SLUG Contributor Limelight
May 3, 2023
Contributor Limelight: Alton Barnhart
Alton Barnhart joined our team of Editorial Interns last November, and his incomparable wit has been a fixture of our office life since. In his writing, Alton balances this jubilant personality with a nuanced understanding of journalistic technical processes—he’s one of the brightest new voices we have on the team. Check out his feature on BikeWalk Provo as part of our May 2023 Bike issue.
Articles by contributor
SLUG Magazine Presents: 31 Days of Secondhand Givings
Gather around the radiant glow of the box set and don your gay apparel, you little freaks, for a festive installment of Secondhand Screenings! … read more
Arts | Film | Film Reviews
Skittlez: The Rapper Alter Ego from My Musical Past
Tucked in the back of my closet ready to be awakened once more, decked out in ruby crimson and charcoal, is my rapper persona Skittlez. … read more
The Fashionable, Fabulous Phantasm That Is the Bodacious Bosco
Ahead of her frightfully fantastic performance at The Haunted Dollhouse show — hosted by Ms. Meredith — I talked to Bosco to uncover her center-stage persona. … read more
SLUG Magazine Presents: 31 Nights of Secondhand Screenings
Your only salvation hums in the neon lights of the marquee. So lock the doors, check your candy and be very afraid… This is 31 Nights of Secondhand Screenings! … read more
There’s Something in the Woods: Utah’s New and Improved Cryptid
When I heard whispers of something lurking around in the Cottonwood canyons, I expected a simple snoop for the Utah cryptid. … read more
Local Music Singles Roundup: October 2025
The genres chosen are unknown, but the talent is unmatched. Venture forward as you’re about to enter… SLUG’s Local Music Singles Roundup! (Insert The Twilight Zone theme.) … read more
Review: Sabrina Carpenter — Man’s Best Friend
For this “satirical” take on the pop genre and cheesy breakup songs, Carpenter blends a Kool-Aid swill of disco and country influences on Man’s Best Friend. … read more
Out-Fashioned and Outnumbered: The Women that Run My Life
It’s bolder! It’s badder! It’s too much for Editorial Assistant Alton Barnhart to handle, but he does what he can with this 1-on-3 interview with his sisters. … read more
Local Music Singles Roundup: September 2025
What remains the same is the constant (and talented) stream of local music. So soak up the sun one last time as we bring you another round of singles! … read more
Secondhand Screenings Gone Wild!!!
I took a “by all means necessary” approach to this batch of Secondhand Screenings, as I tasked six writers to venture out and bring me back some bizarre showings. … read more
Review: The Voidz — Męğż Øf Råm
Yet again, Męğż Øf Råm was still decent, even if it’s a tad recycled. And there they go, almost getting me to say something negative again… xoxo … read more
Local Music Singles Roundup: August 2025
Summer is winding down, but let me tell ya, that doesn’t mean our local musicians stop putting out unforgettable projects or creating excellent shows. … read more
Volbeat @ Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre 07.19.2025
Forged in 2001, Volbeat has been blacksmithing a magma-dipped fusion of metal, rock and psychobilly, leaving a razor-sharp sound that’s distinctly their own. … read more
Film Review: Eddington
Eddington is the best portrait of everything wrong with modern-day American politics. … read more
Arts | Film | Film Reviews
The Tubi-lar Side of Secondhand Screenings
For this special edition of Secondhand Screenings, I gave our Editorial Interns three spins at the streaming roulette table as we took our chances in the Bermuda Triangle of on-demand movies, Tubi! … read more
Arts | Film | Film Reviews
Review: Aesop Rock — Black Hole Superette
Black Hole Superette is more than just another album — it’s a journal entry from a veteran who has truly perfected the craft. … read more
Ramblin’ Rods Race Towards Tomorrow
Someone applied heavy tinkering to a garage product, and a new culture was born. An outward projection to express personality, hot rods are a form of rebellion! … read more
Local Music Singles Roundup: July 2025
So why don’t you please, please, please listen to these incredible new local tracks. … read more
Off to Tango with the Crimson Bull at the Soapbox...
So I took that opportunity, straying awake from both my 9-5 desk jockey jobs to seek out destiny… which I found at the corner of North and West Temple for the Red Bull Soapbox Race. … read more
What’s In My Closet? with Kamary Smith
Torn from the pages of underground manga or pulled from a Saturday morning cartoon, Kamary Smith shapeshifts her go-getter personality to any extravagant persona. … read more
Anything but Intelligent: The AI Dating Hellscape
No matter the gender or genre, it’s a human urge to find connection, outweighing all the attention-seeking. … read more
Local Music Singles Roundup: June 2025
Check out both a combination of the bands that keep Salt Lake City cool and the writers that keep SLUG Magazine running. … read more
What the Hell Even was Björk’s Cornucopia?
