Free live music in downtown Chattanooga will continue into September this year, thanks to a brand-new concert series that will take place each Thursday night on the front lawn of the Bessie Smith Cultural Center.
While the Nightfall Concert Series and Riverfront Nights both end in August, the Levitt AMP Chattanooga Music Series doesn't get started until late August and runs through October, extending a popular Chattanooga pastime of gathering weekly for live music and good times.
Another exciting thing about this particular music series is the diversity of its lineup. The schedule for September alone ranges from R&B to zydeco to jazz to rock, with even more of a mix scheduled for October. Two artists highlighting the September lineup are Avery*Sunshine and Nick Lutsko. While the two couldn't be more different in style, they both are sure to entertain the crowd in their own unique way.
On Thursday, Sept. 7, Avery*Sunshine will deliver a soulful brand of R&B reminiscent of a simpler time when R&B was completely separate from rap. Mixing in a little smooth jazz, her performances can often remind listeners more of gospel than hip-hop. And while her sound brings back memories of R&B from the '80s and '90s, Avery*Sunshine continues to freshen up the genre. In April, she released her new album "Twenty Sixty Four," a collection of songs that will be perfect for a relaxing Thursday evening under the stars on M.L. King Boulevard.
Then, toward the end of the month on Thursday, Sept. 28, Chattanooga's own Nick Lutsko will take over the series with his band of puppet people. Always bringing lots of high energy to his live shows, Lutsko blends together pop and alternative rock, with an occasional theatrical twist. While he is busy recording the followup to his 2015 album "Etc.", fans can be hopeful for a few new tunes to be revealed as he and the band rock the night away on Bessie's lawn.
Learn more about this music series at concerts.levittamp.org/chattanooga.
New music playlist:
Double Heart | Penny and Sparrow
Pain | The War On Drugs
A Little Bit of Rust | Will Hoge
Til the Goin' Gets Gone | Lindi Ortega
Heaven is Right Here | Avery* Sunshine
Asido | Purity Ring
LUCKY PENNY | J.D. McPherson
Hazel | Andrew Combs
The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness | The National
Sunsets For Somebody Else | Jack Johnson
She's Playing Hard to Get (Rid Of) | Sam Outlaw
She Shares My Blanket | Chris Robinson Brotherhood
Okay | Nick Lutsko
In Undertow | Alvvays
Simple Song | Passenger
Throw My Mess | Band of Horses