Music

This evening (Sunday) sees blues guitarist Gary Clark Jr. pitching up at Red Butte Garden for a sold-out show to support his latest album The Story of Sonny Boy Slim.

Clark certainly has some chops as a blues guitarist, honing his skills in the clubs of Austin with established players like Jimmie Vaughan (brother of Stevie Ray) and showing that he could hold his own at Eric Clapton’s Crossroad guitar festival; no mean feat.

But the smooth-voiced Clark is not your garden variety blues player. Clark has made it clear in his work that he wants to show you, that from hip hop to country—blues music is at the root of any contemporary musical genre you care to mention. Clark has also been active in celebrations of black musical innovation, performing at events such as Essence Fest, the BET Awards and Afropunk Festival.

Clarke has established an excellent reputation for being a terrific live act, and Sunday evening promises to be a compelling show.

Doors at 6 p.m. Show starts at 7, the opening act is self-styled rock-n-roll throwbacks the Weekenders.’

Muscle Shoals has always been a hotbed for music—thanks to FAME Records and Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, both of which attracted artists like The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, The Staples Singers, Otis Redding and Paul Simon, who traveled to Alabama just to get a little of that “Muscle Shoals Sound.”

But save for local studio musicians who helped create that trademark sound, and favorite son Sam Phillips, who went on to create the famed Sun Records in Memphis and subsequently effectively creating Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis, Muscle Shoals wasn’t producing a lot of home-grown talent.

That is no longer the case.

In recent years there has been a steady stream of talent coming out of the area. Drive-By Truckers, Jason Isbell, Anderson East, Secret Sisters and the now defunct The Civil Wars. And though The Civil Wars are no more, half of the duo, John Paul White, will hit The State Room on Sunday night.

A little background: Born in Muscle Shoals, but raised in Loretto, Tennessee, White already had a solo career when he teamed up with Joy Williams at a song writing workshop in Nashville in 2010. The pair won a few Grammys, but split in 2014. In 2015, White paired up to record the song “Kyrie” with Emmylou Harris and has a new album, Beulah, slated to come out in mid-August.

Beulah was recorded at FAME Records, and in the single that has been released there is still a hint of The Civil Wars Southern-folk but the overall feel is grittier and bluesier. In other words—it’s pure Muscle Shoals.

John Paul White plays the State Room on Sunday July 31 at 9 p.m.. Tickets are still available.

I have seen The Avett Brothers, at my best recollection, six or seven times. I have seen them play at a small venue in Park City, I saw them play a not-sold-out rainy show at Gallivan Center, and I have seen them more than once at Red Butte. Last night was my least favorite of all of those shows, for reasons I can’t quite put my finger on.

I don’t know. Maybe it was the setlist. Maybe it was me. But they seemed less chatty than usual and, even in the front row, I didn’t feel the connection that the band usually shares with their audience—the connection I wanted my 12 year-old-son Charlie, an Avetts super fan, to feel live and in person.

Bursting onto the stage with “Die, Die, Die” the always-energetic band blew through a setlist full of favorites—songs like “Shame,” “D-Bag Rag” (with kazoos, obviously), “Go To Sleep,”  “February Seven,” “Murder in the City,” and “Talk on Insolence” were interspersed between songs from their new album True Sadness, like the bass-heavy “Ain’t No Man” and a tale of divorce—and yodeling— in “Divorce Separation Blues.”

Let me be clear: a bad night for The Avett Brothers is still a really good night for music.

These boys (and one girl) really bring it. Brothers Scott and Seth Avett (banjo and guitar, respectively) harmonize like angels and took turns taking the lead all night—who says brothers can’t share?

A large part of The Avett’s success has been their band, which has grown in size in the years I’ve seen them tour. Cellist Joe Kwon—who is more metal as any cellist on the planet—drummer Mike Marsh, Bob Crawford on bass, pianist Paul Defiglia and violinist Tania Elizabeth create the trademark Avett sound—and do so in spite of not even receiving an introduction to the audience by their band’s namesakes. None of them leave anything on the stage. It’s remarkable that they’re able to play with that kinetic energy night after night, really.

It was during the encore that the band really hit their stride, though. Starting out with the poppy and peppy “Kick Drum Heart” bringing brother Seth into the crowd, with members of the audience holding up his guitar cables. Then it was on to a raucous version of Willie Nelson’s “Stay All Night” and they closed the set with “No Hard Feelings.”

Indeed. No hard feelings. I’ll see you next time, Avetts.

Dolly Parton’s performance Tuesday night at the UCCU Center showed that the 70-year-old star can still put on a show.  Dolly apologized for a slight cough and a case of the sniffles – not that it affected her singing performance at all.

“Me with a chest cold is like a giraffe with a sore throat,” Parton said. She kept those jokes coming all night.

