Show Reviews
Emancipator @ Urban 03.22 with Odezsa, Little People
The intro to “Nevergreen” swirled incandescently out of the speakers. As the beats broke into the body of the song, spotlights flashed a mean color of salmon, and the alternating triangles on the back drop unexpectedly became a projection screen. … read more
Elias Quartet @ Libby Gardner Hall 03.21
As the chamber concert season approaches a close, I am constantly amazed at what I learn from attending the shows. The Elias Quartet was great at engaging with the audience on Thursday, performing their pieces that captivated me throughout. … read more
Man Overboard, The Story So Far @ Club Sound 03.22...
This past Friday, March 22, Club Sound was a packed house as they hosted the Suppy Nation Tour featuring Citizen, Tonight Alive and co-headliners The Story So Far and Man Overboard. This all-ages show was packed to the walls with pop-punk heads, leaving the smell of body odor and high school teen angst lingering heavily in the air. … read more
Foxygen, Unknown Mortal Orchestra @ Urban Lounge 03.19
Foxygen delivered such high energy to the show that I would’ve felt pretty stoked seeing only them had the show taken some sad turn of events and Unknown Mortal Orchestra bailed. This was my first time seeing or even hearing Foxygen, and I am completely sold on their sound. Their performance reminded me of Spindrift, if instead of incorporating the Western themes of cowboys versus Indians, they would embrace the ’70s styles of bands like The Mama’s and the Papa’s. … read more
NOVA Chamber Series: Echoes of Utah @ Libby Gardner Hall...
Tchaikovsky is so good at this kind of thing, it might not be wrong to credit him with the invention of Stadium Rock, as the desired effect and the outcome are essentially the same. … read more
Trust @ Urban 03.12 with Eraas
Trust has been incredibly influential for me this past year. Their debut album, TRST, has nourished my babybat maturation and been a setting for the transgressive happiness that I look for in post-punk expression. … read more
Thao & The Get Down Stay Down, Sallie Ford and...
When I first saw Sallie Ford and the Sound Outside perform in Portland, I was hooked, and I selfishly wanted them to become more popular, hoping that would mean tour dates that included Salt Lake on the route. This is the second time they’ve visited Salt Lake (that I know of, at least), and hopefully not the last! Sallie embodies the sounds of a wicked vintage diva, from throwing it back to surf rock influences, to using the upright bass (an element I especially dig), to belting sassy lyrics with crude themes. … read more
Alabama Shakes @ Saltair 03.08
I’ve been a fan of Alabama Shakes for shy of a year and even though I love their album, I was expecting a canned performance, appealing to a broad audience, sticking only to their album and no jam seasons. I was wrong. The Alabama Shakes have one of the tightest rhythm sections I’ve seen in quite some time—without their quick stops and interplay, the vocals of Brittany Howard would not have a platform to launch from. … read more
Matt & Kim @ The Complex with Passion Pit
Matt & Kim pounded onto the stage to “Harlem Shake” as the horde of witnesses released a guttural snarl, and commenced grinding their asses on the floor. Matt Johnson flailed a water bottle into the the scuffle while he and Kim Schifino (his “partner in crime and in sex”) thrashed their appendages to and fro. … read more
Joey Arias and Kristian Hoffman @ Urban Lounge 02.28 with...
Called the “demigod of the demimonde” by Time Out New York, Joey Arias has made a career out of following the twists and turns of drag and performance culture since 1976, when he drove from L.A. to New York with dreams of performing. … read more
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