Jake Scott • MaRynn Taylor • July 31, 2025 • The Union Events Center
Reviewed and Photographed by Josilyn Wakkuri Lybbert
One of Utah’s favorites, Jake Scott, joined by MaRynn Taylor, returned to Salt Lake City on Thursday, July 31st, for his Live in ‘25 Tour! Fans of all ages flooded The Union Events Center, excited for his return to Salt Lake City!
This show was a fun one to have on my roster because I think I’ve photographed and reviewed every one of Jake Scott’s shows in Utah up until this point! From opening up for Ben Rector, his own show, his album release concert, and even his surprise appearance at Russell Dickerson’s concert this past April – I’ve been there! He’s now the artist I’ve photographed the most, so it was an honor to be there to cover the show!
Like I mentioned, Utah LOVES Jake Scott, and I think it’s safe to say, Jake Scott LOVES Utah! He is incredibly talented both vocally and lyrically. Jake has one of the best, no-frills kinds of voices. He’s just so solidly good! And he writes the sweetest love songs, often as an ode to his wife, Rachel, whom he absolutely adores. He also has so many fun, upbeat songs, as well as some more serious songs that make the listener think and feel. His energy on stage is next level, and his love and gratitude for his fans never goes unspoken. With the combination of all of those wonderful attributes, there’s no question why fans keep begging for more Jake Scott, and clearly Jake feels it because he can’t seem to get enough of Salt Lake either!
MaRynn Taylor
People were chanting, “MaRynn!” over and over, minutes before she stepped on stage, so it was pretty obvious to me that she was going to be a fan favorite! It was good to have her back in SLC. From the beginning of the set, MaRynn’s bubbly, joyful personality radiated off stage and throughout the crowd. It’s not often that fans are quickly engaged and dancing from the first song of the first set, but they sure were for MaRynn!
MaRynn kicked it off with songs, “Make You Mine,” “Dirty Blonde,” and “We Could Be In Love Right Now,” that transitioned into a cover of Dan + Shay’s “Tequila,” which the fans loved!
MaRynn asked, “Is anyone a fan of Friends?” She continued to share a conversation that she had with her cousin, who’d admitted that she was feeling behind in life, to which MaRynn said, “We’re only on season 2 of Friends!” As a Friends fan and a twenty-something who can sometimes wonder along the same lines as MaRynn’s cousin, I loved that analogy! Like the backstory, the song itself was full of positive encouragement! Fans throughout the venue would cheer at one of the many uplifting lyrics like, “Maybe it didn’t work for a reason,” or the nod to the Friends theme song, “Nobody told you life would be this way.”
MarRynn said she was excited to be back in Salt Lake City after being here a few months ago when she opened for Kelsi Ballerini! She said that she loves being in Utah and that she loves Swig! Basically, she is one of us!
Microphone issues and illness didn’t phase MaRynn at all. I would’ve never known that she wasn’t feeling well if it weren’t for her sharing it on social media – her voice was beautiful and strong, and her energy was more than I could provide on my best day! Kudos to her for still getting up there and putting on a phenomenal show!
Another great song of MaRynn’s was a play on Trisha Yearwood’s, “She’s In Love With The Boy,” called, “She Broke Up With The Boy.” It was a really fun one that had the crowd jumping and clapping for the entire song! It was the great mix of her own song with a perfect nod to the original!
Fans seemed to love every second of MaRynn’s set! She and her music were a great way to get the night started!
Jake Scott
Soon it was time for Jake Scott. Fans screamed as the band took the stage and lost it when Jake arrived! He came on stage, bouncing and jumping, seemingly just as thrilled to be there as the fans were to see him!
“We Haven’t Even Looked At Our Phones” was Jake’s first song of the night, followed by “Like This.” During “Like This,” he not only surprised me while I was in the photo pit, but shocked fans as he jumped off the stage and ran back and forth, serenading fans from all points of the barricade!
Before “Green Eyes,” Jake shared, “I’ve been telling the guys (the band) all of tour, ‘Just you wait for Salt Lake!” He said that the crowd was already proving his point!
“She’s Not You” was filled with so much energy! It was such a sweet sight to see a whole room of strangers dancing their hearts out! We were even favored with a cool rock solo during it! And it didn’t stop there – “Let It Begin” brought more of those same wholesome, fun vibes! It felt like the perfect summer song! It mentions Santa Monica, and I could absolutely picture myself listening to that one driving past Santa Monica on the PCH! During both songs, the band had moments where they’d jam out of stage and fans would rock out right along with them!
“Has anyone ever been to Italy?” Jake asked. He told a story about a trip he and his wife took to Venice and how wonderful it was. When he got home, he wrote the song, “Venezia,” in an attempt to capture the beauty of their trip to Italy. I was excited to hear it after being in Italy not too long ago and missing it! He did a great job of bringing hints of Italy throughout a modern love song! After it ended, someone yelled, “I love Rachel!” and the whole crowd started chanting her name!
In between songs, Jake said, “Man, I love you so much, Salt Lake! I haven’t toured in three years, and I didn’t know what to expect, but you’re still here!”
During the heartfelt “Working For You,” fans illuminated their cellphone flashlights, which made for a beautiful ambiance. So much so that Jake commented on how much he loved it. The crew cut the stage lights and let the room glow only with the light shared by the crowd!
At one point, Jake noticed a fan who was proud to be sporting a water bottle from Jake’s Lavender era. It was a funny exchange as he shared, “I have a box of them in my garage, but then I learned about microplastics! I won’t get into that, that’s not what you came here for.”
Jake started to talk and said, “Salt Lake City,” but was cut off by a wild amount of screaming, which seemed to really mean a lot to him. After it died down, he continued, “I have a surprise for you – we’re playing a second intimate show at a smaller venue tomorrow night.” Fans were so excited! He told them to get their tickets right then and there, but laughed and encouraged them to get tickets after the show once the crowd let him know that, unfortunately, there wasn’t any cell service in the building! Jake was really getting all the time he could with his Salt Lake City fans after a pop show the night before, the longstanding scheduled tour stop, then an additional show!
“Tuesdays” was graced by a beautiful sing-along from the entire crowd. It’s a sweet song that serves as a great reminder that love is more about the everyday than it is about the best, big days.
After “Tuesdays,” he shared, “I feel fantastic! I’m taking it slow because I never want it to end!”
To introduce the next song, Jake explained that “For You, I Will” was written during a hard time in his life. He said, “For me, the only thing that’s really brought me peace in my life is my relationship with Jesus.” The crowd erupted in applause and cheering for that sentiment!
“Married Young” was another fan favorite! The whole room erupted in jumping and singing, and several couples were swing dancing in the back of the venue! That energy rolled over to “Forever 22,” and it grew even more for “Favorite T-Shirt!”
It had been announced that the last song of the night would be the well-loved hit, “Good Day,” which really kept the party going! So much so that the show didn’t end there – Jake hopped into the middle of the crowd for a stripped-down version of “One On The Way.” Fans circled around Jake to wind down a night full of fun with a unique experience; it was the artist off the stage!
After the show, Jake took to Instagram to share that the Salt Lake City stop on his Live in ‘25 Tour was likely the most favorite show that he’s ever done. I have no doubt that many fans left feeling like it was their favorite concert too! It was such a great night filled with wonderful music and talented entertainment from both MaRynn and Jake, and lasting memories for all involved!
Jake – Salt Lake City will always be waiting for you to come back!