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From our music writers, you’ll find local show previews, festival reviews and interviews with artists. We are also your premiere source on all things Sundance Film Festival. Peruse our archives for film reviews, event roundups and more!
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Calling all performing arts patrons, thrill seekers and curious looky-loos—the Salt Lake City Busker Fest returns to downtown May 26 and 27th. The free event is a whimsical celebration of the time-honored tradition of busking, and invites both traveling and local buskers to share their talents. This year, the festival will be moved North to Block 70 surrounding Eccles Theater. Jugglers, aerialists and musicians will be posted up along Main Street and Regent Street between 100 and 200 south, their talents are plenty and their hats are empty, so bring some cash or be prepared to venmo.
The vaudeville art has been a popular form of entertainment since the early 20th century, and has since evolved into what we now recognize as busking. Unlike ticketed performances, buskers must capture and maintain the attention of a constantly rotating audience. Marcus Willson, a stunt performer and comedian who will be performing at this year’s festival, says the challenge is what he adores most. “When you’re at a comedy club or venue, the audience has paid to be there, so they will sit in the chair and watch you no matter what,” he says. “If you’re on the street, you have to do something entertaining enough to make people stop. You have to build the crowd up.”
If you’ve ever been a part of that clamoring crowd, you’ve felt how exciting it can be. Everyone appreciating the same extraordinary act, and collectively deciding it is more than worthy of their attention. And if you haven’t, this weekend’s Busker Fest is the perfect opportunity.
This year’s list of acts includes a collection of local favorites and traveling performers including:
A Rose Moment, a living statue hailing from Boulder, CO.
Traveling in from Las Vegas, Pick My Pose is an ‘interactive statue’ who invites onlookers to arrange him in any position they’d like and he’ll stay put. Seriously, this guy has some major muscle control.
Satya Hoops is the world’s first and only buskers that performs with a hula hoop on fire while spinning inside a cyr wheel. Basically, she’s a human gyroscope.
Vavavoom Vaudeville Cabaret is a burlesque troupe hailing from Salt Lake City
A one man show specializing in dangerous stunts, juggling and comedy, Brent Fiasco Sideshow from Arizona will have the entire crowd holding their breath.
You’ll find even more performers throughout downtown, as well as a 21+ busker bar behind Eccles where Fisher Brewing and Beehive Distilling will be serving up boozy refreshments. The festival will not feature any food trucks, so attendees should plan to support surrounding local restaurants instead. Most of all, relax and enjoy the shows. Happy busking!
At a layton junior high school, on an average Friday afternoon, tables filled with students playing Dungeons & Dragons fill up two classrooms and spill out into the hallway and across a second-story landing. Students perch in their chairs, scour their lists of spells and items and call out in dismay or triumph, as the various Dungeon Masters do their best to react to the often maddening exploits of each respective adventuring party. It truly is a sight to behold. A beautiful, nerdy sight.
Last school year, teacher Cameron Pingree started a gaming club at North Davis Preparatory Academy (NDPA) in Layton, inviting students to come learn how to play Dungeons & Dragons. A handful of students signed up and played D&D almost every Friday for the whole year. This school year, Pingree and the club’s other teachers set about recruiting for the club, going class to class, handing out permission slips to interested students.
“We printed about 50 permission slips, thinking that would be more than enough,” says Pingree.
It wasn’t. By the third class, they were out of permission slips. In the end, 140 students handed in signed permission slips to join the gaming club. NDPA’s 6-9 grades combined have a few more than 350 students. More than one-third of the junior high is playing D&D almost every Friday after school…not many after-school clubs can boast that kind of attendance.
The tabletop roleplaying game first came into existence in the 1970s, before these students’ parents were born, and now, what is arguably the most famous tabletop roleplaying game is experiencing a renaissance. Wizards of the Coast, which owns D&D, says that in 2020, an estimated 50 million people were playing the game, making it more popular than ever. And, Utah is partially to thank for that. According to a 2023 search-data analysis, Utah plays more D&D than any other state in the nation. For decades, the perception was that Dungeons & Dragons is a niche pastime reserved for a socially awkward and sunlight-averse subset of humanity. It also took a turn as a tool for the devil to corrupt the souls of innocent youngsters during the Satanic Panic. So how did this game become the chief hobby of a diverse and discerning group of middle school kids? Maybe you have to play the game to understand, or see it through the eyes of the kids who love it.
