Being able to see Jesus and Mary Chain play with Beliefs would be unbelievable for both the band and me. For one thing, Beliefs came about because of their affection for ‘90s shoegaze at a party years ago, so naturally one would think that if Jesus and Mary Chain played with Beliefs the band would be ecstatic. Also, Jesus and Mary Chain would rub off on Beliefs a little more to strengthen some of the band’s weakness seen on Saturday. … read more
NOVA Chamber Series: Echoes of Utah @ Libby Gardner Hall 03.17
Tchaikovsky is so good at this kind of thing, it might not be wrong to credit him with the invention of Stadium Rock, as the desired effect and the outcome are essentially the same. … read more
Foxygen, Unknown Mortal Orchestra @ Urban Lounge 03.19
Foxygen delivered such high energy to the show that I would’ve felt pretty stoked seeing only them had the show taken some sad turn of events and Unknown Mortal Orchestra bailed. This was my first time seeing or even hearing Foxygen, and I am completely sold on their sound. Their performance reminded me of Spindrift, if instead of incorporating the Western themes of cowboys versus Indians, they would embrace the ’70s styles of bands like The Mama’s and the Papa’s. … read more
Evil Dead: The Musical: Director Chance Newman Talks Blood and Ballads
This spring, Last Chance Productions will be bringing Evil Dead: The Musical to the Grand Theatre. Director/producer Chance Newman was groovy enough to sit down with SLUG to discuss the unique challenges that come with crafting a musical that features seven different kinds of blood. … read more
Man Overboard, The Story So Far @ Club Sound 03.22 with Tonight Alive, Citizen
This past Friday, March 22, Club Sound was a packed house as they hosted the Suppy Nation Tour featuring Citizen, Tonight Alive and co-headliners The Story So Far and Man Overboard. This all-ages show was packed to the walls with pop-punk heads, leaving the smell of body odor and high school teen angst lingering heavily in the air. … read more
Elias Quartet @ Libby Gardner Hall 03.21
As the chamber concert season approaches a close, I am constantly amazed at what I learn from attending the shows. The Elias Quartet was great at engaging with the audience on Thursday, performing their pieces that captivated me throughout. … read more
A Night at a Swingin’ Utters Show
When a band like Swingin’ Utters comes to town, it’s interesting to see how it turns out for a group that has been around for 20 plus years and has played numerous shows in our fair city. The Utters have had great momentum lately, releasing two full-length records in less than three years, touring regularly and generally putting themselves back on the map after an extended period of rest. I had a chance to speak with guitarist Darius Koski briefly before the show. … read more
Emancipator @ Urban 03.22 with Odezsa, Little People
The intro to “Nevergreen” swirled incandescently out of the speakers. As the beats broke into the body of the song, spotlights flashed a mean color of salmon, and the alternating triangles on the back drop unexpectedly became a projection screen. … read more
Far From Home: Next, The Moon
What do Uganda, snowboarding and Salt Lake City all have in common? The answer to that question has been almost two decades in the making and it all comes back to Brolin Mawejje. … read more
Chant @ The Depot 03.28 with Legion Within, KMFDM
Folks who waited to show up late made a real mistake. Austin, Texas’ two-piece Chant blew both of the following bands out of the water. … read more
Mika @ In the Venue 03.30
Usually when an artist or band opens with your favorite song of theirs, it’s all downhill from there—but, luckily for me, this was a special situation. You see, before this concert, I’d only heard about a third of Mika’s work. Which was basically the reason I’d decided to review the thing in the first place—I’d liked what I’d heard, and I wanted to hear more. So, when Mika opened with “Grace Kelly,” a fun song that’s really just a “fuck you” to record execs, I knew there was a good chance of things improving from that point. … read more
We Could Be Heroes: The Mythology of Monsters and Heroes in Contemporary Art @ Brigham Young University Museum of Art 03.11
Some Salt Lakers steer clear of this quaint college town, Provo, just 45 minutes south of SLC. Personally, I’m drawn to its chaste charm, its cheap food and its kind, conservatively dressed population. Furthermore, the MOA is perhaps my favorite museum in the state, partially because it’s free, partially because it boasts a variety of world-class collections of art. Its exhibits are dynamic as they are diverse. Plus, it has the absolute best gift shop of any museum I’ve ever visited. … read more
