Music

1. April 1 (Tues)

Who: The True Loves
Where: The State Room
When: 8pm
What: Seattle’s coming to town, and it’s for a perfectly great cause: The True Loves are performing on April Fool’s Day to help celebrate The State Room’s 16th year of bringing music to the appreciative masses. If you’ve heard the Budos Band (or a string of like minded others on the Daptone label), that’s kind of all that needs saying. All dirty horns and drums take the place of vocals. You won’t be able to sing along, but they will make you dance. And a very happy birthday, TSR! 

Tickets  

2. April 5 (Sat)

Who: Metalachi
Where: Urban Lounge
When: 7pm
What: If this band sounds like one of those ideas that shouldn’t exactly work, please remember that’s just how most good ideas are born. The weirder they are, the better. Far from “just” being a mariachi band that knows its way around a Metallica tune or two, this L.A. group can do all that and then a lot more. Heavy metal isn’t a genre mariachi artists dip into so regularly in Mexican restaurants or while busking for pesos and dollars south of the border, but it totally, totally works. More of this ilk, por favor.   

Tickets

3. April 8 (Tues)

Who: Ghost-Note
Where: The State Room
When: 8pm
What: Considering Ghost-Note is dropping their latest (Mustard N’ Onions) less than two weeks after this show, the performance may as well serve as an unofficial album release party. Headed up by two of Snarky Puppy’s heavyweights, Robert “Sput” Searight and Nate Werth, this band is what musicians sound like when they’re having as much fun as possible. And it’s funky. And there’s percussion. All of it sounds so next level, it’s best to leave comparisons by the wayside, enjoying that they’ve left all true limits of how it’s been before totally behind.  

Tickets 

4. April 12 (Sat)

Who: Vieux Farka Touré
Where: The State Room
When: 8pm
What: For me, it was the poster that drew me in. That’s all I needed. Then I heard that Vieux Farka Touré hailed from Niafunké, Mali, and is referred to as The Hendrix of the Sahara, and that intrigued me more. By the time I listened to a few of his albums, with windows down and timed to coincide with a pink and waning sunset, I was more than sold. This is driving music in the vein of Khruangbin, after all, with a dash of extra otherworldliness tossed in. Most songs he sings and plays automatically feel like they need to belong to a soundtrack. Whatever hype you’ve heard, believe it.   

Tickets

5. April 15 (Tues)

Who: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Where: Urban Lounge
When: 7pm
What: Story time: 20 short years ago, this Philly band skipped us in these parts, but got as close as Boulder (CO). I took a road trip eight hours one way to see them play a renovated movie theater along with Architecture in Helsinki. In brief, it was 100% worth the effort. Now that they’re playing a cozy neighborhood bar and performing their debut in its entirety (!!), it feels like a gift they forgot to give us two decades ago. Some gifts are better late than never ever. 

Tickets   

6. April 23 (Wed)

Who: Butcher Brown
Where: The State Room
When: 8pm
What: Hot tip: don’t try too hard to figure this band out. My local library had their album firmly lodged in its Jazz section — they’re even billed as a jazz quintet most places you look — but the music feels like hip hop at times and rap other times. If nothing else, the band’s a grab bag of impossible greatness, and you’d be wise not to sleep on seeing what they can do on the right stage and in the proper setting. Touring being their recently released Letters From The Atlantic (as in last Friday!), be prepared for a lot of the brand new. For extra bonus points of what’s on its way, check this out. 

Tickets

7. April 29 (Tuesday)

Who: Post-Malone Presents: The BIG ASS Stadium Tour
Where: Rice-Eccles Stadium
When: 7:30pm
What: Last but hardly least, local famous nice guy Post-Malone is starting what is reportedly his eight concert tour of these United States in Utah this month. And, considering he’s gone all in on the country stage of his career, he’s bringing some friends of that persuasion along with him to open (Sierra Farrell, Jelly Roll). Consider this your advisory: do not show up late. 

Tickets

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Read more of our music coverage and get the latest on the arts and culture scene in and around Utah. And while you’re here, subscribe and get six issues of Salt Lake magazine, your curated guide to the best of life in Utah.

G. Love & The Special Sauce played to a sold-out crowd at The State Room in Salt Lake City on Wednesday (3/12/25), and every person there was better off for it.

