JOIN US FOR OUR 8TH LIVE SEASON OF FREE CONCERTS!
This is where live music, art and community building ALL COME TOGETHER!
Live music on Monday nights in the summer are a tradition in Utica. What a way to start off the week – an outdoor concert in a downtown park with the most diverse musicians on stage AND the most diverse audience in the city!
Concerts feature national touring acts, local/regional openers and youth intermission acts… all for FREE!
Since 2016, we have turned Oneida Square into a destination for the arts. We are an alcohol-free, family-friendly venue.
We hope to see you this summer!
Our 2024 line up is below…
MONDAY NIGHTS FROM JUNE 17 - AUGUST 19
5:30PM - OPENER
6:30PM - YOUTH INTERMISSION ACT
7:00PM - HEADLINER
KOPERNIK PARK IN DOWNTOWN UTICA
317 GENESEE ST. (CORNER OF EAGLE ST.)
OUR 2024 SEASON IS PRESENTED BY:
FOUNDING Partner:
LEAD SPONSOR:
Series Partners:
SEASON SPONSORS:
MULTI-WEEK SPONSORS
WEEKLY SPONSORS
open band SPONSORS
MEDIA SPONSORS
HOSPITALITY SPONSORS
The Levitt AMP Utica Music Series is supported in part by the Mortimer & Mimi Levitt Foundation, which partners with changemakers and nonprofits across the country to activate underused outdoor spaces through the power of free, live music—bringing people together, fostering belonging, and invigorating community life. Presenting high-caliber talent and a broad array of music genres and cultural programming, Levitt concerts are welcoming and inclusive destinations where people of all ages and backgrounds come together.
In 2024, the national Levitt network of music venues and concert sites is presenting 650+ free concerts in 45 towns and cities, with audiences over 750,000. In addition to supporting free concerts, the Levitt Foundation is dedicated to advancing equitable music ecosystems through research and partnerships. www.levitt.org
THE 2024 LINE UP
JUNE 17
Shamarr Allen
Shamarr hails from the Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans, bringing influences in jazz, hip-hop, rock, funk rhythms, blues and country to the stage. He has collaborated with Willie Nelson, Patti LaBelle, Harrick Connick Jr, and Lenny Kravit and is a sought-after artist for festivals and venues around the world. His True Orleans Foundation has a vision of carrying on the cultures and traditions of New Orleans music.
OPENER: Rebirth Fellowship Chorale
A local gospel ensemble featuring some of the most moving voices in the city
June 24
Due to Visa challenges getting the band into the U.S. in June,
this concert has been rescheduled to TUESDAY, August 6th!
Kommuna Lux
Kommuna Lux performs their own style called “Odesa Gangsta Folk” - combining klezmer music and common gangster folk songs from their hometown, all with a dose of rocket fuel. They are celebrating their 10th year of playing together and will bring joyful songs and melodies from Odesa and all Eastern Europe right to Utica!
OPENER: HALFMOON ORCHESTRA
Created in 2022, features some of the most prolific orchestral musicians in the region
July 1
OKAN
With vocals in Spanish, Yoruba and Spanglish, OKAN is a Cuban-born duo who are BOTH are Grammy and Latin-Grammy nominees. They fuse Afro-Cuban roots with jazz, folk and global rhythms in songs about immigration, resistance and love. Their recent release Okantomi was awarded the 2024 Juno Award (the band’s second Juno recognition) and was included in NPR Alt Latino, Le Monde, and CBC Music’s “Best of 2023” lists.
OPENER: FILLED TO THE BRIM
Comprised of five local talented teenagers and college-aged artists who have developed a mature indie pop rock sound. They came together in 2018 at Jim O’Mahony’s Rock Camp and wrote and recorded their first self-titled album in 2020.
July 8
Joslyn & the Sweet Compression
Joslyn and the Sweet Compression is a force out of Lexington with a stirring soul-funk sound inspired by Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan and Whitney Houston. A headlining favorite at regional clubs and music festivals, they went nationwide in 2023 and engaged fans across the country. Billboard magazine described the band as “Magical… gives everyone the joy!”
