Music
SLUG Journalist Needs Water Badly: A Warped Tour Story
On Saturday, June 29 of the year 2013, I set out into the arid wasteland of Warped Tour with little more than a camera, a bottle of water, and the cheapest bottle of suncreen that I could find. … read more
Cayucas with JBM @Kilby Court 06.21
It’s a desirable thing to go to a show with no worries. Why did I have no worries for this show? Cayucas just barely released an eight-track LP that’s drenched with summer vibes via catchy bass riffs and laid-back tales about beach life. All I knew about the opener, JBM, was that he was a multi-instrumentalist out of Montreal who makes folk music. This was destined to be an easy night, and the music I heard was authentic enough to take me where the artists were mentally when they wrote the music. Those places were anywhere but the city. … read more
Battle of the Bands @ Velour 06.15
I arrived at Velour about 30 minutes before show time on Saturday night. A week earlier, the venue’s Number Two, the lovely Kaneischa Johnson, had asked me to help out with judging the competition. Kaneischa briefed us, the esteemed judges, on the judging criteria and what she expected from us. I looked at the paper with the criteria that she had given us all, appended to a clipboard: Musicianship, Songwriting, Crowd Response, Stage Presence and Vocal Performance, all out of 10. … read more
Miss May I, Killswitch Engage, Darkest Hour, The Word Alive,...
I love shows at Saltair. Even the drive, which would normally be an inconvenience, can be a wonderful relaxation if you take the right route. So it was Friday evening as my friends and I piled into a few cars and chased the sun out to the Great Salt Lake, ready to have our earholes sweetly penetrated by Killswitch Engage and their tour brethren Miss May I, Darkest Hour, The Word Alive and Affiance. My last show out here was the Coheed and Cambria tour, and memories of that show and its massive swarm of humanity were still fresh. The night was warm, the lake wasn’t stinking too much, and in between sets, you could enjoy a beer on the back porch and watch the sun set. Only a heartless fool wouldn’t have enjoyed himself here. … read more
Camera Obscura @ Urban Lounge 06.26 with Marissa Nadler
Camera Obscura began with “Do It Again” and “Break It To You Gently,” two new pop tunes that prove that they’ve still got a vitality to their songbook, a feeling that evolved with confidence as they delivered half of their newest album. … read more
Ballyhoo! with Authority Zero, Versus The World, Racist Kramer @...
On this particular Saturday, Bar Deluxe was the stopping point for the Summer Sickness 2013 CD release tour for Ballyhoo! and Authority Zero. Not overly familiar with either band’s catalog, although a fan of what I’ve heard, I was excited to get a chance to see both of these bands up close and personal and get a real idea of what they’re all about. … read more
Rooftop Concert Series @ Central Bank parking terrace 06.07
There is beauty all around. That insipid tune is ringing in my brain as I walk toward the downtown Provo parking structure that doubles as the venue for their Rooftop Concert Series. Why? Because everything about the early Summer night in Provo is so damn beautiful. The weather is a perfect 75 degrees, with a light breeze and clear skies. The sunset, with all of its oranges and purples, falling behind the downtown Marriott and into Utah Lake. The massive mountains are the stage’s backdrop. The sweet smells waft from the WaffleLuv truck. And the people … Oh God, the people of Provo. Every single one is more beautiful than the last. … read more
Rogue Wave @ Urban Lounge 06.12 with Koala Temple
As Rogue explained to the audience, Salt Lake City was their first stop on the tour. Their time off left their sound a bit tarnished, but they soon shook the dust off and started shining as bright as the many colorful lights around them—the overall sound improved immensely as they shuffled and grooved through the first few songs. … read more
The Flobots @ Kilby 05.15
Salt Lake City was ground zero for a flobots invasion on Wednesday, May 15. Best known for “Handlebars,” the unconventional Flobots brought their brand of hip hop with a conscience to Kilby Court and a packed house. … read more
Cotton Jones @ George’s Living Room 06.11
Giving the Urban Lounge a little competition, venue tenant George Coleman for one night only led strangers into his humble abode. … read more