Month: July 2014
FantasyCon 2014: FilmQuest @ The Gateway Megaplex 06.30 – 07.02
As an attendee of several locally organized film festivals, FilmQuest’s focus on films from the horror, fantasy and science fiction genres made it unique. It’s fun to sit in a darkened theatre with no idea what type of film might illuminate the darkened screen and take you along for a ride. Not all of the films were stellar, and many were downright bizarre, but here are a few that stuck out to me. … read more
FantastyCon 2014: A Tale of Two Hobbits
Lord of the Rings is easily the most recognizable fantasy franchise. Most of us have read one or two of the books and we all saw the movies—even if it was just that one time on cable when they were running a marathon and you had nothing better to do. The world that we were shown in the movies was massive and full of some great characters. FantasyCon has managed to round up quite a few of those beloved characters. Samwise Gamgee and Pippin: Sean Astin and Billy Boyd. … read more
FantastyCon 2014: Jed Brophy, Jonathan Rhys Davies & Panels Galore
With all the panels and guests, it’s hard to decide which panels to go to. One of the first panels of Fantasy Con on Friday was with one of the memorable characters from Lord of the Rings – Gimli, the gruff, lovable Dwarf played by John Rhys-Davies. He’s a good six feet without the movie magic but he’s still got the gruff voice and he’s definitely lovable. … read more
FantastyCon 2014: Summer Glau, Cosplay, Sylvester McCoy & Fighting!
Friday, the second day of Fantasy Con, had the lucky opportunity to occur on a national holiday: Independence Day. The idea of a Con happening on a holiday where people should have nothing better to do had me worried. The floor would be packed. The parade, any parade in the valley, would make getting to the Con difficult, but deciding to stroll into the Salt Palace around mid-afternoon proved surprisingly easy. Salt Lake streets were empty, as everyone was busy (presumably) barbecuing and setting fires … read more
FantastyCon 2014: Simon Pegg, Mark Sheppard, Cosplay & Awards
My prediction that Saturday would beat Friday in terms of numbers was absolutely correct. What I was not expecting, however, was that the production and glitz aspect of FantasyCon would also beat the previous two days. The spectacle was bigger, as there was more audience to entertain. … read more
FanasyCon 2014: Larping, Simon Pegg, The Hall of Heroes &...
The final day of Fantasy Con got off to a bit of a quiet start. The holiday hangover was in full effect, and the crowds on the convention floor were a bit thinner than expected, but that just made the aisles and halls easier to navigate and made everything more accessible. … read more
Courtney Barnett @ Urban Lounge 07.02 with Your Friend
It’s true she owes a lot to the slacker rock martyrs of the ’90s like Lou Barlow and J Mascis. Nobody writes a song with the chorus, “I don’t want no nine to five, telling me that I’m alive!” without having at least listened to You’re Living all Over Me once. But, just as you pigeonhole Barnett as some slacker rock disciple, she rips the roof off the joint with hostile sounding version of “Avant Gardener,” giving me chills like I’d just heard Joe Cocker for the first time. … read more
Battle at the Rez: Death Pitts Skate Competition 07.05
Over the fourth of July holiday weekend in Salt Lake, I could have seen a hobbit on turntables, LARPing at the Salt Palace or even the new Jonah Hill movie. Instead, I jumped at the chance to help support a cause that is close to my heart—substance abuse prevention. The Ute Tribe Alcohol/Substance Abuse Prevention Center held the Death Pitts Skate Competition at the Fort Duchesne skate park in order to get people off their couches and doing something productive. … read more
Genre Zero @ Kilby Court 06.26 with Flashbulb Fires, L’Anarchiste
Rainy days are the best for concerts. The atmosphere flashes with lightening that almost seems to blend and highlight the most fantastic of musical notes. The splattering drops plodded away the evening of June 26 at Kilby Court, and the bands were more than willing to lend themselves to the polite, contemplative brooding of a nice little storm. … read more
Born to Shred: Shred Fest in Fort Duchesne
This past Fourth of July, SLUG Lead Designer Joshua Joye, Managing Editor Alexander Ortega and Junior Editor Genevieve Smith traveled to Ft. Duchesne on the Ute & Ouray Indian Reservation for Shred Fest 2014. Organized and sponsored by the Ute Indian Tribe Center for Alcohol/Substance Abuse Prevention and DJ LA of 90.3 FM Native Voltage Rez Radio, Shred Fest featured six bands, Native and non-Native. … read more