This April, I’ll make my maiden voyage to the land of Indio, Calif. for the first weekend of Coachella. Although 2012 marks my first time, a number of my friends have been making the trek for years now. Considering how quickly both weekends sold out, I’m guessing many will be on the verge of losing their Coachella virginity. To make the first time a little less painful, I consulted some friends to create a handy Coachella packing guide. Enjoy! … read more
Over the last four years, Signed & Numbered has lived a nomadic existence. What began as a tiny basement poster shop on Broadway expanded into a custom frame shop, necessitating various moves to locations around the Salt Lake valley. Now located at 2320 S. West Temple, and enough room to fit the entire operation under one roof, the shop has evolved into the creative home base envisioned nearly two decades ago. … read more
For the last 15 years, Cameron Wood has been perusing the back alleys and grungy side-streets of Salt Lake on his BMX bike. Instead of focusing on giving the public more contests or being a poster child for his sponsors, Wood is taking a more unique approach with his involvement in the sport. The Wood Shop, recently opened by Wood, is not just the sole BMX-only shop in Salt Lake, but it is also home to his unique, crafty carpentry designs. … read more
I took this photo of my friend, Millionaire Michael (real name withheld to protect his stock market status), last October at this strange spot on the outskirts of Oakland, Calif. This spot is in a city park in a really mellow neighborhood. It actually used to be a skatepark in the 1970s. When the 1980s hit and skateboarding kind of died, the skatepark was torn out and the city turned it into a playground. … read more
One of those amazing digital tools that has affected me personally over the last year has been Twitter. I’ve become obsessed with it as of late, and I have noticed that a lot of my friends completely don’t understand Twitter. The concept is simple, but its appeal might not be. As far as social media goes, it’s kind of like Facebook and MySpace had a one-night stand of intense fucking while their retarded older cousin, Friendster, stood in the corner and watched. … read more
Listening to American Hitmen is like jumping into a Hot Tub Time Machine. Instead of going all the way back to the ’80s, this time travel adventure sends you back to the early ’90s when rock bands still had all the flash and machismo of spandex-rocking ’80s metal bands, but were also starting to embrace a little bit of a dark, moody, creative side. … read more
Not too long ago I received a letter in my inbox from McCarty Talent. It was an agent who, as it turns out, I knew from San Francisco and has relocated to SLC. Fernetta Gingerback, as I knew him, told me that there was a role that I was born to play and that I should contact the agency ASAP for the exciting details about the production and audition. That was the huge turn off. When I hear the word “audition,” I instantly get sweaty and clammy, because that word translates to “rejection.” … read more
Bike shops intimidate me. I don’t think it’s so much that I walk into a shop and there’s a whole bunch of dudes who know way more about bikes than I ever will throwing around bike mechanic gibberish—I’ve got mad respect for people who can do things I can’t (yet) do. I guess I just feel a little sheepish walking in there and asking them to switch out my pedals when I purchased a fixed gear primarily for its low maintenance. This is why the Salt Lake Bicycle Collective is one of the greatest places in all of Salt Lake. … read more
The Salt Lake punk scene’s own Critter fronts Chainwhip with his screechy vocal assault, accompanying a cacophonous mix of thrash and crusty hardcore. As with most demos from a local hardcore band, the lo-fi recording quality stands out at first, but only becomes more and more charming and appropriate as the release claws along. … read more
Hey Dickheads,
I barely see anything political in SLUG, and I wanna know what you guys think about the recent bills on sex education and abortion … read more
This band has three things that make them dangerously worthwhile: class, soul and groove. It would be difficult to listen to their music and not feel engaged in some way or another—whether it be to the visceral, bluesy feel (such as in the song “50’s Kill Off!”) or the genuine lyrics that thread the album together. … read more
I’ve always believed art can be found anywhere, but after recently traveling America’s scenic by-ways, I was in awe of how much art, good and bad, was available at every truck stop, gas station, roadhouse and teepee stand. This experience made me keenly aware of the depth and breadth of art that Utah has to offer. … read more
