Early 90’s punk rock, Nostalgia. September 22nd, 2021 Anti-Flag took over the Complex. Anti-Flag stopped off in Salt Lake City on their way to the great Punk Rock Bowling & Music Festival in Las Vegas. They are a classic when it comes to punk rock. Easily one of my favorite punk rock bands. Seeing them live took it to a whole new level compared to listening to them on a music streaming platform.
If you feel jaded with modern music, I strongly suggest you take in some Khruangbin. This utterly refreshing trio has their own sound, artfully fusing styles as disparate as psychedelic rock and vintage funk. Mark Speer explores Middle Eastern music scales and experiments with reverb, much like Dick Dale (who pioneered surf rock). Multi-instrumentalist Donald “DJ” Johnson plays drums and Laura Lee is on bass.
The second to last Ogden Twilight was a successful night! We didn’t have to worry about rain interfering with set times. It was nothing but clear blue skies. On top of that, it was another sold-out show. Every time that I hear that a show at the amphitheater is sold out it’s always hard for me to believe. It never feels that way. Usually, at other venues, I feel cramped and struggle to walk around the venue. It’s hard to get from point A to point B. I’ve always had it easy going at Ogden Amphitheater no matter what sold-out show is here.
KISS “End of the Road” World Tour. USANA Amphitheatre September 22, 2021
Reviewed by Brittany DeMott
Three years after Kiss announced their “End of the Road Tour”, fans finally got to experience the spectacle known as KISS! USANA Amphitheatre packed in over 20,000 die-hard KISS fans, ready to rock and roll all night, but maybe not party every day. For me, this was my third time seeing the band. I’m a 30-year-old woman, who has grown up her entire life listening to KISS. My Dad is one of their biggest fans and I thank him for enlightening me with some quality music.
The moment Sarah Barrios walked out she commanded the stage at the Complex in Salt Lake City. Not only with her pink megaphone but also her amazing voice. Sarah was able to sing softer ballads in a soft and forgiving tone. But also rocking out with the audience singing pop/punk songs. The energy was at a level that I think a lot of people have not seen for a long time. Utah was one of the first shows on tour and Sarah said that Utah had an energy that she had never seen before in all of her years of doing music.
After watching Sarah perform live, her songs have now joined the ranks of my most listened to playlists! Sarah electrified the audience, and it was visible from the collective jumping up and down of the audience! It’s been a long 18 months without live performances and I was ALL FOR IT! Sarah rocked her own songs like her newest single, ‘IH8EVERY1’ as well as ‘Year 3000’ by the Jonas Brothers. Then she pulled on everyone’s heartstrings with her song ‘Pretty in Pink’. Sarah put the fun back into live performances and I will personally be watching for any upcoming shows of hers in the future!
If you have not heard of Christian French then stop what you are doing, drop everything and GO LISTEN TO HIM! Christian has been one of my favorite artists for years now. Ever since his song ‘Dying Alone’ came out in 2017 I knew that his career in music was only going to keep getting bigger. The way he is able to connect with his fans not only in the highest of highs but also the lowest of lows.
Alec Benjamin w/ Anson Seabra at The Complex September 21, 2021
Reviewed by Evelyn Salazar
This past Tuesday, the line outside of The Complex wrapped around the entire building and even further down the street as SLC fans patiently awaited for doors to open and for the night to start. In town was Alec Benjamin with his special guest, Anson Seabra as the opening act! Two extremely talented musicians who have stolen the hearts of many people, including my own. I was very excited about this show. Originally, the show had sold out weeks before, but at the last minute Alec and his team opened up some tickets! Those got swept up pretty quickly as well. As the doors opened, everyone packed into the Rockwell room at The Complex, securing their spot for the show.
The Ogden Twilight Concert Series has been a beautiful part of summer 2021. It is bittersweet to see it come closer to the end. This would be my last show at Ogden Twilight and I was looking forward to Dawn Richards and Purity Ring. Knowing little about the artist I was still so excited to experience their music. I’m extremely grateful to discover so many amazing new artists this summer and will continue to do so the more I review shows.
Photo Credit: Matt Gordon | Magic Space Entertainment
Little Big Town Night 1 Eccles Theater
Reviewed by Kevin Rolfe
It’s hard to believe, but Little Big Town finally played Salt Lake City on “The Nightfall Tour”. The show had to be rescheduled at least twice. Covid-19 and the pandemic caused a lot of shows to be postponed and ultimately canceled. But Little Big Town never canceled. They tried to keep the initial date, then tried to keep the next one, and finally, they were able to play two nights at Eccles Theater in downtown Salt Lake City. People who held on to their tickets finally got the payoff months later. We had the opportunity to attend night one and it was obvious that both the band and the audience were happy to be together.
This is a tour that fans have waited well over a year for.,New Found Glory’s headlining, “Pop Punk’s Still Not Dead” tour, and within that year it’s been one crazy ride! From rescheduling the entire tour due to COVID to Simple Plan dropping from the lineup and finding the replacement of Less Than Jake, it’s safe to say things have not gone quite as planned. However, the struggles don’t stop there. It was one eventful night in Salt Lake City.
The Twilight Concert Series in Salt Lake City is coming to an end, and one of the last bands on the lineup for this year was Utah’s very own Neon Trees. I was super excited to cover the show because it would be my first Twilight show of the year, especially after not having a Twilight concert series last year because of Covid. And if I’m being honest I think Twilight concert series shows are some of my favorite shows to cover. The summer vibe, the beautiful Gallivan Center, with the city around you as the sun is setting and you’re vibing to your favorite music. It’s an overall great time!
