What happens when you cram 200 people into a room the size of a living room and invite Foxy Shazam and friends over? I'll tell you. I had the pleasure of going to one of Utah's smallest venues, Kilby Court on 04/12/12 to check out a "revival". Foxy Shazam, the biggest little band you'll ever see, rolled through my town. They brought along support acts Cadaver Dogs and Maniac. Cadaver Dogs.....this band is gritty, loud, and a lot of fun to watch. Frontman Mat, ... Read More

It's been a while since I've done a review. I am happy that I got to review Tumbledown and Mike Herrera as they came to Tony's Bar in Salt Lake City on 02/22/12. For old punkers, Mike Herrera is no stranger to you. He is the dark-haired, tattooed frontman of MxPx. You'd have to be living under a rock not to know one MxPx song. I remember seeing them several times on tour as a teenager, and they actually have a new ... Read More

    Minus The Bear 10/05/11 In The Venue - Salt Lake City, UT Words/Photos by Meredith Beards. I love them, you love them, and let's face it: they rocked us all while attached to prog-rockers Minus The Bear this Wednesday in Utah. I had the privilege of finding a good spot on the rail early on, before the openers Velveteen took the stage. I think that the choice in opener complimented MTB well. While Velveteen crooned away on stage, they reminded me of The Mars Volta, ... Read More

Bison b.c. Hit The Road In Support of Dark Ages Last fall we caught a band called Bison b.c. open for the mighty Helmet in Redondo Beach, CA. The boys from Bison b.c. plan to spend fall 2011 on the road in North America supporting their phenomenal 2010 release Dark Ages (one of Reverend Justito's Top 10 records of 2010). In addition to their current dates with Weedeater, Saviours and Fight Amp, the Vancouver natives plan a headline trek across their native land. ... Read More

Mastodon Announce 2011 North American Tour Dates With their new album The Hunter due to hit shelves at the end of this month, Mastodon have announced dates for a North American Headline tour. In addition to an appearance at the Voodoo Music Experneice in New Orleans on Saturday October 29th the band will be performing in most major markets during the five week run. Coming along for the tour will be Red Fang and Dillinger Escape Plan. You can check out the first ... Read More

Here we are again from the great state of Utah, often overlooked for its live music scene and great venues. This time I get to share with you a review of my most favorite band, and some of my best ever photos. It's my favorite tour of the summer, Unity Tour, which means one thing, and only one thing: 311 has come back to play for ME! 311 has this awesome habit of coming to Utah at least once a year, sometimes we're ... Read More

When rock legends like Maynard James Keenan and Billy Howerdel stop in your town, you get your ass to that show. The band A Perfect Circle hasn't released new tunes for about 6 years, and let's face it, fans are getting anxious. The venue of choice for their tour stop on 08/01/11 in Salt Lake City was Kingsbury Hall. This is an opera-style theater. While waiting to get in to the theater, the surroundings and demeanor of the venue didn't really seem ... Read More

  Potter. No, not Harry, not this time. This time it's all about Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. The group and accompanying artist Rayland Baxter made their way back to Utah to treat us with a set list that the fans themselves requested. A large crowd packed into downtown Salt Lake's newly remodeled outdoor venue, The Gallivan Center on a very hot Saturday evening(07/16/11). For some reason, the venue kept looping one song, over and over until Rayland Baxter took the stage and ended the madness. ... Read More

On 06/28/11, The Civil Wars returned to Utah. They brought along a young man named Rayland Baxter as the opening act. He is a quiet, humble man who simply plays his guitars and sings songs that you know are his own stories. Rayland has a very simple and sweet manner about him. He made jokes and told tales about each song. Rayland makes his music mold to you, and as a singing storyteller he teaches you that the best things in life ... Read More

Matt and Kim 06/20/11 In The Venue - Salt Lake City, UT Words/Photos by Meredith My oh my, I had no idea what a ride I was in for when I herded into In the Venue for Matt and Kim with The Thermals. I'd decided to check this show out after a good friend of mine told me that her boyfriend wouldn't go with her again. I thought, they couldn't be that bad, could they? Well, much to my delight, Matt and Kim brought it. For a ... Read More

Face To Face (w/ The Darlings, Blitzkid & Strung Out) 06/14/11 The Complex - Salt Lake City, UT Words/Photos by Meredith About two months ago, I found myself looking at the schedule of events coming to Salt Lake City. I saw Face to Face and Strung Out were heading this way. I was excited about this show because not only was it the first time Face to Face has toured in a while, but also I got to see Strung Out. This band has a ... Read More

Taking Back Sunday (w/ Thursday) 06/15/11 In The Venue - Salt Lake City, UT Words/Photos by Meredith Here we are again at In the Venue. This place varies for me, sometimes it is outstanding, and other times it is way too crowded, smelly, and has poor lighting. This was one of the good times. I was lucky enough to get press access to snap photos of Taking Back Sunday and guests Thursday this Wednesday. Confused yet? Yeah me too. This was my first time seeing ... Read More

