This event begins at 4:00PM sharp.

2023 Orion Free Concert Series at Overton Park Shell. Picnic baskets, beverages, blankets, and lawn chairs are always welcome. We also offer food and beverage for sale in our ShellEats community area. Dogs on a leash are welcome in designated areas. Overton Park Shell is a nonsmoking facility. 

Click here to learn more about the visitor experience.

*A live interpreter will be available in partnership with DeafConnect of the Mid-South.

About the event:
Tennessee Shakespeare Company presents THE TEMPEST

The final Romance by William Shakespeare | Directed by Dan McCleary

On the mystical isle once ruled by the witch Sycorax, her demi-devil son Caliban and the airy spirit Ariel held sway – until 12 years ago. The betrayed and deposed Duke Prospero of Milan and his infant daughter Miranda were shipwrecked there in a cast-off, rotten boat – given up for dead. Indenturing Ariel and Caliban, raising his daughter, and teaching himself magical arts, Prospero now sets his sights on mortal revenge when his enemies appear on the sea’s horizon. He raises a tempest to shipwreck them, but this will not end in tragedy.

When the royals and clowns arrive, a life-long lesson in redemption and forgiveness unfolds within a musical harmony of the sea. What Miranda will describe as a “brave new world” will be Shakespeare’s farewell to the stage.

Running without intermission for 90 minutes, this production features 13 actors, including Michael Khanlarian as Prospero.

About the Tennessee Shakespeare Company:
Tennessee Shakespeare Company's FREE Shout-Out Shakespeare Series produces free performances of Shakespeare in non-traditional, outdoor venues throughout the Memphis metro area with a multicultural cast of classical actors. 

Tennessee Shakespeare Company is a professional, not-for-profit theatre and education organization in Memphis dedicated to performing live, diverse productions of William Shakespeare’s plays, as well as works of social significance by classical, Southern, and modern writers; and to providing innovative educational and training programming.  Founded in 2008 by Producing Artistic Director Dan McCleary, Tennessee Shakespeare Company is Memphis’ first and only professional, classical theatre.

The Tennessee Shakespeare Company is generously sponsored by Evans Petree PC in Memphis, the National Endowment for the Arts, and The Shakespeare Fund of Theater League of Kansas City.

Socials:

Website

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Twitter

Food Trucks:
TBA

Sponsored By:

Concert begins at 7:00PM sharp.

2023 Orion Free Concert Series at Overton Park Shell. Picnic baskets, beverages, blankets, and lawn chairs are always welcome. We also offer food and beverage for sale in our ShellEats community area. Dogs on a leash are welcome in designated areas. Overton Park Shell is a nonsmoking facility. 

Click here to learn more about the visitor experience.

MBAA PRE-SHOW - 5:45pm: Larry Springfield

IT’S A GRIZZ NIGHT! PRE-SHOW ENTERTAINMENT AT 6:50: GRIZZLINE
Don't forget to visit their table at the top of the hill on Grizz Nights-- they'll be giving out cool Grizz swag and a promo code for 2 free tickets to a Grizzlies pre-season game to everyone who stops by!

*A live interpreter will be available in partnership with DeafConnect of the Mid-South.

About the artist:
Let’s start with the voice, an instrument through which she can communicate anything. A gift bestowed upon her that she has expertly trained, meticulously nurtured, and passionately galvanized into action by an urgency to make real music. Next, the stories, and she has them in spades. They are full of truth and beauty, heartache and thoughtfulness. They reveal colors we weren’t expecting to see. They make us close our eyes and relate. And finally, the soul – the emotional and intellectual energy through which these parts are fueled. That special something that prompted The Wall Street Journal to herald her as "the most promising young vocalist to come along so far this century." That young vocalist is Morgan James. And Morgan James is a soul singer.

Morgan’s latest full album “Memphis Magnetic” is the culmination of a life-long love affair with music. The album was recorded live to analog tape in Memphis Tennessee, and is an original soul album packed with emotion and real musical ingredients. She grew up listening to everyone from Joni Mitchell to Paul Simon to Prince to Aretha Franklin, cultivating an insatiable love for strong songwriters. After graduating from The Juilliard School with a classical music degree, and performing in the original companies of five Broadway productions, James began writing and recording her own music. Meeting her mentor Berry Gordy, Jr. led to a record deal at Epic Records, where she recorded and released her solo album Hunter in 2014. In addition to her three studio albums, James recorded and released a full album cover of Joni Mitchell’s seminal “Blue” as well as The Beatles’ “White Album” in 2018 to celebrate the 50th anniversary. Through her unique and varied career, there have been many ups and downs, but James cites her failures as more important than her successes in shaping the artist she is today.

After her tenure with Epic Records, she took charge of her career from the business and musical side. She cultivated a new world of fans with her viral YouTube videos, and while connecting with them on social media and at her live shows, she found the support and strength to go out on her own as an independent artist. With viral sensation postmodern jukebox, and her own channel, Morgan has amassed more than 250 million views on YouTube, (and climbing). Over the last several years, James has built her own empire and established herself as a touring powerhouse, allowing her to raise the funds to create her albums and make every decision from the ground up.

“I feel like I am a part of the lineage of soul music. My guiding force throughout my creative process is ‘What would Aretha say? What would Otis say?’ It’s not a retro or throwback by any means. This music is me: classic elements, timeless melodies, and lyrics from my soul and experience. We need that right now. We need real music now more than ever.”

Socials:

Website

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

Food Trucks:
Stick ‘Em | Sips and Sammies | Pok Cha

Sponsored By:

Concert begins at 7:00PM sharp.

2023 Orion Free Concert Series at Overton Park Shell. Picnic baskets, beverages, blankets, and lawn chairs are always welcome. We also offer food and beverage for sale in our ShellEats community area. Dogs on a leash are welcome in designated areas. Overton Park Shell is a nonsmoking facility. 

Click here to learn more about the visitor experience.

MBAA PRE-SHOW - 5:45pm: David Holguin

IT’S A GRIZZ NIGHT! PRE-SHOW ENTERTAINMENT AT 6:50: BLUE BUNCH + GRIZZ GRANNIES & GRANDPAS COLLAB
Don't forget to visit their table at the top of the hill on Grizz Nights-- they'll be giving out cool Grizz swag and a promo code for 2 free tickets to a Grizzlies pre-season game to everyone who stops by!

*A live interpreter will be available in partnership with DeafConnect of the Mid-South.

About the artist:
Through her many years as a progressive music protagonist in Havana, Telmary earned the clout and support necessary to launch her career as a solo artist with the flagship album A Diario. The record was produced by acclaimed Cuban pianist and Interactivo leader Roberto Carcasses. Telmary has graced stages all over Europe, South America, and Japan at some of the world’s most renowned jazz and popular music festivals. After seven years in Toronto, Canada, she returned to Havana where she formed her band Habana Sana. Her CD Libre was awarded the 2014 Cubadisco Prize for best Hip Hop recording. While performing with HabanaSana in Havana, Telmary continues to collaborate with a flurry of Cuban and international artists including Interactivo with whom she toured the U.S. in 2016, Pedrito Martinez and Doctor John. As a rapper, Telmary set out to proclaim a positive, empowering message to contrast the genre’s confrontational, divisive, and commercial norm.

Socials:

Website

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

Food Trucks:
Mexico in Memphis | Good Groceries | Eat Urban Greens Salads

Sponsored By:

Concert begins at 7:00PM sharp.

