>> 50 free concerts in Dayton this summer
“It has been really exciting to see how our community is embracing it,” said Lisa Wagner, executive director for Friends of Levitt Pavilion Dayton. “The success of our first season is completely attributed to the community coming together. We had 26,000 people on the lawn for 33 concerts and that was in 59 days. This is going to be our first full season. Our commitment going forward is a minimum of 50 free concerts every summer for our community.”
Despite the shortened first season, according to a University of Dayton study, Levitt Pavilion had a positive economic impact on downtown Dayton.
>> How to make the most of your Levitt Pavilion experience
“Taking a very conservative average with one-third of the audience, we found they’re spending $20 a night within a six-block radius,” Wagner said. “For a full season of 16 weekends, that came out to be $248,256.”
>>
Expanded to a one-mile radius, the estimated figure was $335,360. Using that basis, the study determined $60 per night for 16 weekends equates to $744,744 for a six-block radius and $1,006,056 for a one-mile radius.
“Those numbers surprised us,” Wagner said. “They said the typical number was $60 for a third of the audience, so $20 is very conservative. This year we’re doing 51 concerts and we had an average of 1,000 people on the lawn. If you extrapolate that out, it really gets to be an exciting number for people who are developing and we’re being seen as a catalyst for that.”
The new season, which runs through Sept. 26, continues its first weekend of programming with Reyna and the Rubi Girls on Friday, May 31, and Son Del Caribe on Saturday, June. 1.
Upcoming concerts run the gamut from jazz-flavored hip-hop act Sidewalk Chalk on June 15 and the Dayton Funk All-Stars on June 29 to Celtic group Socks in the Frying Pan on July 25, local bluegrass outfit the Repeating Arms on Aug. 16 and blues-rocker Eric Jerardi on Sept. 5.
“We were very intentional in our first year to be diverse in our programming across seven different genres,” Wagner said. “We learned there is growth in some of those genres. We paid attention and saw the lawn was very full on nights we had blues, R&B and funk so those genres have expanded in terms of the artists we have. What’s new for 2019 is we’re exploring reggae, gospel and classical music.
“What sets us apart from some of the other venues is we’re doing more of the emerging, up-and-coming artists,” Wagner added. “We have some well-known acts sprinkled in there, but the niche we want to serve is about connecting. It’s about connecting artists to new audiences, connecting people on the lawn to one another and connecting sponsors to new audiences and constituents.”
LEVITT PAVILION CONCERT LINEUP
May 30: The New Respects
May 31: Reyna and the Rubi Girls
June 1: Son Del Caribe
June 6: Ruthie Foster
June 7: The Slackers
June 8: Canaan Cox
June 13: AJ Croce
June 14: Carillon Brass
June 15: Sidewalk Chalk
June 16: Okee Dokee Brothers
June 20: Horse Feathers
June 21: Flor De Toloache
June 22: Matt Beilis
June 27: The Accidentals
June 28: Randy Villars Band
June 29: Dayton Funk All-Stars
July 11: Hannah Gill
July 12: Dave Greer's Classic Jazz Stompers
July 13: The Right Now
July 18: Buffalo Wabs & the Price Hill Hustle
July 19: Mojoflo
July 20: Paige Beller & Kyleen Downes
July 21: Movie Night: "The Greatest Showman" Sing Along at dusk
July 25: Socks in the Frying Pan
July 26: Angela Perley
July 27: Kevin Burt
Aug. 1: Royal Wood
Aug. 2: Ernie Johnson From Detroit
Aug. 3: Keith Harrison
Aug. 8: Vanessa Collier
Aug. 9: Discover Classical's Young Talent Search
Aug. 10: Sharon Lane and the Guilty Pleasures
Aug. 15: House of Hamill
Aug. 16: The Repeating Arms
Aug. 17: Parsonfield
Aug. 18: Michael & the Rockness Monsters
Aug. 22: Quiana Lynell
Aug. 23: Spirit of Freedom
Aug. 24: Moira and Human Cannonball
Aug. 29: Jah Soul
Aug. 30: Making Movies
Aug. 31: Tonya Baker
Sept. 5: Eric Jerardi Band
Sept. 6: The Sanae-Braxton Collaborative
Sept. 7: Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band
Sept. 12: Deva Mahal
Sept. 13: HuDost
Sept. 14: Casee Allen
Sept. 15: Gustafer Yellowgold
Sept. 19: World House Choir
Sept. 20: TBA
Sept. 21: Noah Wotherspoon
WANT TO GO?
Who: The New Respects
Where: Levitt Pavilion, South Main Street, between Fourth and Fifth streets, Dayton
When: 7 p.m. Thursday, May 30
Cost: Free
More info: www.levittdayton.org
About the Author