The Philadelphia band still sounded as delightfully joyous as it did when those gathered still listened to “Cold Beverage” on compact disc; everyone responded in kind by tapping into 20 years younger versions of ourselves. As far as easy truths go, the band is so consistent in all they do for their fans that there really ought to be a way to bottle their hip-hop blues vibe as a topical salve. Feeling a little blue? Not enough pep in your step? News headlines got you down? Slather some Special Sauce on it, and watch your day magically improve. Repeat often.

It’s hard to go wrong with three musicians who aren’t only onstage but just on as bound-and-determined performers, too. With nary a playlist in sight, singer/rapper/guitarist/harmonicist Garrett Dutton did the classy thing, mostly performing songs old and new (“My Baby Got Sauce,” “This Ain’t Living,” “I-76”) and hung back on the the far right, allowing the Special Sauce (longtime standup bassist Jim Prescott and newish drummer Chuck Treece) take all the long moments in the spotlight they wanted. They call that being generous in the land of music, and it happily translates to a good time for all. While they worked hard, we responded by playing hard. Give and take. Take and give.

Until next time, fella (and may it not be a very long time).  

Enjoy our photo gallery!

G. Love and The Special Sauce at The State Room in Salt Lake City on March 12, 2025. Photos by Natalie Simpson, Beehive Photography. Instagram @beehivephotovideo

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You’ve probably found yourself starting to dream about summer concerts—green grass at outdoor venues, warm summer air, loud music that can be heard for miles, and a cold drink in your hand as you bump your head to the beat of an incredible live band (or maybe you’re jumping up and down and shouting along with the lead singer, and in that case we hope a friend is holding your drink).

The best way to get ready for this feeling is by buying tickets—and luckily, tickets for the Twilight Concert Series in Salt Lake are going on sale this week! In its 38th year, the Twilight Concert Series has been celebrating musically diverse artists, both new and local and nationally known. It’s important to know they’re making some changes this year. The concerts will be held at two locations, switching off between the Gallivan Center and Library Square. Additionally, they have reduced the amount of tickets they are selling to provide a more comfortable experience for attendees—that means get your tickets asap!

Season tickets are available Wednesday, March 12 at 10:00 a.m. Individual show tickets available Thursday, March 13 at 10:00 a.m. Get your tickets here!

And with that, Salt Lake City Arts Council in partnership with S&S Presents thus presents the 38th Twilight Concert Series lineup:

• July 12 (Gallivan Center): EARTHGANG, JMSN, Bad Luck Brigade
• July 17 (Library Square): Sierra Ferrell, TBD, Sammy Brue
• Aug 6 (Gallivan Center): Waxahatchee, Foxwarren, Wilbere
• Aug 12 (Library Square): Mt. Joy, The Moss
• Sep 5 (Gallivan Center): Japanese Breakfast, Ginger Root, Tomper
• Sep 22 (Library Square): Big Thief, Special guests to be announced

The Gallivan Center concerts open doors at 6 p.m. The Library Square concerts open doors at 5 p.m.

Bonus: All Twilight Concert Series ticket holders get free access to UTA transportation all day on the day of the event! Simply show your concert tickets when asked for payment.

Double Bonus: To get in the summer concert vibe, check out the official Twilight Concert Series playlist on Spotify that features all the artists’ work.

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When Sammy Brue and many of his friends performed together at the Justin Townes Earle Tribute show at The State Room last Friday (Feb. 28, 2025), it was not without its share of magic. Yes, there were frequent chills. We witnessed a collective not trying so hard to recreate the late singer, one that still showed they cared deeply for all he had done. It brought back the electric vibe that folk singer-songwriter left behind and that everyone attending appeared to recall fondly. It was not unlike holding a magnifying glass to all the good parts of who he was.

Justin left a hole behind, and Ogdenite Sammy Brue more than fills that void. A word or emotion that rarely gets attached to a tribute? Earnestness. He had an ever-present smile and a surprisingly solid grasp of all the songs he sang, including brand new tunes he shared, one about his late hero and others created using the journals Justin had written. (The album’s not out yet, but it’s gonna be a scorcher.)

“Ain’t Got No Money” was one of the most outstanding performances I witnessed all night, a tornado of a song that moved with such speed that it was all the players could do to keep up with their banjos and stand-up bass and mouth harps. For a night that started so slow and quietly, it felt like a train coming off its rails toward the tail end, and in a beautiful way. By the time “Harlem River Blues” hit, everyone who’d played and sang took to the stage and celebrated, playing and singing their hearts out, a real Last Waltz moment if it needed one. Job well done, friends. So well done.

