It was a sweltering summer’s night at a State Room concert in Salt Lake City when The Danielle Nicole Band sent shivers down our collective spine.
Danielle Nicole’s vocal range sits somewhere on the continuum between Aretha Franklin and Amy Winehouse. A multi-award winning bassist and the first woman to ever win The Blues Music Award for the instrument, she has an uncanny ability to draw us to the stage and take us along on her magical musical ride. Armed with an ultracool mix of blues, rock, and soul from her masterful new album, The Love You Bleed, the band delivered a jaw-dropping, 16-song performance.
Nicole opened with “How Do We Get To Goodbye,” a seductive tune that captivated the audience. Dripping with sweat and pounding out a funky beat on her left-handed bass she mesmerized fans with “Hot Spell,” and got us gyrating with “Pusher Man,” a song that rocked the house with a ‘70s R&B groove.
Photo credit Stephen Speckman Photo credit Stephen Speckman
She belted out “Take It All” with a fiery passion that gave me goosebumps (and that almost never happens). Then she did it again with “Save Me.” She opened the soulful “Right By Your Side,” with the lyric, “Baby, baby,” in a pitch-perfect howl as drummer, Kelsey Cook, punctuated the moment. Then Nicole’s bass pounded out the song’s heartbeat. Next, two wonderful new tunes, “Make Love” and “Love on My Brain,” kept me frozen by her sultry spell, my own heart fine-tuned to her bass guitar.
They also delivered some kick-ass rock ‘n’ roll. With only three musicians, they shook The State Room’s foundation with “Fireproof” and did some fine blues-infused guitar shredding on “Head Down Low.” Guitarist (and Nicole’s husband) Brandon Miller played a solo instrumental interlude. Miller started off with a classical, Spanish guitar styled riff that seamlessly morphed into an orchestral piece sounding, at times, like a violin, a cello, and an organ. All barroom chatter stopped as the audience stood motionless, in rapt attention.
Photo credit Stephen Speckman
The night ended with a dazzling encore rendition of Led Zeppelin’s “Rock and Roll” with Cook’s expert drumming giving way to Miller’s guitar mastery and Nicole’s siren call.
Unlike my cell service on a recent trip to Montana, there were no dead spots in this performance. Danielle Nicole, a superstar-caliber performer, drew us in from the first note and held us for the entire evening. To see her in a small listening room like The State Room felt like a VIP experience. A shout out to Utah Blues Society for sponsoring the show and bringing such a remarkable performer to our city.
Local blues crew The Alley Cats opened the memorable evening. Featuring vocalist Alex Renola, the band gave us a Nina Simone styled rendition of The Rolling Stones “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.” It was just what the audience needed to get in a musical groove. The band managed to knock out a ten-song set in their limited opening-band window. They covered everything from Bo Diddley to Elvin Bishop with a little Linda Ronstadt and Tab Benoit tossed in for good measure. The beauty of this band is they take old blues and rock standards and give them a refreshed energy. They play old-school favorites in innovative new ways and revive long forgotten songs for a new generation of listeners. They’re highly skilled musicians fronted by a classically-trained vocalist. Look for them at live music spots around the Salt Lake Valley.
When you think of the storied wine regions of the world, Utah doesn’t even land on the list. And yet, our wine narrative has a deep history in our red soil. Early pioneer settlers were sent by Brigham Young on “wine missions” to Southern Utah to cultivate vineyards and produce wine. The Word of Wisdom, created by Joseph Smith, was a health code barring alcohol (amongst other things), was more of a guideline rather than a commandment at the time. And at one time, wine could be used for paying tithing, was used in Sunday services, medicinally and generally enjoyed by the public at large. Since the Latter-Day Saint settlers were also entrepreneurial to their core, the wine they produced was also sold to miners and exported out of state for profit.
By all accounts, the “Dixie Wine Mission” wine was very good. Both in terms of quality and in terms of everyone getting a little too drunk. Which may have accounted for the tolerance early Saints had for alcohol evaporating. As the culture changed and the rules around drinking moved into a “thou shalt not” commandment territory, the vineyards were torn up and replaced with other crops and the wine making enterprises went dry.
Like the earlier Mormon pioneers, we are fortunate to have wine enthusiasts and professionals, paving the way, bringing back Utah’s wine culture and stories against the backdrop of our unique liquor laws and a burgeoning community that loves a good sip. From wine educators, to restaurateurs, to wine bars, to wineries, Salt Lake City’s wine scene is uncorked.
Salt Lake’s Wine Scene Decanted into Three Local Gems
BTG Wine Bar
The name says it all. BTG (By The Glass) serves over 75 wines by the glass. Located in the speakeasy-like basement of Caffè Molise, the deep banquettes and wood bar make for a beautiful place to grab a glass of wine and tapas after work. Even the serious wine-loving couple from out of town will be impressed by the selection and lush atmosphere.
If you go: BTG Wine Bar 404 S. West Temple | btgwinebar.com
Cucina Wine Bar
An Avenues deli by day, fine dining and wine bar by night, Cucina pairs fantastic meals with wine. With an extensive wine list and a rotating menu, visit for a romantic dinner with your wine-loving sweetheart. Look for the menu’s section labeled “interesting wines.” These are curated by the globe-trotting owner and are guaranteed to be bold and surprising.
The new kid in town is Bar à Vin. Located on State Street, where The Republican shuttered, this up-and-comer has a selection of 120 wines served at the ideal temperature with special equipment to ensure perfect flavor profiles every time. They offer wine by the glass or curated flights like the ‘Poolside Pour’ and ‘For the Swifties.’ This is the place to bring the friend who is wine-curious.
If you go: Bar à Vin 917 S. State Street | baravinslc.com
Water Canyon Winery. photo courtesy of Water Canyon Winery
Utah’s Wineries Resurrected
Utah pioneers are getting back to our roots with vineyards and wineries sprouting up around the state. Here are a few notables working to cultivate our wine culture.
