John Nelson covers the local music scene for Salt Lake magazine. He is a 20-year veteran of Uncle Sam’s Flying Circus with a lifelong addiction to American roots music, live music venues, craft beer and baseball.
The musical circus, Elephant Revival, is coming to town! On Wednesday, July 30, 2025, the lovely Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre will serve as their proverbial big top. The Nederland, Colorado sextuplet thrills their audiences with a genre-fluid, multi-instrumental newgrass sound, a musical style that blends transcendental folk and Kentucky bluegrass with the devil’s lettuce. It’s folk music–if the folks were Celts, gypsies, and hippies. Their ethereal and earthy, soul-soothing sound will fill our mountains with positive vibes. They’re the perfect elixir for these fractious times.
Band leader Bonnie Paine blends her siren vocals with multiple instruments like the washboard, cello, and musical saw. The six-piece ensemble creates a celestial symphonic sound with guitars, mandolin, fiddle, upright bass, pedal steel, banjo, and a variety of drums. In the past, they’ve included a drumline and aerial acrobats to add to the carnivalesque atmosphere (though I doubt the Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre stage is built for aerial acrobatics.)
The band formed in 2006 and toured extensively with frequent stops in Utah, including a couple of New Year’s Eve shows at The State Room, which are forever etched in my mind. In 2008, they released their debut self-titled album that featured trippy favorites “Ring Around The Moon” and “Sing to the Mountain.” The band has six full-length LPs to their credit, including my personal favorite, These Changing Skies (2013).
In 2018, the band announced an indefinite hiatus (a gentle way of saying “breakup”), but fortunately for their legions of fans, they resumed their music-making in 2022 and started touring in 2023 (minus Daniel Rodriguez, who had set off on a solo career). The reconstituted ensemble is back and better than ever!
Here’s a preshow teaser– enjoy their mind-blowing cover of Tool’s “Schism. Click Here for the Video.
Opening is Two Runner, a folk duo from Northern California. Their beautiful harmonies will send you to the right headspace for Elephant Revival’s magical musical experience. Songwriter Paige Anderson and fiddler Emilie Rose blend a twangy clawhammer banjo and fiddle with sweet vocal harmonies. In 2023, they released their debut album Modern Cowboy. The record features a fresh mix of eclectic mountain music that finds a home in the High Sierra, Rockies, or along the Appalachian Trail. The album stretches the boundaries of bluegrass, folk, and country, capturing a majestic sound with minimal instrumentation.
Summer is fading fast, so don’t miss an opportunity to groove on the otherworldly sounds of Elephant Revival in a bucolic setting. It’s also an economical night out, considering you can bring in your tasty treats and soothing libations without paying the inflated concession prices of similar venues.
Who: Elephant Revival w/ Two Runner What: Red Butte Outdoor Concert Series 2025 Where: Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre When: Wednesday, July 30, 2025 Info and tickets: https://redbuttegarden.org/concerts/
On Wednesday night (July 16, 2025), Rhiannon Giddens & The Old-Time Revue transformed the Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre stage into their magical, traveling porch, inviting us to join them for an uplifting musical adventure. North Carolina (minus the humidity) became our first sonic waystation with Giddens and Dirk Powell delivering a powerful rendition of Elizabeth Cotton’s “Freight Train.”
Giddens’ former musical partner in the Carolina Chocolate Drops, Justin Robinson, stepped up on the porch with fiddle in hand to pay homage to the late Joe Thompson, a shared mentor who taught them both the banjo and fiddle tune, “Georgia Buck.” The remaining members of the ensemble joined in with Jason Sypher on upright bass, Amelia Powell on guitar, and rapper Demeanor (Giddens’ nephew) on bones and any other instrument within reach. We stayed in the Carolinas for one more number as the porch-rockin’ string band symphony played “High on a Mountain.” That, we were.
Our next musical stop was South Louisiana. Dirk Powell led with “Dimanche Apres-Midi” (or Sunday afternoon for us Anglophones), an uplifting accordion-forward Cajun tune followed by the 2-step “Back of Town.” That Zydeco-adjacent sound liberated me from my low-back chair and sent me scurrying to the garden’s dancing space.
Giddens’ rendition of a Yoruba language folk song, “Laye Olugbon,” then took us to a rich landscape of American roots music in Southwestern Nigeria. That trip across the ocean is an essential part of the American musical flight path. The banjo, brought to us by Afro-Caribbean slaves, occupies a central place in our heritage. Throughout the evening, Giddens & The Old-Time Revue demonstrated the versatility of the banjo and how, for generations, it provided struggling laborers (free and enslaved) with a conduit for telling their stories. Case in point: Giddens’ nephew, Demeanor, performed a genre-bending banjo-driven rap song, “Polyphia.” Don’t look so puzzled. Blending a traditional sound with a modern style, he showed us the best of the American roots tradition. And it all made sense! Come on, Snoop Dogg, grab that four-string!