2023 Orion Free Concert Series at Overton Park Shell. Picnic baskets, beverages, blankets, and lawn chairs are always welcome. We also offer food and beverage for sale in our ShellEats community area. Dogs on a leash are welcome in designated areas. Overton Park Shell is a nonsmoking facility. 

Click here to learn more about the visitor experience.

MBAA PRE-SHOW - 5:45pm: Sari

*A live interpreter will be available in partnership with DeafConnect of the Mid-South.

About the artist:
Born in Nashville, Tennessee, Spree Wilson’s approach to music has always been driven by his boundless creativity and vision. The singer-songwriter began his musical journey at home; with a father who sang and toured in a doo-wop group called The Blue Shirts, and a mother who kept artists like Elton John, Fleetwood Mac, Minnie Ripperton, and Whitney Houston in constant rotation. Those early influences would become his musical foundation, the bedrock for a career that would lead to him meeting and working with two giants of popular music: his mentor Dallas Austin and legendary rapper/producer Q-Tip. 

While attending Clark University in Atlanta, Georgia, Spree met Austin, who was immediately impressed by the young man’s guitar skills and offered him an internship at his famous studio, Dart. Spree’s hard work and dedication to learning the music industry served notice that there was more to the multi-talented young artist than just raw talent—there was the focus and drive to maximize his potential and realize his ambitions. Austin  would soon offer him a recording contract, which Spree turned down in order to pursue his career in New York City. 

After selling his car and purchasing a one-way ticket to the City of Lights, Spree arrived in NYC with just his suitcase and guitar; and he found himself homeless and living in Penn Station for several weeks. A mutual friend eventually introduced him to Q-Tip, who was impressed by Spree’s songwriting. Q-tip would ultimately help land the upstart a major label deal with Jive Records. During his time with Jive, Spree began working on his album--writing songs constantly and ultimately landing a publishing deal with Universal Music Group.

Since then, Spree has co-written Afrojack’s single “The Spark,” which he is also featured on as an artist. “The Spark” has been A-listed on BBC’s radio 1. In addition, he has co-written “Sin City” on Good Music compilation album Cruel Summer with Teyana Taylor. The album went #1 on the US Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums, US Top Rap Albums and #2 on US Billboard 200. He has collaborated with noteworthy producers such as Q-Tip, Novel, No ID, Jim Jonsin, Infamous, Malay, Robin Hannibal (of Rhye), Frequency and Mark Maxwell. 

Even with his successes, Spree remains as creatively progressive as ever, and has never limited himself to one specific style or genre of music. His upbringing in Nashville exposed him to everything from George Jones to George Harrison to George Benson; he’s as much hip-hop as he is pop—a rock star rebel with the spirit of a b-boy. This love of all musical styles is what drives Spree’s ever-broadening sound, musicianship, songwriting and style. 

Socials:

Website

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

Food Trucks:
Deli Midtown | Sips and Sammies

Sponsored By:

Concert begins at 5:30PM sharp.

2023 Orion Free Concert Series at Overton Park Shell. Picnic baskets, beverages, blankets, and lawn chairs are always welcome. We also offer food and beverage for sale in our ShellEats community area. Dogs on a leash are welcome in designated areas. Overton Park Shell is a nonsmoking facility. 

Click here to learn more about the visitor experience.

*A live interpreter will be available in partnership with DeafConnect of the Mid-South.

About the Festival:
North Mississippi Allstars & Alvin Youngblood Hart’s Muscle Theory

The annual Country Blues festival is returning to Overton Park Shell this year with some additional programming. Join us on the lawn as we start the evening with the sounds of Alvin Youngblood Hart followed by the official presentation of the Shell’s blues marker.  Then stick around because the night will only grow in energy as the North Mississippi Allstars make their way to the stage to honor the history of this Shell event. 

About North Mississippi Allstars:

Nothing runs deeper than family ties. Brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters understand one another at the purest level. When families rally around music, they speak this oft-unspoken bond aloud and into existence. After 25 years, twelve albums, four GRAMMY® Award nominations, and sold out shows everywhere, North Mississippi Allstars open up their world once again on their thirteenth album, Set Sail [New West Records], welcoming other family (by blood and by the road) into the fold. As legend has it, Luther and Cody Dickinson started the band in 1996 as a loose collective of like-minded second-generation musicians who shared a local repertoire and regional style. Over the years, the lineup shifted by design, and each subsequent record offered up a different combination of collaborators. This time around, they mined the talents of Jesse Williams on bass and Lamar Williams JR. on vocals. During the Allman Betts Band Family Revival, the Dickinsons first linked up with Lamar, son of the Allman Brothers bassist Lamar Williams Sr., becoming fast friends and collaborators and eventually paving the way for Set Sail.

“The chemistry we have with this lineup is powerful, ”observes Luther.“ We are all second-generation musicians and share a telepathic, relaxed ease about creating and performing. I believe music is a form of communion with our loved ones and conjuring this vibe with members of musical families can be inspirational. Lamar and I are like-minded. I’ve never had the pleasure of working with a singing partner like Lamar. He has a true-blue quality in his musicality that will pull you in and break your heart. At the same time, Jesse grew up playing music with his brothers and his father—as did we. He plays like a sibling. We recorded the album fresh off the road and captured the energy we had worked up with him. I’m drawn to musical families, regardless of style. Playing with second-or third-generation players allows us an easy unspoken musical dialog. It’s not a big thing; it’s just what we do. We never had to figure out what it means and takes to be a musician. We all inherently know.”

Socials:

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About Alvin Youngblood Hart:
The cosmic American love child of Howlin Wolf and Link Wray...

Known as a “musician’s musician,” Alvin Youngblood Hart’s praises have been sung by everyone from Bob Dylan to guitar gods Gary Moore & Mick Taylor.

“Alvin Youngblood Hart’s (version of Nelly Was A Lady) is as good a version as you’ll ever hear. Alvin sings the song in it’s pure form. The guitar turn-arounds are a slow cakewalk between heartbroken verses, loss shared on the front porch. The tune will stay in your head long after you have forgotten the story and every time you hum it a tear will roll down your cheek.” ~ BOB DYLAN 2022 from his book The Philosophy of Modern Song.

“He’s the Real Deal” ~ Mike Campbell, 2022 External Combustion Support Tour.

Mr. Hart was born in Oakland CA in 1963 to a family of post WWII Mississippi transplants. After a couple false starts, he began to play the guitar, in earnest, in 1977.

“By that time, it had become obsessive competition among us teenage boys. The guitar was the video game of our day,” Hart says.

The Hart family was never one to stay put. Spending his formative years on the West Coast, in the Midwest and the Mid-South surely influenced Alvin’s wide ranging musical perspective.

“It really taught me to appreciate MUSIC for what it was... not because it was this or that genre. I have a great disdain for genre segregation. I try to avoid that practice”.

Along with his 40 years of playing comes a nuts and bolts passion for the hardware of the trade.

“I’ve been a guitar tinker since day one. I can recall my parents buying me a new guitar, and I would have every screw out of it by bedtime”.

Hart is also an electronics technician, a talent he picked up after 7 years active duty in the U.S. Coast Guard. His knack for quick thinking repairs on the road has earned him nicknames such as, The Garage Guerrilla or The Rock N Roll MacGyver from fellow musicians.

