Downtown Fort Smith will come alive with the sounds of many music genres during this year's Levitt AMP fall performances.

The series is part of Main Street Fort Smith's attempts to reinvigorate the city's downtown, and it kicked off Aug. 30 with a performance from soul singer Nadjah Nicole, followed by a performance from Eric Johanson this past Friday.

The free performances take place at Riverfront Park, a public park that Main Street Fort Smith (formerly 64.6 Downtown) has worked closely with to improve its attractiveness.

Main Street has brought in a range of unique performers, even if some are not as well known. This year's schedule features soul and Tejano; Cajun rock and country, providing something for everyone while also introducing the community to new musical experiences.

Nadjah Nicole, who opened up the inaugural series on Aug. 30, was thrilled to be part of it. Nicole said she's always had a profound interest in music, which her parents instilled in her from an early age. Her sound reflects the diverse musical heritage her parents brought into their home, which included gospel, rap, hip-hop, soul and R&B.

Nicole's performances are noted for their emotional depth and connecting with the audience.

"I open myself up to feel what others are feeling and allow all of us to be a part of an experience," Nicole said. She considers it an honor to play at a community-centered event such as the Levitt AMP, because she is beginning to make a name for herself and wants to bring something different to the stage: vulnerability.

Amanda Hager, executive director of Main Street Fort Smith, stresses that the music series is more than just a collection of performances. It promotes economic liveliness through arts and culture in the downtown area.

This strategy of bringing urban and contemporary art to Fort Smith has already had a tremendous impact, Hager said. The campaign began with the production of 33 murals across downtown Fort Smith, coordinated under a revitalization effort called The Unexpected Project.

However, art alone isn't enough to revitalize a downtown region, Hager said. "You can't just do one thing. You have to take a really holistic approach to it."

This mindset pushed Main Street Fort Smith to seek and earn accreditation as a Main Street America organization in 2020, after a three-year process that linked the city's efforts to a national initiative to protect and revive downtown.

The Levitt AMP Series runs every Friday until Sept. 27, and exemplifies this comprehensive approach.

Eric Johanson, a Louisiana native, expressed the same excitement to electrify the audience at the Levitt AMP before his own performance. Although Johanson was adamant that his style can't be easily labeled, his style has a knack for combining roadhouse roots rock and dark, bluesy Americana.

After the release of his most recent album, "The Deep and the Dirty," which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Blues Charts last year, Johanson was eager to perform those songs live with his trio band--made up the core sounds of guitar, bass and drums.

"Live performance definitely is the primary art form that we do," Johanson said. "The studio recordings are sort of the first version of a song, and it evolves as we play it out live, because we do a lot of improvising and we always go with the energy of the moment. The songs often take on a new dimension."

Johanson said that in his experience of playing live for numerous people who haven't heard his music, he feels lucky not to have to play cover songs to resonate with them. He feels confident to play originals for the crowd. Because of the way he and his band approach the music, they put everything into the their performance and feels like people get it.

As Main Street Fort Smith continues its aim to reinvigorate downtown via arts and entertainment, the Levitt AMP series is designed to bring people together for a shared experience.

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FAQ

Levitt AMP Fort Smith Music Series

WHEN -- 6 p.m. every Friday through Sept.27

WHERE -- Riverfront Park, 121 Riverfront Drive, Fort Smith

COST -- Free

INFO -- mainstreetfs.org/levitt-amp-music-series

Nadjah Nicole headlined the first concert of the Levitt AMP fall series. Nicole said she's always had an interest in music, which her parents instilled in her from an early age. "My parents forced me into the choir when I turned 12 years old, and that's when I really got a sense of, 'I think this is what I want to do,'" Nicole said. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Caleb Grieger)

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