Celebrating 10 Years of the Leon Loft
Leon is celebrating the tenth anniversary of the Leon Loft, a dedicated performance venue at our Ann Arbor, MI headquarters, with a look back at the Loft’s story and some of our favorite Loft shows over the years.
In 2013, we teamed up with our longtime friend Rob Reinhart and his nationally-syndicated radio program, Acoustic Café, to host a new series of special episodes in our upstairs performance space—broadcasted live through the show. Over the last decade, we’ve welcomed 55 artists and thousands of guests to the Loft for performances featuring intimate versions of chart-topping hits—and exclusive interviews with Reinhart about life, music, and what it means to be a performer in the modern world.
The Loft itself is a beloved space that combines high-quality audio performance from our handcrafted speakers with artful elements of our signature design-oriented style: antique curios, oriental rugs, and classic mid-century-modern furnishings all create a one-of-a-kind ambiance for visitors during these remarkable performances.
“At Leon, our vision has always been about immersing ourselves into the arts,” says Leon founder & president Noah Kaplan. “The Leon Loft is our way of supporting and bringing in the artists and musicians that inspire our signature sound.”
Beyond the elevated ambience and acoustics, another thing that makes the Loft show feel special is the audience itself. The only way for audience members to secure a seat is by calling in to the local radio station, Ann Arbor’s 107.1, and winning free tickets—making the shows both accessible and exclusive at the same time. And, says Reinhart, the Loft’s engaged audience are often the key to getting a great interview.
“For almost 30 years, I have been talking to artists in a studio setting,” Reinhart notes. “They play their songs, I ask them questions, but there's no audience … That's not what they really do,” he adds. “What they really do is they come out on tour, they go on stage, and they play for people. Having people in the room actually puts them in their home space. There's a ton of joy in the room, and the artist gets to experience that.”
To celebrate the 10th anniversary and the 1500th episode of Acoustic Cafe, Reinhart recently released a special episode featuring an hour of individual songs performed and recorded at the Leon Loft by artists like Fitz & the Tantrums, Arlo Parks, LP, the New Pornographers, and more.
You can listen to the full show below:
Looking for even more music?
Our Leon Loft YouTube Playlist currently features over 100 HD videos of full performances and select songs over the years! Below are a few of our favorite performances to celebrate 10 years of good music, good community, and good times at the Leon Loft.
