I’ve seen Los Lobos play a few times, each time as an opener—once for Steve Earle at Red Butte, once for Alejandro Escovedo at Deer Valley. And it always seemed to me that their role as an opening act was grossly unfair, both because the dues they’ve paid as musicians and because they’re just really, really good—but unfortunately, neither of those things guarantee commercial success and that’s what gets you a headlining tour at Red Butte or Deer Valley.
This week the boys are back in town to open for yet another band—Tedeschi Trucks, tonight at Red Butte—but in a a stroke of luck (and good booking) almost too good to be true, they played an intimate two-set gig at Salt Lake’s The State Room on Saturday night.
The band took the stage all wearing all black—some of them wearing sunglasses that stayed on through the whole set. “We’d like to thank the Red Iguana for the food,” said lead singer David Hidalgo to cheers from the crowd, who obviously love mole, before the band settled into the first set. Within a few bars of “Short Side of Nothing” I was surrounded by at least three men in Los Lobos tee shirts and twice as many dancing women. At one point, there was a couple salsa dancing—you won’t see that at The State Room every night.
The beautiful mystery of Los Lobos is that they are equally as good singing songs in Spanish as they are covering Buddy Holly. They effortlessly blend genres from Mexican norteño, to heavy blues, to soul to covers—something I gladly attribute to the variety of sounds coming from the stage. Steve Berlin’s sax really makes a difference in the overall feel of each song it’s featured— maracas and an accordion and more were played when the song called for it. And, during the set break, a flute player arrived at the venue in a Lyft. It was Kofi Burbridge, of Tedeschi Trucks, and the addition of his instrument added layers to the sound during the second half of the show. Rock and roll flute. Who knew? (Note: Jethro Tull is not an acceptable answer.)
And they just played. And it occurred to me, as I listened to their single-song encore of “Cinnamon Girl,” that it had been a long time since I’d seen a show at which the music hit me right in the chest and caught my breath, the way that music is supposed to be felt. The way all of us who see live music want to feel at every show. It was a joyous, communal and face-melting show. And they sure played like headliners.
Tedeschi Trucks Band bring their eagerly anticipated Wheels of Soul tour to Red Butte amphitheater this Sunday Evening, in support of their recent Let Me Get By album release.
Led by Derek Trucks, ranked number 16 of the Top 100 Guitarists of All Time by Rolling Stone magazine, and powerhouse vocalist Susan Tedeschi, the twelve-piece
group enlists two drummers, three vocalists, a three-piece horn section, bass, and a multi-instrumentalist keyboard player for what is a greater-than- the-sum- of-its-parts collective.
Touring with Tesdeschi Trucks Band are the North Mississippi Allstars and Los Lobos, billed as “rock ‘n soul” collaborators. Expect three sets from three outstanding bands, with collaboration between the three bands through the evening.
Sunday evening is the last stop on the current tour that has received outstanding reviews and promises to be an excellent evening of fantastic music. And with three high-quality bands sharing the stage over the course of the evening, it offers tremendous value for money.
Doors at 5.30pm, the sold out show begins at 6.30pm.
I go to a lot of concerts at Red Butte Garden—as the music editor at this publication, it’s a job requirement. So, I have seen Red Butte crowds at lots of different shows, and though each of them vary in their nuance, most of them look mostly alike. Most shows are full of what I like to call “wine-and-cheesers.” This was not the case on Friday night for Weird Al’s sold-out show.
Admittedly, I am, at best, a casual Weird Al listener. I was a child in the 80s, so I’ve seen his videos and I know his songs from that era. But, to be honest, I don’t listen to a lot of pop music, so I don’t even know the songs he’s parodying anymore. But, I do have a preteen son, and every so often he often stumbles across Weird Al videos on the internet and shares them with me.
I guess what I’m saying is, I have a limited knowledge of Weird Al’s catalog. I was at a distinct disadvantage from the beginning.
And when I walked into Red Butte Garden and saw a bunch of grown men and women (and their children) wearing tin foil hats and maroon berets I knew that I was suddenly a stranger in a strange land—even on what I consider to be my own home turf.
And so, with no opener, the band came onstage at 7:46 and the large video screen that was soon to become a key component of the concert showed the man himself strolling through Red Butte Garden wearing an outfit of many colors, holding a wireless microphone and singing “Tacky.”
There was little banter. There was not enough accordion. There were a lot of wardrobe changes—facilitated by clips shown on the large screen behind him to engage the crowd while the entire band changed before nearly every song. They wore Devo-like yellow jumpsuits and red hats for “Dare to be Stupid,” Al wore sweats and rode a Segway scooter for “White and Nerdy” (during which Donny Osmond danced on the big screen behind him), and he donned a fat suit (really?! We’re still fat shaming in 2016, I guess) for, of course, “Fat.” And on, and on, and on, and on.
