Utah Concert Review

August 6, 2019April 29, 2025

UCR Interview- Mike Peters of The Alarm

By: Kevin Rolfe

The Alarm is back on tour promoting their new album Sigma. Sigma is a sequel to last year’s critically acclaimed Equals. The Alarm return to Utah on August 8 at The Complex with Jay Aston’s Gene Loves Jezebel. I had the opportunity to speak with The Alarm’s frontman, Mike Peters a couple of weeks ago. I enjoyed our conversation so much! Mike has had a challenging life and a very interesting career. Enjoy!

Utah Concert Review: So before we begin, I was watching some videos on YouTube the other day and I went down this rabbit hole as you do. I’m a huge fan of The Killers, and I’m sure you know where I’m going with this, but I saw them performing at Cardiff Castle in Wales (Peters home country) and they began singing “Rain in the Summertime”. I was so excited! But then I heard that you might have been there. Is that true? Were you there?!

August 5, 2019

SLC Twilight- Young the Giant August 1, 2019, Gallivan Center

By: Kevin Rolfe

When students return to school in a few short weeks, and they’re asked by fellow classmates for some highlights from their summer break, I’m confident that this past Thursday’s SLC Twilight with Young the Giant, The Aces and Sego will be mentioned by every student who attended the Gallivan Center on August 1. This show had everything. Good weather, a great headliner, and two support acts with local roots and large followings of their own. This has been the strongest lineup top to bottom at Twilight this summer. This is one of those shows when you see it announced you think “Oh yeah, this is going to be good!”. And you just hope that it lives up to the expectation. I have to say that it absolutely did.

July 29, 2019

Jason Aldean July 27, 2019, USANA Amphitheater

Photo By: Kevin Rolfe

So I don’t know if you guys have heard or not but Jason Aldean is really really big. Like, sold-out concerts all over the country big. Don’t get me wrong, I knew he was a big-time country star. I guess I just didn’t realize how big. I have a bit of a confession to make. Leading up to this concert I didn’t know any Jason Aldean songs. How is that possible? I like country music, and I’ve seen Jason Aldean on awards shows and on Saturday Night Live, but sometimes even the biggest stars slip through the cracks. Now, why would you want to read a review from someone who didn’t even know one song going into the concert at USANA Amphitheater last Saturday night? Well for one, if you weren’t there, I’m going to tell you all about it. And if you were there, you’ll want to continue reading to relive just how epic that evening was!

July 27, 2019

SLC Twilight w/ Blind Pilot, Foxwarren & The Hollering Pines

By: Evelyn Salazar

Whenever you think of a concert or live music what comes to mind? Loud music? A crowd going nuts and dancing around? The frontman running around the stage and getting the crowd going? Those aren’t wrong answers. But sometimes a great concert can be the opposite of all of those things. Such was the case at Last Thursday’s SLC Twilight with Blind Pilots. If you wanted to spend a summer evening sitting outside kicking back and relaxing while listening to some great music then this was the show for you.

July 26, 2019

Renée Elise Goldsberry w/ the Utah Symphony July 20, 2019, Deer Valley

By Kevin Rolfe

When I saw the 2019 Deer Valley Music Festival Utah Symphony summer lineup, one of the first names that stuck out was Renée Elise Goldsberry. Renée has had an extensive career on Broadway, but the reason she is headlining this concert is due to her originating the role of Angelica Schuyler in the smash-hit musical, Hamilton. Ever heard of it? Not only did she originate that role, but she won a Drama Desk, Grammy and Tony Award for her performance. So I knew when her name was announced, I knew that I had to be at the Snow Park Outdoor Amphitheater to see this performance. I’m so glad I didn’t miss this.

July 25, 2019

The Head and the Heart July 19, 2019, The Complex

By: Kevin Rolfe

It doesn’t seem fair that one band can have so many talented musicians, so many talented vocalists, and so many talented songwriters that create so many great songs. There are bands out there that are barely able to squeeze out maybe one solid hit (which is more than I could ever do). Then there’s The Head and the Heart who have what seems like an endless supply of really great songs.

Fresh off two sold-out concerts at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado, The Head and the Heart met up with us here in Utah for their third show in as many days. Those Red Rock shows were streamed online. I took a peek at the first show and I knew we were in for a great night I was really excited to hear a lot of songs from the new album Living Mirage. I have really enjoyed that album. When UCR saw them at Park City Live back in March, The Head and the Heart played some songs from Living Mirage which was still a couple of months away from being released. I loved those songs and was excited to see how many more songs they’d perform on this tour.

July 25, 2019

Belle Jewel July 23, 2019, Kilby Court

By: Kaden Severn

Tuesday, July 23 brought some heat that I hadn’t felt since moving to Utah. That didn’t stop people from coming out to the historic Kilby Court! The venue famous for being the debut spot for artists in the Salt Lake area brought out a small, but enthusiastic crowd to experience the chilled out vibes and beautiful vocals from three up and coming female artists.

This was my first time attending a concert at Kilby Court and was fascinated to learn of its rich history of being one of the first places that many artists play at before becoming superstars. I was excited to hear some great music from some artists I hadn’t yet heard of but have the potential to blow up like many artists who have played here before them!

July 24, 2019

Salt City Sounds X Ambassadors July 17, 2019

By: Evelyn Salazar

Outdoor, summer concerts are such a wonderful experience! They are always my favorite because by the time the headliner comes on, the sun is setting and it’s not burning hot outside. Everyone is relaxed in their seats or on the lawn and it’s so chill while people wait for the band to take the stage. It was no different with at Salt City Sounds with X Ambassadors. Before the show, the Gallivan Center filled with people of all ages. Food trucks of all kinds lined the plaza and there were a lot of choices of drinks for the 21+ crowd. Not only that, but there were stands set up with different mini-games and lots of spin the wheel for prizes games. Some fans who wanted to just chill out snagged a spot on the soft grass, laying out there blankets and snacks. Even more pumped fans headed straight to the pit to make sure they had a good view.

July 24, 2019

Disney In Concert Utah Symphony July 19, 2019, Deer Valley

By: Kevin Rolfe with contributions by Kerriann Haycock

It was the perfect evening for an outdoor concert! Escaping the heat, heading up to Deer Valley, throwing down a couple of chairs and a blanket, eating and drinking with friends, what could be more perfect? How about a concert full of the greatest music from the Disney songbook? Sounds like the perfect evening! As part of their Deer Valley Music Festival series, the Utah Symphony presented Disney in Concert: A Magical Celebration at the Snow Park Outdoor Amphitheater.

July 23, 2019

Hippo Campus July 19, 2019, The Complex

By: Evelyn Salazar

I don’t think there are truly any words to describe how amazing Hippo Campus is live. On Friday, July 19, The Complex was packed with fans of all ages, coming out to see Hippo Campus and The Head & The Heart. I knew from the beginning this concert was going to be a good one because even though Hippo Campus wasn’t headlining, they’re a big name on their own that brought out every Hippo fan in Salt Lake City. Excited comes nowhere near to how pumped I was for this show. It’s unexplainable. Hippo Campus is my favorite band in the world. They have been since the moment I saw them perform at Kilby Court, five years ago. Since then, I haven’t missed one Utah show.