Authors: Brian Kubarycz
Exile on J Street: Author Scott Carrier releases Prisoner of...
Fans of National Public Radio will probably know the voice of Scott Carrier. He is a feature writer on various NPR programs, but his greatest radio accomplishment is the Peabody Award he received in 2006. A Utah native, Carrier planned for decades to escape the Beehive State, but he has at last come to terms with this land. “I feel claustrophobic away from the mountains,” he says. “I gave up trying to leave.” … read more
Earth, Skin and Fire: The Playful Sensuality of Samba Fogo’s...
The show opened with a staging of an indigenous Brazilian creation narrative describing the descent of the gods of the air to the watery Earth. This event was staged in the form of a death-defying and gasp-inducing silk acrobatics routine, performed beautifully and (to my relief) expertly by Samantha and Lance Nielsen. To say this overture set a very high standard for the rest of the show to maintain is an understatement. … read more
Russian Circles @ Urban Lounge 03.02 w/ KEN mode, Inter...
Russian Circles’ tones, tempos and rhythms rise and fall, fold and buckle, tear and crumble, melt and congeal, in the way that mineral processes sculpt the land. The spectacle is orderly, rational, frequently beautiful, and spatially and temporally grand. … read more
Concert | Music | Show Reviews
Sambo Fogo’s Inspiraçâo Do Fogo @ Rose Wagner Performing Arts...
Sambo Fogo, in addition to presenting Brazilian dance as fine art, also shows a clear commitment to the non-formal aspects of dance, specifically its capacity for improving cultural awareness and fostering social relations. In line with this, the company warmly encourages spontaneous audience response and interaction with its work, while the work is being performed. Thursday’s crowd did not fail to applaud, cheer, and rise to its feet at key moments during the evening. … read more
Floor, Thrones, Hot Victory @ Bar Deluxe 05.14
Wednesday night brought a small but resilient clutch of metal fans back to Bar Deluxe for one more musical beating. I was surprised at the comparatively small turnout, though it was, after all, a weeknight. I arrived early enough to catch the first band, Portland’s Hot Victory. At a glance, Hot Victory, a drums/electronics duo, confirmed what many may have suspected for some time now … … read more
Masonography, Its Rules and Etiquette: Mason Aeschbacher Beyond Samba
Mason Aeschbacher is the leader of the series of productions, which include his wife, Lorin Hansen, of Brazilian drum and dance corps Samba Fogo. Aeschbacher’s latest production entails far more than Brazilian music, however, and the project should engage a far broader audience. Aeschbacher calls the style of choreography/directing improv “Masonography,” and the first production in this style is entitled Masonography, You May Ask Yourself. … read more
That Mighty Sculptor, Time: The Return of INVDRS
After a six-month hiatus, INVDRS, one of the region’s most remorseless rock acts, is back, and in fighting fettle. For almost five years, INVDRS labored to establish itself as the musical embodiment of primordial violence, a stated goal for which they offer no apologies. “We don’t hold back,” says drummer Gavin Hoffman. Their album, Electric Church, and their live shows stand as the twin testaments of their gospel of redemption through destruction. … read more
The Quest for Water: A Conversation with YOB’s Mike Scheidt
Seven records into their career, YOB are becoming elder statesmen in the republic of doom. Their stature derives from their output of consistently wrought-iron albums, but also from discernable wisdom and humility.
These Little Hands: The Craft of Lindsay Heath
If a guy with a golden horn can serve as emblem of mainstream Salt Lake, then songwriter Lindsay Heath may well be our underground’s anti-Moroni. … read more