Show Reviews
Cursive, Ume, Mount Moriah @ Urban 02.14
When I heard Cursive was playing in Salt Lake on Valentine’s Day, I immediately called my boyfriend and told him we were going. How perfect would it be to stand within gazing distance of Tim Kasher, holding my lover’s hand and singing along to the melodramatic lyrics that summed up all of my deep rooted adolescent sensitivities in celebration of our romance? … read more
Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks w/ Nurses 02.13 @ Urban...
After touring the U.K and Europe last fall, Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks returned stateside, kicking off their first show of 2012. Opening for Malkmus was the Portland-trio, Nurses. I had not heard any of their music before the show, but found their unique blend of indie and pop enjoyable for the most part. … read more
Cass McCombs, Frank Fairfield @ Kilby 02.04
Being a songwriter who not only released two separate albums in 2011, but also got them both to be ranked––by more than a few publications––as two of the best albums of year, Cass McCombs is something of a marvel who’s shown up as a sizable blip on most listeners’ radars. … read more
Dr. Dog, Purling Hiss @ Urban 02.04
For a few hours, the Urban Lounge left Salt Lake City and took up residence in Philadelphia, as Dr. Dog stopped by in support of their new album, Be the Void. After a blizzard postponed their gig in Boulder, CO. the night before, the six-piece Philly band seemed well rested, playing relentlessly for nearly two hours to a sold-out crowd. … read more
House of Party Rock Presents: Afrojack 01.19 @ Park City...
Park City Live (located in the Main Street space formally known as Harry-O’s) opened their doors during the launch of Sundance Film Festival. Security in all black was at every corner, white flashes from photographers taking pictures and bright lights from the stage all set the mood for a special evening. Top of the line LCD screens, lasers and hot ass go-go dancers completed the mood. … read more
Steve Aoki, Datsik, Dirtyphonics, Aiden Chance @ Complex 01.24
On January 24, Steve Aoki’s DEADMEAT Tour, promoting his newest album, Wonderland, stopped in Salt Lake City at the Complex for a long night of some solid electronic dance tunes. … read more
Nova Chamber Series: Contemporary Cold @ Libby Gardner 01.22
The Nova Chamber Music Series concert on Jan. 22 started with Eliot Carter’s Elegy for Viola and Piano, whose humid and sunlit tone of joy swept the dust right out of my eyes. … read more
Chamber Music Society of Salt Lake: Pacifica Quartet @ Libby...
From the Violist’s black-haired bow and sail-in-the-wind body gestures to the St.Teresa-like contortions of Ms. Ganatra, the event had the gestalt (minus the gore, of course) of a butterfly tearing free from its chrysalis—a scene of real, emotional events out of important but little movements. … read more
Nurses @ Kilby 01.14
When it comes to West Coast experimental pop/freak-folk outfits, I typically gloss over their reviews or any sizable mention in the press, since they’re not usually my cup of tea. As for Nurses, there’s something inextricable which compels me to grant their tracks more listens per usual—even placing certain songs on mixtapes. Fortunately, I was bestowed the chance to investigate this dilemmatic phenomenon by witnessing them live at Kilby. … read more
Yukon Blonde @ Kilby 12.13
Having never heard Yukon Blonde before I silently half-expected yet another dorky hipster band shitting all over the stage and calling it “Indie” or worse yet, “Folk-Rock,” but I was wrong. As they blasted through their amplifiers similar bands that came to mind immediately included Built to Spill and Band of Horses. … read more