Queens of the Stone Age, Royal Blood @ Great Saltair 10.09

As winter unwelcomingly rushes its head to make the temperatures dip and sunlight dim, cars lined up from I-80 all the way to The Great Saltair’s parking lot. Lines of people were directed into the venue, and all the guests were treated to a bag search, hat search and a good ol’ full-body pat down before entering. Once inside, fans had a choice in taking the remaining space of the main floor to get a close-up view of the stage, going to the rear of the house for some merch or, for the 21-and-older crowd, heading upstairs to grab an adult beverage and watch the show from the balcony level.

Hailing from across the pond in the U.K., rock duo Royal Blood took the stage. Consisting of bass player and vocalist Mike Kerr and drummer Ben Thatcher, Royal Blood bring a heavy-hitting rock sound that is playful, sultry and heavy. Entering into the music with only drums and bass, this duo creates a head-banging, fist-pumping good time for the visibly enthusiastic audience.

Queens of the Stone Age took the stage after an intermission and a stage switch. Set-ups of luminescent tubes across the stage, spotlights from above and smoke throughout the performance kept the mood consistent and entertaining. Frontman Josh Homme, guitarists Troy Van Leeuwen, Dean Fertita and Michael Shuman, and drummer Jon Theodore brought their energy to the stage and to their music, with fans screaming and hanging onto every word. From “The Evil has Landed” to “The Way You Used to Do,” Queens of the Stone Age played the newest hits and the classics that everyone knows word for word, with their fans swaying, hands up and eyes closed, or rocking out in the shoulder-to-shoulder audience.

Editor’s Note: The previous version of this article contained a typo in writing Josh Homme’s name. The error has been corrected.

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