Levitt AMP 2023 Utica Music Series guide: Here's every main act, opener taking the stage
How has the Levitt AMP Utica Music Series become one of Central New York’s most eagerly anticipated concert series of the summer in just seven years?
It’s actually an easy formula:
Bring in top performers from all over the world
Appeal to multiple demographics
Make it all free.
Once again, Utica has been awarded a nationwide competitive grant that will enable local music fans to enjoy every style of music imaginable in the comfort of a beautiful setting at Kopernik Park in the Oneida Square district.
And saying it showcases every style of music isn’t much of an exaggeration, presenting genres like gospel, pop, bluegrass, rock, instrumental, blues, Irish rock, soul and more. Top local performers will open each concert.
Levitt AMP Utica Music Series: Who's performing
The series will open on June 19 with the Harlem Gospel Travelers, hailing from New York City and drawing deeply on the gospel quartet tradition of the 1950s and 60s. Local singer Amos Donnell will kick off the night.
June 26 marks the return of Brandon “Taz” Niederauer, the 20-year-old guitar phenom who brought in over 1,000 people to the park in 2019. Local bluesman Jimmy Wolf will be opening for Taz.
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After a week off for Independence Day, July 10 finds Massachusetts-based singer, songwriter and guitarist Joe Samba using his dynamic voice to present a combination of Reggae vibes, Caribbean rhythms and punk energy, following an opening set from local favorites The Old Main.
Hip Hop, funk and brass energy take center stage on July 17 in the form of Connecticut’s international touring horn band Funky Dawgs Brass Band. Eclectic rockers Handsome Bob will kick off the show.
The sounds of bluegrass will fill Kopernik Park on July 24 provided by one of the most progressive bluegrass groups on the scene, the Nefresh Mountain Band. This husband and wife duo seamlessly melds Americana, Bluegrass, Folk, Jazz and Blues. Opening the show will be Otis Monk, an original band based out of Central NY.
July 31 will feature an encore performance by Brazilian twins Walter and Wagner, performing as B2wins. They have performed over 1,000 shows around the world in the past decade. Syracuse pop/funk artist Stephen Phillips provides the opening set.
Aug. 7 will feature Wisconsin’s soul/pop-rock band Tae & the Neighborly. Opening for Tae and returning to the Levitt AMP stage is the Jess Novak Band.
Battle of Santiago, an Afro-Cuban band from Toronto, will highlight Latin night on Aug. 14, with Trump Tight 315 starting the night off.
Erin Harpe & The Delta Swingers will bring the best in blues on Aug. 28. Starting the evening off will be 19-year-old Sydney Irving.
Closing out the season on Aug. 28 will be Levitt AMP Utica’s first Irish headliner, Hermitage Green, who has built a dedicated legion of fans across the globe with their captivating live set. Setting the tone will be the area’s top Irish band, the Blarney Rebel Band.
This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Taz, B2wins at 2023 Levitt AMP series in Utica: Full lineup