In my research before this show I found that the setlist is the same in every town, and in the same order. The costumes are the same. The jokes are all the same. So, I knew exactly what I’d get at this show (and I don’t see much reason to regurgitate what many reviewers before me have already said).
But, I think that his fans knew what they were getting, too. They were on their feet the whole time. The people behind me knew all the words to all of the clips on the screen—all Weird Al related in one way or another, of course—and all the words to all the songs.
And that’s the thing: In addition to being the same guy night after night on this tour, he’s the same Al he was in 1986. He’s got boundless energy and enthusiasm. He’s still so uncool that he’s magically cool. And he’s still the funniest guy in the room. I guess.
But here’s the thing I didn’t expect: Al’s band is good. He’s been touring with the same group for a long time, and while he sometimes has the benefit of tools to distort or change his voice for the style of music he’s parodying, his band doesn’t have that option. These guys are just solid, well-rounded musicians. And in no moment of the show was the musicianship more evident than an acoustic medley of Al songs, in the spirit of Clapton’s “Layla.”
And the stage production’s attention to detail is astounding. The costuming is well done. It is a finely-tuned machine. No wonder it’s the same in every city. Why mess with perfection?
After Al gave himself a stage exit, borrowing heavily from James Brown (cape and all), he did come back on stage, with his band and more—presumably roadies—all dressed as Star Wars Characters to sing “The Saga Begins” and “Yoda.” It was a fitting send off, for everyone involved. The crowd loved it. And I, probably the only person on Earth who has never seen a Star Wars film, didn’t get it. Just like I didn’t really get the rest of the show. But, Al isn’t doing his shows for me and I get that. I respect that. It’s just a club I don’t belong to.
I guess that makes me a wine-and-cheeser.
Salt Lake magazine staff members know the hottest events in the Beehive. Here’s what we’ll be up to this weekend.
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This year, Taste of the Wasatch, the annual fundraiser for ending hunger in Utah, will be better than ever. Francis Fecteau, owner of Libation, Inc., has gathered a stellar group of wineries to share their wine at the Sunday event at Solitude. Reserved ticket holders are invited to gather early—at 11 a.m.—for a one hour meet and greet with some of California’s top wine makers and wine reps.
This event focuses on small wineries, not just the big Napa tourist attractions (although Caymus will be there): Zotovich, Honig, Inizi, Donkey & Goat, Carol Shelton, Caymus, Colter’s Creek, Ransom, Jeff Cohn Cellars, Orrin Swift, Sean Miner and other boutique operations will be there.
So eat great food, enjoy the sun, sip some great wine and feel good about helping to end hunger in Utah. It’s a win for everyone.
Buy tickets for Taste of the Wasatch here.
If all you know about Los Lobos is their cover of Ritchie Valens’ “La Bamba,” we need to talk.
In 1973 David Hidalgo and Louie Perez met in high school in and bonded over their love of Randy Newman and Ry Cooder—in East L.A. They started recording music, they recruited some friends, and the rest, as they say, is history.
The band blends together rock, tex-mex, blues, soul, country—you name it. They call themselves a Mexican-American band, but but they are so much more than that and their music seems to reflect the American ideal melting pot.
And yes, the band’s biggest success came from their work on the La Bamba soundtrack, but their catalog spans nearly 40 years and is masterful.
Los Lobos is in town to support Tedeschi Trucks at Red Butte on Sunday, but they’re playing a double set at The State Room on Saturday Night for 300 lucky folks. Tickets are still available and while you might balk at the heftier-than-usual price, you should know that this night is going to be one that you won’t soon forget—and they’re playing two sets! It’s a bargain!
Sugar House Distillery has added a new whiskey to their lineup: A 100-percent rye made from a 100 percent regionally sourced grain mash. Law only requires half the mash to be rye grain for a whiskey to be classified a rye whiskey and, of course, locally sourcing grain is a part of Sugar House Distillery’s own ethos.
It’s also totally distilled in Salt Lake.
We appreciate that Sugar House has avoided giving this classic American hooch a precious hipster name: They call it Rye Whiskey.
The new whiskey is a “young” rye—not aged long-term—but it makes up for any lack of barrel complexity with a clean, dry, peppery flavor.
Note to non-geeks: You’d never mistake it for bourbon.
Details for whiskey geeks: It’s 86 proof, not chill filtered and barreled in lightly charred new American oak.
You won’t see it in liquor stores until, at best, Christmas. But the first batch is available at the SHD distillery store: 2212 S. West Temple Unit #14, Salt Lake City.
Note to self: There’s not much left.
Everyone’s talking about it. Sicilia Mia (no website) is, apparently, the Italian restaurant most of Salt Lake has been waiting for and I’m late to the party.
