The Batesville Levitt Amp Concert Series is set to kick off its first night on Thursday at Riverside Park with a performance by Arkansas-based Sam Allbright and the Southern Heat. Admission is free. (Scroll down to listen to an interview with Main Street Batesville Executive Director Maggie Tipton Smart about Thursday night’s event.)
According to a release from the series host Main Street Batesville, Allbright’s music “offers a cathartic and enrapturing experience, taking listeners on an experimental journey through personal misfortunes in life. Allbright’s unique blend of traditional folk and rock ‘n’ roll elements comes together to create an intoxicating cocktail of sound, reminiscent of the great musicians who have come before him.” Scroll down to watch a video of Sam Allbright and the Southern Heat.
Festivities begin at 6 p.m. The Wendell Craig Band, also Arkansas-based, is scheduled to perform at 6:15 p.m.
The park will be open to the public, offering a variety of vendors, food trucks, and activities for all ages, including a Kids Zone presented by Citizens Bank featuring inflatables and face painting. The event will also showcase community art projects powered by the Batesville Area Arts Council.
Main Street Batesville Executive Director Maggie Tipton Smart (pictured above, left) recently visited with Arkansas 103.3 KWOZ’s Wes Gwaltney on his Slightly Scrambled morning show about Thursday’s big night. Listen to her interview below and learn more details about the festival:
Others scheduled to perform in the series include artists such as Roy Saunders, Miles Over Mountains, Saving Escape, Victor Wainwright and the Train, country artist Mark Taylor, Marcella and her Lovers, Latin Grammy artist Gina Chavez, The Band Trippp, and Melody Angel,
Last November, Batesville was named one of 33 small to mid-sized towns and cities across America to receive a Levitt AMP Batesville Grant Award of $90,000 in matching funds to present a free concert series at Riverside Park through 2025. Main Street Batesville submitted the Levitt AMP proposal and is presenting the concert series.
The Mortimer & Mimi Levitt Foundation is a social impact funder supporting nonprofits nationwide at the intersection of music, public space, and community building. The Levitt AMP Music Series “…injects new life into underused public spaces through free, outdoor concerts across the nation,” according to the release.
Main Street Batesville is a non-profit organization. MSB’s mission is “…to create a thriving downtown area within the historic district. Where individuals come to eat, shop, play, and live. By launching this concert series, it will help in their outreach to encourage individuals to visit Main Street Batesville and the downtown area. Showcasing that Main Street Batesville is a beautiful historic district filled with art, creativity, and community engagement.”
The Batesville Levitt Amp Concert Series is sponsored by First Community Bank, Bad Boy Mowers, the City of Batesville, and Citizens Bank.
Above: Watch the video for “August Embers” by Sam Allbright and the Southern Heat.
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