Meraki and the Curiosity Collective: DIY Festival Performers

It’s that time of the year again! The Utah State Fairpark opens its gates to the 18th Annual Craft Lake City DIY Festival Presented By Harmons. Being Utah’s largest local-centric arts, music, science and technology festival, DIY Fest is a three-day event. Experience the best of our state’s creative culture with over 500 local artists and makers, three stages for music and dance performances, a youth entrepreneur area, a STEM building with hands-on exhibitions, dozens of food vendors and more. Kids of all ages and dogs are welcome — find more info and get tickets at craftlakecity.com!

If you ask Meraki and the Curiosity Collective to describe their sound, you’ll probably get a few different answers. “Weird,” offers one band member. “Atmospheric.” “Spacious.” “Experimental.” Eventually, they settle on experimental folk, but only because they feel like they have to call it something.

The Salt Lake trio came together organically after frontperson Meraki’s solo project evolved into something bigger with guitarist Gavin Palmer and drummer Ginger. Friends first and bandmates second, they found themselves pulled together by Utah’s local music scene and a shared appreciation for making music that doesn’t fit neatly into a box.

That spirit of curiosity spills into every performance. Rather than chasing perfection or trying to sound like someone else, the group lean into authenticity. “You can make anything out of anything using anything,” Meraki says. It’s a philosophy that feels refreshingly human.

Their favorite shows aren’t necessarily the loudest or the biggest. One standout performance happened at a benefit show at the Garf Artfunkel House, where the audience put their phones away, settled in and simply listened. The experience turned into a space that felt less like a performance and more like a group of people sharing transcendence.

In a world of AI-generated everything, Meraki and the Curiosity Collective see creating something by hand as a form of rebellion in itself. —Jordan Turner

Read more about local bands creating new journeys into sound:
Localized: Star Carmen
The Alchemy of Healing: Logan James Hope on Growth and Moving Forward

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