The “backwoods Barbie” commanded the stage in a dress dripping with rhinestones. Parton busted out “Jolene,” and then treated the audience to new songs from her latest album Pure & Simple, an album she said was entirely of love songs.

Miss Parton is a beautiful storyteller. She told of growing up in a poor family of 12 children with parents who taught her the value of hard work, humility and acceptance.

“Everybody should be proud of where they’re from and who they are,” Parton said. “We had all the kind of stuff that money doesn’t buy: love, compassion and kindness.”

When Dolly sang “Coat of Many Colors,” the love she has for her mother and her upbringing was right there on stage. She expertly played the steel guitar for “Tennessee Mountain Home” as she told of the homesickness she experienced as a young performer.

“I graduated from high school on a Friday night, and on Saturday morning I hopped on a Greyhound to go find stardom,” Parton said.

The show’s atmosphere was very personal as Parton continued to tell stories and make the audience laugh. I’m firmly convinced that Dolly Parton can play any instrument she touches; she played an acoustic guitar, an electric guitar, a steel guitar, a fiddle, a banjo, a saxophone and a baby grand piano. In true Dolly fashion, every instrument is decorated with plenty of sparkles.

Parton got the crowd going when she brought up insanity of the current presidential election.

“I was thinking I might run,” Parton said to an explosion of cheers. “I’ve got the hair for it! I’m a self-made woman, and I’ve got the doctor’s bills to prove it!”

Dolly then showcased her southern gospel roots with renditions of “The Seeker” and “Precious Memories.”

After a short intermission – with an expected hair and outfit change — Parton used her strong and soulful voice to sing a few measures of Alicia Keys’ “Girl on Fire.” Dolly can sing whatever she wants as loud as she wants, and we would never want her to stop. Parton performed a few songs from the Trio albums, originally recorded alongside Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt. The party really got started when Dolly sang “Here You Come Again,” “Two Doors Down,” “Islands in the Stream,” and a dance-worthy version of “9 to 5.”

Parton closed the night with “I Will Always Love You,” and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t eek out an itty bitty tear.

Country music duo, Florida Georgia Line will perform at USANA amphitheater on Friday, July 29.

Often seen as the “pop” side of country music, duo members Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley, have nonetheless skyrocketed to success since their band’s debut in 2010. Most recently, Florida Georgia Line has become the first country music act to be awarded RIAA’s DIAMOND certification (10 million copies sold) for their hit single “Cruise.” Plus, their recent single “H.O.L.Y.” is currently #1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs List.

Florida Georgia Line’s unique style of music, blending country, pop and rock all together, has led them to 11 #1 hits over the past six years, along with numerous CMT, ACM and AMA awards, including three consecutive years as CMT’s Vocal Duo of the Year.

Stopping in Salt Lake as a part of their DIG YOUR ROOTS tour, their show will start at 7 p.m., doors open at 5:30 p.m. Special guests for the night include Cole Swindell, The Cadillac Three and Kane Brown.

Their newest album, Dig Your Roots, is scheduled to release this August.

USANA amphitheater is located at 5200 S 6200 W. Tickets are available here.

What can one say about Willie Nelson that has not already been said?

Rolling Stone calls him “One of America’s greatest songwriters, a hero from Texas to San Francisco, a hippie’s hippie and a redneck’s redneck,” and that’s not even the half of it. He’s an old school troubadour, who got his start writing songs for other people (including Patsy Cline’s “Crazy”) and now, in that full-circle way the universe seems to love, a fair amount of his most recent releases have included him covering other people’s songs.

It seems that same universe loves Willie Nelson. The 83-year-old seems to do best when he’s “On The Road Again” (see what I did there?) with his older sister Bobbie on the piano and his road-worn guitar, Trigger. There’s only a handful of people in the entire music industry as universally liked and respected as Nelson—at a Willie Nelson concert you will find grizzled old bikers in leather vests, hipster twenty-somethings and grandparents.

And he’s a Renaissance man. Not only is he a singing and songwriting tour de force, nelson is an accomplished actor, advocate for the environment and the face of the legalize weed movement.

Here’s what to expect at a Willie Nelson concert: He’ll open with “Whiskey River.” He’ll close with “I’ll Fly Away.” And he’ll play his ass off in between with little banter between songs, except for when he’s giving credit to his band. Some of us (ahem) will have a darn-near religious experience. And you’ll walk away believing in the youth preserving power of pot.

Willie Nelson & Family performs at Red Butte Garden on Thursday, July 28. The show is sold-out and it’s likely that even scalpers have a wait-list for this one, but if you’ve got the money, honey..

The doors open at 6:30 and the show starts at 7:30.

Dolly Parton will perform Tuesday at the UCCU Center at Utah Valley University in Orem as part of her Pure & Simple Tour.