After two decades on the road, Alvin continues to delight audiences worldwide, whether as a solo performer or with the eternally rockin’ Alvin Youngblood Hart’s Muscle Theory... The multi award winner always delivers.

“When I was a 15 year old kid in my room, I would never believe that I would someday play legendary venues like the Hollywood Bowl or Royal Albert Hall. You couldn’t have told me that I’d be in the studio with Taj Mahal, or play onstage with the Allman Bros. Band and members of Thin Lizzy. Some days, it’s a dream job...”

Socials:

Facebook

Instagram

Food Trucks:
Sips and Sammies | Soi #9 | Moss Be Smoke | Mexico in Memphis

Sponsored By:

Concert begins at 7:00PM sharp.

2023 Orion Free Concert Series at Overton Park Shell. Picnic baskets, beverages, blankets, and lawn chairs are always welcome. We also offer food and beverage for sale in our ShellEats community area. Dogs on a leash are welcome in designated areas. Overton Park Shell is a nonsmoking facility. 

Click here to learn more about the visitor experience.

MBAA PRE-SHOW - 5:45pm: Rozelle Creative and Performing Arts Optional School

IT’S GRIZZ NIGHT! PRE-SHOW ENTERTAINMENT AT 6:50: GRIZZLINE
Don't forget to visit their table at the top of the hill on where they'll be giving out swag and a promo code for 2 free tickets to a pre-season game to everyone who stops by!

*A live interpreter will be available in partnership with DeafConnect of the Mid-South.

About the artist:
Jeremie Albino’s grainy ballads are inflected with a joyous tenor that has found him a distinct space in the world of Americana, folk, blues, and country. Reimagining the image of the lonesome wanderer, his music is rooted in the instant when everyone in a room experiences the same moment in a multitude of different ways—embodying solitude and connection all at once. Starting out playing late night gig slots, Jeremie’s rigour has landed him a blossoming touring career. Garnering attention from the community and press alike, he’s heralded as “a true resurgence of the most authentic blues brought to life through the eyes of a modern and young, but old-soul artist ” (American Songwriter) and “the next in line of emotive band leaders that project soul and directness atop a head turning sound” (Glide Magazine).

His forthcoming album, Tears You Hide (2023), produced by Jeremie’s long time collaborator and manager Crispin Day, is a memento to family, resilience, and the road ahead. Three years in the making, the rickety footstomping, and lilting stories inherent to Albino’s sound remains, yet the narrative has shifted slightly. Tears You Hide troubles the romanticization of the past by cherishing the present, stringing a narrative where connection, resolve, and vulnerability are distilled in an unfiltered amount of gratitude.

Socials:

Website

Facebook

Instagram

Food Trucks:
Stick ‘Em | Pok Cha’s Eggrolls

Sponsored By:

Concert begins at 7:00PM sharp.

2023 Orion Free Concert Series at Overton Park Shell. Picnic baskets, beverages, blankets, and lawn chairs are always welcome. We also offer food and beverage for sale in our ShellEats community area. Dogs on a leash are welcome in designated areas. Overton Park Shell is a nonsmoking facility. 

Click here to learn more about the visitor experience.

MBAA PRE-SHOW - 5:45pm: Ayan Alexiss

IT’S GRIZZ NIGHT! PRE-SHOW ENTERTAINMENT AT 6:50: BLUE BUNCH
Don't forget to visit their table at the top of the hill on where they'll be giving out swag and a promo code for 2 free tickets to a pre-season game to everyone who stops by!

*A live interpreter will be available in partnership with DeafConnect of the Mid-South.

About the artist:
Born and raised in a city rich in music history, Memphis native AL KAPONE found himself along with other peers following in their forefathers Stax, Hi Records, etc. footsteps developing a new southern hip hop sound that would later become the southern rap standard. Outside of groups like Three Six Mafia, Eightball & MJG, and Yo Gotti most Memphis artists along with Kapone would go unnoticed to the rest of the country until Craig Brewer and John Singleton’s cult classic film Hustle and Flow which would thrust AL KAPONE in the global spotlight. Kapone wrote and produced three songs for the film and soundtrack, the Oscar winning music would earn AL KAPONE a Critic’s Choice Award for “It Ain’t Over” the Hustle and Flow theme song and “Whoop That Trick” would become one of the most memorable crunk songs of all time and would be the Memphis Grizzlies and University of Memphis unofficial fan chant at Memphis home games. This led Kapone to write and produce music for other films such as #1 box office movie Stomp The Yard feat. platinum artist Ne-Yo and Chris Brown, Cadillac Records feat. multi platinum megastar Beyonce. Kapone would also go on to co-write top 10 Billboard hits “Snap Yo Fingaz” ( Lil Jon) and “U and Dat” (E40 feat. T-Pain) both songs reached platinum sales making Kapone a multi-platinum songwriter.

AL KAPONE never stopped developing his own music career as an artist/performer, performing shows with a live band and currently working on his fusion of blues and Memphis rap. AL KAPONE has been a trailblazer from the beginning and today is no exception, as the first hip hop artist to become president of the Memphis Chapter of the Grammys. Kapone is also an associate producer and featured artist on the film documentary “Take Me To The River” as well as the music executive producer of Memphis refugee film JACIR. Kapone travels and reps Memphis music globally but one of his biggest passions is mentoring students from elementary to college and all grades in between.

Socials:

Website

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

Food Trucks:
Pok Cha | Trap Fusion | Green Beetle

Sponsored By:

Concert begins at 7:00PM sharp.

2023 Orion Free Concert Series at Overton Park Shell. Picnic baskets, beverages, blankets, and lawn chairs are always welcome. We also offer food and beverage for sale in our ShellEats community area. Dogs on a leash are welcome in designated areas. Overton Park Shell is a nonsmoking facility. 

Click here to learn more about the visitor experience.

MBAA PRE-SHOW - 5:45pm: Memphis Black Arts Alliance

*A live interpreter will be available in partnership with DeafConnect of the Mid-South.

About the artist:
Scan the press on soul-groove outfit Dirty Streets and you’ll see numerous references to rock, soul, and dirty-blooze touchstones like the Faces, Humble Pie, Otis Redding, CCR, and more. Spin Dirty Streets’ records and you’ll hear all of those echoes, plus others—some jazz timing, some acoustic balladry. But by and large, what you’ll hear is a raw, rowdy blend of Motown, Stax, and rock—the pure American blood-beat moving through the heart of Memphis groove.

Austin-born Justin Toland (guitar/vocals) found his own musical food early through his father, a classic-rock aficionado who turned Justin on to the Stones, Creedence, soul music and the Stax sound. At 17 Toland moved to Memphis and met Thomas Storz (bass), a native of the city, through mutual friends; the pair found common musical ground and began playing groove-grounded rock with a series of temporary drummers. Andrew Denham (drums), a Shreveport-born drummer and British hard-rock fan, joined up with Storz and Toland in 2007.

The trio began demoing using a basic setup: a single cassette recorder, no tracks, no real separation, just mics on the bass/drums and guitar and vocals live in the room. Without the option to isolate, tweak, or sweeten after the fact, Dirty Streets became accustomed to running through a take 40 or 50 times as they worked to get it right, all the way through. By the time they began gigging live, that level of discipline had honed Dirty Streets into an instinctual, responsive outfit. Bootleg recordings of their shows in and around Memphis helped to generate buzz, and established Dirty Streets’ rep as a band whose timing was as sharp as their sound was ragged.