The Dungeon Master
Will, 8th Grade
The Character: As the Dungeon Master, Will (above) has built a place of portals for his players to explore. When they enter a portal, a dice roll will determine their fate and take them to the world of an existing animated TV series. But things do not always go to plan…
The Player: Will started playing D&D three years ago and can’t possibly be forced to choose his favorite part—after all, in D&D, you can do anything (if the dice be kind).
Erieve – Sorceress
Isabella, 8th Grade
The Character: Erieve (below) casts spells to help her adventuring companions in combat, but sometimes she’ll leave an opponent dangling out of reach of the melee fighters with her use of the Levitate spell. (What else do you expect from an Air Genasi?)
The Player: Isabella, like many of her peers, first heard of D&D from the Netflix show Stranger Things. When she isn’t playing D&D, Isabella enjoys playing soccer.
Like that of any recently slain monster or NPC in-game, the body of D&D work has been picked over and relieved of anything valuable time and time again. While not every D&D adaptation has been successful at bringing new players to the game (take the 1983 animated series or the 2000 live-action movie, for instance), some of the magic of D&D has been milked and bottled and sold by a handful of popular media adaptations that have helped fuel the growth of the game.
Illustrations by Arianna Jimenez
Many of the students of NDPA’s gaming club had never heard of Dungeons & Dragons until they watched a little show called Stranger Things. In the first season of the Netflix show, the young heroes find their humdrum suburban lives upturned by events, not unlike the adventures in their weekly D&D game. Together as a party, they take down a monster dubbed the Demogorgon, after a Demon Lord from D&D lore. In the most recent season, the BBEG (Big Bad Evil Guy) gets a name from another top-tier D&D baddie—the uber-powerful undead wizard Vecna. During many of their real-life adventures, one main character often implores, “why couldn’t we just play D&D?” The chance to play a game that creates larger-than-life adventures inspired students to join the school club and start D&D games of their own.
Stranger Things is not the first nor the most recent popular television show to depict the magic of D&D. Some members of an older generation first started playing D&D after an episode of NBC’s Community that aired in 2011 (now hard-to-find thanks to a Drow—dark elf—cosplay that did not age well). In 2015, a crew of talented voice actors created a show called Critical Role and started live-streaming their house D&D game on Youtube and Twitch.tv. Now on their third campaign, the group is live-streaming weekly to an audience of more than one million viewers.
Critical Role also successfully launched a crowdfunding campaign to produce an animated TV series based on its first campaign, The Legend of Vox Machina, which is now in its second season on Prime Video. They have also announced the upcoming animated series adaptation of their second campaign, The Mighty Nein.
NDPA teacher Cameron Pingree also points to the pandemic and lockdown for the resurgence of tabletop roleplaying. People who used to play “back in the day” picked up the hobby again in lockdown, supported by ZOOM and online tools like “D&D Beyond” that provide a digital alternative to the old-school pen-and-paper method. “D&D lets people use their imagination, like reading a book,” he says, but with some important distinctions. “Reading about a character is not as fun as being a character.” And, with D&D, unlike reading a book, you don’t do it alone. Virtual D&D sessions over video calls became one way to escape the isolation of lockdown, and, even when the world started to reopen, people kept playing, and word got out.
That brings us to the Hollywood film adaptation released in March 2023, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. The film is not so much a cause of the recent surge in popularity as it is a result. Only time will tell if the movie will push the game to even higher heights of popularity.
Athena Lily – Ranger
Attlee, 8th Grade
The Character: Athena and her wife, Silver, are trying to set things right after killing the boyfriend of their son, Apollo, who, in turn, killed Athena’s beloved god.
The Player: Attlee’s favorite part of D&D is roleplaying and likewise plans to audition for next year’s drama class. Attlee often cries while caught up in the moment of moving and emotionally charged D&D sessions, DMed by the teacher, “Mr. Cameron.”
