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- The Overton Park Shell’s free spring/summer concert series runs through late June, featuring diverse musical genres.
- Trombone Shorty, Steve Poltz, Alejandro Escovedo, LadyCouch, and the Stax Music Academy are among the highlighted upcoming performers.
- The fall edition of the Orion Free Concert series lineup will be announced on July 7.
Earlier in May, the Overton Park Shell kicked off the first of its two annual Orion Financial Free Concert Series programs.
The spring/summer edition of the series will take place each Friday through Sunday into late-June. Running a gamut of musical genres — from classic country to hip-hop, pop, R&B and more — the series has become a linchpin of the Memphis music scene since the historic Midtown venue was renovated and revived in 2008.
The announcement for the fall edition of the Orion Free Concert series is expected July 7. In addition to the free shows, the Shell has also confirmed acts for a pair of Shell Yeah! ticketed benefit concerts. Mississippi rapper Big K.R.I.T. will headline a Shell Yeah! show on Sept. 18, while Grammy-winning blues artist Christone “Kingfish” Ingram will play a Shell Yeah! show on Oct. 10.
In the meantime, among the shows still remaining for the spring/summer series, here are five great acts you shouldn’t miss.
New Breed Brass Band featuring Trombone Shorty: May 31
Grammy-winning New Orleans horn man Trombone Shorty — who has released five chart-topping studio albums, toured with everyone from Jeff Beck to the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and collaborated across genres with Bruno Mars, Foo Fighters and Zac Brown — comes to Memphis with his New Breed Brass Band project.
The New Breed Brass Band released its debut album, “Made In New Orleans,” in 2023, offering up a sound influenced by Crescent City greats Rebirth Brass Band and Soul Rebels Brass Band as well as the ambitious funk of Earth, Wind & Fire and Tower of Power.
Featuring Jenard Andrews (bandleader and snare-drummer), Revon Andrews (trombone), Mike Brooks (sousaphone), Yirma Yisrael and Orlando Gilbert (saxophone), Emanuel Mitchell and Chris Cotton (trumpet), and Tyreek Andrews and George Brown (bass drum), the group — featuring Shorty — will headline the Shell on May 31.
Steve Poltz: June 5
Singer, songwriter, storyteller and all-around character Steve Poltz is one of the most engaging and tireless touring artists working today. Best known for his work with Jewel (co-writing her hit “You Were Meant for Me”), Poltz has been a member of the San Diego indie rock band The Rugburns and released 16 solo albums over the last quarter century to critical acclaim.
A hilarious raconteur and troubadour in the best folk tradition, Poltz is on the road an average of 300 days a year, playing concerts from Alaska to Key West. He will stop in Memphis to headline an Orion Free Concert at the Overton Park Shell on June 5.
Alejandro Escovedo: June 20
One of the most respected artists of his generation, Alejandro Escovedo returns to Memphis for a show at the Overton Park Shell on June 20. The 74-year-old Texan has been a stalwart of the punk rock, roots rock and alternative country scenes since launching his career in the late ’70s — first as a member of the Nuns, then later with Rank and File, the True Believers and eventually as a solo artist.
Escovedo’s catalog includes early ’90s classics like “Gravity” and “Thirteen Years,” as well as 2008’s Tony Visconti-produced “Real Animal,” among his nearly 20 releases. His most recent came with 2024’s “Echo Dancing,” which was recorded in Italy. Escovedo — who has been a regular visitor to Memphis, often performing benefits for WEVL — will be playing songs from across his storied career at the Shell as part of a full band performance.
LadyCouch: June 21
Nashville soul rock band LadyCouch will make its most high-profile Memphis appearance in June. Led by longtime friends and musicians Keshia Bailey and Allen Thompson, the group formed in 2017 at Nashville’s Exit/In where the two shared a bill and joined forces officially for the first time.
Bailey was a veteran of the throwback soul group Magnolia Sons, while Thompson had led his own titular psychedelic group. As LadyCouch, the pair have released two albums, 2021’s debut “The Future Looks Fine” and 2024’s A “Matter of Time,” and become a hot act in Music City. The group — which sees Bailey and Thompson backed by a large ensemble — will play the Overton Park Shell on June 21.
Stax Music Academy: June 28
The Orion Free Concert series will wrap up its spring/summer session with a show by the Stax Music Academy. The students of the Stax Music Academy will stage their annual summer showcase concert, paying tribute to the era-defining soul music made and recorded at the iconic South Memphis studio. The Stax show — which will feature current academy students and recent program alums — is set for June 28.
2025 Orion Financial Free Concert Series
For more details, go to Overtonparkshell.org
May 29: Chaparelle
May 30: Parker Millsap
May 31: New Breed Brass Band featuring Trombone Shorty
June 5: Steve Poltz
June 6: Saaneah
June 7: Corey Lou & Da Village + Savannah Brister
June 12: Eddie 9V
June 13: East Nash Grass
June 14: BoDeans
June 19: Pell
June 20: Alejandro Escovedo
June 21: LadyCouch
June 26: Eggy
June 27: Mak Ro
June 28: Annual Stax Music Academy Summer Showcase