August SLUG Picnic Presented by Sparrow Electric 08.22 w/ Elowyn, Cherry Thomas and Fur Foxen

Independent music is—above all else—an institution of resiliency. Fittingly, amid a global pandemic, in the middle of a heatwave and under a cloud of forest fire smoke, three excellent Salt Lake musicians gathered at the Artspace City Center for the August SLUG Picnic, an outdoor, socially distanced concert event.

With local artisans Hand Drawn Photo Booth, Obnoxious Plastic and EMBROGO, food from Kafé Mamai and a raffle benefiting the Salt Lake City COVID-19 Mutual Aid fund, the event was already a destined hit. But the real show stealer was the music, a stellar, three-course serving of folkers and rockers from Salt Lake’s music scene.

First up were local duo Fur Foxen, offering a folksy blend starring Amber Pearson‘s cello and Stephan Darland‘s guitar and vocals. Many a song was dedicated to whiskey, worries and woes, but Fur Foxen turned these blues into powerful, jovial ditties (and covered the Game of Thrones theme, to boot).

After Fur Foxen, solo artist Cherry Thomas took the stage. Atop warm, jazzy guitar progressions, Thomas’ voice soared through winding, melismatic R&B melodies—and what a voice it was. With a soulful grit and an improvisational ease, Cherry Thomas worked through a number of songs off of her forthcoming EP. Keep an eye out!

The August SLUG Picnic closed out with Elowyn, a singer-songwriter who’s urgent, righteous songs soared into the evening sky. Elowyn shared a kinship with the emotive expressions of Fur Foxen and Cherry Thomas, but bolstered by a raging fire. With deeply personal songs, explosive hooks and the propulsive drum beats of Milo, Elowyn sent off the SLUG Picnic with fervent self-expression.

The August SLUG Picnic was Presented By Sparrow Electric and is sponsored by Beehive Cheese, Dented Brick Distillery, Distillery 36, GREENbike, Gem City Fine Foods, Les Madeleines, Mineral Resources International, Monster Energy, Ogden’s Own Distillery, PopArt Snacks, Proper Brewing Co. and Waterpocket Distillery.

Join us on Sept. 19 for the next SLUG Picnic featuring Aarushi & Amishi, Flamenco Del Lago and Maestro Gabino Flores Classical Guitarist.

Photos: Erin Sleater and Morgan Keller (click for captions/credits)