The enigma that is Utah’s metal scene/crowd/fanbase resulted in the sold-out Amon Amarth, Enslaved and Skeletonwitch concert on Wednesday, Feb. 12. I say enigma because, when it comes to metal and metal-type shows in Utah/Salt Lake City, turnouts are always hit and miss. All in all, it was a night for fun to be had and bands to deliver their metal to the fans, and in return, the fans paid the bands back in massive merch sales. … read more
Dirt First Crew: Gravy.Tron, Tetris Fingers, Mr. Vandal, Grimblee @ Urban 01.31
Dirt First, a self-described “producers collective,” started at the end of 2011 in Salt Lake City by mascot and namesake Derek “Dirt” Wheeler bringing together a group of his friends. Their ski masked logo was unexpectedly adopted by their fans following a show one night when the whole crew wore the woolen face wear, making a one night shenanigan into an intrinsic part of the crew and their fanbase. The four members of Dirt First Crew playing the show at Urban Lounge on Jan. 31 were … … read more
The Elder Scrolls Online: How the Fantasy Game Keeps it Real
The game opens in Coldharbour, which is a nasty-looking place somewhere within the hellish dimension of Oblivion. Right off the bat, I was glad to see that the control scheme felt exactly like that of Skyrim, so it was easy to pick up and play. After being visited by an apparition who called himself The Prophet, I set off on a prologue quest to bust him out of Coldharbour and get back to the real world. … read more
Two Arrows Through My Heart: Coleman Barks and David Darling
The pairing of the two friends was really interesting to watch again, as it seems they balance each other in their friendship much like Shams did with his student Rumi. Throughout the night, Barks kept emphasizing that the beloved is in everything. He talked about watching Allen Ginsberg read “Howl” in 1955 and that he’s “Seen the greatest minds prowling the street for a fix, and that’s the beloved, too.” On the plane over to Utah he watched Louis CK for the first time, and Louis CK is the beloved, too. … read more
SLUG Games Goes Postal Presented By Scion
On the cloudy and not-so-chilly Saturday after Valentine’s Day, folks flocked by the dozens to the wintry slopes of Brighton Resort for the 2014 SLUG Games Goes Postal Presented by Scion. … read more
The Pack A.D. @ Kilby Court 02.14 with Super Moon, Dead Tooth
I always say that women make better punks than men, or at least I do now. Just ask Patti Smith. Or ask her doppelganger Becky Black, the lead singer of The Pack A.D., a two-piece garage rock outfit from the ‘Couve. This band is chained to The White Stripes on every website they’re featured on, but I don’t see it. In fact, the only thing they have in common that I can see is a female drummer. … read more
LUST featuring Wolfgang Gartner @ In The Venue 02.15 with Mark Radwin, Nrkotic, Shortsirkit
The entire room sang along when Gartner dropped a remix of “Where’s Your Head At?” by Basement Jaxx. Personally, I was surprised Gartner didn’t play the entirety of his Weekend In America album (2011), but he put on a great show nonetheless. In the crowd, people went wild as foam LED glow sticks were tossed back and forth in the air in such masses it looked as if every concertgoer had at least two in hand. … read more
Pixies @ The Great Saltair 02.15 with Best Coast
The “Great” Saltair? I know, it’s old and quasi historic and hosted some soft-rock shitty bands your parents liked back when my uncles were jamming with Jimi and Janis on an airbase in Dan Nang. Whatever, though. It was Valentine’s weekend, and though I dug deep into the corners of my misanthropic being, I just couldn’t find it in me to get all that mad about seeing Pixies (no asterisk—fight me) in the live sphere. … read more
Deafheaven @ Bar Deluxe 02.15 with Subrosa
A cocksure Deafheaven took the stage and proceeded to obliterate shit, but not without some comedy. The vocalist, George Clark, is exceptionally charismatic, but he’s also humorously intense and clearly spends a lot of time on his hair. He wore leather gloves and a tight-fitted long-sleeve shirt that showed off his muscles. … read more
Clay Cavender: In A Room With Everywhere To Go
When I meet with Cavender, he talks about finishing college this semester from Utah State University with his BFA, how he hopes to take his art to Europe, possibly be the creative designer over a fashion label, conceivably dabble in producing music and eventually make a living out of creating, it’s obvious he has a plan. … read more
Killing the Grade: Reviving Art Education in Utah
“If you don’t understand the art, it’s because there is nothing to understand. If it’s illegible, it’s illegible; it’s unsuccessful as a story, as a narrative.” An artist’s inability to communicate through their work can be largely attributed to the conventional four-year programs. The curriculum at CAS stems from traditional curriculum, found in 19th Century Paris, when art education was at its prime. … read more
Chocolate: The Exhibit @ The Natural History Museum of Utah
Chocolate: The Exhibit seizes you the moment you enter. The heady scent of chocolate leads you through incarnations of the cacao bean in this exhibit developed by the Field Museum in Chicago. … read more
