Photos + Review by David Molnar – Day one of the sold-out Levitate Music & Arts Festival brought perfect summer weather and high spirits to Marshfield, Massachusetts on Saturday, July 12. Now in its twelfth year, the beloved event has evolved from a backyard celebration at a local surf shop into one of New England’s premier music festivals. Though the festival has shifted to a two-day format in 2025, the energy and offerings remain robust, with nonstop music, community art installations, and vibrant food culture all under a cloudless blue sky and warm summer sun.
Musically, Saturday’s lineup delivered a dynamic blend of reggae, soul, and jam band energy. The line-up on the festival’s three stages consisted of Hush Club, Fai Laci, Mihali, Dogs In A Pile, Ripe, Protoje, The Revivalists and local favorites The Elovaters and headliner Stick Figure. Stick Figure closed the night with a dazzling performance complete with flashing video screens and laser beams piercing the night over the heads of the crowd of 14,000. The night even had a crowd-surfing moment from Stick Figure keyboardist Kevin Bong, who also playfully doused fans with a bucket of water after one song. In a heartwarming moment, Stick Figure frontman Scott Woodruff lifted Cocoa the Tour Dog up in his arms and told the crowd it was her 14th birthday, prompting a massive singalong of “Happy Birthday” for the beloved Australian Shepherd and Golden Retriever mix. Cocoa has been with the band and one stage during every performance. It is not uncommon for audience members to toss stuffed chew toys to her during performances.
Earlier in the day, Ripe lit up the stage with an energetic set that almost didn’t happen, frontman Robbie Wulfsohn explained a golf cart crash recently in Hampton Beach, New Hampshire left him with a mild concussion and a strict “no headbanging” order from his doctor. Later in the day, The Elovaters took the Stoke Stage and played their hit song “Gardenia”.
Off the stage, the Levitate grounds pulsed with creative energy. A standout feature was the community art installation: a school of wooden fish sculptures being hand-painted by local artists throughout the day, bringing bursts of color to the fairgrounds. The atmosphere was laid-back and family-friendly with a Kid Zone and vendor tents. Everywhere you looked, Levitate’s grassroots, eco-conscious spirit was alive and well.
As always, the festival’s food offerings were as much a highlight as the music. Fans lined up for gourmet grilled cheese from Cheese Louise, Filipino street food from Lumpia Bros., wood-fired pies from PieSons Pizza, vegan bowls from The Broccoli Bar, and smoky goodness from Binge BBQ. With the sun setting and the smell of the festival food mingling across the fairgrounds, the first day of the 2025 Levitate Music & Arts Festival was a celebration of music, art, and community and an unforgettable kickoff to the summer weekend of sunshine, soul and surf vibe.
Dogs in a Pile, Fai Laci, Hush Club, Mihali, Protoje, Ripe,
Stick Figure, The Elovaters, The Revivalists
