Hard to believe this would be the second to last concert of the season at Red Butte Garden Amphitheater. But a cold evening wasn’t going to stop these fans from starting the final week of shows off right. After a long summer, we finally made it to JJ Grey & Mofro joined by Larkin Poe.
If you feel jaded with modern music, I strongly suggest you take in some Khruangbin. This utterly refreshing trio has their own sound, artfully fusing styles as disparate as psychedelic rock and vintage funk. Mark Speer explores Middle Eastern music scales and experiments with reverb, much like Dick Dale (who pioneered surf rock). Multi-instrumentalist Donald “DJ” Johnson plays drums and Laura Lee is on bass.
Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real Red Butte Amphitheater
Reviewed by Jacob Moniz
Red Butte Garden had an amazing lineup in place for a perfect night on September 14th. Prior to the show, I hadn’t listened to Lukas/Promise of the Real before so I was excited to experience the concert with no previous listening history. Going to a concert without actually listening to the band is a unique experience!
Squeeze • Colin Hay • September 2, 2021 • Red Butte Garden Amphitheater
Reviewed and Photographed by Kevin Rolfe
It’s starting to feel a little different up at Red Butte Garden lately. The temperature is getting a little cooler, and the wind is whipping a little more. Fall is near. What isn’t different is the continued excellence in the quality of the bands and their performances. The 2021 Red Butte Garden Outdoor Concert Series has been fantastic so far and with the shows, they have lined up to finish out the series, it’s only going to get better. The home stretch started on Thursday, September 2 with 80s and New Wave icons, Squeeze. With Colin Hay of Men at Work fame supporting. While these two bands may have made their mark in the great era of 80s music, neither has slowed down by any means.
After a harrowing incident that involved a group of drunken loiterers and an out-of-commission tour bus on the streets of Reno, Neko Case and her band pulled in last-minute to the Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre. They began soundchecking about the time gates were supposed to open and the long line of attendees who had queued up for the show, previously a little anxious to get into the venue, seemed renewed to hear Case’s voice give a quick preview of the night.
It’s a beautiful night for live music. It’s the middle of the week and some soulful, funky, jazz music is just the perfect refreshment from the busy work week. The weather was perfect and it was a packed house as soon as we got there. I truly enjoy Red Butte Garden. People bring their chairs, blankets, wine, beer, and all sorts of snacks. It’s a family affair when you attend a show at this venue. I would say this is the perfect place to bring the family together to enjoy live music and food.
This last Sunday, the next group of musicians on the lineup for the Red Butte Concert Series was The Blind Boys of Alabama with North Mississippi Allstars. As the doors opened to the amphitheater the crowd was buzzing with excitement for the show. Personally, I had never been to the Red Butte Garden Amphitheater. I didn’t even know that they hosted outdoor concert series. On top of that, I haven’t ever heard of either performer. I made the decision to not listen to their music before the show. I went in with completely zero expectations and was just excited to see how the night went. That was probably the best decision to make because I was not disappointed in the slightest.
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.
When this year’s Red Butte Garden Concert Series lineup was announced, one of the names that surprised me was Travis Tritt. Not that I didn’t think he was big enough for Red Butte, because he’s plenty big. He’s a Country music icon. But generally, this isn’t the typical artist that plays Red Butte. I thought maybe he’d show up at Country Fan Fest, or at the State Fair, but sure enough, Travis Tritt brought his tour to Red Butte Garden and it was a night to remember.
The year was 2009. Alternative Brit Band, Keane was at the height of their powers and had just sold out the Palladium in Hollywood. I was there. The memories of how excited I was for that concert still feel fresh. Turned out, unbeknownst to me, a buddy of mine would be attending the concert as well.
I went on and on about Keane and asked him several times how excited he was to see them live. He mentioned to me that he wasn’t going to the show to see Keane at all, that he was only familiar with a few of their hits. As I pulled my jaw from the ground to put it back in place I asked, “Is your date a Keane fan? Why are you going then?”. He said, “Mat Kearney’s opening. I’m going to see him.” Stupidly I asked, “Who’s Mat Kearney?”. My friend replied, “You’ll see.”.