Distinctly unspectacular from the outside—Sicilia Mia is a bland storefront in an unattractive strip shopping mall—the small restaurant is always crowded. We made dinner reservations and still had to wait 40 minutes for a table, which means standing on the sidewalk next to the al fresco diners. Every ten minutes or so, a server or the owner would pop their heads out the door to apologize and there is a “Now Hiring” sign propped in the window.
At a big, professionally designed restaurant from a well-financed owner, this would have annoyed me, but Sicilia Mia is small, family-owned, unpretentious and inexpensive, so my expectations were not the same. Actually, because Sicilia Mia has gotten so much hype, including being called the “best Italian food in Salt Lake,” my expectations were low. I expected the usual one-note red sauce, overcooked pasta and powdered garlic flavor you’re served at many Salt Lake Italian restaurants.
Color me biased. Color me snobby. Color me surprised.
Arancinette—the crisp, deep-fried orbs breaking open to a gooey rice, sauce and cheese interior—were good, better than more expensive ones I’ve eaten at upscale Italian restaurants. That shouldn’t really be a surprise, this is truly a family-owned restaurant, and fried rice balls are not a sophisticated food. Surely they originated with an Italian mamma faced with leftovers and a hungry family. They are an essential Sicilian food and there are other authentic Sicilian dishes on the menu, in addition to the familiar Italian dishes (Caesar salad, bruschetta, carpaccio) that are must-haves for any middle America Italian restaurant.
Pollo involtini, for instance, chicken pounded thin and rolled around a filling studded with pine nuts and raisins, shows the Eastern Mediterranean’s influence on Sicilian cooking. 
Out there in the middle of the Mediterranean, Sicily was a natural crossroads between North Africa, Europe and the Near East and those cultures influenced the island’s seafood cuisine. Pasta Palermitana is dressed with anchovies, red chili and tomatoes (Sicilians were early adopters of the North American oddity introduced by the Spaniards), Spaghetti Trapanesi is typically Sicilian, with garlic, capers, olives and tomatoes (I did wish for better olives; these were Lindsay-style) and Fettucine Sicilia Mia is packed with chunks of fish, clams and mussels (I think.) It came to the table flaming.
The menu is full of such dramatic presentations—the famous pasta carbonara is made in a hollowed wheel of Parmigiana Reggiano softened by flaming with alcohol. The pasta, egg and pancetta are tossed into the wheel and mixed quickly, the server scraping the sides of the cheese to incorporate as much as possible. The tableside drama is a little corny, like fifties Continental food, but it’s also a lot of fun—the place is so small that the spectacle entertains all the guests. The result on the plate was a much stiffer dish than you would make at home, and incredibly rich. It’s a version that makes you support Calvin Trillin’s campaign to make pasta carbonara the national dish for Thanksgiving. 
Sicilia Mia isn’t perfect. I was disappointed in lasagne—the flavors were good, but I thought it was over-sauced so the layers slid around instead of being a laminated stack. I probably should have let it set for ten minutes or so. And I was surprised at the absence of caponata on the menu. On the other hand, some dishes, like the simple spinaci all burro, are stellar. Spinach was another Saracen introduction to Sicily and at Sicilia Mia it is served in a timbale shape, bright green and tender, garnished with zigzags of balsamic and shards of Parmigiana.
At lunch, sandwiches come on crusty bread made from the house pizza dough. Canoli and other pastries are made in-house; the wine list is brief but focused on Italian wines, including some Sicilian selections.
In the end, what makes Sicilia Mia irresistible is the genuine warmth of the chef Franco Mirenda and his entire—and mostly Sicilian—staff. (Here’s a nod to our Norwegian server, who was as personable and knowledgeable about the food as the Sicilians.) You can’t fake friendly.
4536 Highland Rd., Millcreek, 801-274-0223
It all started with “My Bologna.” And after that, a career that spans four decades, winning the hearts of every adolescent boy in the process.
Indeed, Weird Al Yankovic’s career has been built on the back of juvenile humor, but that doesn’t exactly do the record-producing, film-producing, screenwriting, songwriter and musician justice. Not only has Weird Al been doing this for 40 years, but he’s managed to get the permission of every artist he’s parodied—some of whom even help with with recreating the more unique sounds found in their songs. And he plays a mean squeeze box. I admit it, I’m in it for the polka.
Weird Al’s shows have a stage production quality unlike anything you’ve seen at Red Butte before. There’s wardrobe changes, video screens and, as the name of the tour indicates clearly, Mandatory Fun.
The thing that may be most amazing about his continued success as a touring artist is that in this age of YouTube stars and reality tv, Weird Al isn’t even weird anymore, and he’s certainly not the only one making fun of popular music. But, he’s been doing it longer and he’s done it the best.
Weird Al Yankovic plays Red Butte Garden on Friday, August 5th. The show is sold-out. Doors are at 6:30, the show starts at 7:30.
I’m hoping for a Donny Osmond guest appearance during White and Nerdy. Cross your fingers.
