Category Archives: Concerts

SpotlightMarcellaAndHerLovers

Growing up with GRAMMY-winning zydeco artist Terrance Simien as her father, Marcella René Simien always knew she wanted to be on stage. By the age of 14, she was performing and touring with her father’s band, appearing at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, Festival International de Louisiane and the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise, among others. 

Marcella and Her Lovers performing at the Levitt AMP Lafayette Music Series. Photo by Sara Virginia Yongue.

Marcella and Her Lovers performing at the Levitt AMP Lafayette Music Series. Photo by Sara Virginia Yongue.

Now a professional musician in her own right, Marcella wowed audiences in her hometown of Lafayette, La., at the Levitt AMP Music Series earlier this summer. And in the coming week, she will play two more Levitt stages with her band, Marcella and Her Lovers: Levitt Shell on September 13 and the Levitt AMP Cleveland Music Series on September 16.  Continue reading

SpotlightSeries_KarlaBonoff

Most of my music has always been personal, and that’s the thing that I think people relate to. This kind of music, the singer and songwriter style, is very personal and I think that’s why people like it.Karla Bonoff

Ever since getting her start in the 1960s at Los Angeles’ famed The Troubadour, singer-songwriter Karla Bonoff has become famous for writing songs recorded by Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt and Wynonna Judd. Also an accomplished performer in her own right, Bonoff plays a free show this Friday at Levitt Pavilion Pasadena. Learn the stories behind some of her hits!  Continue reading

  • Fort Fromage

Some of our greatest memories are linked to the senses: sights, sounds and tastes among them. At free Levitt concerts, sharing food with friends and family while listening to live music together under the stars makes for a memorable mix of all three, which is perhaps why Levitt lawns are often filled with picnicking concertgoers. Liven up your next picnic on the lawn with these easy, delicious recipes, inspired by upcoming Levitt concerts, and enjoy your own lovely intersection of the senses. Continue reading

SpotlightJimmyRose

Saturday night, Marine Corps veteran and America’s Got Talent finalist Jimmy Rose will take the stage at the Levitt AMP Middlesboro Music Series, playing a free show in partnership with Freedom Fest 2015. The festival, presented by nonprofit organization Veterans Serving Veterans, celebrates the service of veterans and helps spread awareness about PTSD.

Learn more about Rose before his free show! Continue reading

LevittPasadenaChildrensSeriesLooking for free, summer activities to do with the kids? Head to the Levitt!

In addition to all free Levitt shows being family-friendly, many Levitt sites feature children’s concerts and activities to entertain your little ones. Check out fun happenings for kids at Levitt locations across the country! Continue reading

SpotlightSeriesJudyCollinsAt 76, Judy Collins shows no signs of slowing down.

The four-time GRAMMY-nominated folk singer, best known for her versions of Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides, Now” and Stephen Sondheim’s “Send in the Clowns,” has kept busy since the 1961 release of her debut album, A Maid of Constant Sorrow. Over her 50-plus year career, she’s released 27 studio albums; collaborated with a number of legendary musicians including Joan Baez, Leonard Cohen, Don McLean and Pete Seeger; and championed such causes as suicide prevention, landmine abolition, civil and women’s rights and more.

Learn more fun facts about Collins before her free show tonight at Levitt Los Angeles! Continue reading

Spotlight_Series_BizTomorrow night, Sheboygan is in for a real treat! At the Levitt AMP Sheboygan Music Series, presented by the John Kohler Arts Center, audiences will enjoy an evening of extreme printmaking, Zumba and hip-hop dance lessons and a performance by legendary hip-hop artist Biz Markie.

Continue reading

Dustbowl Revival

Dick Van Dyke’s still got #musicmoves!

Last month, the 89-year-old Mary Poppins star made a delightful surprise appearance in the music video for “Never Had To Go,” The Dustbowl Revival’s first single off their new album With A Lampshade On. Filmed in his Malibu home, Van Dyke’s spry footwork and infectious sense of humor helped the video go viral, landing over 2 million views on YouTube.

Van Dyke and his wife Arlene (who also appears in the video) have been longtime fans of the Venice, Ca.-based eight-piece Americana band, which features a washboard, ukulele, mandolin, fiddle and more. After meeting accidentally at a private event years ago, they continued to keep in touch, which is how Dustbowl Revival got the idea to collaborate on their newest video. Continue reading

PineLeafBoys

There’s perhaps no description more apt for the Pine Leaf Boys than their own: “Louisiana music: Worldwide.”

Over the past ten years, the band has brought their exuberant mix of Cajun, Creole and zydeco to not only 42 states across the country but also 22 countries around the world. On multiple occasions, they’ve been invited by the U.S. State Department to tour internationally as ambassadors of American music, performing in the Middle East (2009), Central Asia (2012) and Europe (2010 & 2013).

But whether they’re playing in their home state or overseas, the sound of the Pine Leaf Boys is unmistakably that of Louisiana, driven by a swinging accordion and fiddle and sung almost exclusively in traditional Cajun French.

Beloved internationally and in their hometown of Lafayette, La.—where the band was formed in 2005 and where members Drew Simon and Thomas David were born and raised—the Pine Leaf Boys perform tonight at the Park at the Horse Farm at the Levitt AMP Lafayette Music Series, bringing their neo-traditional music to a space considered one of the last undeveloped properties in Cajun country. Learn more about the band before they take the stage at 6:30 p.m. tonight! Continue reading

MuralWe were thrilled to see local artist Eric Clausen’s community mural recently come to life at Levitt Shell Memphis—a project that literally weathered the storm. This mural contributes to the rich public art legacy of the almost 80-year old band shell, which was created through a collaboration between the City of Memphis and the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1936. Continue reading