OPENER:
Bradeee, Gab-Bee, Jaschubs, PB Mogul, Tori Sway and Tr3boy…
all accompanied by DJ Mase
A “Shared Stage” opening night - curated by Naz Deloach of Dreamers Studio featuring local hip hop and RNB artists
July 15
See photos from the concert on Facebook
The Mallett Brothers Band
The Mallett Brothers Band is an independent rock and roll, Americana, country band from Portland, Maine. They were founded and have been touring since 2009 and have a dedicated fanbase across the U.S. and beyond. Their style that ranges from alt-country to jam and roots rock, influenced by the singer/songwriter tradition, harder rock, classic country.
OPENER: THE SHAWN SMITH BAND
The newest musical collaboration by local favorite and The Voice contestant Shawn Smith… this will be the FIRST live performance of the new band!
July 22
See photos from the concert on Facebook!
JOE SAMBA
Reggae artist Joe Samba, we are hoping that you can experience him in the park this year on July 22, because he is JOY and ENERGY! Joe is a New Hampshire-based singer, songwriter and guitarist and finds the sweet spot between Caribbean bliss and punkified energy… matched with his dynamic vocals.
OPENER: STEPHEN PHILLIPS
Opener Stephen Phillips is a pop/funk artist from Syracuse. This multi-instrumental young artist also has extensive vocal range and TONS of energy.
JULY 29
Larry & Joe
Larry hails from Venezuela and is an asylum seeker in North Carolina. Joe is from North Carolina and is a GRAMMY-nominated bluegrass musician who – after a decade in South America – got stranded back home in the pandemic.
Both men are versatile multi-instrumentalists and singer-songwriters on a mission to show that music has no borders. As a duo, they perform a fusion of Venezuelan and Appalachian folk music on harp, banjo, fiddle, maracas, guitar, upright bass, and whatever else they decide to throw in the van.
OPENER: COUNT BLASTULA
Bringing a unique energy, sound and vibe that makes every show a one-of-a-kind celebration of “groovy funky jamming dance-y goodness.”
August 5
LAURA RAIN & THE CAESARS
Laura Rain and the Caesars is a smashing Motor City soul band. Born and bred in Detroit, Laura’s style is a unique blend of contemporary funky soul, blues and R&B worthy of the city’s rich history and musical innovators. Their sounds pull from a bygone era with vintage-toned energy. Having released four albums, they have also been honored with a Detroit Music Award for Outstanding Blues Songwriter and tour the U.S. Canada and Europe.
OPENER: SOUL INJECTION
Soul Injection, together since 2001, they are NO strangers to the local scene, bringing all your favorite dance tunes.
August 12
The Sensational Barnes Brothers
thesensationalbarnesbrothers.com
Chris and Courtney Barnes - better known as The Sensational Barnes Brothers – will grace our stage on August 12th. They are a musical blend of old and new, a real gem in the gospel/soul scene. Music is in their lineage - their mother was a Raelette - a back up singer for the legendary Ray Charles… and the family began a family band with Chris - the youngest - was just 6 years old. They fostered their musical foundation in church. If you’re somehow under the impression that gospel music can’t be downright funky, then the Barnes brothers are here to convince you otherwise.
OPENER: CASSANDRA DOLAN AND YARA
A second “Shared Stage” opening act featuring local singers Cassandra Dolan and Yara
August 19
Angie K
Angie K is shaking up Nashville with her fresh blend of hard hitting country with a nod to her Latin roots. She has been touring 10-12 cities per month for the past 8 years, has accumulated over 20 million streams, and was the only independent artist to play on the Nissan Stadium stage during the 2022 CMA Fest. She was a contestant on The Voice in 2016 on Team Blake. She was recently named to the 2023 class of CMT’s ‘Next Women of Country’ and their “Listen Up” class of 2024.
OPENER: H MELODY AND STRINGS ATTACHED
The final “Shared Stage” performance with H Melody and Strings Attached.