It’s unlikely that Justin ever felt like he had to pass his baton to another to finish the career he started. Still, it’s easy to believe he’d be proud of what Sammy has done and is doing. It’s a preview of things to come. This part of the future, at least, is bright.

• What: Justin Townes Earle Tribute Show
• Where: The State Room in Salt Lake City, Utah
• When: 8 p.m., Feb. 28, 2025
• Read more: Our interview with Sammy Brue and Salt Lake Magazine’s Music coverage.

Photo Gallery from Feb. 28, 2025, at The State Room in Salt Lake City, Utah. Photos by Nathan Christianson (Instagram @npcplus.)

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March 5 (Wed)

Who: The Handsome Family
Where: The State Room
When: 8 p.m.
What: The State Room is in the business of doing their fans favors, bringing in acts nobody totally expects yet remembers fondly. Whoever is curating over that way takes their job of offering surprises so seriously. It feels like a rare treat to discover that gothic country husband-and-wife Brett and Rennie Sparks of The Handsome Family are on their way later this week. Much like the Crash Test Dummies last month, it makes the heart skip a beat to see that they’re a) touring at all and b) chose this spot on the map as one of their dozen or so dates. Who doesn’t need more live murder ballads in their lives? Bonus: Local sad song guy Paul Jacobsen opens.

Tickets  

March 10 (Mon)

Who: Talib Kweli
Where: Urban Lounge
When: 7 p.m.
What: We’re lucky that Talib likes to visit us and play our city as often as he does. We’re even more fortunate when he does so at one of our more intimate neighborhood bars. Come see a master at work on a Monday night. For fans of Mos Def and/or politically insightful and socially aware rapping, this’ll be one to see.

Tickets

March 12 (Wed)

Who: G. Love & Special Sauce
Where: The State Room|
When: 8 p.m.
|What: G. Love and his troupe are a little to a lot of everything good in the world. A born performer. A seasoned hip hop blues veteran. A guitar and harmonica player who likes to dabble with jazz or play a string of Dylan songs as an encore, JUST BECAUSE. It’s been a minute since he’s been here, right? No matter. G. Love and his merry misfits are a band that’s earned its stripes. Come see how the seasoned pros sound after 30+ years of perfecting their approach.

Tickets 

March 15 (Sat)

Who: Sue Foley
Where: The State Room
When: 8 p.m.
What: If you’ve yet to be baptized in the blues, this just may be your chance. As a Canadian blues guitarist/singer dynamo, Sue Foley has released a staggering 15 albums since her debut with Young Girl Blues (1992). In May 2020, she won her first Blues Music Award in the Koko Taylor Award category.

Tickets 

March 15 (Sat)

Who: Underground Cash
Where: HandleBar SLC
When: 7 p.m.
What: Details are a little sparse on this one, but all you need to know is this: they’re a local band that plays Johnny Cash music. Period. And if that weren’t enough reason to throw your tenner at them and attend, it will somehow also be an early St. Paddy’s Day celebration. Green brews, anyone? This has all that’s needed for a deliriously good-to-great time.

Tickets: $10 cover   

March 22 (Sat)

Who: Vinyl Koala
Where: Fisher Brewing Co.
When: 7 p.m.
What: If you dig Khruangbin, you’ll be a fast fan of this local instrumental family band. And if you’ve frequented Fisher over the past few years, you’ve likely already heard them playing one of their events in their typically understated way. This one also counts as the band’s album release party (2024’s full-length Polaroid).

Tickets: Free

March 28 (Fri)

Who: Fictionist
Where: Velour
When: 7:30 p.m. 
What: Well, this was certainly unexpected. Personally, I’ve yet to see or hear Fictionist ever play live, and it’s been a minute since they’ve done so. They’re releasing a brand new album and want to show it off onstage. This bodes so well. Bonus: Guitarist Robert Connolly is releasing his debut (titled Bitter Optimist) the same night. Consider this a double feature. Do I already have the physical ticket I paid a little extra for? Solid yes.

