Month: March 2010
Suzanne Vega – Love Songs Review
I remember the first time I ever heard Suzanne Vega: It was late in the Spring of 1985 and my childhood friend Emily would play Vega’s eponymous debut in her VW Beetle’s tape deck as we drove around the Salt Lake valley. I quickly became enamored with this album and especially Vega’s perceptive lyrics and her pretty, clear voice. At that time there was no one else quite like her. … read more
Pet Shop Boys – Pandemonium CD/DVD Review
When The Pet Shop Boys first toured in 1989, it was a decidedly unique event. The end result was a complete eschewal of the traditional rock concert format, instead incorporating a theatrical approach with stunning visuals, multiple costume changes and the songs themselves being presented as themed concepts complete with filmed backdrops. They have continually expanded on this formula, creating a show that is both visually incredible and undeniably memorable. … read more
Get Lucky
Get Lucky, the latest rave produced by V2 events, was a perfect example of the rave scene in Utah: great music, way too many people. The rave scene here has blown up in the past four years, and almost every V2 event at Saltair in the last two years has been bigger than the last. This year was no exception: the event was oversold by at least a thousand people, making for a frustrating night. … read more
Send it! A look at the 2010 Subaru Freeskiing World...
A tradition for many years, the Freeskiing World Tour has been coming to the majestic slopes of the ‘Bird and showcasing the skiing talents of riders from near and far. This year’s event happened to coincide with St. Patrick’s Day, and the crowds got mighty interesting to say the least. While the snowballs flew and the streakers streaked, the athletes focused their energies and put together some of the sickest lines this side of the equator. … read more
King Khan: Rock n’ Roll Soul
“I think this career choice was a lot smarter than boxing,” says Arish “King” Khan, frontman of the retro soul-punk outfit King Khan & the Shrines. “I definitely chose a better type of brain damage,” he says. Besides playing with the Shrines, King Khan also plays alongside good friend Mark Sultan (aka BBQ) in the two-piece, doo-wop punk band The King Khan & BBQ Show, and recently hooked up with Black Lips to record an album. … read more
SLUG Games: Prom Jam
This year The SLUG Games had a new twist: it was a Prom Jam filled with all the amenities you could ask for. It was high school all over again, except the gym was filled with snow, and instead of some strange middle aged dude with something to prove breathing down your neck, you were allowed and encouraged to get buck. Whether you prefer skis or a snowboard, the course was set up to shred up. … read more
Localized: Breaux, God’s Revolver and Maraloka – March 2010
Sure, you’ve been to SLUG Localized, but never before have you experienced the combined sadistic threat of Breaux, God’s Revolver, and openers Maraloka. It all goes down at the Urban Lounge on Friday, March 12. Five bones gets you in. Good luck getting out. … read more
Pentabike
“I’ve lied, bullshitted, exaggerated and fabricated some incredibly ridiculous stories about the creation of the Pentabike design in order to lend some sort of dark credibility to the question,” says Dave Strunk, “but the reality is that it started in about 1989 or so when I was working in a book warehouse here in Denver.” According to Strunk, the book warehouse afforded him the luxury to begin seditiously planting the good, old-fashioned pentagram in many popular book titles being shipped to what he refers to as “religious propaganda stores across this great land.” … read more
Derby Girls: Valkyries on Wheels
There is a strange primeval pleasure found in the company of a woman who is capable of beating my ass to a pulp. Last week I was watching tryouts for the Salt City Shakers—The Salt City Derby Girls All-Star team—and I heard a story about an unidentified Shaker nearly banned from the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association for hauling off and punching some high-falutin harpy from Los Angeles square in the face. Valkyries on wheels! Sleeve-tattooed Vixens! Be still my heart! … read more
Rhett Barney: Man With Balls will March in March
Total paralysis, deaths of lovers and painful memories have thwarted Utahn Rhett Barney’s step before, but he’s still here, feet tapping with impatience. When Barney leans over a coffee table to stare me dead in the eye and say that he’s going to Washington to “change this fucking law,” well, I believe him. Barney, a well-known Salt Lake City retail fixture for 40 years, is angry, and he wants us to know about it. … read more