Levitt Pavilion Dayton to host 50 FREE concerts in 2018

last updated 08/08/2017
Levitt Pavilion Dayton to host 50 FREE concerts in 2018

$5 million goal has been reached, construction begins on Levitt Pavilion Dayton in September.

Levitt Pavilion Dayton to host 50 FREE concerts in 2018

Levitt Pavilion Dayton will become a reality in the summer of 2018

Friends of Levitt Pavilion Dayton is excited to announce Levitt Pavilion Dayton will become a reality in the summer of 2018. The $5 million capital campaign goal to build a state-of-the-art music venue in downtown Dayton has been reached thanks to the support and generosity of the Dayton community. "We are excited and grateful for the generous support from the entire Dayton community that has helped us achieve our goal to begin construction. Residents and visitors from Dayton and the region will enjoy the benefits of the Levitt Pavilion Dayton", said Jeff Ireland, Chair of Friends of Levitt Pavilion Dayton. To celebrate achieving this goal, Friends of Levitt Pavilion Dayton will be holding a groundbreaking and preview concert at Dave Hall Plaza on Thursday, August 17th.  The concert will feature The Suffers, part of the 2017 Levitt National Tour with local sponsorship by PNC Bank. The groundbreaking will take place at 6:30pm and the concert will begin at 7:00pm.

Construction to begin in September, first concert will be June 2018

Construction is expected to begin in September 2017, and the first concert will be held in June 2018. Levitt Pavilion Dayton will provide 50 FREE concerts each year from May through September. Future performances will include local, regional, and national acts like The Suffers. Levitt Pavilion Dayton will be a place for the community to come together to enjoy FREE live music throughout the summer.

FREE Levitt experience on August 17th, 2017

Friends of Levitt Pavilion Dayton are excited to provide the Dayton community with a FREE Levitt experience on August 17th as a preview of what’s to come in 2018. We encourage the entire community to come out and enjoy the concert on our future Levitt lawn. Bring your lawn chair, blanket, picnic basket and dancing shoes as The Suffers will bring their fiery ‘Gulf Coast Soul’ to Dayton, Ohio. Food and beverages will be available for purchase. "After months of hard work, we are excited that this new musical venue will be a reality and an important part of downtown Dayton's renewal,” said David Melin, PNC Bank regional president for Dayton.  “We are committed to making the arts a cornerstone of a healthy community.  Our support ensures area residents and visitors will enjoy world class entertainment by high-quality musicians, in the heart of downtown Dayton.”

The Suffers, an 8-piece powerhouse of ‘Gulf Coast Soul’ celebrates the rich diversity of the band’s hometown of Houston—masterfully melding classic American soul with genres as wide-ranging as rock, Latin ska, Cajun, hip hop, country and R&B. When asked about the origin of the self-coined term ‘Gulf Coast Soul,’ lead vocalist Kam Franklin explained, “When I think of the Gulf, I think of good food, humidity, diverse cultures, and this is all reflected in The Suffers. We come from different backgrounds, but it all comes together in our band and we create a gumbo of music. It might not make sense on paper to put a Latin percussionist with a gospel singer with a classically trained saxophonist with a jazz drummer, but for us, it works.” This approach has already earned The Suffers a place on numerous ‘artists to watch’ lists, rave reviews from Billboard, NPR and The New York Timesand a growing international fan base—and they’re just getting started!

The Suffers are frequently praised for their heartfelt, high-energy live shows. The band has wowed audiences and critics alike in venues across the globe—from small, intimate settings like NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts, to large-scale festivals like the Newport Folk Fest and Austin City Limits Music Festival and South by Southwest, to popular late night television shows like The Late Show with David LettermanJimmy Kimmel Live! and The Daily Show with Trevor Noah. Along with pushing musical boundaries, The Suffers are dedicated to inspiring fans to live boldly and tap into their own potential. This dynamic band will move people of all ages and backgrounds, with their raw, fiery Gulf Coast Soul. Dave Dickerson, Board member and President of Miller-Valentine, put it well, "we have worked hard to raise the money, let the music begin!"

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