Tickets 

March 29 (Sat)

Who: Rubblebucket
Where: The Commonwealth Room
When: 8 p.m.
What: KRCL can take the blame for this show getting added to the other previews here. Every tune their deejays have ever spun by this Brooklyn-based art pop and indie rock band has served to deepen my curiosity about them. Leave it to a couple of former University of Vermont jazz students (Kalmia Traver and Alex Toth) to not only decide to form a band together but try their hands at pop, funk, dance, and psychedelia along the way. Deep Architecture in Helsinki vibes here. Oh, they’re good. Expect fun.

Tickets   

March 29 (Sat)

Who: 50 Years of Bob Dylan ‘Blood on the Tracks’
Where: The State Room
When: 8 p.m.
What: Dylan’s so hot right now. One of his best albums turned 50 years old in January (but, I swear … hardly looks a day over 46) and some of the area’s finest want to help celebrate. Come see the same folks who have paid similar tributes to Tom Petty, Neil Young and, most recently, Weezer. To whet your appetite, some familiar names in the mix, including Sammy Brue, Michelle Moonshine, Cory Mon, Morgan Snow, Marcus Bently, and Julianne Brough.

Tickets

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In the wake of Justin Townes Earle’s passing in 2020, he left heaps of fans behind. One was local singer-songwriter and Ogdenite Sammy Brue, who’s scared up lots of local talent to pay tribute to the late singer at The State Room this Friday, Feb. 28, at 8 p.m.

While some JTE fans have taken solace in endlessly playing the many songs he left them, musicians like Brue are building on his legend instead. Brue wrote a record using journals that Justin’s wife shared with him, and it should have a release date any day now. In the meantime, he’s gathered local bands and friends to play Justin’s music, mainstay troubadours like Daniel Young, Andrew Wiscombe, Michelle Moonshine, J-Rad Cooley and The Proper Way.

When they honor Justin, it won’t be by performing solely covers. It’s a tribute, sure, but with a twist. Brue will share new songs he’s written while combing through the lyrics his mentor left behind, songs he wrote in Justin’s memory and with his help. Doing so came naturally, and gaining access to Justin’s words was like being passed a baton. He got to work.

“I met Justin when I was very young, and he’s a hero of mine,” Brue says. “Since I started to play the guitar, I’ve tried to emulate Justin. Finally getting to meet him was surreal.”

It’s fitting Brue met Justin at The State Room when he was just 12 years old. He was too young to attend the show, so his dad did the next best thing by arriving early, hoping to run into him. As luck would have it, Justin was in the parking lot and smoking a cigarette. When Brue asked him to sign his guitar and pointed out the hat he bought to look like his, the one he bought after a lot of busking, Justin was endeared by him. He even placed Brue on the cover of his 2014 Single Mothers album and brought him on tour as an opening act.

“Justin told stories that never existed and didn’t ask [the industry] for anything. He co-existed with music and let it flow through him, describing the feelings he was going through,” Brue says.

“I only hope to achieve a fraction of what he did, and it’ll be a lifelong journey. He inspired the record I recorded, and I’m excited to share it with the world,” he says. “These songs have been written for a year and a half, and I’m still not sick of playing them.”

More songs are being written, too, mainly because Brue still has a lot of journal pages to tackle. He’s taken photos of every page, numbering and transcribing along the way. So far, he’s uncovered over 400 pages and is not even 25 percent of the way finished.

As far as access to heroes goes, Brue’s hit a gold mine. It’s an unexpected dream come true.

“It’s getting trippy. Looking at these journals feels like college. I’m studying, caring for what is precious to me, and giving it new life. I go to sleep at night and have a dream that I’m watching Justin play a song, then I’ll wake up and write three new songs, back to back. It’s beautiful.”

And if Justin gets to visit from wherever he is now and joins the Salt Lake City audience Friday night, there’s only one reaction Brue would want.

“I’d probably just want a hug,” Brue says, and nothing else. “A big hug.”

• Who: Justin Townes Earle Tribute Show
• Where: The State Room
• When: Feb. 28 @ 8 p.m.
• Tickets and Info: Tickets

A rare dream transpired in these increasingly chilly parts this most recent Hump Day past: The Crash Test Dummies performed for a happily sold-out Salt Lake City crowd at The State Room Wednesday night (February 12, 2025).

