Matchbox Twenty• w/ Matt Nathanson• June 3, 2023• USANA Amphitheatre
Reviewed by: Nate Bonney
Photographed by: Jim Trocchio
Photo Credit: Jim Trocchio
Matchbox Twenty finally played Utah on Saturday the 3rd of June. They originally were set to perform on Sep. 13th, 2020. Due to the covid pandemic, they postponed their tour for 2020. They had dates for 2022 but due to MB20 family member’s high risk to covid, they again postponed the tour to the spring of 2023. So finally they got to show us an amazing show!
It’s hard to believe, but after a historically long Winter, Spring, and Summer are finally here. That means concerts are moving outdoors. On Wednesday, May 24, USANA Amphitheatre opened its doors for the first time this year. Opening night was about as big as it will get all summer with Country Music/ Crossover Mega-Star, Shania Twain taking the stage. Twain brought her Queen of Me Tour to town and with her 20,000 fans squeezed into the large venue.
There was so much excitement in the air. Even with doors being held due to weather, people seemed to be in great spirits. Merch lines were long, drink lines were long, and in both I could see people talking to each other, asking if they’d seen Shania before, where their seats were, and what she might perform. I enjoyed seeing familiar faces, from fellow photographers to security, to the local promoters. It felt like the fun part of the first day of school.
It is always a big deal when Andrea Bocelli comes to Salt Lake City. This is his third stop at Vivint Arena, his first in 2018. Bocelli has expressed that there is something special about coming here. He’s not wrong. To hear one of the most renowned tenors right here in Utah is something that should never be taken lightly or for granted. As in his past stops, Andrea Bocelli brought some extremely talented guests with him. Vivint Arena was packed. People were in tuxedos and ball gowns. Some had their opera binoculars ready to go. A venue made primarily for basketball felt much different than a Jazz game or other concerts. There was a dignified air to the night. It was a beautiful night of music that I’m excited to share with you. So let’s get into it.
Muse brought the U.S. leg of their Will Of The People Tour to a close right here in Salt Lake City on Thursday April 20. I’ve seen tour openers many times. Often, they’ll have some sound issues, or other technical kinks to work out, but they usually go over pretty well. I’m sure behind the scenes they’re seeing a lot more going on than we do in the crowd. I haven’t seen a lot of tour closers but when I have the band seems a little road weary, or mentally already on vacation. This was not the case with Muse, Evanescence, or Highly Suspect. You would think they were all in mid tour mode with how well this tour flowed.
I am always impressed by how exciting the concerts at Kilby Court are. While it is one of Utah’s smallest music venues, I have noticed there’s something special about the fans who gather there. Kilby draws a crowd of some of the area’s biggest music fanatics, and the energy they bring cannot be beaten. It’s even better when it’s a sold show. Like the one I had the opportunity to attend on Friday, April 7th.
Indie sing-songwriter Jason Singer, who goes by the moniker of Michigander, remembered just how much energy fans brought to his last show at Kilby Court a couple of years ago. He told the crowd it had been the most exciting show of that tour. He expected Friday night’s concert to be the best night of his current tour.
When it was announced that Rayland Baxter would be playing The Commonwealth Room in Salt Lake City, there was no doubt that it would be a sold out show. Baxter is well liked here and it’s also been a while since he’s made a stop in Utah. Of course, we all know how the COVID-19 Pandemic put live music and touring to a halt. So that was an obvious reason why we hadn’t seen Rayland in a while. The other was he was working on an album. In 2022 Rayland Baxter released If I Were A Butterfly. So not only were we finally going to see Rayland Baxter perform live again, but we were going to get to hear some of these songs performed for the first time in Salt Lake City.
The atmosphere inside Provo’s esteemed music venue, Velour Live Music Gallery, felt different than normal on Saturday, March 25th. The venue and date had originally been booked to host a concert for the band Low, a place they had performed many times over the years. Sadly, after the recent passing of Low’s drummer, Mimi Parker, no such concert would take place.
Nessa Barrett• The Young Forever Tour• w/ Isabela LaRosa• March 17, 2022• The Great Saltair
The Young Forever Tour is in full swing as it visited Salt Lake City coming close to ending its North America sets. Nessa Barrett is an upcoming artist that has gained a lot of popularity due to her social media presence. She brought along Isabela LaRosa, who also has been finding success through social media trying to promote her music. Both artists fall into a similar genre and fanbase. So she was an excellent choice for an opening act. Although the Complex was supposed to host Nessa and Isabela, they switched to The Great Saltair due to popular demand. I thought this was an excellent choice.
Girl power was the theme of the Union Tuesday evening! Fans braved the blizzard and packed into the Union Event Center to watch Tove Lo on her sold-out Dirt Femme Tour.
Patti LuPone• “Don’t Monkey With Broadway” Tour• February 4, 2023• The Noorda Center
Reviewed by Kevin Rolfe
“It won’t be easy. You’ll think it’s strange when I try to explain how I feel…” about Patti LuPone at The Noorda Center of the Performing Arts on the campus of Utah Valley University. What a moment in this venue’s history. To have a legend of the Great White Way grace this young stage is a massive get for The Noorda. But as I’ve mentioned before, this venue was up to the level of the great Broadway Legend and her performance and her still after all these years, powerful voice. The meeting of Lupone’s voice and the acoustics of The Noorda filled the air of the room was a beautiful union.