To summarize Dolly Parton’s life and career is an attempt to sum up decades of music, film, philanthropy work from a woman who has proven that humility, in spite of incredible success, never goes out of style.

Dolly’s sound and style has remained timeless throughout several decades of the country music genre that is currently undergoing an unfortunate identity crisis. Her music hearkens back to the golden age of country music females who weren’t afraid to make a statement, like Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette and Jeannie C. Riley.

Dolly grew up in Tennessee’s Smoky Mountains in a family of 12 children. Her first Grand Ole Opry performance was at the age of 13 – with an introduction by Johnny Cash. I don’t really remember what I was doing at age 13, but I definitely wasn’t performing at Ryman Auditorium and meeting the Man in Black.

Dolly Parton’s music is a mix of classic country, pure gospel, bluegrass and 70s country pop (everybody was doing it). The country diva has been a music machine – cranking out hits throughout the decades like “Jolene,” “To Know Him is To Love Him,” “Islands in the Stream,” and my personal childhood favorite, “Coat of Many Colors.” Oh, and no offense to the late Whitney Houston, but we all know that Miss Parton’s original version of “I Will Always Love You” turns even a heart of stone into a blubbery mess. Her work on the soon-to-be-three Trio albums with Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt showed off Dolly’s pure, enduring sound.

Speaking of Trio, Salt Lake Magazine was recently included on a media conference call with the three women, and Dolly definitely sparkled.

“The joy of being able to sing these songs really comes through,” Parton said. “I have a lot of gospel songs, and I’m proud of that. All you’ve really got in life is your faith and hope.”

Dolly’s film career also showcased her many talents. She had a starring role in the iconic Steel Magnolias (arguably one of the most quotable movies ever). Parton also hit the big screen for 9 to 5 and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. Parton’s Dollywood theme park in Tennessee receives over three million visitors a year. There’s a reason why the U.S. Library of Congress gave Dolly Parton the Living Legend award. She has been nominated for (and won some of these) an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar AND a Tony. She is an angel among us.

The Imagination Library literacy program, a section of Parton’s Dollywood Foundation, mails each enrolled child one book per month until they enter kindergarten. Almost a million children benefit from Dolly’s literacy program each month. Dolly uses her money, business expertise, and global influence to bring jobs and education to the impoverished area where she spent her childhood.

One need only listen to Dolly’s body-positive song “Backwoods Barbie” to realize that there’s more to her than meets the eye. When confronted about her iconic look, Parton turns on the Southern charm and pulls out her best wit, like when she said:

“I’m not offended by all the dumb blonde jokes because I know that I’m not dumb… and I also know that I’m not blonde.”

Seriously, what did we do to deserve Dolly Parton?

Tickets for Tuesday’s performance are still available. Click here for tickets. Show starts at 7:30.

“I don’t even like country music,” said the guy behind me in the beer line. When I pointed out that we were, in fact, at a country music concert, he shook his head and laughed.

“Naw, man! Keith’s my boy! My boy!”

This is Keith Urban in a nutshell: country music for people who don’t like country music. At his ripCORD World Tour stop at USANA Amphitheater, Urban put on a show that seemed to transcend genre.

Photo by Brandon Mizar of Mizar Photography

Urban borrowed beats from R&B, a stage setup befitting a rock star, and the nimble guitar licks of classic rock. “The Phantom,” a techno-inspired mixing board that plays drum loops and samples from other songs in real time, featured prominently into the show. Even Urban’s hair seemed straight out of pop music, billowing beautifully in the wind a ‘la Beyonce and her wind machine (you know you’re a real star when you can out-Beyonce Beyonce).

But at his core, Keith Urban is very much a country artist. This eclectic combination of music meshed nicely for both new tunes from ripCORD (Urban’s 9th studio album) and in revamps of his number-one hits, including “Somebody Like You,” “Stupid Boy,” and “You Look Good in My Shirt.” While shredding on guitars and gango (a guitar-banjo hybrid), Urban’s fingers seemed to glide effortlessly over the strings. An easy smile graced his face from start to finish. This show, it was clear, was fun for the superstar.

And that, perhaps, is the key to Urban’s universal appeal. When the artist is having a blast, so does the audience. Between songs, Urban breezily talked with the crowd, eliciting much shrieking and swooning from the females in the audience. A preteen girl, holding a sign asking for a hug, was invited onto the stage (more shrieking and swooning). Halfway through the show, Urban made his way through the crowd (shrieking and swooning ad infinitum) to take his place on a small stage in the middle of the lawn seats for a three-song set. Despite the 100-degree heat, Urban had plenty of time and energy to spare for the audience. The crowd replied in kind.

“Wow, Utah,” Urban said as he looked at the crowd in amazement after a loud sing-along of “John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16.” “Y’all are singing your asses off tonight.”

The crowd cheers in response made it clear: no matter the genre, Keith Urban is Salt Lake’s boy.