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Where the Wild Jams Are
A guide to live music venues in SLC.
By Randy Harward

It seems like only yesterday that we were complaining about a dearth of live music venues in SLC—but look at us now! The local music scene is in full bloom with tons of venues, from tiny little dive bars to high-capacity outdoor arenas, we've got everything. Here's your guide to where the wild jams are. Let the rockin' rumpus start!

A Bar Named Sue
abarnamedsue.net
3928 S. Highland Drive, SLC
801-274-5578

A Bar Named Sue on State
8136 S. State, Midvale
801-566-3222
Cash is king at these themed neighborhood bars, where you can enjoy live music (old-school country, rock 'n' roll), DJs and karaoke.

ABG's Libation Emporium
abgsbar.com
190 W. Center St., Provo
801-373-1200
You might hear that Provo is squeaky clean. It is—but that makes this punk-rock dive even more awesome.

The Acoustic Space at The Gateway
theacousticspace.com
124 S. 400 West, SLC
801-657-2325
It's not necessarily acoustic here; you'll find bands as well as solo singer-songwriters.

Albatross Recordings & Ephemera
instagram.com/albatrossrecslc
1305 S. 900 East, SLC
The infrequent shows are events—owner Timo Hatziathanasiou books far-out music to go along with his outre LPs, books and tchotchkes.

Alleged
alleged25th.com
201 25th St., Ogden
801-990-0692
A former brothel, Alleged is a modern lounge booking occasional live local and regional bands.

Area 51
area51slc.com
451 S. 400 West, SLC
801-534-0819
This is SLC's goth-industrial mecca, but you'll also catch metal and punk bands here, and enjoy two different types of '80s nights presided over by top local DJs.

Barbary Coast Saloon
4242 S. State, Murray
801-265-9889
Biker bars have some great music—everything from country to blues to rock, and it's no different here.

The Bayou
utahbayou.com
645 S. State, SLC
801-961-8400
On Fridays and Saturdays, enjoy live local jazz at this popular Cajun restaurant and beer emporium.

Black Lion
facebook.com/blacklionevents
9854 S. 700 East, Sandy
801-495-9699
You can rent the Black Lion for your own concert—or simply check out one of their sporadic multi-band events.

Bourbon House
bourbonhouseslc.com
19 E. 200 South, SLC
801-746-1005
The name alone will get you in the door, but you'll stay for the local jazz jam as well as funk, soul and DJ acts.

Brewski's
brewskisonline.net
244 25th St., Ogden
801-394-1713
Here, you'll find mostly local bands and a lot of great blues acts, but also rock, new wave, singer-songwriters, hair metal tribute acts and cover bands.

The Cabin
thecabinparkcity.com
825 S. Main, Park City
435-565-2337
In addition to live, original local music on the weekends, The Cabin offers weekly open mics, karaoke, dueling pianos and DJs.

Circle Lounge
facebook.com/circleloungeslc
328 S. State, SLC
801-432-5500
EDM is the name of the game at Circle, which books local and touring DJ and electronic acts.

Club 90
club90slc.com
9065 S. Monroe St., Sandy
801-566-3254
Club 90's main attractions are cover bands because they want you out of your seat. But check their calendar for weekly jazz and bluegrass.

Club X
clubxslc.com
445 S. 400 West, SLC
801-935-4267
Club X offers everything from DJ nights to live punk and metal.

The Complex
thecomplexslc.com
536 W. 100 South, SLC
801-528-9197
With its three stages, this massive downtown venue books touring metal, punk, indie and hip-hop acts—and you can drink here.

Dejoria Center
dejoriacenter.com
970 UT-32, Kamas
435-783-3113
At this rustic special events center in the Uinta mountains, enjoy the likes of country singer LeAnn Rimes, hair metal band Slaughter and country gents the Bar J Wranglers.

Delta Performance Hall at Eccles Theater
live-at-the-eccles.com
131 S. Main, SLC
801-355-2787
SLC's newest major venue offers everything from singer-songwriters like Amos Lee to mope-rocker Morrissey to country legend Kenny Rogers to Elvis tributes to Johnny freakin' Mathis.

The Depot
depotslc.com
400 W. South Temple, SLC
801-355-5522
A club/theater, The Depot accommodates mid-level and major touring acts in a variety of genres—but mostly all strains of rock: classic (Todd Rundgren), alternative (Dinosaur Jr.) and papal-satanic (Ghost).

