Levitation: Friday Roundup

Levitation’s Friday shows were a metalhead’s dream. The crowd, undeterred by the relentless afternoon heat, came out in full force. And you don’t even have to ask, the hair on every man there would have put even the best Dove commercials to shame.

Festivals may be overwhelming, but Levitation knows its audience: good people who love live music. The vibes were high, the Yerba was flowing, and the speakers were loud – Levitation 2025 was off to a solid start.

We bounced around indoor and outdoor stages Friday afternoon to catch some of the first shows of the weekend. Armed with earplugs and an ever-open notes app, we sought to bring the Levitation experience to you. Here’s our Friday Roundup:

Castle Rat

Starting us off, Castle Rat gave a theatrical performance to remember. Who else can say they fought off an evil rat empress with the power of song?

The band is made up of The Count, The Druid, The Plague Doctor and The Rat Queen. Yes, they came to this realm via portal, and thank god they did. Aptly described as a fantasy metal band, this group sounded like a Dungeons and Dragons game come to life. The Rat Queen (also known as Riley Pinkerton) was a treat, with haunting vocals that rang out through the Palmer Center’s indoor stage. Her mythical wall of sound was fortified by the band, who showed out in their musical breaks. As we journeyed through their set, the band and crowd used the infinite power of music (and chanting) to fight off a lingerie clad evil rat empress. A hell of an opening for a hell of a festival.

SKLOSS

Up next was the Austin-bred duo, SKLOSS. Karen Skloss showed out on drums and vocals, even cracking a few jokes about Austin’s rapid development. The skyscrapers she poked fun at were the backdrop for Skoll and her husband-slash-bandmate, Sandy Carson on vocals and guitar. Carson, hailing all the way from Scotland handled the Texas sun like a pro, squinting at his pedals and embracing the sweat of it all. You’d think the 3:00 heat would distract from the shoegaze-inspired doom sound of SKLOSS, but it only added to it.

SKLOSS fostered an intimate environment, calling back to the roots of the Austin music scene. These guys are headed out on tour soon, performing on Oct. 17 at The 13th Floor – an event you won’t want to miss.

Blood Incantation

There aren’t many places where grown men chanting “blood” is chill; waiting for Blood Incantation to start their set inside Palmer Event Center might just be the only one. Sure, the group was 20 minutes late to start, but this is a music festival! Who isn’t a little late?

Besides, you know the death metal is going to be good when the band consists of four guys, some waist-length hair and blood-red lights. Paul Riedl killed it on vocals, showing off his signature guttural yell. The crowd for Blood Incantation stole the show, and this DJ couldn’t help but be taken with the headbanging of a deeply immersed swath of people.

Don't worry grandpa, despite the name, no curses were cast – unless you count being mesmerized by guitarist Morris Kolontyrsky as a curse; I sure don't.

Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol

It’s not a stretch to say these guys were some of the coolest of the night, and rightfully so. For their third year at Levitation, Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol made the outdoor stage their home. Their show was like if your dad was cool and decided to make a groovy hard-rock band. The riffs were otherworldly, the vocals were reminiscent of the Beastie Boys and the set was 40 minutes of relentless energy. The main event, for those with eyes, was Sean St. Germain on drums. Shirtless, tattooed and mustached, St. Germain was the driving force behind the band’s set.

Cementing themselves as a band to keep on your radar was their performance of “Body Bag,” the deliciously punky track that dreams are made of. The crowd was as pumped as the band: it was during Rickshaw Billie’s set that we witnessed the first, but definitely not the last, mosh of the night.

The Sword

Despite dealing with a few technical difficulties early on, The Sword carried themselves with the confidence of a band that had been around since 2003. The Austinite band was as clean as it gets, and we were graced with some smooth metal. A cover of Bowie’s “Space Oddity.” The familiar tune backed by the heavy thrum of drums and guitar was positively eerie.

The Sword’s set was metal at its best and heralded the upcoming “Acid Bath” and “Mastadon” masterfully. The running theme of Friday’s shows was a renewed gratitude for drummers, and Santiago “Jimmy” Vela was another treat to watch on the drums. The band continues their run as they head out on tour with, callback, Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol and others.

Check back with us over the weekend for more Levitation coverage!

More pics from Friday: