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The crowd at Red Butte Garden was graced with perfect Salt Lake summer evening weather as the opening act took the stage. Jeff LeBlanc is a 29 year old singer/songwriter hailing from New York who played a solo acoustic 40 minute set.
With the help of his “looper,” a foot controlled digital recording device that allows performers to layer multiple instrumental and vocal parts live, he won over the attentive crowd with his great songs and candid, humorous banter between tunes. Think John Mayer meets Ed Sheerhan and you got it. His original songs are featured on several teen drama make-out sessions according to Jeff, and featured some better than average guitar playing and his soulful falsetto. He wrapped up with a cover of Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together” which the audience loved.
Boz Scaggs and his 6 piece band came on at 8:20, and got things underway with his blues “Runnin’ Blue.” The band settled right in. Boz chatted and explained that he’d be visiting material from throughout his long career. They launched into a rumba- boogie cover of Willy DeVille’s “Mixed Up Shook Up Girl” and it felt like the party had swung into gear. Folks were starting to dance on the next number, the hit single co-written with David Foster, “Jo Jo.”
The performance continued with a cover of Gamble and Huff’s “Drowning in a Sea of Love” with an arrangement reminiscent of Steely Dan, letting the band stretch out with some world class improvising. They grooved on thru Boz’s tunes “Some Change”, and a nice acoustic version of “Harbor Lights” that morphed into a samba for more killin’ guitar and keyboard solos.
After a well received rendition of “Georgia,’ a big hit from the Silk Degrees album in 1976, Boz stepped aside to feature the back up singer Ms. Monet on a cover of the Stevie Wonder penned Aretha Franklin 1973 hit “Until You Come Back To Me,” and she wowed the audience with her soulful five octave vocal range.
Couples slow danced for the next tune “Look What You’ve Done To Me”, the popular ballad from the soundtrack of the film “Urban Cowboy”, and the entire house was on it’s feet for “Lowdown” and “Lido Shuffle.” Surprsingly, it seemed as though none of the nearly sold-out crowd left before they were favored with two encores.
As the full moon rose Boz flashed his bluesy guitar chops on 1969’s “Loan Me a Dime,” which transitioned thru a couple of double time grooves featuring the band. After a rousing version of Fats Domino’s “I’m Sick and Tired of Foolin’ Around With You,” the show closed with a lovely tango “Last Tango on Sixteenth Street” conjouring the Buena Vista Social Club.
Throughout the show, Red Butte was wrapped in a good vibe from the appreciative and polite audience. And at 71 years of age, Boz Scaggs is singing and playing as well as ever!
Monday’s Intermezzo Chamber Music Series’ concert put the spotlight squarely on Rainer Eudeikis.
The young principal cellist of the Utah Symphony wowed the sizable audience in Vieve Gore Concert Hall with a program that, in the first half, ranged from J.S. Bach to a brand new piece written for Eudeikis. And he easily showed he is comfortable and at home in any style period. Eudeikis possesses superb musicality and an innate sense of interpretation, as well as astounding technical acumen. Watching him play was sheer pleasure.
The concert opened with the world premiere of Circle Limit, written for Eudeikis by the young American composer Louis Chiappetta. It’s a well crafted piece that explores the limits of the cello’s physical capabilities. Eudeikis made short work of it, playing with confidence and imbuing the piece with vitality and virtuosity.
This was followed by Bach’s Cello Suite in C major, BWV 1009 which Eudeikis played in the baroque manner, straddling the instrument between his knees. The cello he played was also outfitted with gut strings and tuned a half step lower than the A440 that’s standard today. Accustomed as we are to hearing the cello suites played by a modern instrument, this interpretation was a breath of fresh air. Eudeikis gave a captivatingly vibrant account, playing the six-movement suite with fluid lyricism and finely molded expressiveness.
Rounding out the first half was Sergei Prokofiev’s romantically tinged Cello Sonata, op. 119. Eudeikis was joined onstage by pianist and Intermezzo music director Vedrana Subotic. Meshing wonderfully together as a duo they captured the work’s lyricism and nuanced expressions.
The second half was devoted to one work, Franz Schubert’s monumental Cello Quintet, in C major, D. 956. For this piece, Eudeikis was in good and familiar company. Joining him were violinists Kathryn Eberle and Claude Halter and violist Brant Bayless, all principal players in the Utah Symphony. Completing the quintet was guest Joyce Yang playing the second cello part. The five gave a richly textured and perceptive reading of what unquestionably is one of the greatest chamber works of the 19th century. They brought depth to their interpretation and sensitivity to their playing that served the music well. Their account was nuanced, cohesive, seamless and fluid.
