By: Evelyn Salazar
AJR October 3, 2019, Maverik Center
Cold War Kids October 4, 2019, The Depot
By: Erica Fasoli
Continue reading “Cold War Kids October 4, 2019, The Depot”Dropkick Murphys October 6, 2019, The Union
By: Alex Wardell
What a night. What a line-up. What a crowd! Not since Warped tour in 2005 have I witnessed such an amalgam of people and music lovers; hardcore fans, old school punkers and die-hard Irish circle mashers. This diverse crowd swamped the bar lines around the dimly lit ambiance of The Union Event Center’s balcony; a tour de force of a show about to take place and I have a front of house pass to the hammering guitar riffs and spitting vocals of Wayne Lozniak, and Jamey Jasta of Hatebreed; the jamming smooth bass lines and pure American gravel that come with the classic rockers in Clutch and last but not to be left “tossed a lily,” the prolific Irish ensemble that is ever pervading, consuming and inclusive: Dropkick Murphys. The energy and palpitation flowing around the throngs of mid-generation butt-rockers was nothing short of soul shaking. If I could flashback to 2010: the last time I witnessed The Dropkick Murphys in concert. What a day of hardcore and death metal enormity that my then developing psyche just could not comprehend. This show had much of the same feeling and overpowering hunger for a sense of comradery and community. Everyone there had been listening to the same punky and essential hardcore ballads for years, letting it combat the inevitable yuppie growing within all of us; here they are, ready to melt faces and transport all of us right back into 1997.
Continue reading “Dropkick Murphys October 6, 2019, The Union”Kishi Bashi October 3, 2019, Metro Music Hall
By: Tiffany Mull
Kishi Bashi’s new album, Omoiyari (which roughly translates as “empathy” or “having compassion”), is a concept album that draws inspiration from the lives and experiences of those Japanese Americans sent to internment camps in the xenophobic hysteria that swept the nation after the attack on Pearl Harbor during World War II. Kaoru Ishibashi traveled to the internment camps—Manzanar, Tule Lake, Heart Mountain, Jerome, Rohwer—to get a sense of the place and ordeals through physical surroundings and photographs. He reached into that history, those stories, and found a sort of aching beauty in all that sadness and injustice, as expressed by the resilience of those people whose lives were wrongfully upended. Early 2020 will see the release of a documentary about the making of Omoiyari.
Continue reading “Kishi Bashi October 3, 2019, Metro Music Hall”Band of Skulls September 28, 2019, Urban Lounge
By: Katie Barber
Exactly ten years and one day after the release of their first album, Band Of Skulls returned to Salt Lake City to play Urban Lounge on a rainy Saturday night. Psychedelia took over the house music before the band took the stage with 1971’s “Diamonds Are Forever” cinematically blasting through the speakers. In Sean Connery’s stead appeared bassist Emma Richardson, guitarist Russel Marsden, and drummer Julian Dorio. Dorio promptly applied the Bond vibes with a shimmer of cymbals to “Love Is All You Love,” from the group’s newest release. Church-bell chimes highlighted Richardson’s vocals as Marsden smoothly navigated the majority of the lyrics and teased the audience with a loud guitar skill that hinted the psychedelic energy was going to be converted to that of some good old rock and roll.
Continue reading “Band of Skulls September 28, 2019, Urban Lounge”TOTO September 24, 2019, Eccles Theater
By: Kevin Rolfe
Toto brought their 40 Trips Around the Sun Tour to the Eccles Theater in downtown Salt Lake City on September 24, 2019. I felt like I was running late so I ran into the theater. However, when I got inside the Delta Performance Hall I could see the crew still working on the instruments so I knew I had more time. As I made my way down the aisle to the front of the stage I could see and feel the excitement among the people.
Surf Curse September 21, 2019, Kilby Court
By: Katie Barber
“We have a security question…we’re asking if everyone can take one step back.” Such was the plight of Surf Curse, whose gravitational pull was just too strong for their own good during the Salt Lake City stop of their Heaven Surrounds You tour. The room was packed enough that only when the audience detached themselves from the front of the stage did one suddenly notice the air start to recirculate, which probably only fed the unceasing cycle of near-moshing, crowd-surfing, and lyric-shouting that accompanied their set.
Continue reading “Surf Curse September 21, 2019, Kilby Court”Jay Som September 21, 2019, Urban Lounge
By: Kaden Severn
It was an exciting night at Urban Lounge. Jay Som, alternative songwriter sold out the venue and anticipation was definitely in the air as the support bands played their sets. Jay Som, the pseudonym of Melina Duterte. She actually used the same Wu-Tang Name Generator site that gave Donald Glover his pseudonym, Childish Gambino. After posting songs on a variety of social media outlets, Jay Som was signed to a label and began touring supporting other bands and getting her name out there. And now here she was, selling out her own headlining show in Utah. The evening was electric. It’s exciting to see an artist on the cusp of taking their career to the next level.
Angels & Airwaves September 25, 2019, The Union
By: Evelyn Salazar
I don’t think there are words that could truly describe how incredible yesterday was, not only for myself but for thousands of Angels & Airwaves/Blink-182/Boxcar Racer/Tom DeLonge fans that attended the AVA show in Salt Lake City. However, SLC fans were treated with a special, intimate acoustic AVA set, earlier that day at Club 50 West, hosted by Utah’s favorite alternative radio station, X96. Space was limited so fans, including myself, lined up hours early to make sure we snagged a spot. I stood in line for about 3 hours. The first 50 people in line also got wristbands that allowed us to get a photo with Mr. Tom DeLonge and the rest of AVA after the acoustic set. I was bursting with excitement I almost couldn’t contain it. Angels and Airwaves and Tom himself have been a major part of my life since my pre-teens. And even to this day, at 23 years old, AVA’s music inspires me, fills me with hope and has gotten me through some of the hardest times in my life. I listen to AVA when I’m happy, when I’m sad, when I’m hurting, and when I’m rocking out with friends in the car. They hold a special place in my heart.
Continue reading “Angels & Airwaves September 25, 2019, The Union”Pink Sweat$ September 19, 2019, The Greek Station
By: Kaden Severn
Good vibes, passionate lyrics, and soulful music were the themes at the Greek Station (formerly known as In The Venue) for the Pink Sweat$ concert. I arrived at 7 when the doors were originally supposed to open, the line stretched out down the block. I had known of Pink for a while but didn’t realize he had this big of a fan base. Although it was cold outside, spirits were high.