 |
 |
Lucia Lexington and Levi Byrd have been performing their
brand of musical entertainment together for over 20 years.
You may have seen
them as a Duo or fronting their band The Little Zippers. They play festivals, resorts, bars and even
Caribbean cruises.
This dynamic duo is currently based in Florence, South Carolina, but spend the
majority of their time touring the country.
From New York's capital region, Lucia plays the keyboard, sings throaty
renditions of the blues, current pop music, and blows a mean blues harp. She is
a versatile entertainer who captivates an audience with her high energy
performances. Lucia has also appeared in a few films, including
Fatal Beauty with Whoopie Goldberg.
From Northern Virginia, Levi is an exceptional lead guitarist and tenor
sax player, and even shares the lead on vocals with Lucia.
Levi has been
involved in the music industry for the past 30 years and to his credit has
served as musical director on a project for Samona Cooke, and also worked on
projects at Jackson Records.
Their combined talents are sure to impress and entertain you.
Most importantly, they change their underwear before every gig! (just checking
to see if you're still awake)
Lucia and Levi not only perform as a duo, they regularly feature their band "The
Little Zippers." Their band includes talented musicians who sing, and play bass,
drums, and percussion. Whether the gigs include The Little Zippers or not, Lucia
and Levi will do their best to provide songs people know and love, and a good
beat for you dancers out there.
Other items of Interest: If you were in the Richmond, Virginia area recently,
you may have seen Lucia & Levi & The Little Zippers when they opened for
Bob Marley's original band, The
Wailers, .
More recently they have appeared at resorts and clubs up and down the Grand
Strand in Myrtle Beach, SC.
|
Read what just a few of our fans are saying about Lucia & Levi:
"They were one of our favorite bands for Sunset Rhythms because they do so much
audience participation-they had kids dancing on the stage, and everyone young
and old was dancing by the end of the concert."
Anna Liese Workman, Executive Director for the Burlington, North Carolina
Downtown Corporation.
"With their experience as entertainers on cruise ships from the Caribbean to the
Mexican Riviera , they easily develop a fun dialogue with their audiences,
keeping their gig moving at a lively pace."
The Galley, Westport Marina, Lake Champlain.
March 2008 quotes from an article written by
Dwight Dana for the Morning News
"James Davis didn't expect to be recognized Friday during a luncheon at the
Leatherman Senior Center, but he won a "free trip to Timmonsville"
for naming Eartha Kitt as the singer of "Beer Bottle Pocket".
The honor was jokingly bestowed upon him by Lucia of Lucia & Levi,
the group
that provided the entertainment.
Johnnie Moraven is an RSVP volunteer. She told those assembled to
"sit back,
relax and enjoy this special occasion. You are special and I welcome you
to this event."
And enjoy it they did, especially the music and entertainment provided by Lucia
& Levi.
Mary Martha Gibson,91, was tapping her foot and swinging along to every strain
of
"What'd I say," "Another Saturday Night,"
"Blue Skies," and "Sea of Love."
|
|
|
THANKS TO DONALD E. QUIST
OF THE FLORENCE MORNING NEWS, FOR THIS GREAT REVIEW! |
Live Music Review: Lucia and Levi
By: Donald E. Quist
FLORENCE - Lucia Lexington and Levi Byrd, a music duo as bright as
the pastel walls of Redbone Alley. The duo blended in nicely with
the faux Charleston decor, cranking out throaty renditions of your
favorite songs. Inspired by country, blues, rock, and the Caribbean,
Lucia and Levi have a unique sound that can be enjoyed by anyone.
However, what makes them memorable is their authenticity. Lucia and
Levi have no desire to be anything they're not.
Some would simply classify them as a cover band. They have an
extensive repertoire that features songs from a variety of genres.
Lucia and Levi accumulated this collection while spending years
entertaining on cruise ships.
"We were doing a lot of cruise ships. We first started with Carnival
on the west coast; they called it the Western Riviera. Then they
sent us over to Florida," Byrd explained.
Lucia and Levi traveled up and down the eastern seaboard. Their
adventures eventually led them to Florence. Though their extensive
touring keeps them on the road more than 10 months out of the year,
they've enjoyed playing around the area so much that they decided to
drop anchor and make the Pee Dee their home.
Lucia and Levi have become regulars at Redbone Alley.
"Redbone has been good to us. We've played at the one in Sumter too.
They're really nice people here," said Lexington.
After covers from Bob Marley and Johnny Cash, Lucia and Levi decided
to get more contemporary, playing KT Tunstall's "Black Horse and the
Cherry Tree." This infectious folk tune was made all the more
entertaining by Lucia, who pulled a girl from the crowd to sing
along with them. Lucia forced a tambourine into the hands of her
volunteer and instructed her to bang away.
Lucia and Levi are heavy on crowd participation. In fact it has
become a staple of their live performance.
"I'm the vocalist primarily. The front person, I take on the
responsibility. Levi's good too with interacting with the people but
I go after them. I terrorize them. They become my victims...I mean my
volunteers," Lexington joked.
One of the evening's standout performances was a cover of David Lee
Roth's, 'Just a Gigolo / I ain't got nobody.' Their combined efforts
are nothing short of impressive. Lucia's rasping voice paired nicely
with Levi's thick acoustic sound. Lucia is enigmatic. She resembled
a blues brother, marching around the restaurant sporting sunglasses
and a black hat. She was the definitive of cool, rousing restaurant
patrons with her antics as she wailed on a harmonica.
They went into a cover of, 'Love Potion #9.' The song exploded into
a series of solos. Every instrument was spotlighted and the tune
succeeded in showing the depths of their talent.
Levi is a rock-star in the most conventional sense of the word.
There seems to be no limit to his ability. He breathes life and
personality into the instruments when he plays.
Two girls began to shag as Lucia and Levi performed, "Meet Me With
Your Black Drawers On", by Jeannie Cheatham. The slow southern blues
tune caused customers to rock back and forth as they chewed.
At a nearby table Dorothy Hewlett was tapping her foot. She's seen
them play once before and fell in love with the duo.
"They're pretty good. I like their style. You hear a lot of blues
and jazz in their songs. It's kind of weird but in a cool way," Hewlett explained.
Beat-machine, guitar, saxophone, and keyboard, Lucia and Levi are
first and foremost musicians. Between the two of them they play
nearly a dozen different instruments.
"You should be able to play the music if you're going to sell
yourself as a musician. People out there they get away with it and I
don't agree with that," said Lexington.
"You can be a product and let somebody market you and promote you
just based on your good looks but I don't think there's any
longevity in that."
Lucia and Levi know about longevity. Their ability to adapt to an
ever-changing musical climate has blessed Lucia and Levi with an
illustrious career. For over twenty years they have traveled the
country performing and making music.
Lucia and Levi is not just a cover band, though they have a knack
for it. They have a CD full of original material. Their album,
entitled PMS (Pre-Menstrual Mambo), is a cornucopia of sound
expressing their musical diversity and skill as veteran performers.
Next month they hope to finish their second album. The duo plans to
continue traveling and making music. Pushed by their need to perform
and improve as musicians, there seems to be no end in sight for
Lucia and Levi. They are held together be years of companionship. In
each other they have found a person, with whom they can be
completely themselves.
|
|
home
THE LEXINGTON/BYRD SHOW