The captivating, 20-song set made us wonder where we’d go next on our road trip. We landed in Bakersfield, California. Amelia Powell added just the right amount of Merle Haggard honky-tonk twang with her soulful rendition of “Somewhere Between.” Dirk and Amelia Powell (father/daughter) then teamed up with Demeanor on a new song they recently penned together. “Out of Sight” stayed true to its name. The catchy Cajun-roots-pop sound has all the earmarks of a hit.
Our American roots tour then took us to the Mississippi Delta when Giddens brought out a 1850s-style fretless banjo and shredded an original blues number, “Step Away Blues.” Who knew you could rock the blues with a banjo?
The evening drew to a close much too quickly. Giddens played “At The Purchaser’s Option,” a fan favorite from her fantastic 2017 folk album Freedom Highway. The ensemble ended the show with A.P. Carter’s “God Gave Noah the Rainbow Sign.” That old-school country gospel tune provided a perfect “amen” to end an evening of American Roots music.
Giddens returned to the porch and delivered a heart-stirring a cappella version of “Pretty Saro.” Her pitch-perfect, soprano voice wafted over the crowd and echoed through the mountains and back to her audience, who listened intently in the Garden. The full ensemble came out and jammed “Riro’s House” to end a perfect evening.
Fun fact: In addition to a couple of Grammys and a Pulitzer Prize in music, Rhiannon Giddens received a MacArthur “Genius” award for her work to revitalize the black string band tradition. The crowd at Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre on Wednesday night witnessed that brilliance.
Sunny War opened the show with a stellar 8-song solo set. Her dreamy vocals and skillful finger picking immediately won the crowd’s attention. Listeners put aside their precious chickpea dip and chardonnay to fully embrace War’s bluesy folk. I particularly liked her gritty “He Is My Cell.” Then she played two bangers, “No Reason” and “Whole,” from her 2023 album Anarchist Gospel. I was hoping for several tracks from her remarkable new record Armageddon In A Summer Dress, but I guess that’ll have to wait for another time. I would love to see her again with a band at an intimate listening room, such as The State Room or Urban Lounge.
Who: Rhiannon Giddens &The Old Time Revue w/ Sunny War
Elephant Revival, a six-piece orchestra from Colorado, delivered a spellbinding hippy, trippy, Celtic-infused set at the Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre on Wednesday, July 30, 2025.
The band expertly blended their transcendental folk into a unique Americana symphony with a surprising combination of instruments: electric guitar, fiddle, pedal steel, mandolin, cello, bass, musical saw, washboard, and drums (with a little goddess magic mixed in). Add in the ethereal vocals of lead singer Bonnie Paine, and we were blessed with a unique patchwork of music that was both soothing and psychedelic. It reached that celestial plane where classic music meets classic rock.
The epic 20-song performance began with Bridget Law playing an uplifting fiddle-forward Scottish instrumental, “The Reel McKay Wedding.” Then they gently massaged the audience into a blissful trance with fan-favorite “Remembering a Beginning.”
Photo credit Paul Montano
Dueling electric guitar and mandolin traded hot licks on “Stolen,” creating a Romani/Spanish vibe. I know that may seem a non-sequitur. But somehow the two instruments blended beautifully with the fiddle and Bonnie Paine’s haunting warble and signature washboard. That combination proved an intoxicating sonic elixir.
Elephant Revival shared new music, too. I hope that means a new album is in the works. One fresh offering, “What Does Wonder?” felt like Elephant Revival 2.0 (the band went on hiatus in 2018 and only recently reunited). It conjured up all the pre-2018 magic and more. Paine bowed her electric cello while Dango Rose did the same on his electric upright bass. Charlie Rose added the right amount of twang on his pedal steel, and newcomer Daniel Sproul provided depth on electric guitar. Darren Garvey kept perfect time on percussion, and as always, Law’s fiddle brought it all together. That’s the formula fans have been grooving on for nearly 20 years.
Much to my delight, Paine flexed her saw and played “Ring Around The Moon,” a band classic. Her vocal pitch matched the sound of the fiddle and the saw perfectly. I could almost feel myself levitate off my Tommy Bahama low-back chair.
