Yungatita & The Drums at Levitation Fest 2024

By Harriet Bernard

Music Journalist

Yungatita

It’s 7 p.m., Friday; it’s 78 degrees. As we walked down Red River Street in Austin, we could hear music blasting and the crowd cheering from Mohawk. It was none other than artist Yungatitia. As we got stamped into the venue, we immediately wanted to get a spot on the upper level next to the stage. Usually this area is always full because of the view close to the stage away from the tight crowd below. Valentina Zapata, aka Yungatita, started their pop punk musical project in 2020 with their debut EP, Over You. And now they were on their 3rd stop on the 2024 tour with The Drums. 

Zapata wore an adorable crochet, vintage-inspired devil hat and was already bouncing around the stage. The blue and pink lights flashed over the audience as more people crowded the space. The band’s energy was electric from the start as they all grooved with each other effortlessly. The crowd reciprocated this energy, which had me pumped for the rest of the night. The focus of their performance was their latest release, a ten-track album titled Shoelace & a Knot, which came out in January. The first track, however, that I recognized was “7 Weeks & 3 Days” from Over You. The song blew up on TikTok, where it sparked a lot of creative content and traction. Zapata’s method of screaming into the mic throughout the song “Descenda” was intense and exhilarating. I found it unique compared to other bands and it didn’t sound like they were ripping their vocal cords out. 

I appreciate the range in tempo between each track, and even in the individual songs, there were abrupt switches in beats and vocals. After the song “2 Cigs,” they introduced an unnamed and unreleased song. It got the crowd moving with the bittersweet lyrics “Till the water fries my brain, no big deal if the water spills.” The most popular track on Shoelace & a Knot, “Pick At Your Face,” followed with a punch. After an instrumental lead-up to “Armchair,” a bold and equally energetic track, “Indie Dream Boy” was the last song. The now enlarged crowd cheered them off the stage after a sweet “thank you” and “goodbye.”

The Drums

Anticipation was high waiting for The Drums Saturday night. The indie pop band from New York had their first debut in 2010 with their self-titled album. Seeing them on the 3rd stop of their U.S. tour, thanks to Resound’s Levitation Fest, was the best way to kick off the first of November. As the air settled after Yungatita’s set, the lights glowed blue as the song “Bell Laboratories” rang from the speakers. Moments later the band humbly stepped on the stage. Lead singer Jonny Pierce came on last in a sparkly track jacket with the initials “JP” bedazzled on the back. Squeals came from the front row like stereotypical fan girling, which made us giggle every time it happened. 

Jonny immediately put his performance attitude on and began singing “Days” off their 2011 album Portamento. For the first 30 seconds the mic was out, which caused mild confusion, before the Mohawk team got it up and running. As the crowd danced in place, singing along, Jonny was dancing to his own beat, moving his hands and pursing his lips. His sassy and eloquent movements really brought the lighthearted and unique performance to life. From the same album, the next track was “What You Were,” followed “Heart Basel” from a later album, Abysmal Thoughts (2017.) Something I found particularly lovely was that for each song the lights on stage shined a different color, like pink, yellow, or blue, making each track feel significant. 

The band had a lot of fun throughout the set and Jonny would occasionally blow kisses to the crowd. He paused in the middle to talk about the new album, titled Jonny. “It’s about someone being obsessed with themselves because that is necessary to understand yourself,” he said. Then, giving the city some love, he said that Austin is where they can play recklessly and still feel a lot of love from the crowd at the same time. The two tracks that followed were raw and vulnerable. “Harms” and “Little Jonny” were both under two minutes and expressed remembering a younger version of yourself and admitting what you wish you could tell your younger self.

The next song, “I Hope Time Doesn’t Change Him,” is a favorite of mine because it sounds a lot like The Strokes. Surprisingly, not much of the audience sang along but it felt like a pivotal moment in the middle of their set. After some more songs, including “I Can’t Pretend” and “I Need A Doctor,” the mood shifted to a happier note. With a kiss goodbye to the crowd, the band abruptly walked off. The lights stayed on so we knew an encore was in store. The audience chanted “one more song!” and, just as expected, the band popped back on stage.

As the lights went green, the crowd roared. The band’s top track, “Money,” blasted out of the speakers. Off the deluxe LP, MOMMY DON’T SPANK ME, “You’re The One That Makes Me Happy” followed with its catchy lyrics humming throughout the venue. Last, but not least, was “I Want It All” which was the perfect song to cap off the night, with everyone singing the lyrics.