Sat 6/11 and Sun 6/12
“This really is a ‘first’ for Cleveland and all of Northeast Ohio. There has never been a major, multi-day, multi-stage, multi-act contemporary music festival in the Cleveland area,” says Denny Young, executive producer of LaureLive and president at Elevation Group. “This is a very unique collaboration in all respects. The fact that we could marry a major entertainment event with actual classroom learning is personally very rewarding.”
Denny is talking about the collaboration of Elevation Group with Laurel School.
“The most exciting aspect of this event from my perspective is the educational component. That’s what intrigued my business partner, Steve Lindecke, and I most about collaborating with Laurel School,” shares Young. “Not only are we going to deliver an amazing concert event experience for Greater Cleveland, but the students will play a big role in what we are doing. Many of the Upper School girls will have a hands-on opportunity to learn about event production and promotion. They will work side-by-side with our team at Elevation. We are helping to bring practical business experience to these students, which should be very rewarding for both the girls and our team.”
LaureLive is a two-day music festival, Sat 6/11 @ 11am-11pm and Sun 6/12 @ 12pm-10pm. It features 32 artists from five countries (U.S., South Africa, Ireland, Canada and Australia) performing on three stages, including major recording artists such as O.A.R., Grace Potter, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Andy Grammer, X Ambassadors, Elle King, Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness, Red Wanting Blue, Civil Twilight, ZZ Ward, Ra Ra Riot and others. It was important to the event’s producers that the lineup retain some distinct local sounds — several Cleveland favorites will be showcased during the weekend including Carlos Jones and Welshly Arms, the latter performing a special set with Cleveland’s Contemporary Youth Orchestra.
So what location will accomodate such an awesome event?
“One of the greatest assets of LaureLive is its location. Laurel School’s Butler Campus sits on 140 acres of gorgeous green space. The backdrop and setting for this event is exactly what you would hope for. It’s a beautiful rural property, located 15 minutes from most major East Side suburbs,” says Denny. “My brother-in-law, who goes to lots of festivals, said that LaureLive is going to be the best yet. He said, ‘I can see killer bands all day and night and then sleep in my own bed, get a great shower and do it all over again the next day.’ Part of what we are marketing is the convenience of this festival. We have received may emails and posts from people saying they plan to walk to the event or ride their bikes.”
In addition to a weekend of great music in a beautiful setting, careful attention will be given to the culinary and family aspects of the event. LaureLive has partnered with Red Frog Events to curate the culinary aspects of the festival. LaureLive will also offer exciting daytime activities for kids of all ages — inflatables, face painting and green screen technology are a few things available for families in the Kid Zone. Additionally, music education, songwriting classes and performance workshops will be offered.
“We are planning some very cool educational components throughout the weekend,” Denny states. “This includes songwriting sessions, performance workshops, arts, crafts and other associated educational initiatives that will appeal to people of all ages during the weekend. I tip my hat to the administration at Laurel. They really thought ‘outside the box’ on this one. We have worked with some very interesting groups over the years, but never a school. This is a first.”
The idea for LaureLive grew out of Laurel’s Music with a Mission program.
“Laurel School has a rich legacy of empowering girls to claim their voices and a long tradition of excellence in the arts,” says headmistress Ann V. Klotz. “A few years ago we began our Music with a Mission initiative to bring more arts education and programming to our students and to the community. LaureLive builds on those efforts. This mission-driven festival allows us to proclaim our commitment to the arts, give our students real-world experience via hands-on learning and internships, and share our exceptional Butler Campus with a wider audience. As a school known for curricular innovation and excellence, we are very excited to play a major role in launching a new music festival unlike anything else in Northeast Ohio.”
“This festival did not come together overnight,” explains Denny. “Laurel approached us nearly a year ago to brainstorm ways to build its Music with a Mission platform. This festival is a culmination of months of planning and communication. This is a great opportunity for Laurel, but also the beginning of a tremendous asset for Greater Cleveland. It is something that we are very proud to be a part of.”
With a very strong pre-sale response, LaureLive expects to sell out. Tickets go on general sale Fri 1/22. This is not an event you want to miss, so be sure to get yours before they sell out!
“We have a very strong lineup. People love festivals, and Cleveland has been starving for something like LaureLive. Plus, the Laurel community strongly supports school initiatives and their response to LaureLive has been off the charts,” Denny concludes.
For the full festival lineup, hours, ticket sales, parking and additional information, click here.