H.A.G.S. Festival @ Kilby Court 08.02.2025

The University of Utah’s student run radio station K-UTE hosted the Had A Great Summer (H.A.G.S.) Festival at Salt Lake City’s favorite venue, Kilby Court, on a warm and breezy Saturday evening. The fest was an eight-band highlight of some of SLC’s best musicians from the local indie and rock scenes.

Cannibal Queen was the festival’s opener. With rich and emotive vocals supported by strong, straightforward chords played on acoustic guitar, Cannibal Queen ensured that attendees were engaged and ready for the rest of the fest with her swelling and honest performance.

The Hit was next, and when I saw the drummer wearing a baseball tee of Southern California’s doom metal band Sleep, I couldn’t help but get excited. This three-piece delivered a tight set that was expansive and connected throughout the performance as though you were listening to an EP front to back – courtesy of stable drums, psychedelic guitars and bass that had the audience head bobbing and knee tapping along with gentle vocals. It reminded me of some of King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard‘s most well-regarded albums from the mid-2010s throughout.

“Radical!” proclaimed the lead singer of drunk in june after their fast and emotive opening track “green eyes,” which was well-received by Kilby Court’s audience. A fun, pacey band that any fan of PUP, Jeff Rosenstock or The Front Bottoms would savor. Their set was full of expressive drumming, backed up by strong basslines, punchy guitar work and keyboard hits that tied everything together nicely. Lyrical themes that acknowledged the difficulty of it all carried the well-paced set that covered the groups range of punk anthems full of existential humor as well as slower, more anthemic tracks about the human experience — drunk in june showed that this band has both the fuel and the fire.

If and When are a four-piece band based out of Ogden who played a smooth and groovy set that got the crowd jamming along. They captured the audience’s attention with potent melodies, dreamy harmonies and a unique pace to their set, complete with breakdowns that played with listener expectations. Their delightful and easygoing performance served as a great follow-up to drunk in june.

RALLY was up next. Their performance was a delightful set that saw the crowd shaking their hips, dancing with one another and getting lost in the moment. I was reminded of groups such as Her’s, Sports and some of Wallows‘ earlier releases. RALLY’s music could pair just as well with sipping on something sweet on a nice patio somewhere, or marveling at a summer sunset while you’re on the move — you’ll feel like you entered an arthouse indie film when the keyboard notes start on “Color In The Leaves.” These four created a vibe that perfectly encapsulated H.A.G.S. Fest and can hopefully find its way to your playlists, too.

When you see Hurtado, you can expect a band that consistently delivers strong hooks, catchy melodies and lyrics that feel like they’ve been through some shit — even with the passage of time, some of those previous wounds still feel fresh. These four make premium alternative/college rock from our own city of Salt Lake, delivering tunes that feature emotionally charged lyrics, danceable guitars and writing that transports you. You’ll find yourself torn between wanting to move along to the beat or giving the nearest person you love a long hug. Hurtado was one of the local groups that were featured at Kilby Block Party this year and is definitely a band to keep on your radar.

BONNEVILLE is a quartet that did a great job of capturing some of the nostalgia that’s attached with summer, particularly the end of summer. The crowd swung, swayed and moved in time to the wistful vocals, joined by smooth guitar lines and steady, prominent bass and drum lines. The group debuted jams that were expansive and allowed every instrument the space to glide through tracks without overwhelming the audience. Upcoming material from BONNNEVILLE should be anticipated as they delivered an excellent performance and established an excellent segue to H.A.G.S. Fest’s closer, the self-proclaimed “Greatest Band of All Time,” a.k.a. central Utah rock band Backhand.

Backhand, closed out K-UTE’s festivities at Kilby Court with energy, motion and intensity — a staple of their live performances. It’s as though the name of “God’s Favorite Band” on a bill already creates anticipation and expectation that enables lead singer Ben Owens to act as a sensei in his dojo, wielding the microphone to direct the movements of concert goers regardless of if they’ve seen “Utah’s Toughest Team” before or not. Performing new material, such as their latest single “Automatic” as well as fan favorites like “Be Nice ‘Cause,” Backhand successfully delivered a ceremonious end to an awesome celebration of Utah’s many diverse and talented indie and rock bands.

 “Having such a strong group of bands really brought out a great crowd of fans of each band,” says Lily Rutherford of K-UTE, “and it was really cool to see everyone come together for a fun, locally-based fest.” See K-UTE at Hallapalooza on August 16 at Fellowship Hall and follow the station on Instagram at @kute.radio to hear about more upcoming events as the fall school semester begins.

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