03/31/08
Tonight, there is just one place to be, particularly if you're interested in hearing the rock world's latest buzz band. Vampire Weekend headlines a gig tonight at In the Venue, a show that was originally scheduled for Kilby Court. 
The New York quartet managed to land on the cover of Spin before their first album even hit the street, and they've appeared on Saturday Night Live as well. The sound is a touch of Talking Heads and a little Death Cab for Cutie. In other words, it's indie-rock, but you can dance to it.
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03/28/08
Some of you might think of Soul Asylum as one-hit wonders of the post-grunge era, thanks to their MTV and alt-radio hit "Runaway Train" back in the early '90s. You are sadly mistaken. Soul Asylum was one of the great indie-rock bands out of Minneapolis in the '80s, well before they got a major-label deal and took their all-American songcraft to the big-time, albeit briefly. In the pre-"Runaway Train" days, they played one of the best shows I ever saw at the old Bar and Grill (now the Woodshed), including a cover of Glen Campbell's "Rhinestone Cowboy." And they remain renowned as one of the great live bands of their era. Why mention them now? They're playing a free gig Saturday at 4 p.m....
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03/28/08
Last night I had one of those fine, looooooong Salt Lake evenings, including a Squatter's stop, the latest Plan B Theatre production and a full slate of easy skanking at The Paladium. A nice entertainment trifecta, even if my fish and chips were not so hot. Let's start with the last thing first, the Wailers gig at The Paladium, since I just left the place about, oh, seven hours ago. It's hard to go wrong when the majority of your set list consists of tunes written by reggae legend Bob Marley, and the Wailers had the 800 or so folks on hand dancing up a storm to classics like "Natural Mystic," "Them Belly Full (But We Hungry)," "Three Little Birds" and...
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03/27/08
Granted, the version of The Wailers playing tonight at the Paladium is essentially a grandiose cover band. And while that might make the $25 cover charge seem a might steep, they ARE basically the best reggae cover band on the planet. And the presence of long-time Wailers bass player Aston "Family Man" Barrett at least give the group an authentic link to the original lineup of Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer. 
Barrett is a true legend in his own right, a pioneering bass player who has been copied by reggae acts great and small for the better part of 40 years now. And there's no denying the songs filling The...
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03/26/08
This report just came across the ol' news wire, and I'm always happy to post a really bad mug shot. Especially for a member of a band I despise like few others. Bon Jovi's Richie Sambora got arrested for an alleged DUI last night. ![](\"/clientuploads/00dan/03_08/sambora.ap.jpg\")
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03/26/08
I know Utah has more than its fair share of ska fans, and it doesn't get much better than old-school two-toners Bad Manners, playing tonight at In the Venue, along with Dirty Vespuccis and locals Insatiable. Bad Manners come from the Specials and Madness school of horn-heavy ska, and enjoyed most of their commercial success in the late '70s and early '80s in London, thanks to tracks like "Special Brew" and "Lip Up Fatty." Singer Buster Bloodvessel is one of the more unforgettable frontmen from that era. Like reggae and metal, ska never dies; its mainstream popularity just ebbs and flows. You can bet there won't be a more fun show tonight.
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03/25/08
Got an early meeting, so little time to elaborate. Just wanted to give y'all the heads up on a mesmerizing band playing tonight at the Urban Lounge. Dengue Fever just might be the first rock-related thing to come out of that country ever. It's certainly the only thing I think of besides the Dead Kennedys' classic cut, "Holiday in Cambodia." Go check out some tracks at the band's MySpace site linked above, or head to The Urban Lounge tonight for some groovy times. 
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03/24/08
After a glorious three-day weekend in Moab playing golf, checking out some stunning scenery and hanging at Woody's Tavern (not to mention avoiding all the folks down there for Jeep Safari weekend), I am physically and mentally sloooooow this morning. But I am awake enough to alert you to some fine music tonight. The Felice Brothers, who some of you might remember from their slot opening for the Drive-By Truckers last month, are back in town for two shows tonight, a free gig at the Slowtrain record shop at 7 p.m., and a regular show at Kilby Court later in the evening.
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03/20/08
I doubt "glee" comes across in the printed word, but I'm running away for a long weekend full of golf, hikes and cocktails as soon as I get off work tonight, so glee is certainly the vibe here in the Lounge. But I wouldn't leave without giving y'all some advice for amusing yourselves this weekend, starting with tonight's Jonathan Richman show at Kilby Court. Richman has been recording and performing for nearly 40 years, which just might make him the oldest dude to ever perform at Salt Lake's premiere all-ages venue. If you don't know him from his years leading punk band the Modern Lovers in the '70s, you'd probably recognize him as the troubador singing throughout There's Something About...