Photo credit Paul Montano
Other surprise highlights included Charlie Rose singing the lead vocal and plucking his banjo on “Rainbow Connection.” I think Kermit would approve of Elephant Revival’s trippy version. (I hope someone has this on video for the next PBS Utah fundraiser!) While we’re on the topic of rainbows, the crowd joyfully rose to their feet for an amazing version of Pink Floyd’s “Have A Cigar.”\
“Paine held us in rapt attention as she donned a set of sadistically sweet, metal-claw-tipped gloves and scratched a washboard worn like an armored vest, accompanying the appropriately foreboding Gaelic song “Ciamar Nimi.” Beginning as a hauntingly sorrowful tune (It’s Irish, after all), the song moved into a hip-hop musical space. I think I may have experienced my first Gaelic rap! Move over Commitments! You never know what musical mysteries await you at an Elephant Revival show.
For the encore, Emilie Rose and Paige Anderson of Two Runner joined the ensemble on stage for a spirited rendition of Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy.” Paine ended the show with her majestic vocal soundwaves on “Rogue River,” with a brief reference to Richie Havens’ “Freedom” woven in.
Two Runner opened the show. The Northern California duo features Emilie Rose on fiddle and Paige Anderson on banjo and guitar. Anderson’s high-lonesome voice perfectly blends with Rose’s softer vocal harmonies. They started us off with a new fiddle and banjo number, “Road Runner” from an upcoming new album. In all, they managed 11 songs, including fan favorites “Run Souls” and “Devil’s Rowdydow.”
Two Runner connected deeply with the Red Butte Garden audience, given the duo’s link with the Salt Lake City music scene. Indeed, they recorded their latest single, “Late Dinner,” at Daniel Young’s Orchard Studio in North Salt Lake, with Young’s help as the track’s engineer. They shared a story of how a late-night drink at Duffy’s Tavern after a performance at The State Room gave inspiration for the song “Strawberry Rhinestones,” and Anderson penned “Helmet” following a motorcycle ride through Zion. They also gave a shout-out to the Tuesday night jam sessions at Gracies. Ah, shucks, I felt proud of our musical community that night.
Their final tune, “Burn it to the Ground,” was not inspired by our city, thank goodness. But, it did reflect on a feeling to which many in the audience could relate: the frustrations of growing up in a small town, where everyone knows your business.
Fun Fact: Bonnie Paine and Bridget Law bought the stunning gowns they wore on stage at Decades Vintage Clothing on 6th South.
The natural acoustics of the Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre made it the perfect outdoor venue. Occasionally, I got a brief whiff of nature–that sweet skunky perfume of freedom. Rock on!
The musical circus, Elephant Revival, is coming to town! On Wednesday, July 30, 2025, the lovely Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre will serve as their proverbial big top. The Nederland, Colorado sextuplet thrills their audiences with a genre-fluid, multi-instrumental newgrass sound, a musical style that blends transcendental folk and Kentucky bluegrass with the devil’s lettuce. It’s folk music–if the folks were Celts, gypsies, and hippies. Their ethereal and earthy, soul-soothing sound will fill our mountains with positive vibes. They’re the perfect elixir for these fractious times.
Band leader Bonnie Paine blends her siren vocals with multiple instruments like the washboard, cello, and musical saw. The six-piece ensemble creates a celestial symphonic sound with guitars, mandolin, fiddle, upright bass, pedal steel, banjo, and a variety of drums. In the past, they’ve included a drumline and aerial acrobats to add to the carnivalesque atmosphere (though I doubt the Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre stage is built for aerial acrobatics.)
The band formed in 2006 and toured extensively with frequent stops in Utah, including a couple of New Year’s Eve shows at The State Room, which are forever etched in my mind. In 2008, they released their debut self-titled album that featured trippy favorites “Ring Around The Moon” and “Sing to the Mountain.” The band has six full-length LPs to their credit, including my personal favorite, These Changing Skies (2013).
In 2018, the band announced an indefinite hiatus (a gentle way of saying “breakup”), but fortunately for their legions of fans, they resumed their music-making in 2022 and started touring in 2023 (minus Daniel Rodriguez, who had set off on a solo career). The reconstituted ensemble is back and better than ever!
Here’s a preshow teaser– enjoy their mind-blowing cover of Tool’s “Schism. Click Here for the Video.
Opening is Two Runner, a folk duo from Northern California. Their beautiful harmonies will send you to the right headspace for Elephant Revival’s magical musical experience. Songwriter Paige Anderson and fiddler Emilie Rose blend a twangy clawhammer banjo and fiddle with sweet vocal harmonies. In 2023, they released their debut album Modern Cowboy. The record features a fresh mix of eclectic mountain music that finds a home in the High Sierra, Rockies, or along the Appalachian Trail. The album stretches the boundaries of bluegrass, folk, and country, capturing a majestic sound with minimal instrumentation.
