Live music review: Opening Levitation night with Bikini Kill, Die Spitz, Gibby Haynes Butthole Surfers Mania

Levitation 2026 officially kicked off on Friday, September 11. South Austin’s Far Out Lounge hosted a doozy of an opening night, featuring a Butthole Surfers reunion show—officially deemed Gibby Haynes: Butthole Surfers Mania —that stunned, followed  by Die Spitz, and Bikini Kill. The show was completely sold out.

Rain and lightning in the distance did not deter Gibby Haynes (lead vocals), Paul Leary (lead guitar/additional vocals), and King Coffey (drums) from taking stage and putting on a mesmerizing performance.  As it began to drizzle, the sonic stylings of Gibby’s “Gibbytronix” echoed through the sold out venue as the Texas legends kicked off their set with “Human Cannonball.”  The custom rack-mounted rig used to distort and delay, sounds, shift pitch, and chopmup vocals were staples throughout the performance.

Close to the end of the set, a rockabilly renditionn of “Pepper” was unrecognizable before the Gibby began belting out the lyrics of the 1996 classic.  The song came together in the most wonderfully whimsical way. Eventually, the set capped off with “The Shah Sleeps in Lee Harvey’s Grave,” dominated by banging drums, shredding guitar, “Gibbytronix”…Gibbytronixing, and the loud, energetic, emotive vocal lashings of Paul Leary.

The glorious and long-overdue reunion is a tribute to the efforts of festival organizer, Rob Fitzpatrick and sometimes booking partners Resound Presents.

After the show, the band made their way to the merch tents to custom make shirts for the masses in attendance.

Setlist:

Human Cannonball
Dust Devil
Big Woman’s Underwear
Hey
Dracula From Houston
Honey, I Bought a New Rifle
I Know a Girl
Cherub
Only Ever Happens
Who Was In My Room Last Night?
Pepper
Lady Sniff
The Shah Sleeps in Lee Harvey’s Grave

As the rain let up, and the sun set on a warm, humid Friday evening, members of Austin’s own fast-rising and hard-hitting heavy rock quartet, Die Spitz, hit the stage. With an energetic entrance, that included bassist Kate Halter walking on her hands, showgoers that evening were immediately engaged as the band, kicked off their set with “Red40.”  

The performance intensified as the show continued. The incorporation of two energetic dancers added a depth to an already hyperkinetic stage dynamic. Ava Schrobilgen (guitar, vocals, drums), Ellie Livingston (guitar, lead vocals), Kate Halter (bass), and Chloe de St. Aubin (drums, guitar, vocals) put on a raucous homecoming performance after the band returned from a series of U.S. road shows and a month-long European tour.

The culminating moment of the set was  the band’s performance of “Throw Yourself to the Sword,” one of the group’s best-known tunes. The head-banging anthem had the audience erupting with mosh pit and crowd surfing energy before Die Spitz gave the audience a classy curtain call.    

Setlist:

Red40
I Hate When GIRLS Die
Monkey Song
Grip
My Hot Piss
Voir Dire
Groping Dogs Gushing Blood
Down On It
American Porn
Pop Punk Anthem (Sorry For The Delay)
Riding with My Girls
Hair of Dog
Throw Yourself to the Sword

By the time the evening’s headliner, Bikini Kill, stepped onto the Far Out stage, the crowd had already been overwhelmed with the electric verve of the showcase. 

Kathleen Hanna’s (lead vocals, bass) banter about motherhood and adulting, was juxtaposed with the raw energy that the punk quartet transmitted from the stage.  Tobi Vail (drums, vocals), Kathi Wilcox (bass, back vocals), and Sara Landeau (guitar) delivered the instrumentation and backing vocals that paired perfectly with Hanna’s raspy, belting delivery.  From the moment they kicked off the show with “New Radio,” it was clear that Bikini Kill have not softened a bit.  They’re as energetic and relevant as ever.  

Hanna’s audience interaction, anecdotes, and social commentary between nearly every song served as perfect transitions without losing the slightest momentum. A neat trick that has been clearly honed over the decades.  “Rebel Girl” was the last performance of the set. The empowering song was the perfect finale for an energetic and awe-inspiring show.

Opening night of Levitation 2026 was a triumph at Far Out Lounge.  Each year, festival planners outdo themselves with loaded, versatile lineups.  The Far Out Lounge and Stage continues to masterfully manage the accommodations and demands of the sold-out crowds drawn in by the top-tier performing artists. This year with last-minute planning due to Radio East’s permit denial. This festival continues to get better and better despite challenges facing the independent music industry.

Setlist:
New Radio
This is Not a Test
Don’t Need You
Feels Blind
I Hate Danger
In Accordance to Natural Love
Carnival
Capri Pants
Reject All American
Outta Me
For Only
Distinct Complicity
Demi Rap
Alien She
No Backrub
Sugar
Hamster Baby
Tell Me So
Double Dare Ya
Jigsaw Youth
Suck My Left One
Rebel Girl

All photos by Justin Clark 

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