- Hunter Pace
THURSDAY 12.22
The Arvos, Spenny Relyea, Spirit Tribe, Baker Street Blues Band
One of the most encouraging things about new music is young bands continually studying traditional genres and musical forms to find inspiration for their own music. American Fork blues-rock quintet The Arvos sports an actual organ, someone who can blow a few blues licks on the mouth organ, and their love of '60s-'70s music extends to blues, country, jazz and bluegrass. Spirit Tribe brings a Psych Lake City vibe with a blues undercurrent to their common stomping grounds at Kilby, so you might well call this blues night at Kilby Court. Baker Street Blues Band hails from Bountiful/Centerville, and it's not the "Baker Street" of Gerry Rafferty ('70s radio reference, anyone?) or Sherlock Holmes, but these four musicians provide a few blues clues about what makes up the blues-rock recipe, including a touch of jazz and more than a smidgen of groove. This time of year, they've also been known to throw a few Christmas tunes into the mix. Spenny Relyea seems to be a bit of an enigma, but he's not from Kenny vs. Spenny ('00s Comedy Central reference, anyone?) These acts seem to have the valley covered, blues-wise. (Brian Staker) Kilby Court, 741 S. 330 West, 7 p.m., $6, KilbyCourt.com
Christmas Party feat. Gene Loves Jezebel, Rune, 5 State Killing Spree
So Gene Loves Jezebel singer Michael Aston gave Liquid Joe's an audio message to post on their site advertising this performance by his version of the killer English goth-rock band (his brother Jay fronts the U.K. iteration). In a buttery English accent, Aston says, "Hi, there. This is Michael Aston from Gene Loves Jezebel. We're coming to Liquid Joe's, Salt Lake City, on December 23rd. It'll be our last show. We're gonna play everything and anything you ever wanted to hear. We're gonna have a wonderful time! So come on, join us. The celebration of the era. Best to ya, love ya, be there or be ... not. At your loss. <Smoooooch!> That's a big kiss." Doesn't that sound like they're calling it quits and pulling out all the stops, including the one that keeps them from performing deep cuts and songs like "Jealous," the Jay Aston-led version's biggest hit? City Weekly asked GLJ's booking agent about it. He says, "It's their last performance of 2016." A follow-up question attempting to clarify Aston's "everything and anything" statement, garnered this response: "I am on vacation with my family in Big Bear [sic]. I do not dictate what the artist performs, and we have no idea what the artist will perform. We are simply their agent. Happy holidays. Thank you." Seems weird that a booking agent wouldn't know the details of a band's setlist. Or that his client is making ambiguous, confusing public statements. Or that being rude to a journalist who's simply trying to get his facts straight, through the only contact listed on his client's website, might not be the best move. <Smoooooch!> (Randy Harward) Liquid Joe's, 1249 E. 3300 South, 8 p.m., $14 in advance, $17 day of show, 21+, LiquidJoes.net
There ain't much "lil" about Lil Jon. He has an outsized stage personality to go with his boisterous-obnoxious crunk sound—which veered into EDM with the 2014 DJ Snake collab "Turn Down for What"—and gleaming grille. (Why haven't rappers figured out that gold is yellow and, on teeth, it looks like plaque, which be waque?) He can play it cool, though. He actually comes off kinda smart in interviews, and seems pretty mellow. Even when Donald Trump repeatedly called him "Uncle Tom" on The Apprentice, Jon didn't rage. Not even after Trump continued to use the term after Jon and his castmates explained its offensiveness. Jon, even when asked what he thought pre-election of a Trump presidency, took the high road and said he was neutral. WTF, right?! Why deprive us of the spectacle of a crunk rapper giving it to the Orange Menace with both barrels? That would've been ... beautiful. Alas, sometimes we just don't get what we want ... like a new album. Right now, we're just getting sporadic singles like 2014's "Bend Ova" and "Take It Off" released this summer—plus this DJ set. (RH) Park City Live, 427 Main, 8 p.m., $25-$50, 21+, ParkCityLive.net
Koala Temple Reunion Show feat. The Nods, Muzzle Tung
Koala Temple was a singularity in the local music scene, blending elements of different genres like psych, art punk, shoegazer and even a bit of Krautrock to create their own unique sound. Following a two-year hiatus after their Blue Milk album released on their Bandcamp page, the four find themselves in town reunited for a one-off gig—and it just might be one of the best shows of the year: a pre-New Year's Eve party! They are joined by two bands who have taken up the mantle of filling the need for some kind of original local musical expression with just the right amount of eccentricity: garage punk act The Nods, who released a self-titled EP earlier this year, and experimental rock group Muzzle Tung, who sound like their sleep is interrupted by a soundtrack of PiL, Pere Ubu and The Fall running through a phase-shifter or a dripping faucet. Their album Administration (FCC Public Recordings) hit the streets last month. (BS) The Urban Lounge, 241 S. 500 East, 8 p.m., free, 21+, TheUrbanLoungeSLC.com
Merry Blissmas Ugly Sweater Party feat. Royal Bliss, American Hitmen, Ginger & the Gents
Salt Lake's self-described "heartland rock" band Royal Bliss has a lot to celebrate this season, like the release of their sixth studio album, The Truth (Air Castle), earlier this year. With numbers co-written by notable songwriting duo Monty Powell and Anna Wilson, it made its mark on the CMT charts. Much of the remainder of the year found them touring on their new turn to a more countrified sound, including a number of LiveNation festivals and the local Royal Fest. The band wraps up a batch of Midwest dates with a return to their own venue, The Royal, on Christmas Eve Eve. It's a fitting end to a banner year and a nice way to celebrate the conclusion of two decades paying their dues and working their way up the musical ladder—"Livin' the Dream" as the single from The Truth proclaims. The Royal opens at 5 p.m. for dinner and you can guess the dress code—part of it, anyway. It says nothing about pants. (Brian Staker) The Royal, 4760 S. 900 East, 7 p.m., $15 in advance, $18 day of show, 21+, TheRoyalSLC.com
ZoSo: The Led Zeppelin Experience
"Let me get it back, baby, where I come from/ ... Been a long lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely time. Yes it has." Those lyrics from one of Led Zeppelin's most defining songs were somewhat autobiographical when originally written. But in hindsight, they also foretold a time when Zep would opt out of their superstar status, albeit with some degree of remorse and nostalgia. Lucky for us, then, that ZoSo's Ultimate Led Zeppelin Experience resurrects the audio and imagery of the band many insist was the best in the biz. While many tribute outfits merely mimic the music, ZoSo goes farther by capturing their look as well, giving audiences a taste of what it was like to witness Zep in their prime. Hailed by both the Los Angeles Times and the Chicago Sun-Times as offering the best homage bar none, ZoSo's as close as it gets to the real deal. (Lee Zimmerman) The Egyptian Theatre, 328 Main, Park City, 8 p.m., $29-$50, EgyptianTheatreCompany.org
