Red Butte Garden Archives - Utah Concert Review

May 28, 2025May 29, 2025

Cheap Trick

Cheap Trick • May 19, 2025 • Red Butte Garden Amphitheater

Reviewed and Photographed by Kevin Rolfe

It’s hard to believe, but it’s once again that time of year. The Red Butte Outdoor Concert Series has officially begun! Concerts at Red Butte have been a highlight of my Utah summers long before I ever began reviewing concerts. The location is amazing, the lineup is without fail some of the best artists in music. One of my favorite things about heading up to a Red Butte show is that no matter how hot it is in the Salt Lake Valley, you can head up to Red Butte Garden for a concert and it’ll definitely be cooler. In fact, you may just need a sweatshirt and blanket by show’s end.

September 17, 2024September 17, 2024

Keane

Keane • September 8, 2024 • Red Butte Garden Amphitheater

Reviewed and Photographed by Kevin Rolfe

Twelve years. TWELVE YEARS! It’s been twelve years since Alternative Rock band, Keane made a tour stop in Salt Lake City. It’s been about that long since they’ve played most cities. A lengthy hiatus, solo projects, and conquering a myriad of issues in their personal lives have kept the boys from Winslow, England away from the road. But on September 8, 2024, Keane triumphantly returned to Utah. Red Butte Garden Amphitheater was jam-packed. In speaking with some of the venue’s employees, I was informed that this was one of the shows that sold out the fastest. That didn’t surprise me at all. Keane is a band very high on my list of favorite bands. I had heard rumblings that they’d be touring The States over the summer and I had my fingers crossed that they’d be playing SLC.

August 23, 2024August 23, 2024

Shakey Graves

Shakey Graves • Atta Boy • August 19, 2024 • Red Butte Garden Amphitheater

Reviewed and Photographed by Austin Dayton

A sold-out crowd packed their way into Red Butte Garden this last Monday, August 19^th, to spend their evening singing and dancing with folk-rock, singer-songwriter, Shakey Graves. The Salt Lake City crowd was treated to a high-energy yet personal show by the Austin city-based performer. One could not have asked for a better evening as all the stars seemed to align, the days of storming had just cleared up and set the stage for one of the best shows of the summer.

August 28, 2023

Markéta Irglová & Glen Hansard of The Swell Season

Markéta Irglová•Glen Hansard•August 21, 2023•Red Butte Garden

Reviewed and Photographed by Kevin Rolfe

There have been some huge concerts this summer. We at Utah Concert Review have had the opportunity to cover many of them. Massive shows out at USANA like the Foo Fighters, Smashing Pumpkins, and Shania Twain, or at Delta Center with major favorites like The Cure, NF, and Greta Van Fleet have made this summer special. But Markéta Irglová & Glen Hansard of The Swell Season at Red Butte Garden was one of my most anticipated concerts of the year. These artists at this venue are as good a match as you’ll find in a concert experience.

August 7, 2023

Andy Grammer

Andy Grammer•August 3, 2023•Red Butte Garden

Reviewed and Photographed by Jenica Schulz

When Andy Grammer took the stage in Salt Lake City, Utah, the crowd erupted into cheers as he kicked off his performance with the anthemic hit, “Love is the New Money.” He makes an analogy he heard from a John Mayer show saying “Remember as a kid and you had the crackers and peanut butter but you try to equally distribute it for every cracker, but you have a ton of leftover peanut butter at the end? Well, this is the last night of the tour and we have a lot of extra peanut butter.” Little did he know that Mother Nature had a surprise in store for them.

July 17, 2023

Blues Traveler & Big Head Todd and The Monsters

Blues Traveler•Big Head Todd and The Monsters•July 11, 2023•Red Butte Garden

Reviewed and Photographed by Alisha Gregson

July 11th was a night to remember for Salt Lake City concertgoers. Blues Traveler and Big Head Todd and The Monsters rocked the Red Butte Garden. Fans of both bands were in for a treat. The two acts delivered an unforgettable show that had the crowd on its feet. From the opening notes of Big Head Todd’s set to the final encore of Blues Traveler’s, the evening was a high-energy show.

July 13, 2023

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit•Deer Tick•July 8, 2023• Red Butte Garden

Reviewed and Photographed by Kevin Rolfe

There are some nights where an evening, and a venue match an artist just perfectly. Jul 8, 2023 at Red Butte Garden the great Jason Isbell and his incredible band the 400 Unit stopped by Salt Lake City on what was a quintessential Utah summer evening. Every so often Isbell comes to Utah and plays another venue. Some of them are venues I typically like. But when a venue like Red Butte pairs this well, it’s clear that he should never play any other venue when he comes to Utah.

On this tour Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit would be featuring their recently released album Weathervanes. So much so that they played eleven of the thirteen songs on the album. They mixed in a number of crowd favorites and hit singles that brought together both audience and artists. I had been anticipating this concert as one of my “Must See” concerts since it was announced. It did not disappoint.

June 28, 2023

CAKE

An Evening With CAKE•June 25, 2023• Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre

Reviewed and Photographed by Kevin Rolfe

Red Butte Garden is such a significant part of the summer concert experience here in Utah. With the green grass covered with lawn chairs and picnic baskets, to the beautifully curated gardens surrounding the venue, this has always been one of the essential places to be for hot summer nights in Utah. While there had already been a couple of concerts at Red Butte, this felt like the first official summer concert. It has to have been one of the hottest days so far. The heat didn’t keep anyone away as the garden amphitheater was packed for one of many of this season’s sold-out shows. On this night, the evening of June 25, 2023, Alternative Rock Band, CAKE was the headlining band.

May 31, 2023

Les Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade

Les Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade• w/ Fishbone• May 23, 2023• Red Butte Garden

Reviewed and Photographed by Alisha Gregson

Tuesday, May 23, marked the opening night for the Red Butte Garden Outdoor Concert Series. Les Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade and supporting band Fishbone brought their Summer Of Green Tour to the gardens. The sold-out show ended up being an exciting way to start off what is expected to be an incredible summer of concerts at the venue.

July 7, 2022

Chris Issak & Lyle Lovett

Chris Isaak & Lyle Lovett July• 1, 2022• Red Butte Garden Amphitheater

Reviewed and Photographed by Kevin Rolfe

Red Butte Garden started July off on a good note with a double headliner show starring Chris Isaak and Lyle Lovett. These two legends could not have picked a better date to come to Utah. The weather was perfect, and everyone was feeling good heading into the Independence Day weekend. I’ve seen Chris Isaak in concert once. I was invited last minute and was beyond impressed with the concert. I’ve always wanted to see him again. I had never seen Lyle Lovett in concert before this show. So for me personally, this was a perfect mix of anticipation to see someone I had enjoyed before, and the anticipation of seeing someone I had been wanting to see.

I chatted with a few people before the show and I asked them if they had seen either artist before. They had seen both and mentioned that they never pass up the opportunity to see them whenever they come to Utah. They assured me that I was in for a good night.