Kilby Block Party Day 3 recap • May 17, 2025 • Utah State Fairpark
Reviewed and Photographed by Kevin Rolfe
With contributions by Alisha Gregson
Another day at Kilby Block Party means another day of a diverse lineup of some of our favorite bands. So far in this festival, we’ve had solid weather. The skies have stayed dry for the most part and temperatures have been moderate to cool. This was the first day of KBP where there was some nervousness about the weather. Despite the concern, people remained in good spirits and all bands were able to take the stage and perform their sets.
Day 3 was one of the lineups I was most looking forward to. Some bands that have had great success here in Utah were set to play on Saturday, May 17, 2025. We also had a band in Gang of Four that were playing their first and final show in Utah. It was a full day. But at the end of it we had Weezer headlining!
George Clanton
While I was in the Mountain Stage area, I heard that there would be a lot of bands heading over to see George Clanton. I was not familiar with the electronic artist. But I knew based on the audience anticipation that I had to check out his set.
Clanton took the stage by storm with a ton of energy. He didn’t hesitate to get the crowd going. He told the VIP section that he would be there later in the show for some of the bigger artists later in the day. He applauded them for paying the big bucks to be there. George had them cheering but the regular GA booing in jest. He doubled down in a fun way and then acknowledged the rest of the crowd to a loud ovation.
George Clanton moved all over the stage, at times emptying water bottles on the crowd to cool them off. He jumped down into the photo pit and to the barricade to sing right into some fans’ faces. I ran into one of them later in the day and they told me it was intense but an awesome experience. Clanton’s high-energy performance earned him praise throughout the day as one of the best performances people had seen.
SASAMI
As soon as I could, I rushed over to the Desert Stage to catch some of SASAMI’s set. She’s an artist I’ve heard a lot about. All good things. I thought she sounded great and had an intensity all her own. Her guitar playing consistently captivated the crowd and it seemed like everyone was truly into the set.
Montell Fish
So far throughout the day, the weather had been great. Right before Montell Fish took the stage, the wind began to whip around the fairgrounds. There was some concern that Fish wouldn’t be able to perform his set. I was standing underneath a suspended speaker stack. I noticed it and the digital screens swaying severely. I moved to what felt like a safer area and hoped the wind would mellow out. Montell’s set was delayed so that the crew could lower the digital screens to the ground so they wouldn’t be at risk of causing injury. Once things seemed secure, the show continued. The delay did not seem long. I appreciated the security precautions that were taken.
Montell Fish was finally able to take the stage and for this crowd, it was well worth the wait. For many, Montell was a pallet changer for the festival. Many of the bands and artists are rooted in Alternative or Indie music. Fish is more of a hip-hop/ R&B style artist. With much of his messages rooted in his Christian faith, it was an interesting but what looked like a welcome mix from the other music being played.
Black Country, New Road
Black Country, New Road is an English band that I very much enjoyed. They took the Kilby Stage and being unfamiliar with the band I wasn’t sure how many were in the band. They just kept coming and coming and coming out on stage. The six-piece band got into position and I immediately enjoyed their sound.
BCNR opened with “Besties” and it was clear right away just how talented they were. With multiple impressive vocalists, it was difficult to choose a favorite. At first, I heard Georgia Ellory on vocals and thought, ‘ok great lead vocalist’. Then I heard, May Kershaw on vocals, and I thought, ‘Oh they have two great singers, great.’. Then followed, Tyler Hyde and so on and so on. This band is gifted.
I enjoyed songs like, “Two Horses”, “Mary”, and “For the Cold Country”. They closed the show with, “Goodbye (Don’t Tell Me)”. I will definitely be diving into this band further. They are so talented.
IDKHOW
It was fun to see IDKHOW playing in their home state. The Mountain Stage was filled with loyal fans who were excited to have the band back at Kilby Block Party. I thought the band sounded great and everyone seemed to have had a lot of fun. Lead vocalist, Dallen Weeks commented a number of times about not being able to hear the bass on the stage but fortunately, that wasn’t the case with the sound going to the audience. I’m sure that was frustrating to not hear, but I felt like the comments about it could have been reduced. We get it, you couldn’t hear the bass, you sound good, just play. Pointing out something that the audience is totally unaware of didn’t seem necessary.
Toro Y Moi
Toro Y Moi is an electro-pop artist from Oakland, California. He has a great sound and brought good energy to the Lake Stage. He made his way out from a synth rig surrounded by two bandmates and moved along the stage to adoring fans. His style and sound made for another artist who brought something unique and interesting to the festival.
Gang of Four
While I was initially excited to see St. Vincent at the festival, I became torn when I learned that Gang of Four would be performing simultaneously on another stage. The decision was made for me when St. Vincent only allowed a select few to shoot her set inside the photo pit. Besides, how could I not return to the Mountain Stage to see Gang of Four? This would be the band’s first and last visit concert in Utah. This is their farewell tour. They’ll be retiring at the conclusion of it.
Gang of Four opened with “Ether”. The English post-punk band kept things going with “Return the Gift” and “Not Great Men”. You would never know that the band was getting ready to hang it up. They sounded great and had the audience fully invested. Judging by the way the audience’s reaction, you would never have known that Gang of Four hadn’t been here. And yet, maybe that’s why the crowd was as into it as they were. They knew this was their chance to see this band live so they were going to give it everything they had.
