Tag: Levitt Shell

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The Secret Service rides again

Roughly a decade ago, the Secret Service – a hard-rocking pop quartet featuring singer/guitarist Justice Naczycz, guitarist Steve Selvidge, bassist Mark Edgar Stuart, and drummer John Argroves – were one of the biggest and busiest bands in Memphis. But after riding high on the success of 2006’s The Service Is Spectacular, the group inexplicably broke up in 2009, leaving behind a well of unfinished material, much of which has been lost to history.

“We did a reunion at Neil’s in 2011, and could only remember two of the new songs – ‘Teenage Mustache’ and ‘Outsiders,’” says Naczycz. “We tried to record them a couple of times, but it never worked out.”

When the Secret Service re-united last year to open for the Subteens at the Levitt Shell, the band played those two songs again. This time, they caught the ear of Misspent Records co-founder John Miller, who proposed recording a new single with the band on the spot.

“(The show) reminded me how much fun the Secret Service had been live. They always went full-tilt,” says Miller. “After talking with Justice and Steve and realizing there were a couple of live staples that had never been released, it all came together pretty easily. Chaney (Nichols, Misspent co-founder) and I are excited to get another shot of Memphis rock and roll out there.”

This Friday, the Secret Service will unveil the long-awaited new single (available on 7” vinyl and in digital formats) for “Teenage Mustache” b/w “Outsiders” at a release party at Minglewood Hall’s 1884 Lounge. But from there, the future of the band remains to be seen.

“Things are up in the air, we haven’t really talked about it,” says Naczycz. “If the band is excited, I’d love for us to play more. I’d hoped to. But we haven’t really discussed it except for jokes.”

The Secret Service 7” release party
w/ James and the Ultrasounds
Friday, August 21, 10 p.m. All-ages
$7 advanced/$10 day of show/$15 for ticket & vinyl

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Stax Music Academy to play Levitt Shell, European tour

Duck Dunn’s pipe

Yesterday I stopped by the Stax Museum of American Soul Music for the thousandth time. It never gets old; it is, as Steve Cropper once said of working there, “like going to church.” This time around, I focused on the little things that I may have passed by earlier. Duck Dunn’s pipe, the marked-up tape box for a Mar-Keys session, Al Jackson, Jr.’s “peace-sign bootjack to remove his boots after a day of studio sessions.” And then there were the current exhibits: Hit the Road, Stax! Wayne Jackson and the 1967 Stax/Volt European Tour (through Sept. 30), A Century of Funk: Rufus Thomas at 100 (through Aug. 31), and the most stunning, Portraits in Soul: Rare Images from the API Archive. This last exhibit, featuring gallery-quality prints of Stax artists’ publicity shots, most in stunning color, will end on Labor Day, so get there while you can. Bill Carrier, API Photographers

Sam & Dave publicity photo, from ‘Portraits in Soul’ exhibit.

But what’s most sanctified about the reborn Stax complex is that it’s not just a museum. I also stopped in to see where the Stax Music Academy summer students have been rehearsing, next door in the Soulsville Charter School gymnasium. At the time, they were taking a well-deserved break, shooting hoop and singing karaoke, but even then it was clear that these young people shared a powerful camaraderie. This year’s Summer Music Experience included the usual in-depth instruction in Stax history, vocals, instrumentals, marketing, audio engineering, songwriting, and choreography, as provided by the Stax Music Academy staff. Students also attended intensive sessions with multi-instrumentalist, keyboardist extraordinaire, and producer Booker T. Jones. As a grand finale for the summer program, they will light up the Levitt Shell this weekend, presenting such classics as Isaac Hayes’ “Theme from Shaft,” Shirley Brown’s “Woman to Woman,” and two dozen other Stax songs.

Stax Music Academy students at the Levitt Shell, 2015

Finally, on July 7, a select group of twelve students will embark on the Stax Music Academy European Tour, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the original overseas tour by the Stax/Volt Revue. In 1967, this tour represented an epiphany for many of the label’s artists, as they witnessed sold out shows across England and the continent. When the artists returned home, they had a new sense of their music’s appeal and importance, propelling them to even greater heights in the years to come. Following in their footsteps, the academy students (with funding by the Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development) will open for Stax legend Mavis Staples on July 17th in Bristol, England at Colston Hall (one of the original 1967 tour venues), and open for Stax icon and recent GRAMMY winner William Bell on July 21st at the Sage Gateshead Americana Festival in Sage/Newcastle, England. Be assured that the students of today’s reborn Stax will return to Memphis on a note of inspiration, much as their forerunners did half a century ago.
http://www.staxstudenttour2017.com/