Sidon – Fighter
Drayden, 6th Grade
The Character: A noble from an underwater kingdom, Sidon has come to an academy on the surface world to fight and learn how to be a hero (which involves fighting his roommates in the arena).
The Player: Drayden wanted to play in his older brother’s D&D campaign, but they stayed up too late.. Now he’s played many campaigns and plays other games like Dice Thrones with his family.
It’s the classic opener to a D&D session for a reason. It introduces a brand new world—full of magic and monsters and colorful (read: dangerous) characters—in an otherwise low-stakes environment. Like a new party of adventurers entering a tavern, young D&D players get to gradually test the boundaries of their world. “The players get to act out and experience ‘real’ scenarios as a character, rather than as themselves. It’s almost therapeutic,” says Pingree. As teachers and Dungeon Masters, they are not trying to send students down a specific path when they play, rather, they provide the opportunity and a safe place—a whole new world—for students to explore identities and emotions as a character.
Some would argue that playing D&D can be more than just “almost” therapeutic but actually therapeutic. Dr. Megan Connell is a psychologist who literally wrote the book on the subject, Tabletop Role-Playing Therapy: A Guide for the Clinician Game Master, about how mental health professionals are using tabletop role-playing games, specifically Dungeons & Dragons, to help clients learn and practice therapy skills in a fun and safe environment through role-played situations.
Illustrations by Arianna Jimenez
Through that experience and exploration, Pingree says he has seen students grow and discover themselves. He’s had dozens of emails from parents who are realizing the positive impact playing D&D is having on their students. Pingree says the gaming club also checks off all the boxes for what an administration wants from a school club: it helps build skills in math, teamwork, language arts, socialization, creativity, and so on. So much so, that year two of the gaming club came with a much more substantial budget. And they had some help from the local gaming community. Endzone Hobby Center donated dice and supplies and offered students who visit their store half-off character miniatures.
When we asked these kids what they liked about D&D, the answers were varied…yet similar. While they all enjoyed playing different aspects of the game—combat, roleplaying, strategizing, setting traps, making friends—almost to a student, the answer to what makes D&D unique was the same: “It can be anything you want it to be. There are no limits, except for your own imagination, and anything is possible in D&D.”
Sailormoon – Cleric
Ruby, 7th Grade
The Character: Sailor Moon is loyal to her friends and heals them when they’re hurt in combat.
The Player: Ruby started playing D&D with her friends to improve her social skills. She’s also honing her basketball skills to become an asset to the team for next year.
Ninja Cat – Rogue
Korben, 8th Grade
The Character: He’s a ninja. He’s a cat. Enough said.
The Player: Korben promised himself that if he ever made a sneaky character, that character could only have one name: Ninja Cat. He made good on that promise. He joined the gaming club with his friends and has made new friends because of D&D.
A Dungeons & Dragons Dictionary
Campaign: A series of individual gaming sessions connected by an overarching story or adventure. If a session is a chapter, the campaign is the whole novel.
Critical: The success or failure of a character’s action often comes down to the roll of a 20-sided die (d20). Rolling a 20 is an automatic success or Critical Success. Rolling a one is an automatic failure or “Crit fail.”
Dungeon Master (DM): The person who “runs” the game, helps build the world around the players’ characters, inhabits that world with quests and NPCs and makes determinations on rolls and rules.
Homebrew: An adventure or any feature or mechanic that is not from an official sourcebook but created by the DM or a third party.
NPC: A non-player character (as opposed to the characters played by the players), typically controlled by the Dungeon Master
One-Shot: A single, stand-alone gaming session that is typically not part of a broader campaign.
Party: Also called an Adventuring Party, this is the group or band to which the players’ characters (or adventurers) belong.
All Photos by Adam Finkle, Illustrations by Arianna Jimenez
The last day of the festival definitely went out with a bang…and when I say bang I mean literal thunder and lightning.
Highlights of the Day
The day truly kicked off with back-to-back sets by Crumb and Tolchock Trio, two talented acts who are sure to gain widespread recognition after their performances today. The Backstreet Lovers took the stage, and their performance drew in just about every single attendee there. The band is local and, of course, had to play their hit song “Kilby Girl,” which had the crowd go wild, myself included. After that, the Pixies performed, creating a massive crowd with their iconic reputation. However, the festivities took an unexpected turn when a thunderstorm struck, prompting a frenzy as half the attendees sought shelter and the other half left. Nevertheless, the festival went on despite the setback. Pavement ultimately took the stage around 10:00 pm and the dedication these fans had was unreal.