Summer is fading fast, so don’t miss an opportunity to groove on the otherworldly sounds of Elephant Revival in a bucolic setting. It’s also an economical night out, considering you can bring in your tasty treats and soothing libations without paying the inflated concession prices of similar venues.
Who: Elephant Revival w/ Two Runner What: Red Butte Outdoor Concert Series 2025 Where: Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre When: Wednesday, July 30, 2025 Info and tickets: https://redbuttegarden.org/concerts/
On Wednesday night (July 16, 2025), Rhiannon Giddens & The Old-Time Revue transformed the Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre stage into their magical, traveling porch, inviting us to join them for an uplifting musical adventure. North Carolina (minus the humidity) became our first sonic waystation with Giddens and Dirk Powell delivering a powerful rendition of Elizabeth Cotton’s “Freight Train.”
Giddens’ former musical partner in the Carolina Chocolate Drops, Justin Robinson, stepped up on the porch with fiddle in hand to pay homage to the late Joe Thompson, a shared mentor who taught them both the banjo and fiddle tune, “Georgia Buck.” The remaining members of the ensemble joined in with Jason Sypher on upright bass, Amelia Powell on guitar, and rapper Demeanor (Giddens’ nephew) on bones and any other instrument within reach. We stayed in the Carolinas for one more number as the porch-rockin’ string band symphony played “High on a Mountain.” That, we were.
Our next musical stop was South Louisiana. Dirk Powell led with “Dimanche Apres-Midi” (or Sunday afternoon for us Anglophones), an uplifting accordion-forward Cajun tune followed by the 2-step “Back of Town.” That Zydeco-adjacent sound liberated me from my low-back chair and sent me scurrying to the garden’s dancing space.
Giddens’ rendition of a Yoruba language folk song, “Laye Olugbon,” then took us to a rich landscape of American roots music in Southwestern Nigeria. That trip across the ocean is an essential part of the American musical flight path. The banjo, brought to us by Afro-Caribbean slaves, occupies a central place in our heritage. Throughout the evening, Giddens & The Old-Time Revue demonstrated the versatility of the banjo and how, for generations, it provided struggling laborers (free and enslaved) with a conduit for telling their stories. Case in point: Giddens’ nephew, Demeanor, performed a genre-bending banjo-driven rap song, “Polyphia.” Don’t look so puzzled. Blending a traditional sound with a modern style, he showed us the best of the American roots tradition. And it all made sense! Come on, Snoop Dogg, grab that four-string!
The captivating, 20-song set made us wonder where we’d go next on our road trip. We landed in Bakersfield, California. Amelia Powell added just the right amount of Merle Haggard honky-tonk twang with her soulful rendition of “Somewhere Between.” Dirk and Amelia Powell (father/daughter) then teamed up with Demeanor on a new song they recently penned together. “Out of Sight” stayed true to its name. The catchy Cajun-roots-pop sound has all the earmarks of a hit.
Our American roots tour then took us to the Mississippi Delta when Giddens brought out a 1850s-style fretless banjo and shredded an original blues number, “Step Away Blues.” Who knew you could rock the blues with a banjo?
The evening drew to a close much too quickly. Giddens played “At The Purchaser’s Option,” a fan favorite from her fantastic 2017 folk album Freedom Highway. The ensemble ended the show with A.P. Carter’s “God Gave Noah the Rainbow Sign.” That old-school country gospel tune provided a perfect “amen” to end an evening of American Roots music.
Giddens returned to the porch and delivered a heart-stirring a cappella version of “Pretty Saro.” Her pitch-perfect, soprano voice wafted over the crowd and echoed through the mountains and back to her audience, who listened intently in the Garden. The full ensemble came out and jammed “Riro’s House” to end a perfect evening.
Fun fact: In addition to a couple of Grammys and a Pulitzer Prize in music, Rhiannon Giddens received a MacArthur “Genius” award for her work to revitalize the black string band tradition. The crowd at Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre on Wednesday night witnessed that brilliance.
Sunny War opened the show with a stellar 8-song solo set. Her dreamy vocals and skillful finger picking immediately won the crowd’s attention. Listeners put aside their precious chickpea dip and chardonnay to fully embrace War’s bluesy folk. I particularly liked her gritty “He Is My Cell.” Then she played two bangers, “No Reason” and “Whole,” from her 2023 album Anarchist Gospel. I was hoping for several tracks from her remarkable new record Armageddon In A Summer Dress, but I guess that’ll have to wait for another time. I would love to see her again with a band at an intimate listening room, such as The State Room or Urban Lounge.
Who: Rhiannon Giddens &The Old Time Revue w/ Sunny War
Here’s my recipe for a delicious summer evening: Take a warm summer night, add a lush garden, and stir in the sounds of a string band dancing through the mountain air. Then grab your fancy picnic baskets and head to Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, for a spectacular evening of front-porch rockin’ music from Rhiannon Giddens & The Old-Time Revue.