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It was a night for believers at Deer Valley on Thursday night. Maybe you believe in the God that was mentioned in Lyle Lovett’s gospel-heavy set with his Large band, or you believe in the voice of Emmylou Harris, who I believe may actually be an angel sent here to Earth—or perhaps you’re more like me and you just simply believe in the healing effect live music has on the soul. No matter. It was all there Thursday night.
At nearly 6:30 on the nose, as people still were filing into their seats, Emmylou Harris came onto the stage with her three-member band. There was no announcement. There was very little reception from the crowd (in fact, the large group of people in the row ahead of me stood through the first three songs of her set, but I digress).
It was seven songs in, after a stunning version of Simon and Garfunkel tune, “The Boxer” that she even said her name. “I’m Emmylou Harris, by the way,” she told the crowd, who by that point had at least started paying some attention. “Just in case y’all thought I was just some girl up here singing. Some girl? I’m 69! I’ve been doing this a very long time.”
At 69, she’s still beautiful enough to take ones breath away, with that shock of white hair, those high cheekbones, those doe eyes and that lilting southern drawl that turns into a singing voice that is somehow both feathery and soulful. Harris is the real deal, and backed by a band that includes two women she said she’s toured with since 1985.
Her setlist included “Spanish Dancer” a song she recently recorded with Rodney Crowell but noted was penned by Patti Scialfa, “She’s married to that guy Bruce Springsteen,” Harris quipped. “Orphan Girl,” “Here I am,” “Her Hair Was Red,” and “Red Dirt Girl,” which she told the crowd was not based on her own life. “I had a very happy childhood,” she said, “So I made some stuff up.”
For the encore, Harris started with “After The Gold Rush” by Neil Young, who she called a “Great Canadian philosopher,” and finished with “Bright Morning Stars,” with tremendous, spine-tingling harmonizing from her band. Saying she’d written the song during a time that the events of the world seemed difficult to take, Harris said, “I still believe. I believe in people. I believe in goodness.”
I don’t know about all that. But I know that I believe in Emmylou Harris.
After what Park City Institute’s Terri Orr described as the quickest set change ever, and as the sun was setting and the crowd had finally settled down, it was time for Lyle Lovett and His Large band to take the stage.
Ever the classy southern Gentleman, Lovett and His Large Band (and, by the way, it’s not just a clever name—it really is a large band) are always dressed in suits and ties, and they were joined onstage last night for their opening songs by nine members of Salt Lake City Mass Choir, a Utah-based gospel choir (I know. I know. Sometimes the jokes just write themselves. But trust me, these guys were good).
Starting with the rousing gospel “I’m a Solider in the Army of the Lord” with the Mass Choir and Francine Reed joining Lovett on vocals, Lyle and His Large Band certainly set a tone far different than the calm and reflective one that Emmylou Harris built before him. This was a more celebratory, raucous trip through musical genres. Because lets be clear: Lyle Lovett defies genres. He’s a little bit country, a little bit rock-and roll, a little bit folk, and a little bit spoken-word beatnik poet with a generous heaping of stand-up comic thrown in for good measure.
But, last night at Deer Valley, the set list was heavy on gospel for the first three songs, then transitioned to a more classic Lyle Lovett, before bringing Emmylou Harris back onstage to reminisce about the late, great, Guy Clark and to sing a couple of his songs.
Throughout the set, members of the Large Band came and went, until at one point, when just Lovett and fiddler Luke Bulla remained onstage and Lovett quipped, “Where the heck is everybody?” Lovett and his band appear to have a rapport—Lovett walked the audience through each member of the band, and how long they’d been touring, where they were from and usually with a short story of some sort.
Once the band returned, they hit on all the songs expected at a Lyle Lovett show, “If I Had a Boat,” “Here I Am,” “That’s Right You’re Not From Texas,” and “She’s No Lady” all came in at that point in the night.
But when Lovett, who built in plenty of his moments for each member of his band to shine throughout the evening stepped aside and allowed Francine Reed to take over for a minute, magic happened. A soulful powerhouse, when Reed sang “Wild Women Don’t Get the Blues” and then followed it up by reminding the crowd that it was written in 1924 and first performed by an all women jazz band, the crowd went wild.
