Author Archives: Rounak Maiti

  • 30 arts leaders, 15 small to mid-sized towns & cities and one common goal – to invigorate communities through free, live music!

Last week, the 2018 Levitt AMP Grantees joined the Levitt Foundation for the annual Levitt AMP convening at La Plaza de Cultura y Artes in Los Angeles! It was an honor to host these inspiring leaders in the arts and share ideas throughout two days of panels, presentations and group discussions.

With 15 small to mid-sized towns and cities from California all the way to Rhode Island, this year’s grantees truly represent the breadth of community spirit and placemaking efforts happening across the country. The endless enthusiasm in the room led to fruitful brainstorming and some truly meaningful exchanges. Each attendee left the convening with a newfound sense of energy and inspiration–we can’t wait to see how each Levitt AMP Music Series unfolds with great success this summer and fall!

NAMM 2018

With almost 20,000 booths, interactive workshops, lectures and more, this year’s National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) show at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, Calif., was one of the biggest yet. What’s this convention all about? This exciting, four-day event showcases some of the latest innovations and state-of-the-art developments in music, stage and production technology. Musicians, producers, technicians, engineers, teachers and artists from all over the world convene once a year to network, get the latest industry scoop and, of course, spend hours geeking out over some high-quality gear. Here are some standouts from this year’s convention!

Continue reading

rsz-blind-boys-2

To witness a performance by Blind Boys of Alabama is to witness history in the making—with a career spanning more than seven decades, countless accolades and a remarkable output of recorded music, Blind Boys has become synonymous with the genre of gospel itself. That’s why the upcoming Levitt National Tour, co-headlined by them and Southern rock luminary, Paul Thorn, is sure to be one of the most unique musical experiences Levitt audiences around the country will be treated to. Today, we’re recounting some of the most inspiring stories from Blind Boys’ time-honored lives as musicians!

Continue reading

DLDR cover

As 2018 begins, anticipation is running high for the Levitt National Tour, returning this summer! Stopping in seven Levitt locations (six existing permanent Levitt venues and one future Levitt venue), the tour will feature the rootsy southern rock of Paul Thorn and old-school gospel of Blind Boys of Alabama—a union of critically acclaimed and universally loved talent that’s truly a one-of-a-kind collaboration. To hold us over until summer, Paul Thorn just announced the release date of his upcoming album—“Don’t Let The Devil Ride,” out on March 23! These 14 songs feature vocals by Blind Boys of Alabama, who are set to co-headline the Levitt National Tour and perform songs from the album across all tour stops.

Continue reading

2018Winners_color and pins updated

Today, the Mortimer & Mimi Levitt Foundation awarded $375,000 in matching grants to 15 nonprofits serving small to mid-sized towns and cities across America to produce free outdoor concerts, as part of the fourth annual Levitt AMP [Your City] Grant Awards. Reflecting the Levitt Foundation’s commitment to creative placemaking projects generating community support, once again the Foundation opened the Levitt AMP selection process to the public to choose the top 25 finalists. Continue reading

As born and bred Angelenos, Mayra Vega and Aaron Garcia can’t get enough of the unique and eclectic musical offerings of Levitt Pavilion Los Angeles in MacArthur Park. Every night is a new experience; whether it’s jazz and blues, cumbia, or even country music, Aaron and Mayra can rely on Levitt LA’s high-quality programming to enjoy the music they love and know, while expanding their horizons. 

Continue reading

CONGRATS TO THE TOP 25 FINALISTS

We’re thrilled to announce the Top 25 finalists in the running to win $25K matching grants to present the 2018 Levitt AMP Music Series! Thanks to more than 30,000 votes this year, these 25 towns and cities are one step closer to bringing free, live music to their communities next summer and fall. Scroll down to view each finalist and learn how they hope to revitalize an underused public space through free Levitt AMP concerts:

2018 LEVITT AMP FINALISTS
(listed in alphabetical order)

Bay St. Louis, Mississippi
Alice Moseley Pavilion

Berea, Kentucky
Berea Arts Council

Carson City, Nevada
Brewery Arts Center

Chattanooga, Tennessee
Jazzanooga

Denison, Texas
Denison Main Street

Elko, Nevada
Elko County Art Club

Escondido, California
California Center for the Arts Escondido Foundation

Galva, Illinois
Galva Arts Council

Hattiesburg, Mississippi
University of Southern Mississippi

Jacksonville, Illinois
Jacksonville Main Street

Middlesboro, Kentucky
Discover Downtown Middlesboro

Moab, Utah
Moab Folk Festival

Nashua, New Hampshire
Great American Downtown

Ocala, Florida
Marion Cultural Alliance

Prior Lake, Minnesota
Viva Musica

Santa Fe, New Mexico
AMP Concerts

Sheboygan, Wisconsin
Kohler Arts Center of JMKAC

St. Johnsbury, Vermont
Catamount Arts

Stevens Point, Wisconsin
Arts Alliance of Portage County

Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton Downtown Association

Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa Roots Music

Utica, New York
Utica Monday Nite

Waterville, Maine
Waterville Opera House

Whitesburg, Kentucky
Cowan Community Center

Woonsocket, Rhode Island
NeighborWorks Blackstone River Valley

Following Levitt’s review period, the 2018 Levitt AMP winners will be announced on January 2, 2018. Mark your calendars and stay tuned!


All through the summer and fall, Levitteers filled our live #musicmoves feed with photos and videos capturing the fun and excitement of free concerts all over the country! Whether you were showing off your dance moves, grooving along to the awesome musicians on stage, or simply kicking back with friends and family, it’s been a treat to see how live music invigorated your lives and your communities. Watch our highlights video above, and check out the #musicmoves contest winners who won iTunes gift cards this year below!

Thank you for making the Levitt AMP Music Series so memorable this year! We’re already looking forward to 2018 and seeing more of your #musicmoves.

Continue reading


Voting for the 2018 Levitt AMP [Your City] Grant Awards is now officially open! Each year, the Levitt Foundation awards $25K matching grants to up to 15 nonprofits serving small to mid-sized towns and cities across the country. Since all Levitt projects are community-driven, each year the Top 25 Levitt AMP finalists are chosen through online, public voting, open to all.

Vote for your favorite Levitt AMP proposals (up to 5 per person!) and you can help decide which towns and cities will be one step closer to receiving a Levitt AMP grant to present their own Levitt AMP Music Series. With 150 free concerts around the country (10 in each community), the series will inject new life into underused public spaces across America. Vote now! Voting ends November 20, 5PM PST. Spread the word!

Spotlight_Series_whiskeyshivers

The Levitt AMP Middlesboro Music Series ends on a high note with critically acclaimed bluegrass darlings Whiskey Shivers, playing a FREE show tomorrow at 6PM! They’ve dazzled Levitt audiences in Denver (July 2017), Los Angeles (July 2014) and Arlington (September 2014) with their brisk energy and virtuosic folk spirit. Their theatrical, interactive performances have captured the attention of publications like NPR, The Washington Post and Rolling Stone. Middlesboro, mark your calendars because you don’t want to miss this one!

Continue reading