2011 was a year of many ups and downs and a lot of very unique and diverse shows of which I feel lucky and blessed to partaked in. And hey, nobody died this year. So moving on to number 10. Number 10: Prof, 08/17/11 The Pageant, Saint Louis, Mo Prof had impressed me quite a bit the early part of 2011 with a strong performance and a free cd that didn't suck. A few months later he was back opening for Atmosphere, Evidence, and ... Read More

A blatu blande bitos biuon! A, m' atriia, a, ma helvetia! Oh dulcet blossom of the living world! Oh my fatherland, oh my Helvetia! -- Eluveitie ("Slania's Song") Celtic. Heavy. Metal.  Mind blowing.  Eluveitie unleashed a ninety minute infusion of Celtic heavy metal to enthusiastic fans at Salt Lake City's Club Sound on Saturday night.  Google top Folk metal bands, and you'll always find Eluveitie near the top of the list.  Their visit to Salt Lake City is but another notch ... Read More

Maybe it's in my shanty lace curtain Irish DNA.  I can't get enough. Utah's Irish Rock Band, Swagger, lured me away from other events last night.  Seeing the Temptations in Wendover was tempting til I heard the concert was sold out. A jazz pianist was playing at Sun and Moon Cafe.  Contra dancing at the Ladies Literary Society building in downtown Salt Lake City made the tentative schedule, but I decided to save my feet for Swaggering at Piper Down. Yes, ... Read More

Ah yes ... the standing ovation. Utahns know it's a local tradition to stand up and stretch after the final number.  Might as well clap and give the band their due.  So when in Utah, how do you separate a genuine standing ovation from the rest?  It's a screaming ovation. After CrosStrung (previously known as Silver Rails) played their first "official" Salt Lake City gig, screams and shouts erupted from the standing-room-only Intermountain Acoustic Music Association's local artist series concert on Friday in ... Read More

Not even a foot of snow could prevent us from relishing in Utah's Winter Irish Festival.  Salt Lake City's snow plows had given up making their passes along the streets which were flush with spin offs and sliding cars.  Fortuitously, we'd agreed to car pool ... and we got to ride in our friend's 4WD truck. It was a crazy time. The post-Christmas rush had hit and many of us were slammed on all fronts: holiday travel, parties, family, trying to ski or ... Read More

It was plenty chilly outside, but inside, it was a warm and captivating evening.  The Jeanne Wagner Theater in downtown Salt Lake City showcased Nina Cooley and Tiffany Draper, the Celtic flutists of Stonecircle.  Yes, there were fiddles, vocalists, mandolins, keyboards, accordions, bodhrans, whistles, and guitars, but the flutes rocked my world for about two or so hours Saturday night. Before I go an inch further down this post, I must confess, I have played (Western concert) flute since the age of 10.  ... Read More