Unwritten Law w/ Authority Zero 04/19/11 The Complex - Salt Lake City, UT Words/Photos by Meredeth   Well, I must say, being new here, this is one hell of a show to start off with. Authority Zero and Unwritten Law just came through Salt Lake City this week, and needless to say, they got our attention. Authority Zero is an Arizona-based band, and this was my first encounter with them. The front man, Jason DeVore should charge for the clinic he put on in "bringing it". He ... 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

On their first visit to Utah, John Paul White and Joy Williams -- The Civil Wars -- promised the crowd at The State Room in Salt Lake City on Thursday they'd hear "folk."  Never a million years did I think I'd hear Michael Jackson's trademark "Billie Jean" rendered in folk and that I'd absolutely love it. Besides "Billie Jean" and "You Are My Sunshine" sung "darkly," the duo sang a host of original material ... "The Tip of My Tongue" and ... Read More

Heartroot concerts and snow in Utah are highly correlated.  The Heartroot duo, featuring Mindy Dillard and Eric McEuen, was on my follow up list from the first time I saw them back in November.  The first two attempts were thwarted by severe snow and snow packed (not plowed) roads.  The third time was the charm. Heartroot's concert at the Holladay United Church of Christ began with the exquisite "Teach Me to Love You," sung a capella.  Thereafter, the "typical" configuration was Mindy on ... Read More

"Happiness is waiting.  Hang your laundry on the line." -- Cosy Sheridan Imagine a poetess, singer, muse, and guitar goddess all in one petite package - and she makes it all look oh so easy.  Last Friday's Intermountain Acoustic Music Association concert brought a potpourri of treats, among them award winning acoustic guitarist Cosy Sheridan and her equally talented partner, TR Ritchie.  As her name would suggest, Cosy's music warmed up the audience in a hurry, in spite of the frigid northern Utah weather. TR ... 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

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

The perfect "make out" music.  That's how I described Michael Lucarelli's acoustic guitar finesse to a friend who was thinking of attending this concert last Friday.  I'd seen him at the Cathedral earlier this year.  Though no one was dancing in the aisles as with other concerts I've attended this year, Lucarelli clearly finessed the capacity crowd at the Unitarian Church for December's monthly local concert series of the Intermountain Acoustic Music Association. The opening numbers "Ave Maria" and the tango "Verano Porteno" ... Read More

And if you've got pollution, we've got the solution Just ship it to Utah, we'll keep it for you We'll take plutonium,depleted uranium It's a no-brainium, we'll keep it for you --The Lab Dogs ("We'll Keep It For You") The date had been marked on my calendar for months: The Lab Dogs in concert.  Likewise other fans: this was a record turn out for the Intermountain Acoustic Music Association's monthly local concert series at the Unitarian Church in Salt Lake City.  I didn't fathom how ... Read More

Dark Star Orchestra 12/10/10 The Depot - Salt Lake City, UT Words/Photos by Feliciaevita   If the thunder don't get you then the lightning will. -- The Grateful Dead ("The Wheel") On a hot August day in 1995 when my daughter was skating at the Cottonwood Heights Rec Center, one of the coaches blasted onto the ice wearing jeans and a tie dyed t-shirt.  Uncharacteristic skating coach-wear, her outfit was a tribute to Jerry Garcia, the voice of the Grateful Dead, who had died that day.  And with ... Read More

Trans-Siberian Orchestra 11/18/10 EnergySolutions Arena - Salt Lake City, UT Words/photos by feliciaevita   Did anybody see the Trib's assessment of last Thursday's Trans-Siberian Orchestra's concert in Salt Lake City?  David Burger opined that the almost three-hour TSO show was exhaustingly long and with questionable content at times, most notably with the addition of the Beatles tune "Help."  Burger appeared surprised that a band with the longevity, talent, and reputation of the TSO wouldn't get their show right.  While I share a few of his sentiments, ... Read More

Shaney McCoy 11/15/10 Unitarian Church - Salt Lake City, UT Words/Photos by feliciaevita   Shaney McCoy shared with me during the break at her CD release party that she'd dropped her guitar backstage before making her grand entrance for her first set.  Substitute "break a guitar?" for "break a leg."  Why not?  It worked. The stars aligned perfectly for her Salt Lake City CD release party at the Unitarian Church downtown, on a Monday no less.  Playing to a packed house, Shaney delivered her lineup from the ... Read More

Jen Hajj and Utah Slim w/ Heartroot 11/13/10 Mestizo Coffee House - Salt Lake City, UT Words/Photos by feliciaevita       Last Saturday in the concert room at Mestizo Coffee House in Salt Lake City was the place to be, in case you didn't hear.  And granted, many of you didn't get the message, but next time you'll know that a song-packed evening with Jen Hajj and Utah Slim and Heartroot, is not to be missed. Jen Hajj and Utah Slim are the quintessential merger of classically trained ... Read More