My Day at Kilby
Today was undoubtedly my favorite day of the festival. Although it was a little less hectic than yesterday, it was still busier than the first day. However, the atmosphere was much more relaxed, and the people seemed to be having more fun, probably because most of them were feeling a little delirious from the past two days of festivities. Without a doubt, my favorite performance of the day, and perhaps the whole festival, was the Backseat Lovers. I might be a little biased since they’re one of my favorite artists, but their performance was outstanding, and the audience was impeccable. But the highlight of my day was the thunderstorm. I know that may sound crazy, but running to find shelter with thousands of people all screaming the lyrics to the Pixies was an unforgettable experience. Now that the festival is over, I’m exhausted, slightly hysterical, but above all, extremely happy that I attended.
My first festival, and definitely not my last. Thank you Kilby Block Party for the craziest and best kick off to summer 2023!
Despite the rain causing a few minor setbacks, the Kilby Block Party crew persevered and ensured that the show went on for the second day of the festival on Saturday, May 14, 2023. Shades of Woodstock?
Highlights of the Day
The festival truly kicked off with an electrifying performance by Goth Babe. Their inventive antics, including tossing a blown-up watermelon floaty into the crowd and inviting an audience member to ride it, set the tone for an unforgettable performance. Caroline Polacheck, Gus Dapperton and The Moss were also massive hits, drawing in huge crowds. While Hippocampus delivered their highly anticipated performance, the former fell flat for me, lacking the energy and excitement of other acts. Overall, The Strokes definitely stole the show with their stunning visuals and unparalleled stage presence, cementing their position as the night’s top act.
My Day at Kilby
Day two of the festival proved to be a lot more enjoyable than the previous day, thanks to the larger crowds, more artists that matched by preferences, and an overall better atmosphere. Although earlier in the evening, if you had asked me to name my favorite performer, I would have undoubtedly said Goth Babe. However, it was the lesser-known group, Osees, that truly stole the show for me. Despite being unfamiliar with their music before the event, I decided to give them a chance and it turned out to be the best decision I made all night. In my opinion, their performance was the highlight of the entire event.
Super stoked for Sunday, let’s make the most of our final day and go all out in style!
The first day at Kilby Block Party proved to be anything but ordinary. Unlike last year’s festival the larger State Fair Park setting gave us all room to move around without getting jostled or crushed. There was plenty of places where people could just sit down, grab a beer and relax. However, it was all about the music, which featured incredible performances that kept the energy high from start to finish.
Highlights of the Day
The festival featured several noteworthy bands, but six in particular left a lasting impression. The first was Sunhills, a local group that kicked off the festival with an electrifying performance that got the crowd moving. Lucius, Noso and Japanese Breakfast were the afternoon’s biggest draw. Dominic Fike’s set was another crowd-pleaser, drawing a massive audience. However, the biggest highlight of the day can be summed up in three words: Yeah Yeah Yeahs. As soon as they stepped up on the stage, it was made clear that this was the performance everyone was looking forward to seeing, featuring incredible vocals and energy that left the crowd awestruck.
My Day at Kilby
Aside from the long wait to get into the festival, my day at Kilby Block Party was anything but long. The abundance of food trucks serving a variety of cuisines, from Thai dishes to classic burgers and fries, was impressive and sure to satisfy any craving you might have. While the beer selection was somewhat limited, the Squatters Juicy IPA definitely did it for me. Of all the performances, Ritt Momney was definitely my favorite. They played to a perfectly sized crowd as the sun began to set, and their connection with the audience was palpable.
For all you day two comers, please bring sunscreen, a water bottle, and trust me don’t stress about the size of your bag, they truly do not care.
We now know the dates of the 2024 Sundance Film Festival! The Sundance Institute announced that the upcoming Sundance Film Festival will take place on January 18–28, 2024. This will be the 40th occurrence of the Festival. Unlike previous years, the event will take in person, but a selection of films will also be available online.
