Music

When we caught up with Fran Healy, Travis’s lead singer, he was in the best mood.

The Travis: Raze The Bar Tour lands at The Depot in Salt Lake City on Tuesday (February 4, 2025).

It was midday on a Friday when we connected. Fran had been awake for 45 minutes and was in Portland, where the band had a show the night before. He was still in bed, which helped account for his half-dreamy state. He’d dawdled his way through town the previous night, he says, and probably solely because it was rainy and cold. The crisp air reminded him of his native Glasgow, where he grew up accustomed to the 200 days of rainfall the city receives every year.

The band’s already halfway through its 22-date tour, and it’s the first time the foursome has headlined through this country in a dozen years. While Fran freely admits that’s far too long to have stayed away, he hardly feels forgotten by Travis’ diehard fan base. And this stint is a far cry from the amount of touring they did in their earliest days when a staggering 240 shows a year was somehow typical. The pace they’ve adapted to is far more sustainable.

Now Travis has a new album (2024’s L.A. Times, their 10th), and diehard fans are reconnecting with it. It probably helps that Coldplay’s Chris Martin and The Killers’ Brandon Flowers lend their chops to “Raze The Bar.” But there’s more to it than that. Nearly three decades in, the band comprises Fran and a few seemingly lifelong mates: Dougie Payne, Neil Primrose, and Andy Dunlop. That longevity makes a palpable difference.

“We’re still in this band. We’re like a couple who celebrate their 60th anniversary and they’re still in love,” Fran told Concord. “It’s all about the relationship. This is the marriage of four men—and it’s hard enough to keep two people interested, never mind four.”

He tells a story about how they released their sophomore release, 1999’s The Man Who, only to be told by one critic that it was commercial suicide. And that was alarming. The brand briefly took it to heart. By the time it sold 3.5 million copies, Travis had more than proved that critic wrong. It taught Fran a lesson: predictions were preposterous and silly in his line of work.

“You’ve got no control, dead or alive, of what your songs are going to do,” he says. “A band only has to go out and deliver these magic bookmarks to people and stir their memories and emotions. You have to let the songs do the rest.”

For a time, Travis became so pervasive on the radio (“Why Does It Always Rain On Me?” and “Sing” were practically ubiquitous) that some critics lashed out at them unnecessarily. But Travis shouldn’t be underestimated, Fran says.

“When we first came through America, all the country had was fucking Britney Spears and Limp Bizkit. Nirvana was big, but then it descended into pop music chaos. The Man Who and The Invisible Band were these islands that teenagers climbed on and discovered. There was no internet; they just found the albums. Our band ended up being the gateway drug to many other great bands coming out of our country then.”

When Fran is asked what he gets out of still being able to perform and pull massive audiences wherever Travis plays, he’s momentarily stumped. When it hits him, he flashes a grin.

“I get to scream at the top of my voice on songs like “Selfish Gene,” and it’s like primal therapy. That’s quite therapeutic.”

Screaming. Touring. Hanging out with his buddies. No wonder Fran’s in such a great mood.

• Who: Travis
• Where: The Depot
• When: February 4, 2025
• Tickets and Info: Travis: Raze The Bar Tour

When Hot House West Swing Orchestra performed at Kingsbury Hall last Thursday (January 23, 2025), one thought hit early and often: this band has done its homework.

And that’s a calming notion, a reassuring one. It makes sense, too, when someone in the band shares that there are at least a handful of horn-playing and upright bass-slapping professors in the band. Or when they share a list of musicians’ names and inspirations from the 1930s that they hold fast to (a little homework for everyone gathered to study later).

Seeing 15-16 talented musicians gather together and look a lot like a photo of an old-time radio program from the 1930s brought to life was enough of a spectacle all by itself. But the songs and arrangements they shared were a rare delight, as they dipped their toes in big band and Gypsy jazz and western swing. Playing together sounded like hours and hours of devoted practice (or, you know, homework).

