It’s the end of my first day with the Levitation folks, and I wanted to get this out there into the world as soon as I could – I love whoever thought of this. This festival has been a mecca of good vibes and even better music. To say the least, I am enjoying myself. I set out on this journey with the intention of having a legitimate Vancouver festival experience, so I brought my bike. I’m staying with a friend who lives near Commercial and Broadway, and the seaside bicycle route isn’t far from her place. I rode in the middle of the day in the hot sun with no water, and arriving at Stanley Park, I didn’t find the fest as easily as I hoped, so when I finally heard Tacocat through the trees, I was relieved. The bike valet service was amazing from start to finish, friendly and knowledgable, they directed me to water right away – the beginning of more incredible interactions to come.
The set up is pretty incredible, the stage is in Malkin Bowl in Stanley Park, so the whole grounds are beautiful and lush. The people who set up Eastside Flea thought to set up these beautiful lace chilling spots, with nice thick blankets and pillows and shade from the sun. Those chilling tents really saved my day – that and the availability of a water fountain near the heart flutters* actual flush toilets. It is a rare thing to have toilets other than port-a-potties available at music festivals, and my white shawl has no blue dip dye thanks to that availability.
My first instinct at festivals is to find the alcohol and the food. The essentials, of course. The beer garden was quick and spacious – it filled up later on but never felt like it was uncomfortable. There was a great concession stand and two food trucks, so I felt secure in the fact that I wouldn't go hungry.
I was in awe of the people immediately, coming from a small city where 80% of the population is above 40. I have so much respect for all the beautiful clothing choices at this fest – it takes years to accumulate and grow into a style like this. Every piece of clothing, every tattoo, all those thrifted shirts from the 70s – that is love. The people attracted to this music – groovy, psychedelic, fuzzy, alternative, rock…. These are the kind of people I like to get to know. These cats know how to have a good time, this scene isn’t violent, it isn’t judgmental, it’s just a collection of folks who want to chill out and feel good vibes.
The musicians are unassuming and friendly, I went back stage briefly for an interview with Tacocat, and everyone was very cool. I’m a little timid and take a while to ease into things, but I’m hopeful that I’ll be able to break through and get some more soundbites and interviews.
I’ll talk more about the bands after I consolidate all my blitzed-out scribbles, but for now I will say one thing for sure about the music at Levitation Vancouver: it’s a little hazy, but oh so clear in my mind.
Stay fuzzy, Levitation and friends.