Saturday’s Voyeur 2012 @ Salt Lake Acting Company 07.27

Salt Lake Acting Company actors portraying Angel Moroni and Mitt Romney

This is my fourth or fifth year in a row checking out the Salt Lake Acting Company’s yearly satire on Utah living and politics, and after sitting through another Jell-O shot filled night, I was not disappointed. This year, they took a slightly different approach than previous years when they have focused almost entirely on headlines from the year. We found ourselves following the narrative of Nephi Jensen, a lowly LDS accounts auditor, as he comes to grips with his relationship wants, his work needs and his religious must-do’s. Nephi is joined by other LDS office building employees, members of Quorum of the 12 and even Mr. Mitt Romney himself. … read more

Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival @ Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA Aug. 10–12

My Saturday officially began with Portugal. The Man, who put on a fun, spunky show, perfect for the early afternoon. There were some sound issues at first, but they managed to power through and got everyone up and dancing for the first time that day. We left a bit early to head to MiM0SA, who turned out to be the biggest surprise of the weekend. The stage was packed. Last year, he would not have had half the size of that crowd, and he performed like a champ. He’s a local boy, and his mom was in the crowd, so it was pretty evident that he was throwing down everything he had, and it was excellent. … read more

Napalm Flesh: As I Lay Dying Interview

It’s over a decade into their career, and As I Lay Dying is still charging the front lines of the metal scene with no sign of slowing. With this new decade in their careers on the horizon, they ready the release of new album Awakened with fresh eyes and inspiration from new sources. We were granted a surprise with drummer Jordan Mancino and bassist/vocalist Josh Gilbert during their first stint on the Rockstar Energy Mayhem Fest tour to get the details on this badass group of true believers. … read more

Strung Out @ Bar Deluxe 08.17

It always seems like a bit of a publicity stunt to see a band rehash old material for a special run—It can come off as exploitative. However, I wholeheartedly embraced when Strung Out came back by with their mid-to-late-’90s albums, Suburban Teenage Wasteland Blues and Twisted by Design. So did all my friends from the same era. Almost every song elicited a huge applause, and the good ol-fashioned mosh pit was full of slam dancers practicing the ancient art of controlled collisions. … read more

A Train Runs Through It: JCRD Welcomes Choice City to Utah 08.25

I knew relatively little about Choice City before heading north to watch them take on the Junction City Trainwrecks. Still a somewhat small league, they travel with two-thirds of their skaters. Knowing this now, I can see why Choice City runs such tight strategies. When it comes to travel teams, just having the time to practice with each other can make or break a winning streak. … read more

The Boards Reunion Show with Avon Calling and Gnawing Suspicion @ Burt’s 08.26

 As these sages of punk rock strap on their guitars and study their set lists, the crowd of two dozen aged rockers (and a couple young punks like myself) watches anxiously, sensing the nervous energy in the bar. The guys haven’t forgotten how to kick ass, though, and they start with some of the oldies—stripped down punk rock n’ fuckin’ roll. … read more

Napalm Flesh: Týr Interview

Get your Viking gear ready, the horned helmet your ale tankards—well not really. Just because The  Faeroe Island’s  Týr sing a lot about Viking lore and history doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be taken seriously. With six full-length albums notched in their swords and no signs of slowing the momentum is only building. The band employs clean singing and big, fat helpings of majestic melodies. The point of it all, from my experience, is a journey-like experience—you listen and you go somewhere else. … read more

Chelsea Wolfe with Spell Talk and Light Black @ Urban Lounge 08.29

Chelsea Wolfe posing on old bed

 I hear and feel dark swelling tones of bass, looped vocals and keys as they open with “Movie Screen.” Fog machine aside, their ominous stage presence creates an element of awe in the room, and the audience is eerily silent and perfectly still. I can feel the energy waiting to burst out of this band. I’m stoked, because just when I think I know where a piece is going, it does the exact opposite. I’m built up by Chelsea Wolfe’s layered vocal loops, then the ambient guitar sounds and deep bass drop me out a trap door and the music halts for a fraction of a second. They are tight and together, executing these rising and falling swells with surgical precision. … read more