Nice Cans!

Nice Cans!
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Since the craft beer boom of the early ’90s, the package of choice for breweries was the good old brown bottle. For too long, people had complained that the tried and true can was making their favorite beverage taste like metal, and the new craft movement wanted no part of that. So, the can was resigned to become the bastard child of the beer world until one innovation came along—the plastic-lined can. … read more

Princess Kennedy: Let’s Go Eat Me

Princess Kennedy: Let’s Go Eat Me
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For our issue of all things podcast, I searched high and low to find one that actually appealed to me. It came from one-third of the Radio From Hell trio on X96, Bill Allred. He hosts The Let’s Go Eat Show, a weekly podcast that features interviews with people from the community that you likely know, or have at least heard of. Bill uses an intimate restaurant setting to sit and chat with his date, getting his subject relaxed, comfortable and even a little liquored. … read more

K-Phresh Shreds the Utah Gnar

K-Phresh Shreds the Utah Gnar
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The last thing I expected when I started working at SLUG was to write anything about snowboarding, let alone to actually learn how to snowboard. I am a desert rat from a Polynesian family—I wasn’t exactly bred for the cold. One thing I discovered upon moving to Salt Lake was that winter ultimately sucks and I hate it. But after noticing how excited my friends get when it snows each winter, I decided that learning to snowboard might give me a reason to want to “pray for snow” right along with them. … read more

Pedal Party

Pedal Party
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Circles turning circles—the efficiency of the bicycle is unmatched. The human motor coupled with the spinning of gears equals freedom for all those who enjoy the sun on their shoulders and the wind in their faces. A love affair with the bicycle makes up a good portion of Utah’s history, and has proliferated in nearly every portion of the state. Twenty years ago, the cycling community had reached a turning point. The sport was extremely popular, and its membership needed a way to unify and deliver the latest developments in a timely manner. Enter: Cycling Utah. … read more

Up in Palms: Palms Interview with Aaron Harris

Up in Palms: Palms Interview with Aaron Harris
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When Deftones singer Chino Moreno’s name becomes attached to your band, the level of anticipation jumps the scale from a niche genre to many worlds of music lovers. Moreno isn’t backed by just any musicians in Palms, though: Three members of the now-defunct ISIS (drummer Aaron Harris, guitarist Cliff Meyer and bassist Jeff Caxide) have the musical chops and experience to make any musical project stand out, and are far from a backdrop to let Moreno’s well-known croon or scream play the keynote. Palms’ self-titled debut album drops on June 25 via Ipecac Recordings, with tour dates in the wings. SLUG caught up on all things Palms with drummer Harris. … read more

Russian Circles: Louder Than Words

Russian Circles: Louder Than Words
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Sprawling. Swirling. Ominous. Auspicious. Any number of multisyllabic words can be used to describe the music of Russian Circles, who have been creating dynamic instrumental music since 2004. In anticipation of their performance at The Great Saltair on Feb. 15, SLUG spoke with bassist Brian Cook about the upcoming tour and what Russian Circles have in store for 2013. … read more

Rob Zombie: Zombie Complex

Rob Zombie: Zombie Complex
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The conflict between the devil and all that is considered good is never-ending. Musician and filmmaker Rob Zombie has become a modern media icon by writing and performing music and films exploiting that conflict—horror is his muse. Zombie is planning a spring invasion that will feature a new studio album, a feature film and an accompanying novel. … read more

Fritz Kollman: Another Way Home

Fritz Kollman: Another Way Home
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Fritz Kollman is a sensitive creature. Not the type of sensitivity that happens when you rip a Band-Aid off a wound, or the kind that happens when you can’t take a joke. What I’m talking about is the sensitivity that controls the interaction between a person and their surroundings­. What sets Fritz apart is his levelheaded approach to his circumstance, which has given way to the cultivation of two passions that keep him sane: skateboarding and horticulture. … read more

SLUG Holiday Comix – February 2013

SLUG Holiday Comix – February 2013
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Steve Thueson takes us on a romantic journey through February’s most popular holiday in this month’s installment of SLUG Holiday Comix. … read more

Squatters: The New Version of the Old Standby

Squatters: The New Version of the Old Standby
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Squatters started in 1989 as a great idea imported from Europe—a brewpub—and they did it well. Bangers and mash were among the first things on the menu, and the beer was, by today’s standards, so-so, but it was better than the sad brews others were making at the time. Popular right from the start, Squatters brought a whole retinue of imitators: brewpubs with their own, great beer and versions of pub food. None have become part of the DNA of Salt Lake in the way Squatters has. The first three restaurants out of my mouth when I talk Salt Lake eating to strangers looking for a place are Red Iguana, Market Street and Squatters.  … read more