Stax Music Academy to play Levitt Shell, European tour

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Music Music Blog

Levitt Shell 2017 Summer Concert Series Begins

CREDIT: I Love Memphis Blog

Few things epitomize the beauty of Memphis in summer as much as an evening of music at the Levitt Shell in Overton Park. Having endured another sweltering day, Memphians from all walks of life emerge from their air conditioned (or not) workplaces and homes to soak in the real air, sit on the grass with drinks, and let acclaimed performers usher in the cool of the night. Most locals can readily tick off their favorite experiences at the shell, some deeply moved by the memories.

I Love Memphis Blog

Built in 1936, the band shell was a notable local achievement of the Works Progress Administration, which built twenty-seven such bandstands around the country at the time. Only a few of these remain standing. The shell in Memphis was endangered at various times in its history, and for a brief period in the 1980s it featured no performances. Soon after, Save Our Shell, Inc., inspired by the activism of John Hanrahan, successfully raised funds to perserve the shell. In 2005, the city partnered with the Mortimer & Mimi Levitt Foundation to sponsor renovations and a yearly concert series.

Since then, each year has brought new improvements to the free concert experience. As explained by Abbey Judd, Strategic Partnerships Coordinator for the Levitt Shell, there will be new amenities and services this year, and a return of other features that have proven popular.

  • Bike valet: like a coat check, there will be an area reserved for bikes to be left without locks. An attendant will issue a wristband for reclaiming your wheels after the show.
  • Interns from the Memphis Music Initiative: Students from the MMI will be assisting with various facets of each show, as they apprentice with video, audio, and lighting professionals.
  • Arts Advocacy every Friday: ArtsMemphis will host a table to enable anyone who wants to speak out in favor of supporting the arts, including postcards for sending to representatives.
  • Community Partners: Through its Amplify Memphis program, worthy nonprofits and other community organizations will have tables to promote their efforts each week. This week’s partner will be the Family Safety Center.
  • Food vendors: Mempops will have their locally made popsicles at every show. Look for other vendors as well.

Tonight (Thursday) marks the beginning of the Orion Free Music Concert Series, with Memphis native Gedeon Luke & the People kicking off with their unique soul sounds at 7:30. A full slate of eclectic talent will be featured every Thursday-Sunday through July 16 (See link below for the schedule. Full disclosure: I’ll be performing in one of the bands). Don’t forget to take camp chairs or blankets, and mosquito repellent!
http://www.levittshell.org/summer-2017/

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Music Music Features

Moon River Music Festival at the Levitt Shell

CREDIT: Eric Ryan Anderson

Eric Ryan Anderson

Drew Holcomb

Drew Holcomb’s Moon River Music Festival takes over the Levitt Shell this weekend. Now in its third year, the Moon River Music Festival features three nights of family-friendly folk rock from Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors, Wade Bowen, JOHNNYSWIM, the Oh Hellos, Kris Allen, Colony House, Dave Barnes, Penny and Sparrow, Gedeon Luke and the People, David Ramirez, the Stax Music Academy, Sean McConnell, Humming House, Lori McKenna, and Castro.

A native of Memphis, Drew Holcomb has experienced critical acclaim for Medicine — his latest album with his backing band the Neighbors. The group recently sold out Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium and made an appearance on the Jimmy Kimmel Live! television show. Taking that into consideration, it’s easy to see why the Moon River Music Festival became the highest attended paid show in Levitt Shell history last year. But keeping with a tradition that started at the festival’s inception, a significant portion of the money raised at Moon River will be donated to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Soulsville Foundation, and the Levitt Shell itself.

While there are many acts on this weekend’s bill that are worthy of your attention, the Oh Hellos are certainly worth checking out. Formed five years ago, the Oh Hellos consist of brother and sister Tyler and Maggie Heath, and their stripped-down folk rock has been featured on the NBC show Parenthood. Other highlights include the Stax Music Academy, Gedeon Luke, and Humming House. Visit moonriverfest.com for advance tickets. — Chris Shaw

Moon River Music Festival, Friday October 7th through Sunday October 9th at the Levitt Shell. Single day tickets start at $45, VIP passes are available for $250.

