Dormant since 2004 and in disrepair for many years before that, the once-proud Overton Park Shell makes a comeback this week. Rechristened the Levitt Shell — after the nonprofit, Los Angeles-based Mortimer-Levitt Foundation, which has helped finance the venue’s renovation as part of a bid to rehab classic band shells across the country — the venue that hosted Elvis Presley’s first paid concert, classic hippie-era blues and folk festivals, and other memorable events is being reborn as a family-oriented venue.
The Levitt Shell debuts on tonight when Amy LaVere performs to kick off a five-week, 25-concert fall season.
For more on the $1.3 million dollar rehab of the Shell and what’s in store for the historic venue, read this week’s feature story.