The show was full of unbounded enthusiasm. Perfectly executed saxophone and drum solos. Violins. Poignantly beautiful solos (Melissa Chillinski’s “Cowpoke” was a long chance to hold breaths, and choose not to fight back happy tears). There was improvisation, syncopation, multiple sets of maracas being shaken, and a lot of blessed variety to accompany their joy.

As the concert neared its tail end, the band invited a university dance group to surround them and show off all their dance moves for a few songs in a row. In a more perfect world, the audience would have been able to join in and move as well. The sounds that The Hot House Swing Orchestra creates come together in an unbounded, energetic way that makes you move, and forces it, even. Good news, though: future performances now on their performing schedule will allow for lots of dancing, which is precisely how it should be.

Photos by Nathan Christianson (IG: @npcplus)

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California’s Thee Sacred Souls boldly answers the question, “What if our lead vocalist was a dead ringer for Bob Marley but sang as beautifully as Marvin Gaye?”

When the band visited Salt Lake City’s Union Events Center on Wednesday evening (Jan. 22, 2025) to perform as many gorgeous songs as possible in a short hour and a half, they brought a whole vibe. And that’s vague enough to mean a lot of things. Yes, there were very tall bongo drums being pounded on. There were a couple of easy-to-smile-at backup singer types whose arms danced perfectly in sync. Occasional sax and trombone and trumpet? Yes, yes, and yes. The vibe was all of that, but a lot more, too.

The vibe also came with faded flowing blue jeans and dimmed lights. It sounded like an old slightly staticky late-night radio or a lightly scratched soul record. It had falsettos that made girls scream (and always right on cue). It felt like a lot of love, and some couples acted on that, exploring the ample open floor spaces by dancing together. It felt like kindness and courage, too, as singer Josh Lane often took it upon himself to leave the stage and join the thrilled masses, clambering over barricades, everyone singing and swaying and pointing their phones towards him together. Why sing “Lucid Girl” from afar if you don’t have to, anyway?

As far as moments to remember go, the kind that comes in the magic of an encore, the one you are grateful you didn’t miss by sticking around to the tail end, “Can I Call You Rose?” was a perfectly orchestrated cherry on top of all else. Everyone agreed as they helped the band sing it. They understood. This was nobody’s first rodeo. Go, team!

When the Daptone label sadly lost Sharon Jones and Charles Bradley the following year (RIP to both late greats), it was like a ship losing both anchors. Both were quickly familiar voices in that world and likely its two most bankable rising stars. Their large shoes were left behind several years ago to be filled, but they fit Thee Sacred Souls pretty perfectly. The band’s only two albums into their brief journey (and one is as deeply likable as the next), but Wednesday’s display solidifies this now-formed truth: the people don’t just like all Thee Sacred Souls are doing; they’re hungry for it. They can’t get enough. And that’s part of that overall vibe, too.

Photos by: Nathan Christianson (IG: @npcplus)

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When nobody was looking, Collective Soul’s Ed Roland casually slipped into the Big Lebowski portion of his long career and it’s a beautiful thing to witness.

When the band came back for another round of all it does best in Salt Lake City at The Union Events Center on Monday (January 20, 2025), their lead singer did so while wearing a white suit that looked comfortable enough to double as pajamas. (There were no slippers to complete the ensemble, but they were checked for.) Having grown an impressively white beard to go with now long, primarily gray hair, he felt more familiar than he ever has, and I discovered why: Ed honest-to-god both looked and sounded not unlike my own uncle, the one whose voice sounds like he replaced meals with gravel decades ago.

All of that’s to say that he’s more comfortable than ever. He’s still doing every part as engagingly as the rest of the band can. While he may be less of an energetic showman than when he was 20+ years ago, he’s earned every right to switch gears in his approach this far into things. The band can offer a massive hit like “Shine,” a song with the power to unite a crowd, then drop a couple of songs that’ll be released later in 2025 (part of an already-recorded double album). If he wants to pause all else to talk about how those tunes were birthed inside Elvis Presley’s house, that’s his prerogative. So is doing covers of favorites from bands like AC/DC and Aerosmith, just because. Making the performance feel as warm and fun as the early ’90s hits like “The World I Know” and “Where the River Flows” still sound is another glorious part of Ed embodying the relaxed grandeur of becoming The Dude.