Cornucopia is heartache, it’s environmental activism, it’s hope for the future, but more importantly, it’s a testament to Björk’s craft and hardships. … read more
Arts | Film | Film Reviews
32 Sensational Performances at Kilby Block Party 6
Kilby Block Party was bigger and better than ever this year. Check out reviews of 32 of our favorite performances from this year’s festival! … read more
Striking Pink Gold at the Arctic Circle
Don Carlos put Arctic Circle on the map with its early Americana aesthetic. Dishing out milkshakes, cheeseburgers and fry sauce, the fast food joint ran circles around its competition. … read more
Two Broke Boys, One Backroom: The bbno$ Interview
Alex Gumuchian is known by many names––primarily through mispronunciations and nicknamed the “lalala” guy. However, friends, fans and yours truly know him as bbno$. … read more
Cursed by Spirits: Utah’s Batshit Crazy Cocktails
By reinventing the core model through wider access to materials, nothing toes the line between alchemy and mischief like a cursed cocktail. … read more
King of the (Micro) Nation
After lots of searching, SLUG Editorial Assistant Alton Barnhart found the perfect spot for his new nation, with zero contact from the outside world. … read more
Local Music Singles Roundup: March 2025
Lend your ears to the high reigns of this month’s Local Music Singles Roundup! Lay down your crown and spearhead your way through a fair share of metal, grunge, R&B and… gorecore? … read more
A Brief Historia and Uncertain Odyssey of the Salt Lake...
This article is dedicated to JR Ruppel, the flannel-clad trailblazer who put ink to paper, and an absolute bastard to track down. Thank you for starting it all! … read more
The Sexy, Surreal Spanish Soap Opera of Rains Over Babel
So throw back your “elixir of life” and let the music take you as you’re dragged down into the blacklight purgatory of Rains Over Babel. … read more
Sundance Film Review: Animated Short Film Program
Just because it was hand-drawn, digitized or molded by clay doesn’t mean the final product is elementary. Here’s how Sundance’s Animated Short Film Program went down! … read more
Pee-wee as Himself: The Posthumous Rise of the Larger-Than-Life Persona
With somber interjections from Paul Reubens himself, the audience discovers the muddier side to fame as he struggles with his lonely, closeted sexuality. … read more
The Contemporary Not-So-Love Story of One to One: John &...
One to One: John & Yoko might’ve been all over the place, but so was that generation. … read more
Didn’t Die: Those Tormented Groans Are Coming From The Audience
I give director Meera Menon some credit for providing a unique perspective on the end of the world, but Didn’t Die would’ve had to tear me limb from limb to get my attention. … read more
God Never Spoke, Only Beast: The Biblical Desperation of Beast...
Join me as I sit down in a crowded theatre of disqualified contestants as we boggle at the multi-fixed dangling-key spectacle that is Beast Games. … read more
The Saltiest Pseudo-Saints of Secondhand Screenings
There have to be more features with Utahn cultural significance that fly under the radar. Well, if there’s anything I’ve learned when uncovering forgotten cinema: When in doubt, book a trip to Deseret Industries. … read more
Top Five Albums of 2024 to Enter Your Wrongdoer Era
Follow this Top Five Albums of 2024 step-by-step (musical) guide to see if you’re in mid-development of your “wrongdoer” era. … read more
Raiding the Airwaves: The Legacy of Jimmy Chunga and Radio...