Once it wrapped up (after what felt like too brief a time together), it was difficult to tell who was more appreciative of that kind of a rare midweek turnout, whether it was those responsible for creating the hard-to-categorize music in the first place or those who’d attached so much of the band’s music to their own nineties-born memories. Applause was constantly met with appreciative smiles, and it was a give-and-take that worked for all. Those who’d fallen in love with the dark poetry attached to songs like “Superman’s Song,” “Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm” (and, for what it’s worth, even their cover of “The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead”) were beyond satisfied by what they heard. Their concert was a gift nobody expected to get in 2025. And while we do appreciate the good things given, this was a cut above, one of the best things even.

The Crash Test Dummies have been in the business of performing for more than 30 years, and yet they still manage to feel like a secret, one some might know of without totally understanding it. They’re hardly music for the masses, but that’s the point: if they’ve made it this far by refusing to follow convention, they get to keep following that path. That includes rocking a keytar unrepentantly and playing an accordion like it’s as commonplace as playing a lead guitar. The often uncool gets its place of acceptance. It’s embraced. 

The band was solidly likable and easy to adore. The greatest pleasure of all was hearing Brad Roberts’ uncommonly deep (and immediately recognizable) vocals and discovering his ability to drop to the very bottom of his register has hardly waned. He allowed the trip along their nostalgia train to feel and sound like we hoped it might. There was at least one unveiled song written in 2024, too, so don’t give in to believing this is a last hurrah. A new song can beget a new album and can beget a future tour. If anything, it’s a big red arrow pointing to what’s set to come next, a flashing marquee with a solid and satisfying promise: COMING SOON. 

Photography by Stephen Speckman

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Looking for more live music this month? Check out these eight shows we’re looking forward to in February.

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.

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/

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Find reviews from last year’s Red Butte Concert Series, here!

Travis performed at The Depot last Tuesday (Feb. 4, 2025), scaring a lot of fans out of their houses on a school night. They didn’t show up in droves or anything, but there may be a reason for that. It has been over a decade since Travis has toured very fast and furiously through our fair country, after all. Still, those who fell for the band early on might like them more this many years later. Flavors tend to deepen over time. Why should good bands be any different?

If there was ever any inkling, this foursome of Glasgow natives is simply resting on its substantial past successes; this performance helped quash those preposterous ideas. They sounded as good as everyone hoped they might, easily sharing songs from their latest (2024’s L.A. Times) with professionalism and ease. Nothing felt forced. They have new layers to offer. While the band played a lot of the songs that made them so familiar in the first place (“Sing,” “Closer,” and, good lord, so many more), the newer songs were also on display, the ones we aren’t close friends with yet. (We’ll get there, promise.) It was terribly fun and uncommonly friendly, as casual as being invited to your buddy’s house to watch them jam in a garage for a while.

Lead singer Fran Healy sprained his ankle at their show the night before (uneven stairs will get you when you least expect it). That hardly stopped him and his band of near-lifelong mates from giving us the best versions of themselves they could muster. The beloved show must go on, and these guys are solid. They’re workhorses. Wearing what he called his “Frankenstein boot” on one foot, Fran still mostly stood for his songs and could mostly get around, just with lots more hopping. At the tail end of one of their best tunes, “Writing to Reach You,” he noticed someone starting to faint near the stage, stopped the song abruptly, and clambered toward her to assist as the paramedics rushed in to help. It was a touch of unexpected drama that had us all collectively holding our breath.

So, besides being a revered singer for all the best reasons, Fran was someone’s hero that night. Being saved by a band you adore is an easy forever memory—something to share with the grandkids one day. 

Photos by Nathan Christianson (Instagram: @npcplus)

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1. Feb. 7, Friday

Who: Mindy Gledhill
Where: Orem Public Library
When: 7:30 p.m.  
Why: Local songstress Mindy Gledhill doesn’t need an introduction around these parts, does she? This is, after all, someone who’s collaborated with Kaskade. For the uninitiated: if you ever happened across a winged fairy singing and floating her way through an enchanted forest, chances are very good she’d sound like Mindy does. (Yes, that’s a good thing, even a magical one.) In addition to performing songs from her album, The Phone Booth Sessions, Vol. 1, she will also bring a reassembled recording studio to share with the curious, a recreation of the old phone booth she once turned into a recording studio.
Tickets

