Late summer and fall see a busy musical season at the Overton Park Shell. Performances at the historic Midtown venue continue this month with a major ticketed benefit concert and the resumption of the annual free Orion Concert Series.
Rising Americana star Sierra Ferrell will headline the “Shell Yeah!” benefit show on August 24, with proceeds from the event going toward funding Shell’s year-round programming.
A second Shell Yeah! benefit concert has also been confirmed for September 20 and will include a performance by Brent Smith and Zach Myers, one half of the multi-platinum Memphis band Shinedown.
Tickets for the Shell Yeah! shows are available at Ticketmaster.com.
Gates open for Shell Yeah! concerts at 5:30 p.m., with shows beginning at 6:30 p.m. No outside food, drinks, coolers, or pets are allowed at ticketed events. Reusable water bottles may be brought in and refilled at the Shell fountains. The two box office entrances for Shell Yeah! concerts are located at Veterans Plaza, on the left side of the Shell near the entrance to the Memphis Zoo, and on Museum Drive between the Brooks Museum and the Overton Park Shell.
Following the Ferrell show on August 24, the Orion Free Concert Series continues on August 30 with a performance by Memphis R&B/funk iconoclasts MonoNeon.
Free shows, which usually run Thursday through Sunday with doors opening at 7 p.m., include special events such as the Memphis Country Blues Festival, the annual Stax Music Academy Showcase, the PowerPop Festival, Shakespeare at the Shell with the Tennessee Shakespeare Company and the Memphis Black Arts Alliance Gospel Night.
The Orion Series at the Shell will also pay tribute to Memphis’ rich music history, with a 60th anniversary performance by Stax legends The Bar-Kays, as well as other notable locals, including Americana singer Cyrena Wages and jazz artist Kevin Whalum, and a showcase by Bluff City Latin label Canti Records.
Here are our picks for the five best Shell shows of the coming months:
PowerPop Festival
On August 31, the Memphis PowerPop Festival returns with a concert headlined by Matthew Sweet. The critically acclaimed power pop veteran will play songs from his 30-plus year catalog, including material from classic albums like “Girlfriend” and “Altered Beast.” Memphis duo The Sonny Wilsons and Alabama musician Abe Partridge will also be on the bill. This is an early show, with music starting at 5:20 p.m.
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Cyrena Wages
Memphis singer-songwriter Cyrena Wages was one of the most notable local music stories of 2024 following the release of her debut album, “Vanity Project.” The album, a 10-track roots-pop confession, represents the belated blossoming of Wages’ solo career, which comes after the Millington-born singer spent years playing in Nashville in various bands and music projects. Upon her return to Memphis in 2019, she finally teamed up with local guitarist/songwriter Joe Restivo and Grammy-winning producer Matt Ross-Spang to record “Vanity Project.” She will lead a full band onstage at her headlining performance Sept. 7 at the Shell.
The Bar-Kays
On September 28, legendary Memphis soul/funk/R&B band The Bar-Kays will perform at the Shell as part of the group’s 60th anniversary celebration. One of the longest-running bands in history – and still led by founding bassist James Alexander – the Stax Records and Memphis Music Hall of Fame alumni will perform some of their unforgettable hits from decades past, including “Soul Finger,” “Son of Shaft” and “Boogie Body Land.”
Memphis Harvest Band
Formed during the pandemic, the Memphis Harvest Band is an all-star collection of Bluff City talent paying tribute to the music of Neil Young. The group features a core of the city’s best singers and players — including Susan Marshall, Van Duren, Reba Russell, Vicki Loveland, Mark Edgar Stuart, John Whittemore, Robinson Bridgeforth and Adam Holton — and will play a show at the Shell on Oct. 5.
The Memphis Country Blues Festival
Grammy-nominated folk-blues artists The North Mississippi Allstars and Ruthie Foster will co-headline the festival on October 12 at the Shell. Veteran Mid-South band North Mississippi Allstars is led by brothers Luther and Cody Dickinson and has close ties to the original Memphis Country Blues Festivals of the 1960s through their late father Jim Dickinson. A native Texan, Foster has since established herself as one of the blues’ preeminent artists, receiving numerous Grammy and Blues Music Award accolades. The Memphis County Blues Festival starts early, with doors opening at 4:45 p.m.
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Overton Park Shell
Benefit concerts by Shell Yeah!
Sierra Ferrell: Saturday, 6:30 p.m. | Tickets: $45
Smith & Myers: September 20, 6:30 p.m. | Tickets: $45
Tickets for both shows are available at Ticketmaster.com.
Free Orion Concert Series‘
For more information about these shows, visit Overtonparkshell.org.
30 August: MonoNeon
31 August: PowerPop Festival: Matthew Sweet
6 September: The Wilds of Acadia (A Mempho Gift)
7 September: Cyrena Wages
13 September: Healy
14 September: Share Memphis Black Arts Alliance Gospel Night: Tennessee Mass Choir with your friends. Save Memphis Black Arts Alliance Gospel Night: Tennessee Mass Choir to your collection.
20 September: Canti recordings
27 September: Aaron James (without regrets)
28 September: The Bar-Kays
29 September: Opera Memphis: Opera comes to Broadway
October 4: Stax Museum presents: Los Yesterdays
October 5: Memphis Harvest Band
October 11: Kevin Whalum
October 12: Memphis Country Blues Festival: with Ruthie Foster and the North Mississippi Allstars
October 20: Shakespeare at The Shell: “Comedy of Errors”
