SLC Twilight: Mt. Joy • The Moss • August 12, 2025 • Library Square
Reviewed and Photographed by Matisse McMullin
Salt Lake City’s annual Twilight Concert Series is a dream come true for Utah music fans. Tuesday night’s insane pairing of headliner and opener drew a sold-out crowd full of excitement. Many attendees sought shade beneath the trees, enjoying the variety of food trucks and beverage tents while desperately waiting for the music to begin.
Despite it being one of the hottest days of the year in Salt Lake City, crowds of people pressed together across the grounds, hoping to secure a good spot to enjoy the music and catch a glimpse of the artists.
The Moss
Salt Lake City-based indie rock band The Moss brought the perfect vibes to kick off the evening. Originally formed in Oahu, Hawaii, their Hawaiian roots are evident in their music, full of surf-rock and reggae influences: laid-back rhythms, smooth melodies, and carefree energy. Their style complemented the headliner’s perfectly, and people were grooving to the music from the first song.
Their set featured several of their hits, along with some newer and unreleased tracks. The audience seemed equally excited for both.
“There are two things you should know about our band…” frontman Tyke James said into the mic. First, he announced the band’s upcoming show at the Complex in October, news that had just been revealed earlier that day. Second, he shared that the band will be releasing an EP very soon. The rest of their performance included a mix of both groovy and gritty tunes.
The Moss’s screamy vocals, punchy guitars, and fast-paced drums had the crowd moshing along, matching the band’s passionate, intense energy. They closed their set with fan favorite “Insomnia,” the crowd singing and dancing along excitedly.
“We love you, thank you!”
Mt. Joy
The sun began to set, the heat eased, and more fans moved closer to the front of the crowd.
The five-member indie folk rock band took the stage, immediately eliciting cheers and screams from the eagerly awaiting audience. They opened with the chill “Sheep,” followed by the more energetic and narrative “Jenny Jenkins,” then the groovy, layered “Let Loose,” and “Rearrange Us.” The band jammed together during the instrumental bridges, trading riffs and rhythms with playful energy. “You guys still doing okay out there?” asked Matt Quinn, lead vocalist and guitarist, scanning the audience.
After the crowd responded with loud cheers, Quinn laughed. “They brought the juice,” he said, nodding to the energetic fans in the front few rows. The singer almost missed his cue to start the next song, distracted by the fans at the barricade. He laughed off the slip and smoothly transitioned into the next track.
Psychedelic visuals and brightly colored stage lights complemented the band’s groovy, rhythmic, and introspective sound, putting the crowd in a near-trance. They then moved into “I’m Your Wreck,” followed by “Lemon Tree,” a punchier song driven by electric guitar riffs.
Between songs, fans raised hands in a “Mt. Joy” gesture that was meant to resemble a mountain. Quinn looked confused at first, joking that everyone doing it looked “culty.” After a fan explained the gesture, he laughed and joined in: “Hell yeah.”
After the goofy exchange, the band played several tracks from their newly released album Hope We Have Fun, including “In The Middle” and “God Loves Weirdos,” before transitioning into older favorites. During “Ruins,” Jackie Miclau wowed the crowd with keys as the band played with full intensity.
The set shifted with the raw, edgy “Dirty Love,” and the more emotional and layered “Cardinal.”
Mt. Joy split the show into two sets, giving fans a chance to cool down and take a break.
About fifteen minutes later, the band returned, opening with “Coyote,” a single from their new album. Quinn introduced the next song with a cheeky grin: “This is a song about getting a little too high in a restaurant.” The audience laughed and cheered in recognition.
“Julia” was followed by “Orange Blood,” a song inspired by a desert trip. The crowd matched the song’s shifting tempo with energy. The second set also featured newer tracks “Pink Lady” and “Lucy,” the latter written about a friend of the band battling a terminal illness.
Quinn spoke about the community and hope they found while writing it: “It’s super inspiring…We have this humanity that is truly beautiful. We show up for our friends,” prompting cheers from the audience.
The rest of the set was packed with fan favorites and had some Grateful Dead melodies sprinkled in here and there. A whimsical intro into “Mt. Joy” had rainbow colored lights flashing while the audience clapped along and sang, building a vibrant, chaotic bridge where the keys and drums fed off of each other. It was truly epic.
The dramatic outro flowed seamlessly into the iconic opening keys of “Strangers,” with the crowd singing every word. Quinn playfully changed the lyrics from “New York City” to “Salt Lake City,” earning delighted cheers.
Next came “Highway Queen” and “Bathroom Light,” each with distinct vibes, and the audience mirrored perfectly. Quinn took a moment to introduce the band, then looked out at the crowd. “It’s amazing to see all of these faces… we don’t take it for granted, thank you very much.” Indie-rock anthem, “Silver Lining,” followed. It was the moment everyone had been waiting for.
Fans danced and sang their hearts out to the final three tracks with unmatched energy.
The band then returned for an encore, with the opening notes of Wheatus’s “Teenage Dirtbag” sending the crowd into a frenzy. Fans moshed and screamed along to the high-energy classic.
The night ended on a high with the hit “Astrovan,” the perfect feel-good close to a summer night of music.