Portland, Oregon – May 10, 2025

On Friday night, the Lollipop Shoppe buzzed with anticipation and vintage energy as psych rock darlings Levitation Room took the stage, but not before being perfectly primed by the sun-drenched chaos of Mexico City’s Los Blenders.

Los Blenders: Garage Rock with a Surf-Punk Twist

Opening the night, Los Blenders wasted no time jolting the Portland crowd into movement. Hailing from Mexico City, the four-piece band is known for their infectious blend of garage rock, surf, and punk, delivered with a cheeky, upbeat energy that translates effortlessly live. Songs like “Meta y Dinero” and “Ha Sido” showcased their knack for catchy melodies and punchy rhythms, while the band’s banter and crowd interaction gave the room a playful, house-party energy. Their set felt like a joyride through the coastal highways of Baja—loud, loose, and full of life. It’s no wonder they’ve become underground favorites for fans of Latin American garage and DIY rock scenes.

Levitation Room: Dreamy Psychedelia with Timeless Appeal

After a quick set change, the stage was bathed in kaleidoscopic hues from a vintage-style overhead projector swirling with color—a visual cue that Levitation Room had arrived to alter time and space. The Los Angeles-based quartet, formed in 2012 and signed to Greenway Records, has carved out a niche in the modern psych scene with their dreamy blend of 60s-inspired garage rock, breezy pop, and spacey textures.

Since discovering them in 2017, I’d been dying to see them live—and they did not disappoint. They played one of my all time favorites “Friends,” a jangly, reverb-soaked track that set the tone: hazy, hypnotic, and totally transportive. Frontman Julian Porte’s vocals drifted through the air like incense smoke, soft and melodic, while Gabriel Fernandez’s intricate guitar riffs shimmered against Kevin Perez’s pulsing basslines. Percussionist Johnathan Martin kept the rhythm fluid and tight, anchoring even the most spacey moments.

Their live show feels less like a concert and more like a sonic time machine—every song dripping with nostalgia for a bygone era of late-60s psychedelia. “Warmth of the Sun” had the crowd swaying in a collective trance, and the classic “Mr. Polydactyl Cat” turned the room into a velvet-lit dreamscape. It wasn’t just the music that transported us, either—the analog projections behind them, swirling with saturated oranges, purples, and electric blue, created an immersive, acid-soaked visual experience that elevated the entire performance.

Final Thoughts

Levitation Room’s set was a dreamy, psych-pop journey that wrapped the audience in a warm, vintage haze. It was well worth the years of anticipation. Pairing them with Los Blenders—a band whose sound might lean more toward rowdy beach party than psychedelic daydream—was an inspired choice. The contrast worked beautifully: one band waking the crowd up, the other sending them floating into the cosmos.

Portland’s Lollipop Shoppe proved the perfect venue for this kind of time-warped musical evening. Small enough to feel intimate but vibey enough to let the music breathe, it captured the magic of a show that felt both nostalgic and undeniably present. For fans of psych, garage, or just good old-fashioned live music with heart, this was a night to remember.