Photo Credit: Kathleen Sykes, Utah Symphony | Utah Opera
Kool & The Gang with the Utah Symphony July 9th, 2021 Snow Park Outdoor Amphitheater
After a full year of no concerts, and no summer activities, it was clear that everyone was itching to get out. What better way than to escape the insane heat of the valley this July. As I drove up to the Snow Park Outdoor Amphitheater, I was immediately aware of the energy the crowd had. Walking up the hill from the parking lot people were carrying coolers, chairs, food, and drinks. They were gearing up for a fun night of music outside and away from their homes.
Concerts are back baby! Utah fans of EDM were in for a treat when DJ Royalty, Steve Aoki showed up to Salt Lake City to headline the inaugural Salt Lake City Live lineup at the Gateway. This was the first show I’ve covered since the shutdown. I was really excited to get out and be part of a live performance again!
Attending The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber at Eccles Theater felt like a joyous homecoming. I love this theater. I was there opening night and have had the great fortune to return many times attending concerts, comedy, and theater. This return, after over a year away felt that much sweeter. I even had the box office staff say, “Hi Kevin, welcome back! Here’s your ticket.” before I even made it to the window. It really did feel like I was home.
What a strange year it has been. It’s hard to believe that it had been over a year since there was a concert at The Maverik Center! What a way to make its return to concerts than with the music of the greatest band in rock history, The Beatles. RAIN- A Tribute to The Beatles is the premier tribute band of The Beatles. They are in the midst of performing a three-show residency at The Mav. Today there will be a show at 3:00 PM and 8 PM. This show should not be missed by any fan of The Beatles. You’ll have a hard time convincing yourself that you’re seeing RAIN and not the actual Beatles.
What a way for concerts to make their return to Utah! Saturday, March 20th, 2021 brought us not only Vivint Smart Home Arena’s first concert of 2021 but their first concert in over a year. Utah-based indie-folk band The National Parks played Vivint Arena in a socially distanced sold-out show in front of thousands of concert hungry fans.
As I pulled into The Commonwealth Room parking lot on March 11, 2020, to cover JOSEPH, I could already tell things were different. So different that I parked within the first three spots next to the venue.
Just a little under a week earlier I was at The Commonwealth Room. I was watching The Lone Bellow perform in front of a sold-out room. There were a couple of masks being worn, but the place was packed and people were standing shoulder to shoulder. I walked up to the box office to get my ticket and photo pass and asked, “How’s it looking in there?”. “Well, it’s definitely not a full house. This show was almost sold out.” It was clear to me that people were already beginning to practice what we would hear so much in the following year, “social distancing”.
Back in 2012, I was at the concert of a band (who shall remain nameless) who was huge that year. Their songs were on the charts, they were all over TV and everybody seemed to really like them. Obviously I liked them, I was at their concert. But I remember leaving the venue and running into a former coworker. I asked him if he liked the concert and he stated that he wasn’t at that concert but at the venue nearby seeing ZZ Ward. I knew the name but wasn’t familiar with her music. He stated that he could hear the concert I was at through the wall dividing the venues. He then mentioned, “Sounds like it was a good time.” But he said it in a tone that let me know, it wasn’t as good as his show. ZZ Ward was playing in a smaller, more intimate venue so I thought, “There’s no way that show was better than mine!” Well in the following days, I heard people at other shows I was attending and posts online mentioning how amazing that ZZ Ward show was. All this time later, I wished I could have seen her in that tiny no longer used venue. Finally, on March 2 I was able to see what all the fuss was about.
I love springtime, the new beginnings, the fresh smell in the air and let’s not forget the wonderful memories to which we must cling; the future and creating memories may be postponed longer than we may like. However, I refuse to let this period of unrest damper our ability to reminisce and enjoy recent events and anticipate greater things to come. Maybe, my taking, much, much too long in finishing this review for once, is a good thing. Giving us this opportunity to remember a better moment. Today’s review comes from way too long ago, when I had the opportunity to enjoy four groups of performers and songwriters from our very own city and surrounding communities. I was invited to cover this show at the Beehive by some of our local performers. I was excited about this show. More than most. If anything, platforms like this one are ideal for local musicians to be recognized. At the risk of sensationalizing my reviews any more than I do, I have to come out and say this concert was hands down my favorite of the year, so far.
Four groups were playing inside this most intimate venue on 666 South in Salt Lake City. I had never been to The Beehive before and I must say I was intrigued as to how the show was going to take shape. The front of the venue is a bar/ restaurant and the stage was a covered, possibly out of commission rigged and lit platform in the back. The concrete floor and lack of a place to sit did nothing but increase my excitement and anticipation for the night ahead, a night, for which I was completely unprepared. I was not familiar with any of these bands before that night. I had listened to a bit to Savage Daughters after talking with them a bit, yet today, I still find myself scouring the internet for more of their deeper cut tracks, new releases, and live performance videos.
Live music is being consumed very differently today than it was just a few weeks ago. Before the live-music world temporarily shifted to quarantined stream only on social media, earlier this month I had a blast attending a wonderful show by Amanda Shires and L.A. Edwards. These are two artists that I was not previously familiar with, and with everything currently on pause, I’m so happy I took advantage of this opportunity to introduce myself to their music.
We’ve had a few canceled or postponed shows in Utah in the last few months. Some due to weather, and some due to illness. The latter is the case for Country Music superstar, Miranda Lambert. From what I read on social media, Ms. Lambert became under the weather and wasn’t comfortable performing with her voice in the state it was in. It’s disappointing when a show needs to be postponed, but I admire Miranda for wanting to give her fans the best show possible. This performance was well worth the wait.
