- Marcello Ambriz
The Fireplace Sessions at Velour
It's not a wild notion that this pandemic has given us all a greater appetite for intimacy. Songwriters Round-type events really do seem to be abounding lately, and this latest at Velour is definitely related to that conversational tradition. Coming up on Monday, Aug. 16, Velour will host The Fireplace Sessions, featuring Provo indie artists Brandon Robbins of The Moth & The Flame, Scott Shepard of Book on Tape Worm and Spencer Peterson of Sego. Inspired by a night the three artists spent in a mountain cabin playing each other new material, discussing artistic approaches and giving one another advice, The Fireplace Sessions at Velour will channel that same energy, and the three will play new and old songs while sharing stories around their making. This is a great chance for fans of the local bands to get a closer look at how their music comes to be, and how everyone's creative process can be just as similar as it is distinct, compared to that of others. This all-ages event features exclusive, limited seating, and tickets are $12 at 24tix.com/venues/velour-live-music-gallery. This special storytelling event starts at 8 p.m.
Weekend at Garage on Beck
Head to the Garage on Beck this weekend for some old-fashioned bar party fun, where there's something for any kind of rocker. First on Friday, Aug. 13 is a touring act in Lucid Lynx, who specialize in psychedelic rock and will be far, far from home. The Boston-based act will be touring with their new album Mantaro, released July 30, and will play at 8 p.m. for $10. They'll be followed by a performance on Saturday, Aug. 14 by local J-Rad Cooley, a master of hot Americana rock 'n roll. Cooley will also be playing at 8 p.m. for $10, making for double nights of affordable shows. Sunday will round out the weekend of shows with Austin, Texas-based folk superstar-in-the-making Jordan Mathew Young, who will be performing at 6 p.m. for $15. With all these options for a stomping good time at the best bar to stomp at, you've got no reason to stay in this weekend. Visit garageonbeck.com for more info on these shows and other upcoming events, and get yourself down to Beck Street.
- Terry Wyatt
Dierks Bentley at USANA Amphitheater
One of country music's contemporary darlings is hitting the road at the end of this summer, and Salt Lake City is lucky enough to be his jumping off point. Dierks Bentley will come to USANA Amphitheater to kick off his Beers On Me Tour, which—while free beers probably aren't part of the deal—will include the talents of fellow country boys Parker McCollum and Riley Green. While Bentley is setting out on a tour with his wide discography and fame in tow, McCollum and Green both have new albums up for hearing on the tour. McCollum will be presenting his July 30-released album Gold Chain Cowboy, which is also his first album released with label MCA Nashville. For Green's part, he's got a 2021 album, too in the July 2-released Behind the Bar. The tour kicks off on Friday, Aug. 13 at 7 p.m. The all-ages show has tickets available for $41 - $95, and more info can be found at dierks.com.
- Amanda Margaret Bañuelos 2
Craft Lake City's Banger of a Lineup
While Craft Lake City DIY Festival is now an established local non-profit and festival that centers all things DIY, artisanally-made and innovatively unique, the other elements of the fest make it well worth visiting—we're talking bevs, eats and, of course, music. The SLUG Magazine affiliate obviously has no trouble tracking down talent to fill the air of the festival from the Gallivan Center stage while people browse the vendor tables, but this year the musical talent is so stacked it feels like its own mini music festival. The diverse list of locals includes the music of India by way of A&A Bollypop, Bollywood Dance Company and Desibels, folk music from the Puerto Rican Bomba Marile and the Mexican Grupo Folklorico Tollan and diversions like the Busking Bus Theatre Company. Local hip hop will find representatives in Icky Rogers, Free Mind Movement and The Pho3nix Child, and pop, R&B and soul will be expressed by artists like Marqueza, Nicole McMahan, Sonialoxo, Angie Petty, Bri Ray, Cherry Thomas and Courtney Lane. As for bands, indie rockers Salduro, Savage Daughters, Nicole Canaan, First Daze, Backhand and Guava Tree will all be there, too. And these are just about half the full lineup. So go, browse the artisanal offerings, but no one will blame you if you get sidetracked by the stage for a few hours. Craft Lake City runs through Friday, Aug. 13 - Sunday, Aug. 15, and the full list of performers can be found at craftlakecity.com/diy-festival/participants.
Are Vaccine Requirements for Shows Coming?
For a while there, it felt like the pandemic was on its way out. It seemed over-ish. Well, thanks to folks who didn't get vaccinated and continued to spread it around, we have a new, more contagious variant friend called Delta, and the CDC is once again saying it's "masks up"—at least at public indoor events. With little to no guidance, safety protocols or indeed mask mandates being issued by state governments, and with states like Utah actually creating barriers for reinstating anything like that, now more than ever it seems that our safety is in our own hands, and up to our own ingenuity. Enter Japanese Breakfast, the wildly popular indie pop artist who, ahead of the tour for her recently released album Jubilee, just announced on Aug. 2 that her entire tour will be "masked and require either proof of vaccination or negative PCR within 48 hours preceding the show." It's a bold move, when the band is surely among the many artists who lost income in 2020 and could use as much makeup revenue as possible. But it's also a power move, one that forces the hand of venues that are also in deep need of income to capitulate to these safety-minded demands. But most importantly, it's a compassionate move. In a world where our local and national government officials have all but told Americans to get fucked in the face of COVID's past and current waves, it feels nice to see artists stepping up to leverage their power for good. Will this set a precedent for shows going forward in our ongoing pandemic? Time will tell, but in the meantime, as Japanese Breakfast also said, "Please get vaccinated!"
