Show Reviews
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Rotting Out, Focused Minds, Speak Out and Fever Dreams @...
Truth be told, Focused Minds is what got me here. Midwest wolfpack. A split with Another Mistake. Serious Youth Crew, straight edge-bent. Color me “into it” and finger-point in my face. Last time they played here was at an acoustically wretched skatepark with a bunch of x-tian metalcore knuckledraggers. They didn’t complain. … read more
Trial, Powerwolves, Cool Your Jets, Despite Despair and No Empire...
Finally, with anticipation mounting, Trial began setting up. The crowd filed back in early, leaving an ominous empty space in the middle of the room for the inevitable mosh pit … The band took a couple minutes to sound-check, and then immediately blasted into “Reflection,” quickly finding out that microphones were totally unnecessary. The crowd shouted every single word, some guys climbing up onto the stage and holding singer Greg Bennick by the shoulders, screaming into his face before jumping down. The energy spread throughout the room, even affecting those of us opting to stay on the backside of the ever-expanding mosh pit. Bennick noted at one point that, “Salt Lake City is the only place you see people actually stretching during the fast parts, getting ready for the breakdown.” … read more
M83, I Break Horses @ In The Venue 04.29
The crowd is now at full capacity. The beer lines are intolerable and the denim gods are in full swing. We are ready. Ready for the Frenchmen, Anthony Gonzalez and company to hand-deliver some authentic ’80s synth-pop-gaze. … read more
Overkill, God Forbid, Suidakra @ The Complex 04.28
Saturday night, The Complex hosted the devilishly fun “Electric Age Tour” featuring Diamond Plate, Suidakra, God Forbid and the legendary Overkill, who are somehow still fucking touring after ten thousand years in the music business. … read more
Washed Out, Memoryhouse @ Urban 04.28
There was a big difference between Washed Out on record and Washed Out the show. If you’re the kind of person who wants a band to sound exactly like they do on the record, you probably hated this show—a lot of the songs were changed up a bit to translate into a full band as Washed Out has moved from a bedroom project to a career for Ernest Greene. The songs sounded bigger and louder and heavier than the laptop synth-pop versions. Greene was obviously into it—pounding on his keys, bobbing his head like a parrot and putting himself into every word he sang. … read more
All Shall Perish, Carnifex, Fleshgod Apocalypse @ In the Venue...
Thursday, April 26, In The Venue hosted one of the most anticipated death metal tours to hit Salt Lake this year: the This Is Where It Ends tour. I’ve been waiting for this show for months, and some fans, for years. All Shall Perish are one of my favorite bands and this is the first time I’ve seen them in my hometown. The place was humming with excitement from the second you walked in the door. … read more
The Cave Singers, Dave Wilson @ Kilby 04.21
“You guys are badass!” Shouted one over-excited spectator as The Cave Singers took the stage. Lead vocalist Pete Quirk was quick to respond, “We are badass! We steal, and we loiter, but we’re a good catch, nonetheless!” Guitarist Derek Fudesco and drummer Marty Lund chuckled and hooted in agreement as they took their posts—Fudesco on a ripped up barstool, and Lund behind his percussion set, which included a pair of bongos. … read more
Poetry Written in Gasoline: Refused @ The Glass House 04.12
Refused are fucking dead. The self-proclaimed “socialist fag-loving pc scumbags” quietly imploded on October 27, 1998, announcing their demise on the very day their final album, The Shape of Punk to Come, was released. That was 14 years ago, and if the adult me told the younger me that we would be seeing one of the most influential unsung hardcore bands of all time live, I would have replied simply, “You demand the impossible.” … read more
RJD2, New Body Electric, Burnell Washburn @ The Depot 04.14
RJD2 started doing his thing: grabbing records from his collection and throwing them onto the tables while he scratched and pressed and flicked at his setup like a porn star at an orgy. … read more
Hanni El Khatib @ Urban Lounge 04.13
Khatib has been met with almost immediate success in his newfound full-time music career and I’m not going to argue why. The guy knows how to write songs and he and his band mates can perform them even better. … read more