Sunburnt? To say the least. Exhausted? An understatement. Worth it? Every time.
Scottsdale reached a high of 106 degrees on Saturday but even hotter than that was the music coming from Audien with direct support from Vanic and locals Slippe and Kody Black.
Entering the gates of the Talking Stick Resort pool, I could hear the sound of funky wubs and it was the PERFECT way to get things started. Before getting inside I was already booty shakin’ and I knew I was about to have some fun. With a drink and my hand and my toes in the pool I was soaking up the sun and the tunes of Kody Black, a 24 year old hailing from Phoenix. He came out with a bang to start the day and got the good vibes goin’.
Up next was Slippe, a Scottsdale resident, whom I had never heard of but was happy to come across. Every song took me off guard and I had to do a music double take to make sure I heard the awesomeness correctly. His added zest of reggae sounds in his songs was the perfect flavor for the AZ heat and got everyone’s heads bobbing. Apologies to anyone who was in the splash zone of MY dancing.
My excitement level got higher as it was time for Vanic to come on. I was lucky enough to meet Jessie Hughes, the man behind alias Vanic. His energy was contained by a calm and collected exterior prior to his set. I had a mini fan-girl moment as I stood next to him for a picture and we exchanged hellos. Shortly after saying goodbye, Vanic took the stage. From start to finish his set put a smile on my face. I could tell the crowd was feeling it too when most people rushed from the pool to be at the rail. It didn’t matter where you were, everyone was groovin’ the whole time. The day was made when he dropped his remix of,”Hypnotic,” by Zella Day. This was one for the books.
As the sun was setting on our day in the desert, Audien came out for a performance I will never forget. There wasn’t a second that I wasn’t dancing, singing my heart out, and getting lost in the melodies. Nate has a stage presence like no other and if his music doesn’t get you moving his energy most definitely will. His set threw me on a rollercoaster of emotions and if I had a dollar for every, “Oh my gosh did you hear how good that was?!” moment, I’d be able to buy a round of drinks for the whole place! We can’t be sure when Audien will return to Arizona but we can be sure that his fans will be anxiously waiting.
It was a scorcher in the desert sun but the crisp pool, ice-cold drinks, and array of bangers kept us all going. From the headbangers in the front to the sun-bathers in the back, there wasn’t a single person at Talking Stick this weekend that didn’t have a good time. I was able to catch up with some old friends and make some new ones along the way and the good vibes were at an all time high. Pro tips: Do order a Strawberry Daiquiri. Do not walk barefoot on the concrete.
Catch the next Release Pool Party at Talking Stick Resort this weekend when Nitti Gritti + Wuki take the stage under the sun.
Tickets: https://bit.ly/2KKo7Bn
