By Keira Cahill
Butthole Surfers Mania Gibby Haynes stepped onto the Levitation mainstage to the raucous applause of fans. The crowd was diverse; 16 year old boys in Butthole Surfer’s merch stood shoulder to shoulder with old-head Austinites, loudly boasting about having seen the band when they were in college. The energy was palpable; people were excited to see the legendary group in person. From the start, Gibby Haynes and Butthole Surfer Mania were completely authentic. Butthole Surfer Mania has all the workings of a rock band, but sounds unlike any other. Haynes is the frontman, leading with distorted vocals and obscene references to his early career. Using a synthesizer, Haynes altered his already gritty voice, interspersing the lyrics with rhythmic sound effects. Haynes was flanked by the other members of Butthole Surfers, with King Coffey on drums and original guitarist Paul Leary joining for the final two songs. Hayne’s teenage son, Henry, also made an on stage appearance, supporting the band on guitar. Though rain started falling early in the set, none of the crowd seemed to notice or mind. Watching Haynes was entrancing. He grinned cheekily through his gap toothed smile, and danced like there was no other music in the world. The band played a mix of new and old; with a dirty joke about flashing paparazzi, Hayne introduced a new song called, “I Know a Girl.” The peak of the performance was towards the end of the set, when the band played their iconic hit, “Pepper.” The lyrics were second nature to most of the crowd, and Butthole Surfer’s Mania played into the popularity, swapping the original tempo for a polka beat. As Haynes jigged around on stage, it did not feel like watching a tired reunion tour. The excitement from the band was palpable; the members of Butthole Surfer Mania just wanted to perform for the crowd. Long after their set ended, Haynes could be seen signing shirts and talking to fans. Gibby Haynes and Butthole Surfer Mania brought humor, energy and strangeness to the stage, and their performance at Levitation was a testament to the beauty and weirdness of human creativity
Gibby Haynes - Butthole Surfers Mania
Melt-Banana was a surprising fan-favorite at Levitation 2026. Though relatively unknown, the band, made of two members, Yasuko Onuki and Ichiro Agata, quickly captured audience attention with their loud synth rock and screaming vocals. The small band filled the stage with their presence. Onuki altered her vocals with a synthesizer, turning her voice into a futuristic robot scream, backed by electric beats. Agata’s harsh electric guitar complemented and matched her with its instrumental drone. The two members seamlessly shared the stage; Onuki would lead the stage for a moment, then pass the baton to Agata, who eagerly took the forefront. Although Melt-Banana was relatively unknown at Levitation 2026, they entranced the audience with an unmatched eclecticism and excitement. The duo grabbed the attention of the restless crowd, and brought hard, electric rock to the Levitation stag
Melt Banana