Levitt Pavilion and Downtown Arlington Partner with Local Businesses on Popular Live Music Streaming Series

In a show of camaraderie and support for local bar and business owners, Downtown Arlington and the Levitt Pavilion Arlington today announced a new collaboration in conjunction with the popular live-streaming Levitt Living Room Series. 

For over ten years, the Levitt Pavilion Arlington has presented more than 50 free concerts a year from its outdoor venue in Downtown, a designated Cultural District by the State of Texas. When the coronavirus pandemic first forced the shutdown of live performance venues and large crowds, the Levitt quickly responded by creating and producing the Levitt Living Room Series, a weekly free, live-streamed concert series through the Levitt’s Facebook Live platform.

Since its launch in mid-April, the series has hosted a variety of Texas artists at 8:00 p.m. every Tuesday night. With performances by talented musicians like Radney Foster, Sara Hickman, Latin Express and Alvin Youngblood, the popularity of the series continues to grow. The June 23 live stream performance by Creed Fisher drew over 14,000 viewers.

“The mission of the Levitt Pavilion is to bring our community together through shared experiences and great music,” said Letatia Teykl, executive director of the Levitt Pavilion. “As we continue to fight the good fight against the spread of COVID-19, it’s more important than ever we remain connected to one another in meaningful and safe ways.”

Last week, when executive orders from Governor Greg Abbott forced the closure of bars statewide, and executive orders from Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley placed limitations on public gatherings in the county, Teykl saw an opportunity.

“Instead of producing the Levitt Living Room Series from our stage,” said Teykl, “we decided to look for creative alternative venues.”

Downtown Arlington jumped at the chance to help on the production side, and the Levitt Living Room Series is moving inside Hooligan’s Pub tonight at 8:00 p.m. for the first of the Series’ studio-style reboot. Future concerts will include a combination of live performances and recently-recorded takeover events.

“This new collaboration creates an opportunity to highlight the bars, pubs and breweries in Downtown Arlington during a time when they really need our help,” said Maggie Campbell, president and CEO of the Downtown Arlington Management Corporation. “We’re thrilled to help on the production side of things to bring this idea to life.”

Throughout the free streaming event, audiences will be reminded how they can support the hosting businesses through Downtown Delivers, Arlington's exclusive platform which offers all of the district's dine-in, patio dining, to-go, curbside pick-up and delivery service options. They will also learn how to support the Levitt Pavilion by making charitable donations online. More broadly, the new collaboration provides unique environments in which musicians can perform and fans can enjoy while social distancing.

“We’re so excited to be partnering with Downtown Arlington and local entrepreneurs to expand our Levitt Living Room Series,” said Teykl. “We feel that this collaboration plays on the strengths of the Levitt, the incredible talent of Texas artists, and the collegial spirit amongst the business and arts communities in Downtown.”

“In the last decade, Downtown Arlington has really come into its own thanks to investments made by small business owners and local entrepreneurs,” said Campbell. “They’ve shown incredible resiliency in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, and we want to continue to do all that we can to support them right now.”

LEVITT LIVING ROOM SERIES SCHEDULE

• June 31 - Jesse Spradlin in partnership with Hooligan's Pub
• July 7 - The Greyhounds in partnership with Urban Alchemy
• July 14 - The Peterson Brothers in partnership with Rita’s Italian Ice and Frozen Custard 
• July 21 - Monica Saldivar in partnership with J. Gilligan's
• July 28 - Aaron Copeland and Steve Helms in partnership with Legal Draft Beer Co.
• August 4 – Abraham Alexander in partnership with Division Brewing

All concerts are free. Shows start at 8:00 p.m. via the Levitt’s Facebook Live platform.

ABOUT LEVITT PAVILION ARLINGTON   

The Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts in Arlington presents more than 50 free concerts a year with a broad-based concert calendar of professional musical artists, from world music to jazz and home-grown Texas country to hot Indie artists. The Levitt presents original artists, many of them Grammy Award winners.

For information about Levitt Pavilion
Letatia Teykl, Executive Director
817-543-4307

ABOUT DOWNTOWN ARLINGTON  

Designated by the State of Texas as the Arlington Cultural District, Downtown Arlington is where creativity, authenticity, and hometown pride thrive and drive what's next. Within its less than a two-mile radius, Downtown is home to a top tier public research university, prolific visual and performing arts, live entertainment, exciting NCAA and professional athletics, one-of-a-kind dining and retail, and a supportive business climate.

For information about Downtown Arlington
Maggie Campbell, President and CEO
817-303-2800