Old Town Wine Cellars
Old Town Wine Cellars is not a vineyard, which means that they don’t grow their own grapes. They do however source “fine wines from top wine growing regions to blend and bottle in historic Park City, Utah.” Their wines are approachable and playful. With names like Townie Rosé and Outlaw Reserve, they evoke a sense of place. You can visit their bar and lounge, where you can try a flight, or their bottle shop if you want to bring a bottle or two home.
If You Go: Old Town Cellars 408 Main Street, Park City otcwines.com
Spanish Valley Vineyard & Winery
Specializing in single-vineyard estate-bottled wines. Spanish Valley Vineyard and Winery tends the vines, grows the grapes, and handles fermentation and bottling from start to finish. They have four wines: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cherry (made with cherries from Payson, Utah), Riesling, and a Gewurtztraminer in sweet and dry finishes. Tastings are $20 per person, Tours are $50 per person. They also have a Bed & Breakfast, so you can stay at the vineyard.
If You Go: Spanish Valley Vineyard & Winery 4710 Zimmerman Ln., Moab Text before you arrive to arrange a tour or tasting: (435) 634-1010 moabwinery.com
IG Winery
IG Winery (once known as Iron Gate), is located in Cedar City. They originally opened in 2012, as the first commercial winery in the state. From selling their wine in a small shed to a beautiful tasting room in the historic downtown area, IG Winery paved the way for other operations. When you go, get a flight and find your favorite. Or make a reservation to visit their vineyard outside Rockville, Utah and have a private tasting to learn more.
If you go: IG Winery & Tasting Room 59 W. Center St., Cedar City igwinery.com
Water Canyon Winery
Nestled against the red cliffs in Hildale, Water Canyon Winery specializes in natural wines, which means they don’t add preservatives or non-native yeast during the winemaking process. They offer both estate wines with a vineyard on site, and blended and bottled wines. You can book a private tasting for $25 / person or host a private event or wedding at their beautiful location.
If you go: Water Canyon Winery 1050 W. Field Ave., Hildale Call before you arrive to arrange a tasting: 435-229-4747 watercanyonwinery.com
The classic cast iron Dutch oven is the “Official State Cooking Pot of Utah.” It is the utility cooking tool for Boy Scout campouts and family reunions. And that is how Marlin Bodily first started learning how to use a Dutch oven when he was recruited to help cook at a scout camp in 1989. Now, the owner of The Dutch Oven Shoppe, a traveling catering company, and the Dutch oven cooking instructor at Utah State University.
When Bodily started out, there was a bit of trial and error. “I did a little bit of cooking at scout camps with the young man. We’d have 8 or 10 boys, and so I would experiment on them using the Dutch oven,” says Bodily. “I mean, when you go out to camp, you’ve got to eat. And so that’s what we did.” It is universally accepted that Boy Scouts will eat just about anything and so make the best test subjects.
After 14 years of cooking for church members, friends, and family, Bodily started his traveling catering business and has run it with his family for over 20 years. It started with small dinners catered from the back of a pickup truck and has steadily grown to big events with 500+ people lining up to eat. If you’ve ever been to the Peach Days celebration in Brigham City, you’ve likely had Bodily’s famous Dutch oven peach cobbler.
Marlin has his family-sized kitchen set up and ready to go at a moment’s notice. When the Bodily family goes camping, all the meals are planned in advance, and the food is packed. “I have what we call a camp kitchen. It is a little box. It’s about the size of a foot locker,” he explains. “It’s got legs on it, and it holds everything in there that I need to cook with. It has my tongue, spoon, spatulas, lighter, gloves and lid lifter for the Dutch oven. I never use any of that equipment anywhere else. When I grab that box, I know I have everything I need when I go cooking.” The impression is that no one else is allowed to touch the camp kitchen box either.
When Dutch oven cooking, each charcoal briquette increases the oven’s internal temperature by about 25 degrees. Photo Adobe Stock.
Charcoal is the other component of Dutch oven cooking. Bodily doesn’t really cook over an open flame. A Dutch oven is an oven, first and foremost. One of the first things he is asked in his classes is how much charcoal to use. “I tell them it’s all from experience. But to give a guideline to get started, I use circle briquettes. Each briquette equates to about 25 degrees. If you have a number 14 Dutch oven, you want to put 14 coals on top and 14 coals on bottom, and you’re looking at a 350-degree oven.”
Bodily had another particular tip for novice Dutch oven-ieers. “Cook inside a tent. I set up a 10-foot by 10-foot tent, and I cook inside there,” he advises. “You have to block the wind when cooking in a Dutch oven. If you don’t block the wind, that wind will take that heat away, and you’ll never get your food cooked.”
What can you make in a Dutch oven? According to Bodily, you can make anything in a regular oven at home. Lasagne, pizzas, fall-off-the-bone ribs, cobblers, even cinnamon rolls. But it is best to keep the recipes straightforward. “I keep my recipes very simple. I have seen recipes with 20 different ingredients,” Marlin says. “Don’t do that. I don’t do that. I don’t think you can pick up the flavor from each one of those ingredients. And that’s how I tell them at school when I’m teaching a class. Keep the recipe simple, then you won’t get so overwhelmed.”
For a beginner, Bodily says to start with a smaller oven and a recipe you are familiar with. A ten-quart oven is a good size to begin with so that it isn’t too heavy, and you’ll get to experiment and see if you like using it before buying bigger ones. Anything over 14 quarts can be hard to move solo once they are filled. He prefers the Lodge ovens. But recommends that you buy all the same brand.
“One advantage to having all the same brand is the lid will interchange,” he points out. “It doesn’t matter which size oven I have, the lid will fit. If you have a conglomeration of ovens, you got a problem.”
