Monthly Archives: November 2015

Happy Thanksgiving!Today and every day, thanks for being a Levitteer!

On this day of gratitude, we’re especially thankful to the 16 communities who brought the Levitt program to life in 2015 – a testament to the power of free, live music to bring people together and celebrate our shared humanity.  

Warm wishes for a happy holiday! 

As a fourth generation Angeleno, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has seen his hometown go through countless changes—including the transformation of MacArthur Park, home to Levitt Pavilion Los Angeles, in recent years.

In this Faces of Levitt video, Garcetti speaks of the way Levitt came in like a “spark in the entire community,” and how the world-class talent showcased throughout the free concert series is “enriching the experience for people who live there [and] bringing people who hadn’t been to MacArthur Park in years, if not decades.”

The impact of a Levitt Pavilion goes far beyond free, live music. Garcetti explains how the City of Los Angeles started to tend MacArthur Park better after seeing the renewed energy and activation occurring in the park. To hear more about MacArthur Park’s transformation from an underused space into a vibrant community asset, check out Mayor Garcetti’s Faces of Levitt  video! 

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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Levitt venues

Pictured from L to R (top row): Levitt Pavilion Arlington; Levitt Pavilion Los Angeles; Levitt Shell Memphis; (bottom row): Levitt Pavilion Pasadena; Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks; Levitt Pavilion Westport.

Across the country, another spectacular season of Levitt concerts has come to a close, and we’re once again celebrating the undeniable power of free, live music to bring people together of all ages and backgrounds, creating stronger communities. Watch your favorite Levitt venue in action!

You may ask, who brings the Levitt program to life, year after year? Your local Friends of Levitt nonprofit, that’s who! Each Friends of Levitt manages, programs and fundraises for the 50 free concerts every year. This is an impressive feat when you consider the sheer number of acclaimed artists presented on a Levitt stage featuring a range of music genres; the first-rate production crews and state-of-the-art sound and lighting; as well as the additional programming and activities realized through local partnerships to create unforgettable evenings of free music under the stars. Rounding out the experience are the passionate volunteers whose friendly smiles and enthusiasm embody that warm sense of community found on Levitt lawns.

And yet the Friends of Levitt nonprofit is only part of the equation. Equally important is the community of supporters—audience members who donate on the lawn, businesses sponsoring shows, grants from foundations, and local family and individual donors—whose generous contributions ensure the free music continues each year at their Levitt venue. Continue reading