Diabolical Records
facebook.com/diabolicalslc
238 S. Edison St., SLC
801-792-9204
Secreted down a one-way downtown street, Diabolical hosts some of SLC's best local punk, indie, metal and goth rock—plus deliciously obscure touring acts like Nobunny and Tatsuya Nakatani.

Donkey Tails Cantina
guadalahonkys.com
136 E. 12300 South, Draper
801-571-8134
If you learned anything from Star Wars, it's that Han shot first and cantinas have cool music—and there's nothin' like a massive combo platter while you enjoy some live tunes.

Downstairs
downstairspc.com
625 Main, Park City
435-615-7200
Dance music rules Downstairs, and you'll see mostly dance artists and DJs—including DJ Mom Jeans, aka actor Danny Masterson (That '70s Show), who owns the joint.

The Egyptian Theatre
egyptiantheatrecompany.org
328 Main, Park City
435-649-9371
The gorgeous Egyptian books multi-night stands by oldies bands (Herman's Hermits), classic rockers (Al Stewart), instrumental virtuosos (Robben Ford, Leo Kottke) and disco legends (Village People).

Elixir Lounge
elixirloungeslc.com
6405 S. 3000 East, Holladay
801-943-1696
A stylish lounge near Big Cottonwood Canyon, Elixir offers live acoustic music and DJs.

Flanagan's on Main
flanagansonmain.com
438 Main, Park City
435-649-8600
On the weekends, Flanagan's offers live music—both covers and originals by local artists, plus DJ sets.

Funk 'N Dive Bar
funkanddive.com
2550 Washington Blvd., Ogden
801-621-3483
There's some great music up in O-town, and you'll find a lot of it here—rock, blues, hip-hop, DJs and even old-timey jazz.

The Gallivan Center
thegallivancenter.com
239 S. Main, SLC
801-535-6110
This downtown outdoor mini-amphitheater once hosted large local festivals and major touring acts (Gov't Mule, The Black Keys), but now it's known for scheduling local jazz, blues, soul and singer-songwriters.

The Garage
thegarageonbeck.com
1199 Beck St., North Salt Lake
801-521-3904
A roadhouse with breathtaking views of an oil refinery, The Garage books all the best roots music—blues, rockabilly, swing, country, folk and even some surf and (wait for it) garage rock!

Gracie's
graciesslc.com
326 S. West Temple, SLC
801-819-7565
Classy Gracie's doesn't seem like a live music venue—but they bring us rockabilly, blues, folk, DJs and a weekly jazz jam with David Halliday and the Jazz Vespers Quartet.

The Great Saltair
thesaltair.com
12408 W. Saltair Drive, Magna
801-250-6205
Although the original castle-like edifice burned down long ago, the new building has hosted many major rock acts from Dio to Simple Minds to The Cult and The Flaming Lips, as well as huge EDM shows.

The Green Pig Pub
thegreenpigpub.com
31 E. 400 South, SLC
801-532-7441
The name just squeals blues, and you'll find it here—along with the occasional rock or jam band.

The Hog Wallow Pub
thehogwallow.com
3200 E. Big Cottonwood Canyon Road, Cottonwood Heights
801-733-5567
Live music and good eats are what's up at this cool little venue at the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon, where jam, funk and blues are often what's for dinner.

The Hotel and Club Elevate
facebook.com/thehotelclubelevate
149 W. 200 South, SLC
801-478-4310
Dance music reigns at this popular downtown joint, which books local, national and international DJs.

The Ice Haüs
icehausbar.com
7 E. 4800 South, Murray
801-266-2127
Tucked away in SLC suburb Murray, the Haüs offers DJs, singer-songwriters, funk, soul and jazz bands.

In the Venue/Club Sound
inthevenueslc.com
219 S. 600 West, SLC
801-359-3219
Two venues in one: ITV is the big all-ages room with a retractable roof, Club Sound is the smaller 21-plus place, and everyone from violin virtuoso Lindsey Stirling to punk rockers Bad Religion and outsider singer-songwriter Daniel Johnston have performed here.

Infinity Event Center
infinityeventcenter.com
26 E. 600 South, SLC
385-242-7488
The only place in town where you can see Mexican arena rockers El Tri or Cuca, who are like the Rolling Stones and Motley Crue back in their home country.