Tuning my signal to the Sin City airspace, I spoke with Jimmy Chunga, the ringleader of 101.9 The End (and now, the podcast Radio Ronin), to analyze this curve. … read more
Local Music Singles Roundup: December 2024
Open your hearts and minds and you are sure to be rewarded in the kingdom of heaven. … read more
Double Feature: Secondhand Screenings and Scriptures
So sit back, relax and enjoy this double feature of secondhand screenings. And remember, no one puts the “A” in “USA” (more “Anarchy) like yours truly. … read more
Review: Tyler, the Creator — CHROMAKOPIA
CHROMAKOPIA was a good listen but die-hard Tyler suckers will probably want me dead as I find the whole album just a “good” listen. … read more
Review: Action Bronson – JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACHLAVA THE DOCTOR
Action Bronson’s JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACHLAVA THE DOCTOR was a fun listen every time I pressed repeat, but “fun” doesn’t mean “groundbreaking.” … read more
Ten More Secondhand Screenings for the Spooky Season
So I’m back, with a pillowcase of toothaches and some physical flicks buried. Some spooky, some childish, some… autumn-adjacent? … read more
Film Review: The Night Eats The World
The Night Eats The World is the type of movie that came at the wrong time in the right place. … read more
Film Review: Tower of Terror
Tower of Terror as a whole is less of an original property and more of a two-hour-long theme park commercial. … read more
Confusion is Canon: My Experience at Salt Lake’s FanX 2024
The Salt Lake FanX Comic & Pop Culture Convention has ripped a crack in the wall through time and space once again. … read more
Film Review: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice was an entertaining watch to say the least, but the freshness projected is encased in embalming fluid. … read more
Six Deep Descents into Deseret Industries’ Bargain Bin
So here they are: six lesser-known flicks, whether on a physical DVD or VHS (shocking nowadays) or fished out from the DI’s wheelie bin. … read more
Another Man’s Treasure at the Redwood Drive-in Theatre Swap Meet
Since 1960, Redwood has been hosting this acre-wide flea market, featuring over 500 different vendors to boot. … read more
The Brooks Nielsen Interview: When You’re Living In A Dream
Brooks Nielsen has always had a calling with music. If you love the almost vintage stylings of old country or beach rock, catch Nielsen’s Chinese Fountain Tour. … read more
Local Review: jacked johnson – the gas
*Sounds of Sazerac Rye poured in a snifter, a quick inhale, throwback, gulp and slamdown of the glass. Slow exhale* …Alright, let’s do this! … read more
A Rundown of Napoleon Fest 2024, You Frickin’ Idiots!
Napoleon Fest 2024 took place from July 26–27 in the dead center of Preston, Idaho. For two days, the town hosted an event of homegrown hospitality and family-friendly fun. … read more
Review: Eminem – The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de...
Cementing himself as one of the most powerhouse rappers in the music industry, Eminem has fought tooth and nail to make it to the top. … read more
Local Review: BARBARIAN FAITH HEALER – AMERICARNAGE
BARBARIAN FAITH HEALER attempt to wrangle the Donald Trump election and grab it by the nuclear-wasted, genetically-modified, apple pie-flavored balls. … read more
White Knuckled: A Day at Lagoon Amusement Park
Farmington’s very own Lagoon Amusement Park has reshaped and relocated into the bustling family fun zone that it is today. … read more
Review: Twenty One Pilots – Clancy
I’ll level with you for a minute—I was a bit late to the Twenty One Pilots scene. … read more
Belle: The Futuristic Retelling That Saved The Theater Experience
Extending an arm of warmth and love to pull us out of those dark times. While the last couple of years told us to survive, Belle was telling us to live again. … read more
What’s In My Closet? with Ms. Meredith
The closet: A cluttered gateway to the personality and mindset of its inhabitants. Or, to many individuals in the LGBTQ+ community, the launching point to find one’s true self. … read more
Local Music Singles Roundup: June 2024
Another month, another six phenomenal singles from Salt Lake’s best local bands, from Elowyn’s debut ballad “The Fool” to Zodiac Killer’s “Torn In Two.” … read more
Local Review: Gary Dranow and The Manic Emotions – Never...
Gary Dranow’s Never Give Up is an album… that’s it. Trust me, I really wanted this to be more engaging than your run-of-the-mill Americana album. … read more
17 Stand-Out Performances from Kilby Block Party 5
With a disco ball-glistening atmosphere and a star-studded lineup that could rival Coachella in sheer talent, Kilby Block Party was an absolute fever dream. … read more
Cruisin’ The Current: A Quick Chat with Current Joys
Through manic, scribbled-out notes and a partially-eaten tape cassette, Rattigan detailed a behind-the-scenes look to his DIY style and musical antecedent. … read more
Review: Castle Rat – Into the Realm
Dark forces, brutal battle tactics, the patina of grimey dread and fierce snarls—all were possible for this quartet’s viscous sludge of rocking calamity. … read more
Series Review: Fallout (Season One)
