Utah Concert Review

June 24, 2019

Rhett & Link June 22, 2019, Maverik Center

By: Evelyn Salazar

Singing, comedy, and vanilla-wafer top hats, what more could you possibly want? That’s what Rhett and Link brought to the stage at The Maverik Center this last Saturday. The best friend, comedy duo hit the road for their first live concert tour, Salt Lake City, being only their second stop. If you don’t know who Rhett and Link are, or what Good Mythical Morning is then you are missing out on some top notch YouTube content. Rhett and Link are the stars of their YouTube show, Good Mythical Morning (GMM), with over 15 million subscribers who watch their videos religiously, as they upload nearly everyday. I love watching GMM! You never know what these two goofballs are going to do. From watching them eat strange and sometimes questionable food to watching them test women’s clothes, or make a human pizza, their videos are bound to make you laugh! I was super excited to see them live again! I traveled to Seattle in 2017 for their book tour. This time though, they were live in concert! They hadn’t been to Salt Lake in a few years, so fans, old and new, were super eager to see their favorites in person and not just on a small screen.

June 20, 2019

Patty Griffin June 19, 2019, Egyptian Theater Park City

By: Morgan Jones

The thing about Patty Griffin is that her voice isn’t perfect. I would go as far as to say it is an acquired taste, a voice that, even when you’re a fan of some of her songs, has to grow on you over the course of an evening. During her opening number at Park City’s Egyptian Theatre, that was the thing that struck me. I’ve always found her voice to be unique but it was even more unique live and honestly took a little getting used to and I think the biggest thing is you have to realize that Griffin is who she is, she is confident and makes no apologies and that may be the thing that makes her voice so inviting. There are other artists you go see and you’re disappointed when they hit a sour note but it actually seems that imperfection is one thing that makes Patty Griffin endearing.

June 19, 2019

Train/ Goo Goo Dolls June 18, 2019 USANA Amphitheater

By: Charlotte Reynolds

It’s always good to see a jam-packed USANA Amphitheater. It means that summer has arrived and good times concerts have moved to our great outdoor venues. I don’t know if I’ve seen USANA this packed since Def Leppard played here last. There was a buzz in the air as Goo Goo Dolls and Train fans made their way through the turnstiles.

June 19, 2019

David Gray June 18, 2019, Eccles Theater

By: Kevin Rolfe

I’ve been a David Gray fan for a long time. I’ve seen him in Los Angeles, in London and many times here in Salt Lake City. I do whatever I can to be sure to see him whenever he tours. There was even one time when David Gray was coming to Kingsbury Hall and I wasn’t going to be able to attend. I was forced to summon the assistance of the concert gods and David ended up needing to reschedule that concert for a date that I could attend. And that concert was so good! When I saw that DG was bringing his Gold in a Brass Age Tour to Salt Lake I was thrilled. But when I noticed that the concert would be taking place at the Eccles Theater I couldn’t think of a better combination. And I was not wrong.

June 17, 2019

Aly & AJ June 15, 2019, The Complex

By: Evelyn Salazar

Bring on the nostalgia!

Saturday, June 15, 2019, Salt Lake City was blessed with the appearance of the sister, pop- duo Aly & AJ. Fans of all ages anxiously waited outside The Complex hours before doors opened, so they could snag a good spot. The iconic sister duo came back from a 10-year hiatus from music last year, and just released their new EP Sanctuary last month. For a lot of fans, this would be their first time seeing the girls live because of their 10 year break. It was amazing to see young kids to grown adults in line. If you were a Disney Channel kid like I was, then you know just how amazing Aly & AJ are! They were a huge part of my childhood, with their catchy songs and unforgettable music videos that would play during commercial breaks. When I think of them, it takes me back to simpler days in the 2000’s era. They remind me of summer breaks and my pre-teen bedroom, covered in posters from those teen magazines! So I was excited to hear them perform live too!

June 14, 2019

LANY June 11, 2019, The Great Saltair

By: Cassilyn Anderson

The day LANY comes to town should be an official holiday in Utah because it’s a day that every teen and young adult looks forward to. This last Tuesday, LANY made a stop at The Great Saltair in Magna. Fans had been anxiously waiting outside of the venue since as early as Sunday morning in hopes to be squished against the barrier to be as close as possible to their favorite band. Many fans made new friends with each other as they waited for hours on end in line.

