Category Archives: News

Levitt Pavilions Unveils a New $20 Million Initiative to Bring Cat Parks Across America

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cat-parkInaugural Levitt National Cat Park Tour will feature a Keyboard Cat tribute band 

A cat at a Levitt venue in greater Los Angeles. In his natural habitat, a cat is free to enjoy green space, picnic scraps and behind-the-ear scratching, just like his dog counterparts.

A cat at a Levitt venue in greater Los Angeles. In his natural habitat, a cat is free to enjoy green space, picnic scraps and behind-the-ear scratching, just like his dog counterparts.

Inspired by visionary leader Amy Schumer’s passionate plea for cats and cat owners everywhere, Levitt Pavilions will be opening up cat parks across the country through an unprecedented $20 million initiative.

40 sites across the country will each receive an initial $500,000 of seed funding to build a cat park in a local community. The sites will be chosen through a groundbreaking system of online voting, one which is only accessible by cat paw recognition software. This will ensure that only cat owners and the cats themselves can vote in the initial selection process. Continue reading →

Levitt AMP [Your City] Grant Awards Will Bring Free Concerts to Small and Mid-Sized Cities

Levitt AMP Your City Grant AwardsOnline public voting process to select top 20 finalists

Calling all small to mid-sized cities across the country: America’s largest free outdoor concert series is about to get even larger, and the spotlight is on you!

Starting in 2015, Levitt’s national program of 300 free concerts across the country will increase to 400, thanks to an exciting, new matching grant opportunity—the Levitt AMP [Your City] Grant Awards. In addition to 100 more free concerts, Levitt AMP will broaden the geographic impact of the Levitt program by focusing on small and mid-sized cities. And in another first, the public will get to decide which 20 cities make it to the finals round through an online voting process to take place next fall. So get ready to rally your colleagues, friends and family members to vote and bring the joy of free, live music to your city! Continue reading →

Our Favorite Tracks of 2013

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Levitt Pavilions' staff 2013 favoritesJust in case you were wondering, the staff of Levitt Pavilions love music. If you ever were to wander over to our offices, you’d hear anything from someone’s Spotify holiday playlist to a live Dublab stream.

So of course, the best way for us to wrap up 2013 is with our top five tracks of the year. After reading through, let us know what you loved about music in 2013.

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Nelson Mandela

The Musical Legacy of Nelson Mandela

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Yesterday, the world lost one of its greatest inspirations for peace, justice and freedom. Nelson Mandela’s leadership in the struggle against apartheid influenced musicians in South Africa and around the world.

Tom Schnabel of Los Angeles’ public radio station KCRW featured a handful of the songs inspired by Mandela in a Rhythm Planet episode this past summer. Likewise, music played a huge role in Mandela’s life, as an NPR piece from this morning highlighted—listening to Bob Marley’s Exodus on cassette for Mandela and his fellow prisoners was almost like “prayer time.”
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Levitt Pavilion Comes to Houston!

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Houston, the site of the eighth Levitt Pavilion. Photo: Katie Haugland

Houston, the site of the eighth Levitt Pavilion.
Photo: Katie Haugland

We’re thrilled to announce that Houston has been selected as the site of the eighth Levitt Pavilion! Levitt Pavilion Houston will be the crown jewel of the 280-acre Willow Waterhole Conservation Reserve in Southwest Houston’s Westbury neighborhood.

Just like Levitt’s six existing music venues across America (there’s a seventh in development in Denver’s Ruby Hill Park), Levitt Pavilion Houston will present 50 free, family-friendly concerts every year in a welcoming, outdoor setting for Greater Houston, home to a population of over six million people. When the sustainably designed venue opens in 2017, it will be able to accommodate up to 5,000 nightly concertgoers for a broad range of high quality concerts featuring acclaimed, emerging talent to seasoned, award-winning performers.

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That’s a Wrap: Highlights from the 2013 Concert Season

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Stellar performances, enthusiastic crowds made for an unforgettable year!

It may be fall, but we’re still thinking about the free concerts that filled the warm, evening air at the six Levitt venues across America. The 2013 season was packed with surprises, sing-alongs and stars both of the celestial and musical variety, celebrating the arts and community from coast-to-coast.

New performers, longer seasons, Levitt favorites and exciting events made for record-breaking attendance and the best season yet. With too many must-see concerts to mention, here are some of the highlights from 2013!

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Playing For Change to Headline 2014 Levitt National Tour

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The Playing for Change touring band.

The Playing For Change touring band will be appearing at six Levitt locations across America.

We’re thrilled to announce that the acclaimed World music group Playing For Change will headline the first-ever Levitt National Tour. Taking place over a three-week period next summer, the National Tour will stop at six Levitt locations—five existing venues (Arlington, Bethlehem, Los Angeles, Memphis and Pasadena) and one in the works (Denver). In addition to the concerts, the Tour will feature pre-concert conversations with the artists and drum circles, inviting the entire audience to participate.

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“Mile High City” of Denver Will Be Home To Seventh Levitt Venue!

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Levitt’s vision for an America filled with thriving public spaces is one step closer to becoming a reality with recently announced plans to bring the Levitt program to Denver!

A new Levitt Pavilion will be opening in Denver's Ruby Hill Park in 2016!The new Levitt Denver, located in the city’s expansive, 83-acre Ruby Hill Park just minutes from downtown, will be the seventh Levitt performance venue across the nation, joining the cities of Los Angeles; Memphis; Arlington, Texas; Bethlehem, Pa.; Pasadena, Calif.; and Westport, Conn. As part of the Levitt network, Levitt Denver will present 50 free concerts annually in a state-of-the-art outdoor venue open to all, featuring acclaimed, emerging talent to award-winning artists in a diverse range of music genres. The welcoming open lawn setting will be perfect for lawn chairs and picnics. Construction is expected to break ground in 2015, with free concerts to begin wowing Denverites in spring 2016. Continue reading →

Spotlight: Free Concerts Across America All Summer Long

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Levitt has the perfect recipe for summer fun

Nothing says “summer” like evenings filled with free, live music in a beautiful outdoor setting. Add yummy picnics with friends and family, then shake it up with dancing on an inviting, green lawn, and you’ve got the makings of an unforgettable summer. That’s exactly what six Levitt venues are serving up across America as Levitt Pavilions 2013 season datesthey launch their 2013 seasons of 300+ free concerts celebrating community, culture and the arts!

It all starts this week with a full slate of all-star performers—including artists new to Levitt stages and returning favorites—plus even more exciting special events and activities, bringing people of all ages and backgrounds together in Levitt cities across the country.

Here’s a sneak peek of what you can expect this summer at Levitt venues across the nation!
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