Author Archives: Nicole McGaffey

The 2015 Levitt concert season has finally come to a close, which means that our first-ever #musicmoves campaign has reached its end! 

October #musicmoves WinnerA hearty congrats to our fifth and final $100 iTunes gift card winner, Nick Timmerman from Denison, Texas, who posted this sweet photo of him and his fiancée celebrating their new engagement at the Levitt AMP Denison Music Series. Thanks for sharing your special night with us, and best wishes to you both as you enter this new and exciting chapter!

And thanks to all the Levitteers across the country who’ve reminded us just how many ways #musicmoves Levitt audiences—from picnicking, to singing, to dancing on the lawn. We’ve had so much fun seeing all the ways the power of free, live music moves you and your communities, we thought we’d share the joy—check out this video featuring some of our favorite submissions!

If you didn’t get a chance to enjoy the way music moved our 2015 #musicmoves winners, take a peek at the slide show below. Keep moving, and we’ll see you next season!

  • June #musicmoves winner

Levitt loves - selfless serviceAs the late, great Maya Angelou once said, “How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!”

Today we honor the service and sacrifice of the men and women who’ve proudly donned a United States uniform. Thank you for your courage and commitment to defending the freedoms that we all hold so dear. 

Veterans, we thank you for your selfless service—on this day, and all the rest.

What a difference a year can make! During the past year we’ve watched 10 Levitt AMP sites come to life—transforming underused public spaces into vibrant, music-filled community hubs. With the inaugural Levitt AMP Music Series coming to a close this week, we’re celebrating some of the many ways this free, community-driven outdoor music series has impacted the 2015 Levitt AMP grantees’ hometowns.

Public voting now open!Although the first Levitt AMP chapter is about to conclude, the next is already underway! The application period for the 2016 Levitt AMP [Your City] Grant Awards has just ended and the applicant pool has nearly doubled from 2015.

Which brings us to some fantastic news! Recognizing our nation’s growing need to come together as communities, we’re thrilled to announce that we’ve expanded Levitt AMP to 15 grants to be awarded across the country in 2016! That’s right, 15!

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musicmoves_delta arts alliance school of danceThe movement is strong with these youngters! @levittcleveland, thanks for sharing this fun pic of the Delta Arts Alliance School of Dance doing what they do best! The final show of the 2015 Levitt AMP Cleveland Music Series kicked off with lively performances by Danza Locke’s Hip-Hop I and Hip-Hop II classes—their first of the 2015-16 season.

So many of the 2015 Levitt AMP grantees have gone above and beyond a 10-artist lineup, and used their stages as platforms to showcase local talent prior to Levitt AMP headlining acts. This is a perfect example of the way thoughtful programming can transform a space into a hub for community life. Although the 2015 Levitt AMP Music Series is coming to a close, we hope the music continues to move you and your communities!

There’s only one week left to share your Levitt concert pics on Twitter and Instagram with #musicmoves for your chance to win a $100 iTunes gift card—image submissions will be accepted through October 31! See the #musicmoves September winner.

 

Music_moves_latin arts festivalMusic was definitely moving the Cville Sabroso Festival dancers last month during Charlottesville’s Latin American Arts Festival! Thanks @richtarbell for capturing the color and energy of the festival in this great shot. Cville Sabroso—Charlottesville’s annual celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month—brought live folkloric, traditional and fusion music, dance and visual/performance art to the IX Art Park lawn and Levitt AMP Charlottesville stage. Levitt AMP audiences were treated to festive music by 10-piece Latin jazz/salsa band Conjunto Sason, Norteño group Agave and opening Mexilachian duo Lua.

There’s still time to share your Levitt concert pics on Twitter and Instagram with #musicmoves for your chance to win a $100 iTunes gift card—image submissions will be accepted through October 31! See the #musicmoves September winner.

Hold onto your hats—tomorrow night Cleveland, Miss. will be hit by a whirlwind of country, folk and soul when  The Memphis Dawls take the Levitt AMP Cleveland stage. Hailing from Memphis, Tenn., these contemporary folk sweethearts made their Levitt debut last year in their hometown with a memorable performance at Levitt Shell.

With a sound that’s part folk, part country and part gospel (and musical mentors like Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt), the Memphis Dawls honor the legacy of folk music while infusing their own contemporary flare.  Continue reading

Here in Los Angeles, we’re looking out our window at some much needed rain. Although rain has a way of putting a damper on many outdoor activities, it sure didn’t stop folks at Levitt Shell from enjoying a fantastic show when the 2015 Levitt National Tour came to town earlier this summer. 

We thought we’d use this #musicmoves post to give a shoutout to Black Violin and all the Levitteers who came out for the Levitt National Tour, which stopped in six Levitt locations across the country. Thank you for bringing your energy and enthusiasm to each of Black Violin’s performances, and making the 2015 Levitt National Tour such a success!

Keep sharing your Levitt concert pics on Twitter and Instagram with #musicmoves for your chance to win a $100 iTunes gift card—there will be a winner every month through October 31! See the #musicmoves August winner.

Spotlight_Series_the_suffers

If you happen to be near Memphis, Tenn., this weekend, you’re in for a treat, because The Suffers—who’ve already taken Levitt lawns in Arlington, Texas and Lafayette, La. by storm this season—will be heading to Levitt Shell this Friday night! This ten-piece retro soul band hailing from Houston, Texas, will be serving up a healthy portion of what they call “Gulf Coast Soul.”

In a recent interview, Kam Franklin—the band’s fiery vocalist—explained how the group came to define their sound as “Gulf Coast Soul:” “When I think of the Gulf, I think of good food, humidity, diverse cultures, and this is all reflected in the Suffers. We come from different backgrounds, but it all comes together in our band and we create a gumbo of music. It might not make sense on paper to put a Latin percussionist with a gospel singer with a classically trained saxophonist with a jazz drummer, but for us, it works.” Continue reading

And what a lovely mosh pit these two Middlesboro ladies made at Levitt AMP Middlesboro’s Whiskey Shivers concert earlier this month! @loren_grace26, thanks for sharing how music moves you!

The 2015 Levitt AMP Middlesboro Series wraps up this weekend with a performance you don’t want to miss by five-time International Bluegrass Music Association Award-winning vocalist Dale Ann Bradley. So if you’re in the area, be sure to come out to the Levitt AMP Middlesboro Pop-Up Park this Saturday night for a good time!

Keep sharing your Levitt concert pics on Twitter and Instagram with #musicmoves for your chance to win a $100 iTunes gift card—there will be a winner every month through October 31! See the #musicmoves August winner.

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DREAM on display at Burning Man, image courtesy of Bob Pruitt

We’ve all heard the expression, ‘everything is bigger in Texas.’ After getting a sneak peak of the new DREAM sculpture in Arlington, Texas, it looks like dreams are no exception!

The unveiling and dedication for this 54′ long, 12′ tall, metallic LED-lit piece adjacent to Levitt Pavilion Arlington will take place tonight at 7 p.m., in conjunction with the annual South Street Art Festival and a lively performance by folk rocker Luke Wade at Levitt ArlingtonContinue reading