Something was in the water on Thursday night at the Urban Lounge, and by water, I mean beer, and by beer, I mean whisky. Promises of fierce hangovers were made throughout that night and I’m sure those promises were made good on when it came to the dawn of many clouded Urban Lounge patrons. Despite the hardcore implications of the rock scene, it is in fact the country scene that dominates the guzzling of booze with its seasoned accomplices. Now the pairing of the Nikki Lane and the Old 97’s isn’t exactly modern country, but they allude to a former country back when Waylon Jennings was getting drug raided onstage and Loretta Lynn was passing out on Johnny Cash’s lap. … read more
Salt Fest 2014: Day One
Up until SLUG announced the assignment, I hadn’t even heard of this con, didn’t even see a single flyer up at the U during spring semester. But with two twelve-hour days listed, I figured it was going to be worth it.
Spoiler alert: it wasn’t. … read more
Salt Fest 2014: Day Two
Let’s face it–Major League Gaming sucks. These tournament-style events make for a nice sideshow, but if I’ve learned anything from the last two days, nobody comes to a convention to watch somebody else play video games. … read more
Morrissey @ Kingsbury Hall 05.16 with Kristeen Young
While I loathe to bring it up, friends, there is a darker side of appreciation and collecting too, one that reared its nasty head when this icon and hero of mine cancelled his 2012 and 2013 tours, that had already been scheduled then cancelled then rescheduled and not once, but twice. Sometimes it takes an absence to be reminded why we love someone so much—clichéd as that sounds, it did make my heart grow fonder for the man. … read more
Small Plates, Slow Food and Decadent Cocktails @ The Rest 05.15
“The Ark of Taste is just one of the programs that Slow Food has created in order to preserve traditions and culture throughout the world,” says Chantelle Bourdeoux, Slow Food Board Member. “It’s simple—if people don’t learn to cook, we risk losing some of the great food pleasures of the world.” … read more
Cage The Elephant @ The Depot 05.18 with Foals, J. Roddy Walston & The Business
Rock took an unfortunate turn in the ‘90s. Then, to everyone’s relief, downloading took off and forced bands to go on the road and be entertaining to earn a living. No longer could album sales make up for being hammered during your set. Rock stars had to suddenly earn it like the rest of us. So, if you could not be wasted at your show anymore, what better way to emulate the tradition than faking the best parts of playing inebriated? Allow me to introduce Cage The Elephant. … read more
Food Truck Rally @ Whole Foods Market South Valley 05.21
Get your reusable grocery bags ready, Draper! Whole Foods Market South Valley is ready to open its doors. In celebration, a few folks were lucky enough to tour the beautiful new store and attend a party with the locals at a family-centric food truck rally. … read more
Looking At September: Dan Far Talks Comic Con Planning
Last week, the fine folks of Salt Lake Comic Con popped into The Leonardo for an official press conference to announce plans for September. … read more
Perfect Pussy @ Kilby Court 05.20 With Potty Mouth, Fossil Arms
“Whoa dude, did you see that?” I hadn’t been to a show at Kilby Court in a while, and this is what I hear from the handful of fashionable high school kids in reaction to local goth cuties Fossil Arms, as if they’ve dropped down secretly from the grey skies of some distant British storm cell. … read more
The Soft White Sixties @ Bar Deluxe 05.20 With Breakers, The Safes
Despite a venue mix-up on my part, I still managed to arrive at Bar Deluxe about 45 minutes before the opening band went on. Bar Deluxe’s tattered and torn aesthetic seemed to match perfectly with opening band Breakers’ distorted surf-punk sound. Mastering a sound check would be in their best interest, as it proved difficult to translate most of their songs, except when they were screaming—literally screaming. … read more
Rodriguez @ The Depot 05.20
Being able to finish a film with an iPhone app was the MacGyver move that Malik Bendjelloul had to pull in order to finish his Oscar-winning project. Searching for Sugar Man is a documentary film about Sixto Rodriguez. The Detroit-born psychedelic folk singer has enjoyed a recent revival in popularity thanks to the film. While some believe that the documentary film does not tell the whole truth, I believe Searching for Sugar Man was a great showcase for his music, which is what ultimately brought me to The Depot on a Tuesday night. … read more
Kishi Bashi @ Urban Lounge 05.23
When I arrived at Urban Lounge at 8:30 Friday night, thinking the show would start at 9—there was still a line outside and another show going on inside! This meant that the show started at the old 10pm time, which kinda sucked, but it’s got to be a good thing if we’re getting so many bands wanting to play in Salt Lake that Urban has to double-book, right?
… read more
