A couple of weeks ago, Salt Lake’s local gems, The Moss, kicked off Halloween with their headline show at The Complex! These boys have always put on incredibly fun and dynamic performances. Tyke James is a stellar frontman. They are so full of life and energy, playing groovy bangers to get everyone jumping! They love to put on a good Halloween celebration, and everyone dresses up! The crowd of young and older fans came ready to party!
One of the biggest rock bands of the 90s, Garbage, took what could very possibly be their last time playing in Salt Lake City, to The Complex. They were joined by opening band Starcrawler on what was an emotional and memorable night.
Starcrawler had full-on rockstar energy, coming out onto the stage headbanging and kicking feet to the music. After playing their first song of the evening, “Goodtime Girl,” lead singer Arrow De Wilde shouted, “What’s up, Salt Lake City!!! Alright, c’mon take off your temple garments, let’s get into it!” which made the Salt Lake audience cheer. The Los Angeles-based glam punk band played some of their bigger hits while also playing songs only heard while on tour, like “It’s 3 AM”, an unreleased song but well-loved and well-known by their fans.
The whole stage had a pink setup for the band; every amplifier for the guitars was pink, the microphone cords, the guitars, and even the drum kit were all decked out in the color. The lighting throughout their set was all pink, and everyone’s outfits had at least a touch of pink as well.
Originally started in high school by Wilde, Starcrawler has been growing in size for years, having toured around the country and world with acts like Jack White, The Foo Fighters, and even My Chemical Romance.
Their energy was explosive, very chaotic, and shocking when performing, all in the best of ways. Starcrawler’s whole performance blew the roof off of the Complex and definitely created some new fans in the audience. They were the perfect way to start the night off with a bang.
The crowd had been excitedly awaiting Garbage’s entrance onto the stage, so when they came out, the crowd cheered wildly. Frontwoman and lead singer Sherley Manson came out onto stage and demanded the crowd’s attention with her commanding presence and stunning vocals.
This legendary Wisconsin-based band has been in the spotlight for almost 30 years and has toured around the globe, sharing positive vibes and impactful stories. At the Salt Lake show, Manson shared, “Well, Well, Well, Salt Lake City! We are really, really, psyched to be here, in this spectacular city. Thank you so much, thank you for coming out tonight. This has been a 30-year relationship, the longest relationship of my life, aside from my parents and my sister. And I don’t even know where to start, quite honestly, I should say thank you of course, to Starcrawler, that’s a very good place to start. (Lots of cheers)
Second of all, I went to Antelope Island yesterday, and again you’ve got to forgive me i’m gonna share too much, i lost my dad about 3 weeks ago, (ahhs from the crowd) you know as anyone who’s been any kind of devastating loss its such a weird thing, grief is such a weird process, one minute you’re fine, the next you’re a mess. It has been really quite a trip to lose my old man, and I went to Antelope Island yesterday. (Manson starts crying) Everything’s fine, everything’s fine. I went to Antelope Island yesterday and I saw bison. And it was an extraordinarily weird experience; it was everything about my life that is perfect.
I’ve been in love with America since I was a little girl, and to get to come here with my amazing band, and to get to come here for 30 years, is so weird and wonderful. Anyway, I was looking at this bison yesterday, and these big hairy beasts and their magical and mystical purr, and I felt something really shift in my body, and it was really amazing. My dad taught genetics at university, and he studied like animal husbandry and so I grew up knowing all about cows, weird kinds of cows, and bison.
And I don’t know, all this crazy sh*t that my dad kind of made us listen to, scoffing at it, and now I’m nearly 60 and I’m like holy sh*t, dad, I totally understand what you were going on about. I totally understand what you were so in love with, so my point just being, Thank you so much, Salt Lake, for healing something in me. And second of all I just want to dedicate this next song, to a fan we met earlier on at one of our VIP meet and greets, she told us that she had been in a really quite insufferable time, and this one is for Diana, its called “The Trick is to Keep Breathing”” This made the audience all tear up, grateful to help heal a bit of the lead singer’s grief.
The show was spectacular; however, in between songs, there were some slight technical issues with band members not being able to hear themselves. The issue was quickly and efficiently resolved, and the rest of the set went off smoothly.
One of the best qualities about Garbage is how much they love their fans. In regards to the former, Manson said, “I was going to play a song that go far and our fourth record is us to the title track to our 4th grade and this is a song and our discography that was just sort of grown and grown with our career and we never imagined that it would be something that you all loved and that you keep asking for every time we come and play a show.