Collaborating with The Old-Time Revue marks Giddens’ much-anticipated return to her North Carolina roots and the old-time music tradition that launched her career. A 2x GRAMMY winner, Giddens also received the Pulitzer Prize in music for her opera “Omar,” and a MacArthur “genius” award for reclaiming African American contributions to folk and country music and weaving together music from the past and present. She is also a virtuosic multi-instrumentalist with a classically trained soprano voice.
Giddens and The Old-Time Revue represent a remarkable collaboration with talent from diverse American musical traditions. Joining Giddens on stage will be her old Carolina Chocolate Drop collaborator, Justin Robinson, and the celebrated multi-instrumentalist Dirk Powell, longtime bassist Jason Sypher, guitarist Amelia Powell, and bones player and rapper Demeanor.
What Did the Blackbird Say to the Crows, her new album recorded with Robinson, is a fiddle-and-banjo celebration of the wonderful complexity of American Roots music. The record features a mix of North Carolinian instrumentals and traditional songs, many learned from her late mentor, the legendary North Carolina Piedmont musician Joe Thompson. Thompson was one of the last musicians from his community to carry on the southern Black string band tradition. Rhiannon Giddens & The Old-Time Revue pay homage to that legacy and shepherd it into a new era.
Blending many of the tributaries of Americana, including blues, folk, country, Cajun, hip-hop, and African styles, Giddens and company breathe life into old-time roots music, keeping it alive and relevant in the 21st century.
Click HERE for a video of Paul Simon and Rhiannon Giddens singing “American Tune.”
Opening is Sunny War (a.k.a. Sydney Ward), a fresh voice for these complicated times. She mixes the poetry of folk with the angry defiance of punk and the hard realities of blues to create a rootsy pop sound that’s whimsically sharp.
Click HEREfor a fun video of Sunny War’s “Walking Contradiction.”
Who: Rhiannon Giddens &The Old-Time Revue w/ Sunny War
The 17th Annual Ogden Music Festival is the closest we’ll come to Woodstock on the Wasatch. Blue skies and great vibes greeted the festivarians who gathered to celebrate three glorious days of peace, music, and the multifaceted roots of Americana.
The gala featured 26 performances, a second-line-style parade, jam sessions, workshops with featured artists, and nearly 24 hours of music. The Ogden Music Festival is the signature event of The Ogden Friends of Acoustic Music (OFOAM), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to enhance our community’s quality of life through music. They’re also dedicated to getting musical instruments in the hands of our kids and developing the next generation of musicians and music lovers.
It’s a tall task to boil down such a mammoth affair into a short review. Let me start with recognizing the OFOAM leaders and volunteers who put on an amazing and well-run event. Bravo!
The festival began on Friday, May 30, 2025, with five eclectic acts. Salt Lake City’s own Hot House West Swing Orchestra kicked off the weekend with “I’m an old cowhand,” a 1930s classic. The 14-piece western swing and gypsy jazz orchestra dazzled us with a dozen high-energy tunes covering everything from Bing Crosby to Patsy Cline and included original compositions like “Saguaro Serenade.” Melissa Chilinski joined the orchestra as a guest vocalist, and her Pompe n’ Honey bandmates took the stage for the final number, “Side Saddle” complete with a trippy Lawrence Welk-inspired bubble machine.
Photo by Jay Blakesberg.
The music never really stops at the Ogden Music Festival. When one main stage act ends, another begins. “Tweeners” keep the music flowing during the interludes when roadies (always dressed in black) ready the stage for the next performance. Megan Blue delivered a fine bluesy solo set once the Hot House West’s bubbles dissipated and before the next act plugged in.
Pokey LaFarge, sporting a slicked back pompadour, delivered a fabulous 75-minute, 12-song rock-a-billy tent show revival set. Grooving to all that retro-coolness, the audience rose to their feet and communed with the musical spirits conjured by LaFarge and his band. He opened with “So Long Chicago” from his stellar 2024 release Rhumba Country. He reached back into his deep catalog with “Get It ‘Fore It’s Gone,” “End of My Rope”, and “Fine to Me.” He closed his set with “Something In The Water.” Though not the headliner, the crowd demanded more, and he encored with “La La Blues.”
Primera Linea, a youth band from Havana, Cuba, travelled the furthest to entertain us. They blended Afro-Cuban funk, hip hop, and New Orleans-style jazz into a short but energetic “tweener” set. It warmed my heart to see the next generation of artists expanding the Americana songbook.
