Sunny Sweeney brings a beautiful night to Pittsburgh.

By Dave Parsons

To borrow a line from one of Pittsburgh’s icons, the immortal Fred Rogers, it was a Sunny night in the neighborhood. The vibrant South Side neighborhood of Pittsburgh to be exact when country music icon Sunny Sweeney came to town. Club Café, a gem of a venue known for its intimate setting and stellar acoustics, was sold out well in advance. The dim lighting, close-knit seating and listening room attitude could easily be compared to the infamous Bluebird Café in Nashville. With craft beers, cocktails and fans who actually came to hear the words of every song, it was like a gathering of old friends.

Actually, the family reunion of fans began before the doors opened outside. As an irritating rain drizzled down, the fans swapped stories of Sweeney’s recent misadventures on the road. They were taking pictures in front of the van sitting front and center at the curb. This was not just any van, but THE van for the Sweeney faithful. Posting her road travels nearly daily on social media, the story of being stranded for the umpteenth time, this time in Colorado, and the end of the line for her van. She found a new van to buy, but the dealership is in New Mexico. Somehow, one of the guys from the dealership drove it to her in Colorado, and even stayed for the show!!!

When the doors finally opened, Club Café filled up in under 10 minutes. On the way in the door, a couple was explaining to those behind them in line that a few weeks prior, Sweeney had a bone broken in one foot and a sprained ankle on the other, at the same time! By the time everyone had entered and sat down, the couple and those they told the story to, were now sharing a table and exchanging contact information. It truly was like being in someone’s rather large living room….with a really cool bar!!!

The night kicked off with Tom McELvain, a rugged singer-songwriter whose voice carried the weight of a thousand stories. His weathered cowboy hat and worn and loved guitar spoke of a life lived on the road, and his songs reflected the journey.

McELvain opened with the classic House of The Rising Son, setting the tone for the evening of story songs. Between songs, he shared stories of his life—-and how he made them into songs—-which gave them even more meaning and life.
McELvain sprinkled humor into the banter, telling the crowd “Y’all are too polite….Don’t be afraid to holler if you like something.” And by the time he finished his 45-minute set, the crowd was thoroughly warmed up. I made a note to watch his tour scheduled to see when he would be back in the area, as I could have listened to another 45 minutes easily. One of the songs in his set that night found its way onto his YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fc9_U2BeM78

Despite the size of the room, there were two merch tables behind the seats, and the line formed pretty quickly as McElvain exited the stage. He worked through the line of most newly acquired fans, as the rest of the crowd grabbed a last-minute drink order, before Sunny Sweeney made her entrance through the room. Dressed in jeans, a black casual top and white jacket, her outfit was made complete with her western hat and road weary boots.

From the first notes of Tie Me Up, Sweeney’s personality was on display, with her smile that can light up the room and her voice that is a blend of honey and grit. Much like McElvain’s set, one song was tied to the next by a story, that was like a window into her life, and the lives of those she was singing about.

Sweeney had some commercial success and radio hits early in her career, and she sprinkled them into her set. She thanked those in the audience who became fans back when Staying’s Worse Than Leaving was on the charts. The one thing that stood out was that the songs that found national radio success, more than a decade ago, blended almost seamlessly into the songs from her latest CD. Sweeney’s musical style, part country, part Americana, and part whatever other category you want to insert it into, it was a polished presentation from start to finish.

The influence of artists such as Stevie Nicks, (she does After the Glitter Fades in her set from time to time), and Emmylou Harris are evident as she paid homage to the latter with Red Dirt Girl. (The delivery was so close you if you closed your eyes, you couldn’t tell the difference between the two artists.)

During the 90 minute set, Sweeney and her audience moved through the setlist connected through the music and the stories. Sweeney expressed her appreciation for the audience several times and added Y’all make me feel right at home, It’s like playin’ in my living room, but with better acoustics.

Sweeney doesn’t get to Pittsburgh near often enough, and she won’t be back at Club Café again as it is closing for good in 2025. But, for those that were able to catch this performance, few will forget the time it was a Sunny evening in the neighborhood.

Tom McELvain Set List

1.) House of the Rising Sun
2.) Waco Lady
3.) Play Me a Love Song
4.) Too Stoned to Tune
5.) Play a Train Song
6.) Kate
7.) Whiskey Angel
8.) Lady in Red

Sunny Sweeney Set List

1.) Tie Me Up
2.) Please Be San Antone
3.) Staying’s Worse Than Leaving
4.) How’d I End Up Lonely Again?
5.) Backhanded Compliment
6.) Pills
7.) Easy As Hello
8.) Momma’s Wine
9.) Poet’s Prayer
10.) I Drink Well with Others
11.) A Song Can’t Fix Everything
12.) Red Dirt Girl
13.) Better Bad Idea
14.) Front Row Seats
15.) Grow Old With Me
16.) My Own Lane
17.) From a Table Away
18.) Can’t Let Go