This song is essentially about how we’re all so weird and different from one another. And I think we all feel as a band that we really don’t care how weird you are unless you’re hurting animals or children, in which case we want you to die. But this is a Garbage philosophy, which is we hate nobody. We don’t care what race you are, what color you are, what gender you are, what sexuality you are, we don’t care if you tuck to the right or to the left, we don’t give a flying shit about what kind of food you like to eat, what kind of sex you like to have, we really don’t care what god you worship. We really don’t care, we don’t care.
We want everybody, everybody to be treated with kindness, and we’re getting really sick and tired of all of the nonsense that’s going on right now, of the othering people, the picking on people, criticizing people, it’s so boring. So this is a song from Garbage to all of the other like-minded people in the audience tonight.” Garbage then played their hit song “Bleed Like Me”.
Fans of Garbage are picking older classics of the band and singing their hearts out to them, Manson stated, “This tour that we’re on right now, it’s been, you know, since the first of September. And for some inexplicable reason, the song that we’ve had in our discography for 30 years has suddenly become a song that everybody sings along to, which we find absolutely mind-blowing, because nobody has ever sung along to it before this tour. But all of a sudden, everybody is joining in, and it is the first time it happened. It felt so amazing to me. I can’t quite explain it.
Like, hearing you lot sing is so much nicer than hearing myself sing. I love hearing Nicole sing, but I don’t particularly enjoy hearing myself sing. But when you all sing, it’s like going to fucking church as a three-year-old or something. It’s so beautiful. So anyway, I say this because I really hope, Salt Lake City, that you will join in this song with your beautiful voices.” The crowd definitely joined in, and it was truly like a choir, singing along to the song “Queer”.
When the song “When I Grew Up” followed up that performance, the crowd was so ecstatic, instantly jumping around and screaming along to the lyrics.
Ending the night off was a bit emotional for the crowd and the band. Manson solemnly said, “I don’t know if anybody is aware or not, I’m sure some of you are and some of you probably aren’t, but we have come to the conclusion that this may very well be the last time we come to Salt Lake City. Which is a somewhat devastating confession, but just touring the way that we are accustomed to touring, and by that I mean, you know, we’re not in a transit van and we’re not holding down two jobs at home. We generally like to be on a tour bus and be safe and be staying in hotels where our security is not in question.
And thank you to the new record business, business being the operative word, the way that the record business is currently is just making it really, really difficult for bands. And I mention this not for ourselves because we’ve been incredibly fortunate and we’ve had a 30-year career and we’ve got nothing to complain about. We say this because we’re very, very concerned about the generations that are in our footsteps, and we’re very concerned about, most importantly, we’re concerned about banks. Because, of course, the new industry, new music business is in favour of solo artists. That’s why we see so many of them. It’s because they’re cheap to run. They’re cheap for record companies. You’ve only got one person, one hotel room, you know. Blah, blah, blah. You get the picture.
Anyway, the band, as we once knew it, is becoming a threatened species. And Garbage is kind of one of a few, I mean, we’re called, like, the last of our kind. We grew up in the 90s, you know, when it was the heyday of the robot. So anyway, I don’t know why I’m bringing this up. I guess because I want you all to know, on behalf of the whole band, how grateful we are to you for everything you have done for us. Thank you for sharing that with us. Just being here for us and allowing us this extraordinary life that we lead, where we get to travel the country. It’s a really beautiful way to live, and it’s all thanks to you.” This was the sweetest way to end the night.
After playing in Salt Lake City on tour with FINNEAS in March, California-based alternative band Bad Suns returned to the city on Wednesday night for a show at the Complex.
Despite a busy night for concerts across Salt Lake, fans still showed up, bringing all the energy they had, eager for a night of fun.
The up-and-coming Carter Faith started the show with a bang, immediately causing the crowd to be shouting and swaying about. The North Carolinian moved to Nashville after college to pursue country music and was met with overwhelming success. Faith was named as “the future of the next 10 years of Nashville” by the Whisky Jam founder (a music venue in Nashville that hosts artists before they become household names) along with being named a “Rookie of the Month” by Billboard in March of 2022. Spotify also put Faith on their “Hot Country Artists to Watch” list, a huge accomplishment.
Carter Faith’s energy warmed the crowd in a dreamy manner. The flow of her dress and songbird voice were immaculate, adding to the atmosphere of her performance. Funnily enough, Faith said that she wrote one of her most popular songs, “Lasso,” while watching the TV show Yellowstone, which made the crowd laugh as the headliner for the night, Luke Grimes, played a major role in the show.
