By Brett Fisher
-
Brazilian band SambaDa’, photo courtesy Levitt-Amp -
Incendio, photo courtesy Levitt-Amp -
Southwestern Pilgrimmage, photo courtesy Levitt-Amp. -
Prezident Brown, photo courtesy Levitt-Amp. -
Whitney Myer, photo courtesy Levitt-Amp. -
Southern Drawl Band, photo courtesy Levitt-Amp. -
Mumbo Gumbo, photo courtesy Levitt-Amp. -
Dangermuffin, photo courtesy Levitt-Amp. -
Free Art Wall at the BAC, photo courtesy BAC.
The Brewery Arts Center, in partnership with the Municipality of Carson City and the Levitt Amp Foundation, is introducing a brand-new live music concert series to the Nevada state capital starting Saturday, June 4 and running ten consecutive weeks through August 6.
Levitt Amp Carson City Music Series starts with Mumbo Gumbo on Saturday, 7 p.m. on the Minnesota Street stage next to the Brewery Arts Center (BAC), and repeats every Saturday evening for 10 consecutive weeks through Aug. 6. There will be one Friday night concert on June 17.
BAC Executive Director Gina Lopez Hill said Carson City was one of 15 municipalities nationwide in 2016 selected by the Mortimer and Mimi Levitt Foundation to host these concerts, which are free to the public.
She said the BAC received $25,000 in matching funds from the foundation. For its part, the BAC was able to raise the other $25,000 through in-kind fundings, local sponsorships, and a $5,500 grant from the Carson City Special Events Redevelopment Fund, Lopez Hill said.
“It’s only the second time that Levitt Amp has given these awards,” Lopez Hill said. “We are only on the second set of grants available.”
She said Carson City was ranked No. 17 by the Levitt Foundation out of the top 25 eligible cities to receive the funding.
“It’s a huge honor, but it was the city’s support that got us there,” Lopez Hill said.
The process began with a written proposal from the BAC, she said, followed by online public voting to select the 15 finalists. Carson City made the finalist list this year.
The Levitt Amp Foundation called it “an effort to inspire and engage communities across the country around the power of creative placemaking.”
This concert series will not only bring high quality — and high caliber — live entertainment to the state capital, Lopez Hill said, but it has the potential to bring the arts in general to the forefront of the community.
“I think it opens the door for the city to see what we are capable of from an arts organization,” she said. “We are looking to really make the summer time here a mecca for live art.”
Lopez Hill stressed that this will not be a one-time grant or a one-time event, either. She said the intent is to bring the concert series back each summer.
“We are looking to continue with the Levitt Foundation, which encourages multiple year grants,” she said. “They realize that to change the social fabric of the community it takes more than one year.”
This year’s Levitt Amp Carson City Music Series will feature an eclectic collection of music genres, from Reggae to Country, Soul, Zydeco, Bluegrass and more.
The concerts are family-friendly, too, Lopez Hill said, making them a great venue for children as well as for adults.
“We really tried to create a family friendly atmosphere,” she said.
There will be a free art wall that can be painted over every week, she said, to make a bright and vibrant canvas of art from people in the community.
There will be other family friendly activites, such as tricycle races and a helmet decorating contest organized by Muscle Powered on June 11. Each Saturday concert will feature different family-oriented activities, Lopez Hill said.
The public is invited to bring their own picnics, blankets and lawn chairs to the concerts, which will have an open lawn and lot setting, located at 449 W. King Street in Carson City.
Food trucks will also be on site for refreshments, she said.
“We’re just really excited to bring the community together for free live music, and be able to incorporate all different kinds of art to these evening festivals,” Lopez Hill said.
The summer lineup begins this Saturday with Mumbo Gumbo, a seven-piece band that plays “genre-bending Americana” music, blending elements of soul, zydeco, folk, blues, rock, Cajun, Carribean, and country together.
The following is the lineup of scheduled performers in succession…
June 11: Incendio, instrumental world music.
June 17 (Friday): The Holdup from San Jose, CA, incorporating elements of reggae, hip-hop, pop, and indie.
June 25: Terceto Kali with the Jason McGuire Trio, blending flamenco, Latin, and jazz in music and dance.
July 2: Sierra Sweethearts and Southwestern Pilgrimage, with humor, great harmonies, and unique instruments.
July 9: Dangermuffin trio and its easy, breezy melodies and soul-shaking grooves.
July 16: Prezident Brown, new roots Reggae.
July 23: Southern Drawl Band, rockin’ country music from the backwoods of Tennessee.
July 30: Whitney Myer, blending soul, rock, and rhythm and blues.
Aug. 6: SambaDa’, Brazilian band infusing salsa, cumbia, funk and reggae.
For more information and for a full schedule of concerts, visit the Levitt Amp Carson City web page here.
