Austin’s psychedelic scene blessed Levitation’s Thursday launch with a smooth double feature that brought cosmic sounds to two iconic venues. Holy Wave celebrated their new album release at Cheer Up Charlies, while Ringo Deathstarr paid tribute to spacey shoegaze just down the street at Beerland.
At Cheer Up’s outdoor stage, Holy Wave leaned into their signature hazy psychedelia, now sharpened by tighter pop structures on their recent record Adult Fear. Meanwhile, Deathstarr’s 2015 album Pure Mood gave their sound a tougher, more energetic twist, moving past the typical droning shoegaze mold. Both bands showcased a vibrant blend of nostalgic elements made fresh for the night.
Local jangly rockers The Nymphs opened the evening, setting the tone, followed by an enveloping set from San Francisco producer Al Lover.
Taking the stage as a six-piece, Holy Wave rolled through the nine steady tracks of Adult Fear in album order. Ryan Fuson and Kyle Hager shared vocal duties and swapped between guitar and keys. Their epic eight-minute track “Habibi” stood out, with drummer Julian Ruiz providing dry, clever call-and-response vocals alongside the falsetto leads.
Midway through the set, a technical glitch caused a pause, prompting Hager to quip, “We have to flip the record right now.” Once the music resumed, highlights included the drum machine-driven “David’s Flower” and the frenetic title track “Adult Fear,” with the dreamy “Time is Not Okay” closing the show on a soft, stair-stepping note.
Over at Beerland, the gritty interiors hosted Suspirians, who kicked off with raw, fuzzed-out post-punk. Blushing, a double husband-and-wife quartet, followed with sleek, polished shoegaze textures that built anticipation for the headliner.
Ringo Deathstarr unleashed a 40-minute set that balanced crushing heaviness with crystalline dreaminess. Alex Gehring’s ethereal vocals soared above Daniel Coborn’s thunderous drumming, while guitarist Elliott Frazier occasionally swapped in rougher, grittier lead vocals.
An unreleased song with a catchy, deconstructed prom vibe hinted at an exciting future release. Highlights included a funky, industrial reimagining of “Stare at the Sun” and a ferocious rendition of “Never,” during which Frazier broke his shoegaze-essential whammy bar.
By merging their cosmic inspirations with grounded, genre-blending performances, Holy Wave and Ringo Deathstarr crafted two distinct yet equally captivating atmospheres.