Future attendees, of course, can already start planning their 2024 Sundance Film Festival experience. Organizers suggest they begin by booking lodging by visiting lodging.sundance.org/lodging. However, as far as ticket pricing and screening and admission packages, we don’t have the details yet. That information will be shared closer to the Festival.
The programming will include feature films, short films, and episodic as well as innovative storytelling in New Frontier category. For filmmakers and creators, the 2024 Sundance Film Festival programming team will start accepting projects for submission starting today, May 11.
Upcoming deadlines for 2024 Sundance Film Festival submissions:
For Features, the early deadline to submit is August 11, the official deadline is September 4, and the late deadline is September 25.
For Shorts, the early deadline is July 31, the official deadline is August 18, and the late deadline is September 4. For Episodic, the early deadline is August 7, the official deadline is September 1, and the late deadline is September 18.
For New Frontier, the early deadline is August 4, the official deadline is August 21, and the late deadline is September 1. (Details on applications, including frequently asked questions, are available here.)
As the temperatures start to rise and the days grow longer, we know that summer is just around the corner. And for many of us, that can only mean one thing—festival season! The much-anticipated Kilby Block Party is back, bringing with it a fresh lineup of the best indie bands that Salt Lake has to offer. To help you make the most of your time at the festival, here’s everything you need to know before you go.
What To Expect
There are a few things to keep in mind when attending the Kilby Block Party. Firstly, if you’ve attended the festival before, you can expect it to be much larger this year as it is being held at the Utah State Fair Park, the biggest venue the festival has ever used. This means larger crowds and longer lines.
Secondly, it’s important to bring water bottles to stay hydrated throughout the day. I recommend bringing a Camelbak. Remember to empty your water bottle before arriving, as there will be refill stations available at the festival. Also, keep in mind that there will be limited shade, so make sure to bring sunscreen!
Thirdly, use Uber! There will be limited parking and driving may lead to unwanted headaches. However, if you do choose to drive, keep in mind that there will be no re-entry once you leave the festival grounds, except for 3-day GA, VIP, and SUPER VIP ticket holders. Lastly, expect plenty of food trucks, booze and a whole lot of fun!
Festival Logistics
When and Where– The Festival’s gates open at 12pm and run till 10 pm each day. It’s located at the Utah State Fair Park, where there will be limited parking. You can purchase a ticket for the premium lot here, if not, the secondary lot is paid on-site and is first come first serve.
Wristbands– There will be two options to exchange your tickets for wristbands. If you want to skip the line you can receive your wristband on May 11th, from 5 pm to 9 pm at the following locations:
Kilby Court: 741 Kilby Court, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
Blue Gene’s: 239 S. 500 E., Salt Lake City, UT 84102
The Depot: 13 N. 400 W., Salt Lake City, UT 84101
If these times and locations don’t work for you, you can always exchange your ticket for a wristband when you arrive at the festival.
North Entrance: 300 N. 1050 W.
East Entrance: 200 N. 1080 W.
Please do not lose your wristband! There are no exchanges and if you lose it and you will have to purchase another ticket.
Allowed Items– Like most festivals, there is a list of items that are permitted and prohibited for attendees to bring. To help you prepare, here are some of the items that you are allowed to bring with you:
Bags: The Kilby Block Party has specific guidelines regarding bags. Clear bags are permitted but must not exceed 12” x 12” x 6” in size. Alternatively, small bags that are not clear are also allowed but can only have one pocket and must not exceed 4.5” x 5.5” in size.
Water: Reusable water bottles and hydration packs are permitted but they must be empty when you arrive at the gates. However, there will be multiple areas at the venue where free water refills will be available
Other items permitted: Polaroid and Film cameras, e-cigs, strollers, hand sanitizer, sunscreen, earplugs and portable chargers.
The Lineup
Friday– Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Dominic Fike, Japanese Breakfast, Cuco, Remi Wolf, Lucius, Ritt Momney, Frankie Cosmos, Jean Dawson, Alice Phoebe Lou, Deerhoof, Westerman, Julie, Momma, NoSo, Miya Folick, The Plastic Cherries, Homephone and Sunhills.
