Death Cab for Cutie, Ogden Amphitheater September 10, 2021
By Tiffany Mull
Photo Credit: Tiffany Mull
“Thank you for your patience,” Ben Gibbard apologized for the delay, “The fire department held us captive until the storm passed. We weren’t on some diva shit or nothing.” You had to show proof of vaccination or a covid-free test result from the last 72 hours in order to enter the venue. The opener, Deep Sea Diver, went on at 6 p.m. They gave us catchy, zippy pop-rock; there was even a cowbell. There were then ominous gusts of wind followed by a soft rain. Death Cab for Cutie waited for an hour and a half for the storm to pass before coming on stage. They opened with “Passenger Seat,” “You are a Tourist,” and “The Ghosts of Beverly Drive.”
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.
The 2021 Ogden Twilight Series has been pretty amazing so far this year. Sold-out shows, huge crowds, and great bands have made for a really entertaining series so far. Their fourth show in the series was no exception. Louis the Child, are a DJ production combo, Robby Hauldren, and Frederic J. Kennett. I’m not sure if they were quite ready for this Twilight crowd when they booked this date.
On August 20th, Ogden had a very unique performance by artists Wayne Coyne and The Flaming Lips who were accompanied by Angel Magic and the incredible Dan Deacon. Marking their 3rd time in a row playing the Ogden Twilight series, fans packed the amphitheater with excitement to see the group in full force since their last show in 2019. Doors were open at 5 pm but fans were lining up around the block long before the show started.
Ogden Twilight – Fitz & The Tantrums – August 13, 2021
Review By: Vanessa Holt
Ogden Twilight has always been known as one of those events that are the best way to close out your summer and create memories for the books. It’s been two years since the concert series held their last show. For some people that night it was their first concert back since the world had shut down. For others, it was another show back after attending a few weekends before. Every person who entered that venue was ready to enjoy some good music. People were with their friends filled with excitement to see all the artists live and in action.
Tuesday night, September 17 was one for the books. The second to last show of the Ogden Twilight Concert Series showcased Of Monsters and Men, with special guests Lower Dens and local spotlight Marny Proudfit. The air was cool and crisp. The season in Utah is slowly turning and fall is on the horizon. People were bundled up in flannels, ready for the outdoor concert. The crowd slowly trickled in throughout the early evening and Marny kicked off the show with a short folk/acoustic set. I was really impressed by her voice and loved that she started the night with just a guitar. Lower Dens took the stage next.
The Ogden Twilight Concert Series on Thursday night brought Alvvays and The National to the Ogden Amphitheater. The sold-out show was packed from the beginning, with a full crowd by the time Alvvays (pronounced always) took the stage. As they kicked off the night, the crowd rose to their feet and remained that way for the entirety of the evening. I had never heard of Alvvays, a Toronto based indie-pop band. As they began to play, I was immediately impressed with Molly Rankin’s voice. There was a sweetness to it, yet it was strong and powerful as she sang out to the crowd. Keyboardist, Kerri MacLellan’s voice complimented Molly’s nicely and the two of them commanded the front of the stage. Their 45-minute set had fans singing along with a relaxed yet exciting presence to the crowd. As they wrapped up their set, anticipation filled the air for the National.
The Ogden Twilight Series welcomed Phantogram to the Ogden Amphitheater for their second tour stop on their current tour. This show was so popular that it initially sold out at 4,000 tickets so about 2,000 more tickets were released with those tickets all but selling out as well. So almost 6,000 fans gathered in the amphitheater to hear one of the best Electronic Rock bands around today.
Calexico and Iron & Wine are coming to Ogden on Wednesday, August 21st to play at the Twilight Series at Ogden Amphitheater with special guest Orville Peck. C
Calexico and Iron & Wine just recently released Years to Burn, their first full–length album together. They first made an artistic connection with In the Reins, the 2005 EP that brought Sam Beam, Joey Burns, and John Convertino together. The acclaimed collaboration introduced both acts to wider audiences and broadened Beam’s artistic horizons, but it was the shared experience of touring together in the tradition of Bob Dylan’s “Rolling Thunder Revue” that cemented the bond. Their metaphorical roads diverged in the years that followed, but they kept in touch and cross-pollinated where they could. Although they often talked about rekindling their collaboration in the studio and on stage, it wasn’t until last year that their schedules aligned.
This will be Utah Concert Review’s first time seeing Calexico in concert. And we haven’t seen Iron & Wine since 2013 at In the Venue! We could not be more excited to be covering this show. To purchase tickets go to 24tix.com
