Levi Evans Melts in Berlin

Levi Evans: Asking me what the best concert I’ve experienced is like asking me what’s the best meal I’ve ever had. It all depends on what I’m in the mood for. But here I go…

Lost, cold, and alone, I trudged through campsite after campsite in search of my own. The day had started off picturesque but the weather had turned and soaked through the scant clothing that draped my beaten frame. Despite the direness of the situation, this experience would turn out to be one of the most memorable shows to date.

Ferropolis, “The City of Iron”: It was July 20, 2019,  a freak thunder storm had ravished the already unruly camp grounds of Berlin’s Melt Festival. The storm came so rapidly and ferociously, no one had time to batten down the hatches. Tents went flying, trash, backpacks, clothes, all airborne, but I had to pee. I had left the “comfort” of my three friends, (who were stationed in a not-so-waterproof, one-man pop-up beach tent), to run through the gale to find the only semi acceptable bathroom on site. At this point the campgrounds looked more like a war zone than a festival. The further I wandered, the more unrecognizable the place became.

Somehow I arrived at my destination. Feeling a tiny bit more relieved, I found myself standing in ruins in nothing but a t-shirt and an oversized pair of chili decorated boxers that read “too hot to handle.” When I finally found my way back to our camp, my entire entourage was playing Tug of war with a gazebo against the straggling winds of the storm. Eventually, we won. The winds subsided, the sky cleared, and the festival got back on track. We salvaged a generous amount of canned beer from our neighbors’ derelict tents. It was time to celebrate.

It all gets a bit blurry from there, but I do recall sitting down at the Gremmin Beach stage for Kaytranada’s set. It was a nice break from the usual hardcore techno my friends were into. I just remember the blissful feeling of separation from the outside world; the feeling that everything was alright, storm and all. It was one of the few moments in my life when I could say that I was truly present.