Remi Wolf • Dana and Alden • April 8, 2025 • The Union Events Center
Reviewed and Photographed by Austin Dayton
Salt Lake City doesn’t always get the wildest shows on the tour circuits, but when Remi Wolf hit The Union Event Center on Tuesday night, she blew the roof off, painted it neon, and set it ablaze. Touring on her new album Big Ideas, the California-based pop disruptor delivered a set that was as heartfelt as it was chaotic, leaving the crowd sweaty, smiling, souls healed, and wondering what just happened—in the best way possible.
Dana and Alden
Setting a perfect mood for the night, Jazz duo Dana and Alden brought all the vibes and funk you could ask for. With the duo was a group of accompanying musicians who together made it feel like you were at your best friend’s garage band, who just so happened to be insanely good. With the audience feeling the grove, it was now time for the star.
Remi Wolf
From the moment Remi Wolf emerged from the wall of fog on stage in a black sheer shirt and big black boots, the energy in the room was electric. Her entrance wasn’t just an intro—it was an absolute statement: This was NOT going to be a show you’ve seen before. And it wasn’t. Not even close.
Opening with “Toro” a track from Big Ideas, Wolf instantly had the sold-out venue grooving to her unmistakable blend of funk-pop, indie soul, and hyper-saturated weirdness. Her voice—raw yet smooth, capable of incredible tenderness—floated effortlessly above thumping basslines and psychedelic synths. Within minutes, the crowd was moving like it was a Friday night in LA, not the cold spring Tuesday in Salt Lake City.
As you looked around at the audience, it seemed that everyone had gotten the same fun and crazy dress code memo, and yet, despite the show’s matching maximalism—cartoon visuals, inflatable props, spur-of-the-moment freestyles—there was something deeply personal about it all. Between tracks like “Michael” and “Cherries and Cream,” Wolf took a moment to talk candidly about the emotional exhaustion of being on the road, taking care of our mental health, and what it means to stay creative while constantly being in motion. It didn’t feel like a speech—it felt like a friend pulling you aside in the middle of a dance party to get real for a second. Just as fast as she got serious, she was right back to bouncing around the stage like a human firework.
The highlights came fast and loud. “Cinderella” was a psychedelic disco party, drenched in glitter and grit. “Sexy Villain” took the jazzy detour, complete with sultry vocal runs and a moody groove that would make openers Dana and Alden proud. “Kangaroo,” a song that already teeters on the edge of delightful absurdity, was stretched into a full-blown theatrical moment—as Remi Wolf brought the audience into her synth world of wonders.
Visually, the show was pure candy. The backdrop beamed with rainbow lasers, flashes of strobe, and spotlights bringing the stage into another dimension. It was sensory overload in the best possible way—like flipping through 200 channels on fast-forward while dancing to the funkiest playlist you’ve ever heard then all of a sudden realizing the room you are in is covered in flames..
But it wasn’t all flash. Wolf’s vocal performance was strong enough to carry the night without any of the spectacle. On “Liz,” a ballad dedicated to her best friend, she stripped things back, standing still for maybe the first time all night. Her voice cracked in just the right way, and even the rowdiest part of the crowd fell silent. It was one of those rare moments in a concert where everything softens and suddenly feels like a sacred experience with a close friend.
And then, naturally, she sang about titanium tube cats.
Midway through the show, Remi paused to take audience suggestions for a freestyle—an improv bit she’s been known to pull off with impressive skill. Tuesday’s crowd offered her “tube,” “cat,” and “titanium,” which she mashed together into a hilariously funky groove. Backed by her band, she turned it into a song that somehow referenced metallic cats made of titanium as if it were one of her greatest hits. It was weird, brilliant, and completely unforgettable.
It is that kind of spontaneity that makes Remi Wolf so magnetic. She’s unfiltered in the most intentional way—her chaos feels earned, her silliness has weight, and her vulnerability sneaks up on you just when you think she’s all fun and funk. Something is refreshing about an artist who can have you crying one moment and scream-laughing the next.
Exiting the stage after “Disco Man,” there was approximately a zero percent chance that the audience was going to let her leave without at least one more song. The encore, of course, was “Soup,” one of the favorites from the new album. But even that felt transformed—slower, funkier, more confident. No longer a rising star, “Soup” was the song of someone who had arrived. As the lights came up and the last notes rang out, everyone seemed to linger in disbelief. No one seemed ready to leave the beautifully weird little world of Remi Wolf.
As much as this tour is a celebration of Big Ideas, it’s also a celebration of Remi herself—of her refusal to be boxed in, of her commitment to making music that feels alive, and of the way she turns every performance into a collaboration with the crowd. She seemed to follow no rules or norms, fully permitting everyone in the audience to be their true selves. Tuesday night proved that her fans aren’t just listeners—they’re co-conspirators.
Salt Lake City doesn’t always get shows like this—shows that feel part concert, part art project, part collective fever dream. But when we do, we make sure to celebrate them! Remi Wolf didn’t just play The Union—she transformed it. For one night, the city belonged to her strange and beautiful universe. And if we’re lucky, she’ll bring it back again soon.