, The Black Angels and 1960s legends Silver Apples.
The 2011 festival was held on April 29-May 1 at the 1950s art deco Seaholm Power Plant, a decommissioned steam power plant on the bands of Lady Bird Lake in downtown Austin that had been made temporarily available for events. Due to changes in city ordinances and construction plans, the festival changed venues 3 times before landing back at its originally intended location, The Seaholm Power Plant, and the festival would be the last concert held within the plant’s walls. The 63 band bill was topped by Roky Erickson of The 13th Floor Elevators, Spacemen 3 offshoot Spectrum, Omar A Rodriguez group playing as The Mars Volta lineup, Crystal Stilts, the first performance from Black Moth Super Rainbow in several years, and The Black Angels.
Austin Psych Fest 2012 was held April 27–29 at the east-side location of legendary music venue Emo's in conjunction with the Beauty Ballroom. The 5th annual festival featured a 61 band lineup including The Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Black Angels, and the Black Lips along with Meat Puppets, The Olivia Tremor Control, Thee Oh Sees, and Bombino, among others.
The 2013 and 2014 festivals were held at Carson Creek Ranch in Austin, Texas, located on the Colorado River. The 2013 festival, the 6th annual festival, held April 26–28, was the first year for the festival to be held at a completely outdoor venue, as well as the first year to have 3 stages of music, camping, and a poster series featuring US and international artists. The seventh annual festival, held May 2–4, 2014, included 1960s legends The Zombies, as well as Panda Bear, The Horrors, Loop, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, of Montreal, The Dandy Warhols, The Black Angels and many more.
In late 2014 The Reverberation Appreciation Society changed the festival’s name from Austin Psych Fest to Levitation, titled after a track by Austin psychedelic legends The 13th Floor Elevators.
The 2015 festival was held May 8–10 at Carson Creek Ranch. The lineup included The Flaming Lips, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Primal Scream, Spiritualized, Tame Impala as well as a reunion performance by The 13th Floor Elevators, the band's first performance in 45 years.
The 2016 festival at Carson Creek Ranch was cancelled due to flooding concerns. This led to two lawsuits being brought against the organizers of Levitation.
Created in 2013, Levitation France is held annually at Le Chabada in Angers, France. The first Levitation France was held on September 20–21, 2013, hosting a 17-band lineup including The Black Angels, Dead Meadow, Night Beats, Wall of Death, and The UFO Club. The second Levitation France festival was held September 19–20, 2014 and included Loop, Moon Duo, Woods, Allah-Las, La Femme, and Al Lover. Levitation France 2015 is scheduled to take place September 19–20, 2015.
The Reverberation Appreciation Society has released a number of concert films. Austin Psych Fest: Beyond the Third Sound features footage from Austin Psych Fest 2013 and includes performances and interviews with The Black Angels, Roky Erickson, Clinic, White Fence, Acid Mothers Temple, and Tinariwen, among others. Other concert films released include APF 2012, APF 2011 "Live at the Power Plant," and APF 3, which features footage from Austin Psych Fest 2010.
The 13th Floor Elevators
The Flaming Lips
Tame Impala
Primal Scream
The Jesus and Mary Chain
Spiritualized
The Black Angels
Thee Oh Sees
Mac DeMarco
Lightning Bolt
The Sword
The GOASTT
Earth
DIIV
Health
A Place to Bury Strangers
This Will Destroy You
Fuzz
The Soft Moon
METZ
White Fence
Hundred Visions
