Ministry w/ Gary Numan

Ministry• Gary Numan• April 21, 2023• The Union

Reviewed and Photographed by Kevin Rolfe

It was a night of musical pioneers at The Union on April 23, 2023.  Industrial Metal legends, Ministry returned to Salt Lake City with New Wave Icon, Gary Numan.  Upon first hearing of this lineup, some might wonder if the matchup of these two is the right fit.  But I can assure anyone curious that this was an excellent fit.  Most of the fans walking into The Union Events Center donned all black.  But there were some who went all out for the concert.  I Saw huge mohawks, platform boots, sequin skirts, you name it.  People were ready for this show.  I had never seen either artist.  Gary Numan was supposed to play in Utah this past winter but I believe his show was canceled due to weather.  I was excited to see what was in store for me.

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The National Parks

The National Parks• 8th Wonder Tour• March 17, 2023• The Union

Reviewed and Photographed by Kevin Rolfe

What a night!  Not only was it the opening show for The National Parks tour. And not only was it a hometown show for the Utah-based band. But it was also the album release show for their new album 8th Wonder.  I think the excitement of having one of Utah’s favorite bands performing their tour opener and debuting many of the 8th Wonder songs mixed in with other favorites had this crowd buzzing from the opening of The Union doors.  Support acts, Andrea von Kampen (Who will be joining TNP for the Spring leg of the 8th Wonder Tour), and Lantern By Sea only fueled the crowd’s fire with impressive performances.   Following the openers, everyone was more than ready for The National Parks.

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Conan Gray

Conan Gray w/ Baby Queen• October 17, 2022• The Union

Reviewed and Photographed by Tomo Crestani

Photo Credit: Tomo Crestani

The Union had a completely sold out show on Monday, October 17th when they hosted Conan Gray. Conan has been making his mark on the music industry for quite some time but has recently been picking up even more attention with the release of a new album. His tour and new album share the title Superache. He brought along Baby Queen to support him on this tour. Baby Queen is a newer artist from England that I hadn’t heard of before the show. She was a perfect fit to open for Conan.

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Chase Atlantic

Chase Atlantic w/ Leah Kate & Xavier Mayne• July 12, 2022• The Union

Reviewed and Photographed by Tomo Crestani

Photo Credit: Tomo Crestani

On their “Cold Nights Tour”, Chase Atlantic brought the energy to The Union Events Center this past Tuesday. Drawing a very respectable crowd for not only their set but also the two opening sets as well. Bringing along Xavier Mayne and Leah Kate, Chase Atlantic definitely built up a lot of anticipation for this tour. 

Having never been to The Union Event Center, I went into this show with low expectations. However, I was pleasantly surprised from the get-go. The venue was very nice inside and had a really cool layout. It felt very open compared to other venues I have visited. It also seemed more organized. This venue perfectly fit the three artists that would be playing that night. It fit the large crowd comfortably and gave the concert a really unique feel.

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Bright Eyes

Bright Eyes w/ Hurray For the Riff Raff• June 28, 2022• The Union

Reviewed and Photographed by Mallorie Lerman

Salt Lake City never ceases to amaze me with how many different venues and shows one can find on any given summer night. This Tuesday night I had the opportunity to check out another venue that was totally new to me. Conveniently located right next to the Traxx stop at North Temple, The Union Event Center hosted Bright Eyes with Hurray For The Riff Raff. Not knowing exactly where the venue was without looking down at my phone, I spotted someone wearing a Bright Eyes baseball tee.  I could tell they had some loyal and excited fans. I followed a group of people from the parking lot to the ticket line. 

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OMD

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark• May 16, 2022• The Union

Reviewed and Photographed by Kevin Rolfe

Photo Credit: Kevin Rolfe

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, or OMD as they’re often called celebrated 40 years as a band with their Souvenirs Greatest Hits Tour. The tour comes a couple years after the actual anniversary, but like so many other tours or anniversary celebrations, the original tour was pushed back due to the worldwide pandemic. It was worth the wait, OMD never disappoints! The Monday night concert felt like a Saturday night. If the Union Events Center wasn’t sold out, it was maybe a couple of tickets away. The venue was filled and fans who have seen OMD over these 40 years were eager for the show to begin.

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The Flaming Lips

The Flaming Lips w/ The Particle Kid• April 26, 2022• The Union

Reviewed and Photographed by Alisha Gregson

Photo Credit: Alisha Gregson

On Tuesday, April 26th, Psychedelic Rock band The Flaming Lips brought their colorful show to The Union Event Center in Salt Lake City. I was familiar with a couple of their songs. In preparation for the night I checked out a few videos from their past concerts. With the research I did, I knew that this concert would be one of a kind.

I arrived at 7:00 just as the doors were about to open. Outside stood a line of excited fans ready to be entertained. I was however surprised to see that the crowd for the night was much smaller than I expected. The band often plays to a sold-out audience, including their previous sold-out shows at the Ogden Twilight Concert Series. My guess is that many local fans may have actually traveled to Denver to catch their show the night before. Denver is known for having a bigger psychedelic scene. Or possibly fans are expecting them to return to Ogden Twilight, which is unfortunately not the case this year.

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LP

LP• April 19, 2022• The Union

Reviewed by Tiffany Mull and Photographed by Alisha Gregson

My favorite musicians write and perform their own songs. Much popular music isn’t actually written or created by the person who performs it. Many pop singers, at least many of those dominating the charts these days, are the singing, dancing puppets of their record labels. These pop stars perform songs purchased, often at unfair rates, from creative individuals tucked away from the limelight. Every now and then, though, one of these truly creative people steps out of the shadows to showcase their own work. 

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Glass Animals

Glass Animals •March 13, 2022 •The Union

Reviewed and Photographed by Natalia Martinez

This past Sunday, British-based band Glass Animals came to Salt Lake City. It was the 5th stop of their Dreamland tour. The sold-out show was held at the Union Event Center at 8:00 pm. They performed for about an hour and a half. On a night where international pop star Justin Bieber played a show at Vivint Arena, it was Glass Animals that stole the night away. To open the show, Sad Night Dynamite got the crowd ready for Glass Animals with a high-energy performance. By the time Glass Animals came on to the stage, there was already an electric atmosphere spreading throughout the venue. Screams filled the air as lead singer Dave Bayley took to the stage.

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