June 13, 2019

Fork Fest June 8, 2019

By: Kevin Rolfe

Back in 2010 Corey Fox, owner of Velour Live Music Gallery and singer-songwriter, Joshua James put together the first Fork Fest. It’s an event that is still talked about to this day. Now in 2019, the Harrington Center for the Arts got involved and brought back this amazing festival that spotlights the best local talent in Utah.

This event could easily, and perhaps should be called Velour Fest because these bands have all graced the stage at one point or another of the iconic Utah County venue and champion for musicians in the area. There were 28 bands on the lineup, each of them at varying stages of their musical career. I’ve seen local music all over this great nation of ours. I’m continually in awe of the talent pool here in Utah. If you heard that any one of these bands were signed (whatever that means nowadays) and were heading on a nationwide headlining tour you wouldn’t be surprised. There is not only an embarrassment of riches when it comes to music talent here in Utah, but there is real professionalism in their approach to their music. Many of them started at an open mic night or a battle of the bands. But when they stepped on to one of the three Fork Fest stages they looked like seasoned veterans.

June 10, 2019

NKOTB Mixtape Tour June 6, 2019, Vivint Arena

By: Kevin Rolfe

If you had told me thirty years ago that I would be covering a New Kids on the Block concert I would never have believed you. For starters, I don’t think thirty years younger me would have known that I’d be covering concerts at all. He also probably thought there was no way he’d ever be caught going to an NKOTB show. What boy in his early teens is going to like a group that is taking all the attention away from him and his other guy friends. Now if you told me thirty years ago that I would be going to a New Kids on the Block concert and liking it, well I would have just called you a liar. But I went to the NKOTB Mixtape Tour at Vivint Arena and left extremely entertained! There is something to be said about putting on a quality show. The New Kids invited some artists from their hay day to join them on the tour. Salt-N-Pepa, Naughty By Nature, Tiffany and Debbie Gibson filled out the Mixtape Tour lineup. The combination of these 80s superstars filled the evening with nostalgia and a really good time.

June 6, 2019

Billie Eilish June 4, 2019, The Great Saltair

By: Cassilyn Anderson

BILLIE. FREAKING. EILISH. WOW! On Tuesday, June 4 Billie brought the most amazing and well put on show I have ever attended to The Great Saltair. As early as 6 am on Tuesday, fans arrived dressed head to toe in Billie’s merch and sat in line all day hoping to get a good enough spot to see this talented 17-year-old perform. The freeway exit to the Saltair was completely backed up due to the number of people anxiously arriving to attend this show. The Great Saltair is all the way out in Magna and there is only one exit to the venue and one parking lot so it was pretty crazy getting all of the cars in.

June 6, 2019

Parachute June 1, 2019, The Depot

By: Cassilyn Anderson

On Saturday, June 1^st, Parachute made their Utah tour stop at The Depot in Downtown Salt Lake City! I personally have loved Parachute since I was 15 years old. I had never seen them before so I was stoked to finally get to see the Charlottesville Virginia based band for the first time in concert. I love their upbeat and fun style of music. I couldn’t wait to see what type of show they would put on.

The Depot has always been one of my favorite venues so I’m always excited when I find out a band is performing there. It was a great fit for this show! As for attendance, I felt like the room was completely packed from front to back. I was surprised when I heard that The Depot wasn’t sold out. I heard the same thing when I coverd Walk Off the Earth. It was so packed in there I don’t know how it wasn’t a sellout!

Parachute performed beautifully throughout the night and brought so much energy. One of my favorite songs from Parachute is “Can’t Help”. I might be biased but to me, that was the best song of the night. They also played other popular songs like “Jennie”, “Something to Believe In”, and “Kiss Me Slowly”. Each and every one of those performances were insanely good! The crowd seemed to be having a good time. There was a good mix of teenagers and adults and it seemed like everyone danced and sang the night away.

My favorite part of the show was hearing how highly lead singer, Will Anderson spoke of Salt Lake City. He mentioned that there was a different energy from any other show. Anderson expressed how he was always so excited to perform in Salt Lake every year because it has been his favorite for many years.

As I mentioned, The Depot was a fantastic venue to host this concert. They do very well with sound and the lighting looks great in there. When the sound and lighting are it makes for a really fun atmosphere to be in. You never want to leave! Unfortunately, once Parachute came out and played “Lonely With Me” for their encore, it was time to go. The Depot will forever be one of my favorite venues to attend.