Jam
jamslc.com
751 N. 300 West, SLC
801-382-8567
Salt Lake City's coolest LGBTQ bar is hidden between downtown SLC and North Salt Lake—you'll know it by the numerous rainbow flags and the pumpin' sounds of their DJs.

Johnny's On Second
johnnysonsecond.com
165 E. 200 South, SLC
801-746-3334
At Johnny's, the music is fairly varied with DJs and local bands flying the flag for alt-country, blues, rockabilly, funk and folk.

Kamikaze's
kamikazesogden.com
2404 Adams Ave., Ogden
801-621-9138
Another O-Town fixture, Kamikaze's offers mainly local music without a favorite genre. You'll find punk, rock, country and celtic folk—among others.

Keys On Main
keysonmain.com
242 S. Main, SLC
801-363-3638
As the name implies, this is a piano bar where you'll find ivory ticklers going Steinway-to-Steinway performing songs you choose—until somebody else pays them to stop.

Kilby Court
kilbycourt.com
741 S. Kilby Court (330 West), SLC
801-364-3538
Salt Lake's best all-ages venue is also one of the most unique. "Kilby," as we call it, is where we go to get sweaty while watching buzz bands play a cramped little garage, or sit outside like we're too cool for school.

Karamba
karambaslc.com
1051 E. 2100 South, SLC
801-696-0639
At Karamba, the music is geared to make you move—you'll find pop, DJs, Latin big bands and even the occasional rock en español act.

Kingsbury Hall
kingsburyhall.utah.edu
1395 E. President's Circle
801-581-7100
The University of Utah's posh venue has hosted some incredible performances from the likes of the Violent Femmes, Lucinda Williams and Elvis Costello. It sounds as good as it looks, too.

Liquid Joe's
liquidjoes.net
1249 E. 3300 South, SLC
801-467-5637
An everyman's club that books smaller local acts and big-name heritage hair metal bands, plus underground hip-hop and the occasional cult band like Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers.

The Loading Dock
theloadingdockslc.com
445 S. 400 West, SLC
An all-ages venue specializing in extreme metal, Hot Topic bands and the occasional oddball, like roots rock maniac Lincoln Durham.

Maverik Center
maverikcenter.com
3200 S. Decker Lake Drive, West Valley City
801-988-8800
An arena that, depending on the show, converts to a theater, the Mav has hosted Tool, The Cure, Van Halen, Harry Connick Jr., Melissa Etheridge and Widespread Panic.

Metro Music Hall
metromusichall.com
615 W. 100 South, SLC
At first, the Metro was pretty metal. Now they book everything, and you should check out the monthly event Hip-Hop Roots, showcasing hot local MCs, b-boys and graffiti writers.

Muse Music
musemusicprovo.com
247 W. Center St., Provo
801-377-6873
Not even two years into its new building, Muse is one of Provo's popular all-ages venues focusing on local talent of all genres.

O.P. Rockwell
oprockwell.com
268 Main, Park City
435-615-7000
This joint books great bands like The Mother Hips and Andy Frasco & the U.N. while also knowing the value of an all-female AC/DC tribute act like Hell's Belles.

Park City Live
parkcitylive.net
427 Main, Park City
435-649-9123
Formerly known as Harry O's, this theater brings in some great shows by jam bands (Galactic), electronic acts (Major Lazer) and singer-songwriters (Martin Sexton).

Pat's BBQ
patsbbq.com
155 W. Commonwealth Ave., SLC
801-484-5963
Put down the ribs and mosey on down to Howie's Hall inside this BBQ hall to get your weekend toe-tapping on.

Peppermill Concert Hall
wendoverfun.com/shows
680 Wendover Blvd.,
West Wendover, Nev.
800-217-0049
SLC locals love to escape to their own version of Sin City, where they can gamble and drink and catch concerts by Night Ranger, The Temptations and Engelbert Humperdinck.

Red Butte Garden
redbuttegarden.org
300 Wakara Way, SLC
801-585-0556
Every summer, we look forward to this arboretum's annual outdoor concert series, which attracts more and bigger shows every year, and allows us to bring coolers crammed with grub 'n' booze.

The Royal
theroyalslc.com
4760 S. 900 East, SLC
801-590-9940
Owned by nationally known rock-cum-country band Royal Bliss, you'll find everything from active rock to folk to Reggae Thursdays, which features a different act—sometimes local, sometimes touring—every week.

