Levitt AMP Utica Presents TV Special 'AMP the House'

The Levitt AMP Utica Music Series team has created a TV show to bring families and communities together to enjoy a diverse musical production and to learn more about what goes on “beyond the music” at Levitt AMP Utica concerts.

The 2-hour television show called “AMP the House” is a curated community experience created to lift people’s spirits, expose people to new kinds of music, and to support a variety of musicians, whose livelihoods have been turned upside down by the pandemic.

The show is a high caliber, diverse, joyful, and community-focused. Viewers
will get a boost to their emotional and mental health, imperative during these times.
Levitt AMP Utica Coordinator Michelle Truett shares,

“We chose to produce a television show because it will allow us to share great bands, singers and musicians with the viewers throughout the Central New York region and hopefully entice them to come to downtown Utica next summer to see the concerts in person. Also, a TV show gives us a great opportunity to share what else we do at the park with our series – our internship program, foster youth performers, placemaking activities, art, inclusion and community-building. The show is going to be jam-packed with inspiration and talent.”

You can catch the show on Monday, July 20th, from 7-9 pm on CBS-Utica and again on Thursday, July 23rd, from 7-9 pm on WFXV.

The show will include:

• Music and dialog from two national bands who were scheduled for 2020 and will be rebooked for 2021
• A diverse array of local bands and singers covering a range of genres, genders, language, backgrounds
and ages and will feature some “under the radar” acts that add flavor to our local music scene
• A message directly from The Levitt Foundation’s Executive Director and Foundation President
• Greetings and band introductions from other Levitt AMP cities around the country
• “Beyond the Music” highlights of placemaking projects and our internship program
• Messages from sponsors and Levitt AMP Utica partners
• An introduction of the new Utica Monday Nite board president

Performer list:

National bands:

B2wins – Brazilian brothers from Iowa who perform pop, hip hop and more with violins
who have been doing amazing community outreach during the COVID-19 crisis
Bassel & the Supernaturals – R&B/Soul band from Chicago led by a Syrian singer.
The band does extensive advocacy and outreach to refugees.

Local bands:

Ladies of Soul and their Gentlemen
Leeky XIV featuring Eric Armitage
Tree of Life
Shawn Smith
Lillie Ruth
Tom Nitti
Isaac French
Youth singers:
Bailey Dunn
Naiek Goico
Caleb Crowder

The Levitt AMP Utica Music Awards is a competitive national grant from The Levitt Foundation, based out of Los Angeles, whose mission is to strengthen the social fabric of America through the power of free, live music. Levitt AMP concerts activate underutilized public spaces in cities across the country through 10- week music series that features a diverse line-up and a welcoming space filled with joy. Twenty cities were awarded the grant for 2020, and due to the pandemic, most sites postponed their series to 2021, including Utica. Levitt AMP Utica is guaranteed the $25,000 in funding for next year, and the team is looking forward to returning to Kopernik Park with live concerts.