Saturday– The Strokes, Run The Jewels, Hippo Campus, Caroline Polacheck, Goth Babe, Alex G, Osees, Weyes Blood, Gus Dapperton, Indigo De Souza, Dreamer Isioma, The Moss, Wallice, Tamino, Grave Ives, Tanukichan, Sunsleeper, Kipper Snack, Hi Again, Anais Chantal and Josh Doss & The Cancers.
Sunday– Pavement, Pixies, The Backseat Lovers, The Walkmen, Surf Curse, Duster, Faye Webster, Crumb, Ethel Cain, Wednesday, Kate Bollinger, Spill Tab, Mannequin Pussy, Deeper, Tolchok Trio, Worlds Worst, Fonteyn, Backhand and Musor.
Acts I’m Looking Forward To
I’m looking forward to Hippo Campus the most, performing Saturday from 6:25 to 7:25. If I were you, I’d go see them. I’m also looking forward to The Strokes (Saturday, 8:45-10:00) and the Pixies (Sunday, 7:45-8:45). Lastly, for all you Euphoria fans go see Elliot, better known as Dominic Fike, perform on Friday at 7:20 to 8:20. Happy festival-ing!
Time in summer moves slower. We look at the clock less and enjoy warm afternoons that stretch into long, languid nights. And nothing helps keep time in summer as well as the annual lineup of festivals and celebrations. The season runs Spring through Summer, and the variety and regularity of Utah’s festivals mark the passing of the warmer months like clockwork. So as you’re losing track of time, here are nine mainstay summer festivals that will help keep you track of Summer’s pace.
MayFestivals
An Intertribal Pow Wow at the Living Traditions Festival. Image courtesy living traditions.
The Living Traditions Festival—The traditional kick-off to Salt Lake’s summer festival season is filled with dance, food from around the world and a celebration of Utah’s diverse culture. saltlakearts.org
LOVELOUD Festival—Founded in 2017 by Dan Reynolds of Imagine Dragons and Tyler Glenn of the Neon Trees, LOVELOUD brings communities and families together to celebrate (and love) LGBTQ+ youth and encourage acceptance and community. Also, it’s a killer show. loveloudfest.com
Kilby Block Party—Kilby Court is one of the most celebrated music venues in Salt Lake. The stage at the all-ages club has seen legendary artists pass across its stage. To celebrate that history, its owners started the Kilby Block Party, to bring together the local music scene and internationally renowned performers for one giant concert. Keep an eye on our site and socials for coverage of the festival. kilbyblockparty.com
JuneFestivals
Crowds fly a Pride Flag during Utah Pride Week (Photo by Jeremy Pugh/Salt Lake magazine)
Utah Pride Festival and Parade—The Utah Pride Festival and Parade is held in downtown Salt Lake in June celebrating Utah’s diversity and gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. The event is a program of the Utah Pride Center, and includes the state’s second-largest parade, after the Days of ‘47 Parade. utahpridecenter.org
Utah Blues Festival—There’s a long history of celebrating the Blues in Utah. Many legendary blues artists performed at earlier blues-centric festivals from the 1980s into the 2000s. (BB King, Muddy Waters, James Cotton, to namedrop a few.) The Utah Blues Festival was started to revive that tradition and bring national blues acts to the Beehive State once again. utahbluesfest.org
SLC Busker Fest—Busker Fest is a free event held annually in Salt Lake to showcase local and traveling street performers. The festival celebrates the city’s rich Vaudeville history by bringing the living tradition of busking and street theater downtown. It happens in conjunction with SLC’s Open Streets event that closes off a large section of Salt Lake’s Main Street to cars making it a fun and surprising time of year to stroll the city. buskerfestslc.com
Busker Fest runs in June with street performances around Salt Lake City. Image courtesy of Busker Fest.
Brewstillery—Brewstillery is Utah’s all-local beer-and-spirits event that brings together local breweries, local distilleries and thirsty patrons, all in one space. slugmag.com
Utah Arts Festival—The Utah Arts Festival is the largest outdoor multi-disciplinary arts event in Utah with attendance hovering above more than 70,000 each summer. uaf.org
Another beloved summer festival is at risk… Find out more about the future of Park City’s Silly Sunday Market.