2. Feb. 8, Saturday

Who: The Motet
Where: The Commonwealth Room, 
When: 8 p.m.
Why: Not to be bossy, but do this right now: command Alexa to play all the songs she can scare up by The Motet and proceed to get lost for a long while. It may lift your spirits, but here’s a promise: it will do a world of good for your soul. The six-piece American funk, soul, and jazz group from Denver is no stranger to these parts, and we’re lucky they like to wear out our WELCOME mat. Do you like jams? Or dancing? ‘Course you do (to both). Grab your ticket already.
Tickets

3. Feb. 11, Tuesday

Who: Benjamin Booker
Where: Urban Lounge
When: 7 p.m.
Why: At least a decade ago, 20+ close friends and I crowded into a downtown Orlando bar to see a singer we hardly knew. This was the guy. It wasn’t packed, and it felt like we’d booked our private party. Benjamin was a dynamic performer, too, commanding the small stage, interacting with us, getting lost in eyes-closed songs and extended guitar solos, and sitting out a long stretch of reverb by smoking half a cigarette. That surprise of a night hangs around as a highlight of all the shows I’ve ever seen. I’ve every reason to believe this time around will be even better.
Tickets

4. Feb. 12, Wednesday, 8 p.m.

Who: Crash Test Dummies
Where: The State Room
When: 8 p.m.
Why: If you’re of a certain age, there was a time not so long ago when songs like “Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm” and “Superman’s Song” were damn near ubiquitous on the radio waves. When you have a voice like lead singer Brad Roberts, you tend to stick out because nobody sounds anything like you. The intrigue factor is high on this one. It’ll be nice to catch up with the Canadian folk rockers and see what they’ve been up to since they had their moment and fell into sudden obscurity. This show’s been sold out for a long minute, but fret not: resale tickets are still available.
Tickets

5. Feb. 13, Thursday, Doors 7 p.m., Show at 8 p.m.

Who: Madeline Hawthorne
Where: The State Room
When: 8 p.m.
Why: Every list has to have its wildcard, and this one counts as ours. This Bozeman, Montana, singer/songwriter released a new one not long ago (Tales From Late Nights & Long Drives) and is excited to share it. Of the new album, Madeline said, “Sip your favorite beverage and spin the vinyl in your listening room—or turn it up to 11 and dance wildly around your kitchen. Wherever you are, I hope it gives you what you need. This is an album for the lovers, the wild children, and the ones who refuse to grow up too much. Adventure is always out there. Go on and take the leap.”
Tickets

6. Feb. 19, Wednesday

Who: Phantogram
Where: The Union Events Center
When: 7:30 p.m.
Why: Riding high on the album they released a few short months ago (2024’s Memory of a Day), the band out of Greenwich, New York, is as good live as you’d hope they would be (and then some). Their performances are incredibly sexy, addictive, engaging, and impossible to turn away from for longer than a well-timed bathroom break. Believe it. If we’re lucky, they’ll bring all the frickin’ lasers along with them (cue the always-bad Dr. Evil impression, complete with extended pinky finger). Like a light show to the planetarium, only with 100% less Pink Floyd music, floating piggies, and neck kinks.
Tickets

7. Feb. 23, Sunday

Who: Christian McBride & Ursa Major
Where: Kingsbury Hall
When: 7:30 p.m.
Why: We don’t get enough straight-ahead jazz in these parts. Thanks to Gordon and Connie Hanks, though, that torch remains lit, and the state still manages to get its share of heavy hitters. Eight-time Grammy Award-winning bassist, composer, and bandleader Christian McBride is bringing his quintet here (Ursa Major), a special treat for everyone already planning to witness the talent they have in spades. Tickets are fast disappearing, but there’s still time to snag yours. Fast fact: Ursa Major is also the name given to the third-largest constellation in the sky and the very largest one in the Northern Hemisphere.
Tickets

8. Feb. 28, Friday

Who: Justin Townes Earle Tribute Show
Where: The State Room
When: 8 p.m.
Why: Justin left a legacy and a lot of fans when he passed. And we totally get it — we’re never more than a week or two away from tributes in these parts — but this one’s set to be something special. This nod to the late singer-songwriter will include a lot of recreated tunes from Justin Townes Earle’s catalog from local talent you already know and adore (including diehard favorites like Daniel Young, Michelle Moonshine, J-Rad Cooley, and a laundry list of others). As an added treat, Sammy Brue will perform new songs created using Justin’s journals, which were gifted to him by Justin’s wife, Jenn.
Tickets

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