With all the panels and guests, it’s hard to decide which panels to go to. One of the first panels of Fantasy Con on Friday was with one of the memorable characters from Lord of the Rings – Gimli, the gruff, lovable Dwarf played by John Rhys-Davies. He’s a good six feet without the movie magic but he’s still got the gruff voice and he’s definitely lovable. … read more
FantastyCon 2014: Summer Glau, Cosplay, Sylvester McCoy & Fighting!
Friday, the second day of Fantasy Con, had the lucky opportunity to occur on a national holiday: Independence Day. The idea of a Con happening on a holiday where people should have nothing better to do had me worried. The floor would be packed. The parade, any parade in the valley, would make getting to the Con difficult, but deciding to stroll into the Salt Palace around mid-afternoon proved surprisingly easy. Salt Lake streets were empty, as everyone was busy (presumably) barbecuing and setting fires … read more
“The Love Gets Higher …” Erasure’s “The Violet Flame” Reviewed
I take it as a positive portent that the day I received the new Erasure album promo to review, I was on an obsessive cycle of listening to its first single, the anthemic “Elevation.” … read more
A Taste of Mexique with Chef Carlos Gaytan
You might recognize Chef Carlos Gaytan from his stint on Top Chef. Trained in French cuisine, he used that skill to revitalize Mexican gastronomy. His restaurant in Chicago, Mexique, has recently earned a prestigious star from the Michelin Guide, the only Mexican restaurant to do so. It was a once in a lifetime treat to have Gaytan cook for us, since my husband has sworn to never leave the West. … read more
FantastyCon 2014: Simon Pegg, Mark Sheppard, Cosplay & Awards
My prediction that Saturday would beat Friday in terms of numbers was absolutely correct. What I was not expecting, however, was that the production and glitz aspect of FantasyCon would also beat the previous two days. The spectacle was bigger, as there was more audience to entertain. … read more
Ex-Cult @ Kilby Court 08.16 with Zig Zags, Swamp Ravens, The Nods
After the first number is concluded, he comes off stage, and approaches an audience member who has a joint in hand. Taking the little doobie, he glares at the spectator while taking a hit. Returning to the stage, Shaw shares his prize with the band. Very cool and charismatic with no fucks given, Ex-Cult jumps right back into where they left off. … read more
FanasyCon 2014: Larping, Simon Pegg, The Hall of Heroes & How It All Shaped Up
The final day of Fantasy Con got off to a bit of a quiet start. The holiday hangover was in full effect, and the crowds on the convention floor were a bit thinner than expected, but that just made the aisles and halls easier to navigate and made everything more accessible. … read more
Cosmonauts @ The Shred Shed 08.15 with Beat Hotel, Breakers, Super 78
The world seems to be going to hell in a hand basket with the greats getting one-way tickets out of here. To find some relief from these epic bummers, the path to temporary salvation seems to include finding a bar to crawl into or checking out a Rock n’ Roll gig. Luckily for me, I am able to do both. … read more
Courtney Barnett @ Urban Lounge 07.02 with Your Friend
It’s true she owes a lot to the slacker rock martyrs of the ’90s like Lou Barlow and J Mascis. Nobody writes a song with the chorus, “I don’t want no nine to five, telling me that I’m alive!” without having at least listened to You’re Living all Over Me once. But, just as you pigeonhole Barnett as some slacker rock disciple, she rips the roof off the joint with hostile sounding version of “Avant Gardener,” giving me chills like I’d just heard Joe Cocker for the first time. … read more
Das Energi Festival @ The Great Saltair 08.16
Ah, raving at The Great Saltair. There’s nothing quite like it. Whether you’re a dedicated EDM fan or just a fun-loving bro there’s something for everyone whenever a big V2 production rolls around. For this years’ Das Energi Festival, V2 promised to deliver their biggest production to date. … read more
Battle at the Rez: Death Pitts Skate Competition 07.05
Over the fourth of July holiday weekend in Salt Lake, I could have seen a hobbit on turntables, LARPing at the Salt Palace or even the new Jonah Hill movie. Instead, I jumped at the chance to help support a cause that is close to my heart—substance abuse prevention. The Ute Tribe Alcohol/Substance Abuse Prevention Center held the Death Pitts Skate Competition at the Fort Duchesne skate park in order to get people off their couches and doing something productive. … read more
Gravytrain on Biscuit Wheels: Blue Plate Diner Video Premiere 08.17 @ Urban Lounge
A restaurant producing a skate video is a strange idea to wrap your head around, but it totally makes sense when you look at the crew that works there. “Every skater who has a full part in the video also works at the diner,” Joe Mandl, co-owner of Blue Plate Diner let me know at the beginning of the night. … read more
