The south shore of Massachusetts is where you will find one of New England’s biggest music festivals of the year. The 10th Levitate Music and Arts Festival will take place July 7-9 in Marshfield, MA. Right around the corner from there is another venue where some big-name artists will be playing intimate backyard shows this summer, also courtesy of Levitate.
Matisyahu, G.Love, Ripe, Citizen Cope, Trevor Hall, Melt and Mihali have all rocked the Levitate Backyard stage, in the literal backyard of the Levitate store. Some of them are returning once again this summer.
The History
The Levitate brand started in Marshfield in 2003. A small business, they are owned by Dan and Jessica Hassett. Levitate has grown from a surf shop to a community of like-minded people who love the arts. Their first official festival took place in 2013. The festival started as a way to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the surf shop, which is located on Ocean Street. Eventually, Levitate expanded to include surf camps in addition to live music. Reggae-inspired bands with roots in the area, like Stick Figure, The Elovaters, and Ripe also found a natural community within the Levitate space.
The Festival
Each year, their summer festival grew, and before long, it was now a three-day event with some of the biggest names in music playing in Marshfield. The festival was headlined by Jack Johnson last year. This year, it includes Brandi Carlile and Trey Anastasio. But you can also see much more intimate shows, courtesy of the surf shop.
The Backyard
Separate from the festival is the Levitate Backyard venue. It opened in the summer of 2018 with two sold-out shows by Citizen Cope. The space is literally in the backyard of the Levitate Surf Shop. With a capacity of approximately 200 guests, their venue experience includes food from their surf cantina restaurant, Rexicana, multiple bars, and an outdoor atmosphere that allows for an intimate night of memorable music.
“The concept of the Levitate Backyard was to bring world-class music to our area on an ongoing basis – and the venue has evolved beyond a music venue into a full-blown community space. What excites us the most is seeing people come together every day and bond around their shared creative pursuits, whether it’s music, art, surfing, food, fishing or whatever else inspires them and brings them together as a community,” says owner Dan Hassett.
The season-opening show this year is on Thursday, May 18. New for 2023, the Backyard will now be open for lunch hours from 12 pm-10 pm daily. It will also host Levitate’s Creative Camp each morning and host special events throughout the year such as the Backyard Ball on July 2nd. 100% of proceeds from the evening will benefit the Levitate Foundation.
Here are some artists who will be playing the Levitate Backyard this summer. For additional information, you can also visit LevitateBackyard.com.