Cimafunk and his band La Tribu (Spanish for The Tribe) headlined the evening. Cimafunk, a multi-Grammy-nominated artist and musical mixologist, blends Afro-Cuban funk, American retro soul, Latin rock, and hip hop to create a diverse and highly danceable sound. Though I don’t speak Spanish, I am fluent in funk and the universal language of soul. The crowd didn’t need any translation either. They abandoned their low-back chairs and turned the space into a ground-shaking dance party. Cimafunk brought out the members of Primera Linea to jam alongside him on “Me Voy,” ramping up the energy and giving the kids a wonderful moment to shine on stage with the master musicians. The remarkable evening ended with a spirited version of Parliament’s “Give Up The Funk.”
Rumor has it that the U.S. Geological Survey, the folks who detect earthquakes, might have noticed the seismic activity coming from Ogden Friday night. But we will never know, since a certain Ketamine-infused maniac fired all the weekend staff (joking, not joking).
Saturday’s noon to nearly midnight showcase started with Mariachi Fuego, an 8-piece mariachi band decked out in their splendid regalia. They set a festive tone for a warm afternoon embrace of roots-based music.
With a jam-packed schedule of artists on the docket, I had a full bingo card of must-see favorites.
Margo Cilker topped my list. Since reviewing her March 2024 show at The State Room, I’ve been eager to see her again. Her style is country-folk with a West Coast edge. It’s outdoorsy, pack up the Subaru and head to the hills kind of music. She opened with the catchy “Low Land Trail” followed by “Barbed Wire (Belly Crawl)” and “Tehachapi.” On her fourth number, she took us on a journey in a “‘64 Mercury Comet.” I hope she records this lovely coming-of-age banger on a future album. She managed to squeeze in a dozen songs in an hour, including “Keep it on a Burner.” Cilker is a rising star, and I hope she finds her way back here next year (if not sooner).
John Craigie with the Coffis Brothers. When Bob Dylan went electric at the Newport Folk Festival back in 1965, his fans called him a traitor. Craigie didn’t get the same reaction in Ogden. Fans were delighted to hear his electrified music. (He did, however, play a song called Judas.) Craigie usually dazzles audiences as a solo performer armed with his acoustic guitar and his comedic wit. But this summer there’s less standup and more music. Joining him on his tour is the five-piece Coffis Brothers band, who make his finely-crafted tunes pop (and rock). They opened with “Damn My Love” and followed it with “Part Wolf.” Craigie records his songs with multi-instrumental backing, so hearing the larger production of a full band didn’t seem out of place. He gave the band a break and did “I Wrote Mr. Tambourine Man” solo. When the band returned, they performed an unexpected cover of Don Henley’s “Boys of Summer.”
“I Am California” included captivating guitar and keyboard solos that enhanced his signature tune. He ended the show with a rockin’ rendition of “Nomads.”
Craigie and the Coffis Brothers returned on Sunday for another full set (with 80% different material). On their final festival run, they closed with a spirited version of “Laurie Rolled Me a J.” These two performances were a true festival highlight.
New Dangerfield is a relatively new quartet that is reinvigorating the black string band tradition. I particularly enjoyed their original organic “Put No Walls Around Your Garden.”
Nashville’s Newest Bluegrass Ambassadors East Nash Grass just won the International Bluegrass Music Association’s New Artist of the Year award, so of course, the OFOAM crew had to bring them out to our festival. They uplifted the crowd with their 11-song set of fresh-cut grass.
Sister Sadie is a six-piece, all-female band that blends bluegrass with ‘90s country. Their performance of “Let The Circle Be Broken,” the latest single from their upcoming album, created the most powerful musical moment of the festival. The beautifully harmonized tune about breaking the cycle of generational trauma and abuse received a standing ovation from the crowd for its sheer beauty and the courage it took to play it.
Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives headlined the Saturday show. Stuart is a country music legend, multi-Grammy winner, and inductee into the Country Music Hall of Fame. He started his career at thirteen years old touring as a mandolin player in Lester Flatt’s band. He later joined Johnny Cash’s band as a guitarist before moving on to a highly successful solo career. Stuart draws on a depth of musical influences and styles to produce a beautifully rich, timeless sound. He opened with a hard-driving retro country number, “Tear The Woodpile Down.” His country music fans were delighted with “The Whisky Ain’t Workin’.” They played a cool surf rock instrumental, “Space Junk,” and the rockin’ “Tomahawk.” They flawlessly mixed genres through their impressive 18-song set and encored with a surf rock guitar jam before ending with the trippy Doors-esque “Space.” Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives were the perfect headliner for the festival. He connects the dots from many of the genres that make up American roots music.
The great vibes continued on Sunday with local grassers Theoretical Blond, who welcomed festivarians with their uplifting sound just as the morning caffeine started to kick in.
