Fitz of Fitz and The Tantrums flashing some awesome neon stage lighting for Twilight. Photo: @Lmsorenson
Fitz of Fitz and The Tantrums flashing some awesome neon stage lighting for Twilight. Photo: @Lmsorenson

Fitz and The Tantrums, Trombone Shorty, The National Parks @ Pioneer Park 09.01

By
September 6, 2016

Show Reviews

Pioneer Park opens its grounds on this final Thursday of the Twilight Concert Series in Salt Lake City. To send off the summer with this last installment of the downtown SLC music festival, Fitz and The Tantrums and Shorty Trombone & Orleans Avenue played with opening local musical guest The National Parks. Overcast skies loomed over the park as crowds from all over the valley and the nearby Salt Lake Comic Con made their way into the grounds.

First to the stage was local group The National Parks, named for lead singer Brady Parks. This rock/pop ensemble consisting of keyboard, violin, drums, guitar and trumpet formed in Provo, Utah, and is currently touring the U.S. The group stopped back in the home state for a performance in Pioneer Park for the Twilight Concert Series.

Shorty Trombone took the stage next and changed the genre slightly, taking the sounds back to Louisiana. Consisting of Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews, Michael Ballard, Pete Murano, Dan Oestreicher, Joey Peebles and BK Jackson. They provided some great New Orleans–style hip-hop, funk and brass hits.

The audience was showered with a few drops of rain as the overcast day brought a welcome break to the summer heat. With food truck selections in everyone’s stomachs and a beer in some hands, the crowd got restless while waiting for Fitz and the Tantrums to start the final show of the Twilight Concert Series. To a slow building beat, the members of the band took the stage, and screams filled the air as Fitz himself took the mic in a purple haze–filled stage. Concertgoers sang along and squealed with every lyric and beat as the stylized modern pop raged onstage. Providing backup vocals were Noelle Scaggs along with members James King (saxophone and flute), Joseph Karnes (bass), John Wicks (drums) and Jeremy Ruzumna (keyboard). This was definitely a high-energy show that was a welcome thrill for the audience and a great way to close out the annual musical event that is the Twilight Concert Series.