SLUG Contributor Limelight
May 3, 2023
Contributor Limelight: Alton Barnhart
Alton Barnhart joined our team of Editorial Interns last November, and his incomparable wit has been a fixture of our office life since. In his writing, Alton balances this jubilant personality with a nuanced understanding of journalistic technical processes—he’s one of the brightest new voices we have on the team. Check out his feature on BikeWalk Provo as part of our May 2023 Bike issue.
Articles by contributor
Local Review: BARBARIAN FAITH HEALER – AMERICARNAGE
BARBARIAN FAITH HEALER attempt to wrangle the Donald Trump election and grab it by the nuclear-wasted, genetically-modified, apple pie-flavored balls. … read more
White Knuckled: A Day at Lagoon Amusement Park
Farmington’s very own Lagoon Amusement Park has reshaped and relocated into the bustling family fun zone that it is today. … read more
Review: Twenty One Pilots – Clancy
I’ll level with you for a minute—I was a bit late to the Twenty One Pilots scene. … read more
Belle: The Futuristic Retelling That Saved The Theater Experience
Extending an arm of warmth and love to pull us out of those dark times. While the last couple of years told us to survive, Belle was telling us to live again. … read more
What’s In My Closet? with Ms. Meredith
The closet: A cluttered gateway to the personality and mindset of its inhabitants. Or, to many individuals in the LGBTQ+ community, the launching point to find one’s true self. … read more
Local Music Singles Roundup: June 2024
Another month, another six phenomenal singles from Salt Lake’s best local bands, from Elowyn’s debut ballad “The Fool” to Zodiac Killer’s “Torn In Two.” … read more
Local Review: Gary Dranow and The Manic Emotions – Never...
Gary Dranow’s Never Give Up is an album… that’s it. Trust me, I really wanted this to be more engaging than your run-of-the-mill Americana album. … read more
17 Stand-Out Performances from Kilby Block Party 5
With a disco ball-glistening atmosphere and a star-studded lineup that could rival Coachella in sheer talent, Kilby Block Party was an absolute fever dream. … read more
Cruisin’ The Current: A Quick Chat with Current Joys
Through manic, scribbled-out notes and a partially-eaten tape cassette, Rattigan detailed a behind-the-scenes look to his DIY style and musical antecedent. … read more
Review: Castle Rat – Into the Realm
Dark forces, brutal battle tactics, the patina of grimey dread and fierce snarls—all were possible for this quartet’s viscous sludge of rocking calamity. … read more
Series Review: Fallout (Season One)
Fallout is an entertaining journey that doesn’t take itself too seriously in overall message, yet carries a ton of heart and soul. … read more
Local Music Singles Roundup: May 2024
The sun is out (occasionally) and SLUG is back at it again with May’s Local Music Singles Roundup! … read more
Review: Jazmin Bean – Traumatic Livelihood
Traumatic Livelihood represents the blackened eye that time may heal physically, but the emotional wear-and-tear will always remain. … read more
Hankerings for the Hangover: Top 8 Local Cure-Alls
Your head is ten sizes too big, as you projectile-vomit multicolored regret. How will this ever go away? With the help of SLUG Magazine, of course! … read more
Local Review: Jacob T. Skeen – Telestial
Fresh off the electric high of SLUG Mag’s 35th Anniversary Party, Jacob T. Skeen fires off punk-experimental mortar rounds at every bystanding listener to mosh for cover in his new album Telestial. … read more
Local Music Singles Roundup: April 2024
The SLUG team is back to deliver the musical medicine that offers relief as you’re being edged by the broken promises of spring’s coming. … read more
Film Review: Lisa Frankenstein
Lisa Frankenstein is an entertaining slasher with hilarious kills and pretty artsy dialogue to pry out a chuckle. … read more
Local Review: ARCHAIC FUTURISTS – AN EXERCISE IN HUMAN ERROR
With resources they are provided—and only seeing the tip of its full potential—AN EXERCISE IN HUMAN ERROR feels like it’s been reduced to a 4-bit Game & Watch. … read more
Slamdance Film Review: Invisible Nation
Invisible Nation’s 85-minute runtime does not linger on cliche storytelling, where it could easily drive the tone into make-believe propaganda. … read more
Slamdance Film Review: Experimental Shorts Block
No matter how abstract or avant-garde the methods of madness are, no one does experimental filmmaking better than the 2024 Slamdance Film Festival. Witness, if you will, six deviant directors and writers dispatching a visual display of 100% free-wandering consciousness. … read more
Slamdance Film Review: Restorage
The new, independent sci-fi series Restorage follows three siblings who inherit a seemingly-ordinary storage unit after their father’s passing. … read more
Top 5 Rock-Distorting Albums of 2023 to End The World...
Pop open a stolen Veuve Clicquot, sit on the steps of Capitol Hill and drone out the vaporizing mushroom clouds with five of the best rock albums from this year. … read more
Local Gift Ideas for the Main Character who Always Crits...
A hero must rise to purchase the greatest nerd paraphernalia for the geekiest of their friends and family! Shop locally this season at some of SLC’s best gamer hotspots. … read more
Film Review: Courtney Gets Possessed
So, with a bland storyline and characters you don’t give a shit about, Courtney Gets Possessed is the perfect film to throw on during a “Netflix and Chill” night. … read more
Time For a Bigger Machete: Mezcal’s Slow but Steady Process...
SLUG sat down with Francis Fecteau, wine broker and owner of Libation, LLC, to discuss the trials of mezcal in Utah. … read more
Local Music and Spirits Roundup: November 2023
This month, SLUG is shaking things up by pairing craft local spirits with the best new music from the Salt Lake Valley and beyond! … read more
Jake Reedy: The Tinkering, “Any Means Necessary” Artist of Postmodern...
Reedy is not your typical designer. When it comes to materials, nothing stays sacred for long. “I like the idea of being anti-genre,” he says. … read more
Local Music Singles Roundup: October 2023
All Hollow’s Eve is creeping in on us foolish mortals once again. SLUG is ditching the tricks and dishing out some raving treats in the October edition of our Local Music Singles Roundup! … read more
Film Review: Psychosis
Psychosis is a chilling homage to the noir genre, sprinkling Easerhead oddities throughout. … read more
Local Music Singles Roundup: August 2023
Savor every last moment of vacation heat by checking out our August Local Music Singles Roundup, featuring artists from the Salt Lake Valley! … read more
Local Review: Tycoon Machete – The Great Machine
Tycoon Machete’s first full length album is a post-grunge, psychedelic slumber, with their anti-capitalist lyrics etched on the glass inside of a lava lamp. … read more
Film Review: The Black Guelph
John Connors’ clouds the Emerald Isle in a darker, more spiteful tone in The Black Guelph’s look at Ireland’s decaying underclass. … read more
Localized: Jon Bean and The Eyerollers
Jon Bean and The Eyerollers seem to be fresh to the local music scene, but each member is supplied with an background that stretches back to the late ’80s. … read more
Localized: PERSONA 749
PERSONA 749 is one of those Salt Lake bands that is heavily intertwined with its homegrown roots through background and lyrics. … read more
Safer Streets, Happier Feet: BikeWalk Provo’s Uphill Journey
When Aaron Skabelund realized how dangerous the lack of transportation awareness made travel, even over a small distance, he knew there had to be a change. … read more
Local Review: Eyes of Eva – Temptation
Eyes of Eva = The Rigs x Halestorm – Skillet … read more
Review: Endless, Nameless – Living Without
Endless, Nameless = Paramore–Sweet Spirit + Suicidal Tendencies + stage equipment falling off a cliff … read more