Last year, more than 118,000 music lovers lounged on the grass under the big Texas sky in Downtown Arlington for one reason: Free music! This summer, Levitt Pavilion Arlington has another sizzling season of free music in store, from Grammy-winning artists to the hottest up-and-coming Indie singer/songwriters, three fiery Tejano concerts and a new second paid-ticket event with popular Texas artist, Robert Earl Keen.
The Baylor Orthopedic & Spine Hospital 2017 Summer Concert Season gets underway a little earlier this year on May 19 with the Grammy-winning New Orleans sound of Rebirth Brass Band. The Levitt will offer more concert weeks this summer, running May 19 through July 23, with concerts on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 8 p.m. Family Movie Nights are on Thursdays June 8 through July 13 and include animated features, as well as Sing-a-Long Grease, perfect for a summer night of hand-jive!
The summer’s concert highlights include audience favorites, like the ‘70s and ‘80s pop/rock of Ambrosia, rock from Austin’s Uncle Lucius and Dallas’ Somebody’s Darling, Texas master storyteller Ray Wylie Hubbard, and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Bluegrass Band and their bluegrass take on the Fab Four. Artists making their Levitt debut include modern country artist Bleu Edmondson; rock-and-soul artist Patrice Pike; Southern rockers Prophets and Outlaws; hot new Indie artists The Unlikely Candidates; Hall of Fame royalty known for “Under the Boardwalk,” The Drifters; and Shinyribs and his belly-laughin’, song-slingin’ down-home house party.
During summer concert season, the Levitt Pavilion hosts the headliners for the Downtown Arlington Center Stage Music Festival June 9-11. This year’s headliners include Grammy-winning country artists Reckless Kelly; Orleans, known for such ‘70s’ hits as “Still the One,” and the ground-breaking, mind-blowing Black Violin, a duo of classically trained violinists who play classical music with a heart-pounding hip-hop vibe.
During the music festival, more free music will be available before and after the headliners at downtown venues, including J. Gilligan’s, J.R. Bentley’s and Legal Draft Beer Company. The following weekend, on June 18, the Levitt will present Tejano Lifetime Achievement Award artist, Grammy winner and accordion legend Flaco Jimenez, performing with Los TexManiacs. Additional Tejano concerts include La Tropa F on May 28 and Jaime y Los Chamacos on July 2.
As Robert Earl Keen’s fans all know, the road goes on forever, but the party never ends, and Keen brings his beautiful song imagery and sometimes irreverent writing to the Levitt on June 23 with special guest, Cory Morrow. General admission tickets are $35. All proceeds from Keen’s concert will help the Levitt provide more than 50 free concerts for everyone to enjoy.
In addition to more weeks of free music this summer, the Levitt welcomes back J. Gilligan’s and Bahama Buck’s snow cones, special sponsor give-away nights, and new, air-conditioned bathroom trailers.
For more, visit levittpavilionarlington.org. The free Levitt Arlington app also includes a concert calendar, parking updates, weather notifications and a nightly concert feedback survey.
Levitt Pavilion fast facts …
Location: The Levitt Pavilion is located in Founders Plaza at 100 W. Abram St.
Description: The pavilion is an outdoor concert venue with open lawn seating. Patrons bring lawn chairs and blankets, coolers, and picnics. No glass containers are allowed.
Capacity: The Levitt Pavilion lawn can hold about 3,500. There is room for people to spill over onto Abram Street and up the steps of City Hall as well as into a vacant lot west of the pavilion where the Dream sculpture is located.
Tickets: All Levitt Pavilion concerts are free. Exceptions are an annual benefit concert and one additional ticketed concert.
2017 Concert Season: The Summer Concert Season runs from May 19 through July 23. The Fall Concert Season runs from Sept. 1 through Oct. 22.
Showtimes: During the summer, Thursday Family Movie Nights begin at 8 p.m., concerts on Friday, Saturday and Sunday start at 8 p.m. Concerts and movies after July 3 will begin at 8:30 p.m. In the fall, Friday, Saturday and Sunday concerts begin at 8 p.m.
Facilities: There are bathroom trailers available, including handicapped accessible facilities, on South Street. Concessions are available for sale, including snow cones, ice cream, kettle corn and homemade lemonade. J. Gilligan’s grills burgers, veggie burgers, chicken quesadillas and Irish nachos and sells beer and wine on concert nights (no alcohol sales on Thursdays). Bahama Buck’s sells shaved ice snow cones.