Albums followed—Portrait of a Man (2009), Movements (2011), Blades of Grass (2013), White Horse (2015), Distractions (2018), and the live Rough and Tumble (2020), drawn from an in-house performance for the DittyTV streaming music service—all steeped in the raw rock-soul groove that serves as the band’s taproot, the musical core from which all of its explorations still proceed. And within that core, too, is the element that gives their music, the music they love and play, its unique character.

“Soul and blues music is about testifying,” says Toland. “To me, that’s great songwriting. When it’s good, it’s good because it’s true, because it’s authentic.”

Socials:

Website

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

Food Trucks:
Mexico in Memphis | Stick ‘Em | Sips and Sammies

Sponsored By:

Concert begins at 7:00PM sharp.

2023 Orion Free Concert Series at Overton Park Shell. Picnic baskets, beverages, blankets, and lawn chairs are always welcome. We also offer food and beverage for sale in our ShellEats community area. Dogs on a leash are welcome in designated areas. Overton Park Shell is a nonsmoking facility. 

Click here to learn more about the visitor experience.

MBAA PRE-SHOW - 5:45pm: Ursulla Green

*A live interpreter will be available in partnership with DeafConnect of the Mid-South.

About the artist:
When Covid sidelined his touring, he started laying concrete to help support his baby mama and his kid. Now that’s real! When Joe and his band, the Honeybears, popped onto the national stage over a decade ago, many critics embraced him but still, there were some that maintained that they hadn’t paid their dues. Joe’s still here. Still going. Still cashing checks and snapping necks. The dues of hard work; the delirious heights of the industry as well as the disappointments and low hanging fruit. Through this all, Joe’s only honed his mastery over gut bucket blues guitar and his true voice. It’s a vital and distinctly American voice that never anticipated the attention he wound up receiving, never went looking for it either. It just started happening. The garage, the blues, the propulsive and synergistic live performances that inhabit the spaces of James Brown, Lightnin’ Hopkins, and the MC5...those things happened naturally from the very beginning and could only be accurately communicated in the live experience, not a press release or a slick brand campaign.

Sharon Jones, Charles Bradley, Cedric Burnside and Lightnin Malcolm, The Dirtbombs, Detroit Cobras, the Strange Boys; these are some of the artists that Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears shared countless bills with; almost a roll call of the most influential soul and garage bands of the last twenty five years. Has the soul blues garage explosion from that era been commodified or worked into the overall template of pop rock? Sure. But the ground floor was a vital space for people that like guitars and grease and at this point Black Joe Lewis is one of the last standing that was there. Last of a dying breed. Or maybe a missing link. Does this make him a throwback? A throwback to a throwback? It’d be tempting and easy for Joe to go along with that but nah, we don’t think so. We know that Joe Lewis is genuinely doing his thing and that he’d do it regardless of what’s coming down the pipe. A stone cold original and a veteran at that. If you like whistling in your music and some floppy hat, quaky kneed dudes cloyingly singing at you, then you might not “get it” but whatever...there are enough intrepid, degenerate weirdos that do. Those are the folks Joe cares about. Not the glad handing set. Not the fair-weather friend set getting down with the flavor of the month. Like the title of his last album says, “the difference between me and you” is Joe defining for himself that there’s the belabored wannabes and then there’s dudes that actually “HAVE the blues”...whatever the heck THAT is! Joe’s concrete pouring boss is gonna miss him.

Socials:

Website

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

Food Trucks:
Stick ‘Em | Smokin’ Hot BBQ | Green Beetle

Sponsored By:

Concert begins at 7:00PM sharp.

2023 Orion Free Concert Series at Overton Park Shell. Picnic baskets, beverages, blankets, and lawn chairs are always welcome. We also offer food and beverage for sale in our ShellEats community area. Dogs on a leash are welcome in designated areas. Overton Park Shell is a nonsmoking facility. 

Click here to learn more about the visitor experience.

MBAA PRE-SHOW - 5:45pm: Cequita Monique

IT’S GRIZZ NIGHT! PRE-SHOW ENTERTAINMENT AT 6:50: GRIZZLIES GRANNIES + GRANDPAS
Don't forget to visit their table at the top of the hill on where they'll be giving out swag and a promo code for 2 free tickets to a pre-season game to everyone who stops by!

*A live interpreter will be available in partnership with DeafConnect of the Mid-South.

About the artist:
Thee Sinseers are a powerhouse of soul and R&B; evocative of their hometown of East L.A.'s Friday evening cruises, Saturday night backyard boogies, and Sunday afternoon barbecues that helped shape a resurgence and interest in this modern wave of soul music. Led by multi-instrumentalist, producer, and singer-songwriter Joseph Quiñones, Thee Sinseers features a full band that includes a 3 piece horn section (Eric Johnson [Tenor Sax] Steve Surman [Baritone Sax] and Joseluis Jimenez [Trombone]), sweet vocal harmonies (Adriana Flores, Bryan Ponce, Luis Carpio), and a tight rhythm section (Christopher Manjarrez [bass], Francisco Flores [guitar], Bryan Ponce [guitar], and Luis Carpio [drums]). Thee Sinseers worked with Colemine Records in 2019 to release a 7" single (It Was Only a Dream/I Don't Mind) and are currently working with the label on a full length LP, expected in 2023. The band also released a 7" single of their viral hit "Seems Like'' with the renowned Brooklyn based label, Daptone records, under their Penrose Records imprint. The single was later included on the "Penrose Records Vol. 1" compilation released in early 2022.

Socials:

Website

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

Food Trucks:
Mexico in Memphis | Deli Midtown | Dynamic Duo

Sponsored By:

Concert begins at 5:30PM sharp.

2023 Orion Free Concert Series at Overton Park Shell. Picnic baskets, beverages, blankets, and lawn chairs are always welcome. We also offer food and beverage for sale in our ShellEats community area. Dogs on a leash are welcome in designated areas. Overton Park Shell is a nonsmoking facility. 

Click here to learn more about the visitor experience.

IT’S A GRIZZ NIGHT! PRE-SHOW ENTERTAINMENT AT 6:50: GRIZZ GIRLS
Don't forget to visit their table at the top of the hill on Grizz Nights-- they'll be giving out cool Grizz swag and a promo code for 2 free tickets to a Grizzlies pre-season game to everyone who stops by!

*A live interpreter will be available in partnership with DeafConnect of the Mid-South.

About the Festival:
An evening of Power Pop returns to Overton Park Shell this year brought to you by the organizers of the Memphis Powerpop Festival and the Shell. The Sonny Wilsons will kick off the evening at 5:30pm with the headliner The Baseball Project taking the stage at 7PM. Join us for a great night of energetic music, delicious food trucks, community on the lawn, and entertainment for all.

Socials:

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Instagram

Twitter

About The Baseball Project:
In 2008 they busted out of the box and easily reached first with their Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails.  The Baseball Project was on base and immediately posed a threat to go further. In 2011, they moved on to second with some wildness aptly called High andInside.  They were halfway home. Three years later in 2014, the quintet of Big Stars moved on down the line to the aptly titled 3 rd , an epic double dip delight of craftsmanship and savvy.