Then the choir came back. Earlier in the night, Lovett had said of them, “We sent them the music a few weeks back and when we got here they know it better than we did.” While a slight exaggeration, clearly, the Salt Lake Mass Choir was having a great time on that stage and holding their own with some world-class musicians.
When Lovett told the crowd about his long-lasting relationship with Emmylou, he said that he learned that “you have to be very careful when inviting me over, because I will show up.” It was clear last night that the crowd at Deer Valley was glad he showed up there.
Photos by Stuart Graves
Two great acts co-headlined Thursday’s show at Red Butte Gardens: Josh Ritter and JJ Grey & Mofro.
Josh Ritter
Ritter’s warm, deep voice has a raw quality that’s interesting and appealing. The singer-songwriter recorded his latest album in New Orleans, and that influence shows up wonderfully in his style.
Although Ritter’s voice and guitar skills really seem suited for folk music, at Red Butte he delivered on his claim that his music can be “rock and roll with lots of words.” His songs are packed with beautifully written lyrics that vary from funny social commentary (“Jesus hates your high school dances”) to heartbreaking (“My new lover… she only looks like you in a certain kind of light when she holds her head just right”) to downright poetic (“I like my lightning sweet”).
After Ritter had played a few tunes, an audience member shouted “Welcome Back!” This crowd loves their hometown boys, even if they do come from a little farther north.
“I grew up in Moscow, Idaho,” Ritter told the crowd halfway through the set. “Utah was the most exotic place I knew. This is an absolutely beautiful place to play.” Cue cheers.
Ritter ventured into different musical genres – sometimes folk, sometimes more jazz/blues – but somehow it didn’t translate into an identity crisis. His catchy, nostalgic, rootsy sound was dance-worthy and right on target. I was excited to see Ritter ditch the band for a solo rendition of “Snow is Gone.” This song showed off his soulful voice and pure talent on the acoustic guitar.
JJ Grey
JJ Grey & Mofro kicked off their set with a blues sound, switched halfway through to Southern rock, and threw some jazz in there, too. I loved every minute.
Grey, a Jacksonville, Florida native, turned on the Southern charm in between songs with a gushing of “Thank y’all”s and passionate storytelling that deserved choruses of amens and hallelujahs. The combination of his voice and his band sounded like what real biscuits and gravy tastes like. Yep, I went there.
The guy next to me said that Grey was “multitalented” when he busted out the harmonica, and he was so right. Grey and his band put on a show that really let you lose yourself in the music. It was an upbeat and soulful performance that could have taken place in downtown Memphis.
“We don’t ever know what’s gonna happen next,” Grey said by way of introducing a roaring blues number. “We’re gonna play something funky.”
Grey and the band added lively solos from the tambourine, trumpet, trombone, piano and electric guitar to close out the night.
Gladys Knight, the “Empress of Soul” will be headlining this year’s Homecoming Spectacular at Brigham Young University on Saturday, October 15. The performances will be at the Marriott Center on BYU Campus at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
The Georgia-born soul/R&B artist began performing when she was 16. Knight has garnered seven Grammy Awards and has had several #1 hits on the R&B and pop charts. Besides her music career, Knight is a humanitarian and philanthropist for the American Diabetes Association, American Cancer Society and the Minority AIDS Project. (www.drogueriasanjorge.com) Knight has also been honored by the NAACP and the Congress of Racial Equality.
Tickets for the BYU Homecoming Spectacular go on sale on July 11 as part of the BYU Arts Pass and on July 18 for the general public. Tickets are available atbyutickets.com and range from $10-38.
Also joining Knight are singers Peter Hollens and Lexi Mae Walker and BYU groups Vocal Point, Noteworthy, Young Ambassadors, the Cougarettes, Theatre Ballet, Synthesis and members of the Men’s and Women’s Choruses.
The final installment of June’s Ogden Twilight Concerts was a success. Concertgoers flooded the Ogden Amphitheater to see The National Parks, Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat World, and headliners Peter Bjorn and John for the closing show. It was a warm summer night that cooled off as the sun set. There were food trucks and drinks from local favorite Wasatch Brewery. In between sets, sponsor Pepsi reps got the crowd to play a giant game of volleyball with oversized beach balls.
Pepsi provides beach balls for a giant crowd game of beach volleyball before Peter Bjorn and John
Peter Bjorn & John took the stage to deafening cheers from the anxious attendees. The Swedish trio exuded a stage presence only afforded to true European rock stars. Frontman Peter was the wild vocalist/guitarist leaping across the stage and spinning tales about his Swedish homeland. Peter was an awkward dancer (and he danced a lot), but he has killer confidence and his voice is mesmerizing, so all is forgiven. Bjorn was a quiet, brooding supplier of great guitar. John was the drummer who held it all together.
