Jill Whit Releases Time Is Being
At the beginning of her new album, time is being (releasing Friday, May 28), local Jill Whit sings, "I vow, six feet away / and forget the sense of touch." From there, Whit's world is one of pandemic-inspired introspection, delivered in spurts of un-self-conscious spoken-word poetry and in dream-like songwriting and spidery composition. The early track "Maybe Means No," sounds like guided meditation: "The easiest and hardest time to stay sober / To let loose / To tidy up / To take the day off / To build a routine / To create / To reflect / To connect / Transformation is intimate / Transformation is personal." She speaks to an intense self-awareness, stemmed from being disconnected from both people and life's routines. This speaking-aloud lasts for the first quarter of the song, before a modestly punching drum and wispy, glinting guitar come in. Whit then shifts to singing, turning her gaze to another facet of aloneness with the gut-tugging lines, "And I won't cry forever / Just in the morning before I leave / Purple light in the darkness / When I roll over and there's no one next to me." The whole album sways gently between deep, inward looking and a fading view of someone who's already far away. On the following track, Whit asks a lover—or, perhaps more likely, an ex-lover—to prove that they're really gone. Her plain, honest tone recalls somewhat the emotional manner in which Patsy Cline addressed her own lost loves: "Hold her cheeks / Between your palms. / Pull her in close / Till your lips almost touch / Tell me you don't love me / And make it seem true / So maybe then, I'll stop loving you." While that could be a heartbreak, on time is being Whit instead takes a deep breath and keeps stepping forward, as we all must do. You can listen on jillwhit.bandcamp.com.
Upcoming Slap Lake City Showcase
A tradition that had just kicked off in early 2020 before the pandemic, Slap Lake City is the effort of local favorite DJ Juggy to give space and stage to local rappers and other artists on the hip hop fringes. With a home base of Soundwell—and Soundwell's COVID-conscious show protocols, long in place at this point—Slap Lake City continued throughout the pandemic, even bouncing onto its second Ladies of the Lake showcase on April 29. Slap Lake City has quickly become a home for many of Salt Lake's mainstays in the rap and R&B scenes, and this Thursday, May 27, is no different. With doors at 9 p.m. and the show at 9:30 p.m., the 21+ event will feature a slew of local talents, including DJ Brisk, Frank Tha Third, Chef L.A.W (of STL's Wing Challenge), Gloco, Heeva, henrythedrip, Icky Rogers, JB Roy, J-Savage, Jedi Steve, Jupiter, Kire, Mousley, Ricky50, Rufio and Shaadie & The Collective. Phew! That's a lot. The event will also be rounded out by a Pop-Up Boutique by JRC & The Even Out, so you can get some goodies too, whenever you get up from your reserved table—which are mandatory for all groups at the show. Find more info on the show's requirements, including COVID protocols, at soundwellslc.com, and keep up with the frequent Slap Lake City Showcase lineups by following DJ Juggy on Instagram at @djjuggy.
Edison House Brings New Cultural Avenues?
At the end of the summer or early this fall, SLC will see a new take on the country club model that aims to give Gen Z and millennial working professionals avenues for working, playing, working out, drinking, eating, partying and of course enjoying music all in one place. In addition to dining options, three bars (one of them by a rooftop pool), billiards, a lounge, a ballroom and a movie room, Edison House will feature a piano room set up for jazz, and a venue space for more music. In a Building Salt Lake article from last year, the founders (who grew up in SLC) state that their aim is to provide a new way to socialize for young professionals in the city, because especially for newcomers, Salt Lakers can come off as an exclusive bunch. While the club aims for inclusivity and new opportunities for socializing in our growing city, I don't think it's uncouth to note that its fees ($150 a month with a $500 onboarding fee; $125 and $250 if you're under 27) are exclusive in their own way. While it's exciting that Edison House will likely provide new venues for local musicians to get gigs, I think it's also fair to worry that Silicon Valley-ish cocoons of work-life-play like Edison House might stand less to integrate new-comers into our city than they do to insulate members from it. We'll see how it works out later this year.
- Ebru Yildiz
The State Room Is Back, Baby
While many local venues opened with caution over the pandemic, The State Room was one local favorite that stayed closed. They did fundraisers—which City Weekly wrote about in the early days of the pandemic—and some live-streamed shows, too. But finally, The State Room is announcing IRL shows once more. They're still proceeding with caution, but they return with confidence this fall. It's quite a relief. It was one sad thing to see some venues forced to put on brave, happy faces about their socially distanced shows, masks and such, but quite another, sadder thing to see venues like The State Room stay shuttered, their marquee board with its always-pushed-back message of hope—"Stay safe, see you in April, May, June" as one 2020 message read. None of us knew, back then, or could even fathom that it would be well over a year later that shows would come back to The State Room. But back they are, hooray!—and that hooray also goes for their smaller sister venue, The Commonwealth Room. First dates go as such: Monophics with Con Brio on Wednesday, Sept. 15 at The State Room; Durand Jones & The Indications at The Commonwealth Room on Friday, Sept. 17; Madison Cunningham and S.G. Goodman at The State Room on Wednesday, Sept. 29; Shovels & Rope on Thursday, Oct 7; Charlie Parr at The State Room on Friday, Oct. 8; and Cory Wong and the Wongnotes at The Commonwealth Room on Saturday, Nov. 6. There's more, too, but too much to fit here, which rules. Visit thestateroompresents.com for all dates, tickets and info.
- Jen Rosenstein
Twilight Concert Series Announces 2021 Lineup
They said they'd be back, and now they're coming through on that promise. That's right, one of Salt Lake's most beloved summer traditions—which has brought amazing acts to us over the years for stunningly accessible prices—is returning for a post-panny summer. Or mostly post-panny (looking at you, anti-vaxxers). And this time they are bringing a mix of exciting new-to-SLC talent along with fan-favorites and even some local legends. The announcement comes a few weeks after Ogden Twilight's own lineup announcement, which will also take place in the late summer featuring acts like Washed Out, Death Cab For Cutie, Fitz And The Tantrums, The Flaming Lips, Purity Ring, Grouplove, Portugal. The Man, and some newcomers to the fest like Spoon and Noah Cyrus. At press time, around half of those dates are already sold out. So there's your warning to get in on these SLC dates sooner rather than later, as tickets launched May 18. Things will kick off on Aug. 19 with Big Boi as the big headliner, with support from STRFKR and the locals Laserfang. Later that month, on Aug. 26, will be Thundercat, Remi Wolf and Giraffula. Sept. 2 then finds one of Utah's most famous bands, Neon Trees, returning to their home state for a show with Peach Tree Rascals and Provo's latest up-and-coming girl group The Rubies. On Sept. 18, St. Vincent will come through (with support TBA), equipped with songs from her new album Daddy's Home. The same goes for Sept. 24's Lake Street Dive, who also have a fresh album, and will find support in local bluegrass favorites Pixie & The Partygrass Boys. Visit saltlakearts.org/twilightconcertseries to get those tickets quick!
