After venturing downtown for four days of Levitation, six Chronicle music writers find six standout sets below. These recaps have been edited for the print edition – find the full versions and more festival coverage on our Thursday & Friday and Saturday & Sunday blogs, and even more artists in our weekend photo gallery. 
Breaks Make the Jesus & Mary Chain Even Better
“Jesus fucking Christ,” sighed Jim Reid toward the end of his legendarily noisy band’s glitch-riddled set. His defeated, depressive apology was once again subordinated to the yowling clamor of his brother William “struggling” with an apparently “kaput” guitar pedal. Jim continued: “It’s just one of those nights isn’t it?” Is it? Referencing a friend who’s seen the Scottish shoegaze progenitors several times across their four decades, his description of a standard JAMC show was a dead ringer for Thursday – from the false starts to Jim sheepishly alluding to an encore (as though he suspected the audience wouldn’t otherwise be impelled to applaud). What my friend didn’t share is that JAMC is the only band in the world made better by poor preparation. After each minutelong gap between songs – everyone watching as Jim craned his head anxiously at his brother – William would conjure one of his iconic riffs out of the drone metal morass, a booming dance rhythm would kick in, and we’d remember, “Oh yeah, these are the guys who made apathy cool.” – Julian Towers
The Pinky Rings Play Misbehaving Fembots
Even the sharp chill that ripped through the Mohawk air couldn’t spook Levitation’s Saturday punk lineup into submission. First up, ultrachic fivepiece the Pinky Rings paraded gloriously in a cheeky group costume of blue-velvet Austin Powers with a quartet of sexy, gun-boob-adorned pink robots. The “Bodega Babies” teased out unrelenting garage rock tunes with killer hooks and mucho misbehavior from their self-titled debut album, with lead singer Bella Borbon strutting around the outdoor stage’s splattered tie-dye visuals, like a psychedelic Jackson Pollock canvas. Fired up with riot grrrl sensibilities, “Banged Up” and “Butane Dreams” proclaimed sultry domination – the latter with an alluring declaration of “Bitch it’s my way, or the highway.” Or, as declared by the Pinky Rings themselves: “Tonight we will not be behaving.” Yes, indeed! – Mars Salazar
Neggy Gemmy Spills Hyperpop Juice
100% Electronica co-founder Neggy Gemmy (formerly known as Negative Gemini) headlined Elysium Saturday night, fluttering across the stage with unbridled energy to counteract ESPRIT’s prior sedentary nods. Lindsey French’s Auto-Tuned, alien vocals flickered in and out, occasionally lost in tight dance thumps. The Los Angeles-based musician and producer’s teeming enthusiasm remained consistent, however, seeping into each serving of atmospheric synth-pop and Nineties club grooves. Whether changing her SD card midset or slinging a guitar over her shoulder to play the driving line of “You Weren’t There Anymore,” French injected bona fide electricity into each moment. After leaving the stage for a few seconds, she popped back on for a repeat encore of 2022 single “Gemmy Juice,” a self-branded hyperpop ringtone. Atomic bounce guaranteed, Gemmy’s juice is infectious. – Laiken Neumann
Die Spitz Spark Intergenerational Rage
For a rising punk act that cut their teeth at co-op shows and dive bars, Die Spitz commanded like a headliner. Donning clown garb and an unidentifiable elf costume, the Austin group primed Mohawk’s multigenerational L7 crowd with banshee screams, crunchy guitar riffs, and memorably rowdy mosh pits for an opening slot. The all-femme quartet kicked off 36 minutes of fury with the taunting choruses and slinky six-strings of “Evangeline” before vocalist and guitarist Ava Schrobilgen snarled for the crowd to “MOSHHHH.” Old heads and indie youth collided during fight-and-flight anthem “Going Away,” and continued to thrash and squirm the entire set. When thundering percussionist Chloe Andrews traded instruments with Schrobilgen, and when the latter’s guitar strap blew out, the band raged on. The Levitation first-timers closed shop with downstream bass riffs and axe rumbles in drop D, but even after Die Spitz left the stage, the rage never did. – Kriss Conklin
L7 Urges “Fast and Frightening” VOTING
Sabbath sluggishness lurked enough for L7 frontdame Donita Sparks to wonder if the crammed crowd had been “out seeing bands all day.” As such, the most consistently thrilling band of the grunge era started out slow, steady. Opener “Andres,” ex-set highlight “Everglade,” and “Shove” all churned an almost death metal buzz saw. “Please stop bullying our crew,” snapped bassist Jennifer Finch at the stage-front Mohawk mayhem. Suzi Gardner gave a menacing, horror flick reading of “Monster” from O.G. obliterator Bricks Are Heavy, 30 this year. “Non Existent Patricia” turned the tide, less wall o’ guitar and Dee Plakas pounding, but “Drama” rounded the corner. “Well, I’ve seen it all,” nodded Sparks at a blind crowd-surfer. Not all: “Pretend We’re Dead” lumbered like a soccer chant, and “Shitlist” hit the fan. “We want everyone to vote,” announced Sparks, closing out the 75-minute set. “This song is for all the sisters in the house.” Election Day looms, “Fast and Frightening.” – Raoul Hernandez
W.I.T.C.H. Hits the Classics
Those uninitiated and awaiting Zamrock legends W.I.T.C.H puzzled over an initially melanin-challenged assembly Thursday at Empire Garage – until Patrick Mwondela, from the group’s Eighties disco incarnation, entered to man keyboards. Next out was sole remaining member of the original Seventies lineup, Emmanuel “Jagari” Chanda. Stalled for decades by Zambian political shifts until finding widespread revival with 2012 reissues and a 2019 documentary, the new W.I.T.C.H. played their Black Sabbath- and James Brown-inspired funky stoner classics like “Chifundo,” and “It’s Alright.” All energy, grace, and joy, Chanda said: “We take nothing for granted. Thank you for being here.” – Christina Garcia
This article appears in November 4 • 2022.