There’s no mistaking the blunt force melody of the Pixies, as singular a sound as ever committed in seven decades of rock n’ roll. Formed in Boston by college pals in the waning ‘80s, the band, originally consisting of Black Francis aka Frank Black (pseudonyms of singer/guitarist Charles Thompson), guitarist Joey Santiago, bassist/vocalist Kim Deal, and drummer David Lovering, the foursome hooked anti-pop idiosyncrasy around limber reverb and distortion to escape teeth first from a cultural big bang that would spit out fresh worlds of alternative rock, hip hop, metal, No Depression country music, and electronica.
Maybe the Pixies didn’t reinvent fire, but they certainly found new ways to burn across four exceptional full-lengths (no strings being pulled on the vanguard “Come On Pilgrim” EP) that inspired a subsequent legion of artists. Sadly, the center couldn’t hold, and the band broke up in 1993 with members fending off calls for a reunion amid other pursuits.
David Lovering, who post-Pixies continued to drum off and on with Frank Black and Santiago (in The Martinis) as well as for Cracker and various others, found a second life in the realm of magic and illusion, reinventing himself as a scientific phenomenalist who combined a background in electrical engineering with performance art and comedy.
“With the Pixies, I’m behind a drum set and I’m behind three people, and I’ve never had a problem with that,” Lovering said in a mid-April interview. “My first magic show was just myself and 10 people– and I could’ve wrung my t-shirt out and filled a Dixie cup with the sweat because it was nerve-wracking! But magic has been wonderful because it builds confidence. The years that I’ve done it, you’re dealing one on one with people and it just changes you. I could do public speaking now at a whim, it’s just the easiest thing in the world and it’s all because of magic. I’m very grateful to it.”
In 2004, the Pixies announced their return with a tour culminating in a 20-song set at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California that mined cuts from the four seminal albums “Surfer Rosa” (1988), “Doolittle” (1989), “Bossanova” (1990) and “Trompe Le Monde” (1991).
“I think when we got back together then in 2004, there was a lot of discussion of the way this was going to be for one tour, this and that, and it kept going—and it kept going. We had just been going on our old laurels,” said Lovering, 19 years after the Pixies reformed. “We’d been playing the old material for seven years, and it got us thinking. I think the epiphany in 2011 was, “Wow, we can’t do this anymore. We have to do something new. And that’s how “Indie Cindy” came about.”
Initially released as a series of EPs, “Indie Cindy” resurrected the Pixies as creators, this time without Deal, to prove themselves amid an alt-rock landscape they’d pioneered in another century.
“People talk of pressure and I think that we had some internal pressure just thinking about it, you’re thinking, ‘Oh, jeez, this album’s gotta be as good as the last one we did!’ So there was that,” Lovering said. “But there was no formulation. I’m not saying we didn’t put our best forward, but there wasn’t anything to upstage it. There wasn’t a conscious effort to make it better than what we had or to go back and top that. It was just what we were doing at that point.”
The band recalibrated in 2016 with the album “Head Carrier” (so named for decapitated martyr St. Denis), adding soon-to-be-permanent bassist Paz Lenchantin (A Perfect Circle, Silver Jews, Jenny Lewis) as well as producer Tom Dalgety into the mix.
“Paz is a fantastic player, she’s a great musician, just a great person overall– wonderful to be around,” Lovering said. “She’s so good, she makes me step up my game and play better because I don’t want to be embarrassed. It was a nice breath of something new, and I think we were jokingly calling it “Pixies Version 2.0” or something like that, but it’s been fantastic. She’s definitely given everyone—because she is younger—a spark.
“Beneath The Eyrie” followed in 2019, along with what was supposed to be a globe-spanning tour. But COVID-19 and the ensuing pandemic sent the Pixies home, grounded but not necessarily uncertain. For Lovering, the unexpected break provided an opportunity for carpal tunnel surgery on both hands, which in addition to rejuvenating his drumming also provided enhanced dexterity for the magician’s ever-improving card tricks and sleight of hand.
