?America's Got Talent quarter-finalist Lindsey Stirling stole the show. Stirling proved that just because its classic doesn't mean it has to be boring. (Photo by Olivia Richards)As the sun began to set, filling Friday night with a hue of fresh embers, there was suddenly a loud pulsating that filled not only the air but also the soul and spirit of everyone present. It was a bass amplifier, and the sound signaled the start of the annual Summer Ends Music Festival at Tempe Beach Park.
The crowd jostled, pushing each other; everyone wanted to be one of the lucky ones pressed up against the stage barriers in the hopes that tonight will be the night that their favorite band chooses them to sing to.
As the stage was cleared and the lights were dimmed to a smoky hue of Spanish blue and apple green, the crowd began to yell "Lindsey! Lindsey! Lindsey!" Suddenly, the air was filled with the steady cadence of electric rock, the beat building louder and louder — then there was a pause. She floated out onto the stage in a rhinestone-bedecked corset and a skirt of grey gossamer layered over a pair of black and white stripped tights. In her hand she carried a bow. She rested the violin under her chin and with a tilt of her head she began to play.
She is Lindsey Stirling a former resident of Gilbert, Arizona, who began her rise to musical stardom in 2010 when she debuted her unique pixie rock star violinist style on the television show "America's Got Talent," where she made it all the way to the season's quarterfinals.
Stirling’s unconventional rock music with a classical almost-Irish twist made her one of the many highly anticipated headlining performers at this year's Summer Ends Music Festival.
?Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness is the first to take the stage, setting audiences up for a incredible line up of talent. (Photo by Olivia Richards)The festival is a three day annual concert that features some of today’s hottest recording artists. This year's festival featured a variety of performers from local bands like The Senators to chart topping sensations like singer/songwriter Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness, rock bands O.A.R, American Authors, indie-pop sensation Capital Cities and rock violinist Lindsey Stirling.
These bands took the stage to a sold-out field, using the great Arizona outdoors as the backdrop to an incredible night; setting both the stage and the bar high for the next two days of musical talent. Some of the performers audiences experienced on Saturday included Switchfoot, Descendants and The Replacements. Sunday featured shows by Fitz & the Tantrums and Foster the People.
Held outside in a park-like setting, the venue and concert had an atmosphere that caters to music lovers of all ages, the stage is raised so whether you are in the front row pressed up against the barriers or sitting in on a picnic blanket in the back you are sure not to miss a single moment of the phenomenal talent the Summer Ends Music Festival has to offer.
Reach the reporter at oprichar@asu.edu or follow her on Twitter @OliviaRichard1
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