And the universal question: should you wash your Dutch oven? “Every time I use an oven, I wash it. I don’t always use soap, but I have hot water there,” Bodily says. “I’ll take a scraper, and I will scrape out all the big stuff and then wash out the oven until it’s clean, I rinse it and then let it dry. Once it’s dry, we spray it with the canola oil and wipe out the excess. Then that oven is ready for use next time.” He adds, “Sometimes you have to use soap in your oven, particularly if it’s a tomato-based product like baked beans or even barbecue sauce for ribs. Sometimes, you need soap to get that out of there.” Clean it right away, and the seasoning will stay intact. After all, that’s where the magic happens.
“The interesting thing,” finishes Bodily, “is you take, for example, lasagna. I can do lasagna in a Dutch oven, and it’s great. And you do lasagna in the oven at home, and it’s good, but there’s a different flavor to it. And I think that’s because of the Dutch oven itself and the seasoning in it that makes it special.” There is something special about a time, a place, and friends gathered ‘round a Dutch oven that adds another layer of seasoning.
A new cafe and restaurant concept from Leave Room for Dessert Eateries is coming to the heart of Sugar House in early 2025. The brand new restaurant is the latest addition to the group’s award-winning roster, including Park City’s Hearth and Hill, and downtown Salt Lake’s Urban Hill whose Chef Nick Zocco was previously named a James Beard finalist for ‘Best Chef in the Mountain Region’ category.
Construction of the property is officially underway after a groundbreaking ceremony hosted by the LRFDE collective and development partners Lowe Property Group. The ceremony offered a sneak peek at the space which includes a 6,000-square-foot restaurant that will serve upscale casual lunch and dinner options, and Hill’s Kitchen; a 3,000-square-foot cafe with plenty of grab-and-go options, fresh pastries, pizza and more. While still in the early stages of the interior build-out, it’s not hard to picture the warm gatherings that will take place and the no-doubt delicious meals that will be savored. “Our mission is to inspire our associates, thrill our guests and enrich our community,” says Heath & Hill’s co-founder Brooks Kirchheimer. “We take that very seriously, and are really excited to be able to do that here in Sugar House.”
The forthcoming restaurant will join the ranks of Sugar House’s evolving dining community, but it hasn’t been an easy road. In October of 2022, the still-under-construction Sugar Alley was engulfed in flames and burned for days on end. Well-versed in putting out our proverbial restaurant-related fires, Kirchheimer remembers getting the late-night call with the heart-stopping news that the building was on fire. While the building burned, residents of the adjacent SugarMont complex were evacuated and some nearby businesses were forced to close for up to two weeks. The fire, of which the cause has been officially reported as “undetermined,” resulted in $59 million dollars in damage. “In the end, we’re just grateful for our fire team and the great work they do for the community, we can’t thank them enough.” The team of firefighters who worked tirelessly against the fire that night were in attendance during the groundbreaking ceremony and received a warm round of applause and gratitude from the entire Hearth and Hill team.
Sugar House residents might start enjoying Hearth & Hill’s telltale hospitality as early as next year. Until then, the neighborhood’s construction woes will continue as projects have been slated to continue well into the winter and through 2025. At least there will be some delectable meals waiting at the end of the long, orange cone-littered tunnel.
Looking for a way to liven up your week ahead? Luckily, Utah has no shortage of exciting events to fill out your calendar. To help you make a selection, we’ve gathered a list of our favorite happenings around-town, from makers markets to beer festivals and live music. For even more events happening in Salt Lake City this week and throughout the month, visit our community events calendar!
Monday 8/12
What: Summer Jam Concert Series Samba Fogo Where: Canyon Rim Park, Millcreek When: 08/12 at 7 p.m. Pack up a picnic and load the whole family into the car to enjoy a free evening of live Samba in the Canyon Rim Park. This is the last event of the season, so get ready to send off the summer series in style!
What: Smash & Cash Mondays Where: Scion Cider When: 08/12 at 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Get ready to win big at Scion’s weekly Bingo event. Grab a smashburger from C9 next door, or enjoy Scion’s selection of charcuterie, conservas and bar snacks. The night starts off with am hour of Rock n’ Bingo, followed by a cash jackpot round. Each game is free to play and offers prizes for winners.
Tuesday 8/13
What: Trivia with Game Night Live Where: Hopkins Brewing When: 08/13 at 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Game Night Live brings their traveling bar trivia series to Hopkins Brewing every tuesday. Grab one of their in-house brews and your best know-it-all pals for a chance at trivia glory.
What: Draper City Farmers Market Where: Smiths Fields Park When: 08/13 at 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Held every Tuesday through October, the Draper City Farmer’s Market connects 80 incredible food vendors to food-conscious shoppers. Shop local produce, flowers, baked goods, eggs, honey and more at this weekly market. Attendees can also peersue a wide selection of handmade goods, craft-booths and on-site food options.
What: Art for the Recovery Community 6th Annual Festival Where: Spy Hop Rooftop Bar When: 08/13 at 6 p.m. Join ARC the Spy Hop Rooftop for an artful evening celebrating and showcasing artists in recovery.The ARC festival opens at 6pm with a gallery exhibit featuring work by visual artists, painters, photographers, and more. An evening concert, starting at 7:30pm, will host a lineup of talented local performing artists. This event is free and open to the public.
Wednesday 8/14
What: Nature Speaker Series: Making Friends with Utah Pollinators Where: Tracey Aviary When: 08/14 at 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Part of their monthly speaker series, Tracey Aviary welcomes horticulturaist Parker Lloyd to lead an informative conversation about pollinators. Learn how to attract native pollinators to your urban garden, support interconnected habitat corridors and take part in monitoring Utah’s native pollinators.
