“One of the new things for us this season is our first ticketed concert,” said Lisa Wagner, executive director for Friends of Levitt Pavilion Dayton. “We realize there might be some education to this, but it’s a benefit concert to help fund the mission of being able to provide 50 free concerts. Most of the other Levitts do more than one ticketed concert, but we thought we’d try one since it’s our first full season.”
Burleigh Drummond, who celebrates 50 years as Ambrosia’s drummer in 2020, is excited to help support the Levitt Foundation, which has music venues in Los Angeles, Memphis, Denver and other cities.
“We’ve done several Levitts and we really appreciate them,” Drummond said. “A benefit to raise funds to support free concerts throughout the year is a very worthy cause. I really respect the Levitt Foundation. They’ve been outstanding to us so we’re more than happy to do it.”
Like many of their contemporaries from the 1970s and ’80s, Ambrosia, England Dan & John Ford Coley and Player are now labeled as Yacht Rock. Once meant to be derogatory, Liverpool-born Beckett and many other acts now embrace the term Yacht Rock and use it in their marketing.
Yacht Rock is basically soft rock. Think Hall and Oates, Toto, Kenny Loggins
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“Yacht Rock is a genre now,” said Beckett, who formed Player in Los Angeles in 1976. “A lot of musicians I know still turn their nose up at it, but I’ve never had a problem with the term. This is music from before the machines came in. It’s real people with guitars and keyboards singing well-crafted songs with harmonies and good hooks. Sirius Radio, iHeart and all of them now have special stations that just play Yacht Rock and they’re real popular.
“Yacht Rock is going through the roof and it’s catching on in Europe now, too,” Beckett added. “It’s become valid.”
Drummond agrees.
“This is a great show with a lot of hits and great performances,” he said. “It makes for a great evening of very soulful music and people seem to be blown away. We’re excited to do this show for such a good cause.”
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HOW TO GO?
Who: Ambrosia with John Ford Coley and Peter Beckett of Player
Where: Levitt Pavilion, South Main streets, between Fourth and Fifth streets, Dayton
When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 26.
Cost: Tickets start at $45. Proceeds support the free concerts at Levitt Pavilion
More info: www.levittdayton.org
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