Cheers to a new year and new beginnings!
We’re thrilled to bring free live music to ten additional cities in 2015! Underused public spaces across the country, like this vacant gravel lot in downtown Middlesboro, KY, will be given new life and transformed into thriving community hubs before the year comes to a close. Congrats, again, to the recipients of the first-ever Levitt AMP [Your City] Grant Awards! We can’t wait to see your projects unfold.
It’s been an amazing year for Levitt Pavilions!
From launching exciting new initiatives like the Levitt AMP [Your City] Grant Awards to seeing local Levitt venues win numerous local and global accolades, a lot has happened over the past 12 months.
Now that we’re approaching 2015, we’re taking a look back. Check out our infographic to see some of the highlights of the past year! Continue reading
Drumroll please…
The votes have been tallied and the review process has come to an end. The moment we’ve all been waiting for has finally arrived!
Today Levitt Pavilions and the Mortimer & Mimi Levitt Foundation awarded $250,000 in matching funds to 10 nonprofits serving small to mid-sized cities across America to present free outdoor concerts as part of the first-ever Levitt AMP [Your City] Grant Awards. A new chapter of Levitt history has begun!
Every summer, free Levitt concerts reach over 500,000 people in six cities across the country: Memphis, Arlington, Los Angeles, Pasadena, Westport and Bethlehem. Seeking to increase our impact even more, we’re spreading the power of arts and creative placemaking beyond major metro areas to places of all sizes.
The Levitt AMP [Your City] Grant Awards is an exciting new matching grant program that will award up to $25K each to small and mid-sized cities. In 2015, grantees will produce their own Levitt AMP [Your City] Music Series, extending the reach of free, live music by an additional 100 free concerts.
The application phase has now ended, and reflecting our mission that all Levitt projects be community-driven, we’ve opened up the grant selection process for your votes! Now through November 30 11:59 PM PST, public online voting will help choose the Top 20 Finalists, which will then be narrowed down to 10 final grant recipients by Levitt Pavilions. Continue reading
The Shell in Overton Park, Memphis, reborn as Levitt Shell in 2008, has seen a lot over the years, including historic performances by Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and most recently Aaron Neville. Now it’s the setting for a new live double album, Live at the Levitt Shell, by emerging folk/pop singer-songwriter Myla Smith.
While exploring options to follow up her 2013 release Hiding Places, Smith was offered a performance at an Easter Eve concert at Levitt Shell and couldn’t resist the idea of recording a live album at the iconic space. Continue reading
What’s a concert season at the Levitt without a few #selfies? We loved all the pics you shared on Instagram this summer, and these are some of our favorites, captured by YOU!
Don’t see your pics? Follow us on Instagram @levittpavilions and tag your photos #mylevitt to share them with us!
Fresh off the success of the inaugural Levitt National Tour featuring World music sensation Playing For Change, we’re thrilled to announce that Black Violin, the genre-busting pioneers of urban meets highbrow, will headline the 2015 Levitt National Tour. Named one of the hottest bands at SXSW in 2013, this classically trained, hip-hop duo has wowed audiences across the globe with their unique take on violin/viola playing—from countless concert arenas to headlining a Broadway show to performing at the 2013 Presidential Inaugural Ball.
The 2015 Levitt National Tour will take place during June and July next summer, stopping at six Levitt locations—five existing venues (Arlington, Bethlehem, Los Angeles, Memphis and Pasadena) and one in the works (Denver). Audiences can expect a party atmosphere at these family-friendly shows, filled with unexpected surprises that will get everyone on their feet dancing. In addition to the free shows, Black Violin will lead community outreach activities with youth and seniors, drawing on past experiences to spur their creativity and inspire them to think outside the box.
“Black Violin’s pioneering approach aligns perfectly with Levitt’s artistic vision of excellence and inclusivity, creating boundary-busting music that resonates with people of all ages and backgrounds,” says Sharon Yazowski, executive director of Levitt Pavilions. “In addition to their incredibly high-energy shows, Black Violin’s deep commitment to community outreach will provide meaningful experiences with the duo at every Levitt tour stop.”
Wedding bells, Peeps and everything in between
With the excitement of the 2014 Levitt concert season winding down, you might find yourself wondering what becomes of that stretch of lawn you spent so many nights picnicking and dancing upon. As it turns out, quite a lot happens after the season ends!
Below are some fun and unexpected ways Levitt venues are being used both during and following the concert seasons, illustrating their role as year-round destinations.
Circles of life
We all know Levitt concerts are great places for dates. What’s more romantic than listening to incredible music on a warm summer evening under the stars? So it was only a matter of time before a Levitt Pavilion became the site of not just dates but an actual marriage ceremony! This past summer, Michele Frazier and Louis Cyr, a Texas couple who had their first date at Levitt Arlington, chose to return to the place where the magic started and tie the knot at the Levitt.
On a very different note, Levitt Arlington was also the site of a recent memorial service for a beloved local high school teacher. As a place where he and his family had always enjoyed spending time together, the Levitt was the most meaningful place to celebrate the life of this music lover taken too soon. As Cathy O’Neal, Communications Director at Levitt Arlington, explained, “It really struck home to us that this is such a big part of people’s lives now, not just where they come to hear a concert.” Continue reading
Check out this infographic breaking down five major ways Levitt venues are improving America! Continue reading
What makes each Levitt pavilion special? Maybe it’s the architecture, the history, the community, the concertgoers…or all of the above! Levitteers know better than anyone how amazing Levitt spaces are, and we’d love for our fans to nominate their favorite venue as the People’s Choice for the American Planning Association’s Great Place in America! Use the hashtag #mygreatplace on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook to submit your nomination before October 15.