What: Pups & Poses: Puppy Yoga Festival Where: Trolley Square When: 08/14 at 7 p.m. The Arctic Rescue has partnered with CorePower Yoga to offer a fun night of live music, drinks from Moab Brewery and yoga. Arrive at 7 to check in, yoga starts promptly at 7:30. Find tickets here.
Thursday 8/15
What: Park City Song Summit Where: Canyons Ampitheatre, The Pendry, and other venues in Park City When: 08/15-08/17 The third annual music festival focusing on health and wellness returns to Park City with an exciting lineup of performances, activations and wellness activities. Musical highlights include My Morning Jacket, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Larkin Poe and more.
What: Music and Mocktails Where: Salt Lake City Public Library, Marmalade Branch When: 08/15 at 6 p.m. to 7:45 p.m . A family-friendly night of musical bingo, trivia and other games. Each musical genre is paired with a tasty mocktail that attendees will learn to make themselves.
What: Free Feline Fix Clinic Where: Salt Lake County Animal Services, 511 W. 3900 South When: select appointment slots on 08/15 Offered on the first and third thursday of each month, the free feline fix clinic include spay/neuter services, rabies vaccine, FVRCP vaccine and a microchip. Must book an appointment, slots fill quickly. Schedule yours here.
Friday 8/16
What: Pop-Up Zine Fest Where: Urban Arts Gallery When: 08/16 at 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Grid Zine Fest and Urban Arts Gallery present a free events featuring 30 talenting artists showcasing and selling their unique creations.
What: Brat Rave—A Night Dedicated to Charli and Other Party Girl Anthems Where: The Depot When: 08/17 at 9 p.m. Brat summer is just getting started. Bring all your 18+ besties to The Depot decked out in your best lime green attire. Tickets available here.
What: Always Queer Makers Market Where: Under the Umbrella Bookstore When: 08/17 at 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Shop unique handmade goods from queer artists at Under the Umbrella’s monthly makers market. Mask required.
Saturday 8/17
What: Utah Beer Festival Where: The Gateway Where: 08/17-08/18 The largest beer event in Utah returns to The Gateway with over 200 beers and ciders to sample. Sip local craft and national brews and enjoy a plethora of performances at the main stage. Single day and weekend passes available.
What: 11th Annual Utah Dance Film Festival Where: Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center When: 08/17-08/18 The annual dance film festival features 33 films from 15 counties across four screenings. Guests can also attend a free filmmaking workshop, award showcase and Q&A sessions.
What: High West Whiskey Party Where: The Westerner When: 08/17 Get your wild west on at The Westerner with themed cocktails from High West, live music, bull riding, giveaways and more. $10 cover, 21+ over.
Sunday 8/18
What: Sip and Slay Drag Brunch Where: HK Brewing When: 08/18 at 12 p.m. Recently named the second best Drag Brunch in our 2024 Best of the Beehive issue, HK Brewing is hosting another sunday funday of delicious cocktails and performances by local queens.
We’ve all heard the ongoing chant “but nothing is open Sunday!” And to be honest, there’s some truth to that… but that doesn’t mean you’re completely at a loss for places to go if church isn’t your thing. In fact, sometimes it’s the best day to roam around, free of crowds! So here’s some of our favorite places in Salt Lake City that ARE open on Sunday. Go crazy:
Eat some pub food at Squatters Pub Brewery (147 W. 300 South, SLC) Most bars and clubs are open on Sunday, including the iconic Squatters downtown.
Barhop around the Central 9th district (161 W. 900 South, SLC) Start with brunch at The Pearl and then head over to Waterwitch, Bar Nohm or Scion Cider for the ultimate Sunday Funday in SLC.
Go to a Bees Game (Smith’s Ballpark, 77 W. 1300 South, SLC) Next year, our Bees will move south and no longer be Salt Lake’s Bees. There has been a ballpark on this spot since 1928 and its final iteration—our beautiful ballpark, the namesake of the “Ballpark District”—will come down. We’re told it will become something else. What that “something else” is no one can say exactly. Enjoy the final games at the Smith’s Ballpark while you can, find our guide on how to do so here.
Cecret Lake. Image credit Austen Diamond, Visit Salt Lake
Take a Hike Literally. Breathe some fresh air (since less cars are clogging it up on Sunday). Check out nine easy hikes for a chill Sunday outing here!
Watch a movie at Broadway Theater(111 E. 300 South, SLC) Sunday is the perfect day to go see a movie and not have the theater be crowded with screaming children. This is the prime time to see a blockbuster or family movie with a little more legroom and a little less crying three-year-olds.
Check out Liberty Park Grab a book and a blanket and go enjoy some sun in Salt Lake’s best park. If you’re up for more of an activity, Liberty Park has sand volleyball, tennis courts, a playground for the kids, and paddle boats to rent. Don’t forget to check out the Tracy Aviary & Botanical Gardens and grab a coffee and bite to eat at their Bird Feeder Cafe. Sunday at Liberty Park is also a prime day for people watching as the weekly drum circle kicks off on the South end near the pond.
Note: If you’re looking for a winter activity, it’s the best place to go sledding in Salt Lake!
Lose yourself in Ikea (67 Ikea Way, Draper) You can have the fake couches all to yourself!
Drag Brunch at Why Kiki. Photo by Adam FinkleTiki cocktail at Why Kiki. Photo by Adam Finkle
Try a Drag Brunch Let your hair down and enjoy some fantastic food and mimosas at these local Drag Brunch spots: Why Kiki (69 W. 100 South, SLC), The Cabin Queens (The Cabin, 427 Main St., PC) and The Exchange by Twist (32 Exchange PL., SLC). The Drag Brunches are from 11:00am to 3:00pm, so bring your friends and just have a good time!
Go Thrifting If you’re a frequenter of secondhand stores, Sunday is undeniably the best day to call dibs on racks of clothing at a time without fighting any crowds. Three of our favorites are iconoClad, the perfect place to go rave shopping at, Decades (totally vintage) offers a range of funky women’s clothes, and Pib’s Exchange, half costume store, half second hand store.