The song “Grudge” also really got the crowd moving, based on how “When you live in a small town, word gets around… and every time after you find out, you’re going to find out about it” stated Faith, while also prefacing the song with how “It’s a joke y’all, Jesus has a sense of humor” this song had the crowd cheering and singing along by the end. The passionate Carter Faith opened the night wonderfully, bringing a level of energy to the crowd for Luke Grimes
Luke Grimes came out on stage met with excited cheers from the audience, with the stage completely dark, Grimes began to play “Innerbloom Intro”. As the song ended, all the lights came up in warm reds and oranges, and Grimes asked how the crowd was doing. He was met with enthusiastic shouts and cheers, just before saying how “the crowd seems so supportive” and he’s so grateful to be able to play for the audience tonight.
Grimes grew up in Ohio, before moving to New York to pursue acting. Through the years he has had many roles on various TV shows and movies, however, the one that most of the crowd at the concert knew of was “Yellowstone”. While a very popular show, he probably drew a few more fans to the Complex since a few seasons of the television show were filmed in Utah. During the concert, Grimes said “How Salt Lake was a second home for a while, I did a lot of work out here. We were in Park City for this little TV show I did for a bit. I really miss this part of the world” meaning when he was out here filming “Yellowstone”.
While performing, Grimes had this warm and inviting energy that he brought to the stage. Even during his “slow and sad” acoustic set, he brough this passion and warm nature to the forefront of his performance. The crowd was swaying along to the music the whole show, and there were even a few couples in the crowd slow dancing to the songs.
The majority of the songs played during the show were from Grimes’ debut album “Luke Grimes” which was released earlier this year. Before the song “Black Powder” Grimes said how this was a good dancing song, and he wasn’t wrong, the whole crowd was dancing and jumping along. In the middle of the song, Grimes also took a minute to introduce the band, even saying “how sorry he was to the ladies in the audience as his bassist was taken, as he recently got married a few weeks ago, how the only thing thicker than his groove was his mustache, in regards to his drummer. Along with how his right-hand man and guitarist has the fastest fingers in the world.” Grimes also said “how much he appreciates the band and how they make him look good every weekend”
Before the end of the night, Grimes said how he had one more song and told the crowd “Thank you for being so supportive and coming out tonight” and how “sometimes I just have to look around and pinch myself because he can’t believe this is happening.” He then left the stage seemingly for the end of the night until the crowd begged him to come out and play one more song. Grimes excitedly ran back onto the stage and stated how the encore is his favorite part of the night because it made everyone turn around and come back to see the final song. That night, his final song ended up being a cover of the Nirvana song “All Apologies” which caused the crowd to go wild.
Close friends and singer-songwriters Chelsea Cutler and Jeremy Zucker brought their Brent Forever Tour to Salt Lake City, Utah this last weekend. One of only twelve stops on the tour, and second to last, both Chelsea and Jeremy brought passion, pain, and love to the stage in a full yet gentle force. Normally touring separately, the pair, who’s musical Ven diagram shares three EP albums, decided to focus a tour specifically on those shared albums and hit the road on the Brent Forever Tour. Fans of Chelsea and Jeremy were especially excited as this was the first time Cutler and Zucker had teamed up on tour. With them on their Salt Lake stop the pair brought special guest and indie folk artist Ethan Tasch.
KING DIAMOND will embark on a long-awaited North American headlining tour this Fall! The Saint Lucifer’s Hospital 1920 trek will commence on October 15th in San Antonio, Texas and run through December 6th in Dallas, Texas. Support will be provided by Overkill and Night Demon. Additional backing vocals for the KING DIAMOND set will be provided by the special guest, Myrkur.
To the excitement of many, the Legendary alt-rock band The Fray brought their “The Fray is Back” tour to Salt Lake City, Utah this last week as they played a sold-out show at The Complex. With them, they brought the ever-so-talented Rett Madison. Returning from a recent five-year hiatus and with fans of all ages anxiously packed into the Grand Room at the Complex, The Fray delivered a perfect emotional alt-rock set that was just what everyone had come for.
The rash guard-clad Aquabats returned to Salt Lake City on their newest tour celebrating the band’s 30th anniversary of fighting crime. Over the decades, The Aquabats have become some of Ska Rock’s biggest icons, known for their distinctive skin-tight rash guards, board shorts, and penchant for slaying inflatable monsters. The heroes in blue have not only made their mark on the music scene during their tenure, but have also featured in shows like Yo Gabba Gabba, and at one point even hosted their own family-friendly program for a short stint.
After a lengthy touring hiatus, The Aquabats are back on the road promoting their latest album Finally! joined by Left Alone and The Agrolites. Last Tuesday, fans of all ages flocked to The Complex in their signature Aquabat attire for a chance to hear the bands perform. The night was a testament to The Aquabats’ enduring appeal across generations and their never-faltering superhero-turned-ska-punk charm.