Maybe that’s somehow part of what keeps the band fresh. Collective Soul is this living thing with a still beating heart at its center, so change can and does often happen. If they want to throw a guitar solo in where there was never one before, it happens. Paring down a tune to guitar and vocals and getting real quiet? Sure, why not? But they’re having too much fun to be labeled a paint-by-numbers nostalgia act.

Then again, that could all be my, like, opinion, man.
Photos by Kevin Rolfe of @utahconcertreview

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Houndmouth fans don’t much believe in the Sunday scaries. They packed the whole damn 1,200-person capacity venue at The Depot last Sunday night as proof. Less-than-twenty-degree temperatures stood in the way for no one (January 19, 2025) as the band promptly sold out of every available ticket. Not bad for a little feels-so-good four-piece from Indiana that hasn’t released a new album in more than four years (2021’s Good For You).

Not that having newly recorded material mattered to anyone. Familiarity reigned supreme as they offered up a lot of the tried-and-true from their discography (songs like “Sedona,” “My Cousin Greg,” and “Cool Jam”) along with unveiling at least a couple of brand new ones. Maybe a new album’s on the way after all? Either way, all they’ve crafted thus far has not dimmed with time. When ¾ of your band doesn’t just sing but does so remarkably well—and when your keyboardist (Caleb Hickman) strongly resembles Michael McDonald as a far younger man—it bodes well for your fans. The whole night was as easy on the ears as the better stations on AM radio.

When all the pieces tend to magically fall into place as they did, prioritizing good music on a cold night becomes that much easier.

Photos by Natalie Simpson – Beehive Photography – @beehivephotovideo

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When ​​Tarriona “Tank” Ball joined the rest of her band on Saturday night at The Commonwealth Room (Jan. 18, 2025) in Salt Lake anticipation far outweighed expectation, or maybe switch those around? Either way, the crowd automatically erupted without her so much as offering a word.

That’ll happen. The more the band gets noticed, the more the accolades get stacked up. It should be common knowledge that the New Orleans natives took the grand prize for NPR Music’s Tiny Desk Concert series not so many years ago. This year, they already received a Grammy nod for Best Spoken Word Poetry Album for their latest mind rattler of a creation, aptly titled The Heart, The Mind, The Soul. Early prediction? They’ll snag it.

As a live experience, it’s hard to describe how magnetic Tank is, but I’ll try. Keeping my eyes off all she said and sang Saturday night was hard to do. While her small touring band of a couple of keyboardists, a drummer, a bassist, and a backup vocalist aptly created the needed-and-appreciated warm club vibe (all wispy smoke and purple lights), she spilled her stories. Sometimes it was hard to keep up with all she said; it was easily one of the most verbose shows I’ve seen. My wide-eyed brother leaned over mid-show and said, “So many words.” There were no cue cards, no lyrical cheat sheets. A mental note was made to circle back and pour over the themes later. This was a time to move, absorb and feel.

After all, Tank and the Bangas was giving us jazz. There was subtle rap. It was next-level show-woman-ship, a poetry reading made sexier that you could move and snap fingers in appreciation throughout. And while there is an often incessant urge to find a place for sounds and sights you’re seeing live for the first time—the politicizing of Gil-Scott Heron, the flow of Lauryn Hill, the geniuses of today propped up by those giants who’ve come before—it’s best to just let this band be it’s own. No need for comparisons. What they’re doing needs to continue forever and ever, and we will accept all of it gladly and a little greedily.

Photos by Stephen Speckman @saspeckman on Instagram.

