Relive the Utah Concert Experience!
By: Kaden Severn
In the music industry, there are those who are great musicians and singers, and then there are others who are great performers; and then, there’s Chris freaking Brown! Friday night found many Utahns gathered together at the Vivint Smart Home Arena to attend the show of one of the most well known R&B artists in the world, Chris Brown on the third stop of his Indigoat tour.
By: Kevin Rolfe
When I saw that Berlin, OMD, and the B-52’s were going to tour together to celebrate the B-52’s 40th anniversary I was really excited. I also thought this was such a random collection of great bands from the 80s. Being from the same decade is really where their similarities stop. But maybe that was enough because the show at Red Butte Garden Amphitheater totally worked! It was one of my favorite concerts of the whole summer.
By: Evelyn Salazar
Not only is LeAnn Rimes absolutely beautiful, but she has the voice of an angel. This past Monday she had the Scera Shell Theater packed with fans of all ages. All the seats were sold out and the lawn was covered with tons of blankets and chairs filled with people setting up to see their favorite artist. I got there before showtime and watched the Mayor of Orem City on stage, welcoming everyone to the concert. Before the show, the venue gave out pamphlets to everyone and they were doing giveaway prizes on stage! If your pamphlet had certain stickers on certain pages, you were able to win some really cool prizes. I thought that was awesome and a fun way to get everyone focused on the stage before showtime.
Continue reading “LeAnn Rimes, August 19, 2019, Scera Shell Outdoor Theater”By: Kevin Rolfe
I’ve spent the last several minutes staring at a blank page, trying to choose the genre or style of music that best describes the John Butler Trio +. I couldn’t settle in on a genre so I went to my Apple Music account and looked up what they titled JBT+ under. Well, it would seem they were as unsure as I was. They were listed under Rock, (I agree with that) Roots Rock, (Yep sound about right) Alternative (Yeah that works) and Jam Band (There was some serious jamming going on so, yes). Then I ventured over to Wikipedia and they added Blues Rock and Funk Rock. Here’s the thing, all of these are exactly right! So I guess it’s safe to say that John Butler and his trio plus one are an Alternative Blues Funk Roots Rock band that absolutely killed it at Deer Valley last Saturday night. If there was an award for “Deer Valley Concert of the Summer”, this one would most certainly be one of the favorites to win that prize.
By: Kevin Rolfe
Nostalgia can be a beautiful thing. And Sandy Amphitheater was full of it on August 15. The amphitheater was full of people thinking back to their youth and to the songs that made up the soundtrack of their lives back then. Many of those songs were on display during the Lost 80’s Live Tour. With a lineup including A Flock of Seagulls, Wang Chung, The Vapors, Boys Don’t Cry, The Escape Club, Real Life, and Farrington & Mann(Original Members of When in Rome UK) you get the most bang for your buck. Several bands performing some of the ’80s most iconic songs in one show. When I was stationed by the soundboard to take pictures a man stopped to chat with me. I asked him what he thought of shows like this. He thought it was great. He stated that he could see all these bands at once whereas he might not be able to see all of them if they toured individually. We also discussed that this gave these bands the opportunity to play to a larger audience then they might if they toured on their own. He shared that he had seen A Flock of Seagulls way back in the early 80s and was excited to see them again. He also stated that he had never seen When in Rome when they were first on the scene so he was excited to finally hear “The Promise” live by original vocalists Farrington & Mann.
Continue reading “Lost 80’s Live! August 15, 2019, Sandy Amphitheater”By: Tiffany Mull
This World Needs More Appalachian Murder Ballads
Southern Gothic is one of my favorite literary genres. I’d argue that certain musicians fit into this genre as well, Shakey Graves among them. Never mind his playfully macabre alias, the themes of his songs touch on death and decay, murder, alcoholism, drug abuse, execution by electric chair, and the way ex-lovers haunt one another. All this, though, is presented with good humor and a (wholesomely) wicked Texas grin, side-by-side with themes of shirking the predictable life and embracing the shiftless, devil-may-care habits of a tramp. Shakey’s musical style is tricky to pin down. Clearly influenced by bluegrass, hobo folk, blues, rock, and country, it might be safest to simply say, “Americana.”
Continue reading “Shakey Graves August 13, 2019, Red Butte Garden”
Calexico and Iron & Wine are coming to Ogden on Wednesday, August 21st to play at the Twilight Series at Ogden Amphitheater with special guest Orville Peck. C
Calexico and Iron & Wine just recently released Years to Burn, their first full–length album together. They first made an artistic connection with In the Reins, the 2005 EP that brought Sam Beam, Joey Burns, and John Convertino together. The acclaimed collaboration introduced both acts to wider audiences and broadened Beam’s artistic horizons, but it was the shared experience of touring together in the tradition of Bob Dylan’s “Rolling Thunder Revue” that cemented the bond. Their metaphorical roads diverged in the years that followed, but they kept in touch and cross-pollinated where they could. Although they often talked about rekindling their collaboration in the studio and on stage, it wasn’t until last year that their schedules aligned.
This will be Utah Concert Review’s first time seeing Calexico in concert. And we haven’t seen Iron & Wine since 2013 at In the Venue! We could not be more excited to be covering this show. To purchase tickets go to 24tix.com
By: Evelyn Salazar
Wow, Courtney Barnett can put on a show! Last Thursday’s Twilight Series was quite the concert, with a great lineup and a large turnout. Things kicked off with Salt Lake City’s very own Choir Boy. How I have never heard of them before surprised me, because they seem to have a very large following here in Utah. Their music and performance gave me some serious 80’s electronic, synth vibes and I absolutely loved it! It was fun to watch them on stage, dance along to their music and really get in the groove of things. They’re super stylish too. I was very impressed with them and added a new band to check out on my list!
Continue reading “SLC Twilight-Courtney Barnett August 15, 2019, Gallivan Center”By: Tiffany Mull
It’s impossible to hold your head steady when Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue are playing. After Jessy Wilson warmed up the crowd, Troy Andrews and his band took the stage by storm with two full drum sets, three guitars (one bass), two saxophones (tenor and baritone), two backup singers, and Troy himself alternating between the trombone, trumpet, and vocals—nothing short of epic.
Continue reading “Ben Harper & Trombone Shorty August 11, 2019, Deer Valley”By: Evelyn Salazar
O.A.R. is still killing it like it’s 1996. That’s when the rock band originally formed but you wouldn’t be able to tell, because the band is still so alive and filled with so much energy. You can see how happy they are to play, almost as if it’s their first big show, which is definitely not the case. Last Friday, Red Butte Garden was packed with fans of all ages, eager to enjoy a nice night and a good show. It definitely was a great show!
Continue reading “OAR & American Authors August 9, 2019, Red Butte Garden”