Ryan Beatty brought his 2024 North American Calico Tour to The Grand at The Complex in Salt Lake City on Friday, March 8th! It was his first time doing a show in Utah, and his excited fans lined up as early and a few hours before the night’s events and filled up the space inside the venue quickly once the doors opened!
When I arrived inside of the venue, there was a palpable sense of anticipation from the fans, yet they maintained a mellow and relaxed vibe. A venue worker jokingly remarked, “I came to take a peek at the rowdy crowd!” and then mentioned that because of the audience’s well-behaved demeanor, he predicted that it would be an easy night for venue staff and security.
Paper Kites • Bella White • February 27, 2024 • The Depot
Reviewed and Photographed by Nate Bonney
On Feb 27th, the Paper Kites started the second half of their North American tour right here in Salt Lake City. Playing at The Depot. The show was originally at the metro music hall but sold out fast. They upgraded the venue and The Depot also sold out. The Complex, which is a larger venue around the corner, didn’t have the date available so they kept it at The Depot. This was Paper Kites first time in Salt Lake City. Its nice for them to see that it is worth stopping here when they tour.
While I was in line I was joking with everyone who was surprised that they came to Salt Lake City, that I was the one who brought them here. Because I would always tell them on their post to come to Salt Lake City.
Bella White
The opener they invited on tour with them was Bella White. She is a Canadian-American from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Her music style combines elements of bluegrass, country, folk, and Americana. She got her influence from her father who was a semi-professional musician in Virginia.
She started her set off with “Among Other Things.” It is from her 2023 album with the same title. Even without a full band to accompany her she still commanded the stage and the audience.
Throughout her whole set, I was getting Jewel vibes. Not the pop Jewel but the jewel that yodels. Like a mountain woman, she sang her story and the audience could feel it. She was well received. Most of the songs were from her 2023 album the last one was from her 2021 Just Like Leaving album. The lighting of her set was well-matched with her style. The way the light would come in and out almost put the crowd in a trance.
Below is her setlist. Give Bella White a listen and enjoy. Good road trip music.
1. Among Other Things 2. Numbers 3. Flowers on My Bedside 4. The Way I Ought to Go 5. Unreleased ID 6. Just Like Leaving
After Bella White’s set, Paper Kites took the stage. They are promoting their 6th studio album At the Roadhouse. I saw The Paper Kites in LA a few years ago and have all their albums. They played a variety from all of them. This tour was nice because with all the hits they have they didn’t play a bunch of them like the last time I saw them and it makes each one of their concerts unique.
Paper Kites have the awareness of their music not to repeat what they have done in the album before and always try something new. Although they keep the Paper Kites feel, they have more of a roadside bar from out in the middle of nowhere feel to this album. Singer Sam Bentley explained that the idea was to present the idea of the perfect bar that never existed and where people would go to enjoy themself. They had with them The Roadhouse Band which added more depth and a full sound to this album and created more of a concert assemble than a band.
Paper Kites was formed in Melbourne Australia in 2009 by Same Bentley (lead vocal/guitarist) and Christina Lacy (vocal/keyboard). Later joined was Sam Rasmussen (Bass), David Powys (vocals/guitar), and Sam’s brother Josh Bentley (drums).
They started their set with “Between the Houses,” from their 2018 album On the Train Ride Home. It’s a mellow song to get everyone in the mood.
Between their first and second song. Sam mentioned that every time they would post tour info there was a lone person who would always comment on their post “Come to Salt Lake City!” I thought that was funny that they would mention that. So, everyone who was at the show, you’re welcome! I hope you enjoyed them on my behalf haha.
Their next song was “Til The Fames Turn Blue,” from the new album. When that steel guitar kicks in, you can tell that it’s a great song. Better than the album and the album is great. For the first 5 songs they sang they stayed seated then they left for a minute and then came back ready to sing “Tenebaum” from their 1st album States. Sam mentioned that they love seeing couples hugged together and the singles by themself. They mention that they love that their songs are relatable to anyone. They also mentioned that they want to make t-shirts that say “I cried at a Paper Kites concert.” The crowd laughed because it’s true haha.
They all seem all melancholy but when they play songs like “June’s Stolen Car,” you see that they are more than just a band that sings sad love longs. Another song that changed the vibe was “Without Your Love”. On the album, the girl part is sung by Julia Stone. At the Concert it was Christina Lacy. Who did an amazing job and you couldn’t even tell a difference. “Black & Thunder,” is another song that just has a great blues beat and shows the diversity in The Paper Kite’s range of genres.
The Paper Kites set is always enjoyable. Everybody comes to listen and everyone sings their songs but not loud so you can still hear them and not the crowd. There were times where you could hear the crowd but then the next song was just the band and the refrigerator humming at the back of the venue.
