Music, sunshine and red rock views. What more could you ask for? The Red Dirt concert series, now in its second year, will play host to five dates this spring. The series is co-sponsored by a donation from the Friends of Barbara Antonsen Park and the Sedona Parks and Recreation Department.
“We got a good amount of interested artists but I still pulled from artists who had been interested last year who we couldn’t work with,” Parks and Recreation Manager Rachel Murdoch said.
Dates include May 24 and 31, as well as June 7, 14 and 21. They added a fifth show this spring because the fall series was canceled due to cold weather and a lack of lighting and participation. This year’s free concerts will all be held on Fridays from 6 to 8 p.m. at Barbara Antonsen Park Pavilion. This is a change from last
spring’s time of 5 to 7 p.m. Murdoch purchased red LED lights, which will be placed along the walkway, while new stage lighting will be added.
She said last year’s spring concerts drew between 90 to 150 people. With the later hours, she is hoping to draw closer to 200 with each show.
The format will be the same as last year, with an opening act playing for 20 minutes followed by a brief intermission. The headliner will then take the stage and play for around 90 minutes. The opener is paid $150, while the headliner gets $450.
When choosing the acts, Murdoch works closely with Jason Vargo, who heads their tech support, formerly organized GumptionFest and is also the lead singer of the popular cover band The Naughty Bits. They had 19 applicants for the spring series and actually had twice as many last fall. Preference is given to local artists, which includes the Verde Valley and Flagstaff.
“Jason’s great and has been a really big help,” she said. “We listen to all the performers because they have to submit samples. We get a lot of good talent, so the hard part is trying find an opening with a headliner so that it’s a cohesive show. It’s also a little tricky because when they apply, they all want to be the headliner.”
As of press time, scheduling of the bands was still being finalized but those performing over the five concerts will include the following [headliner followed by opening act]:
- Invincible Grins with Sister and the Sun
- Life is Beautiful with Evil George
- Thunder and Lightnin’ with Mighty Tim Young
- Headline band to be determined with Two Hand Union
- Ryan Biter with Grace Noelle
“I think it’s a great lineup,” she said.
Concertgoers can bring their own chairs or sit on the grass. Dogs are allowed as long as they are on a leash. A food vendor is expected to be on site but those have yet to be determined.
For updated scheduling, visit the city’s website at sedonaaz.gov under parks and recreation or their Facebook page.
Ron Eland can be reached at 282-7795, ext. 122 or by email at reland@larsonnewspapers.com