And there they stayed.  For 9 long years at the hot corner, but we’re happy to say that The Baseball Project is finally coming home, scoring big and touching ‘em all with their fourth album Grand Salami Time.  The scoreboard is lighting up and the fireworks are illuminating the sky

 Speaking of reaching home, this album is a homecoming of sorts, as the band recorded and produced the album with none other than the legendary Mitch Easter.  BBP members Peter Buck and Mike Mills’ made their first albums with Mitch back in the early 80s with a swingin’ little combo called R.E.M.

 Scott McCaughey and Steve Wynn kept busy themselves, busting out new tunes with the Minus 5/Young Fresh Fellows (Scott) and The Dream Syndicate (Steve), while stockpiling a passel of penned poetics about the national pastime, many co-written with Peter.  Mike adds a new classic of his own about doctored baseballs called “Stuff.”

 Linda Pitmon, who along with Peter and Scott has been part of a steady rhythmic nucleus, bashing out epic rock platters with Filthy Friends, Alejandro Escovedo, Luke Haines & Peter Buck, is back driving the ship from behind her mighty drum machine.

 All in all, a fancy pedigree but, as Wynn points out, “this is our only band that plays stadiums” -- true story as The Baseball Project has performed full sets along with the National Anthem and “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” at major league parks in Boston, Chicago, Milwaukee, Denver, Minneapolis, Philadelphia and more minor league and spring training fields, as well as having thrown out some exceptional first pitches (nothing but strikes!) as well.

 It’s all part of an unusual arc and fun story of a band whose first gig was an appearance on Late Night with David Letterman followed by a festival in a medieval Spanish city.  For a quintet that has seemingly done everything over the years with their other bands, The Baseball Project always offers new and uncharted experiences.

 The album was recorded at Mitch Easter’s fabled Fidelitorium Studios in Kernersville, North Carolina, with the entire band performing live together in the same room, a joyous experience that seemed impossible to imagine only one year before.  Mitch adds guitar on a few tracks and the record also features appearances by Stephen McCarthy (Long Ryders) and Steve Berlin (Los Lobos).

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About The Sonny Wilsons:
The Sonny Wilsons is the power pop project of Adam Yancey (Solo artist, Afterglow, The Chain Hopsons, The Becky’s) and Allen Couch (East Link).

Adam Yancey, who gigged his way through flight school is, and this is a direct quote, “The only idiot in the world that got into the music business for the money. And the only idiot, in the history of idiots, which is a long list, who had to fall back on a music career to become an airline pilot!”

Multi-instrumentalist Allen Couch's love of music began when he stumbled upon, and subsequently appropriated, his parent's 8-track copy of Abbey Road. Yep, he's that old…. Thus began a lifelong appreciation for a well structured pop harmony.

They are joined by singer-songwriter-guitarist Danny McGreger (Lately David), guitarist Chris Swenson (El Dorado Del Ray, Black Oak Arkansas, studio engineer) and bassist Johnny Norris (Crash Into June, Your Academy). 

The Sonny Wilsons’ first album, recorded at Ardent and High/Low studios with Jon Auer (Posies, Big Star) producing, will be released late summer of 2023. 

Socials:

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Food Trucks:
Mr. Frazier’s Fish Fry | Stix Express | Trap Fusion

Sponsored By:

Concert begins at 7:00PM sharp.

2023 Orion Free Concert Series at Overton Park Shell. Picnic baskets, beverages, blankets, and lawn chairs are always welcome. We also offer food and beverage for sale in our ShellEats community area. Dogs on a leash are welcome in designated areas. Overton Park Shell is a nonsmoking facility. 

Click here to learn more about the visitor experience.

MBAA PRE-SHOW - 5:45pm: Alvin KcKinney

*A live interpreter will be available in partnership with DeafConnect of the Mid-South.

With Featured Local Artists:

About the artist:
Los Rakas is comprised of cousins Raka Rich and Raka Dun, pioneering Panamanians by way of the Bay Area on the frontier of a new Latin urban sound. Known for their fresh mix of hip-hop, plena, reggae, and dancehall music; the Grammy-nominated duo represents the cutting edge of Pan-American flows. Taking their name from the Panamanian word “Rakataka,” a negative slur used to describe someone from the ghetto, Los Rakas have set out to inspire fellow “Rakas” by empowering them to become successful despite their circumstances.

In 2012, Los Rakas released their EP, Raka Love, touring nationally and internationally. Their debut album on Universal Music Latino, El Negrito Dun Dun y Ricardo, released in 2014. In 2016, Los Rakas released their self-titled, second album earning them a Grammy nomination for “Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album”. Their 2019 album Manes De Negocio is best described by Remezcla as a “socially conscious trap soiree”. Los Rakas has performed with artists like Dave Chappelle, Snoop Dogg, Berner, JBalvin, Kehlani, Zion & LennoxCypress Hill, E40, Ice Cube, Kali Uchis, Shaggy, and Nina Sky to name a few. They have also collaborated with artists such as Blondie, Amara La Negra, Carmack, Kafu Banton, Kat Dahlia, D-Smoke, Goapele, P-Lo and in 2022 their hit single Uno2Tres will be featured in the FIFA 22 soundtrack.

As KQED states, Los Rakas are “positioning themselves as the heirs of pioneering Black Panamanian reggaetoneros such as El General and Renato.” Los Rakas are turning the current Latin hip-hop world on its head.

901 Day provided the opportunity for Los Rakas to collaborate with some of their friends in Memphis. Producer C Major (part of the Unapologetic collective) has collaborated with Los Rakas in the past and was a perfect fit. Memphis’ very own Canti records agreed to step in and help curate some guest artists: Yanyo DB and Mariana Figueredo. Also, the concert will feature the Latin Grammy nominated rhythm section from a band that played Overton Park Shell in 2022 (maybe you can guess that band?).

Socials:

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Food Trucks:
Pok Cha | Stick ‘Em | Good Groceries

Sponsored By:

Concert begins at 7:30PM sharp.

2023 Orion Free Concert Series at Overton Park Shell. Picnic baskets, beverages, blankets, and lawn chairs are always welcome. We also offer food and beverage for sale in our ShellEats community area. Dogs on a leash are welcome in designated areas. Overton Park Shell is a nonsmoking facility. 

Click here to learn more about the visitor experience.

*A live interpreter will be available in partnership with DeafConnect of the Mid-South.

About Preauxx:
PreauXX (pronounced “pro”) is one of the foremost artists of our time and a rising name in the hip-hop scene. Born in New Orleans, LA and raised in Memphis, PreauXX’s charming charisma and aggressive wordplay gained him a local notoriety that exploded after enrolling in the University of Memphis in 2008.

With a positive message aimed at inspiring listeners to seek the most out of life, PreauXX’s music began opening doors at a rapid pace at the university and locally throughout Memphis. After teaming with producers Alexander Odell and IMAKEMADBEATS and releasing two mixtapes (2010’s To Kill A Mockingbird and 2011’s Love Jones), PreauXX dropped out of college to pursue his career in music.

He was granted the honor of performing at Elvis Presley's house in Memphis, TN. This made him the first hip hop artist to ever perform in the Presley Estate. His blend of melody and motivational lyricism forged a unique sonic quality to his artistry and has lead to him being featured in a number of publications like Nice Kicks, Memphis Flyer, and Jam in the Van. 

Preauxx made waves with his undeniable ability to blend singing and rapping seamlessly, drawing comparisons to artists like Drake and Smino. His malleable style fits over any track with songs like “Slide,” “Shake Junt,” and “Lemon Sugar” showcasing his versatile skill set. 

