Yungblud • Sawyer Hill • August 25, 2025 • The Union Events Center
Reviewed and Photographed by Max Taylor
On August 26, 2025, Yungblud made a stop in Salt Lake City, Utah, at the Union Event Center, being the third show of his world tour promoting his fourth studio album, Idols. If you’re unfamiliar with the English musician, I recommend you become acquainted with him quickly because Yungblud – otherwise known as Dominic Richard Harrison(Dom for short) – will undoubtedly be a name remembered amongst music legends as he continues to grow and evolve and make a name for himself across the globe. I’ve had the opportunity and pleasure of meeting Dom and seeing him perform on numerous occasions. Never have I met an artist who cares so deeply about the art they create. As well as the fans who support him.
People began queuing in line early in the morning. Before the sun had even risen. In hopes of being able to have the best view of a show that would truly become a part of history. Whilst enduring a bit of rain and wind throughout the day, you could find nothing but joy and excitement across people of all ages, eagerly anticipating what was to come. I had the opportunity to meet people who had traveled from Hawaii, Nebraska, and even the English artist’s home country. This was just one testament to the impact and reach of Yungblud’s music and message.
Sawyer Hill
Opening the evening was Sawyer Hill, the Arkansas native. Hill’s soulful voice immediately captured Salt Lake’s attention. Alongside his bandmates, Hill’s set carried the spirit of southern grit with modern urgency. His luscious hair and playful stage presence had the audience cheering long before the first chorus was even through.
The setlist included originals like Firestarters, Need Me Now, and Look At The Time, with a surprise highlight coming midway through: a cover of Johnny Cash’s Folsom Prison Blues. It was a gutsy move. But one Hill pulled off with his authenticity, confidence, and stage presence, earning loud approval from a Utah crowd.
Between songs, Hill reflected on the journey that led him here: “I’ve been playing small venues since I was 15. To be here, in a place like this, with you all—it’s so special for us.” His joy was infectious. Punctuated by wide smiles, banter with his bandmates, and moments of genuine connection as he clapped along with the audience. Hill even made time to meet fans before and after his set. Proof that he’s not only a performer, but a musician who cares deeply about the people in the room.
By the time his finale built into a full-band explosion of sound, Sawyer Hill had proved himself more than an opener—he was a firestarter in his own right.
Yungblud
Anticipation continued to build as the crowd awaited Yungblud to arrive on stage. Fans throughout the venue were all found wearing pink socks, a Yungblud staple. Draped over a balcony overlooking the crowd was a pink flag with two black hearts. One of the hearts being slightly cracked – the symbol of the Black Hearts Club (Yungblud’s community). People were ready. And then the lights dimmed.
The music slowly started. Shrouded in silhouette and fog, band members Adam Warrington (guitar), Ben Sharp (drums), Silke Blansjaar (bass), Katie Dove-Dixon (keys), and Sam Simmonds (guitar) entered onto the stage, assuming their positions with their instruments. And then, when the anticipation was at its peak and it was just about to pop, Yungblud hit the stage with an energy exceeding anything you could begin to imagine. He embodied pure rock star energy.
Dripping in Chromehearts leather and sterling silver accessories, quickly drenched in sweat as he ran across the stage, jumping, dancing, the energy that shot out of the gate with Yungblud was off the charts, and it wasn’t about to slow down any time soon. Throughout the evening, it was amazing to see how Yungblud drew inspiration from rock legends like Mick Jagger, Angus Young, and David Bowie and incorporated them into his set in his own unique way.
The set was a masterclass in chaos and control. Yungblud demanded energy but never at the expense of safety, constantly scanning the pit to ensure fans were cared for. At one point, he brought a fan up to play the riff of Fleabag—a moment filled with hugs, grins, and the room shaking as the song tore into life.
No Yungblud show is without mischief. Cigarette in hand, he kissed his guitarist on the cheek, threw beer into the crowd, and climbed down into the audience, letting fans hold him aloft as sweat dripped onto outstretched arms. Later, during Lowlife, he called for people on shoulders: “I want this shit to look like 19-fucking-95!” The result was a sea of silhouettes backlit by stage lights, fog curling around bodies lifted high into the air. During the song, he brought a kid up on stage and put the kid on his shoulders, too. Cementing the memory of this concert in that kid’s brain as he continued to sing and dance around the stage.
Surprise Guest
Mid-set, Yungblud also brought out surprise guest Steve-O! Famous stunt performer, comedian, media personality, and podcast host, largely known for his series and films, Jackass. The crowd chanted Steve-O’s name, and he was randomly throwing water across the crowd. What a fun and unanticipated moment. Supposedly, while both Yungblud and Steve-O were in Utah, they recorded a podcast episode as part of Steve-O’s Wild ride! Podcast.
Ozzy Tribute
Alongside the chaos came moments of reverence. One of these unforgettable moments of reverence began with his rendition of Ozzy Osbourne’s Changes. As Yungblud shared some pieces of moments he had with Ozzy over the years and before his passing, Ozzy told him this: “Go to America. The people you’ll find there are f**king beautiful and f**king crazy.” Then Yungblud said, “I’ll do everything I can for the rest of my life to make sure his legacy is remembered!”
Yungblud dedicated the performance to Ozzy, along with the legend Geezer Butler(member of Black Sabbath), who he revealed was in the house that night. “Sing this song really loud for Ozzy,” he urged. When Yungblud pointed the mic toward the crowd, thousands of voices lifted the chorus to the rafters: “I’m going through changes…” It was goosebump-inducing, the kind of communal moment live music is made for.
After an unrelenting run through fan favorites like Funeral, Tin Pan Boy, and Loner (tambourine included), the encore cemented the night as unforgettable. The band returned as silhouettes for Ghosts, Katie’s ethereal vocals opening the track while rays of light fanned out behind
Yungblud. His vocals hit notes that struck a chord within my brain, some reminding me of Freddie Mercury, a mix of raw power and aching beauty.
“This is how you do an American show,” he declared. Yungblud was spontaneously handed a fan’s phone from the crowd, and he filmed himself with the crowd in the background and said, “To the public of the world, this is how you do a rock and roll show! Salt Lake City is the best yet!”
Finale
The final blow came with Zombie, a song that turned the venue into a storm of screams, tears, and raw catharsis. Yungblud was left speechless as the audience sang the chorus back at him, over and over, until he simply stood there, hand on heart, overwhelmed with gratitude.
After the set, fans had just enough time to begin to soak in what they had just experienced over the course of two hours before Yungblud came outside to meet fans – signing autographs and taking pictures, giving hugs and sharing special moments with as many as he could amidst the chaos.
The Union Event Center show was everything a rock concert should be: wild, sweaty, communal, and unforgettable. Sawyer Hill set the stage with soul and fire, and Yungblud took it to another level—melding punk chaos with deep reverence for rock’s history and an unshakable bond with his fans.
If the rest of the world tour is anything like Salt Lake City, Yungblud isn’t just bringing British rock back to America—he’s reminding us why we fell in love with it in the first place.
