Levitt AMP Utica Music Series to Present Two-Hour TV Special, AMP the House

The Levitt AMP Utica Music Series announced Friday that it will be premiering a two-hour television show called “AMP the House” this month.

The show was created to bring families and the community together to enjoy a diverse musical production and learn more about what goes on “beyond the music” at Levitt AMP Utica concerts. It 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, which will air on CBS Utica on Monday, July 20 from 7-9 p.m. and on WFXV Fox 33 on Thursday, July 23 from 7-9 p.m., is made possible by a 2020 Bridge Grant from The Levitt Foundation along with donations from local partners. The grant was created to allow Levitt AMP grantees from all over the country – who needed to postpone their series to 2021 due to COVID-19 – to still bring their communities together through music in a creative way.

In line with the Levitt philosophy, the show will be high caliber, diverse, joyful and community-focused.

We chose to produce a television show because it will allow us to share great bands, singers and musicians with 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, fostering of youth performers, placemaking activities, art, inclusion and community-building. The show is going to be jam-packed with inspiration and talent.

Levitt AMP Utica Coordinator, Michelle Truett

Utica Monday Nite board president Alyssa Spina added, “Utica Monday Nite is proud to be a part of a project that exemplifies the power of art as a tool to bring community together, especially and most importantly during a time when connection is most needed.”

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 direct message 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 and  the introduction of Utica Monday Nite’s new board president.

Performers include: the 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, a R&B/Soul band from Chicago led by a Syrian singer. The band does extensive advocacy and outreach to refugees.

Local artists include Ladies of Soul and Their Gentlemen, Leeky XIV featuring Eric Armitage, Tree of Life, Shawn Smith, Lillie Ruth, Tom Nitti, Isaac French and Jimmy Wolf.

Featured youth singers are Bailey Dunn, Naiek Goico and Caleb Crowder.

For more information about the Levitt AMP Music Series throughout the country, visit the organization’s website here.