Audiences on a Levitt lawn experience music, energy, and the power of their community joining together. What they may not see is the behind-the-scenes work required to make these concerts a reality, including the care that is taken at each and every Levitt location to ensure the artists are supported and made comfortable from the moment they arrive—letting them concentrate on giving their all to their performances.

In rural Tennessee, for example, the team behind the inaugural Levitt AMP Lawrenceburg Music Series understands that a great concert begins long before the first note is played, and they’ve embraced the importance of providing the care and logistical support artists need to perform at their best. Through their friendly hospitality, the team has found a unique way to make artists feel just as celebrated offstage as they are on.

Their secret? For starters, from the moment artists arrive in the green room, a rotating slide show on a digital screen greets them, interspersing messages of gratitude with joyous images pulled from the artists’ social media and press kits. It’s a simple touch, but one that immediately communicates welcome and excitement. Rather than feeling like just another stop on a tour schedule, artists are treated as honored guests.

The green room is unique from top to bottom. “As an outdoor venue in Tennessee, where it’s hot and humid, we knew we’d have to offer indoor space for artists, but we didn’t want to make them go offsite,” said Michele Gantz, executive director of Downtown Lawrenceburg, which presents the series. “Then we came up with the tiny home idea.”

The green room thus started out as a tiny, prefabricated house. Made possible through dedicated fundraising efforts, the structure was purchased locally and arrived earlier this spring already wired and drywalled. The team then invested additional time and resources to complete the interior, creating a distinctive backstage retreat for visiting artists.

Tucked within the town’s Veterans Park, the small structure serves as the series’ home base for performers, though stepping inside reveals much more than a place for artists to kick back and relax before the big show. The space has been transformed into a warm, music-inspired retreat that reflects the personality and creativity of Lawrenceburg.

Repurposed brass and bongo drums have been made into functional furniture and conversation areas celebrating the spirit of music while adding a unique visual element, complemented by a coffee table made out of a guitar case. Miniature vinyl record coasters featuring the names of bands that have performed in the park are scattered throughout the room, serving as both practical touches and lasting tributes to the artists who have helped shape the series. Candy dishes fashioned by Michele’s husband, Christopher, and board member Kevin Corbettt out of vinyl records offer a playful nod to earlier days of recorded music.

A season poster signed by artists from each performance adorns the wall, creating a growing collection of memories and milestones from the inaugural Levitt series. Likewise, a polaroid camera invites the artists to capture the fun moments backstage, and a string of the photos are hung by clothespins in the green room.

The openers and the headliners share the same space—here everyone feels like family. In fact, it’s even led to collaborations that wouldn’t have otherwise happened. “Harpist Christine Elise [of the duet Christine Elise & Küf Knotz], one of our headliners, overheard a song by the evening’s other headlining act, Ally Free, and thought that would work nice with the harp. Not only did they jam in the green room, they also performed the number live on stage that night!” recollected Gantz.

What makes Lawrenceburg’s approach especially inspiring is that it demonstrates how memorable artist hospitality doesn’t require a large budget or elaborate facilities. Instead, making artists feel welcome requires intention, creativity, and a genuine desire to make people feel valued and supported.

One of the team’s biggest successes on that front has also been amongst the simplest: putting together an “artist emergency kit,” containing a thread and needle for last minute costume repairs, safety pins, makeup, manicure kit, and other implements—a kit that has wound up saving the day more than once when the unexpected has occurred onstage or off.

“I think of artist hospitality as something we can provide that’s low investment but has a high return and impact for the artists and for the series itself,” said Gantz. “I’ve had artists tell me they’ve played gigs in Nashville where they had to change clothes in their car, and that, beyond the great crowd and energy, they’d come back to Lawrenceburg just because we treat them so well!”

Levitt locations from coast to coast take pride in making both audiences and artists feel welcome, and Lawrenceburg’s approach is a reminder that some of the most meaningful experiences come from small gestures. And sometimes, that’s exactly what makes the biggest impression.

Read more about the Levitt Family Foundation’s partnership with the State of Tennessee here.