Roy Orbison & Buddy Holly “The Rock ‘N’ Roll Dream Tour October 10, 2019, Eccles Theater

By: Kevin Rolfe

It’s hard to believe we’re well into October already. But sure enough, we’ve reached the month where we celebrate, spirits, ghosts, and at Eccles Theater…holograms? It’s true. On October 10 the Rock ‘N’ Roll Dream Tour with Roy Orbison and Buddy Holly confused our eyeballs and delighted our imaginations. When I first heard of this concert it piqued my interest. Enough so that I knew I needed to see what this was all about with my own eyes. So I made my way out to Eccles Theater and saw the show. I’m still not sure what to think of what I saw.

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Robert Plant October 1, 2019, Eccles Theater

By: Kevin Rolfe

Photo Credit: Kevin Rolfe @utahconcertreview

Robert Plant.  When you just read that name, how many things came to mind? Led Zeppelin, of course.  How about, legend, rock star, songwriter, singer, amazing singer, legendary rock star singer of Led Zeppelin?! In just writing his name, so many thoughts instantly come to fly through my brain.  You can’t see his name without instantly hearing his voice. Just in the short time you’ve been reading this, how many Zeppelin songs have run through your mind? Now imagine getting to see this man in concert and getting to hear that voice in person.  Right? Crazy! Then imagine trying to write down the experience to share with everyone. Not so easy, is it? I gotta be honest with you fine readers, this review was one of the hardest for me to write. Robert Plant is just so massively huge in Rock music lore.  How do my words do this show justice? I’m not sure if they will, but you’ll definitely get a sense of just how epic the evening was. It was one I won’t soon forget. 

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Kishi Bashi October 3, 2019, Metro Music Hall

By: Tiffany Mull

Photo Credit: 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.

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Band of Skulls September 28, 2019, Urban Lounge

By: Katie Barber

Photo Credit: Logan Sorenson @lmsorenson

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. 

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TOTO September 24, 2019, Eccles Theater

By: Kevin Rolfe

Photo Credit: Kevin Rolfe @utahconcertreview

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. 

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Surf Curse September 21, 2019, Kilby Court

By: Katie Barber

Photo Credit: 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. 

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Glen Hansard September 20, 2019, Eccles Theater

By Kevin Rolfe

Photo Credit: Kevin Rolfe @utahconcertreview

When it was first announced that Glen Hansard was going to be playing the Eccles Theater my initial thought was, “I’m definitely going to that show!”.  But as the summer concerts were announced I had a real dilemma on my hands. Two other shows that I wanted to see were announced for the same date. This was a problem.  (I know, “Poor Kevin, he has to choose between three concerts to go to!”) I’m not saying it’s a bad problem to have but one I didn’t anticipate. One was a band that I’ve always wanted to see, and another that was playing their farewell tour. What to do? As I weighed my options the thing that came to mind was “Which of these shows will you regret missing the most?”  Glen Hansard was the answer every time. I was not disappointed with my decision. Glen played a two hour, ten minute set befitting of the beautiful downtown theater hosting his concert. 

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Angels & Airwaves September 25, 2019, The Union

By: Evelyn Salazar

Photo Credit: Evelyn Salazar @takenbyevelyn

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. 

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