The Levitt AMP Utica Music Series has announced its lineup of artists who will perform at Kopernik Park in Oneida Square in downtown Utica this summer.
Concerts will take place on eight Monday nights and two Friday nights, starting at 5:30 p.m. from July 7 to Aug. 29. Concerts will be performed at Kopernik Park.
The 2025 season will feature headlining artists from Canada, Ireland, Florida, Kentucky, Boston, Philly, New York City, and Nashville. The concerts also feature opening local and regional acts.
The diverse lineup of high-caliber talent spans genres like Afro-Andean, Country, Southern Blues Rock, Hip Hop/New Age, RNB/Soul, Gospel, and more.
Opening bands will start at 5:30 p.m., with a youth intermission act at 6:30 p.m., with the headliner performing at 7 p.m.
Levitt AMP officials wrote in a statement that this series “…welcomes the most diverse audience in the city, in a family-friendly, non-alcoholic, joyful, welcoming environment.”
They continued, saying Kopernick Park is a space where social bonding can happen week to week and the community can share a common experience with free live music as the vehicle.
“The concerts help increase communal well-being and connectedness and add a quality of life enhancement that compliments the many economic development projects that are happening in Utica,” the statement reads.
Performer information
The following is the 2025 Levitt AMP Utica line up.
July 7 — Derrick Dove and the Peacekeepers
Kicking off the season is a band that Utica native Joe Bonamassa has described as having “…face melting and soul-stirring guitar solos” by Levitt AMP officials — Derrick Dove and the Peacekeepers. Playing and performing since he was ten, Derrick and his band now have a #1 hit on the Blues Album charts and four #1s in nine countries. They have shared the stage with ZZ Top and the Marshall Tucker Band.
Opening for them will be local Grit N Grace — who bring a unique blend of high energy country, rock, and dance music to the stage.
July 14 — Jessica Lynn
Jessica Lynn is an international touring country artist based in New York City who has shared the stage with Brad Paisley, Keither Urban, and Loretta Lynn. Her family plays with her — dad on bass, mom on background vocals, and husband on lead guitar.
“Country lovers will enjoy her high-energy performance, which has been compared to Shania Twain,” Levitt Amp officials write.
Opening will be Filled to the Brim, comprised of five local college-aged artists who have developed a mature indie pop rock sound. They came together in 2018 at Jim O’Mahony’s Rock Camp and wrote and recorded their first self-titled album in 2020.
July 21 — Afro Andean Funk
Nominated for two Latin Grammy Awards, Afro Andean Funk is a Peruvian-American duo led by vocalist Araceli Poma, who sings in two endangered languages from South America with one that has only 1,500 speakers in the world.
“Their distinct sound fuses Andean roots music with American funk, rock, electronica and pop and channels themes of migration, resistance, and mysticism,” Levitt AMP officials write.
Opening for them will be local classic rock band, Vinyl Logic.
July 28 — Colleen Orender
Colleen Orender is a touring blues and soul artist who’s been singing for decades. Levitt AMP officials say she “…turns your hometown venues into smoldering 1930s Mississippi juke joints.” She’ll be coming to Utica from Nashville.
Her opener is a local female vocalist, Cait Devin, whose sound is described by Levitt AMP officials as “…a mix of infectious rock and edge of alt-rock.”
Aug. 4 — Bermuda Search Party
Boston-based alt/rock pop band, formerly named The Q-Tip Bandits, changed their name in early 2024 to Bermuda Search Party.
Formed in college at Berklee College of Music and shaped by Boston’s DIY music scene, the band self-produced their debut LP in 2022. Since then, they have earned four Boston Music Awards nominations, including Live Act and Pop Act of the Year.
“The audience will get a blend of indie-pop, funk-infused grooves, and soaring brass, creating a sound that feels like pure celebration,” Levitt AMP officials write.
Opening will be Soul Injection.
Aug. 11 — The Lee Boys
The Lee Boys are an African American Sacred Steel ensemble from Florida. A family group consisting of two generations of musicians, they grew up in the church where their father was a pastor and a steel player himself.
Their music is described as a unique form of gospel with a hard-driving, blues-based beat, where dancing, shouting out, and having fun are part of the tradition. They are coming to Utica from Florida.
Local powerhouse singer and performer Astena Williams will open.
Aug. 15 — Küf Knotz and Christine Elise
Hailing from Philadelphia, Kuf was named the Best Rapper of 2022 by Philadelphia Magazine. He has opened for The Roots, Lauryn Hill, Arrested Development, and Bruce Springsteen.
Levitt AMP officials say Ruf blends hip hop poetry with deep grooves of soul, Lo-Fi & 90’s era vibes. Joining him is Christine Elise, a classically trained harpist, pianist, and vocalist who studied music therapy at the master’s level. It led her to find a passion for community music therapy.
Elise has facilitated group sessions and workshops and has presented at music therapy conferences around the world.
Opening for them is local hip hop artist and on-air talent J Easy.
Aug. 18 — Alysha Brilla
Rolling Stone says Alysha Brilla ”…electrifies the music industry with her kaleidescopic blend of soul, folk, and world beats.”
Brilla is an Indo-Tanzanian Canadian singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, music producer, audio engineer, and film composer blending folk, world, soul, and pop. She is a 2025 Women In Music International Leadership Honouree and a three-time JUNO Award nominee.
Opening for her will be Steve Falvo’s Big Easy Money Band.
Aug. 25 — Hermitage Green
Straight from Ireland, Hermitage Green has played together since 2010 after a spontaneous jam session and has been touring the world since — from South Africa and Australia to Dubai, London, and Canada.
Opening will be The Shawn Smith Band.
Aug. 29 — Joslyn and the Sweet Compression
Joslyn and the Sweet Compression are from Lexington, Kentucky, and they have what Levitt AMP officials described as “…a stirring soul-funk sound inspired by Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, and Whitney Houston.”
Joslyn and the Sweet Compression went nationwide in 2023 and engaged fans across the country. Billboard magazine described the band as “Magical… gives everyone the joy!”
Opening for Joslyn will be Rising Ghosts, an alternative band from Syracuse.
The public is invited to bring their own blankets and lawn chairs to the concerts. The series will also offer art activities for young concert-goers and food trucks and vendors will be on site.
Kopernik Park is located at 317 Genesee Street at the corner of Eagle Street and Park Avenue near DeSales. Admission is free and all are welcome.
This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Levitt AMP Utica Music Series announced lineup
Reporting by Casey Pritchard, Utica Observer Dispatch / Observer-Dispatch
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