The group knocked out songs with rock, funk and techno sounds and an incredible energy. PB&J closed with an encore of what is perhaps their most well-known song, “Young Folks.”
Peter Bjorn and John rock out to close the show
The Ogden Amphitheater was the perfect setting for a captivating show that was definitely a result of careful planning and a desire for everyone to have a blast.
In a previous interview with Salt Lake Magazine, Jared Allen, owner of Ogden bar Alleged and founder of the Ogden Twilight Concerts, said about the concert lineups: “We didn’t take just anybody. Anyone who attends these concerts will be blown away.”
Allen was absolutely right. This concert had me dancing and singing along and wishing I could listen to just a few more songs at the end of the night. The rocking volume level meant I could only hear out of one ear when the show wrapped, and that was totally worth it.
Allen shared this tidbit on the Ogden Twilight Facebook page after the show: “Well that’s a wrap… Or is it? Be on the look-out for additional Ogden Twilight Presents shows later this summer/fall both on the roof at Alleged and at The Ogden Amphitheater. I would put August 12th, August 13th, and September 16th on your calendars… I can’t wait to share these artists. There may be another show or two in September as well.”
If these upcoming Ogden Twilight shows are anything like the concerts this June, you won’t want to miss them.
This past weekend I attended the inaugural Bonanza Campout, a two-day music festival outside of Park City. This was my first music festival campout experience, and it was unforgettable. Props to the Bonanza team for securing a perfect setting for the weekend. The secluded River’s Edge Resort just outside of Park City was nestled in the mountains with gorgeous surrounding views.
After setting up our campsite on Friday afternoon, we headed toward the main Bonanza stage to catch the last couple songs of a set by JR JR. This group, which boasts mainstream radio hits like “Gone”, played with a contagious energy that started off the weekend just right. The group also has a lead guitarist that looks like a Rocker Jesus. Blasphemous, perhaps. But true.
JR JR kicks off the headliners on Friday night
The campout hosted several sponsor booths and some amazing food trucks. I tried the Buttermilk Fried Chicken Sandwich from Lola’s. The citrus aioli – unbelievable. I know, I know, this weekend was about the music, but I will always find the food.
I had found myself in the days leading up to the festival weekend wondering about the crowds that Bonanza would draw. This is a music festival, after all. But, then again, it is Utah. The resulting crowd was an eclectic mix of veteran festival goers who sport beads, feathers, face paint, and gold flash tattoos, and music lovers who were present solely for the great lineup.
Even though a lot of Bonanza attendees were drunker than a sailor on leave and higher than the state of Colorado, everyone was pretty friendly and considerate. This was a weekend for people who wanted to relax and listen to great music in a beautiful place.
One of my favorite sets was on the smaller Shade Stage with DJ Ryan Hemsworth. The Coachella veteran really put on a show. He didn’t say a word, but he spun sick beats on his turntables with an energy that really got people dancing (including me, the queen of stationary hips).
Friday night closed out with a performance by headliner Big Gigantic, a duo that pumps out electronic music, but makes it interesting and unique with live drum and saxophone solos.
Big Gigantic closes out Friday night
I was introduced to another tenet of the festival lifestyle when I realized that sleeping wasn’t really an option. Most campers stayed up until at least 5 a.m., or never went to bed at all. These people are pros – party weekends are a serious commitment.
Saturday afternoon’s lineup was put on hold a couple times because of rainstorms, but once the weather began to cooperate again, the music kept going. High Octane LA rocked out with strong vocals killer guitar riffs, Le Voir brought back the 80s big hair rock-band style and Vacationer showed off a variety of reggae and rock. Shows like Joshua James and Kyle Bent had to be moved around because of the weather, but all the artists and attendees were still in a good mood. Crowd favorite Parade of Lights made sure to thank everyone for sticking it out in the rain when they closed their set with the dance-worthy “Everybody get Golden.” Rain couldn’t kill this party.
Parade of Lights puts on a show despite the rain
It was pretty impressive that Bonanza, a first year festival, closed the weekend with well-known acts like the Cold War Kids and Louis the Child. Bonanza was a well-planned weekend that introduced me to great new music and new people. I hope the festival comes back to Park City next year, because Bonanza was a party to remember.
one of Bonanza’s art installations
The rain didn’t keep campers from having a blast.
