Square bash to feature musical history
On May 21, 1970, the TGIFriday’s opened on Madison, marking the launch of what would become Overton Square’s dining, nightlife and entertainment center. After five decades of ups and downs, the area is thriving once again, and Loeb Properties is set to mark the 45th anniversary of Overton Square with a free multiday concert and entertainment event.
The anniversary celebration will take place May 21-24, with performances by more than 20 acts, many of them featuring familiar names who have historical ties to the Square. Among the artists set to perform are Keith Sykes, Sons of Mudboy and Friends (featuring Luther Dickinson), Randy Haspel, John Kilzer, the Willys (including former members of the Breaks), the Memphis All Stars (a tribute to the Hot Dogs), Crawpatch, the Crime and Larry Raspberry and the High Steppers.
Overton Square director of public events Mamie Shannon notes that the celebration of the square’s musical history comes at the right time.
“The Memphis music community has taken quite a hit this past year, lost a lot of folks, and each one of these bands appearing at the anniversary has been impacted directly by that,” says Shannon, noting the recent deaths of the Breaks’ Pat Taylor and the Hot Dogs’ Jack Holder. “This an opportunity for the bands and their fans to get together and celebrate and remember. That’s the most rewarding aspect to this.”
The acts will be performing at various locations on the Square — including Schweinehaus, Bayou Bar & Grill and Lafayette’s Music Room — and on a pair of outdoor stages, one in the courtyard and one on Madison Avenue.
The Memphis & Shelby County Public Library will also have a “Storyteller’s Corner” set up to record the recollections of those who used to hang out on the Square in the ’70s and ’80s (these oral histories will be included library’s Overton Square Archive). WKNO will also be hosting screenings of its “Memphis Memoirs” documentary “Overton Square: The Golden Age,” as part of the programming.
The official celebration will run Thursday, May 21, through Saturday May 23. On Sunday, May 24, as a tie-in, Lafayette’s will host a benefit for jazz/ blues singer Joyce Cobb, who has been dealing with cancer. Entertainment for the event is still being finalized.
For more information, go to overtonsquare.com.