Preauxx’s charismatic personality extends far beyond just the world of music, the multitalented artist also serves as a model and brand ambassador for a multitude of brands thanks to his magnetic energy.

About Unapologetic:
Unapologetic. is a brand based in inspiring others to be boldly, daringly, and unapologetically themselves. We aim to disrupt. We aim to ease. We also aim to build discomfort when necessary, through art. Our art is our voices, sounds, illustrations, perspectives, event, and experiences. It is unapologetically our lives.

While most known for its music & record label portions, Unapologetic. is an art & culture ecosystem consisting of visual artists, musicians, clothing designers, event coordinators, and strategists. The idea is simple: the idea of traditional “labels” has expired and we believe in the culture of artistic synergy. Founded by artist/producer IMAKEMADBEATS in 2015 in Memphis, TN, the talented team tours the globe throwing experience based events and has been featured in major publications, from Garden & Gun to Huffpost to Thrasher and beyond. Our artists release whatever they create, as we believe our genre of art is simply Vulnerability and Sincerity. We currently sign musicians and visual artists to an artist-first platform and are preparing for our book publishing division to launch summer 2021. Unapologetic. has changed the landscape of Memphis art & culture and after securing a partnership with Red Bull the conglomerate is now expanding into international territory. We are comprised of four teams: Unapologetic. Sound, Unapologetic. Visual, Unapologetic. Garments, and The Unapologetic World App.

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Food Trucks:
Mexico in Memphis | Trap Fusion | Eat Green Urban Salads

Sponsored By:

Concert begins at 7:30PM sharp.

2023 Orion Free Concert Series at Overton Park Shell. Picnic baskets, beverages, blankets, and lawn chairs are always welcome. We also offer food and beverage for sale in our ShellEats community area. Dogs on a leash are welcome in designated areas. Overton Park Shell is a nonsmoking facility. 

Click here to learn more about the visitor experience.

*A live interpreter will be available in partnership with DeafConnect of the Mid-South.

About the artist:
Since his earliest infatuations with guitar, Buffalo Nichols has asked himself the same question: How can I bring the blues of the past into the future? After cutting his teeth between a Baptist church and bars in Milwaukee, it was a globetrotting trip through West Africa and Europe during a creative down period that began to reveal the answer. “Part of my intent, making myself more comfortable with this release, is putting more Black stories into the genres of folk and blues,” guitarist, songwriter, and vocalist Carl “Buffalo” Nichols explains. “Listening to this record, I want more Black people to hear themselves in this music that is truly theirs.” That desire is embodied in his self-titled debut album —Fat Possum’s first solo blues signing in nearly 20 years—composed largely of demos and studio sessions recorded between Wisconsin and Texas.

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Food Trucks:
Pok Cha | Sips and Sammies | Moss Be Smoke

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Due to unfortunate travel circumstances, A FEW of the band members are delayed abroad due to nature induced flight delays. However; Jenny and her percussionist will be here in full force, bringing their captivating blend of jazz, flamenco, and cumbia to transport us into their unique world of vibrant rhythms and catchy melodies!

Concert begins at 7:30PM sharp.

2023 Orion Free Concert Series at Overton Park Shell. Picnic baskets, beverages, blankets, and lawn chairs are always welcome. We also offer food and beverage for sale in our ShellEats community area. Dogs on a leash are welcome in designated areas. Overton Park Shell is a nonsmoking facility. 

Click here to learn more about the visitor experience.

*A live interpreter will be available in partnership with DeafConnect of the Mid-South.

About the artist:
A jazz kit played with sticks and mano, an upright bass tattooed with comely women, jaunty Caribbean-influenced acoustic guitar and a beautiful blonde siren with, yes, a trumpet. Do you wanna dance yet? Jenny will lure you in with her bluesy no nonsense voice. She doesn’t want to work, just to dance. This relationship is torture. It’s just plain better in Buenos Aires. And always her case is compelling, the music a perfect dance in and of itself, pieced together like good jazz—every player counts. Jenny’s from Britain but her Spanish is impeccable, the drummer is from Spain and the strings are from Mexico, but this group is original, like Manu Chau without the political agenda or a killer ska combo minus the kitsch. They are independents and the sum of their parts is from a land of heart and strong, quick rhythm.

“What they’ve done with their influences is create this really impressive mix of rockabilly, cumbia, jazz, flamenco, and they perform it in both English and in Spanish – very cool sound.” – Felix Contreras host of NPR’s Alt Latino on Jenny and the Mexicats

Socials:

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Twitter

Food Trucks:
Deli Midtown | Soi #9 | New Wing Order

Sponsored By:

Concert begins at 7:30PM sharp.

2023 Orion Free Concert Series at Overton Park Shell. Picnic baskets, beverages, blankets, and lawn chairs are always welcome. We also offer food and beverage for sale in our ShellEats community area. Dogs on a leash are welcome in designated areas. Overton Park Shell is a nonsmoking facility. 

Click here to learn more about the visitor experience.

*A live interpreter will be available in partnership with DeafConnect of the Mid-South.

About the artist:
Memphis has given the world some of its most memorable melodies. But whether it’s blues, gospel, rock-and-roll, or R&B, the one thing Memphis music has always had is plenty of soul.

At Stax Music Academy (SMA), a registered 501 (c) (3), we are helping instill soul in the next generation of Memphis artists. SMA is an after school and summer music institute located adjacent to the home of the legendary ’60s-’70s soul record label Stax Records, now the Stax Museum of American Soul Music.

Founded in 2000, SMA exists to continue the legacy of Stax by nurturing the musicians of tomorrow.

Stax Music Academy students take classes in music theory, preparing them to read music with proficiency, read and perform all twelve major and minor scales, and apply harmonic analysis to a musical selection. Students are required to participate in moderated juries at the end of each semester that tests both their performance acumen and their western theoretical grasp of music. Students learn the art of storytelling and composition to create their own music plus music business to assure each young artist understands how to make a living in music. Success is defined individually for each student.

Our programs teach more than notes, however. Stax Music Academy helps students enhance their character by teaching skills in leadership, teamwork, and discipline. The end goal is to prepare graduates for post-primary success regardless of path, whether it be attending college or entering the music workforce.

Since its founding, Stax Music Academy has graduated more than 4,000 students. Since 2008, every high school senior has been accepted to a college or university, many on full scholarships. Academy alumni can be heard around the world, teaching, performing, recording, and more at the highest levels of the music industry.

Socials:

Website

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

Food Trucks:
Soi #9 | Stick Em | Happy Glazed Donuts

Sponsored By:

Concert begins at 7:30PM sharp.

2023 Orion Free Concert Series at Overton Park Shell. Picnic baskets, beverages, blankets, and lawn chairs are always welcome. We also offer food and beverage for sale in our ShellEats community area. Dogs on a leash are welcome in designated areas. Overton Park Shell is a nonsmoking facility. 

Click here to learn more about the visitor experience.

*A live interpreter will be available in partnership with DeafConnect of the Mid-South.

Pre-Show: National Jookin League at 6:30pm

About the artist:
Muzaic’s story is simple… 

Each member of the band has crossed paths with the other in various musical scenarios and in various performance environments. They would develop meaningful relationships through the vehicle of music.  In these relationships, they discovered common ground in their passion  and ideologies for the art of music. 

