COLUSA, CA (MPG) – Excitement sizzled last Thursday as the Canadian duo Whitehorse launched the highly anticipated Levitt AMP Colusa Music Series, turning Veterans Memorial Park into a joyful, music-filled community hub.
With their signature blend of bluesy grit and stage chemistry, Melissa McClelland and husband Luke Doucet delivered a performance that set the tone for an unforgettable summer, despite her guitar not showing up at the airport when they did.
Had the singer-songwriter not mentioned her guitar took its own connecting flight – destination unknown – no one would have noticed the beautiful instrument she played was not her own, or arranged in time for the concert by Colusa County Art Council Executive Director Daniel LoPilato.
Locals gathered on picnic blankets and in lawn chairs as Whitehorse performed tracks from their acclaimed albums, seamlessly weaving guitar riffs and stirring vocals into a rich sonic tapestry.
“We have been touring and traveling together for years, also with our 10-year-old son, who is not here this time,” McClelland said. “He would have loved this.”
The free concert series is made possible by the national Levitt AMP grant program, the City of Colusa, local sponsors, and the Levitt Amp Colusa steering committee, a subcommittee of the Colusa County Arts Council.
Colusa was one of only 33 cities to receive funding in 2023 to provide free concerts with quality entertainers for three years.
“I always want to thank and acknowledge our grantors and thank the Mortimer & Mimi Levitt Foundation for their generous support of the Levitt Amp Colusa music series,” said organizer Fernanda Vanetta. “The Levitt Foundation partners with communities nationwide to activate underused spaces, creating thriving destinations for people of all ages and backgrounds through the power of free live music. I think we can all see that it works”
Whitehorse marked the start of the final season in the concert series, but Vanetta said the Art Council would apply for another grant, which requires the community’s support.
The Levitt AMP Colusa Music Series will continue every Thursday evening through August, showcasing a wide array of genres from show-stopping rock to the jazzy beat of Afro-Cuban Grammy Award nominees, turning Thursday nights into the heartbeat of Colusa’s summer.
For the full schedule and updates, visit levittamp.org/colusa.