5th annual Overbrook Songwriters Festival arrives this weekend

The Overbrook Songwriters Festival returns to Brookhaven Friday and Saturday, Aug. 2-3.

The two days of live, original music include performances by more than two dozen artists at four venues in downtown Brookhaven for the free festival’s fifth year.

“We’ve got 28 songwriters from around the South. Nine are either new or returning after being away,” said founder and organizer Shaw Furlow. “We had 14 artists the first year, and had to cancel in 2020. We’ve got great venues!”

A songwriter and musician himself, Furlow started the festival to be unique from other songwriter festivals he’d been to. Most require the artists to pay to play. The Overbrook reversed that thinking, paying something to each of the artists who are on the lineup to share their original creations.

Friday’s performances are all at Recess 101 on South First Street. From 8-10 p.m., songwriters performing include Adrian Parker, R.T. Hall, The Beach Bums, Ayden Smith, Charlie and Libby Hewitt, Keith Harrelson, and Tyler Bridge, followed by an open mic for other original artists.

Saturday’s musicians will be at Tortilla Soup, Magnolia Blues, and Recess 101 from noon until 6 p.m. Beginning at 9 p.m., two artists will share their songs at Betty’s Eat Shop.

Saturday’s lineup is as follows:

12-1:20 p.m. — Chris Derrick and Maggie Brown at Tortilla Soup; Shelby Martin Anderson and Eric Woods at Recess 101.

1:30-2:50 p.m. — Mike Campbell and Bill Romano at Tortilla Soup; John West and Betsy Berryhill at Recess 101.

2-3:20 p.m. — Andi Cotton and Dana Woods at Magnolia Blues.

3-4:20 p.m. — R.T. Hall and Tyler Bridge at Tortilla Soup; Barry Hebert and Casey Barlow at Recess 101.

3:30-4:50 p.m. — Keith Harrelson and Bryan Batson at Magnolia Blues.

4:30-5:50 p.m. — Beach Bums and Guy Pechau at Tortilla Soup; john Jordan and Rick Adams at Recess 101.

5-6 p.m. — Susan Aysen and Nancy Bryant Roppolo at Magnolia Blues.

9 p.m. — Berry Chauvin and Gabriel Bass at Betty’s East Shop.

Brookhaven Music Studio, at 120 East Cherokee St., will also host an open house Saturday morning.

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