4 Concerts That Would Make Next Year’s ‘Levitt At the Falls’ Legendary
One of the best things about summer in Sioux Falls is the Levitt at the Falls concert series. It's 50 free concerts from local and national acts at the Sioux Falls Levitt Shell on North Phillips Avenue.
The 2023 Levit at the Falls lineup is set, so it's time to start thinking about next year's concerts. I have four recommendations for the Sioux Falls summer concert series: two great singers, a group blending modern and vintage music, and the greatest entertainer of all time.
4 Artists on My Sioux Falls 'Levitt At the Falls' Wish List
Before I get to the pitch, let me say that I have no idea how booking concerts works. I just know good music that I think everyone would enjoy.
Mom always said that if you want something, just ask. Or in this case, shout into the void of the internet. So here we go...
ZZ Ward
The first artist I want to lobby for is a powerhouse of modern blues, ZZ Ward. I first heard her on a quick clip on VH1 in late 2012. It was a bit of her first big single "Put the Gun Down." I immediately fell in love and got everything I could find from her.
Her style is a mixture of classic blues and 21st-century sounds. Ward describes it as “back-porch blues meets hip-hop.” I saw her put on an awesome show at The Waiting Room in Omaha, Nebraska. She would fit in perfectly in the Levitt lineup.
You have to hear her sing this song, "Grinnin' in Your Face."
And check out this sweet new song:
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Rhiannon Giddens
Rhiannon Giddens is one of the best artists I've discovered in the last decade. She is often classified as an Americana artist, but I think that forces her into too small of a box.
Giddens' sound is like traditional country run through a blues machine. Country and blues music are very similar, they tell stories about real people and real life. She matches them in the best ways creating her own vibe that doesn't just flow into your ears but envelopes your entire soul.
Start with her album Freedom Highway.
Her new stuff is magic too:
Rhiannon would sound perfect under the setting Sioux Falls summer sun.
Postmodern Jukebox
Third on my wish list is a group you've probably come across online. Their videos get a lot of attention, in fact, that's really how they broke big; Postmodern Jukebox.
The outfit is led by musician, pianist, composer, and arranger Scott Bradlee with a rotating cast of performers.
PMJ performs arrangements of pop songs in various vintage musical styles.
You could get lost for days on their YouTube channel.
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Weird Al
As a Close Personal Friend of Al, I'd be remiss if I didn't pitch the greatest entertainer in the history of entertaining: Mr. 'Weird Al' Yankovic.
I've been to concerts by all types of artists, but when I see Weird Al live, it is the best music experience that humans are capable of enjoying.
Al's nearly half-century-long career provides a wealth of music to pull from. Plus, his shows are full of energy and fun.
There you have it. The perfect additions to next year's Levitt at the Falls lineup. In case anyone wanted to know what I thought.