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Jul 25
Love0

Preview: Dolly Parton at UCCU Center

By Arts & Culture, Music

Dolly Parton will perform Tuesday at the UCCU Center at Utah Valley University in Orem as part of her Pure & Simple Tour.

Dolly Parton in the 1970s.

To summarize Dolly Parton’s life and career is an attempt to sum up decades of music, film, philanthropy work from a woman who has proven that humility, in spite of incredible success, never goes out of style.

Dolly’s sound and style has remained timeless throughout several decades of the country music genre that is currently undergoing an unfortunate identity crisis. Her music hearkens back to the golden age of country music females who weren’t afraid to make a statement, like Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette and Jeannie C. Riley.

Dolly grew up in Tennessee’s Smoky Mountains in a family of 12 children. Her first Grand Ole Opry performance was at the age of 13 – with an introduction by Johnny Cash. I don’t really remember what I was doing at age 13, but I definitely wasn’t performing at Ryman Auditorium and meeting the Man in Black.

Dolly Parton’s music is a mix of classic country, pure gospel, bluegrass and 70s country pop (everybody was doing it). The country diva has been a music machine – cranking out hits throughout the decades like “Jolene,” “To Know Him is To Love Him,” “Islands in the Stream,” and my personal childhood favorite, “Coat of Many Colors.” Oh, and no offense to the late Whitney Houston, but we all know that Miss Parton’s original version of “I Will Always Love You” turns even a heart of stone into a blubbery mess. Her work on the soon-to-be-three Trio albums with Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt showed off Dolly’s pure, enduring sound.

Speaking of Trio, Salt Lake Magazine was recently included on a media conference call with the three women, and Dolly definitely sparkled.

“The joy of being able to sing these songs really comes through,” Parton said. “I have a lot of gospel songs, and I’m proud of that. All you’ve really got in life is your faith and hope.”

Dolly’s film career also showcased her many talents. She had a starring role in the iconic Steel Magnolias (arguably one of the most quotable movies ever). Parton also hit the big screen for 9 to 5 and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. Parton’s Dollywood theme park in Tennessee receives over three million visitors a year. There’s a reason why the U.S. Library of Congress gave Dolly Parton the Living Legend award. She has been nominated for (and won some of these) an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar AND a Tony. She is an angel among us.

The Imagination Library literacy program, a section of Parton’s Dollywood Foundation, mails each enrolled child one book per month until they enter kindergarten. Almost a million children benefit from Dolly’s literacy program each month. Dolly uses her money, business expertise, and global influence to bring jobs and education to the impoverished area where she spent her childhood.

One need only listen to Dolly’s body-positive song “Backwoods Barbie” to realize that there’s more to her than meets the eye. When confronted about her iconic look, Parton turns on the Southern charm and pulls out her best wit, like when she said:

“I’m not offended by all the dumb blonde jokes because I know that I’m not dumb… and I also know that I’m not blonde.”

Seriously, what did we do to deserve Dolly Parton?

Tickets for Tuesday’s performance are still available. Click here for tickets. Show starts at 7:30.

Jul 24
Love0

Review: Andrew Dice Clay at Wendover

By Arts & Culture

Clay PC Matthew Hoyle

By Susan Lacke

Pre-show at the Peppermill Concert Hall in Wendover, a sign is projected on both sides of the stage:

NO SMOKING.

Naturally, when Andrew Dice Clay took the stage, the first thing he did was light up a cigarette. And then another. And then six more. Because he’s Andrew Dice Clay, and he does whatever the eff he wants.

Apparently, that includes show up whenever he wants. When opening act Shayma Tash took the stage, the crowd was excited and ready to laugh. Tash shot out of the gates with animated zeal, but something seemed amiss – why was Tash looking off-stage after every punchline?

Tash’s signature joke, a parody of the Home Shopping Network, should have been her strongest. In it, she takes a purse from an audience member and describes the contents with the over-effusive spirit of an on-air pitchman. The audience laughed heartily as she described the exterior (“It comes with a free shoulder strap! You can pull it to make it longer! I wish I could say the same about my husband!”).

Then the joke – and the enthusiasm – started to decline. After ten minutes of inventory, only polite laughter could be heard. Three Bic lighters and seven matchbooks for a pack of cigarettes is strange, yes, but not at a venue attached to a casino, where everyone wins the lung-cancer jackpot. Was it really necessary to describe each flame source in detail?

It became obvious Tash was stretching to fill the time (and stretch she did – the opening act ran only two minutes shorter than the headlining act).

Despite the mid-set dip (during which the glances at her off-stage crew became more noticeable), Tash finished strong, priming the audience for the headlining act with her edgy wit and physical, character-driven style of storytelling.

And then the real character appeared. Andrew Dice Clay sauntered onto the stage to a standing ovation, clad in his signature black clothing and leather gloves.

For the next 45 minutes, Clay paced the stage and unleashed the crude, foul, controversial and outrageous thoughts of his signature persona. No topic was off-limits: everything from Pokemon Go to the practice of, er, bleaching one’s “exit chute” was discussed. Filthy nursery rhymes were recited. The crowd went wild.

