Park City’s Concerts on the Slopes series brought a pop icon in Mike Posner, to play Friday evening. A nice afternoon crowd began to gather on the stunning slopes at the Canyons ski resort. DJ Brody Jenner, yes, that Brody Jenner, welcomed concert goers with a DJ set featuring upbeat remixes of popular songs.
The legendary singer, songwriter, performer, Barry Manilow, appeared at the Maverik Center in West Valley City on July 14. The show was billed as “MANILOW, The Last West Valley City Concert”. Does that mean it’s specifically his last stop in West Valley? Or was this his final tour stop in Utah? The 82-year-old performer showed little signs of slowing down. But I’d imagine he’s having to pace out his tours, and this could very well be the last time he performed in this state. We didn’t want to take the chance, so we made to to do what we could to cover this show. It’s almost impossible to know Barry Manilow’s music. So I knew I would know the songs at the concert. But I did not expect the concert to be quite the way it was.
Lyle Lovett is known the world over as a renowned Country Music singer and songwriter. But to me, he is much more than that. I think he’s one of the more unique artists we have in this generation. Yes, he does sing Country. And so many of his hits have come under the Country Music genre. But he is versatile in a way that is so much different than his Country contemporaries. His voice and style are so unique. When you hear a song, you know it’s a Lyle Lovett song.
Lovett is a performer whom I hadn’t given as much attention to as I should have when he was at his peak. But as his career has reached legendary status, it’s been a pleasure to become more familiar with this one of one. Lyle Lovett and his Large Band stopped by Sandy Amphitheater on a day fitting of a Texas gentleman.
On June 28, 2025, The Strike closed out their five-stop North American tour with a high-energy performance at Utah’s newest concert venue, the Rio Tinto Kenecott Stage at America First Square in South Jordan. The venue in Daybreak is part of the new ballpark that is home to the Salt Lake Bees. As a photographer and concert lover, I’ve been to countless venues across the state—and I can confidently say this one is a standout. It was Utah Concert Review’s first time covering a show at the venue, and I’m already looking forward to coming back.
There are certain moments in my life when I can point to a specific moment when I first heard a song or a band. I’ll never forget the day I was introduced to Incubus. A good friend of mine told me that he discovered this band. He was infatuated with them. Growing up about ten minutes away from Calabassas, California, where Incubus is from, I think we had an extra affinity towards them. We knew where they signed their record deal. Or at least where they were rumored to have signed. It was a Red Robin. Don’t tell me if it isn’t true. Because even now, when I drive by that restaurant, I tell people, “That’s where Incubus signed their record deal.” I’d prefer to keep saying that. Some of my friends were in art class in middle school and high school with these guys.
Nestled amid the trees and foothills of the Wasatch Front, one can find one of the best Venues in all of Utah, Red Butte Garden Amphitheater. Last weekend, Folk band Watchhouse took that foliage-surrounded stage and turned the quiet hillside into a sanctuary of sound. With subtle and sweet melodies, intimate lyrics, and musicianship that could stop someone in their tracks, the North Carolina-based folk duo shared a performance that felt more like a neighborhood gathering than a concert. Setting up the evening to be even more memorable, a stirring supporting set from Colorado-based indie folk group Frail Talk was in store.
The Salt Lake Twilight concert series is a collection of shows that takes place every summer, hosted at either the Gallivan Center or Library Square in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah. It brings in some of the best bands and artists that people want to see. With a stacked lineup of shows this summer, the concert series yields an amazing show for all ages, and the EARTHGANG show did not disappoint. One of the great things about this concert series is that it consistently does a great job of highlighting Utah’s local bands to open for such legendary headliners. For this concert, we had Utah-based band Bad Luck Brigade.
The Summer Of Loud tour came through Salt Lake City on the 8th of July. The Tour includes four headliners, including Beartooth, Killswitch Engage, Parkway Drive, and I Prevail. I haven’t been to the Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre yet this year, so I was excited to be there for this show. The festival was an all-day event that took place under an over-90-degree sun.
American Folk band JOSEPH, one of our favorite live bands here at Utah Concert Review, returned to Salt Lake City at The Commonwealth Room. JOSEPH, since 2014, has been a trio consisting of sisters Natalie Closner, Allison Closner, and Meegan Closner. The latter two are twins. In August 2024, it was announced that Allison would be stepping away. This was JOSEPH’s first time playing Utah as a duo since Allison’s departure. I was curious to see how the band would sound. What would be different? And what would still be the JOSEPH we know and love?
Country Music singer, Cody Johnson, brought his “Leather Deluxe Tour” to Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre on Saturday, Jun 28, 2025. He brought Wade Bowen and Mae Estes along with him. The last time we covered CoJo was back in February 2020, just weeks before the world shut down due to the pandemic. He was opening for Country Music superstar Miranda Lambert at the Delta Center in downtown Salt Lake City. I remember enjoying his energetic performance. He set the bar high for Miranda, and it made for a great night of Country Music.
There’s something so cool about seeing a musician along the journey of their career go from supporting other artists on their tours to headlining their own tour. I was happy for Cody Johnson that his career has gone the way it’s gone. He not only brought his headlining tour to one of Utah’s largest concert venues, but he sold the place out! I’ve said this before, and I’ll most likely say it every time I attend a Country concert, but there is nothing like the vibe at this type of show. People were in great spirits. Everyone seemed to be having a good time. And this was in between sets! I’m sure you can imagine what it was like when the music was actually being played. I was happy to be at Utah First Amp for this show.