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03/19/08
I have a buddy whose old job as a headhunter required him to carry a cell phone 24/7 in case one of his company's temp workers had an emergency on the job or had to call in sick outside normal business hours. One night, he got a voice mail on that phone demanding, simply, "Gimme some soup. I want some soup." We listened to the message for days because it was just so odd. 
Completely unrelated is tonight's launch of the two-day Community Nursing Services 20th annual Celebration of Art and Soup. Amazing, ain't it, that it's been 20 years for one of the cooler benefits in Salt Lake City each year. Today and tomorrow at the Sheraton City Center (500 S. 300 West), from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m....
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03/18/08
Singer/songwriter Max Bemis is one of the more talented folks that can be tagged with the "emo" label. After a few years as a by-the-numbers punk kid, he took his band Say Anything into a new direction with the album ...Is a Real Boy, and followed up with last year's expansive set, In Defense of the Genre, a double-disc blast of modern rock that largely succeeded where many double-albums fail to hold the listener's attention. 
Say Anything plays tonight at In the Venue, along with Manchester Orchestra. For those of us of a certain age (ahem), the phrase Say Anything conjures the fine Cameron Crowe film starring...
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03/17/08
Just got this press release from the good people over at United Concerts: 
"In support of his acclaimed 2007 release, Kill To Get Crimson (Warner Bros. Records), Mark Knopler will return to North America this summer. The U.S. and Canadian tour will commence June 24 with a performance at Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre and features dates in L.A., Vancouver, Chicago, Nashville, Toronto, Boston, New York and Philadelphia, among others. As an added bonus, a copy of the new CD will be included with each pair of tickets purchased online.
Heralded by critics, Rolling Stone calls Kill To Get Crimson ‘…a gem’ and describes the music as ‘…a...
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03/17/08
I'll cop to being a might skeptical going into the Pioneer Theatre Company's latest production. I had little doubt about the performances or the sets, but I didn't know if an adaptation of Henry James' Washington Square would be quite my thing, given that I'm a typical ADD-afflicted kid of the '80s. I'm happy to report that my skepticism was unfounded after checking out the Saturday matinee of The Heiress, written by Ruth and Augustus Goetz using James' novel as a template for a story that is not so much a romance as a revenge piece and comedy of manners. There was certainly potential for The Heiress to be less than enjoyable. For one, it's a period piece set in 1850....
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03/14/08
Stanford prof and best-selling food author Michael Pollan—the man behind The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals and new release In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto—got a rousing welcome at a near-capacity Abravanel Hall last night. The author seemed taken aback by the size of the place; he called Abravanel one of the two or three biggest rooms he ever lectured in, and asked the crowd, as he took the stage, "Are you in the right place? I don't sing or anything." 
Pollan was plenty entertaining, despite the lack of instruments and pyrotechnics. All he needed to enthrall was his command of statistics and history related to America's...
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03/14/08
As a half-Irish guy, I am genetically obligated to pimp the St. Patrick's Day parade Saturday morning at 10 a.m., down the middle of the Gateway. Thankfully, I legitimately enjoy the thing, so that obligation is no great burden. And I don't even like parades. Salt Lake's St. Patty's Parade is different, though. It's short—a real bonus—and quite a scene, thanks to the compact nature of the Gateway. Wear some green, take the TRAX north to the Gateway to save the parking hassle and bring a big cup of coffee to fight the cold. Umbrellas might be good this year, too. 
Tonight, two plays open worth your consideration. At the Pioneer Memorial...
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03/13/08
Ola gang. With that salutation, I've just spent my knowledge of the Spanish language. But that won't keep me from joining the fun of the Salt Lake City Film Center's Mexican Film and Cultural Festival, a four-day event that starts tonight with a screening of La Misma Luna (Under the Same Moon) at the Gateway Megaplex. The film starts at 7 p.m., and like all the activities of the festival—music, dance and film—it's completely free to the public. Check out the film center's Web site for a complete schedule of all the activities associated with the festival.
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03/12/08
There was a time, probably around 1993 or so, when plotting tonight's entertainment for myself would be a no-brainer. Freakishly talented bass player Les Claypool was leading Primus at the time, and I had a serious jones for freakishly talented bass players. 
After seeing Claypool play what seems like dozens of times, either with Primus, Sausage, the Holy Mackerel or the Flying Frog Brigade (all names he's given to his various projects through the years), I went to see him about a year or two ago and found the same great bassist, but instead of quirky and hook-filled songs, I had the misfortune of being inundated with 20-minute experiemental jams all night. That might work for Claypool's 2008...