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Unabashed adoration was on full and decidedly gleeful display from both sides of the stage Friday night at The State Room. Celebrated Utah musicians and bands (some well-known, some not so) and plenty of early ’90s alternative rock fans gathered en masse to enjoy themselves by playing, singing, and dancing along to every last song of Weezer’s two best albums: The Blue Album and Pinkerton. If you were there, you’re one of the lucky ones. Whether or not you knew all the words to gems released into the world almost exactly 30 years ago, you couldn’t help but scream-sing along to all the parts of “Buddy Holly” or “Say It Ain’t So” that you DID know, and that’s a beautiful thing. While so much of live performance amounts to buying tickets to a ramshackle time machine set to the year of your choice, only the best ones allow us to bump into old memories we forgot we still had stored up inside.

The all-star house band made up of members of Fictionist, Parlor Hawk, Pinguin Mofex, and The Madison Arm and singers including Book On Tape Worm’s Scott Shepard, Fictionists’s Stuart Maxfield and Debra Fotheringham of The Lower Lights as singers (among a laundry list of ever-rotating guest stars) gave us all knew how could give. Some slated to perform didn’t. A new drummer was added 24 hours before showtime. Dicey microphones occasionally marred the sound. Would you believe none of that mattered, not to the buying audience? We gathered in the dual name of joy and blessed recollection, which was paid in full. Save for a brief intermission separating the two albums presented, the concert was a train that kept rolling, regardless of all else, and everyone benefited. Memories were offered, and joy was expected. Memories were discovered like treasure, and joy was celebrated.

By the time you left, if you weren’t fondly thinking of a time gone by with Weezer songs permanently adhering to said time as its soundtrack, chances are you need to get your ears checked. Or wait for these sorts to fire up the time machine again. Definitely one or the other.

Photos by Natalie Simpson – Beehive Photography – @beehivephotovideo

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There’s a lot of musical love to go around this month, here are seven shows in Salt Lake City that caught our eye:

• When: Jan. 11 (Saturday)
• Who: Thee Sacred Souls
• Where: The Union Event Center, Doors at 7 p.m., show at 8 p.m. 
• Why: Ah, when Daptone Records gets it right, they really do its fans the favor of knocking it clean out of the park. From the same lot who gave us Charles Bradley and Sharon Jones, the soul and R&B Brooklyn-based label has produced another winner in signing Thee Sacred Souls. There’s a great reason why the San Diego natives promptly sell out every single time they visit these parts. Listening to a song like “Can I Call You Rose?” is akin to stepping into a time machine, all gauzy and heavy and soft around the edges, all the soul, doo-wop and straight-up shag carpet good vibes you could ever ask for. The music they make together is what falling in love sounds like. And if you go, you’ll be surrounded by lots of lucky sorts falling in love there, too. Comes with the territory.   
• Tickets

• When: Jan. 17 (Friday)
• Who: All-Star Weezer Tribute: Pinkerton & The Blue Album
• Where: The State Room, Doors at 7 p.m., show at 8 p.m.
• Why: From the same local wizards that brought us sprawling, sell-out tribute shows dedicated to Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers and Neil Young in years past comes their latest creation: two full Weezer albums, performed in their entirety for your listening pleasure. If you’ve been to the shows these sorts have put together in the past, you already know they’re so good that they could take any of those acts on the road if they wanted to. If you haven’t seen them yet, you’re set to enjoy a lot of local talent ℅ curator, musician (and all-around nice bearded guy) Paul Jacobsen. Weezer’s debut turned 30 last year; while album birthdays hardly require tributes this grandiose, it’s as good an excuse as any to get together and make merry as there ever was.
• Tickets

