What started with a few Charleston City Council members talking over some beers will kick off Friday as a 10-show concert series on the city's riverfront.

Charleston's Live at the Levee will be a series of free live performances each Friday this summer at Haddad Riverfront Park. The summer concert series, aimed to make the downtown area more vibrant, will also include beer and food vendors along Kanawha Boulevard.

The boulevard will be closed at 5 p.m. each Friday until the event is over, and music is scheduled to last from 6:30 p.m. until 8 p.m.

"Anything that draws people to Charleston and keeps them downtown will make it better," City Council President Tom Lane said Friday. "The more we do, the more people want to be here."

In the midst of dinner and drinking beer with fellow council members, Lane helped develop the idea for Live at the Levee in an effort to create things to do in downtown Charleston.

"People need to know there's something to do every Friday in Charleston," he said.

The first Live at the Levee act will be The Esquires, a Charleston-based '60s rhythm and blues band. 

"I know it's going to be good," Lane said. "These guys put on a show."

The complete Live at the Levee schedule includes The Esquires on June 25; B.E. Taylor on July 2; The Carpenter Ants on July 16; Bob Thompson on July 23; River City Jazz on July 30; The Mojos on Aug. 6; Soul Doctors on Aug. 13; Souvenir on Aug. 20; and The Voodoo Katz on Aug. 27.

Andy Ridenour, an event volunteer and executive producer for National Public Radio's "Mountain Stage," said Live at the Levee will be a chance for a variety of artists to perform to large local crowds. More than 250 people are expected for the initial show, but crowds are expected to grow as the word spreads, Lane said.

"Once we get things up and running, it will get better," Lane said. "If its successful, it will be a permanent feature."

Live at the Levee, sponsored by the city and Mayor Danny Jones, is not only expected to bring people to the riverfront, but Lane said many of those who attend will then go to a restaurant or bar elsewhere downtown following the performances.

Creating entertainment opportunities is not the only aim of Live at the Levee, though. In addition to the concert, each event will feature a raffle to benefit a local non-profit organization, Lane said.

"We hope we're able to raise a little money for them and create some public awareness," Lane said.

Mike Andrick, Daily Mail Staff