In sharing similar philosophies about music AND life, and how it’s all connected, they decided to come together and create a new entity with a foundation based on their common belief in music as an art form first and not  only a way to make a living.

The creation of Muzaic is a vision that has come to fruition, inspired by the dream of  putting together a band that can re-manifest music performance in a way that brings back memories of the way super bands performed back in the day.  

So just sit back and relax... on second thought…  Get up and party with MUZAIC!!!

Socials:

Facebook

Food Trucks:
Fuel | Soi #9 | Green Beetle

Sponsored By:

Concert begins at 7:30PM sharp.

2023 Orion Free Concert Series at Overton Park Shell. Picnic baskets, beverages, blankets, and lawn chairs are always welcome. We also offer food and beverage for sale in our ShellEats community area. Dogs on a leash are welcome in designated areas. Overton Park Shell is a nonsmoking facility. 

Click here to learn more about the visitor experience.

*A live interpreter will be available in partnership with DeafConnect of the Mid-South.

About the artist:
Aveva Dese, an Ethiopian-Israeli singer-songwriter who fuses traditional Ethiopian sounds & groove with her soul-pop melodies, producing a unique style with universal appeal. As a first generation to immigrants from Ethiopia, AvevA brings a fascinating life story into her music. She sings about society, freedom, and love, creating an inspiring and empowering experience. AvevA’s 2nd album – “In My Thoughts”, was released in March 2019 and has received great reviews in the Israeli music scene. AvevA brings her own unique cultural flare to the table with her own style: a mix of powerful texts (in both English and Amharic) and traditional Ethiopian sounds. Originally discovered on the Israeli version of The Voice, AvevA has displayed her universal appeal on tours with Idan Raichel and with her original music at festivals across Israel, Europe and North America.

Socials:

Website

Facebook

Instagram

Food Trucks:
Mexico in Memphis | Diamond Dave’s | New Wing Order

Sponsored By:

Concert begins at 7:30PM sharp.

2023 Orion Free Concert Series at Overton Park Shell. Picnic baskets, beverages, blankets, and lawn chairs are always welcome. We also offer food and beverage for sale in our ShellEats community area. Dogs on a leash are welcome in designated areas. Overton Park Shell is a nonsmoking facility. 

Click here to learn more about the visitor experience.

*A live interpreter will be available in partnership with DeafConnect of the Mid-South.

Pre-Show: Music Box at 6:00pm

About the artist:
On Mardi Gras morning, your eyes may feast on the intricate and elaborate beadwork of the Indians as they dance down the street, but the first thing you'll hear when they make their way toward you is the back line, known as "the rumble". Featuring six Grammy-nominated musicians, The Rumble is more than just a band—it's an opportunity to be immersed in a wholly unique facet of New Orleans culture. Composed of Second Chief Joseph Boudreaux Jr. of the Golden Eagles, trumpeter Aurélien Barnes, trombonist José Maize Jr., bassist TJ Norris, guitarist Ari Teitel, keyboardist Andriu Yanovski, and drummer Trenton O’Neal, the group fuses iconic New Orleans funk in the vein of The Meters and The Neville Brothers—but updated, modern and vibrant befitting the next generation—with electrifying brass and the singular visual splendor of the Black Masking carnival tradition.

Their live show is a symphony of rich color and propulsive sound, with each member sharing vocal duties and engaging the audience in the classic Mardi Gras Indian-style call-and-response chanting. The group pays homage to trailblazers like Wild Magnolias and Golden Eagles, both of which featured the vocal stylings of Boudreaux’s father, Monk Boudreaux. The Rumble continues the fight to preserve the legacies and traditions of the community for the next generation while bringing new layers of depth to their live performance. The Rumble provides audiences with not only a top-tier musical event, but a chance to participate in a culture that, while deeply rooted in centuries-old tradition, is thriving and evolving through the active work of this next generation of bold and passionate culture-bearers.

Socials:

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Food Trucks:
Pok Cha | Fuel | Dynamic Duo

Sponsored By:

Weather Update - Shell fans, we regret to inform you that tonight's concert featuring Star & Micey and Dead Soldiers has been cancelled in accordance with the guidance of our partner, National Weather Service—Memphis.

Concert begins at 7:30PM sharp.

2023 Orion Free Concert Series at Overton Park Shell. Picnic baskets, beverages, blankets, and lawn chairs are always welcome. We also offer food and beverage for sale in our ShellEats community area. Dogs on a leash are welcome in designated areas. Overton Park Shell is a nonsmoking facility. 

Click here to learn more about the visitor experience.

*A live interpreter will be available in partnership with DeafConnect of the Mid-South.

About Star & Micey:
“One of Memphis’ most inventive and enduring bands. Formed in 2009, Star and Micey has toured the US and Canada to play for a select crowd of die hard fans. Called “Tennessee’s Number One Band” by Paste Magazine in 2016 the group has continued to stay humble and live life on their terms. Having never broken up even once, their relationship onstage is just as genuine offstage.”

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About Dead Soldiers:
Dead Soldiers is an eight-piece band from Memphis, Tennessee, whose eclectic compositions feature a rock’n’roll core that lifts five-part vocal harmonies, horns and strings to create a wall of sound. Building on the musical traditions of the Delta and the melting pot aesthetic that first made Memphis the home of rock and roll, their music is at once irreverent and uniquely American. While firmly rooted in the modern urban south, they draw heavily from the inspiration of a range of artists: Tom Waits to The Band, John Prine and Bob Dylan to Frank Zappa and Randy Newman. Like Dead Soldiers, they’re all artists who refuse to be easily classified. With humor, cynicism and an underlying foundation of humanity, Dead Soldiers’ songs root for the underdog while skewering the hypocrisy of our post-modern media landscape.

Socials:

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

Food Trucks:
Sips and Sammies | Diamond Dave’s | Good Groceries

Sponsored By:

Concert begins at 7:30PM sharp.

2023 Orion Free Concert Series at Overton Park Shell. Picnic baskets, beverages, blankets, and lawn chairs are always welcome. We also offer food and beverage for sale in our ShellEats community area. Dogs on a leash are welcome in designated areas. Overton Park Shell is a nonsmoking facility. 

Click here to learn more about the visitor experience.

*A live interpreter will be available in partnership with DeafConnect of the Mid-South.

About the artist:
The Heavy Heavy create the kind of unfettered rock-and-roll that warps time and place, immediately pulling the audience into a euphoric fugue state with its own sun-soaked atmosphere. Led by lifelong musicians Will Turner and Georgie Fuller, the Brighton, UK-based band began with a shared ambition of “making records that sound like our favorite records ever,” and soon arrived at a reverb-drenched collision of psychedelia and blues, acid rock and sunshine pop. As revealed on their gloriously hazy debut EP Life and Life Only, The Heavy Heavy breathe an incandescent new energy into sounds from decades ago, transcending eras with a hypnotic ease.

In dreaming up Life and Life Only, The Heavy Heavy tapped into many of the musical touchstones that Turner describes as “deeply entrenched in our psyche”: Peter Green-era Fleetwood Mac, the Rolling Stones, British Invasion pop acts like the Hollies, folk-blues duo Delaney & Bonnie, to name just a few. Pushing past the confines of reverential pastiche, the band imbues their output with a strangely charmed quality and heady authenticity undeniably tied to their status as artists on the fringe, both philosophically and geographically. To that end, Turner hails from the remote town of Malvern, an enchanted stretch of the English countryside once frequented by the likes of Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, and Kate Bush.