• When: Jan. 18 (Saturday)
• Who: Tank and The Bangas
• Where: The Commonwealth Room, Doors at 7 p.m., show at 8 p.m. 
• Why: If you’re an avid KRCL listener and supporter (so unabashedly guilty over here), you might also hear how excited some of its deejays tend to get when they talk about Tank and The Bangas. Sometimes, it happens right before or after they spin one the band’s feel-good tunes, and sometimes, they talk about them just because. This has been happening for months, at least ever since the show was announced. But when a New Orleans band has this much talent, showing off via melodies, raps, poetry (and that list goes on), it’s hard not to take notice. For extra proof of a great thing — your sneak peek du jour — go watch their NPR Music Tiny Desk concert from a few years back, from when they won first place out of 6,000+ submissions. 
• Tickets

• When: Jan. 19 (Sunday)
• Who: Houndmouth
• Where: The Depot, Show at 7 p.m. 
• Why: For a band that still somehow feels new, even after more than a decade and a string of albums together, Houndmouth conjures up a curious brand of Sunshine State nostalgia for me. It’s where I lived when the band was out making a name for itself, so songs like “Sedona” — it home to that sing-shouting harmony sound they’ve built their name on — sound like muggy Florida evenings to me, like trees dripping with Spanish moss or day trips to the beach. Of the times I saw them live (twice? thrice?), the Indiana band never once phoned it in. They worked so hard to be able to continue all they were doing and they have managed to keep that dream going. Catch them this month a few nights into their upcoming 25-night run (!). Schedule it as the tail end of your Sunday Funday for best results. 
• Tickets

• When: Jan. 20 (Monday)
• Who: Collective Soul
• Where: The Union, Doors at 7 p.m., Show at 8 p.m. 
• Why: About 20 years ago, I saw Collective Soul do what that band does so well over yonder at the Delta Center. While I’m not nearly old enough to have ever seen Jim Morrison do his thing live, watching lead singer Ed Roland hypnotize the crowd that night felt like he was tapping into some honest-to-garsh real Lizard King energy. That’s the only way I know how to put it. On top of flaunting a lot of familiar radio rock hits (“Shine,” “The World I Know”), the guy was absolutely magnetic. If you were there, you remember. The Union is a little-to-lots smaller than that other venue, of course, but that feels like a bonus. Intimate concerts are welcome here.
• Tickets

• When: Jan. 23 (Thursday)
• Who: Hot House West Swing Orchestra
• Where: Kingsbury Hall, Show at 7:30 p.m.
• Why: This is yet another opportunity for the Beehive State to show off that it’s just dripping in musical talent, a chance to support the always-burgeoning local arts scene while getting a chance to be flat-out amazed at what feels like it’s been in hiding sometimes. And, if you’re a lover of jazz music in any form, you win. For one, there will be horns. There will be strings. And there are going to be fourteen damn musicians joining forces, all drawing inspiration from the same place: the genius of gypsy jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt. The jazz scene has sometimes been a bumpy ride in the city, but that ought not be the case. With some luck (and lots of filled seats), nights like this one may happen more often. We’ll tap our toes. We’ll cross our fingers.
• Tickets

• When: Jan. 24 (Friday)
• Who: Alan Sparhawk
• Where: Urban Lounge, Show at 7 p.m.
• Why: As Alan Sparhawk co-founded the critically adored band Low over 30 years ago, the intrigue factor for this performance is sky-high for many. Since his late wife Mimi Parker (Low’s other founder) passed away in 2022, Sparhawk’s off on a new journey altogether, a welcome departure from how that other band sounded. It’s wild to think that this far into his career (Low first formed in 1993), he’s only just released his solo debut (2024’s White Roses, My God). And the fact these new songs are not a sequel to the sound he helped create with Low is an endlessly beautiful thing. When an artist is handed new horse reins and allowed to branch out into new territory in a way that speaks to them now, that’s often a magical, powerful thing to witness
• Tickets

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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. 

Stay tuned as the full lineup takes shape over the next few months. In the meantime, check out our review of last year’s festival.

• Who: Ogden Friends of Acoustic Music (OFOAM)
• What: Ogden Music Festival
• Where: Fort Buenaventura (Ogden)
• When: May 30, 2025- June 1, 2025
• Info and tickets: ofoam.org

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