Sierra Vista Mall came alive during last night’s Rodeo Kick-Off Concert featuring country artists Stephanie Quayle, Casey Donahew and 2016 American Idol winner Trent Harmon.
Quayle hit the stage first, entertaining the crowd with hits from her new album, “Love the Way You See Me.” Throughout her 30-minute performance, Quayle engaged fans by expressing how much their support means to her: “Y’all are now part of the flock of Quayle, it’s a lifetime membership.”
Following Quayle’s performance, fellow country artist Casey Donahew out of Fort Worth, Texas, came on stage. Donahew played a mix of classics and newer songs while taking requests from the crowd. At one point, Donahew asked the beer garden crowd to sing along to one of his original songs “Stockyards.” The crowd sang along to the first couple verses before fading out. Donahew teased the crowd and gave them an opportunity to redeem themselves: “Help us erase that from our memories … let’s try it again.” This time, the crowd came out with more energy for the sing-along of the chorus: “the stockyards it’s my backyard, that’s where I grew up …”
Harmon capped the evening by showcasing his musical talents that propelled him to American Idol stardom. The Big Machine artist was a fan favorite, as evidenced by the number of fans wearing his T-shirts. The show was Harmon’s second appearance in the area, as he performed in Fresno’s Tower District in late 2016.
“It’s great [to be back],” he said.
Harmon’s debut album “You Got ‘Em All” is set for a May 18 release. The album, Harmon said, is something he has been working on his whole life.
“My current single ‘You Got ‘Em All’ is on it as well as my Top 15 single, ‘There’s A Girl,’” he said. “‘You Got ‘Em All’ is doing really well, it was the most added song to country three weeks ago and it was the second most added this week. It’s a really special song and I think people are really going to believe it. It’s a sad song but a lot of things are sad, and I hope it touches a lot of people.”
At the end of the day, Harmon’s goal is to entertain and share his life through music.
“I just try to entertain folks, help them enjoy the music and forget about their bad day,” Harmon added.
Between the Donahew and Harmon performances, the show took an intermission for a private meet-and-greet session. There, artists engaged with fans, took photos and handed out autographs.
All three artists are expected to be in attendance at the 53rd Academy of Country Music Awards Sunday in Las Vegas.