Ask a ton of questions at Discovery Gateway(444 W. 100 South, SLC) Have kids? Rest assured that Discovery Gateway will answer all of the “why” questions your offspring (and you) can think up.
Try a climb The perfect way to feel a whole new kind of pain and discover muscles you never knew you had. TheFront Climbing Club (1450 S. 400 West, SLC) is one of the best and offers yoga, weights, cardio, and personal training as well. If you’re looking for something more modern check out the Bouldering Project (660 S 400 West, SLC). Lastly, if you want the best top rope gym, you have to check out Momentum Climbing Gym (3173 E. 3300 South, SLC).
Go to a Farmer’s Market People’s Market has an annual 9th West Farmers Market, from mid-June to mid-October, open from 10:00am to 3:00pm every Sunday! See our guide to all of Salt Lake and Park City’s Farmers Markets here.
Go to the Library (210 E. 400 South, SLC) Ok so, it’s not a crazy nightclub or the best party of your life. We know, we know. But if you’re an introvert or a book-lover, we can’t recommend it enough. There’s something magical about quietly hunting down a book on the endless shelves of books you didn’t know existed. Plus, there’s a rush of emotion every time you realize you don’t have to pay for the books. You can just waltz out of there with a stack of novels and nobody will blink an eye. What a thrill!
Note: it’s only open from 1PM-5PM on Sundays, so hustle.
Jim Santangelo, the ownerof Wine Academy of Utah is like everyone’s favorite wine uncle. When he shows up to run an event, he is the perfect mix of emcee, comedian, sommelier and cheerleader. His knowledge of food and wine is vast. But he manages to make wine “fun, educational, and entertaining,” in his own words. “So there’s this light-hearted goodness with it. I’ll do a deep dive with somebody, if they want, on a dramatic characteristic or a winemaking technique during the presentation.”
But don’t be fooled by jovial Jim. He also teaches Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) Certification classes. Which is serious business. “It’s funny because when I shift over, I’ll have people who go to my wine tasting events, and then they’re in the certification class, it’s like, Oh, that’s Jimmy, the teacher now,” says Santangelo. “The fun and the entertainment is lower because I’m accountable for you to pass an exam. I want to provide you with the proper education and the tools necessary. I’m light-hearted about it, but it’s definitely different. One person told me, ‘I loved it, but I just didn’t laugh as much.’”
In addition to providing a professional certification, you can also find Santangelo hosting various wine tasting events throughout the summer, including the Wine Take Flight event at Tracy Aviary on the third Thursday of every month through August. When it comes to wine tasting, Santangelo has some strong feelings, “Wine events are no longer sit down, be quiet, listen to me, formal settings. They have evolved into experiences where you can come in and you’re shown how to assess the wine, how to look at it, smell it, put it to the palate. We lead you in those aromatic characteristics. Engage with you and see where you’re at with it,” says Santangelo. And then a good instructor will back off and let you enjoy the wine and the setting and the person you’re with. We’ll drink to that!
More than two dozen athletes with Utah ties are competing in the 2024 Paris Olympics—for both Team USA and other nations. Thus far, a few of them will be coming home with medals.
Park City resident and Mountain Biker Haley Batten took home the silver medal for Team USA in the Women’s Cross-country event. Salt Lake magazine interviewed Batten last summer about her Olympic hopes and recent challenges.
Team USA Women’s Rugby Team beat Australia for the bronze medal in the Paris Olympics. Two members of the team have some Utah connection: Steph Rovetti attended BYU, where she competed in basketball, and Alex “Spiff” Sedrick is from Salt Lake City and played for the Utah Vipers rugby team.
Track and Field athlete and Salt Lake City resident Grant Fisher nabbed the bronze medal in the Men’s 10,000 meter event.
BYU student Kenneth Rooks won a silver medal in the Men’s 3,000-meter Steeplechase—an intense race where runners must overcome obstacles like hurdles and pools of water.
Many more Paris Olympic athletes with Utah connections are still competing, with a chance to bring home a medal, in upcoming events:
Women’s Bouldering and Lead Semifinal on Thursday, August 8 at 2:00 a.m. Women’s Track and Field Heptathlon First Heat on Thursday, August 8 at 2:05 a.m. Men’s Speed Climbing Quarterfinal on Thursday, August 8 at 4:35 a.m. Women’s Track and Field 4×400 Meter Relay on Friday, August 9 at 2:40 a.m. Men’s Bouldering and Lead Final on Friday, August 9 at 2:15 and 4:35 a.m. Women’s Bouldering and Lead Final on Saturday August 10 at 2:15 and 4:35 a.m. Men’s Track and Field 5,000 Meter Final on Saturday August 10 at 11:50 a.m. Men’s Marathon on Saturday, August 10 at 12 a.m.
The 2024 Paralympics will air August 28–September 8.
It is worth noting, the USA Track and Field and USA Sport Climbing both have headquarters in Salt Lake City, which is why many of the Paris Olympic athletes on those teams have Utah ties—either living or training in Utah.