There were, of course, Mormon jokes. It was clear Clay was excited to be in spitting distance of Salt Lake City, where he could apply his no-holds-barred commentary to the stereotypes of the Mormon church. After delivering a particularly satisfying declaration about having sex with multiple wives, Clay gestured to a couple in the front row.

“You know what I’m talking about?”

Yes, they said, they actually did. They were polygamists. The male was at the show with his third wife. In their family, there were four wives and seventeen kids.

“You don’t say,” Clay replied, pulling up a chair to devour the rich fodder the Comedy Gods had bestowed upon this show. It was perfect.

Almost too perfect. As Clay conversed with and commented on the couple, it seemed like they were pitching softballs for Clay to knock out of the park. Something seemed fishy – a polygamist couple, in the front row at an Andrew Dice Clay show, talking so openly (and crudely) about their sex life? It didn’t seem right. Was the couple a plant? Were they trolling Clay? We’ll never know.

Then again, did the audience really care? After all, they came to see a character, not a TED Talk. Clay gave them that character, even if it felt a bit forced.

Jul 22
Love0

Soccer: Trans-Atlantic Anti-climax

By Adventures

rsl

The Inter Milan vs. Real Salt Lake match Tuesday was more than simply an exhibition between two gifted soccer teams, it was a chance to see what RSL could do against the best Europe has to offer.

And in that, the game was a disappointment.

Inter Milan is a bona fide giant of world soccer, but they didn’t outclass Real Salt Lake at the Rio Tinto. In fact, just moments after the 8 p.m. kick off, it became apparent that class was in short supply for both teams.

At first glance it would seem like a coup by the RSL management to attract such legendary opposition to Utah, as Inter became the first European side to be welcomed to the Rio Tinto.

interrsl

Inter Milan is in the United States to take part in the International Champions Cup. Somewhat disingenuously, this is marketed to the American audience as a competitive tournament—a unique opportunity to see the megastars of the European game up close and in the flesh in various U.S. cities.

But for the European giants that jump the pond, this competition amounts to nothing more than a friendly pre-season tournament and an opportunity to market their brand in the American market.

At the Rio Tinto on Tuesday, the game for Inter Milan was a pre pre-season  warm-up game before going to Chicago to meet FC Bayern Munich. And for RSL this exhibition game was sandwiched between two competitive MLS games.

The match’s lack of significance showed: Neither team fielded a strong lineup, there were many substitutions (including both goalkeepers). As a result, the pace of the game was mostly slow.

As the game progressed it became apparent why the 14,266 in attendance had been gathered, as promotion after promotion for both teams were flashed on the electronic-advertising boards.

There were fleeting glimpses of real quality. In the 74th minute, Stevan  Jovetić lobbed the RSL keeper and several defenders with an exquisite chipped shot, only to see his effort rebound back off the post. But mostly this game served up dull, soporific fodder. It ended 2-1 to Inter Milan, with Jovetić scoring a late winner for Inter with a cheeky backheeled strike in the dying moments of the game.

All three goals in the game resulted from simply awful defensive play.

All in all, this was a most uninspiring game and, most disappointingly, tells us little about where the MLS stands relative to its European counterparts.

Hopefully, in the not too distant future, we’ll get a chance to find out and a meaningful, competitive tournament between U.S. and the best that Europe has to offer will be developed. Until then I suspect we’ll continue to get marketing and production over substance where soccer is concerned, and that’s a shame.

Jul 22
Love0

Review: Keith Urban at Usana

By Arts & Culture, Music

“I don’t even like country music,” said the guy behind me in the beer line. When I pointed out that we were, in fact, at a country music concert, he shook his head and laughed.

“Naw, man! Keith’s my boy! My boy!”

This is Keith Urban in a nutshell: country music for people who don’t like country music. At his ripCORD World Tour stop at USANA Amphitheater, Urban put on a show that seemed to transcend genre.

urban mizar

Photo by Brandon Mizar of Mizar Photography

Urban borrowed beats from R&B, a stage setup befitting a rock star, and the nimble guitar licks of classic rock. “The Phantom,” a techno-inspired mixing board that plays drum loops and samples from other songs in real time, featured prominently into the show. Even Urban’s hair seemed straight out of pop music, billowing beautifully in the wind a ‘la Beyonce and her wind machine (you know you’re a real star when you can out-Beyonce Beyonce).

But at his core, Keith Urban is very much a country artist. This eclectic combination of music meshed nicely for both new tunes from ripCORD (Urban’s 9th studio album) and in revamps of his number-one hits, including “Somebody Like You,” “Stupid Boy,” and “You Look Good in My Shirt.” While shredding on guitars and gango (a guitar-banjo hybrid), Urban’s fingers seemed to glide effortlessly over the strings. An easy smile graced his face from start to finish. This show, it was clear, was fun for the superstar.

