Levitt AMP New Albany concert series debuts in threatening weather

Heavy rain clouds, like these photographed when The Dukes first took the stage, threatened throughout the Saturday evening Levitt concert, but no rain fell before everyone went home.

New Albany, Mississippi-Although it had rained much of the day and rain clouds threatened throughout the evening, an estimated 500 people attended the first Levitt AMP Concert Saturday night.

Alvin Youngblood Hart’s Muscle Theory

While many listened from their cars in the early part of the show, most ventured out when the headliner act, Alvin Youngblood Hart’s Muscle Theory, took the stage to perform their “roots rock” blend of country, roots, blues and rock.

Long time local favorite The Dukes were the opening act for the first in a series of ten free concerts to be performed this summer at New Albany’s Park-Along-The-River. The Dukes first performed together when its members were enrolled at New Albany High School (then W. P. Daniel) in the 1960s.

The Dukes, a local band originally formed in the 1960s were the opening act for the first Levitt AMP concert. They received limited national attention fifty years ago and have continued popular locally through the decades.

A grant from the Levitt Foundation of New York covers most of the expense for the free ten concert series.

Saturday, June 11: Dee-1

Dee-1

Next week’s free concert beginning at 7 p.m. at the Park-Along-The-River will feature New Orleans hip hop artist Dee-1, a/k/a David Augustine, Jr. Dee-1 has enjoyed considerable airplay on radio and on MTV Jams and was named Artist of the Year at the 2010 NOLA Underground Hip-Hop Awards. Dee-1 gained popularity with the song “Sallie Mae Back”, a song about paying back his student loans. He uses the hip-hop genre to encourage fellow Christians in their daily lives.

Local musician Shaunzy (Shaun Vaughn), a 2014 graduate of New Albany High School will open for Dee-1.