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03/11/08
Actually, the extremely talented—just ask him—producer and rapper is playing at West Valley City's E Center on June 9. Tickets go on sale Saturday at Smith's Tix outlets, ranging from $40 to $85. Joining West will be N.E.R.D., Lupe Fiasco and Rihanna (and her umbrella). 
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03/11/08
Sorry about the lack o' bloggage yesterday, folks. I was deep in the recesses of my underground lair working on a story for Salt Lake magazine and couldn't make my way to the Internet all day. The delay isn't going to keep me from raving about the highlight of my weekend, though: the Gogol Bordello show at The Paladium. 
I know there were a lot of people at The Depot Saturday night, having a swell time to the Irish-rock sounds of the Young Dubliners. But I'm here to tell you—you were missing out. While the Young Dubs are essentially a straightforward bar-rock band with some Celtic...
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03/07/08
Part of the deal with my gig at Salt Lake magazine involves me kicking myself in the butt to explore new artistic avenues beyond pop music, my natural comfort zone. This weekend, in addition to tons of worthy music going down around town, there are several openings at art galleries that are legitimately tempting. But first, my Must-See Show of the Week, the gypsy punks of Gogol Bordello, playing at The Paladium Saturday night with Skindred.
Just look at them! I want to see them just based on how they look! Good thing they sound even more interesting than they look. The band's latest album, Super Taranta!, is a joyously odd blend of punk, hard-rock...
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03/06/08
The hottest tour of 1998 arrives in the Salt Lake valley tonight, and chances are it won't sell quite as many tickets as it would have back in the day. Headlining the bill is lite-rockers Matchbox Twenty, and band whose music I generally ignore. I have to admit, though, that after I interviewed lead singer Rob Thomas a few years back, and found him to be a genuinely funny and extremely nice guy, I started cutting the band a little more slack. It's straightforward rock and roll of the variety particularly popular in sorority houses across America. 
Also on the bill is Alanis Morrissette, one-time "New Voice of a Generation: Female Division," and openers MuteMath. The show is at 7 p.m. at...
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03/05/08
Wow, talk about your dilemmas. How does a rock fan in Utah choose between Banyan, the jammy-jazz project of Jane's Addiction drummer Stephen Perkins, or W.A.S.P., the over-the-top metal madmen led by Blackie Lawless? Well, let's start with their photos. Here's a shot of Perkins in action, with sometime Banyan member Mike Watt thumping the thunderstick nearby: And here's a shot of W.A.S.P., sometime in the '80s when the band was scaring the pants off of Tipper Gore and the rest of the Parents Music Resource Council: If one of those photos gives you either a visceral thrill, or makes you want to laugh out loud, I'd say go with your gut. As for the music, Banyan offers up a non-stop brew of rock, jazz and punk riffs, often accompanied by a...
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03/05/08
An unusually high number of albums arrive in stores today from artists I actually want to hear from, unlike virtually every thing currently sitting at the top of the Billboard 200 album sales charts. Among them: - Goth-rock pioneers Bauhaus are releasing their final album, Go Away White, thanks to the combined efforts of singer Peter Murphy and those other dudes who went on to form Love and Rockets. - The Black Crowes return with Warpaint. Always happy to hear Chris and Rich Robinson doing their thing. - Irish rockers Flogging Molly have a new set,...
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03/03/08
Okay, that might be overstating things a bit, but the Christian-pop,grunge-lite band Lifehouse, playing a sold-out show tonight at The Depot, certainly sits high on my list of the 10 Most Annoying and Creatively Bankrupt Bands, post-Nirvana era. The band's 2001 monster hit, "Hanging by a Moment" (using the softverse/loud chorus Pixies/Nirvana template that was well played-out adecade previous to Lifehouse) was the most-played song on the radio.For some, that's an indication of the song's quality. For this guy,that's an indication of how sucky radio was in 2001. Here's the rest of those 10 Lifehouse-like bands I never need to hear again. Ever. In no particular order: 2. Fuel 3. Tonic 4....
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03/03/08
This last stretch on the calendar has been the kind that causes adude like me serious damage. Following the oh-so-fun, oh-so-late-night Salt Lake magazine dining awards last Tuesday, three of my favorite bands have arrived in town in quick succession. First was the Drive-By Truckers. Then there was the Meat Puppets. And tomorrow, the "Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Band in the World," aka the Supersuckers, are throwing down at Bar Deluxe,headlining a show that also includes Denver alt-country kids...
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