The first act I was able to catch was The Aggrolites. Emerging in the early 2000s, The Aggrolites are known for their unique “Dirty Reggae” sound, a fusion of classical reggae with ska-punk and soul sensibilities. From the moment the band of five stepped onto stage, they exuded a contagious energy that matched the upbeat feel of their songs. Opening tracks like “Pop the Trunk” and “Funky Fire” featured the laid-back reggae you’d expect of Bob Marley with a raw edge of traditional punk. Some songs like “Time To Get Tough” seemed to veer more towards rock, while others like “Mr. Misery” were light-hearted sing-alongs that called for audience participation.
Early in their career, The Aggrolites appeared on Yo Gabba Gabba where they first performed the classic favorite “Banana.” The crowd (including myself) was enthused to see that the beloved song made its way into the set. Costumed stage crew and members of The Aquabats pranced out of the wings wearing banana suits to accompany The Aggrolites for the song. Appropriately, members then threw inflatable bananas into the crowd which bounced across the venue for the remainder of the set.
Shortly after the stage crew cleared out frontman Jesse Wagner took a moment to thank the crowd for their support throughout the years. He talked about how Salt Lake City was always one of their favorite destinations on tour. Wagner recalled how Utah had consistently brought the loudest and most enthusiastic crowds, and the audience that night was no exception.
To wrap up their set, The Aggrolites finished with one of their biggest tracks, “Dirty Reggae.” Fittingly, the song is a tribute to the band’s unique ska punk and reggae identity. At the end of their performance, some of their front-row fans got a chance to score some tour merch as band members handed copies of the setlist and drumsticks to the audience. The Aggrolites seemed to care a lot about their fans and maintaining a lightheartedness on stage. It’s no surprise that their performance was well-received by both the families and rock enthusiasts in attendance.
Following a short wait, The Aquabats trotted onto the stage, proudly forming the band’s iconic bat symbol over each of their heads. Their set kicked off with fan favorites like “Cat with Two Heads!” and “My Skateboard!” from their 1997 album. The performance was about as chaotic as you might expect from a band dressed head to toe in spandex apparel.
Each member of the ska rock ensemble was decked out in superhero regalia, sporting hefty belts across their waist emblazoned with the Aquabats logo. Frontman and lead singer Christian Jacobs, better known by his hero alias The MC Bat Commander, led the performance. Accompanied by solos from other band members like Ricky Fitness and Eaglebones Falconhawk. On each side of the stage, LED screens played a bizarre array of visuals, featuring everything from clips of Shrek to graphics of Cabbage Patch dolls. These eclectic elements combined with the band’s over-the-top showmanship made the live listening experience all the more surreal.
The crowd seemed to be swept away by the performance too as The Aquabats threw inflatable sharks and floaties into the audience. The show felt like an immersive comic book turned dance-party adventure, complete with impromptu skirmishes and goofy antics that had families cheering along.
The Aquabats moved through some of their bigger hits like “Pizza Day!” and “Red Sweater!” while young fans got their first taste of the concert experience crowd surfing on blowup inflatables. Midway through the set, the band instructed audience members to make a circle by raising their arms overhead in a ritual they perform each show called “The Circle of Love.” Fans young and old all formed the circle in a wholesome tribute to The Aquabats’ song “Lovers Loving Love.”
After all these years, The Aquabats haven’t lost their undeniable charisma. Even though their performance may be as hokey as it is semi-coherent at times, The Aquabats have found a way to make their show a welcoming one for everybody, including the most hardcore of rock fans. I look forward to seeing how The Aquabats continue to grow their ever-loyal fanbase.
Danny Lux made his first trip to The Complex last Friday on the latest stop of his international tour, Tour of Lux. The Chicano artist celebrates the release of his fifth studio album EVOLUXION, joined by fellow Latin artist Dariell Cano. That night, The Complex housed a sizable audience made up mostly of Latine and Spanish-speaking fans dressed in Danny’s signature tour merch. Before the show began, eager fans searched for glimpses of performers in the wings and then cheered to beckon them on stage. The excitement in the crowd was palpable.
Ryan Beatty brought his 2024 North American Calico Tour to The Grand at The Complex in Salt Lake City on Friday, March 8th! It was his first time doing a show in Utah, and his excited fans lined up as early and a few hours before the night’s events and filled up the space inside the venue quickly once the doors opened!
When I arrived inside of the venue, there was a palpable sense of anticipation from the fans, yet they maintained a mellow and relaxed vibe. A venue worker jokingly remarked, “I came to take a peek at the rowdy crowd!” and then mentioned that because of the audience’s well-behaved demeanor, he predicted that it would be an easy night for venue staff and security.
