Live music review: Levitation Halloween Kickoff at Hotel Vegas with Osees and Kairos Creature Club

Halloween night 2024, marked the opening evening of Levitation Festival this year. With artists from around the globe opening on stages at venues throughout Austin, Kairos Creature Club and Osees presented a Halloween kickoff at East Sixth’s Hotel Vegas. It was a show that would surely deliver. Each year, Osees make their way to Austin for a four-night residency at East Austin live music hub. And every year, they put on versatile sets that exceed the expectations of music fans. Halloween night last Thursday was no exception.

Jacksonville-based Kairos Creature Club opened the evening with an impressive set that began with mellow vibes and ended with heavy psych-rock delivery.  They even managed to incorporate a cover of Sugar Ray’s “Fly” in the setlist. The eclectic trio, sporting Halloween costumes,  displayed an avant-garde, psych-punk-indie sound that impressed the awe-struck audience. The group definitely made some new fans.

There was no planned setlist for Osees. Dwyer just called the songs as the show progressed. The game plan was the same for the rest of the band’s Vegas run during Levitation which meant no setlist repeated which thrilled longtime Osees fans which Austin clearly has in good numbers.

Once Osees hit the stage, the crowd was warmed up, and ready to see what impromptu setlist frontman, and band mastermind, John Dwyer, would deliver. Each number the Los Angeles band played was delivered with overt tenacity and vigor. The group’s dual drummers were once more positioned at the edge of the stage to showcase the magnificent engine that is Dan Rincon and Paul Quattrone. These guys are super fun to watch and Dwyer knows it. The performance spanned songs from throughout their extensive and diverse discography which includes 27 studio albums. Remarkable output when you consider that Dwyer didn’t start putting albums out until 2003. 

Mosh pits and crowdsurfing quickly ensued, not once letting up with the tapestry of recognizable characters and costumes. Dwyer’s physical performance was like that of a possessed being, not once letting up, and progressively upping the voltage of the show. The energy was electric; the music was loud, and patrons of Hotel Vegas were entranced. 

Music from throughout the band’s entire catalog echoed from the venue throughout the hour-long, 21-song performance, rocketing down the Halloween-themed East Sixth Street on October 31. If you find yourself with the opportunity to catch Kairos Creature Club or Osees live, jump at it.

All photos by Troy Gonzales except where noted

Kairos Creature Club Setlist:

Exile
Good Company
Strangers
Love Song
Deleuzen
DATADADATADADATA
Sand
When the Sun Goes Down
Fly (Sugar Ray Cover)
Kevlar

Osees Setlist:

Interstellar Overdrive (Pink Floyd Cover)
Plastic Plant
The Static God
Funeral Solution
A Foul Form
Tidal Wave
Rogue Planet
Chem Farmer/Nite Expo
The Dream/The Daily Heavy
Pixelated Moon
Gelatinous Cube
Withered Hand
Toe Cutter – Thumb Buster
Animated Violence
I Come From the Mountain
If I Had My Way
Terminal Jape
Encrypted Bounce
Web
Drug City
C

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