mxmtoon

mxmtoon | Juliet Ivy | March 21, 2025 | Soundwell

Reviewed and Photographed by Marlo Matamoros

Photo Credit: Marlo Matamoros

mxmtoon pronounced (em-ex-em-toon) took the stage at a sold-out show at Soundwell in Salt Lake City on a Friday night. mxmtoon opened for AJR last year in July in Salt Lake City and is back this year headlining her own liminal space tour. She brought singer-songwriter Juliet Ivy along. I have never been to Soundwell so I was excited to see the space and feel the atmosphere. I walked into the venue and the first thing that I noticed was how packed it was. mxmtoon merch covered the shirts of many and the venue was loud. 

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Heart

Heart • Squeeze • March 8, 2025 • Maverik Center

Reviewed by Kevin Rolfe

Photographed by Criss Cain courtesy of Grandstand Media

When I received the announcement that Heart’s Royal Flush Tour would need to be postponed due to lead singer, Ann Wilson’s cancer diagnosis, I wondered if I’d ever get to see Heart in concert again. More important than the band, the music, and the tour, I hoped that Wilson would fully recover. Cancer is such a scary thing, and well, you just never know. I was delighted to hear see the rescheduled dates and see that Heart would be returning to Utah in 2025.

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Soccer Mommy

Soccer Mommy

Soccer Mommy • Hana Vu • March 8, 2025 • The Depot

Reviewed and Photographed by Amelia Weyerstall

A flower-filled stage of the Depot welcomed Soccer Mommy and Hana Vu to an incredible crowd of fans in SLC. 

“Soccer Mommy – the musical project of beloved Nashville songwriter and musician Sophie Allison – began her career as a teenager, sharing music on Bandcamp in near-demo form. Recent years have found her enjoying synthesizers and experimental production, thanks to endless studio resources newly at her fingertips.”

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Dream Theater

Dream Theater

Dream Theater • March 4, 2025 • Maverik Center

Reviewed and Photographed by Sam Howard

For 40 years, Dream Theater has been making music and playing shows all over the world. On March 4th, 2025, they made their way to the Maverick Center in West Valley City, Utah. This massive venue, home to many legendary performances and even the Winter Olympics in 2002, seemed to be the perfect spot for this reunion tour. With the big sound of the band, mixed with the arena setting, it seemed that there could be no other place for Dream Theater to make their return to Utah. 

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Glixen

Glixen • She’s Green • After • March 3, 2025 • Kilby Court

Reviewed and Photographed by Amelia Weyerstall

Photo Credit: Amelia Weyerstall

Kilby Court was filled with excited fans dressed in studded leather jackets, headbanging along to the incredible shoegaze band Glixen. All three bands shook the venue with their bass and had the audience nodding and headbanging along to their songs. 

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FINNEAS

FINNEAS • The Bad Suns • March 2, 2025 • The Union

Reviewed by Josilyn Wakkury Lybbert

Photographed by Vanessa Holt, courtesy of Live Nation

FINNEAS made a sold-out, highly anticipated stop on his For Cryin’ Out Loud Tour in Salt Lake City on March 2, 2025! He drew in multitudes for his show at The Union Event Center! I’ve battled for parking at concerts before, but never like I did for FINNEAS’ show! While that can pose some obstacles, I’ve found that that demand always indicates that we’re in for an incredible show! And spoiler – were we ever!

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Mackenzy Mackay

Mackenzy Mackay

Mackenzy Mackay • Savanna Leigh • March 1, 2025 • Soundwell

Reviewed and Photographed by Sam Howard

If a show is happening at Soundwell, you can expect it to be a great time. It was no different for the Mackenzy Mackay concert that took place here on March 1, 2025. With the nearly sold-out venue, there were all kinds of fans packed in the building, ranging from parents bringing their kids to groups having a girls’ night out, but the most noticeable profile of the crowd was that it was filled with young couples out for date night. Soundwell was the perfect venue for everyone there, both for the young lovers and the parents bringing their kids. 

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The Backfires

The Backfires • Mercury • February 26, 2025 • Kilby Court

Reviewed and Photographed by Amelia Weyerstall

The rock and roll band, The Backfires, and the indie band, Mercury, put on an incredible show at Kilby Court. The band’s energy lit up the whole venue. Both bands were super supportive of each other and were grateful to be able to play the show in SLC and very excited to share their music with the SLC crowd. The crowd might have been on the smaller side; however, they really brought great energy to the show. 

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ELBOW TO RETURN TO NORTH AMERICA THIS FALL FOR HEADLINING TOUR

elbow are returning to the US for the first time since 2020, and their first East Coast and Canada shows since 2017, bringing their critically acclaimed catalog across North America for a headlining tour announced today. Starting in Washington, D.C. on September 26, the band will be making 14 stops across the country, winding their way to the west coast and finishing at The Wiltern in Los Angeles on October 16. Tickets will be available via https://elbow.co.uk. Fans on the mailing list will automatically get presale access. Join the mailing list here: https://elbow.co.uk/signup/

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Lauren Mayberry

Lauren Mayberry • January 31, 2025 • Soundwell SLC

Reviewed and Photographed by Kevin Rolfe

I have found that whenever a vocalist in a band decides to go solo, things can go one of two ways.  They create something interesting, and enjoyable and I become a fan of their work outside of the band from where I know them. The other is they try too hard to be different from the music we know them from. Or they aren’t able to put an album of songs together without their bandmates that their fans can connect with enough.  I can understand the desire to try to make your own music and create an album trying different styles and techniques.  It can be a risk, but I can’t blame an artist for wanting to do that.  I personally enjoyed Lauren’s debut solo album, Vicious Creature.  It was exciting to see that Mayberry announced a show in Salt Lake City.  I couldn’t wait to hear these songs live.

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