“It’s famous for the healing qualities of its water, and there are ancient trees where the Druids used to worship—there’s a sort of magical-hippie aspect to it,” he notes. Fuller, meanwhile, elevates every track with her spellbinding vocals and magnetic yet wholly unaffected presence, building upon a kaleidoscopic career that’s included performing at Montreux Jazz Festival as a teenager as well as acting in the London theater.

Rooted in their effusive harmonies and fuzzed-out guitar work, Life and Life Only contains the first track Turner and Fuller ever recorded as The Heavy Heavy, a lilting piece of psych-pop titled “Go Down River.” “I’d had this song a while and couldn’t quite finish it, but then once Georgie added her vocals it all came together,” Turner recalls. “The male-female harmonies gave it this whole new sound; it just felt like lying in the green grass on a hot sunny day.” Self-produced in a London flat, the six-track project also brings that transportive power to songs like “Miles and Miles” (a bright and jangly number whose whirlwind velocity calls to mind late-’60s/early-’70s road dramas like Easy Rider and Vanishing Point), “Man of the Hills” (a groove-heavy homage to Turner’s otherworldly hometown), and “Sleeping on Grassy Ground” (a sweetly languid epic featuring a near-operatic vocal performance from Fuller, a classically trained singer).

With their full-length debut due out in 2023, The Heavy Heavy recently expanded their lineup to five members, allowing for an even more vast and bombastic sound now touched with heavenly four-part harmonies. A massively prolific outfit who’ve written and recorded hundreds of songs in the last two years alone, the band feels perpetually inspired by the pursuit of making music that provides a rarefied pleasure. “The driving force behind all our songwriting is to feel good, and to make other people feel good too,” Fuller points out. And thanks to their uncanny grace as sonic alchemists, The Heavy Heavy ultimately perform a certain magic with their music: eliciting a sublime daze that goes far beyond pure escapism.

Socials:

Website

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

Food Trucks:
Mexico in Memphis | Deli Midtown

Sponsored By:

Unfortunately, due to inclement weather, tonight’s concert has been canceled.

Concert begins at 7:30PM sharp.

2023 Orion Free Concert Series at Overton Park Shell. Picnic baskets, beverages, blankets, and lawn chairs are always welcome. We also offer food and beverage for sale in our ShellEats community area. Dogs on a leash are welcome in designated areas. Overton Park Shell is a nonsmoking facility. 

Click here to learn more about the visitor experience.

*A live interpreter will be available in partnership with DeafConnect of the Mid-South.

Pre-Show: National Jookin League at 6:30pm

About the artist:
Some of the most beautiful and intimate art is birthed from the rawest of emotions. For singer/songwriter Tianna Esperanza, it’s the heart of their music’s universe, a place where they freely tells their story in a way that can resonate with anyone. The depths of that expression are not only vital to their messaging, but it’s woven into their DNA. As the 21-year-old rising star unveils their debut masterpiece Terror, Tianna is geared to create a movement fueled by honest and authentic music that will stand the test of time. 

Growing up in Cape Cod, Massachusetts Tianna was hardly surrounded by diversity. As a multiracial child  in an affluent, predominantly white beach town, they navigated as best as they could, knowing they was wired differently for a myriad of reasons. They were one of a handful of Black students in their school, yet  also the only Black person in their family. That too set them apart, bringing them into their own little world,  where they sought solace through writing poetry. While enamored by the soulful greats like Nina Simone,  Tianna was also drawn to the brutally honest lyricism of raw rappers like Eminem. Both would inevitably be their compass as they made their own music. “I learned to own my vulnerability through Hip-Hop,” they state. 

While they could sing and play instruments at a young age, Tianna wasn’t sure where music would take  them, but they knew in a way that it was their birthright. Their grandmother is Palmolive (Paloma  McLardy), drummer and founder of the legendary UK Punk band, The Slits. Understanding their  grandmother’s legacy in music, Tianna sought to forge their own path, though their life’s journey wasn’t  smooth. Experiencing othering and colorism was felt on both a micro and a macro level for Tianna as they grew up, but they also suffered the loss of their younger brother, while later surviving sexual assault.  

There are layers to those levels of trauma, though their survivor’s instinct and therapeutic creativity fuel  their debut album Terror, a project that is not only a composite of all they have endured, but also a means  to find themselves within the music. Terror’s first release was the heartfelt “Lewis,” birthed from a  documentary they saw in school about the Black bookseller Lewis H. Michaux. The track delves into  Michaux’s activism, as he was known for dissecting constructs surrounding race and self-identity. 

On the project’s title track, Tianna sings in great detail about so much of what they have experienced, with  all of the peaks and valleys. From the grief of losing their sibling to the tragedy of sexual assault, they go  the distance with their art—something that many are too hesitant to accomplish. “In some ways ‘Terror’ is  just scratching the surface, but in other ways it’s letting it all out,” they admit of the track. “It’s scary  starting your career like this, and I feel like I’ll be talking about that song for a very long time.”  

Other tracks like “Princess Slit and the Raincoat Prince” showcase Tianna’s knack for slick songwriting,  even while tongue in cheek, as they display their own vocal versatility. The title and punk-leaning  production are an homage to their grandmother as part of The Slits and their mentors in another  legendary Punk band, The Raincoats. “I wanted to do a little bit of a tribute to my grandmother’s music  and her legacy,” they explain, “but also something that felt like my own.” Tianna carries that momentum  into “Three Straight Bitches From Hell,” where their storytelling remains front and center. With a soulful  edge and a Punk attitude, the project is full of personality and self-actualization, from an artist who knows  exactly who they are, while still evolving into whom they will become. 

“I wanted to honor every part of me,” Tianna says of Terror. “I knew that I had a story, and for a lot of  artists their debut album can be autobiographical.” Terror is a cathartic balance of both darkness and light,  where Tianna Esperanza sings about their lowest moments, yet ends with an unbridled hope. It’s through  their masterful wordplay, their range of vocals, and carefully selected production, that their introduction is  geared to be strong and impactful—and they are just getting warmed up. “There’s so much more that I  haven’t spoken about,” they hint. “I’m saving that for my sophomore album and everything else to come.”

Socials:

Website

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

Food Trucks:
TacoNGanas | Fuel

Sponsored By:

Concert begins at 7:30PM sharp.

2023 Orion Free Concert Series at Overton Park Shell. Picnic baskets, beverages, blankets, and lawn chairs are always welcome. We also offer food and beverage for sale in our ShellEats community area. Dogs on a leash are welcome in designated areas. Overton Park Shell is a nonsmoking facility. 

Click here to learn more about the visitor experience.

*A live interpreter will be available in partnership with DeafConnect of the Mid-South.

About the artist:

Anand Wilder, founding member of Yeasayer, just released, "I Don't Know My Words" via Last Gang Records! With “I Don’t Know My Words,” Wilder torques his multi-instrumentality away from electronica and global genre-hopping and makes it a lonely lockdown challenge. Aside from ambient documentary noise of family life and New York’s mysteriously pervasive rash of fireworks, he played every sound on the album, from a plucked cello on “Get More Than My Share” to the bowed acoustic guitars heard in “Sick Hotel,” which simulate a string section.

Socials:

Website

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

Food Trucks:
Mexico in Memphis | Soi #9 | Good Groceries

Sponsored By: