TAYLOR EDWARDS

‘Born In July (The Experience)’

Thursday September 8, 2022

@ Nightscapes in Nashville, TN

Have you ever wanted to be transported to anywhere you’ve always wanted to go, but to do it without leaving your own city? That’s exactly what Nashville’s only immersive venue, Nightscapes, allows you to do.

With 360-degree projection swirling all around you, you can be whisked away to a field full of cherry blossoms, sit beachside in the sand for a dining outing that’s like no other, and create unique, one-of-a-kind experiences as you get lost inside the event space’s four walls and escape to a new world if only for a few hours.

Or on this night, you were invited to come straight into the life and heart of EMPIRE Nashville recording artist Taylor Edwards as she surrounded you with the snapshots of her life through her songs while introducing some of the new music from her upcoming album to a crowd chalk full of music media, industry, and her family and closest friends.

The Born In July experience began the moment you walked in the doors and were immediately placed into a projected scene covering each of the 4 walls that had you feeling as if you were looking out the windows of a farmhouse, and out into the fields where Edwards danced in the tall grass while the curtains had an effect placed on them that made them look as if they were swaying in the breeze.

Very cordial waitresses and waiters served a heaping helping representation of Nightscape’s amazing food choices – lamb chops, meatballs and ricotta, Nashville hot chicken sliders, and more – while the crowd sipped on Mori Leaf Tea and Liquid Death, mingling with one another before the performance began.

There was an incredible feeling in the air throughout the reception hour that gave off the instant vibe that something special was just about to happen on stage, and after receiving a plaque to commemorate the release of the album, Taylor Edwards delivered that something special.

As the lights dimmed, darkening the entire room, Edwards voice pumped out through the speakers to bring us up to speed on her story, talking about being born on July 22 and how if we’ve been following her story through song then we already know that she gets hard on herself sometimes and that she gets homesick, but as she steps forward into the release of her full-length album Born In July there’s been ups, downs, and a breakup on a Sunday!

Then boom! The walls sprang to life with images of her music video for “Girl Wonder” as she opened her set with the undeniable pop country sound that has become her defining characteristic as the crowd sang along and bop in rhythm with her.

With dancing already happening throughout the crowd, in every corner of the room, Taylor commanded the front of the stage during “Take Me Back,” often leaning right into the crowd to sing with them as she gave those people who were standing down in front an up close and personal sing along experience. 

“Can we get sad for a little bit?” asked Edwards as the projection on the walls turned to a nighttime thunderstorm as she grabbed her acoustic guitar to sing about getting her heart broken on a Sunday through the softer pace, heart tugger “Still Gotta Get Up On Monday.”

As the hearts in the audience wept with Taylor while the final notes were played, she then smartly drove right back into the feel good, mid-tempo on “Not Supposed To Know Each Other,” igniting a pop country groove that had everyone’s shoulders bouncing as they swayed along, singing back every lyric to her of the fan favorite.

A clip from the Ryan Seacrest Show from when he plugged Edwards after her song “Call Your Sister” went viral played inside the venue and received a tremendous ovation as she began the softer paced song while personal family pictures surrounded the crowd on each of the four walls, making you feel as if you were part of the family as she set the aura of sitting on the living room couch and flipping through old photo albums.

Enticing those of us in the crowd with siblings to reach for our own cell phones and call them to let them know you’re thinking of them and are there for them, Edwards then brought misty eyes to everyone in the venue when her own little sister joined her on stage to sing the final chorus, ending with a big hug between sisters as the final notes were strummed.

As a neon light buzzed onto the walls via projection, lighting up the backdrop of the stage with the words “First Time I Was Drunk,” Edwards closed her set with the snappy, catchy song of the same name as she left the crowd toe-tapping along with her as they moved with the melody. 

In just 20 minutes, Taylor Edwards made a tremendous impact and left the crowd wanting more!

Having already teased her music late last year with the release of the Born In July EP, Taylor’s fan base showed up in big ways and sang along with those songs they already knew – “Call You Sister,” “Not Supposed To Know Each Other,” and the recently released “Girl Wonder” – but they also listened very intently to the ones they hadn’t heard yet, becoming part of the buzz she was elevating for her full-length album, Born In July (releasing later this month/September 2022).

Her ultra-modern, pop infused country sound absolutely fits with the current Top 40, but she manages to still create uniqueness within its vibe through her transparency in the lyrics and heartfelt vocal delivery that enhances each line to pull you into her personal life, while resonating her story with those that fit within her core demographic.

It’ll be interesting to see the heights that this new album is going to take Taylor Edwards to, but if this night is the indication, then you can bet we’ll be watching and that we expect her to impact immediately upon its release.

FULL SET LIST

1) Girl Wonder

2) Take Me Back

3) Still Gotta Get Up On Monday

4) Not Supposed to Know Each Other

5) Call Your Sister

6) First Time I Was Drunk

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