MT. Joy, Lake Street Dive & Sublime Headline 2024 Levitate Music and Arts Festival [Photos]

During this past 4th of July weekend in Marshfield, Massachusetts, the Levitate Music and Arts Festival celebrated its eleventh year. The festival stems from the Levitate Surf Shop in Marshfield, Massachusetts. This store originally was opened in 2003 and served as a community and family-friendly surf and skateboard shop. As time passed, the Levitate brand grew and expanded into clothing, pop-up shops, lessons and camps, and the start of the festival. The first Levitate Music and Arts Festival occurred in the spring of 2013.

The Levitate Music and Arts Festival has firmly solidified itself as an incredible, family, and community-friendly event. The weekend brings together all different types of artists, musicians, vendors, and people for a joy-filled experience every summer during July. This year was no exception!

The first day of the three-day weekend festival saw Mt. Joy as the headlining act with other impressive groups such as Dirty Heads, Oerbolo, and Stolen Gin also appearing. The festival featured three stages, all varying in size and ten daily acts. The musical acts were timed out accordingly so that, if desired, someone could catch at least 30 minutes of each set. I really appreciated this since there were so many acts I wanted to see and experience. A highlight of the first day for me included the band The Moss who I was not previously aware of. They are an alternative rock band formed in Hawaii whose stage presence and haunting vocals drew me in immediately!

The second day of the festival was the day I was personally most excited for since Lake Street Dive was the headliner. Lake Street Dive is a band that brings so much energy and light to every stage they perform on. It was impossible not to dance and sing along with them.

Another incredible performance on Day 2 came from Tash Sultana, an Australian singer and musician who has been rapidly growing in popularity. They play over ten instruments and use a looping system to be quite literally a one-person band. Due to technical complications and difficulties with the electrical power, Tash had to start their set about 35 minutes late. But seeing them perform live was unlike anything I’ve ever seen before with another musician. They jumped around the stage playing drums, guitar, saxophone, keyboard, and a plethora of other instruments. The looping system brought it all together for them to then sing over the track they had just created. It was incredible!

The third day of the festival was definitely the most crowded and popular day, as Sublime was the headliner. Other acts that day included Oliver Anthony, Charley Crockett, and Ziggy Alberts. Out of everyone that day, I was most impressed with Charley Crockett. His voice was one of the most unique country voices I’ve ever heard. His new album $10 Cowboy was a thrill to listen to live.

Sublime was the headliner for Day 3 and the biggest headliner for the whole festival. One of the reasons everyone was so excited to see Sublime play live was because of the new lead singer, Jakob Nowell, the son of original lead singer Bradley Nowell, who passed away in 1996. The band only recently got back together in 2024, and everyone was eager to see how Jakob would fill his father’s shoes. While I was impressed with Jakob’s vocals and stage presence, it’s clear his guitar skills were not quite up to par.

Another interesting part of Sublime’s performance was that on the festival schedule, they were set to be on from 8 pm to 10 pm. However, they finished their set and left the stage at 9:30 pm, leaving some disappointed fans. Overall though, they put on an extremely entertaining show, playing fan favourites such as “Doin’ Time” and “Santorini.” They even brought out Stick Figure to perform their new song “Feel Like That” for the first time ever live!

Besides the musical acts gracing the festival stages, there were also so many other things happening! Local pro skateboarder Nora Vasconcellos was at the festival each day, conducting clinics for children and hosting open skate demonstrations on the halfpipe. There were multiple artists there painting gorgeous murals and selling their artwork. Along with hundreds of yummy food trucks and plenty of bars! There was a “kids zone” with a petting zoo, crafts, and camp counsellors with many fun kid-friendly activities. There were also so many amazing local vendors to check out, selling various products ranging from jewelry and clothing to home decor and surfboards! It was truly an event that had something for everyone.

This was my first time attending the festival, and it will definitely not be my last. The whole thing felt extremely safe and well-organized. Everyone there, from the attendees to the workers to the artists and performers, was so kind! I had such a blast and I already cannot wait for next year!

Levitate Music and Arts Festival @ Marshfield Fairgrounds (Marshfield, MA) on July 5 – 7, 2024

76 photos