Tamaryn
Night Beats
The Fat White Family
Mini Mansions
Föllakzoid
The Black Ryder
Ringo Deathstarr
Indian Jewelry
Nothing
The Myrrors
Mystic Braves
Spindrift
Las Robertas
Holy Wave
Vaadat Charigim
Willie Thrasher & Linda Saddlebeck
Ryley Walker
Mugstar
The Blank Tapes
Fever the Ghost
Mr. Elevator & The Brain Hotel
ZZZ's
Eternal Tapestry
Samsara Blues Experiment
Paperhead
White Manna
Gourishankar Karmakar & Indrajit Banarjee
Jeff Zeigler & Mary Lattimore
Chui Wan
Survive
Los Mundos
LA Witch
Heaters
Sungod
The Holydrug Couple
Creepoid
Ex Cult
The Well
Tele Novella
Ryan Sambol
Dallas Acid
Baby Robots
Hollow Trees
The Brian Jonestown Massacre
The Dandy Warhols
The Zombies
The Black Angels
Black Lips
Acid Mothers Temple
Graveyard
Shannon and the Clams
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard
The Fresh & Onlys
Quilt
Liars
La Femme
White Hills
Kadavar
The Horrors
Unknown Mortal Orchestra
Temples
Bombino
Dead Meadow
The Golden Dawn
Bardo Pond
Boogarins
Of Montreal
Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks
Medicine
The Octopus Project
Zombie Zombie
Yamantaka // Sonic Titan
Loop
Panda Bear
The War on Drugs
Mikal Cronin
The Young
Pink Mountaintops
Sleepy Sun
Joel Gion & The Primary Colours
Tobacco
Bo Ningen
Earthless
Toy
Guardian Alien
Steve Gunn
Woods
Gap Dream
Hollis Brown
Brown Sabbath
Terakaft
Bone Fur & Feathers
Peaking Lights
Aqua Nebula Oscillator
Roger Sellers
The Eagle's Gift
Morgan Delt
Pure X
Residuels
Mirror Travel
Jacco Gardner
Barn Owl
Mark McGuire
Circuit Des Yeux
Mono
Moon Duo
Destruction Unit
Dahga Bloom
Perhaps
Cosmonauts
Christian Bland & The Revelators
Charlie Magira
Chris Catalena & The Native Americans
Kikagaku Moyo
Doug Tuttle
Greg Ashley
Fantasmes
Mind over Mirrors
Higgins Waterproof Black Magic Band
Secret Colours
Lorelle Meets the Obsolete
Arrington De Dionyso
Golden Dawn Arkestra
Think No Think
The Black Angels
Roky Erickson
The Moving Sidewalks
Silver Apples
Goat
Acid Mothers Temple
Kaleidoscope
Bass Drum of Death
The King Khan and BBQ Show
White Fence
Om
The Raveonettes
Warpaint
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Tinariwen
Clinic
The Growlers
Deerhunter
Os Mutantes
Boris
The Soft Moon
The Warlocks
Wall of Death
Man or Astro-man?
Dead Skeletons
Masaki Batoh's Brain Pulse Music
Tamaryn
Gary War
Suuns
VietNam
Black Mountain
Vinyl Williams
Indian Jewelry
Night Beats
Elephant Stone
Deap Vally
Quintron and Miss Pussycat
The Black Ryder
Young Magic
The Laurels
The Besnard Lakes
Lumerians
Spectrum
The Holydrug Couple
Holy Wave
Golden Animals
The Cult of Dom Keller
No Joy
Ride Into the Sun
The Wolf
Hollow Trees
Kay Leotard
Tjutjuna
The Shivas
Capsula
Black Bananas
Woodsman
TTotals
Jackson Scott
JJUUJJUU
St. James Society
Hearts in Space
Dreamtime
LSD and the Search for God
The Brian Jonestown Massacre
The Black Angels
Black Lips
Dead Meadow
The Golden Dawn
Bombino
Meat Puppets
The Telescopes
Dead Confederate
Night Beats
Thee Oh Sees
Black Lips
Pink Mountaintops
Spindrift
The Entrance Band
Disappears
Allah-Las
Wooden Shjips
Ringo Deathstarr
Singapore Sling
Sun Araw
Prince Rama
Quilt
Psychic Ills
The Olivia Tremor Control
Wall of Death
Woods
The Stepkids
Federale
The Vacant Lots
Quest for Fire
Feathers
Moon Duo
MMoss
Acid Baby Jesus
The UFO Club
Holy Wave
The Meek
Strangers Family Band
Cosmonauts
The Orange Revival
Al Lover
Feeding People
Peaking Lights
Sleep Over
Lotus Plaza
Mind Spiders
The Astroid #4
Smoke and Feathers
Paperhead
High Wolf
Amen Dunes
Pure X
The Ripe
The Blue Angel Lounge
Ancient River
Secret Colours
The Cush
New Fumes
Brooklyn Raga Association
Headdress
The Band in Heaven
The Black Angels
Roky Erickson
Black Moth Super Rainbow
Tobacco