Paper Kites did something that I hadn’t ever seen them do. They covered a song by Adrianna Leaker, “Anything.” They finished up their set and then of course performed an encore. Christina joined Sam and sang “By My Side.” On the album, he is accompanied by Rosie Carney. They finished on an upbeat song “Electric Indigo.”
Below is their setlist. Give it a listen and enjoy. Everyone else did. I don’t think anyone was disappointed. If they didn’t play one of their favorite songs then they were able to listen to it on the way home. They of course played their hit that got them recognized “Bloom.” We all look forward to them coming back. I’m sure they will be at a bigger venue. The sad part about that is the intimacy that The Depot offers is great!
1. Between the Houses 2. Till the Flame Turns Blue 3. Hurts So Good 4. Nothing More Than That 5. Marietta 6. Tenenbaum 7. Burn the Night Away 8. Bloom 9. June’s Stolen Car 10. Without Your Love 11. Good Nights Gone 12. Black & Thunder 13. Anything (Adrianne Lenker cover) 14. Paint 15. Darkness at My Door
Let me first start off by apologizing to all the EDM fans out there. I’d never heard of SLC Live until a couple days and boy do I wish I had. Although Indie Rock is my top jam, a big chunk of my early music listening had been EDM, listening to legends like “The Chainsmokers” and “Illenium”. It never crossed my mind that an EDM concert of this stature was possible in Utah but I was so wrong. SLC Live gave Utah EDM fans the chance to listen to legendary and iconic DJs “deadmau5” and “Gryffin”. All uniting all kinds of people from different backgrounds, communities, and groups. Under the lasers and lights of the Gateway Plaza, I was in for a night to remember.
I have been looking forward to seeing Twin Tribes at Urban Lounge since the Pendulum tour was first announced. I have had the privilege of shooting Twin Tribes once before at the Near Dark Festival in Phoenix, and I was absolutely blown away by the sheer talent and connection shared between the two musicians.
The Kills • The Paranoyds • February 9, 2024 • The Union
Reviewed and Photographed by Mark Daluz
On the morning of February 9th, Park City experienced a monster of a snowstorm which naturally drew me in with a day filled with powder skiing. I genuinely had one of my best days skiing and right as I was about to take my well-deserved nap, planning on taking the rest of the day off. I got a notification on my phone reminding me that my day wasn’t over. The Kills’s “God Games” tour was rolling by the Union and I immediately got a spike of pre-concert energy.
Upcoming singer-songwriter Chance Peña played a sold-out Kilby Court with Hayd. Kilby Court isn’t his only show that is sold out. In fact, his entire tour is completely sold out. It was exciting to see this budding star play in such an intimate setting. He will definitely be playing a larger venue next time he stops in Salt Lake City.
From the beginning of Hayd’s set, the feeling of the audience was known. Everyone there was into the lyrics and melody of both artists. It’s important to note how both artists were involved in the display of their performance, what I mean by this is that they were deliberate in choosing each song for their set as accompanying stories were also told.
Last Saturday evening, the atmosphere at The Depot was surging with energy as fans eagerly waited for rock band Thursday to take the stage. The cozy dimly lit venue was packed all the way the bar. I made my way over to the stage to observe the room, and what kind of vibes this band would bring. I saw a mostly older crowd, but there was still a good mix of young rockers and elder emos alike. With a career spanning over two decades, Thursday has cultivated a wide-ranged and hardcore fan base. This show was on their ‘War All The Time’ tour, dedicated to playing their 2003 album in full. I saw a lot of people repping the merch, and discussing their excitement for this long-awaited performance.
We are excited for Stevie Nicks to return to Delta Center on Monday, May 27, 2024. Tickets go on sale online starting Friday, February 9 at 10 am. Please find the official announcement from Live Nation below.
Dirty Heads put on a killer show on Saturday night! When I first heard that Dirty Heads was coming to play during the Sundance Film Festival, I was pretty excited and then a little surprised when I heard they were coming. Especially since they had just come to play in Utah only 6 months prior. But that did not stop them from bringing all of the energy and excitement that they always bring to their shows.
On Sunday, August 27th, Los Angeles-based rock band Weezer brought their Indie Rock Road Trip tour to Saltair. With supporting bands, Spoon, and White Reaper, they put on an incredible show for all their fans gathered near the shores of the Great Salt Lake. When Weezer first announced they would be going on tour, I was desperately hoping they would make a stop here in Utah. I felt pretty confident they wouldn’t skip over Weezer-loving Utah after a local fan got their attention with a billboard in 2022.
