Show Reviews
Porcelain Raft @ Kilby 09.17 with Silver Antlers, The Circulars
By the time the third song rolled around, lead singer Mauro Remiddi let the small, but active audience know that somehow his next song, “Shapeless and Gone,” had something to do with the Rocky Mountains—even though the song wasn’t written with them in mind—and that he was blown away with the landscape of Utah and Colorado. … read more
Neko Case @ Red Butte 09.16 with Pickwick
“Summer is Over,” Case had sung as the night grew its coldest, warning us that the warmest of days are behind us. In many ways, the final concert of the Red Butte Concert Series did indeed harken the end of summer. The air is steadily cooling and the outdoor venues are steadily closing. The Twilight series has ended and USANA Amphitheater will close its doors for the season on Friday. I can’t think of a better way to welcome the sweet autumn air than with Neko Case. … read more
Jimmy Cliff @ The Depot 09.15 with Cool Jordan, Ethan...
As I am ever the hopeless-romantic, the iconic image of Jimmy Cliff as the outlaw Ivanhoe “Ivan” Martin with the ready, go stance with guns drawn plays into my love for the rebel. My true appreciation for Cliff began with seeing him star as an aspiring reggae artist who turns outlaw (Martin) in the legendary film Harder They Come. … read more
Animal Collective @ The Depot 09.08
As bitter of a bitch as I was about the original cancellation, I am happy that lead singer Dan Portner (aka Avey Tare) was in good health this time around, as his vocal chords traveled in monstrous directions that would’ve been nearly impossible to perform had he sung with even the slightest bit of a scratch to his throat. … read more
Uproar Festival 2013: Rockstars and Wannabes 09.02 @ USANA Ampitheater
Typically anchored by fairly recognizable and boring headlining acts like Disturbed or Shinedown, this year those acts consisted of the strange combination of Circa Survive, Coheed & Cambria, Jane’s Addiction and the legendary Alice In Chains – strange mix, but finally compelling enough for me to begrudgingly make it to an Uproar date. Make no mistake, though, I’ve got a lot of generic bullshit to tear apart before we get to the good stuff. … read more
Baroness @ Urban Lounge 08.30
Some bands become defined by tragedy. It would be easy to lump Baroness into that category, but after surviving a disastrous bus crash while touring Europe last year, the band has returned to touring, and with a vengeance. … read more
Clear @ Bar Deluxe 08.30 with Dismantled, INVDRS, Don’t Trust...
Clear reunited August 30 and 31 to celebrate fallen band mate Mick Morris, who recently died at the age of 35. Salt Lake City’s hardcore family came out en masse to show their support for this very beloved band and the late bassist. … read more
The Stones Throw Soul Tour with Peanut Butter Wolf @...
Stones Throw founder, Peanut Butter Wolf, took the audience back to 1974 and beyond with some vintage soul tracks paired with live visuals from a projector of the bands’ sets. … read more
Salt Lake We Go Hardwell
I sat down with Hardwell just moments after his touchdown in Salt Lake from a show he played a few hours earlier in Vegas, and he introduced himself to me with a chicken wing in one hand and a bucket of KFC on the couch (I feel you, Hardwell). We sat for over half an hour and discussed everything from his music, to his relationship with Tiesto, to what he thinks about the new Kanye album. … read more
FYF Fest: My Bloody Valentine Fairy Tale 08.24-25
My Bloody Valentine’s most critically acclaimed album may be called “Loveless,” but there is a tangible romance inside the static and reverb, which is why we’re here together, arms wrapped around each other. … read more