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The Levitt Shell Announces Fall Series

Mavis Staples plays the Levitt Shell on Saturday, October 15th.

The 2016 Free Music Series at the Levitt Shell kicks back up this weekend with the Stone Soul Picnic on Saturday, September 3rd and a Rock For Love show on Sunday, September 4th. The series will feature 17 concerts in all, in addition to the Indie Memphis Film Series that will run through October.

Highlights include a performance by the North Mississippi Allstars on Friday, September 9th, the Levitt Shell’s 80th anniversary party with Cedric Burnside on Tuesday, September 13th, and the “This is Memphis” festival showcasing Blue Tom Records related artists on Sunday, October 2nd. Check out the complete schedule below. With the exception of the Mavis Staples “Stars at the Shell” concert, all events are free.

Saturday, September 3rd- Stone Soul Picnic
Sunday, September 4th- Rock for Love

Thursday, September 8th- Indie Memphis Music Film Series screens Country Blues Festival
Friday, September 9th- North Mississippi Alllstars
Saturday, September 10th- Civil Twilight
Sunday, September 11th- Delta Rae

Tuesday, September 13th- Levitt Shell 80th Anniversary Party featuring Cedric Burnside & Sons of Mudboy
Thursday, September 15th- Indie Memphis Music Film Series screens Respect Yourself
Friday, September 16th- New Brass Breed Band
Saturday, September 17th- Rhodes College Jazz Band with George Coleman
Sunday, September 18th- Henry Gross

Thursday, September 22nd- Indie Memphis Music Film Series screens Once
Friday, September 23rd- Parker Millsap & Sara Jarosz
Saturday, September 24th- Snowglobe
Sunday, September 25th- New Ballet Ensemble

Thursday, September 29th- Indie Memphis Music Film Series screens The Wiz
Friday, September 30th- Opera Memphis
Saturday, October 1st- Motel Mirrors
Sunday, October 2nd- University of Memphis “This is Memphis” Festival

Thursday, October 13th- Indie Memphis Music Film Series screens Mavis! A Documentary Film
Saturday, October 15th- Stars at the Shell: Mavis Staples & St. Paul and the Broken Bones ($$$)

Thursday, October 20th- Indie Memphis Music Film Series screens The Blues Brothers
Friday, October 21st- The Blind Boys of Alabama
Saturday, October 22nd- Eleanor Tallie
Sunday, October 23rd- Balkan Beat Box

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Music Music Features

Snowglobe Returns

Not too long ago, the Memphis psych-rock band, Snowglobe, was one of the most popular and prolific acts in town. Over the course of an eight-year span from 2002 to 2010, the group produced four excellent full-length albums, an EP, and two B-sides collections, toured regularly, and even dabbled in acting in Craig Brewer’s $5 Cover series for MTV.

But not much has been heard from the group in recent years. 2010’s Little More Lived In was Snowglobe’s last official release, and the band hasn’t played live since 2012. In that time, some members of Snowglobe pursued other projects — Tim Regan in his new Austin, TX-based group Texas Never Whispers, Jeff Hulett in Glorie and a solo act, Luke White with James and the Ultrasounds, and Nashon Benford with too many bands to mention.

Over five years ago, the band started working on what would become a new, self-titled album with producer/engineer Toby Vest at High/Low Recording. That record comes out this week on Regan’s Super Sonic Sounds label, and Snowglobe is re-convening for a release show this Friday at the Levitt Shell. Brad Postlethwaite, the frontman and founding member of Snowglobe, spoke to the Flyer this week about the band’s latest chapter. — JD Reager

The Memphis Flyer: Why did it take so long to make this record?

Postlethwaite: We’ve all had different things going on in our lives over the past five-plus years. There have been periods of intense effort and focus on this record, but we have also had to take a lot of extended breaks due to work, family, and other reasons. We had no deadlines, no interested labels, no one breathing down our neck. No expectations. It was beautiful. If it took 10 years to get things sounding right, so be it. We were making a record for the sake of doing it, not for any other reason.

What was it like working with Toby Vest and Pete Matthews at High/Low?

I had about 20 songs demoed when I brought the project to High/Low. Toby and the rest of the band helped to sort through them, decide what to try and record, etc. Of those 20, we ended up recording about 16 or 17 tracks, and then cut about five songs at the tail end of the project. At that point, we knew that mixing the remaining 10 or 11 songs was going to be a real challenge given the number of instrument and vocal tracks in each session. It also became clear, to me, that mixing would be a lot easier if I removed myself from the process.

