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Jim Gaffigan December 7, 2018 Vivint Arena

By: Kevin Rolfe

Photo By: Kevin Rolfe

Stand up comedy is an art form that fascinates me.  The ability to stand in front of a group of strangers and cause them to naturally react to something you’re saying with laughter totally blows my mind.  I truly marvel at the nerve these people have. I don’t know how they do it. I think it must be the scariest, riskiest in terms of failure potential, and therefore the most rewarding art form out there.  When a comic bombs, it’s just them out there. There aren’t other bandmates that they can share in their tanking with. It’s just them. But when done right, what can be better than having an entire comedy club crying laughing because of something you said.  Then imagine having an entire theater cracking up at something you said. Then imagine having an entire arena, filling a venue with thunderous laughter because of something you said. That’s how it was on Friday, December 7, at Vivint Smart Home Arena with Jim Gaffigan.  

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UCR Interview- David Archuleta

Interview by: Kevin Rolfe 

Photo by: Robby Klein

David Archuleta brings his Christmas Tour to the UCCU Center in Orem, Utah on Monday, December 10.  We recently caught up with David and discussed his new Christmas album, what pressures might come from performing in Utah so often, and what are some of his favorite venues here in Utah.  Enjoy!  

Utah Concert Review:  You recently released your new Christmas album Winter in the Air and your single “Christmas Every Day” is getting a lot of airplay here in Utah, so congratulations on that.  How did you decide to release a new Christmas album?

David Archuleta:  From the moment I released my first Christmas Album I’ve wanted to release another one.  When we were finishing up Christmas From the Heart about ten years ago and I was like, “I’m going to have to do another one.”.  You can’t fit all the great Christmas songs on one album. I love Christmas, it’s my favorite.  They’re my favorite tours to do, so I just knew that I had to do another Christmas album. It was just a matter of when.  But then I saw that Pentatonix released three in a row so I thought, “You know I guess I can release another one almost nine years later.”.   Continue reading “UCR Interview- David Archuleta”

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Metallica November 30, 2018 Vivint Arena Salt Lake City

By: Kevin Rolfe

Photo By: Kevin Rolfe

November 30, 2018, was a historic night for Vivint Smart Home Arena.  Not only did Metallica make their return to the venue, and Utah, after a ten-year absence, but they also set the arena’s post-renovation attendance record with 17,574 fans showing up for the concert.  And I believe it! I don’t think I’ve seen that place so packed!

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Andrea Bocelli November 29, 2018 Vivint Arena Salt Lake City

By: Kevin Rolfe

Photo By: Kevin Rolfe

We really classed things up over here at Utah Concert Review last night.  Vivint  Smart Home Arena was transformed into an opera house, and we attended Andrea Bocelli’s first ever concert in Utah.  He has such a strong fan base here in Utah that it was surprising that he had never played here before. Well, it was well worth the wait.  Bocelli’s fans were out in full force packing the arena for their favorite tenor’s debut in Utah.

Before I get into the concert itself, I have to mention some things about the audience and the venue.  While I enjoy attending concerts at Vivint Smart Home Arena the sound isn’t always the best. It’s just the way the venue was built.  Some tours come through and the sound techs can’t figure out how to mix this venue. Other times it’s passable and the show is so good no one cares. And other times the sound is good. I was concerned because of the type of show Andrea Bocelli puts on. It’s opera. It’s the type of music that is usually performed in halls created with the greatest acoustics you’ll find anywhere. But I have to hand it to whoever did the sound at this show. As far as shows go at Vivint Arena, this was one of the best I’ve heard.

Now, with opera being performed, this show is an upscale event.  A certain decorum and style are expected as such events. But it’s difficult because we’re all walking into a venue where basketball is played, and Metallica is performing the next night.  If you’re going to the Capitol Theater to see The Magic Flute, I think you know it’s the type of show where you throw on your best suit or dress. But I think this audience got the idea. People were dressed to the nines!  I saw slick suits and fancy gowns all throughout the arena. I saw furs (hopefully synthetic, or really really old!) and ascots. This audience was gussied up! And for whatever reason, that made me really happy.

