EXCLUSIVE STORIES

As another weekend approaches, the level of metalness in SLC will grow exponentially from last weekend’s local metal gigs and the Summer Slaughter Tour. Meat Shits, Exodus and Enthroned are all set to hit the city this weekend—be prepared.

Seeing an aging musician can be a gamble. I can’t count the number of times I’ve coughed up cash to see some geriatric legend to find myself bored out of my mind watching some drunk, washed-up mess. Luckily Andre Williams is not one of these musicians—he isn’t even close to it. On Monday night the 74-year old Black Godfather took the stage to a severely under packed crowd.

In the first installment of SLUG's brand new, web-exclusive metal column, Bryer Wharton gives a preview of all of the metal action going down in Salt Lake City this weekend, including a preview of the Summer Slaughter tour featuring Decapitated.

Andre Williams plays the kind of music that SLUG magazine is proud to get behind. Down and dirty, completely authentic & 100% original, a real soul rebel, his obscurity is almost baffling, and somewhat conflicting reports of his start in the music business only further the stuff of legend--pretty "cult" for a guy who wrote "Shake a Tail Feather" and produced the first version of "Mustang Sally."

Ostensibly, I was at this show to review the Henry Clay People’s performance, but the poppy Californian party-rockers literally played their last notes as I entered the venue. My disappointment was short-lived, as Against Me!, one of my favorite bands of all time, was set to take the stage next. The early start time meant I’d be home by 9:00 and able to keep my strict, geriatric-lite sleep schedule and be in bed by 11:00. Score.

When any artist finds their defining sound it is a moment of revelation as much as it is a celebration. Laura Burhenn, singer/songwriter extraordinaire and one of the hardest working artists in recent memory seems to have found both in her great and critically acclaimed project The Mynabirds, and the world is musically a better place for it.

I am going to start by saying that I (Eric Hess) had never been to a rave in my life and was honestly excited to see what all the gab is about. I have various friends who like techno music and going to raves. I'd hear their stories and wonder if this is true, I mean it's just techno music (boom, boom, boom, boom, breakdown, boom, boom, boom.) But after being at this show I see now that it is much more than just bass and flashy lights.

 On July 15 Minus the Bear came to town and rocked the hell out of In the Venue, but that is a statement that could be assumed if you knew the music of the band.

Over the past ten years, there has been no band as divisive in the punk rock world as Against Me!. I spoke with frontman Tom Gabel a few dates into their current tour with Silversun Pickups (stopping at The Rail on July 27th) about the band’s new lineup, their new album, and their relationship with fans and the media.

Sunday night was a lot of things. Ostensibly, it was The Devil Whale's pre-release show. But Sunday night had layers--layers that cut a broad swathe through the musical landscape of Salt Lake City and spoke to the interconnectivity between bands, fans, and a forward thinking record store at the center of this close-knit community.

It seems these days it’s every man, woman and child for themselves when it comes to saving cash. It’s Thunderdome out there, folks, and everyone wants a bargain! Although, is saving money by purchasing expired food really the way to go? Not if you don’t mind the stomach cramps and endless diarrhea. To make matters worse, the world of home entertainment is waving bye-bye to DVDs and welcoming high-def adventures on Blu-rays, which could take even more moolah out of your wallet.

The first jam started out quick paced. Right off the bat there was a collision between two to three of the Leave it to Cleaver blockers and the Death Dealer jammer, RollHer Kitty #7. All of the skaters slid across the floor and almost into the suicide seating. Despite this, Kitty got lead jam status and scored for the Dealers.