Are you a perfectionist in the studio?

I am certainly a perfectionist and a little obsessive when it comes to finishing a record. There are often a handful of tracks that, to me, sound incomplete or just not representative of what I hear in my head.

For me, the final step in completing a record is reaching a state where I’m able to let that go. In this case, I was lucky, as Toby really understood the vision I had for all of these songs. In the end, once the record was ready to be mixed, I was very comfortable leaving things in his and Pete’s capable hands.

Mortality is a topic you address frequently on the new album — where does that come from?

Many of the songs dealing with issues of death and mortality were inspired by events in my life or those close to me. A few were inspired by experiences I had as a medical student or resident. On a daily basis, you are being exposed to these really tragic situations and experiencing them with the patient’s families. It’s an overwhelming amount of emotions that are hard to put into words.

What do you see happening with the band from here?

More albums for sure. Between family and work, touring would certainly be difficult. I’ve always dreamed of getting back on the road again with my boys, but in the words of Michael Bluth, “Family first.”

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Music Music Features

Shape Shifter

CREDIT: Alysse Gafkjen

You may recognize Lera Lynn as the bar-room singer from the second season of the HBO show True Detective, but the Nasvhille recording artist has a lot more to offer than the sad songs that set the mood for the somber detective drama that aired last year. I caught up with Lynn days before she plays a free show at the Levitt Shell to talk about her new album, Resistor, and more.

Memphis Flyer: Obviously we’re going to have to talk about True Detective a little bit. Now that there’s been some time removed from the season you were on, what’s your biggest takeaway from that experience?

Lera Lynn: There’s a lot of things that come to mind. I was so impressed by Vince Vaughn, Taylor Kitsch, and Rachel McAdams. They really did a great job. I think they got screwed, man. They worked their asses off and they performed really well, and I hate that there can be one person with a big mouth and it can tank this whole massive project that people put their hearts and souls into. Once your show has been shit-canned, it’s impossible to climb out of it. I’ve been known to go on rants about this.

Do you think it’s fair to label your music as “dark” or “haunting”? Those adjectives seem to come up a lot when reading about your songs.

I think some of it is, but that is just a small part of the story. I don’t think [the song] “Shape Shifter” is dark or haunting. Neither is [the song] “Drive.” There’s plenty of other things going on in my songs, and I think when people come to a concert, they are expecting to see my performance in True Detective, but my shows with the full band are much more dynamic. We have rock songs and songs in major keys. There’s even some humor sometimes.

Let’s talk about your new album, Resistor. How would you describe the overall mood of that record?

I can only describe it in a scene. To me, it’s late night driving with the windows down in the summer time. That’s how it makes me feel. That’s what I was hoping for in an abstract way. It’s hard to describe in one word, because it covers a lot of territory, which is what a good record should do.

Alt-country is such a vast word for a genre that has many sub-sects. How would you describe Resistor? Is goth-country a thing yet?

That’s funny, because right after I wrote the song “What You Done,” I called it something like doom country. I don’t think there’s much country going on with this record. The song “For the Last Time” was written two or three years ago. I almost didn’t include it [on the album] because it was too different, but that’s the song that’s doing the best in the U.K. and in Europe.

The songwriting approach for Resistor was so different. In the past I tried to focus on telling a story. With this record I wanted to be as succinct as I could and describe a single moment in time.

Album closer “Little Ruby” has an almost glam element to it, especially the vocals and the guitar twang. The song is a great closer, and I feel like it kind of wraps up all the different genres you’re experimenting with on the album. Is that accurate?

I can see that. There’s definitely some ’70s stuff going on. I wanted to write like a light-hearted J.J. Cale song for the closer since there’s some heavy shit going on in the album. I thought it would be nice for the end of the record. We wrote it in an afternoon and recorded it the next day. We just kind of threw it together, which sometimes can be the best approach.

Lera Lynn, Friday, July 8th at the Levitt Shell, 7:30 p.m. Free

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Music Music Features

Steep Canyon Rangers At The Levitt Shell

Grammy award-winning bluegrass band Steep Canyon Rangers play the Levitt Shell this Friday night. The Summer Series is in full swing over at the Shell, and last Thursday night the Bo-Keys (featuring the amazing Percy Wiggins) delivered an amazing set of Memphis hits that set the bar pretty high for the rest of the performers scheduled for June. Steep Canyon Rangers should be up to the challenge, as they’ve been heralded by Rolling Stone as “hard-charging innovators” in the bluegrass genre. The band also has a handful of awards from the International Bluegrass Music Association to go along with a Grammy award and Grammy nomination.

