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.
Rocker, Joan Jett once said, “No one knows what anticipation is anymore. Everything is so immediate.” I’m one who tends to generally agree with the Rock N Roll Hall of Famer. However, I might argue that for a concert going fanatic such as myself that these last few years have been filled with nothing but anticipation. Shows announced in 2019 and 2020 were postponed and rescheduled only to be postponed and rescheduled again. There was no concert I’ve been anticipating more than The Killers Imploding the Mirage Tour. Fans of The Killers have been anticipating this concert for almost three years.
Not only that but The Killers hadn’t played Utah since 2018. That was the night Brandon Flowers had the second greatest flu performance inside Vivint Arena (Delta Center). Michael Jordan being the first in the 1998 NBA Finals vs The Jazz. It’s a toss up really because Brandon Flowers was pretty special that night in 2018.
Los Angeles-via-Brooklyn band DREAMERS (Nick Wold and Nelson) have shared stages with the likes of X Ambassadors, The 1975, Bleachers, Atlas Genius, Catfish and The Bottlemen, and Weezer while garnering coverage from Fader, Entertainment Weekly and Paste, among others, and performing on Jimmy Kimmel Live. In 2016, the band released their debut full-length album This Album Does Not Exist, featuring the top 10 Alternative radio hit, the electro-sprinkled pop gem “Sweet Disaster.” They just released their new single, “Robbery” and will be performing at The Complex with The Score on August 31!
We had the opportunity to chat with vocalist, Nick Wold yesterday. We talked about touring after the pandemic, songwriting, his first concert, and more! Enjoy!
Interviewed by Kevin Rolfe
Photo Credit: Gina Gizella Manning
UCR: Nick, how are you doing? It’s good to talk to you. So catch me up a little. How far into this tour are you?
Nick Wold: We’re kind of in the first leg I think. We’ve done like five shows out of 20. And yeah, we’re trucking because it’s our first tour back since the pandemic since the world ended.
UCR: Yeah. So how does that feel? It’s gotta be the craziest feeling to have that huge break and then be in front of people. In a way, does it feel like a new experience again or like an “old hat” kind of thing?
Utah loves Josh Groban. He could easily do a concert in Utah every year and it would be well attended. In some ways, it feels like a homecoming concert when Groban stops here on his tours. I’m sure that is in part, due to him recording his Awake concert film right here in Salt Lake City at the very same venue where we saw him on July 27, 2022. To my knowledge, he has no ties to this state. It just feels like there is a real connection between Utah and Josh. Groban’s stop on his Harmony Tour was no exception. The lineup was stacked with talent from newcomer Eleri Ward to the really fun Preservation Hall Jazz Band to Josh Groban. The night never lacked for beautiful moments of music.
Two and a half years ago, thousands of local Lumineers fans purchased their concert tickets and were looking forward to seeing the impressive indie folk band perform live. After being postponed for 2 years due to the Covid 19 pandemic, The Lumineers finally had the opportunity to bring their Brightside Tour to Salt Lake City. On July 20th, the band played a fantastic show to a sold-out audience at the Maverick Center. As a fan myself, I felt overwhelmed with excitement as I arrived at the Venue. I had the opportunity to talk with a few other concertgoers, who were eager for the night to start. One couple told me how they had become Lumineers fans after seeing them open for U2 at a concert in 2017. While a couple of young girls mentioned they had been fans since middle school, and couldn’t believe they were finally at the concert.
Legendary and multi-Platinum rockers Styx have hit the road with their friends REO Speedwagon on their Live and UnZoomed Tour. They’ll be joined by special guests, Loverboy. The tour stops off at USANA Amphitheatre on Saturday, July 9. We had the opportunity to catch up with Vocalist and Keyboardist, Lawrence Gowan a few weeks back. To purchase tickets to the Live and UnZoomed show click here. Hope you enjoy our conversation!
Interviewed by Kevin Rolfe
STYX L/R: Chuck Panozzo, Ricky Phillips, Todd Sucherman, Tommy Shaw, James “J.Y.” Young and Lawrence Gowan. Portrait shoot at Macon City Auditorium on October 4, 2014 in Macon, Georgia. (Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images for STYX)
UCR: As you know, Utah loves having you guys out here. You’re back out on the road with REO Speedwagon. Do you determine by tour who closes the show? Or is it a show by show decision?
Red Butte Garden started July off on a good note with a double headliner show starring Chris Isaak and Lyle Lovett. These two legends could not have picked a better date to come to Utah. The weather was perfect, and everyone was feeling good heading into the Independence Day weekend. I’ve seen Chris Isaak in concert once. I was invited last minute and was beyond impressed with the concert. I’ve always wanted to see him again. I had never seen Lyle Lovett in concert before this show. So for me personally, this was a perfect mix of anticipation to see someone I had enjoyed before, and the anticipation of seeing someone I had been wanting to see.
I chatted with a few people before the show and I asked them if they had seen either artist before. They had seen both and mentioned that they never pass up the opportunity to see them whenever they come to Utah. They assured me that I was in for a good night.
It was a night for 80s icons at Red Butte Garden Amphitheater. Legendary synth-pop star, Howard Jones played to an adoring sold out audience on a beautiful Tuesday evening in Salt Lake City. He was joined by the “Voice of Ultravox”, Midge Ure. An icon in his own right. Howard Jones has such a strong fanbase here in Utah. He’s played here so many times over the years and people come back every time he tours through. I remember one year he was a support act for Barenaked Ladies. He added his own solo date the next day because there was such a clamoring from his fans to see him in more than a shortened set. He’s also played shows up at Park City’s Egyptian Theater with just him and a piano. Those shows always sell out. There is a connection between Jones and Utah that I can’t totally explain. But it’s there and both parties embrace it.
It was one of the more wild nights I’ve seen at Sandy Amphitheater. The mighty Tenacious D made a tour stop in the typically mild-mannered Salt Lake suburb. The powerhouse fusion of Jack Black and Kyle Gass was almost more than Sandy Amp could handle. I don’t know how often the “D” goes on tour. I don’t know that they come to Utah too often. The vibe inside Sandy Amp was that of great anticipation. It was a different kind of excitement. There was this feeling like “this Is going to be awesome.” But also, “I wonder just how amazingly weird it’s going to get tonight.” And it got pretty weird. But the perfect amount. Tenacious D mixed a cocktail of weird, hilarious, blue, and rock on that stage. This show may have been funny. But Tenacious D came to rock. And so did theIr fans.
ZZ Top has been coming to Utah since the 70s. They used to call The Salt Palace home whenever they would come to Salt Lake City. In recent years, Red Butte Garden Amphitheater is the stopping place for the legendary Blues Rock band. ZZ Top helped bring live music back to Red Butte last summer just weeks following the passing of original bassist, Dusty Hill. Less than a year later, ZZ Top made their return with the same lineup, including new bassist and former guitar tech to Hill, Elwood Francis. The moment the band walked on stage, the generally casual garden attendees, jumped to their feet, ready to rock.
