When I first read Rumi, the universe as I knew it exploded. Suddenly, I started realizing that the connections I share with others are bound by spontaneity, and I was opened to new levels of love. Reading Rumi is a transformative experience, and it’s something that I owe to Coleman Barks, a scholar who is well known for his translations of the Sufi poet. Although Coleman Barks doesn’t actually speak or read Farsi, what he’s done for the accessibility of this Sufi mystic—by re-translating the translations from AJ Arberry and Reynold A Nicholson—is something worthwhile to note. … read more
Paul Vigil: Utah’s Second Magic Prophet
Paul Vigil’s weekly parlor performances are up close, casual and feature tinges of the supernatural, or as Vigil says, “It will make you go home and wonder what the hell just happened.” … read more
Youth Lagoon @ Kilby Court 02.28 with Night Sweats
When I first saw Trevor Powers aka Youth Lagoon play, it was last year at the Urban Lounge. At the time, he was a quiet performer with only his drum machine and keyboard and one guitarist. That was a beautiful performance. … read more
Joey Arias and Kristian Hoffman @ Urban Lounge 02.28 with the Bad Kids
Called the “demigod of the demimonde” by Time Out New York, Joey Arias has made a career out of following the twists and turns of drag and performance culture since 1976, when he drove from L.A. to New York with dreams of performing. … read more
Matt & Kim @ The Complex with Passion Pit
Matt & Kim pounded onto the stage to “Harlem Shake” as the horde of witnesses released a guttural snarl, and commenced grinding their asses on the floor. Matt Johnson flailed a water bottle into the the scuffle while he and Kim Schifino (his “partner in crime and in sex”) thrashed their appendages to and fro. … read more
Inspirit Utah: Reviving Our Spaces, Communities and Ourselves
On Wednesday, Louisa Carter of Inspirit Utah, in conjunction with The Women’s Resource Center at the University of Utah, hosted a lovely afternoon filled with inspiring speakers about the ways that we can connect our social bodies with wild, natural processes. … read more
March Mayhem
Last Saturday night, I went to March Mayhem at the Muay Thai Institute and Fitness Center in Sugarhouse. I believe it was called March Mayhem because another sporting organization already has dibs on March Madness, and March Mess-Your-Face-Up wouldn’t fit on the flyer. Either way, local, amateur kickboxing does make for great entertainment on a Saturday night. … read more
SXSW 2013: Mitzi @ Red 7 – Terrorbird Showcase 03.12
I can’t remember where I came across Mitzi, but they were the very first to go on my list of SXSW “must-sees,” which was fitting, because they were the first show I saw at the festival. … read more
SXSW 2013: Dark Sky @ Club Barcelona – Surefire Agency Showcase 03.12
I chose to see electronic DJ Dark Sky because I had some unexpected free time open up after walking out on Houston’s pop punk trio, Something Fierce. I was intrigued by the DJ group booked to play after Dark Sky (Jets, from Berlin) so I took another risk, rolled the dice and decided to hit up Club Barcelona a little early. … read more
SXSW 2013: The Geeks @ The Elysium K-Pop Night Out Showcase 03.12
I entered The Elysium at dusk. The bar was dark and had great black-lighting. Although the crowd let me down, I was able to look past them and sense the genuineness that The Geeks offer, who got me pumped for the rest of my night. … read more
SXSW 2013: The Very Best @ Club de Ville – Invisible Children Showcase 03.12
From the minute a tall, lanky African American man wearing a top hat and Mardi Gras beads stepped onto the stage to put some blow-up palm trees in the corner, I knew I was going to like The Very Best. … read more
SXSW 2013: Robert Kelly’s Nasty Show with Aisha Tyler @ Esther’s Follies – Presented by TuneIn 03.12
I recently overheard to a comedy podcast in the SLUG office called The Champs, and Aisha Tyler was a guest on it. She was fucking hilarious. When I heard she was going to be at SXSW, I knew I had to see her. … read more