Fretless, a Canadian string quartet, featured the ethereal vocals of Madeleine Roger. As festivarians sat under a scorching sun with cottonwood snow falling all around them, Fretless played tunes that conjured up mental images of both an Appalachian holler and an Irish peat bog. Their cover of Bruce Cockburn’s “Wondering Where The Lions Are” transcended space and time. As the haunting sound of a cello played, two violins and a viola wailed as Roger’s otherworldly voice sang the lyric “some kind of ecstasy got a hold of me.”
Lone Piñon, a string band from New Mexico, blended styles such as Cumbia, Bolero (and so much more) into a masterful set that reached from North to South America and to the Caribbean, highlighting the Latin roots of Americana music.
AJ Lee and Blue Summit closed out the 17th Annual Ogden Music Festival as the Sunday headliner. Their blend of spirited California grass served as a sonic exclamation point on the wonderful and diverse three days of music. Opening with “Hillside,” they played many fan favorites from their hefty catalog, which included “Seaside Town,” “City of Glass,” “Tear My Stillhouse Down,” and “Bakersfield Clay.” I particularly enjoyed their rendition of New Riders of the Purple Sage’s “Glendale Train.” It had all the psychedelic undertones of the original but with a punchier tempo. They also covered Sheryl Crow’s “Soak Up The Sun,” which captured the essence of the day. They ended their set with “Lemons and Tangerines” and returned for a remarkable encore with a beautiful version of Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon” and ended the fest with “To Mine.”
Throughout the three-day festival, we enjoyed the contributions of the mostly local “tweener” contingent of artists who played between main stage setups. The length of each tweener set depended on the speed of the transition, but the quality of their performances never wavered. So thank you to Megan Blue, Primera Linea, Dylan Clough, The Last Wild Buffalo, Pepper Rose, Debra Fatheringham, Cooper Lavallee, Finch and the Magpies, Love Juliet, and Riley Rawlins for keeping the great musical vibes going all weekend.
The Ogden Music Festival is a music lover’s dream. The crowds are right-sized to bring in marquee acts, but small enough to keep it intimate and approachable. Festivarians can see award-winning musicians in all their on-stage glory and then jam with them, up close and personal, at “Jam Camp.” The festival runs like a well-oiled machine, and the vibe is always joyous.
Mark your calendar. The 18th Annual Ogden Music Festival runs from June 5-7, 2026. There will be a variety of ways to participate: Camping, a single-day outing, or grab a full three-day pass. This year, the Sunday ticket cost $25 for 8 hours of great music and fun activities. Follow them at www.ofoam.org. Early bird tickets usually go on sale in December. It’s the perfect Christmas gift for the musician or music enthusiast in your family.
Who: Ogden Friends of Acoustic Music (OFOAM) What: 17th Annual Ogden Music Festival Where: Fort Buenaventura (Ogden) When: May 30, 2025- June 1, 2025 Info: ofoam.org
It’s time to dust off your picnic baskets and unpack your Tommy Bahama festival chairs! Red Butte Garden just announced an amazing 30-concert lineup for summer and, as usual, I am very excited.
My must-see list includes Rhiannon Giddens and Elephant Revival, two artists whose ethereal music is meant to waft through mountain landscapes.
Snuggled against the Foothills in the state’s botanical garden, the Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre offers the perfect. outdoor concert experience. Generations of Salt Lakers continue to enjoy the stellar mountain and valley views, a lush setting and unparalleled sound, and an easygoing, picnic-with-friends energy. Music just feels better here.
From rock legends and Grammy award winners to genre-blending performers you’ll experience nowhere else, Red Butte Garden’s 2025 Summer Outdoor Concert Series offers something to captivate every music lover.
TaThe full concert lineup and ticket purchase details are available on the Red Butte Garden and Arboretum website, redbuttegarden.org.
Concert tickets will go on sale in two waves.
Wave One ticket sales for show dates between May 19 and July 27, 2025
Monday, April 21- Member online-only presale at 7 pm
Tuesday, April 22- Member in-person sales at 9 am
Friday, April 25- Public on sale at 10 am
Wave Two ticket sales for show dates between July 28 and September 16
Monday, April 28- Member online-only presale at 7 pm
Tuesday, April 29- Member in-person sales at 9 am
Friday, May 2- Public on sale at 10 am
Mark your calendar because tickets can go fast.
What: The 2025 Red Butte Garden Outdoor Concert Series Where: Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre When: Throughout the summer Info and tickets: www.redbuttegarden.org/concerts
Trust me, warmer days are on the way! Like crocus and tulips, Red Butte Garden’s announcement of its first show in its 2025 Outdoor Concert Series is a sure sign that spring is coming!