Fallout is an entertaining journey that doesn’t take itself too seriously in overall message, yet carries a ton of heart and soul. … read more
Local Music Singles Roundup: May 2024
The sun is out (occasionally) and SLUG is back at it again with May’s Local Music Singles Roundup! … read more
Review: Jazmin Bean – Traumatic Livelihood
Traumatic Livelihood represents the blackened eye that time may heal physically, but the emotional wear-and-tear will always remain. … read more
Hankerings for the Hangover: Top 8 Local Cure-Alls
Your head is ten sizes too big, as you projectile-vomit multicolored regret. How will this ever go away? With the help of SLUG Magazine, of course! … read more
Local Review: Jacob T. Skeen – Telestial
Fresh off the electric high of SLUG Mag’s 35th Anniversary Party, Jacob T. Skeen fires off punk-experimental mortar rounds at every bystanding listener to mosh for cover in his new album Telestial. … read more
Local Music Singles Roundup: April 2024
The SLUG team is back to deliver the musical medicine that offers relief as you’re being edged by the broken promises of spring’s coming. … read more
Film Review: Lisa Frankenstein
Lisa Frankenstein is an entertaining slasher with hilarious kills and pretty artsy dialogue to pry out a chuckle. … read more
Local Review: ARCHAIC FUTURISTS – AN EXERCISE IN HUMAN ERROR
With resources they are provided—and only seeing the tip of its full potential—AN EXERCISE IN HUMAN ERROR feels like it’s been reduced to a 4-bit Game & Watch. … read more
Slamdance Film Review: Invisible Nation
Invisible Nation’s 85-minute runtime does not linger on cliche storytelling, where it could easily drive the tone into make-believe propaganda. … read more
Slamdance Film Review: Experimental Shorts Block
No matter how abstract or avant-garde the methods of madness are, no one does experimental filmmaking better than the 2024 Slamdance Film Festival. Witness, if you will, six deviant directors and writers dispatching a visual display of 100% free-wandering consciousness. … read more
Slamdance Film Review: Restorage
The new, independent sci-fi series Restorage follows three siblings who inherit a seemingly-ordinary storage unit after their father’s passing. … read more
Top 5 Rock-Distorting Albums of 2023 to End The World...
Pop open a stolen Veuve Clicquot, sit on the steps of Capitol Hill and drone out the vaporizing mushroom clouds with five of the best rock albums from this year. … read more
Local Gift Ideas for the Main Character who Always Crits...
A hero must rise to purchase the greatest nerd paraphernalia for the geekiest of their friends and family! Shop locally this season at some of SLC’s best gamer hotspots. … read more
Film Review: Courtney Gets Possessed
So, with a bland storyline and characters you don’t give a shit about, Courtney Gets Possessed is the perfect film to throw on during a “Netflix and Chill” night. … read more
Time For a Bigger Machete: Mezcal’s Slow but Steady Process...
SLUG sat down with Francis Fecteau, wine broker and owner of Libation, LLC, to discuss the trials of mezcal in Utah. … read more
Local Music and Spirits Roundup: November 2023
This month, SLUG is shaking things up by pairing craft local spirits with the best new music from the Salt Lake Valley and beyond! … read more
Jake Reedy: The Tinkering, “Any Means Necessary” Artist of Postmodern...
Reedy is not your typical designer. When it comes to materials, nothing stays sacred for long. “I like the idea of being anti-genre,” he says. … read more
Local Music Singles Roundup: October 2023
All Hollow’s Eve is creeping in on us foolish mortals once again. SLUG is ditching the tricks and dishing out some raving treats in the October edition of our Local Music Singles Roundup! … read more
Film Review: Psychosis
Psychosis is a chilling homage to the noir genre, sprinkling Easerhead oddities throughout. … read more
Local Music Singles Roundup: August 2023
Savor every last moment of vacation heat by checking out our August Local Music Singles Roundup, featuring artists from the Salt Lake Valley! … read more
Local Review: Tycoon Machete – The Great Machine
Tycoon Machete’s first full length album is a post-grunge, psychedelic slumber, with their anti-capitalist lyrics etched on the glass inside of a lava lamp. … read more
Film Review: The Black Guelph
John Connors’ clouds the Emerald Isle in a darker, more spiteful tone in The Black Guelph’s look at Ireland’s decaying underclass. … read more
Localized: Jon Bean and The Eyerollers
Jon Bean and The Eyerollers seem to be fresh to the local music scene, but each member is supplied with an background that stretches back to the late ’80s. … read more
Localized: PERSONA 749
PERSONA 749 is one of those Salt Lake bands that is heavily intertwined with its homegrown roots through background and lyrics. … read more
Safer Streets, Happier Feet: BikeWalk Provo’s Uphill Journey
When Aaron Skabelund realized how dangerous the lack of transportation awareness made travel, even over a small distance, he knew there had to be a change. … read more
Local Review: Eyes of Eva – Temptation
Eyes of Eva = The Rigs x Halestorm – Skillet … read more
Review: Endless, Nameless – Living Without
Endless, Nameless = Paramore–Sweet Spirit + Suicidal Tendencies + stage equipment falling off a cliff … read more