Athletes with a connection to Utah competing in the 2024 Paris Olympics:
Basketball 3×3
Team USA Jimmer Fredette (BYU)
Canada Paige Crozon (University of Utah) Michelle Plouffe (University of Utah)
Cycling Mountain Bike
Team USA Haley Batten (Park City, Utah; Park City High School)—Silver Medal, Women’s Cross-country
Diving
Sweden Emilia Nilsson Garip (3m; University of Utah)
Rugby
Team USA Steph Rovetti (BYU)—Bronze Medal, Women’s Rugby Sevens Alex “Spiff” Sedrick (Salt Lake City, Utah; Utah Vipers, Utah Lions Rugby Club)—Bronze Medal, Women’s Rugby Sevens Maka Unufe (Provo, Utah; Provo High School)
Shooting
Team USA Alexis Lagan (University of Utah)
Soccer
Team USA Taylor Booth (Eden, Utah; Real Salt Lake Academy)
France Amandine Henry (Utah Royals)
Japan Mina Tanaka (Utah Royals)
New Zealand Macey Fraser (Utah Royals)
Nigeria Ifeoma Onumonu (Utah Royals)
Sports Climbing
Team USA Colin Duffy (Bouldering and Lead Combined; USA Climbing; Salt Lake City, Utah) Natalia Grossman (Bouldering and Lead Combined; USA Climbing; Salt Lake City, Utah) Jesse Grupper (Bouldering and Lead Combined; USA Climbing; Salt Lake City, Utah) Brooke Raboutou (Bouldering and Lead Combined; USA Climbing; Salt Lake City, Utah) Zach Hammer (Speed; USA Climbing; Salt Lake City, Utah) Emma Hunt (Speed; USA Climbing; Salt Lake City, Utah) Piper Kelly (Speed; USA Climbing; Salt Lake City, Utah) Sam Watson (Speed; USA Climbing; Salt Lake City, Utah)
Track and Field
Team USA Grant Fisher (5000m and 10,000m, Run Elite Program)—Bronze Medal, Men’s 10,000 Meter Whittni Morgan (5000m; Panguitch, Utah; Panguitch HS; BYU; Run Elite Program; Taylor Made Elite) Chari Hawkins (Heptathlon; Utah State University) Conner Mantz (Marathon; Logan, Utah; Sky View High School; BYU; Run Elite Program) Clayton Young (Marathon; American Fork High School; BYU; Run Elite Program) James Corrigan (Steeplechase; BYU; Run Elite Program) Kenneth Rooks (Steeplechase; BYU; Run Elite Program)—Silver Medal, Men’s 3,000-meter Steeplechase Courtney Wayment (Steeplechase; Layton, Utah; Davis High School; BYU; Taylor Made Elite)
Canada Simone Plourde (1500m; BYU; University of Utah) Rory Linkletter (Marathon; Herriman High School; BYU)
Norway Josefine Eriksen (4x400m relay; University of Utah)
Paralympics
David Blair (Para-Track and Field; Eagle Mountain, Utah) Dennis Connors (Para-cycling; University of Utah) Ali Ibanez (Wheelchair Basketball; Murray, Utah) Garrett Schoonover (Wheelchair Fencing; Sandy, Utah) Hunter Woodhall (Para-Track and Field; Syracuse, Utah)
Woodhall is married to Team USA Track and Field athlete Tara Davis-Woodhall, ranked first in the world for long jump, who competes in the Women’s Long Jump Final on Thursday, August 8 at noon in Paris.
I don’t have to look at my watch to knowI’ve been on my road bike for almost three hours. It’s not so much that my legs are fatigued, it’s the aches in my shoulders, neck, lower back and even my ankles that’s telling how long I’ve been pushing at the pedals. It’s no wonder, of course. While my quads, knees and calves are in constant motion and being regularly replenished with fresh oxygen, the rest of me is relatively stationary, and just getting stiffer with each mile I crank out.
Jackie Wheeler from Mountain Yoga Sandy demonstrates the pigeon pose, one of the especially helpful yoga positions to help cyclists recover from and prepare for long rides. Photo credit Gillian Hunter Photography.
Jackie Wheeler, owner of Mountain Yoga Sandy (943 S. 1300 East, Sandy) and avid mountain biker, is all too familiar with the twinges and tightness cycling can cause. “I love cycling, but all that repetitive movement, leaning forward and overworking your hip flexors, quads and hamstrings, can cause some pretty unpleasant discomfort—or even injury—if you don’t do some kind of counter activity off the bike,” Wheeler says. “The benefits that cyclists, and really all athletes, can expect from doing yoga include increased flexibility and strength and gaining better control of the breath.”
Engaging in a regular yoga practice will not only double down on the flexibility and strength benefits offered by the poses outlined below but will offer the bonus of mastering control of your breath—a particularly handy skill when you’re, say, trying to recover quickly in between climbs or want to stay calm through a tough technical section of singletrack trail. And though it might be tempting to engage in more challenging yoga classes on the regular, Wheeler advises that those who cycle three or more times a week take it a bit easier. “I’d recommend gentler classes like a stretch, yin or even restore, versus higher intensity classes like power, vinyasa or flow yoga,” she says. “Most regular cyclists don’t need more intensity and can reap the greater benefits of oxygenating the whole body and active recovery by taking less intense classes.”
5 Yoga Poses For Cyclists
Wheeler says these poses are particularly effective in maintaining cycling-specific muscle flexibility and are great to do anytime but especially immediately following a ride.
Cobra, to relieve neck and lower back stiffness. Lie on your stomach with your arms bent so that your hands are directly under your shoulders and your elbows pointing up. Gently curl your spine upward moving your gaze toward the sky just to the point where it feels good.
Pigeon, to stretch the hip flexors and inner hip. From a low lunge position, with your right leg forward and left leg back, lower your body so that your right shin is parallel, or close to parallel, to the top of your mat. Your left leg should be extended straight behind you with the top of your left foot resting on the mat. Switch sides. A gentler alternative to pigeon is figure four: lie on your back with both knees bent and your feet flat on the ground. Move your left ankle to rest on your right leg just above your knee. Bring your right knee toward your chest. Switch sides.
Downward facing dog, to release your lower back, lengthen your spine and to open your hamstrings. From a tabletop or all-fours position, with your hands and knees shoulder-and hip-width apart, roll onto your toes and lift your hips toward the sky, forming an inverted “V” with your body. Keep your arms straight but maintain as much bend in your knees as you need.