On Thursday, May 29, 2025, Trampled By Turtles, the genre-defying sextet, will kick off the season. The Minnesota-based band will play a spirited Midwestern Gothic blend of bluegrass and Indie-rock. Their masterful string arrangements will sound amazing in the Garden’s natural sonic landscape.
Trampled By Turtles. Photo by Olivia Bastone
Red Butte Garden’s award-winning Outdoor Concert Series has welcomed music lovers since 1987 when the Garden showcased four local bands. Since then, the series has grown into one of the valley’s most anticipated music events, featuring around 30 of the world’s most influential performers and exciting new artists. Voted #1 Best Outdoor Concert Venue and Best All-Ages Concert Venue in City Weekly’s Best of Utah 2024, Red Butte Garden Ampitheatre, with its spectacular Foothills setting, picnic-with-friends vibe, and consistently stacked lineup, can’t be beat.
Tickets for Trampled By Turtles are on sale now. The full lineup of summer shows will be released by mid-April.
Who: Trampled By Turtles What: Red Butte Garden Outdoor Concert Series Where: Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre When: May 29, 2025 Info and tickets: https://redbuttegarden.org/concerts/
Find reviews from last year’s Red Butte Concert Series, here!
I’m NOT dreaming of a white Christmas. Sun and music are more my jam. Luckily, Ogden Friends of Acoustic Music (OFOAM) are working diligently to book marque acts and plan out next year’s three-day Ogden Music Festival scheduled for May 30-June 1, 2025. In the meantime, are you shopping for the perfect Christmas gift? Give your loved one an unforgettable musical adventure (it’s way better than some “thing” that’ll just end up collecting dust.) Holiday discount tickets are on sale now through January 1st. Three-day camping or single-day passes are available.
The Ogden Music Festival, it’s an intimate three days of music, camping, interactive workshops, and jam sessions with nationally touring artists. It’s big enough to draw top performers, but small enough for an immersive musical experience. Last year festivarians got to hang out and learn about songwriting from Sarah Jarosz and John Craigie. How cool is that?
Don’t let the “acoustic” moniker fool you. OFOAM brings in blues, funk, rock, folk, and Latin beats alongside bluegrass, newgrass, and string bands. It’s an inclusive celebration of Americana music and all its important influences. There’s something for everyone.
The OFOAM organizers have already shared a sneak peek of just some of the eclectic acts they’ve secured for this spring’s musical feast.
Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives. Stuart is a five-time Grammy winner, Country Music Hall of Famer, and AMA Lifetime Achievement honoree. A musical legend whose style fits perfectly with the OFOAM goal of bringing us top-notch artists who bring a good-time vibe.
Cimafunk is an emerging Afro-Cuban superstar. He explores the intersections of funk, hip-hop, and Afro-Caribbean music. He’s all set to add Ogden to his list of epic festival appearances including the New Orleans Jazz Festival, Lollapalooza, and Coachella.
AJ Lee & Blue Summit is a troupe of musical virtuosi who play California Grass, a spirited blend of traditional bluegrass and West Coast hippy jams. Salt Lake magazine covered them in 2023 when they shook The State Room’s rafters! (Does the State Room have rafters?) See our post-show review of their stirring performance.
Margo Cilker is a must-see artist who captivated fans at The State Room last year. Cilker has two award-winning full-length records to her credit and a growing catalog of great songs. If you’re a fan of Lucinda Williams, Eilen Jewell, or Nikki Lane then you’ll want to know Cilker’s music. Don’t miss catching her live. Here’s our review of her jaw-dropping SLC show. I’m thrilled to see her again!
Sister Sadie is a wildfire. They combine raging hot bluegrass with breathtaking instrumental drive and awe-inspiring vocals. In 2024, this all-female ensemble took home the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) award for Female Vocalist of the Year (Jaelee Roberts) and Fiddle Player of the Year (Deanie Richardson.) The group’s latest album No Fear has received a Grammy nomination for Best Bluegrass Album.
East Nash Grass is one of the hottest new bands in bluegrass and just picked up the IBMA award for Best New Artist. Of course, OFOAM booked them! That’s what they do.
New Dangerfield is a recently-formed Black string band supergroup that brings together Afrofuturist fiddler Jake Blount with composer, songwriter, and old-time banjo player Kaia Kater alongside award-winning banjoist Tray Wellington and bassist Nelson Williams. New Dangerfield is on a mission to celebrate the Black string band tradition.
This is just a small sample of the dozens of performers on deck for 2025. The Ogden Music Festival is a personal favorite. Just a short drive or FrontRunner hop from SLC, the well-organized event always features an impressive line-up. I really love the chill vibe.
