UCR, Author at Utah Concert Review

May 25, 2022

Testament

The Bay Strikes Back Tour: Testament w/ Exodus & Death Angel• May 20, 2022• The Depot

Reviewed and Photographed by Alisha Gregson

I was thrilled for the opportunity to attend and photograph The Bay Strikes Back tour featuring thrash metal bands Testament, Exodus, and Death Angel. The tour had originally been planned for 2020 but had to be rescheduled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The three Bay Area bands were finally able to return and play a sold-out show at The Depot in Salt Lake City on Friday, May 20th.

When I arrived at the Depot I found an excited line of metalheads that stretched down the street. I saw that most everyone was wearing a shirt or patch supporting one of the bands on tour. There were also quite a few shirts representing The Heavy Metal Shop. A local store that sells all things heavy metal. Just as I had arrived I heard some loud cheering from further back in the line. I quickly realized the source of the excitement was Testament’s lead singer Chuck Billy. He was returning to his tour bus after taking a minute to greet his fans and give out high fives.

May 23, 2022

OMD

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark• May 16, 2022• The Union

Reviewed and Photographed by Kevin Rolfe

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, or OMD as they’re often called celebrated 40 years as a band with their Souvenirs Greatest Hits Tour. The tour comes a couple years after the actual anniversary, but like so many other tours or anniversary celebrations, the original tour was pushed back due to the worldwide pandemic. It was worth the wait, OMD never disappoints! The Monday night concert felt like a Saturday night. If the Union Events Center wasn’t sold out, it was maybe a couple of tickets away. The venue was filled and fans who have seen OMD over these 40 years were eager for the show to begin.

May 22, 2022

Kilby Court Block Party 3

Kilby Court Block Party 3• May 13 & 14, 2022• Library Square

Reviewed and Photographed by Jacob Moniz

Kilby Block Party!

Sartain & Saunders kicked off the summer with a bang! On the weekend of May 13th, they put on their third annual Kilby Block Party. They really stepped up the festival a ton from the previous years. They completely filled up the Salt Lake City public library grounds. Having artists like Mac Demarco, Phoebe Bridgers, Steve Lacy, Clairo, and countless other great artists playing all within 2 days. I was super excited that they provided local artists the opportunity to play the festival as well. The way the lineup schedule was laid out this year, allowed fans to be able to see any and every artist they wanted to. At maximum, there were 2 stages out of the 4 running at the same time. But each set was staggered so you could still attend both without stress.

May 22, 2022

Ben Rector w/ Jake Scott

Ben Rector w/ Jake Scott, Stephen Day & Jordy Searcy• May 19, 2022• Sandy Amphitheater

Reviewed and Photographed by Josilyn Wakkuri Lybbert

Ben Rector fans braved a windy, chilly night at the Sandy Amphitheater on May 19, 2022. But I think that any one of them would say it was worth it! The show was the second date that Ben Rector, along with Jake Scott, Stephen Day, and Jordy Searcy, played in Utah this week. This date was the first show to sell out on The Joy of Music Tour, and it sold out quickly. So that should give a hint at the excitement and anticipation around this concert!

May 19, 2022

Tai Verdes

Tai Verdes w/ renforshort• May 14, 2022• The Complex

Reviewed and Photographed by Tomo Crestani

With his first visit to Salt Lake City, Tai Verdes played a sold-out show at The Complex on his HDTV Tour. There was a packed venue well before the opening artist took the stage. I was very impressed with the turnout for this show. Upon entering the room Tai would be playing in, I noticed a large number of people wearing merchandise from Tai that was not currently being sold at the show. It is always fun to see a strong fanbase. Although there was a large number of people wearing merchandise not bought at the show, I did notice a lot of people also wearing the tour merchandise. He had a hoodie that looked like clouds in the sky, which was a fan favorite for sure.

May 18, 2022

LOVELOUD 2022

LoveLoud Festival• May 14, 2022• Vivint Arena

Reviewed and Photographed by Josilyn Wakkuri Lybbert

Dan Reynolds’ LoveLoud Festival returned to Salt Lake City this weekend, on May 14th, for the first time since 2019. This year, the festival took place at Vivint Arena. The festival had a great lineup with the event’s founder Dan Reynolds of Imagine Dragons, Neon Trees, Anitta, WILLOW, and David Archuletta – just to name a few! LoveLoud is a festival that focuses on celebrating, accepting, and encouraging the LGBTQ+ community in Utah, especially the youth, was hosted by Kalen Allen.

May 17, 2022

UCR Interview: Jake Scott

Pop singer-songwriter, producer, multiinstrumentalist, and recent Elektra Records signee Jake Scott will open for indie hitmaker Ben Rector on The Joy of Music: Live U.S. tour. The tour stops off in Utah for two shows at the Sandy Amphitheater on May 18 & 19. Scott will provide direct support for the first leg of dates, which wraps in Oklahoma City on Sunday, June 5.

We had the opportunity to visit with Jake leading up to the Utah tour stops. Enjoy!

May 16, 2022

mxmtoon

mxmtoon w/ Chloe Moriondo• May 11, 2022• The Complex

Reviewed and photographed by Tomo Crestani

On Wednesday, May 11th, The Complex was able to host Maia, known professionally as mxmtoon. With her “Rising Tour” in full motion, Maia was able to sell out the Salt Lake City venue and draw a very decent crowd. Gaining a lot of her fanbase from YouTube, she was able to also share some of the spotlight with upcoming artist Chloe Moriondo. Chloe also has gained traction in the music industry through YouTube. It is really interesting to see such strong fanbases coming from posting covers and low-budget videos on the internet.

May 12, 2022

Lights

Lights w/ tiLLie• April 30, 2022• Soundwell

Reviewed and Photographed by Mallorie Lerman

The nightlife in Salt Lake can be as busy and versatile with its events and shows. As tilLLe (Not pictured due to technical issues!) took the stage Saturday night she had a strong presence and playful vibe. Accompanied by a heavy bass line, tILLIe opened with her song “Peachie”. Swinging to the beat and grabbing the mic singing “hi, hello, it’s your favorite enemy”. I loved the vibe of Soundwell during her performance. Everyone from the bar to the stage swayed along to the beat.

May 12, 2022

OMD returns to Salt Lake City

OMD brings 40th Anniversary Souvenir Greatest Hits Tour to the Union May 16, 2022

The synthpop icons are celebrating 40 years of the band with the shows, which have been pushed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.