Supine twist, to stretch your core and open your chest. Lie on your back, bring your knees into your chest and extend your arms straight out from your shoulders like a capital “T.” Gently drop both knees to one side while turning your head in the opposite direction and keeping both shoulders on the floor.
To build and maintain all-important core strength, Wheeler also suggests doing regular planks (holding a high push-up position on your hands and toes) and boat poses (balance on your tailbone with your legs lifted and your arms reaching forward).
Kenny Loggins’ 1984 song “Footloose” plays over Payson High School’s football field on a sunny April morning. Cutting loose to the famous chorus, punctuating his stride toward a makeshift stage, is none other than the star of the film of the same name, Kevin Bacon. Payson High School students, wearing their black, green and white letterman sweaters, crowd the base of the stage. They dance and hold tight to one another. Some cry openly, overcome with emotion and excitement, as they celebrate their accomplishment: orchestrating the return of Kevin Bacon to Payson High School, where he filmed scenes from Footloose (1984) 40 years prior.
Bacon speaks to the young crowd, evoking the themes of the 1984 film. It’s a classic intergenerational conflict, where teenagers speak truth to power (i.e.: adults, religious figures), in an era defined by the fear of progress, moral panics and censorship. Like this moment in Payson, the film celebrates the wisdom and tenacity of youth, even in the face of adults who claim to know better but are more lost and stuck in their ways than they realize. As it turns out, we all need to cut loose once in a while.
‘You won’t get any dancing here, it’s illegal.’
When Al Jolson famously declared, “You ain’t heard nothin’ yet,” in the groundbreaking 1927 motion picture The Jazz Singer, he omitted the true artistic glory of the still nascent 20th-century medium. No, not computer-generated dinosaurs. Dancing.
Nothing will ever match the litheness Fred Astaire and Ginger Rodgers or the athletic/erotic hoofery of Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse in Singin’ in the Rain. Then came Reynolds, Sammy, Travolta, Hines…electric performers all, and absolutely the highlight of every musical or quasi-musical they sashayed into.
The young cast of Footloose (1984): Jim Youngs, Sarah Jessica Parker, Elizabeth Gorcey, Lori Singer, John Laughlin, Christopher Penn and Kevin Bacon. Photo courtesy Everett Collection.
Except for 1978’s Grease, the traditional musical gradually fell out of fashion with box office failures like The Wiz and Annie. But the aesthetic joy of dancing never lost its kick. Films built around dancing once again began to catch fire in the 1980s. The breakthrough work was Flashdance, which, despite lacking a marketable star, grossed a stunning $92 million domestically in 1983 (outpacing pop cultural phenoms like Trading Places and WarGames). And then there was the NBC special Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever, wherein Michael Jackson popularized his backward gliding moonwalk—thus introducing urban-based breakdancing to the suburbs.
With hip-hop’s emergence, for the first time since the 1970s disco craze, people needed to dance. After Flashdance, Paramount knew this, so they fast-tracked a dance-centric project called Footloose.
Christopher Penn as small-town Willard Hewitt with Kevin Bacon in Footloose (1984), inside Payson High School. Photo courtesy of Mary Evans/Ronald Grant/Everett Collection
Written by Dean Pitchford (a songwriter who’d written hits for Dolly Parton, Kenny Loggins and Irene Cara), the script was based on an Oklahoma City town that had banned dancing for 80 years. In the real 1980s, the Satanic Panic and the Parents Music Resource Council were in full censorious swing. Meanwhile, on the newly launched MTV, Twisted Sister was proclaiming they weren’t ‘going to take it,’ Cyndi Lauper asserted that “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” and Paramount had a kids versus adults powder keg in the wings.
With a hot-button hit-in-the-making, the studio swung for the hottest young names on the market—and they whiffed. Tom Cruise and Rob Lowe passed on the rebellious new kid in town, Ren McCormack, while Madonna and Jennifer Jason Leigh were briefly in the running for the troublemaking preacher’s daughter, Ariel. The final choices, Kevin Bacon (familiar-ish from Diner) and Lori Singer (a big-screen newcomer) weren’t promotional rainmakers. John Lithgow, a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nominee for his portrayal of a transgender football player in The World According to Garp, was easily the biggest name on set as the dance-despising Reverend Shaw.
‘This is our time to dance.’
The upside of the film’s low-star power casting? No paparazzi were going to schlep out to Utah County for Kevin Bacon in 1983. The Footloose production team found unconventional locations like the Lehi Roller Mill, The Hi-Spot hangout (where Ariel gets busted by John Lithgow’s Shaw for gyrating to Shalamar’s “Dancing in the Sheets”) and, most notably, Payson High School. Thus, Payson became forever synonymous with the fictional Midwestern town of Bomont, the dance-banning town in the film. (Note: Kids then and now can actually dance in Payson.)
Lori Singer in Footloose (1984), filmed in Payson, Utah, driving through McMullin Orchards. Photo courtesy Everett Collection.
It’s easy to find plenty of folks who rate Bacon’s breakout film their favorite Utah-made movie; the image of Bacon dancing around the Lehi Roller Mills is as iconic to ’80s-raised kids as the shot of John Wayne at the end of The Searchers is for Western fans. The Footloose story is simple: city boy Ren (Bacon) moves to a small town, only to find local religious zealots have outlawed—gasp!—dancing and rock music. Rallying the repressed teen populace (including a young Sarah Jessica Parker) to his cause, Ren convinces the fire-and-brimstone preacher (John Lithgow) that dancing is good, clean fun, just in time for the senior prom. The Wasatch Front looms in the background of nearly every scene—the production bounced from Lehi and American Fork to Payson and Orem—and we can thank Footloose for Bacon’s spiky haircut becoming the iconic look for American men in the mid-’80s.