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Lindsey Stirling Wanderland Tour November 26, 2018 Maverik Center

By: Kevin Rolfe

I have never seen Lindsey Stirling perform live before Monday night.  Well, now that I think about it, that’s not really true. I, like many of you, saw Lindsey for the first time at a halftime of a Utah Jazz game.  She was then known as the “Hip Hop Violinist”. I can’t remember if it was before or after her quarterfinal run on season five of “America’s Got Talent”.  But I would never have guessed the worldwide success she’s achieved since then. Not that I didn’t she had talent. I just can’t remember seeing someone perform at a halftime of a NBA game, then seeing them at a show they’re headlining.  I’ve been really happy for her success. It seems she’s worked hard for it, and the work has paid off. Lindsey brought her Wanderland Holiday Tour to the Maverik Center on Monday night. It was a show filled with heart, humor and holiday cheer.  

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UCR mini-Interview: Midge Ure on “Do They Know it’s Christmas”

By: Kevin Rolfe

Original Album Cover

Thirty-four years ago today, the song “Do They Know It’s Christmas” by Band Aid was released.  Boomtown Rats frontman Bob Geldof saw a report on the BBC about the famine in Africa and desperately wanted to help.  He recruited Ultravox frontman, Midge Ure, to write a song with him in the hopes of raising $100,000 for famine relief.  They wrote the song in a few days, and then they took to their individual assignments in getting this project off the ground.

 Midge locked himself in the studio, recording, arranging, and producing the track so that it would be ready when the time came to add vocals.  That was Geldof’s job. Bob Geldof went on a mission to form a one-off supergroup by recruiting some of the biggest voices in British music of the day.  He didn’t go through managers or publicists. He went straight to the artists themselves. He recruited the likes of Bono of U2, Boy George of Culture Club, Simon Lebon of Duran Duran, Tony Hadley of Spandau Ballet, and George Michael of Wham.  These vocalists along with many others agreed to show up and record this song over a 24 hour period. The song was recorded and released the very next day. It was the fastest selling single in UK chart history selling 1 million copies in the first week and has sold almost 4 million copies in the UK to date and about 13 million worldwide.  The song did not raise $100,000 dollars. However, within a year of its release, the song had raised $8 million. The success of the song drove Geldof and Ure to put together one of the greatest concert festivals of all time, Live Aid. Continue reading “UCR mini-Interview: Midge Ure on “Do They Know it’s Christmas””

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Trans Siberian Orchestra November 20, 2018 Vivint Arena Salt Lake City

By Kevin Rolfe

Photo by: Kevin Rolfe

You know when you walk into a venue and there’s a sign taped to every door warning of lasers, flashing lights, and pyrotechnics, that you’re in store for quite an experience. And what an experience it was! Trans-Siberian Orchestra is celebrating their twentieth anniversary, but from the looks of things, there are no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

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UCR Interview- Justin Hambly

Interview By: Kevin Rolfe 

Justin Hambly performing at the Angelus Theater. Photo by: Kevin Rolfe

Note from the interviewer:

Justin is a singer songwriter from Aptos, California.  He has been performing in bands for years, but it’s only within the last decade that he’s taken to writing/ recording his own music and performing solo shows or with his band The Heavy Hand along the west coast.  I’ve known Justin for over twenty years.  These are questions and stories that I have wondered about and am now so happy to have answers to.  I hope you enjoy reading this interview as much as I had conducting it!

Utah Concert Review:  As long as I’ve known you, you’ve been involved with music, whether it be with your former band Moz Eizley, or your current band The Heavy Hand and of course your solo work as well. I guess I’ve never known where you got started with music.  I know your dad plays a little guitar and is in a band right now. Is that how you got your start?

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The Alarm November 2, 2018 The Commonwealth Room Salt Lake City

By: Kevin Rolfe

Photo By: Kevin Rolfe

If I had to describe Friday night at The Commonwealth Room in three words, I’d have to say, Passionate, Energetic, and Emotional.  The Alarm pulled no punches in their return to Salt Lake City. I was exhausted after the show, and I didn’t even perform! I don’t know how Mike Peters and the gang perform at that high a level night in and night out.

The Alarm opened their set with one of their many hit songs, “Rain in the Summertime”.  It may as well have been the encore the way the crowd was roaring. They didn’t miss a beat with “Beautiful”, a song off of their latest album Equals, followed by “Strength”.  I was impressed at just how well their new song fit with a couple of their classic favorites.  

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