As the valley's temperature rises, so does the anticipation for the Sun & Sounds concert series, which is bringing the heat of local music to the Scottsdale Civic Center. In this sonic showcase slated for Sunday afternoon delight, you're invited to kick back under the Arizona sky to the strumming and storytelling of country singer Taylor Glasheen and the Nolan McKelvey Band, each infusing their brand of Americana into the desert air.
Glasheen, known for gracing the stages of Phoenix country staples like The Dirty Drummer, is set to serenade the audience from noon to 1:30 p.m. with tracks that are no stranger to tugging heartstrings. According to Phoenix New Times, Glasheen describes her music as "real country music" that "connects to the listener’s ear and hopefully can breathe air into some of their emotions they’ve been feeling every now and then," a testament to her emotionally gripping performances.
Detailing her journey, Glasheen relays that Dana Armstrong, of the Dirty Drummer, catalyzed her first venture onto the live stage. Recovering from the situation with substantial grace, Glasheen admitted to Phoenix New Times, "I had to battle first-time stage fright, all that jazz, but Dana was definitely the one that guided that bug of performing live." Now, she steps into a brighter spotlight, positioned to make a Marquee Theatre debut on a Monday night, opening for none other than Uncle Kracker.
The same afternoon, Nolan McKelvey will trail Glasheen with his band's set from 2:30 to 4 p.m., straddling genres from bluegrass to rock'n'roll. With two decades of traversing the Americana landscape and credits including Levon Helm and the Newport Folk Festival, McKelvey is not merely a musician. His craft has been lauded by FlagLive as "one of the best songwriters in the southwest," as per Scottsdale Center For The Performing Arts, unpacking his suitcase of songs onto the Civic Center stage.
