After a weekend on the Emerald Coast, Linda and I returned home and, once again, watched the 2000 movie, Almost Famous. If you aren’t familiar, it’s a semi-autobiographical story based on the life of director Cameron Crowe as a teenage journalist in the 1970s, touring with rock bands and writing for Rolling Stone magazine. It is also the inspiration for Andy Levine’s company, Topeka Live’s music venue in Miramar Beach, which is on the east side of Destin.

Tucked away between the beautiful white sand beaches and the U.S. Highway 98, the property is home to Seascape, one of the earlier condo/golf developments that turned Destin into a beach vacation destination. Since creating Topeka (named after a scene in the movie), Andy has hosted three-day beach vacations/music festivals, featuring headliners who open and close the live music weekend. In between, the headliner invites “band friends” to join in the fun. 

The result is a beach vacation by day, and a cool music vacation by night. A Topeka music vacation includes “coves” with chairs in place and plenty of staff to take care of every need. The coves were Andy’s attempt to allow people to gather while practicing social distancing during the pandemic and provide a VIP fan experience. With his connections in the music industry, he knew bands were biting at the bit to get in front of people again to play. When the restrictions were lifted, guests insisted that the coves stay.

The Topeka Live venue itself began when SeaScape decided to remove 9 holes from the original 27-hole golf course to allow for new development. Andy worked out an agreement to construct a venue within steps of the condos and beach. The allure is to take advantage of a beach vacation and enjoy a terrific music concert as the sun goes down.

Each evening at 4 pm over the course of a 3-day weekend, Topeka offers a variety of national acts. This past weekend, we arrived on Saturday and stayed with friends in Grayton Beach. We had day passes for Saturday and Sunday and heard a few new acts and some from the past. A nice blend of new and old. All were amazing.

The weekend was headlined by Joe Bonamassa’s Sound Wave theme. A child prodigy and considered one of the best guitarists of our time, he did not disappoint. The headliner always performs twice and plays two completely different sets. The closing set usually includes a “deep tracks” set of songs, of which you may or may not be familiar. The concerts usually end before 10 pm each evening.

Other musicians that we heard were Grace Potter, Gov’t Mule, Larkin Poe, JJ Grey & Mofro, and Joe Bonamassa, closing out what was an incredible weekend. This coming weekend, beginning on Thursday, the headliner is Tedeschi Trucks Band presenting its Sun, Sand, and Soul lineup, which includes Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Molly Tuttle, Taj Mahal & The Phantom Blues, Drive-By Truckers, Honey Hounds, Elles Bailey, and Jamie Wyatt. Day passes are available, and Pit Passes (standing only) put you up close in front of the stage.

Andy has a great story and is passionate about creating a better fan experience for his guests. He has put together an outstanding group to manage and operate Topeka Live. As a Freshman at the University of Florida, he played in a band, “because I booked the gigs,” he says. He soon became close friends with Sister Hazel, a Gainesville band that formed around 1993 at a tailgate party for the Florida-Tennessee game. Andy soon became Sister Hazel’s manager. 

Always seeking a better fan experience, he booked the band on a cruise ship, thus creating the music cruise industry. After growing the business, he sold it to Norwegian Cruise Lines and returned to the University of Florida to finish earning his degree at age 35. Along the way, he discovered Destin, Florida, and fell in love with the white sand and turquoise water. That’s when the idea bubbled up to create a music vacation venue.

Last Fall, as soon as the final Topeka Live weekend concert concluded, Andy went to work renovating and improving the existing venue. He hired local construction workers to reorient the stage, build a more user-friendly area for restrooms, concessions with an outdoor bar, food vendors, and places for people to relax between sets. The result is a 6,000-seat venue and sound stage that offers an unobscured view of the music stage with large screens on either side.

“It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life,” says Andy. “We only had 120 days to complete the project, but we got it done.” You can see the relief on his face, and he is beaming with pride that the first concert weekend at the renovated venue was a complete sell-out. We met a couple from St. Louis whose only complaint was, “I wish they had more shows.” Not a bad problem to have!

After hearing friends from Fairhope rave about their time there, we booked our first Topeka Live experience. We did the full package with condo and cove passes when the headliner was Lyle Lovett and His Large Band. We even got to meet Lyle and have a photo taken with him. Everything about the weekend was great. The two other couples who went with us agreed.

Roughly 80% of the crowd were from out of town, many of whom attend several Topeka Live events each year. There are tons of staff, from restroom attendants, and a large kitchen filling orders for delivery to coves. As a VIP guest, first-timers receive a nice Topeka cooler, which they will gladly keep stocked with drinks and ice upon request. 

As we were exiting Sunday, tired but happy, the Topeka team was high-fiving guests, thanking them for coming, and making you feel like you were leaving friends and family after a long weekend together. Lots of smiles from everyone. And that makes Andy happy. At each concert event, he spends most of his time visiting with guests, listening to their suggestions on how they can create an even better experience. Considering the lineup of great bands for each concert weekend, it’s a very reasonable price to pay. 

“”The bands have skin in the game. If we do well, they do well, too. They enjoy beach vacations as much as the next guy, so they get to bring their families, and I just think when you are happy, you perform better.” I couldn’t agree more!

Fall’s music lineup is already selling fast, so if this sounds like something you’d like to experience, go to Topeka Live and book a weekend of fun, sun, and music. 

Live Music Made Easy. Thanks, Andy!