On Thursday evening, Red Butte was treated to a virtuoso performance of Joaquín Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez by guitar maestro Pablo Villegas.

It was a strange night at Red Butte, where a small but enthusiastic crowd had plenty of space to spread out and crack open their picnic baskets. The lady next to me had brought what appeared to be a small banquet, served on compact table complete with a tablecloth. “Ok, where’s the vodka?” asked one of her group as she handed out the ringed cloth napkins—Red Butte definitely makes for better people watching than Abravanel Hall.

In contrast to their audience, the symphony orchestra were positively cramped for space on the Red Butte stage as associate conductor Rei Hotoda lead them through a performance of Dvorak’s classical overture to kick off proceedings.

The charismatic Pablo Villegas then made his entrance for his debut performance in Utah and spoke at length to the crowd about the music he was about to play and why it’s so important to him. He explained that the music is about a conversation between a man who has recently lost an infant and god, with the guitar representing the man and the response from god being channeled through the orchestra. Heavy stuff indeed and, to my right in preparation for this intense musical journal, more vodka was opened at the banqueting table.

Rei Hotoda told us that she considers the second movement of Aranjeuz’s 1939 masterpiece to be one of the most beautiful pieces of music she has ever conducted. It’s difficult to argue with that statement, as the performance by both Villegas and the orchestra was immaculate. The first and third movements are much lighter and draw on flamenco and folk influences, and Villegas was able to hold the audience in rapt attention. Although returning to the stage for two encores after the performance of Concierto de Aranjuez did seem like overkill, especially as the temperature had started to drop.

Once Hotoda was convinced that Villegas had finally and permanently exited the stage, an intermission was called. Although the already small crowd dwindled further as scores of folks headed out of the exit in response to the falling temperatures. The orchestra, now under patio heaters, reemerged post intermission to perform some Strauss, Smetana and Tchaikovsky.

The fairly sparse crowd was probably due to a combination of the cooler weather and the fairly expensive tickets. After all, there are biweekly opportunities to see the orchestra at Deer Valley. But overall a it was pleasant evening, despite the cooler weather later on.

To the best of my recollection, Ryan Adams has played Red Butte Garden twice. Once, in 2007—and it did not go well. And again last year—and it went really well.

I have been a fan of  Adam’s music since I first heard Whiskeytown’s Strangers Almanac—one of the best alt-country albums ever made. Adams started Whiskeytown with the angelic-voiced Caitlyn Cary, and though the band didn’t last long, their three albums are still on heavy-rotation at my house.

After Whiskeytown, Adams launched a solo career starting with the phenomenal Heartbreaker, but quickly became prolific and released albums at a manic pace—at the detriment of quality. But, he’s slowed down. He’s got a new band and a new outlook—maybe divorce made him grow up a little, that happens to the best of us. And did y’all hear the cover he did of an entire Tswift album? That could have gone really, terribly wrong, but I dare to say that his 1989 is better than hers.

Amanda Shires, who plays a mean fiddle, opens. Shires is married to singer-songwriter Jason Isbell, who I would not be at all surprised to see take the stage for a song or two on Monday night.

The show is sold-out, but you know the drill. Highly motivated buyers will find a way in or hike up the hill. Gates open at 6:30, show starts at 7:30.

The last time Lake Street Dive was in Salt Lake they played two sold-out The State Room shows on back-to-back nights. Now, almost exactly a year later, they’re playing a sold-out Red Butte Garden show.

What a difference a year (and a few days) makes. Lake Street Dive is on the fast-track to stardom now.

The group met in Boston, but take their name from a street of unsavory bars in lead singer Rachel Price’s home town of Minneapolis, MN. And they are gutsy, soulful and and also very, very white. (How white, you ask? Well, a member of calls himself McDuck. So, pretty, pretty white.)

And with a shout-out to the girl upright bass player (one of my favorite things in the world), it’s lead singer Rachel Price who carries the group with her vocals. Price has a performance style that’s part Billie Holiday-meets-Janice Joplin and part Broadway star. And the band’s sound is a contemporary-nostalgic one—think Dusty Springfield meets Alabama Shakes. I know, I know, this isn’t really making sense. But listen. Watch. And then come to Red Butte Sunday night (if you can score tickets) and see for yourself.

Lake Street Dive plays Red Butte on Sunday August 14. Doors open at 6, the show starts at 7. Local-favorite singer-songwriter and perpetual Salt Lake opening act Gregory Allen “Always the Bridesmaid, Never the Bride” Issakov opens.