Author Archives: Nicole McGaffey

Join global audiences in celebrating the first day of summer with free, live music!

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MAKE MUSIC DAY graphic

What better way to usher in the summer months, than with free, live music? Today, on this first day of the summer, we get to enjoy more sunlight and more free, live music thanks to Make Music Day—a global celebration that encourages anyone and everyone to experience the power of music, free of charge.

First launched in 1982 to enliven public spaces across France through free, live music, Make Music Day has grown into an international celebration of music making. This global phenomenon is now celebrated in more than 800 cities and 120 countries (and counting!). This joyous day celebrates the inner musician or music lover in all of us, encouraging people of all ages, backgrounds and professions to come together with their friends, family members and neighbors to enjoy live music happenings in their community.

We’re thrilled to share that a number of Levitt stages are supporting this global musical movement, offering free live, music for their communities to enjoy today. Check out the links below for more information about the free Levitt concerts taking place this Make Music Day.

Levitt Pavilion Denver
Levitt Pavilion Los Angeles
Levitt Shell Memphis
Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks

Levitt AMP Sheboygan (1st concert of their 2019 season!)
Levitt AMP Stevens Point
Levitt AMP Whitesburg

Happy Make Music Day and welcome to summer 2019!

Spotlight Series: Hannah Gill & The Hours

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Hannah Gill & The Hours will bring sweet, sultry, emotion-filled songs to Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks tomorrow night! 20-year-old vocal powerhouse and songwriter Hannah Gill—who has earned glowing praise from NPR Music, Huffington Post and Teen Vogue—has teamed up with guitarist, songwriter and arranger Brad Hammonds to create an irresistible fusion of ‘70s lo-fi pop meets soul meets blues. Every element of their songs celebrates freedom and creativity—from Gill’s lush, soulful lyrics to the driving, genre-busting musical accompaniment. Continue reading →

Spotlight Series: Vandoliers

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Spotlight_Series_vandoliers-2The days are getting longer and the nights are getting warmer—which means, it’s time for the 2018 Levitt concert season and the return of our annual Spotlight Series! Each week on our blog, we’ll be shining the spotlight on an artist performing on a Levitt stage that week. Throughout the series, you’ll get to know some of the talented performers bringing music of all genres to Levitt audiences across the country.

To get us all in the mood for summer fun, we’re launching the 2018 Spotlight series with twangin’ Texas cowpunk rockers, the Vandoliers, who’ll take the Levitt AMP Galva stage Sunday night! 

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Breaking ground and counting down: Sioux Falls & Dayton!

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Pictured above (left to right): Construction of future Levitt Pavilion Dayton (photo by Andy Snow); Groundbreaking ceremony for Falls Park West and Levitt Shell Sioux Falls on April 23, 2018.

Pictured above (left to right): Levitt Pavilion Dayton’s stage in the making (photo by Andy Snow); Groundbreaking ceremony for Falls Park West and Levitt Shell Sioux Falls on April 23, 2018 (photo by Thomas Dempster)

2018 has been a milestone year for not one, but two, future permanent Levitt venues! In less than three months, Levitt Pavilion Dayton in Ohio will launch its inaugural season of free concerts at its new, state-of-the-art outdoor music venue in downtown’s Dave Have Plaza, reinvigorating this central public space and attracting Daytonians of all walks of life. And last month, Levitt Shell Sioux Falls broke ground on its own state-of-the-art outdoor music venue in the city’s underused Falls Park West, bringing it a giant leap forward toward its projected 2019 opening in South Dakota’s largest and most diverse city.

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Congratulations Liz, recipient of Liberty Hill’s 2018 Founders Award!

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elizabeth-levitt-hirschWe’re thrilled to share that tomorrow night, a pioneering philanthropist whose vision, drive and heart strengthens communities across the nation will be awarded Liberty Hill Foundation’s 2018 Founders Award, Levitt Foundation Board President Liz Levitt Hirsch. She is an engaged changemaker in her city and country who embodies the theme of this year’s Liberty Hill gala, “Justice begins at home.”

The Liberty Hill Foundation has served as an epicenter for social justice in Los Angeles since 1976. Through innovative programming, Liberty Hill empowers Angelenos to come together to make Los Angeles a national model for a peaceful and prosperous future. For more than 40 years, this inspiring foundation has celebrated leaders on the frontlines of change. This year, Liz will be honored alongside the iconic civil rights leader Congressman John Lewis, who’ll be receiving the Upton Sinclair Award for his lifelong commitment to advancing civil rights for all Americans. Continue reading →

#tbt to last month’s Levitt Celebration Dinner!

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  • (Individuals listed from left to right in each photo)
    Barry Lichterman, Levitt Memphis Board Member & President Emeritus; Patti Diou, Levitt Arlington Executive Director

Today on our blog we’re looking back at one of our most festive 2018 gatherings to date, this year’s Levitt Celebration Dinner! Last month, Friends of Levitt leadership, staff and board members from Levitt cities came together in Los Angeles to celebrate the national Levitt network’s impact in communities. The energy in the room was palpable, as dedicated Levitt representatives from across the country exchanged ideas and shared their Levitt experiences with one another. Enjoy the slideshow!

Get ready for St. Patty’s Day with The Kildares!

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St. Patrick’s Day is upon us! Get into the spirit for tomorrow’s holiday with The Kildares‘ festive curtain call performance at Levitt Pavilion Arlington in 2016. Enjoy The Kildares doing what they do best—seamlessly fusing cutting-edge rock and traditional Celtic music to create a lively, eclectic sound that’s uniquely their own. These innovative Celtic rockers are no strangers to Levitt stages, with one performance at Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks and EIGHT performances at Levitt Pavilion Arlington under their belts. In the mood for more celebratory music? You’re in luck. Check out our St. Patty’s day playlist, featuring a wide range of artists who’ve graced Levitt stages across the country!

Faces of Levitt: Jim Douglas

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Today’s Faces of Levitt video features Arlington, TX, resident and former WFAA news reporter, Jim Douglas. As a member of Levitt Pavilion Arlington’s Advisory Board, Douglas contributes his time and talents to a nonprofit he describes as “one of the best things that has ever happened to [his] city.” Check out his video to discover why he feels free, live music at Levitt Pavilion Arlington makes you “feel like you’re living in the America that we want to live in.”

Congrats to Lost Bayou Ramblers and Billy Childs on their GRAMMY wins!

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Header_1_grammyThis past Sunday, nearly 20 million viewers tuned in to watch the 60th Annual GRAMMY Awards live broadcast. Music giants across the industry flocked to Madison Square Garden in New York to honor their peers. This year, 15 GRAMMY nominations went to artists who had performed on Levitt stages and we were thrilled to see that two of those artists went on to take home those prestigious gilded gramophones!

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Looking back: the 2017 Levitt season in photos

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  • Levitt AMP Berea audience members rejoice under rainbow-filled skies.

As January comes to a close and we march toward the 2018 Levitt concert season, we’re looking back at the incredible 2017 season.

Last year, 450+ Levitt concerts took place in 22 towns and cities—bringing the power of free, live music to communities coast-to-coast. The joy we saw in the photos that poured in was too contagious not to share with you all!

So, if you’re looking for a quick mid-week pick-me-up, you’re in luck! Relive the joy of the 2017 Levitt concert season by checking out the brief slideshow we’ve put together!