“Doggerel,” the Pixies’ latest effort, could be their strongest post-reunion album to date. Realized through a combination of quarantine tracking and sessions at Vermont’s Guilford Sound, “Doggerel” is this incarnation at their most mature and fluid. Santiago has called the record “Doolittle Senior,” though tracks like “Nomatterday”, “Vault of Heaven”, “Haunted House,” and the Leonard Cohen-dipped title track evoke classic Pixies mythology without recycling. This isn’t nostalgia; it’s experience.
“We all played very, very well on [“Doggerel”]. I think that’s Joey’s comment, why it was like ‘Doolittle.’ And I think that the song content that Charles came up with is exceptional. I think that “Doggerel” stands out (as) different than all the albums from after the reformation,” said Lovering. “We’re getting older. Not all music that we’re going to do is going to be heralded back to what we’ve done in the past, but it’s where we are in our lives. We’re better musicians, and I think that showed, especially with a producer [Tom Dalgety], who now is working with us for a third album, who knows us.”
As the Pixies prepare for their latest tour, Lovering is excited to share “Doggerel,” but equally energized by the challenge of playing no set list shows that will pull from every pocket of the band’s catalog.
“I think we’ve perfected it,” said Lovering of the no set list approach. “We call it our schtick because we know what the first song is and our soundman knows what the first song is and our lighting director knows what the first song is. After that, it’s all just by Charles and us with hand signals or him talking to a microphone that we only hear. We’re able to coordinate the show and work it and go through songs, and I must admit it’s fun. You don’t know when the set’s going to end!”
But Lovering’s true joy comes from seeing the band’s unfolding legacy reflected in the new (and growing) generation of Pixies fans.
“Back in 2004 when we played Coachella, it was a sea of kids that weren’t even born, probably, when we were originally a band—but they knew all the words,” Lovering said with a laugh. “When I look at our audience before the doors open, it’s a sea of kids that are 15, 16, 17, 18, and going up from there. And they’re waiting to get in for general admission to get in that front row! To see a whole front row with kids in there, that know all the words to the new material—and people my age are in the back waiting for all the old stuff, it’s something else to see. That’s our audience now, and I feel very fortunate as a band to have it. I feel like we’re the Grateful Dead of alternative rock.”
The Pixies are coming to Salt Lake for the Kilby Block Party May 12-14, see the full lineup here.
Sadie Joy Muhlestein begins with raw clay and shapes it into mugs, teapots or vessels. While the clay dries, she creates the designs and then applies the underglaze. “This is my favorite step,” she says. “I spend the most time painting with loving intention the details of my designs.” She describes the process as alchemy of all the elements: the clay is earth, water manipulates the form of the clay, air commits the shape and fire transmutes and strengthens the piece. “Heart through art is the magical element that takes a mundane item and makes it joyful.” A lifelong artist, Sadie set up a studio space and started creating pottery in Spring 2022, and now she sells her pieces at local markets like Utah Art Market, JKR gallery and the Salt & Honey shop and on Instagram @wildjoypotteryandart.
Find Joy in Your Own Pottery
Whether you’re looking to pick up a new hobby, hone existing skills or just get your hands dirty with clay, there are plenty of pottery workshops in Utah. The following classes welcome all skill levels so you can tap into the creative joy within.
Art Haus
This Salt Lake studio offers adult and children’s classes seven days a week. Their intro to wheel-thrown pottery course is perfect for newbies to the craft. Throughout four classes their skilled teachers will guide students in forming mugs and bowls, and teach basic skills like carving and glazing.
Learn more about Art Haus’ offerings on their website.
The Kreative Kiln
Owned and operated by a husband and wife duo, The Kreative Kiln is an open studio located in Pleasant Grove. Their pottery wheel throwing experience is a fun alternative for birthday parties, date night, or a solo creative challenge! Interested artists can also purchase memberships to use the studio’s tools, supplies and space. Find more info here.
Workshop SLC
Workshop SLC is a collective of artists, both professional and hobbyists alike. The studio recently introduce pottery classes ranging from foundational to intermediate. Learn from staff through demonstration, lecture and one-on-one instruction to throw clay, shape ceramics and apply unique decorating techniques. The studio also offers one-day workshops with all supplies included. Learn more!
