In addition to Pride, one great party I did this year was a big Pride weekend kick-off with the Utah Film Center and Damn These Heels!, their official LGBTQ and A (IDK what half of those mean) film festival. We brought out my ghoulfriend Peaches Christ, Drag Queen of the Macabre and filmmaker extraordinaire. Anyone who reads my rants knows that I am super invested in the Film Center. … read more
The idea for Aldine Presents: With A Little Help From My Friends actually sprung from another event. In August 2010, several bands from the old Salt Lake punk scene staged the Zion Curtain Family Reunion with Massacre Guys and others at the Rim Rock Inn near Torrey, Utah. … read more
If you want to see what someone is really made of, look into their heart. At the heart of Utah is The City Library, The Salt Lake City and County Building and The Leonardo, sitting in historic Washington Square, adjacent to Library Square. It’s used for everything from the Pride Festival to the Salt Lake City Marathon, from local open-mic performances to international traveling exhibits like Body Worlds at The Leonardo. I often find myself in this neighborhood, attending events, enjoying the library, or—yikes—paying a parking ticket, but for those of you who are not familiar with the Squares, let’s take a stroll. … read more
The hidden gem of a venue that is Kilby Court has long been hailed as the heart of Salt Lake music culture. Most of us can remember our first expedition there: the sharpness of Salt Lake’s Granary District, all industrial gray and rusted, the expansive asphalt of 700 South flanked by long-abandoned businesses—unused train tracks ripping up 400 West, ragged plants the only signs of existence. What awaits music devotees at the end of Kilby Ct. is one the longest-running independent all ages venue in the U.S. July 18 marks a celebration of the 15th anniversary of the beloved venue. … read more
Beer is a subject near and dear to the hearts of Salt Lake. I hated beer not too long ago—in fact, it was safe to say that I probably had my first when I moved here. I was a cocktail gal, a three-martini luncher—a bloody mary, if you will. Beer terrified me: It was a loaf of bread in a glass, and tasted like piss. … read more
Vinyl records and great tunes are a few of Mike Schulman’s favorite things. Slumberland Records (SLR), the label that Schulman and his friends started in 1989 around those things, has grown into one of the most beloved labels of the “pure, perfect pop” community. SLUG chatted with Schulman about indie pop culture, favorite records and running an independent label for 25 years. … read more
Oh, the beloved Beer Issue—close to my heart and even closer to my liver. As usual, I get to use the Beer Issue as a chance to twist some tops and bend some elbows on someone else’s dime while pretending to write a serious article, and it’s the one time of year where the SLUG editors can’t give me any shit for writing my column drunk. It’s possible to slur in an article—if you’ve ever read any of my zines, then you already know that. … read more
Happy Birthday, Karl Malone! … read more
With today’s global Internet content, instant Twitter feeds, social media boasting and a sickening amount of over-sharing, I find more and more people looking for an authentic experience—something they can’t manipulate or recreate online. They seek a movement, a cause or an event they can get behind that will connect them to their community, where they can actually see results locally. For those people, I offer you Gallery Stroll—a chance to celebrate the thriving arts community, engage with the makers and keep your money local by purchasing a piece of original, authentic art. … read more
SLUG’s Summer of Death contests have served as a springboard for countless Utah skaters. This summer’s first installment of SLUG’s 15th annual Summer of Death series took place at Ogden’s Crossroads Skatepark on Go Skateboarding Day on June 21. Split pants and busted shoes abounded, as the contestants in the amateur and open divisions vied for First Place. Lucky Stables and Austin Ramirez won the amateur and open, respectively. After First, Second and Third place titles were awarded, local band Sunchaser played their signature multi-layered dirge while people kept ripping through the park. … read more
It happened that I skated with Aiden Chamberlain once before at a spot with rails set against a white-brick building. We skated those for a while until someone decided that we’d check out a hulking rail that was just across the street. Only two of the group of about eight had the guts to huck themselves down the green, daunting monster. One of those kids was Mr. Chamberlain. … read more
Comic Jonny Brandin may want to consider me for his biographer someday, because I find him to be so. Damn. Fascinating. Hailing from Las Vegas, Brandin got his start performing puppet theater before, during and after local punk shows. That last sentence encapsulates what SLUG and our city’s art scene is all about, so let that soak in for a while. He moved to Salt Lake in 2005, and has been working the comedy circuit ever since. He worships Andy Kaufman, The Kids in the Hall and Upright Citizens Brigade, and likes to humbly remind people he doesn’t embarrass easily. … read more