And that, perhaps, is the key to Urban’s universal appeal. When the artist is having a blast, so does the audience. Between songs, Urban breezily talked with the crowd, eliciting much shrieking and swooning from the females in the audience. A preteen girl, holding a sign asking for a hug, was invited onto the stage (more shrieking and swooning). Halfway through the show, Urban made his way through the crowd (shrieking and swooning ad infinitum) to take his place on a small stage in the middle of the lawn seats for a three-song set. Despite the 100-degree heat, Urban had plenty of time and energy to spare for the audience. The crowd replied in kind.

“Wow, Utah,” Urban said as he looked at the crowd in amazement after a loud sing-along of “John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16.” “Y’all are singing your asses off tonight.”

The crowd cheers in response made it clear: no matter the genre, Keith Urban is Salt Lake’s boy.

Jul 22
Love0

Pioneer (and “Pie and Beer”) Festivities 2016

By Arts & Culture, Eat & Drink

July 24 is always a cause for celebration in Utah. Whether you celebrate the traditional Pioneer Day, or the lesser known “Pie and Beer” Day, July 24 is almost as big as the Fourth of July in Utah. Since the holiday technically falls on a Sunday this year, celebrations will start Friday and run until Monday, the state’s official observation day.

Pioneer Day Parade: A long-lived tradition, the Days of ’47 Parade will be held on Monday at 9 a.m. It will start at South Temple and State Street.

Salt Lake Bees: Utah’s favorite baseball team will be playing the Tacoma Rainiers on Friday and Saturday with fireworks following each game.

Rocky Mountain Raceway: Races will be running all weekend long with a fireworks show to end each night on Friday and Saturday.

Days of ’47 Rodeo: Another tradition here in Utah, this annual rodeo has been going since Tuesday and will continue through Saturday.

Native American Celebration: The 21st annual NACIP POWWOW will be held on Sunday & Monday at Liberty Park.

KRCL’s Pie and Beer Day: Featuring homemade pies and local beers, this fundraiser will be held on Sunday from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Beer Bar, 161 E 200 S.

The Madeleine Choir School: Held on Sunday, this 2nd annual beer fest will be held downtown at 205 first avenue.

St. John the Baptist Catholic Church: This Pie-N-Beer day will be held on Sunday from 12 to 2 p.m. 300 E 11800 S, Draper, UT, Meeting Room A.

Salt Lake City Fireworks Show: This annual fireworks display will be on Monday at 10 p.m. at Herman Franks Park.

Jul 20
Love0

Review: Boz Scaggs at Red Butte

By Arts & Culture, Music

The crowd at Red Butte Garden was graced with perfect Salt Lake summer evening weather as the opening act took the stage. Jeff LeBlanc is a 29 year old singer/songwriter hailing from New York who played a solo acoustic 40 minute set.

With the help of his “looper,” a foot controlled digital recording device that allows performers to layer multiple instrumental and vocal parts live, he won over the attentive crowd with his great songs and candid, humorous banter between tunes. Think John Mayer meets Ed Sheerhan and you got it. His original songs are featured on several  teen drama make-out sessions according to Jeff, and featured some better than average guitar playing and his soulful falsetto. He wrapped up with a cover of Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together” which the audience loved.

Boz Scaggs and his 6 piece band came on at 8:20, and got things underway with his blues “Runnin’ Blue.” The band settled right in. Boz chatted and explained that he’d be visiting material from throughout his long career. They launched into a rumba- boogie cover of Willy DeVille’s “Mixed Up Shook Up Girl” and it felt like the party had swung into gear. Folks were starting to dance on the next number, the hit single co-written with David Foster, “Jo Jo.”

boz

The performance continued with a cover of Gamble and Huff’s “Drowning in a Sea of Love” with an arrangement reminiscent of Steely Dan, letting the band stretch out with some world class improvising. They grooved on thru Boz’s tunes “Some Change”, and a nice acoustic version of “Harbor Lights” that morphed into a samba for more killin’ guitar and keyboard solos.

After a well received rendition of “Georgia,’ a big hit from the Silk Degrees album in 1976, Boz stepped aside to feature the back up singer Ms. Monet on a cover of the Stevie Wonder penned Aretha Franklin 1973 hit  “Until You Come Back To Me,” and she wowed the audience with her soulful five octave vocal range.

Couples slow danced for the next tune “Look What You’ve Done To Me”, the popular ballad from the soundtrack of the film “Urban Cowboy”, and the entire house was on it’s feet for “Lowdown” and “Lido Shuffle.” Surprsingly, it seemed as though none of the nearly sold-out crowd left before they were favored with two encores.

As the full moon rose Boz flashed his bluesy guitar chops on 1969’s “Loan Me a Dime,” which transitioned thru a couple of double time grooves featuring the band. After a rousing version of Fats Domino’s “I’m Sick and Tired of Foolin’ Around With You,” the show closed with a lovely tango “Last Tango on Sixteenth Street” conjouring the Buena Vista Social Club.

Throughout the show, Red Butte was wrapped in a good vibe from the appreciative and polite audience. And at 71 years of age, Boz Scaggs is singing and playing as well as ever!