“Share the Stage,” a Levitt Pavilion initiative supporting North Texas musicians, is continuing strong through a second concert season, thanks in large part to a $50,000 grant from the Arlington Tomorrow Foundation awarded to Levitt earlier this summer.
Conceived as a means of providing paid gigs and exposure for local artists in the wake of the pandemic, Share the Stage seeks to showcase both emerging and established North Texas musicians, primarily through bookings as opening acts for the Levitt’s signature free concert series, which runs May-October.
Letatia Teykl, the venue’s executive director, said that Share the Stage has paid more than 100 local artists contracts to date for North Texas singer-songwriters and bands, many of which are emerging music artists, women, and artists of color.
“As a member of the North Texas arts community, we feel strongly about the need to create paid performance opportunities for local musicians,” said Teykl. “We created this initiative to give access to the Levitt stage, to our in-person and livestreaming fans, and our professional production crew. It’s a really cool giveback to the North Texas music industry ecosystem.”
“Also, we know that Share The Stage benefits the Levitt’s economic picture as well, by helping us attract prospective new supporters who are fans of new-to-us artists, and by attracting the support of funding partners like the Arlington Tomorrow Foundation,” she added.
Local artists who have appeared or are scheduled to appear at the Levitt this season as part of Share the Stage include: Abbey Brown & The Sound (Americana), AdamMarie (alt folk), Buddy Whittington (blues/R&B), Carlos Ramos (Latin), Cash Byers (country), Conjunto Baraja de Oro (Tejano/Conjunto), Grupo Pression (Latin), Igimèjí (funk/soul), Jackie Minton (folk), and Larry Ladale (pop/R&B).
Another noteworthy Share The Stage artist (for both the inaugural and 2022 seasons) is LanceBattalion, an up-and-coming band of retro rockers out of Mansfield. The teenage artists opened for the Levitt’s summer ticketed fundraiser concert headlined by Tommy DeCarlo, the lead vocalist for the legendary classic rock band Boston. Learn more about the Levitt season.
“Since its first season in 2008 to today, the Levitt Pavilion is the musical centerpiece of our community,” said Carolyn Mentesana, executive director of the Arlington Tomorrow Foundation. “From those early days, all of us at the Foundation have been delighted to have come alongside the Friends of the Levitt with funding to support their vibrant mission to bring free music under the stars. Our underwriting of the Share the Stage program helps ensure local artists have an opportunity to showcase their talents, inspire, and entertain us all.”
ABOUT THE ARLINGTON TOMORROW FOUNDATION
The Arlington Tomorrow Foundation is a public charity serving Arlington exclusively. The foundation’s mission is to contribute to a thriving Arlington by focusing on people and neighborhoods, nature and animals, and programs which enhance the lifestyle and culture of the city. Learn more.
ABOUT THE LEVITT
Levitt Pavilion Arlington presents more than 50 free, high production value outdoor concerts and events each year with a diverse calendar of professional musical artists representing genres from world music to jazz, home-grown Texas country to indie rock, and much more. The Levitt presents emerging talent and original artists from a range of music genres, many of them Grammy Award winners, as well as local musicians as part of the Levitt’s “Share the Stage” initiative promoting North Texas talent. Ticketed concerts and other special events are also produced by the Levitt Pavilion Arlington. Noted as a signature destination and performing arts centerpiece for Downtown Arlington, The Levitt plays a significant role in Downtown Arlington’s designation as a Cultural District by the State of Texas and the recent designation as a Music Friendly Community by the Texas Music Office. For more information, visit levittpavilionarlington.org or find us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram.