The city of Sedona Parks and Recreation Department’s free Red Dirt Concert Series will take place every Friday in September from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Posse Grounds Pavilion at the Barbara Antonsen Memorial Park at Posse Grounds Park.
“We’ve got a bunch of brand new acts that I’m really excited about,” Parks and Recreation Special Events Coordinator Jason Vargo said. The weekly fall lineup will be Sophia Rankin & The Sound, opened by the band stylized as “S T E E N” on Sept. 6; Revered Jon Margulies with opening act Jonathan Cady on Sept. 13; Charlie McNeal and Austin B. Sweeney on Sept. 20; and finally The Originals with Rick Cucuzza on Sept. 27.
“We’re sticking with the new format of a three-hour show, which is an exciting result of all the feedback that we got back from Red Dirt Concert attendees last year,” Vargo said. “There’s two acts per show with a one-hour opener and a two-hour headliner.”
The season will start on Sept. 6, with STEEN opening for the Tucson-based alternative folk rock band Sophia Rankin & The Sound. The band is led by vocalist Sophia Rankin, whose goal is “to be the biggest voice in the room,” joined by her younger brother Connor Rankin on drums, Ben Arthur Mortensen on bass and Diego Martinez on guitar.
“I’m just stoked about that show,” Vargo said. “It’s going to be great and be a high-energy rock ’n’ roll show, and so that’s exciting.”
Sophia Rankin got her start performing at the Tucson Folk Festival when she was 15 and formed her eponymous band in 2020.
“We tossed a bunch of names around, and [Connor] said, ‘We’re constantly chasing the sound … that we want people to remember. So I think it should be Sophia Rankin & The Sound,’” Rankin explained. “That’s been almost a mantra for us, is, ‘What’s the sound we’re looking for?’ It’s always changing, but at its core, it’s always personal to us.”
The band’s setlists combine both rock ’n’ roll and low-key ballads.
“The biggest [comment] that I get from people is our stage presence. I, for one, love to bounce around,” Rankin said. “Brandi Carlile said it best in her book. She was saying, ‘Going to a concert it’s an experience.’ Because you’re getting dressed up. So we’re going to provide the experience. When we’re on stage and we’re playing these songs that we love and that we love to cover, there’s just joy.”
S T E E N was formed about two years ago when lead singer Sara Steen relocated to Phoenix from rural Oregon and met the group’s eventual lead guitarist Conor Lafferty at an open mic night.
Steen described the band’s sound as “Western-rock.” “I’m from a really small town. I lived there most of my life, and I grew up with my mom, listening to a lot of country, and one of my main country influences is Miranda Lambert,” Steen said.
“So I started out for seven years doing acoustic bar shows playing country.” “I’ve never played in Sedona … I had a couple friends that played up there for that series, and really excited to be out of Phoenix, out of the heat and playing in a really cool spot,” Steen said. “We have a lot to offer, and we have a lot of new things coming out, and I would just love for more people to see us and kind of get a chance to hear us in our town, and get a chance to show people some new music coming up.”
Oktoberfest Canceled
Vargo confirmed that the annual Oktoberfest put on by the Rotary Club of Sedona Red Rocks has been canceled.
“Decreased profitability as a fundraiser and declining attendance were the major factors,” Rotary Club Treasurer Donna Hawk wrote in an email. “It’s doubtful that there will be a 2025 Oktoberfest, but that decision won’t be made until into next year.”
The city plans to attempt to replace Oktoberfest by following the Great Pumpkin Splash on Oct. 19 with an event called Fest of Fall.
“Immediately following the Pumpkin Splash from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., the Fest of Fall will include fun for the whole family,” the department stated on its website. From 1 to 8 p.m. at the Posse Grounds Pavilion, “grab lunch, enjoy the autumn atmosphere, good food, craft beers and great tunes.”
Other fall events hosted by the Parks and Recreation Department will include Wagfest & Fair on Sept. 14; the Great Pumpkin Splash on Oct. 19; and the Sedona Food Truck Festival on Nov. 9