Steep Canyon Rangers

Formed in 2000 at the University of North Carolina, Steep Canyon Rangers released six albums before their breakthrough with 2011’s Rare Bird Alert — a genre-defining album that featured comedian Steve Martin on banjo. The band also collaborates with Martin Short, and both comedians were featured on Steep Canyon Rangers’ spring tour. Neither comedian has committed to performing with the band on Friday, but that shouldn’t stop you from enjoying one of the best modern bluegrass bands going. Steep Canyon Rangers take modern bluegrass to new levels without watering down the genre, and percussionist Michael Ashworth has brought a tremendous amount of versatility to the band since joining in 2013, with his signature “box kit” giving the Steep Canyon Rangers a backbone without overpowering the intricate string work.

There won’t be many opportunities to see Grammy-sized talent at the Levitt Shell this summer, but other concerts of note in the next two weeks include performances by Elizabeth Cook and Lera Lynn, the singer featured in multiple episodes of the second season of True Detective.

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Frazey-Good

Singer/songwriter Frazey Ford grew up in Canada, the daughter of two American expatriates.

“My mom sang all the time,” Ford recalls. “She wanted me to sing melody from a really young age so she could harmonize.”

Even though her mother hailed from Nebraska, she was of Acadian extraction, and so Ford grew up surrounded by Cajun music.

“Her family plays all those instruments, like the fiddle and the accordion, and they sang in that kind of country way,” Ford says.

When she was 12 years old, she was going through her parents’ record collection when she made a momentous discovery.

“I came across an album I had flipped past many times. It was Otis Redding. I had never heard of him, but I never recovered from listening to that album. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever heard in my life.”

The singer, guitarist, and keyboardist spent her 20s playing different kinds of music. She was, at one point, in an Al Green cover band, before finding success with the Be Good Tanyas, a group that combined classic country and folk influences that was bundled with the nebulous Americana genre.

“It was some old friends who would get together and play old songs,” she says. “Of all of the projects I was in, that was the one that took off, kind of unexpectedly. It was funny to me, because I didn’t listen to a lot of country music.”

For her first solo album, 2010’s Obadiah, she decided to return to the soul sounds that had gotten under her skin as a teenager. The goal was to make a record somewhere between Neil Young’s Harvest and Al Green’s I’m Still In Love With You. It was one of those songs that Memphis writer/director/producer Robert Gordon heard on WEVL.

“I was getting back into my car after putting air in my tire — it was such a mundane thing — when I heard the last two notes of a song. I thought, ‘I don’t know that Hi Record’,” he recalls.

“He recognized something in it, but he didn’t hear who the artist was, so he called the radio station,” Ford says. “Then he looked me up on Wikipedia and found out I was influenced by Al Green and Ann Peebles, and he emailed my manager and said ‘I know all these guys. I feel like this could be a good fit. Do you want to work with the Hi Rhythm Section?’

“When I got that email, my jaw hit the floor. If there’s one band that I have obsessively studied and listened to, it’s the Hi Rhythm Section. There’s something about the way they all play together and how those albums are made. They’re so groovy and so gentle and so soulful and sexy. To me, it’s the pinnacle of music.”

Ford’s album, Indian Ocean, was recorded at Memphis’ Royal Studios with Boo Mitchell engineering, Charles Hodges on keyboards, Leroy Hodges on bass, and the late Teenie Hodges on guitar, as well as additional Memphis firepower in the persons of Jim Spake, Scott Thompson, and Doug Easley.

The process of trying to forge a new sound for herself helped her appreciate the true brilliance of the Memphis crew.

“Willie Mitchell did so much of that, sculpting new sounds. I felt his presence there. They were always saying, ‘This is what Willie would say, this is what Willie would do.’ He was clearly a very strong leader. It was also so fun! I recorded Teenie telling stories. Being in that studio recording was just surreal,” Ford says.

“I often feel like Teenie’s with me, and I’m really excited to come back to Memphis and play with those guys again.”

