SLC Twilight Concert Series • EARTHGANG • July 12, 2025 • Gallivan Center
Reviewed and Photographed by Sam Howard
The Salt Lake Twilight concert series is a collection of shows that takes place every summer, hosted at either the Gallivan Center or Library Square in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah. It brings in some of the best bands and artists that people want to see. With a stacked lineup of shows this summer, the concert series yields an amazing show for all ages, and the EARTHGANG show did not disappoint. One of the great things about this concert series is that it consistently does a great job of highlighting Utah’s local bands to open for such legendary headliners. For this concert, we had Utah-based band Bad Luck Brigade.
Bad Luck Brigade
Mixing a unique indie sound with some funky rhythms, in addition to vocals that can be compared to those of the band Rage Against the Machine, Bad Luck Brigade had an amazing energy on stage. The assortment of instruments on stage definitely made this Utah band stand out. From congas and a trumpet mixed with more traditional rock band instruments, Bad Luck Brigade produced very groovy sounds on stage that did not fail to get those that showed up early off their feet and dancing. Though this was the start of the night, and the Gallivan Center was not quite full yet, the crowd was large for Bad Luck Brigade, and it was nice to see the band get the recognition and exposure from the Salt Lake Twilight series.
With a music scene as great as Utah’s, Bad Luck Brigade is one of the best and most unique bands to come from it. If you ever get the chance to catch their shows, it is worth every penny as they put on some of the most fun and exciting shows around. I look forward to more people discovering the sound of Bad Luck Brigade.
JMSN
Next up for the night was Michigan-based artist JMSN (pronounced Jameson). JMSN came out to the stage with his band and absolutely blew me away with their set. Once the music started, the style of music that was being played was very different from what the rest of the night would bring. Their sound was a lot heavier and experimental while bringing a very ethereal vibe to the night. The guitars were very grungy and angry sounding, and you couldn’t help but be hypnotized by it all. Every band member was dressed in the same white thermals, and all had a shaved head, and the way JMSN moved on stage was an art of its own.
The performance from JMSN was so emotional, and it was a mysterious change of pace apart from the rest of the night. With a great stage presence and sound, I would love to see JMSN return to Utah to headline at places like the Complex or the Depot. Their style would fit in so well here, and they would have no problem getting a crowd in these venues.
EARTHGANG
Last up for the night, we had our headliner, hip-hop duo based out of Atlanta, GA, EARTHGANG. Starting off the set, their official DJ took the stage to get the crowd hyped for their arrival. He started off by playing Don’t Stop Believing by Journey, as well as A Thousand Miles by Vanessa Carlton, in which the crowd sang every word. From here, the crowd started to chant for EARTHGANG to take the stage. At last, the duo came out on stage and opened with their song “Proud of U.”
Right off the bat, EARTHGANG had the crowd hooked. Their explosive energy took over the Gallivan Center and had everyone hyped beyond belief. The crowd work alone was enough to keep the attention of everyone. They had the fans bouncing, singing lyrics back, and doing all sorts of calls and responses that made the show exciting and fun. It was amazing at how many people knew all the lyrics that they were rapping on stage. There were parts of their songs that I didn’t even know were possible to rap that fast.
One of the greatest things about the set was that even though the DJ was playing backing tracks with backing vocals, there weren’t many moments where EARTHGANG didn’t perform the vocals live. It felt very authentic and added to just how phenomenal their performance was. The duo on the stage was very impressive, and the crowd was so loud, it was almost hard to hear over them. EARTHGANG brought out the inner animals of the crowd as they had the fans howling at the moon at one point, too. The way that they worked the crowd was truly incredible.
Nearing the end of the night, it felt like they had just started their set. As it was only about 9:45 at night when they ended their set with no encore, it felt as though the show was too short. After only 9 songs, the crowd was left wanting more from EARTHGANG. From how the crowd reacted to them on stage, to how mindblowing their show was, EARTHGANG will clearly be welcomed back to Utah on their next tour. I would love to see them headline at the Complex or even the outdoor stage at the Saltaire in Magna, UT. They would absolutely be a perfect fit to perform here, and I can’t wait to see what else they have in store for all of us.