On Tuesday, April 26th, Psychedelic Rock band The Flaming Lips brought their colorful show to The Union Event Center in Salt Lake City. I was familiar with a couple of their songs. In preparation for the night I checked out a few videos from their past concerts. With the research I did, I knew that this concert would be one of a kind.
I arrived at 7:00 just as the doors were about to open. Outside stood a line of excited fans ready to be entertained. I was however surprised to see that the crowd for the night was much smaller than I expected. The band often plays to a sold-out audience, including their previous sold-out shows at the Ogden Twilight Concert Series. My guess is that many local fans may have actually traveled to Denver to catch their show the night before. Denver is known for having a bigger psychedelic scene. Or possibly fans are expecting them to return to Ogden Twilight, which is unfortunately not the case this year.
There is no doubt in my mind that the best way to start a week is with a concert. To top it all off is with a rock concert. That is exactly what I signed myself up for this last Sunday with The Warning headlining at The Complex. I hadn’t heard of either Devora or The Warning previously but I’m never opposed to hearing new artists. Especially if my first time hearing them would be live.
Preceding their album of the same name, Journey’s Freedom Tour is underway. It should come as no surprise that Vivint Arena in downtown Salt Lake City was packed for the rock n roll hall of famers. I can’t think of a Journey concert whether it be out at USANA Amphitheatre or here at Vivint Arena that wasn’t overflowing with fans. Journey is one of the most beloved bands in Utah. People of all ages have taken to their music, and their concerts show it. With every song, I could hear the echo of the crowd’s collective voice singing along. These guys have been doing it for years. They’re true professionals. I can’t imagine playing to an engaged audience like the one on Thursday, March 24 could ever get old.
A great kick-off to the month, Wolf Alice stopped in Salt Lake on the tour of their newest album, Blue Weekend. Before being offered the chance to photograph them a coworker had brought up the band to me in a discussion. I had never heard of Wolf Alice before but during this discussion, there was nothing but good things spoken about the band. After hearing all that I was excited to hear them live. A couple of hours before doors opened, I was streaming their top few songs to get an idea of the type of sound and vibe that was going to be heard from the night. I was immediately intrigued by the alternative rock sound of it all. I was curious how they were going to be live.
As the years go on and we celebrate another year since an album was first released. I think it’s safe to say that everyone hopes a band will complete a ten-year anniversary celebration for their album. August Burns Red has been a band that has always delivered on that wish. In 2019 August Burns Red did an anniversary tour for their album that came out in 2009, Constellations. There were high hopes for another tour which brought us to, Leveler that came out in 2011. One of the things that I look forward to when the band announces tours is their lineup. ABR always seems to curate the best lineup possible that fits perfectly for the tour.
I’m almost at a loss for words when it comes to explaining how absolutely INCREDIBLE Dayglow was Tuesday night in Salt Lake City! The energy, the music, and frontman Sloan Struble’s dancing were all magnificent! The entire production from sound to lights to the atmosphere that was created was brilliant. Let me tell you all about it!
The Ogden Twilight Concert Series has been a huge hit for the Northern Utah music scene this summer. Surprisingly this was my first time attending a show in Ogden and I was excited. I had seen quite a few photos and videos of the previous shows at this venue. The energy of the place was beautiful and it sat right in the heart of Ogden’s downtown area.
It was a sold out show and the crowds gathered early to cap off their Saturday night with a bang! Luckily for me, I had my girlfriend and a couple of my friends who were also at this concert. It was the perfect night for the last few summer nights with friends. The venue had a cozy lounge area for sponsors of the event. It was also awesome to see the food trucks placed right inside the venue. It made grabbing a bite really convenient for the fans.
I arrived just right on time to catch RnB artist/singer/songwriter Ant Clemons. This man might be unknown to the casual concertgoers at this venue, but I was extremely excited to see Ant perform live. I grew up in the early 2000s RnB era and Ant Clemons brings that energy and soulful music into today’s current music. Ant is famously known for becoming a guest artist in Kanye West’s 2018 single “All Me.” From that point on, Clemons has been all over the music industry and has worked with Beyonce, Justin Timberlake, Snoh Aalegra, Sunday Service Choir and the list goes on. He has solidified his name in the music industry and forever will be a part of many top charting albums.
Ant Clemons opened up his set with dance moves that reminded you of the early days of Usher. The younger crowd couldn’t help but get as close as they could to the barricade. Ant performed with so much charisma and energy. His band was small with a drummer and a guitarist and he mainly sang with his instrumentals. He performed his hit single “Appreciation,” with rapper 2 Chainz and Ty Dolla $ign, which made the crowd groove along with him.
Clemons checked in with the crowd to get a gauge of how they’re feeling and he mentioned how he wanted to do something different. He wanted to make a song in the moment. I was very shocked and curious about how he was gonna execute this. As an artist with his caliber, I knew he had a good plan that still seemed very interactive. He split the crowd in half. One half sang a faster tempo melody and the other half the slower part. When both halves mixed it created this rhythmic melody that lit up Ogden. He sang along with the crowd reaching high falsetto notes.
Clemons proceeded to play all of the top hits he was featured in and dancing to today’s top songs. With songs ranging from SZA, Justin Timberlake, and Kanye West, it was almost shocking to know he was a part of a bunch of songs that we listen to on a daily basis. I personally believe Kanye wouldn’t be the same artist he is now without his features and help from artists like Ant Clemons. Ant finished up his set and you can tell the crowd appreciated and enjoyed his performance. Seeing him definitely made me realize how much work goes behind the scenes in the music industry.
Before the show, I had very little information about Noah Cyrus. The only reason I knew about her is because of my girlfriend that listens to her music. I’m a huge fan of her single with Leon Bridges titled “July”. She resembles the same twang and sound of her sister Miley Cyrus. Her style of music comes with a huge background of Nashville, Tennessee. Lastly, the day before the show, I did my best to listen to her top songs. It was beautiful yet intricate and very descriptive and open about mental health issues. I have shown a lot of appreciation to songwriting in these past couple reviews and I will always show the utmost respect to someone that writes about their life and turns it into art.
I was counting down the days for the Rise Against show. Growing up, Rise Against was one of the few bands that I listened to daily. Going to as many concerts as I have been to all my life I was ashamed to say that I’ve never seen Rise Against perform live! So I was stoked to finally cross it off my bucket list.
Watchhouse August 19, 2021 Red Butte Garden Amphitheater
The timing of this show couldn’t have been any better. It’s a cold brisk night in Salt Lake City. The perfect company for that is some good Folk/Americana music provided by Watchhouse, formerly known as Mandolin Orange.
It was a big night in Vivint Arena. Not only was Country Music legend, Alan Jackson performing, but it was the first time the arena would be hosting a full capacity, sold-out concert in almost two years. The way everything went, you wouldn’t have guessed it had been that long. Concessions, security, and ushers alike were in top form. It was a great feeling, but still a little odd to see so many people together.