Frazey Ford at the Levitt Shell, Saturday June 18th, 7:30 p.m. Free

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Music Music Features

Levitt Shell Free Summer Series Returns

Last weekend the Levitt Shell announced the line up to their Free Summer Concert Series. The series will go down in a newly renovated amphitheater, and the shows will feature various food trucks and beer vendors, in addition to being all ages. Here’s the rundown on 18 acts playing the Levitt Shell this summer.

Thursday, June 2nd: The Soul Rebels with the Beale Street Flippers

New Orleans’ the Soul Rebels kick the summer series off with a funk/jazz fusion, and having the Beale Street Flippers on hand should push this party over the edge.

Saturday, June 4th: Big Ass Truck

Memphis’ own Big Ass Truck reunite for a Saturday show at the Levitt Shell. Fun fact: Big Ass Truck features former Memphis Flyer music editor Joe Boone.

Thursday, June 9th: The Record Company

The Record Company kick off the second week of the Summer Series, bringing their Stones-esque rock to the Shell. Their latest album Give It Back to You was released earlier this year.

Friday, June 10th: Mariachi Flor De Toloache

The all-female mariachi band Mariachi Flor De Toloache were nominated for a Latin Grammy and have been at it since 2008.

Saturday, June 11th: Cherry Poppin’ Daddies

Bust out your zoot suit, and get ready for a swingin’ time when the Cherry Poppin’ Daddies take the stage.

Thursday, June 16th: The Bo-Keys

Memphis’ Bo-Keys don’t play all that often, but whenever they do, it’s a guaranteed great time. The Keys will be joined by Percy Wiggins and Don Bryant for this gig.

Thursday, June 23rd: Hayes Carll

Hayes Carll has been nominated for a Grammy, and American Songwriter awarded him with Song of the Year in 2011 for his track “Another Like You.”

Friday, June 24th: Steep Canyon Rangers

These Grammy Award-winners have been at it for 15 years and frequently collaborate with comedian Steve Martin, but no word yet on whether or not he will be joining them.

Friday, July 1st: Elizabeth Cook

Elizabeth Cook kicks off the final month of the Summer Series, and chances are she’ll have her first new album in six years, Exodus of Venus, in tow.

Thursday, July 7th: Hal Ketchum

Hal Ketchum has been cranking out country albums for three decades, and his 1991 album Past the Point of Rescue has sold over 500,000 copies and features his most well-known song, “Small Town Saturday Night.”

Friday, July 8th: Lera Lynn

You may recognize Lera Lynn as the bar-room singer in the second season of True Detective (a character some might call the only redeeming quality of that season). Lynn played a vital role in that season of True Detective, and her dark pop music has been blowing up ever since.

Saturday, July 9th: “Stars at the Shell”: Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings (ticketed event)

Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings will play the Levitt Shell’s annual fund-raiser “Stars at the Shell,” and tickets will soon be available through the Shell’s website.

Thursday, July 14th: Band of Heathens

Austin’s Band of Heathens live on the road, taking their rock-and-roll far and wide on the strength of their latest album, 2013’s Sunday Morning Record.

Friday, July 15th: Cedric Burnside

As the grandson of R.L. Burnside, Cedric Burnside had some big shoes to fill when he started playing live music. He answered the call by becoming one of the most renowned drummers in the world, and Cedric Burnside Project creates a dance party like few other acts can.

Saturday, July 23rd: The Nightowls

To record their appropriately titled new album The Fame Sessions, the Nightowls took to Muscle Shoals’ FAME Studios, where the Staple Singers, Percy Sledge, Little Richard, and the Allman Brothers all cranked out some of their best work.

Thursday, July 28th: Martin Harley

Slide-guitar master Martin Harley brings his modern blues to the final weekend of the Summer Series. Harley has traveled the world with his 12-string guitar, and his latest album, Live at Southern Ground, was released last year.

Friday, July 29th: Snowglobe

Hometown heroes Snowglobe are releasing a new album later this year, so their performance at the Shell should be full of new material. The band has released six albums over the course of their long career, and their off-kilter pop has been a local favorite for years.

Sunday, July 31st: Alvin Youngblood Hart

Alvin Youngblood Hart closes out the Summer Series. Hart has won over the likes of Eric Clapton and Bob Dylan with his genre-bending blues music, and he recorded his album Start With the Soul with Memphis legend Jim Dickinson. Hart also served as Samuel L. Jackson’s guitar tutor on Craig Brewer’s Black Snake Moan.

All shows start at 7:30 p.m.