Musician captures audiences’ hearts

McAllister concert a part of Eagle Entertainment Coffee House Series

By Al Stover, Eagle Life Editor
February 20, 2013

Katy McAllister sings her hit, "Here's to the Heartbreakers," from her self-titled EP.Photo by Dylan Paulus — Katy McAllister sings her hit, “Here’s to the Heartbreakers,” from her self-titled EP.
Photo by Dylan Paulus

As dozens of students walked through the PUB on the afternoon of Feb. 14, Taylor Winner sat quietly, her eyes focused on the stage as singer and songwriter Katy McAllister played on her keyboard and sang Oasis’ “Wonderwall.”

Winner was one of several students who watched McAllister’s concert, which was a part of Eagle Entertainment’s Coffee House Series.

A native of Denver, McAllister has been performing in church choirs since she was 4 years old. She began recording music in 2009.

Besides “Wonderwall,” McAllister performed several songs from her self-titled EP and her upcoming album “Take Me Away.” Although it was Valentine’s Day, the songs she sang related to heartbreak and other difficult aspects of her life, such as a tune about a girl who was mean to her in high school.

“I feel like heartache is something a lot of people can relate to,” McAllister said.

Despite the sad context of her music, McAllister captivated the audience with her passionate singing.

Winner has been a fan of the singer since she first discovered McAllister’s music on YouTube.

“I love her voice,” Winner said. “I’m so happy I finally got to see her perform live.”
Kadie Clements has been a fan of McAllister for a year. Although she enjoyed the concert, she was not a fan of the flow of students going in and out of the PUB during the concert.

“There was a lot of stuff going on around it so It was hard to focus on her,” Clements said.

McAllister ended the concert with a song titled “Leave Me Be,” which was about a man she wanted to leave her alone.

For McAllister, performing in front of a crowd is still a new experience. However, she was thankful for all of the students who came to watch her.

“I still have a lot of stage fright,” McAllister said. “It’s weird seeing this many people. It was a good turn out. … I’m so lucky.”