Live music preview: Six must see acts Thursday and Friday at LEVITATION Festival 2023

Thursday, Austin’s most beloved music festival as far as the hipster crowd is concerned reconvenes in venues across the Red River Cultural District downtown along with this year’s venue additions, Far Out Lounge in South Austin and electronic music haven, Concourse Project. There are a ton of great performances slated so we’re going to distill it down to a select few shows that are considered must see acts at LEVITATION 2023. Our colleagues Case Cockrell and Brian Hillsman will weigh in with more performances you should check out this week at the festival in upcoming show previews. Grab tickets to LEVITATION before they sell out.

Annabelle Chairlegs
Thursday, October 26
Stubb’s BBQ – 5:40 p.m.

Being in the opening slot on opening night for Ty Segall at Stubb’s isn’t the easiest spot to fill at LEVITATION but make no mistake, Annabelle Chairlegs are the real deal. These pop-psych darlings are led by the talented and beautiful Lindsay Mackin who plays guitar and sings vocals for the Austin outfit that perhaps is best known for their song, “Brainfreeze” which appears on the group’s 2020 album, Gotta Be in Love. Music fans will find the entire set entertaining as Mackin delves deep into vintage psych rock and rock n roll for inspiration. Her compositions sound both fresh and new while evoking another time and place when vinyl 7″ singles ruled the radio airwaves and cocktail hour was sacred.

LSD and the Search for God
Mohawk – 9:10 p.m.

Go ahead and stay at Stubb’s for Shannon and the Clams, because they’re a great live band but under no circumstance should you miss LSD and the Search for God at Mohawk up the street later in the evening Thursday presented by ALC Radio. The San Francisco psych rockers put on a helluva show at Cheer Up Charlie’s when we first laid eyes on this incredible act. From that show recap:

San Francisco psych-rock/shoegazers, LSD and the Search for God recently played Cheer Up Charlie’s with famed UK band The Telescopes. While we were happy to watch the legacy act from Britain, our focus was on the incredible musicians that form LSDATSFG. These ten-year music scene veterans have hit on a formula for making mind-expanding music that when set to a visually appealing light show like the one The Black Angels’ light man, Bob Mustachio put together for LSD. The show may have taken place on the smaller inside stage at CUC but the performance felt as expansive as it would have outside under the Texas stars.

The Church
Mohawk – 10:30 p.m. 

Perhaps nothing pleases this Gen Xer more than seeing 90s hitmakers The Church on this opening night bill. We cannot think of a better way to finish off the first evening of our favorite local music festival than an evening with Australia’s Steve Kilbey and The Church. These indie-rock/ psych-rock musicians put out some of the best music coming out of Australia in the 1990s and never really stopped making music except for down periods of creativity the band experienced as much due to Kilbey’s drug use as to lethargy and apathy before the talented songwriter snapped out of his opium daze and addiction to pen more good songs. The last time we saw this band during SXSW at Emo’s, the band left their mark on that East Side stage and we expect more of the same this week.

Friday, October 27

Allah Las
Far Out Lounge – 5:20 p.m.

Los Angeles neo-pych rockers Allah Las might be the perfect band to start the weekend with. This excerpt via Black Squirrel Radio from a 2017 performance review when we first saw the band at Saturnalia Festival encapsulates best what the band is all about:

“The band has a much grittier, rock and roll sound live, which was most apparent during the latter song. It’s during live performances that one also realizes just how much talent is in this band.  Although the lead vocalist is primarily Miles Michaud, the band rotated lead vocals throughout the set.”

The Los Angeles band’s latest album, Zuma 85 just dropped October 13 on Innovative Leisure. Take a listen below then put on your best California psychedelic surfer face and head to Far Out Lounge on Friday

Unknown Mortal Orchestra
Far Out Lounge – 8:50 p.m.

Like much of this stellar lineup, hard choices are going to have to be made this week at LEVITATION. Friday evening is no exception with shows by Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats, Flying Lotus and Blond Redhead but Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s set at Far Out is where we’ll be as the 9 o’clock hour approaches as the native New Zealand act that is now based in Portland gets into the meat of their set list.

From a recent review at Birthday Cake for Breakfast:
“Unknown Mortal Orchestra is for the lovers. Equally, the crowd were behind every word on newer single ‘Layla‘, the room bouncing to this heart-sweller.Deafening chants for one more brought the band back on after a wee break and they sure came packing, kicking off a big run of bangers with the bouncy ‘Meshuggah‘.”

Money Chicha
Empire Control Room – 12:30 a.m. 

Before you head home for the night Friday, stop by Empire Control Room for a late-night set by Cumbia-fusion act Money Chicha which is comprised of members of Grupo Fantasma and Brownout. The Cosmic Clash staff has long been fans of this psych-Cumbia act who display some of the best musical chops in the city. More from the band’s website:

“The group’s sound is derived from the exhilarating syncopations of congas, cowbell and timbales, the gritty tones of combo organs and vintage synthesizers, effects-laden guitar melodies, insistent basslines and a healthy dose of trippy effects. Money Chicha is a modern translation of this South American musical style interpreted by highly skilled veterans of America’s most vibrant music town.”