Sandy Amphitheater
sandyarts.com/sandy-amphitheater
1245 E. 9400 South, Sandy
801-568-6097
It abuts a park and a residential area, and is near a hospital. That might be why the shows here—the Lost '80s Tour, Toad the Wet Sprocket, "Weird" Al, The Doobie Brothers—seem so quiet.

Scallywags
3040 S. State, SLC
801-604-0869
A pirate-themed huka bar, Scallywags hosts DJs and occasional hip-hop.

Sky
skyslc.com
149 W. Pierpont Ave., SLC
801-883-8714
It's mostly DJs and dance music at Sky, a downtown venue with a drop-top roof, but sometimes they'll book pretty cool bands like the Meat Puppets or Soul Asylum.

Snowbasin Resort
snowbasin.com
3925 Snowbasin Road, Huntsville
888-437-5488
The resort's Blues, Brews & BBQ concert series fills five hours every summer Sunday with sun, suds, meat and free concerts by touring rock, blues, jam and soul acts.

Snowbird Resort
snowbird.com
9385 S. Snowbird Center Drive, Snowbird
801-933-2222
The renowned ski destination offers live music throughout its resort.

The Spur Bar & Grill
thespurbarandgrill.com
352 Main, Park City
435-615-1618
There is something for everyone on the Spur's stage: cover bands, original local music and dueling pianos.

The State Room
thestateroom.com
638 S. State, SLC
800-501-2885
Real music lovers will adore this theater where you can watch the likes of Todd Snider, Junior Brown or Los Lobos from the floor or from church pews and theater seats arranged stadium-style, while enjoying a stiff drink.

The Tavernacle
tavernacle.com
201 E. 300 South, SLC
801-519-8900
Here's another dueling pianos bar—where it gets pretty wild as two pianists play covers for money and the highest bidder wins.

Twilight Concert Series at Pioneer Park
twilightconcerts.com
350 S. 300 West
801-596-5000
From July through Labor Day, this affordable and well-curated series is not to be missed, featuring big-name indie rock and hip-hop acts with support from marquee locals.

Twilite Lounge
twilitelounge.com
347 E. 200 South
801-532-9400
You know your favorite neighborhood dive back home? This is ours. Stop by "The Twi" on Wednesdays and see Jazz Jaguars, a trio of local rockers performing lounge versions of their louder stuff.

Twist
twistslc.com
32 Exchange Place, SLC
801-322-3200
A very cool room with eclectic offerings including residencies by top local DJs, acoustic sets by local singer-songwriters, and even some funk.

The Underground
833 S. Main, SLC
There's a reason it's called the Underground—they don't really promote their shows, even on their Facebook page. But once in a while a show pops up ... and it's usually pretty good, even if you don't know who it is.

The Urban Lounge
theurbanloungeslc.com
241 S. 500 East, SLC
801-746-0557
"The Urban" reigns supreme in the local music scene, booking mid-to-big names in a room that sounds great, but seems far too small for the talent—which we love, especially when the booker pairs them up with the crème de la local crème.

Usana Amphitheatre
usana-amp.com
5150 S. 6055 West, Magna
801-417-5343
Usana hosts the valley's largest outdoor concerts (like blockbusters Black Sabbath, Willie Nelson and Kenny Chesney), where you can chug $10 tallboys and love every summery minute.

Velour
velourlive.com
135 N. University Ave., Provo
801-818-2263
This all-ages venue in Provo champions local musicians. Corey Fox created something special with Velour, which birthed Neon Trees.

Vivint Smart Home Arena
vivintarena.com
301 W. South Temple
801-325-7528
When the Utah Jazz aren't around and it's too cold for Usana, this is where the really big shows get booked.

The Westerner
westernerslc.com
3360 S. Redwood Road, West Valley City
801-972-5447
There aren't too many places around that specialize in country music—maybe because The Westerner whoops all new-comers with a massive dance floor and every local country act beatin' down its doors.

Willie's Lounge
willieslounge.com
1716 S. Main, SLC
760-828-7351
You're the star on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights during their rockin' karaoke.

Zest Kitchen & Bar
zestslc.com
275 S. 200 West, SLC
801-433-0589
Gourmet gluten-free grub and live music? Shut up and take my money! This is the place to go to expand your oral and aural horizons with food and music you've never experienced before.