Show Reviews
The Aggrolites w/ Fews & Two and The Upstarts
Ska shows will never cease to be incredibly amusing. No matter what bands are playing, ska kids are quite possibly the most enthusiastic crowds to exist. They might also be the most positive. When I arrived, The Upstarts were on stage, and a lively group of high-school-aged kids were assembled in front of the stage dancing their goofy little hearts out. … read more
Street Dogs Preview
Boston’s defenders of the working class will descend on Salt Lake City this April. The Street Dogs, featuring former vocalist and founding member of the Dropkick Murphys Mike McColgan, hit the road this March with Anti-Flag, The Briggs, and Fake Problems. Their tour stops at In The Venue on April 12. … read more
Explosions In The Sky | Salt Lake City
How long can one actually stand the sounds of chirping birds blaring out of rock-star amplifiers? It’s a great question (I ponder it daily), and one that was poised upon the opening of Lichens set at In the Venue. Draped in white and sitting in a regular folding chair − a flood of effect pedals at his feet − it was obvious that were was something different about this guy (real name Robert Lowe). … read more
Serj Tankain Show Review
Driving down 200 South to reach In the Venue only to see a line stretching around the block outside the venue for Serj Tankian was a surprise in itself. The man has fronted System of a Down for years and with the band in hiatus mode currently, it is only natural that an artist that has such a voice as his and is so driven to be heard that Serj would ultimately turn into a solo artist. … read more
Westbound Train Show Review
It’s been about ten years since the ill-fated ska explosion of the late 1990s, and it seems that the world is finally willing to give the genre a chance again. Hellcat Records’ ska and reggae roster might be down to only two bands, but when those bands are as good as The Aggrolites and Westbound Train, you really don’t need anyone else. … read more
How To Be A Megastar Tour 2.1: Blue Man Group,...
The Blue Man Group is an interesting combination of a live drum ‘n bass act and the Smurfs on acid. I had the pleasure of witnessing their act once before at their home theater in Chicago, but this time they were on tour across the country with a full band and made a stop right here in good ol’ SLC. … read more
Tiger Army Show Review: 10.26.07
Have you ever really liked a band, but when they started to get more popular and more successful, they just seemed to get worse and worse? Well, I can think of about five times that this has happened to me over the last few years, but Tiger Army is the most recent band to lose a bit of their magic for me. … read more
Vampire Weekend
Shame on any of you who considered going to this show and then made some lame excuse about the weather. Sure, there was the large possibility of your tin-can car dying, or better yet, crashing on unplowed roads. Sure, you’d rather stay warm in bed than huddle around the fire pit or cram into the shack at Kilby. … read more
Dirty Tactics Show Review
I was in a bad mood when I went to Burt’s Tiki Lounge to see Bring Your Guns. They were playing with bands I had never heard. Thus, I was speaking aural atrocities and dealing with unbearable boredom. I walked nervously into Burt’s, ordered the hipster ambrosia (PBR), and settled into a corner. … read more
Flogging Molly Show Review
I love Flogging Molly. I love their music, and I used to love their live shows. Unfortunately, I think that they’ve just given way to popular demand to continue playing medium-sized venues. … read more