Crystal Stilts
A Place to Bury Strangers
The Growlers
This Will Destroy You
Atlas Sound
The Fresh & Onlys
Dirty Beaches
Pontiak
The Quarter After
The Soft Moon
Bass Drum of Death
The Black Ryder
Sleepy Sun
Prefuse 73
ST37
Night Beats
Indian Jewelry
Beach Fossils
The Vacant Lots
Lumerians
White Hills
ZAZA
Radio Moscow
Pete International Airport – Members of The Dandy Warhols and The Upsidedown
Crocodiles
Wall of Death
Cloudland Cayon
Christian Bland
Shapes Have Fangs
Omar A Rodriguez playing as The Mars Volta lineup
The Shine Brothers
Spectrum
Holy Wave
Daughters of the Sun
Chris Catalena
The Meek
The Cult of Dom Keller
Lower Heaven
No Joy
The Blue Angel Lounge
Zechs Marquis
Hellfire Social
Sky Drops
Beaches
Woodsman
Ghost Box Orchestra
Tjutjuna
Young Prisms
Weird Owl
Diamond Center
Black Hollies
Sound Mass
Cold Sun
The Black Angels
Silver Apples
The Raveonettes
Warpaint
Spindrift
The Gaslamp Killer
The Warlocks
Ringo Deathstarr
Pink Mountaintops
Indian Jewelry
Night Beats
Daughters of the Sun
Christian Bland & The Revelators
Golden Animals
Shapes Have Fangs
The Tunnels
Smoke and Feathers
Headdress
Von Haze
PJ and the Bear
Sisters of Your Sunshine Vapor
The Vandelles
Greg Ashley
The Meek
The Frequencey
Screen Vinyl Image
Cry Blood Apache
City Center
Telepathik Friend
Tia Carrera
Ancient River
Sky Parade
Mondo Drag
Voices Voices
Yellow Fever
Pure Ecstasy
Rayon Beach
Strangers Family Band
Ghost Songs
All in the Golden Afternoon
The Black Angels
Sky "Sunlight" Saxon of The Seeds
Dead Meadow
The Warlocks
The Golden Dawn
Indian Jewelry
Wooden Shjips
A Place to Bury Strangers
The Strange Boys
The Upsidedown
Miranda Lee Richards
Shapes Have Fangs
Christian Bland & The Revelators
Daughters of the Sun
Cavedweller
Woven Bones
Lower Heaven
Golden Animals
Smoke and Feathers
Cartright
Astronaut Suit
The Astroid #4
The Tunnels
PJ and the Bear
The Shine Brothers
The Vandelles
Forever Changes
The Black Angels
Spindrift
The Strange Boys
The Quarter After
Ringo Deathstarr
The Upsidedown
Horse + Donkey
The Tunnels
Astronaut Suit
Cavedweller
Joel Gion
Woods
Loop
Quilt
Kadavar
The GOASTT
Zombie Zombie
Allah-Las
The Soft Moon
Spindrift
White Hills
La Femme
Ben Frost
Christian Bland & The Revelators
Moon Duo
Amen Dunes
J.C. Satan
Aqua Nebula Oscillator
Orval Carlos Sibelius
The Astroid #4
Holy Wave
POW!
High Wolf
Al Lover
The Eagle's Gift
The Black Angels
Dead Meadow
Wall of Death
The Telescopes
Dead Skeletons
Tamikrest
Temples
Elephant Stone
Night Beats
Damo Suzuki
Beak>
Strangers Family Band
Lonely Walk
Camera
Lola Colt
Blondi's Salvation
Mars Red Sky
Lightning Bolt (band)
Chelsea Wolfe
Health (band)
Oneohtrix Point Never
Earthless
Royal Trux
Faust (band)
Gary Wilson
Ryley Walker
Night Beats
Blanck Mass
Rangda
Eartheater
Vaadat Charigim
Circuit Des Yeux
Bitchin Bajas
Night Fields
Methyl Ethel
Swervedriver
Viet Cong
Atlas Sound
Oren Ambarchi
Lumerians
Destruction Unit
Mind over Mirrors
Jeff Zeigler & Mary Lattimore
Heaters
The Pop Group
Noveller
Camera
Heat Leisure
Vision Fortune
Christines
Gateway Drugs
The Black Angels
Dead Moon
A Place to Bury Strangers
Dead Meadow
The Warlocks
Joel Gion
Black Mountain
Black Lips
Witch
Drenge
Night Beats
Elephant Stone
Tobacco
Atlas Sound
Ryley Walker
King Tuff
Willie Thrasher & Linda Saddlebeck
Jonathan Toubin's Soul Clap
Shigeto
Mystic Braves
Al Lover
Peregrine Falls
Circuit Des Yeux
Waingro
JJUUJJUU
The Shivas
Sun Ra Star System
Mr. Elevator & The Brain Hotel
Amen Dunes
LA Witch
Cosmonauts
Taco Cat
La Luz
Dead Ghosts
Dead Quiet
Curtis Harding
Mamiffer
The Backhomes
Twin River
Ancients
Biblical
White Poppy
Dada Plan
Black Wizard
Gateway Drugs
Blackbird Blackbird
Three Wolf Moon
The Shrine
All Them Witches