No one can forget the game of tractor chicken between Ren and the physically abusive Chuck (Jim Youngins) outside the Roller Mill, or the clandestine jaunt to the county-adjacent bar where Ren, Ariel and plucky lil’ Rusty (pre-stardom Sarah Jessica Parker) gleefully cut a rug (before Christopher Penn’s hot-headed Willard starts a fight), the high school is the hub of the conflict, the bonding (particularly between Ren and Willard).
Payson High is indistinguishable from every rural high school in the United States of that era. Brick walls, narrow lockers, beige-colored classrooms tinted for maximum drowsiness: we know it, we loathed it and, 40 years later, it, like the movie, offers nostalgia. But, most importantly, in 1983, it made the perfect “Anytown-USA” backdrop for the film’s conflict between youth and age.
And then, 40 years later, Kevin Bacon returned to Payson High School to inspire a new class of upstart seniors to cut loose anew.
#BacontoPayson
This past April, Payson High School students successfully spearheaded a campaign to bring Kevin Bacon back to Payson High for the 40th anniversary of filming Footloose there. They started on social media with the hashtag #BaconToPayson to promote the grassroots efforts, attracting support from the Utah Film Commission and Utah Gov. Spencer Cox. The students choreographed elaborate recreations of the film’s iconic scenes that went viral.
For a while Bacon demurred, but they finally wore him down and he accepted the students’ invitation on NBC’s TODAY show, promising to make an appearance at Payson High for the first time since he filmed Footloose in 1983. Payson students were ecstatic.
Kevin Bacon returns to Payson High School on the 40th anniversary of Footloose (1984) in April 2024. Photo credit Melissa Majchrzak.
“We’ve worked so hard this year and done our absolute best to make this crazy dream a reality,” said Student Body President Rubie Raff. “I can’t believe that it’s finally happening and that we can say we did it! It was all worth it—we got Kevin back to Payson!”
The students were not the only ones who were ecstatic at the event. Payson High School Student Council Faculty Advisor Jenny Staheli was 11 years old when Footloose came out in 1984. She watched it with her friends, they listened to the soundtrack and, of course, they talked about how cute Kevin Bacon was. “It’s just been one of those things that’s been in the background of my life, honestly, since I was 11,” said Staheli. “I got to meet Kevin Bacon. Come on!” It was a teenage dream come true. “And it’s not just fulfilling for me. Working with these kids on this project has been just the most special experience. One of the best things I think we’ve ever done. It’s shown them, in an impactful way, that it’s okay to have a huge dream, to have something that feels impossible and to reach for it. Because, sometimes you get it. Sometimes it happens.”
Bacon’s visit was a part of his work with his non-profit foundation, SixDegrees.org. Along with Payson High School, local charitable organizations and the Payson community, they assembled and distributed 5,000 Essential Resource Kits to young people in need throughout Utah. He took the occasion to remind everyone of the film’s still relevant themes of “standing up to authority, being forgiving of people who are not exactly the same as you, standing up for your own freedoms and your right to express yourself and having complete compassion for other people,” said Bacon, addressing students. “And that’s what all of you have shown here, by turning what could be just a movie star coming back to get a pat on the back…into something really positive.” The moment came just in time as well, as the old Payson High School building is set to be closed down and demolished next spring.
The event at Payson High and the anniversary of Footloose also happened to coincide with 100 years of film in Utah. “Throughout the 100th anniversary, we are celebrating not only film and television moments that were made in Utah, but the people and places behind those moments,” says Virginia Pearce, Director of the Utah Film Commission. “Footloose is one of those iconic moments in Utah’s film history that made both an impact on Utah and the world. I am so proud of the Payson High School students and hope this celebration reminds everyone of Utah’s rich film history.” —Christie Porter
The Footloose Cast — Before and After
Lori Singer as Ariel Moore, the Reverend’s daughter, and Kevin Bacon in Footloose (1984). Photo copyright Paramount, Courtesy Everett Collection
Kevin Bacon (Ren McCormack)
Most recently, we saw Mr. Bacon at the Payson High School prom, where he led some lucky students through a tour of the soon-to-be-demolished high school. Before that, he was in Tremors, Diner and a bunch of other movies that aren’t as good.
Lori Singer (Ariel Moore)
Singer made her feature debut in Footloose and collaborated with A-list filmmakers like Robert Altman, John Schlesinger and Alan Rudolph, but she has split her time between acting and performing as a Julliard-trained cellist.
John Lithgow (Reverend Shaw Moore)
With two Tony Awards and six Emmys to his name, Lithgow is one of the most celebrated actors of his generation. Does he have a defining role? I’ll go with his Brian De Palma one-two punch of Blow Out and Raising Cain, and his gloriously unhinged villainy in The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension.
Dianne Wiest (Vi Moore)
As the tender-hearted wife struggling to mend the rift between Shaw and Ariel, Wiest is saddled with a semi-thankless role here. But Wiest is always worth watching, and Oscar voters agreed by awarding her Best Supporting Actress in Woody Allen’s Hannahand Her Sisters and Bullets Over Broadway. Since then she’s kept incredibly busy in theater and on television (you can watch her now on Mayor of Kingstown).
Sarah Jessica Parker (Rusty Rodriguez)
She’s been one of our most gifted comedic actors for 40 years and was spectacular in classics like L.A. Story, Honeymoon in Vegas and Ed Wood, but those two Emmys and two SAG Awards are for her iconic portrayal of Carrie Bradshaw on Sex and the City.
Christopher Penn (Willard Hewitt)
The youngest brother of Sean and Michael Penn made an impression in All the Right Moves and Rumble Fish, but he became a go-to character actor as rhythm-challenged Willard in Footloose. The cliche that he was always worth watching, even when the film was not, held true for Penn. Tragically, we haven’t been able to watch Penn do his sui generis thing since his death from heart disease at the age of 40 in 2006.
