Along the busy street of Philips Avenue in downtown Sioux Falls is an outdoor bandshell with a mission of building community through music.
The Levitt at the Falls hosts 50 musical acts throughout the months of June to September.
“The Levitt provides a space for anyone with any background to come together and enjoy live music at no cost,” said operations manager Jake Paron.
Paron began his journey with the non-profit organization as an intern in 2021, learning the ropes and everything it takes to present free, outdoor concerts. Following that year, he returned as an operations assistant, investing more time into his role, and gradually transitioned into his current position.
“I work on a wide range of responsibilities such as day-to-day operations, working with our outside vendors, operating the video board, booking potential artists, and taking care of the contracting side of things,” said Paron. “Everything makes every day at work new and exciting.”
Paron is no stranger to the world of music. At the age of 14, Paron and his friend started freestyling rap songs.
“It quickly evolved into writing lyrics and creating our own songs,” Paron reminisced. “Over the years I would write more and more, and I eventually start recording them.”
Currently, Paron has released two albums under the name Left2Jake. Self Aware and Traversing Tribulations are available on all music streaming platforms.
Learn more about the up-and-coming artist and his journey at the Levitt.
“I’m glad that I get to be a part of creating this environment for our community.” –JAKE PARON
My favorite thing about working with the Levitt is…
the people. I get to connect with many people in this line of work. I have a great boss and coworkers, as well as the opportunity to meet so many amazing creatives and artists from around the nation and world. A bonus would be connecting with community members in our great partnerships and awesome donors.
My favorite performance at the Levitt was…
The Lemon Bucket Orkestra. They performed with us in 2022, and their overall performance surprised me. The band is based in Canada, but their music is Ukrainian with a mix of genres. Their live performance was crazy, and they were such a great group of musicians with a lot of positive energy.
I support the Levitt’s mission by…
working toward our goal of building community through music. Personally, I believe in our mission and what we’re trying to accomplish. I’m a goal-oriented person, which is part of the reason I’ve enjoyed working at the Levitt.
“My songwriting process never stops. I write exponentially more lyrics than I ever wind up recording or releasing.” – Jake Paron
The best part of my job is…
getting to listen to music. When people ask what I do, I always tell them, ‘I get paid to listen to music.’ I have the chance to listen to up to 100 different live performances during our concert season and check out countless musicians who show interest in performing during our planning season.
The performance I’m looking forward to seeing the most this season is…
hip-hop/rap artist Dee-1. I’m somewhat familiar with his work, but I also believe he has a genuine interest in our mission as well. He’s very talented, and I’m hoping that a wide variety of people will come to the lawn and check him out.
I’d describe my style of music as…
hip-hop/rap. Rap is such a wide genre nowadays that encompasses so many sounds, but my style has always had lyrics and personal storytelling as my focus.
2023 Concert Season
June
VANESSA COLLIER // JUNE 2
DAVINA AND THE VAGABONDS // JUNE 3
YAM HAUS // JUNE 8
THE LAO TIZER BAND // JUNE 9
PASCUALA ILABACA // JUNE 10
STILLHOUSE JUNKIES // JUNE 15
NNENNA FEELON // JUNE 16
MATO WAYUHI // JUNE 17
THE BONESHAKERS // JUNE 22
THE SHINDELLAS // JUNE 23
LA SANTA CECILIA // JUNE 24
ROWAN GRACE // JUNE 29
ANNIE MACK // JUNE 30
July
LVCY MOON // JULY 1
SIX-STRING SOLDIERS // JULY 4
FIDDLES & FRIENDS // JULY 6
FRANK WALN // JULY 7
INDIGENOUS // JULY 8
ULTRA VIOLET FEVER // JULY 13
DEE-1 // JULY 14
KINGS & ASSOCIATES // JULY 15
THE BUCKMILLER SCHWAGER BAND // JULY 20
AX AND THE HATCHETMEN // JULY 21
TIERA KENNEDY // JULY 22
THE ARCADIAN WILD // JULY 27
BLOOD BROTHERS // JULY 28
IAN FLANIGAN // JULY 29
August
NEVER COME DOWN // AUGUST 3
RADIO FREE HONDURAS // AUGUST 4
CHINOBAY // AUGUST 5
BYWATER CALL // AUGUST 11
SCOTT TOURNET // AUGUST 12
ROBERT JON & THE WRECK // AUGUST 17
PRESLEY & TAYLOR // AUGUST 18
COCOA SARAI // AUGUST 19
DAMN TALL BUILDINGS // AUGUST 24
AUTUMN KINGS // AUGUST 25
FOX ROYALE // AUGUST 26
THE CONTENDERS // AUGUST 31
September
DUPONT BRASS // SEPTEMBER 1
THE VINDYS // SEPTEMBER 2
PATTY PERSHAYLA & THE MAYHAPS // SEPTEMBER 7
LITTLE JOE MCCARTHY & BIG TROUBLE // SEPTEMBER 8
YOUNG DUBLINERS // SEPTEMBER 9
I started creating my own music because…
of my best friend. When we first became friends in seventh grade, it didn’t take long to discover that we both enjoyed listening to rap music. We were on the track team, so every day we would listen to music at practice, on the bus, and while we ran.
My love for music came from…
becoming an outlet to express myself. I didn’t come from a musical family, but I’ve always been one to express my own opinions and feelings.
My advice to aspiring musicians is…
the same thing I tell myself, as I’m aspiring to keep getting better every day. Creativity is important, and humans are meant to create. You don’t have to be the best, and you don’t have to do what anyone else is doing. Express yourself in that creativity, keep learning, adapting, evolving—and most importantly—keep having fun.
My favorite local go-to restaurant is…
I’m still trying to find some favorites. I’m not originally from Sioux Falls, so I keep finding new restaurants all of the time. I will say Bread & Circus Sandwich Kitchen is always a great choice since it’s right across from the Levitt.
Keep Up With Left2Jake
Stay in the loop on upcoming music and merch releases.
INSTAGRAM: @LEFT2JAKE
FACEBOOK: /LEFT2JAKE
TWITTER: @LEFT2JAKE
Someone local I admire is…
Nancy Halverson, the executive director of Levitt at the Falls. She’s been an incredible mentor and boss and has helped me jump-start my career in the real world. Not being from the city and not having a lot of connections in the community, I wasn’t sure what my plans were after graduation. She does a great job of staying positive, leading others, listening, and keeping the mission of the Levitt relevant in our community. I always feel uplifted and respected in my role and as an individual.