Songs like, “I Parade Myself” and “At Home He’s a Tourist” were enjoyed by the audience. There was a good mix of young and old fans. Some who I’m sure have listened to Gang of Four for as long as they’ve been around and others who have to be new fans. Either way, I saw so many people singing along and having a great time. If this is Gang of Four’s only time to play in Utah, I think we made them feel welcome and left them with a great memory on this tour. I know that they left an impression on us.
Wallows
It’s pretty clear that Wallows have been a Utah favorite for as long as they’ve been a band. I can’t tell you how many times people ask me when a Wallows tour is announced, “Are you going to cover Wallows?!” While Utah Concert Review has covered Wallows in the past, this would be my first time getting to see the band.
On a side note, because so many people were over at the Lake Stage watching Wallows it freed up room after St. Vincent over at the Kilby Stage for those wanting a good spot for Weezer. That’s not always the case. I knew some people who were able to find a good place to see their favorite band. Thanks, Wallows!
Wallows as you might expect, took the stage to thunderous applause. The child actors now established musicians have made a name for themselves here and I can see the one day as a headliner of this festival.
Wallows opened with “Your Apartment”. This was a great choice as the crowd was immediately into their set. If that didn’t get the crowd going enough, Dylan Minnette made his way in front of the stage onto some of the speakers to get closer to the fans. I’m sure you could imagine the rush that came from that moment.
Songs like, “Calling After Me”, “Remember When” and their closer, “Are You Bored Yet?” were huge set highlights. When I asked people about their favorite sets at Kilby Block Party, Wallows was always mentioned. I can see them headed back to Utah soon.
Weezer
Now to the band of the day. I really enjoyed so many of the bands I saw on day three of Kilby Block Party. But Weezer was the band I was there to see. When Weezer announced that they’d be celebrating the 30th anniversary of their debut album, affectionately known as “The Blue Album” my first reaction was disappointment. Disappointed because Salt Lake City was not on the tour schedule. Utah Concert Review decided that we needed to see this show so we went on tour to Colorado to catch the Voyage to the Blue Planet Tour.
This may or may not be true, but we here at UCR are going to believe that it was our coverage of that show that gave Weezer the idea that they needed to play this show in Utah. We have no evidence of this being true, but in our hearts, it’s what we feel. Weezer would be headlining Saturday night at KBP celebrating their most beloved album.
The show starts with a video pretape of the band doing a press conference as astronauts telling us they’re going to head to the Blue Planet. The concert then commences with the boys walking on stage in astronaut gear and opening the show as if they’re blasting off. The show opens with “Anonymous” and “Dope Nose” which included a snippet of “Troublemaker”. Things really took off with their third song, “Hash Pipe”. The crowd went wild. I was in the middle of the audience when there was a huge rush towards the stage. Hoping to keep myself and those around me from being trampled, I did my best to hold my ground until the fury of the Utah bros subsided. Sure enough, they eventually mellowed. If only slightly. Weezer sounded so good!
The set would proceed with a string of hit songs. “Pork and Beans”, “Beverly Hills”, jumping and shouting along. I mean singing along is generous. People were giving whatever was left in their vocals to this band. It was amazing! Weezer then played “Island in the Sun” and everyone took a moment to sway along and collectively recover from the intensity of the opening of this set. The massive audience enjoyed “Perfect Situation” before the band entered into an “Astroid Belt”.
When Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo, asked the spaceship the name of the asteroid belt it responded much to the audience’s delight, “The Pinkerton Astroid Belt”. This led Weezer into a set of songs from their sophomore album, Pinkerton. The previously maligned now celebrated album was welcomed joyously into the setlist. The band played “Getchoo”, “Why Bother”, “Pink Triangle”, and “Across the Sea” from the album.
At that point, the band left the stage and returned with Rivers Cuomo wearing what looked like a Captain Kirk uniform only with the famed Weezer “W” instead of the Star Trek symbol. He was also carrying a flag with the Weezer logo. He planted it onto the stage and stated that it was “One small step for Weezer. One giant leap for Weezer-kind”. All of these antics were so ridiculous, and yet, they were so fun and the audience was completely enthralled with it all. The band then noticed that the “Blue Planet” was in poor shape. That it was in fact, dying. Cuomo stated that the band needed to play “The Blue Album” to bring it back. This as you might expect delighted everyone.
Weezer proceeded to play “The Blue Album” in its entirety beginning with, you guessed it, “My Name Is Jonas”. Things did not settle down from there. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen so many people crowd surfing at one time.
Knowing the track listing of an album makes for a really interesting concert. I usually like to be surprised, but when you know an album you know what’s next. That being said, there’s this moment between “The World Has Left Me Here” and “Buddy Holly” where everyone knows what’s coming and they’re just dying to hear what’s about to be played. The way “Buddy Holly” starts, it gives not time to build into the song. You’re into it from note one. And sure enough, this audience was all in.
There’s no need to break down every song. I know you can imagine just how amazing this part of the show was. I was impressed with how good Weezer sounded. They seemed to love playing Kilby Block Party. Festival crowds are just a little different. People were going nuts the entire time. It was a sight to behold. It impresses me because most of these people have been walking around and listening to bands and dancing and singing all day. And yet, they acted as if they were well-rested enough to go crazy for Weezer. I loved the energy. You’re welcome Utah for helping get Weezer here. (Wink) On to day four!!!