Australia’s Wolfmother did Utah the deepest kindness last week, dropping in on July 1, 2026, at The Union Event Center as part of its long 20th Anniversary Tour of its first-ever album (yes, the one they named after themselves). They’ll be on the road at least through the end of August, recreating all we had the chance to see and hear. When the band gave us live takes on “Woman,” “Joker And The Thief,” “Apple Tree,” and “White Unicorn” all over again, it wasn’t simply welcoming the 700+ gathered into their time machine for a spin. It was a shot at reliving a favorite memory.
Two decades or so ago, my beardy kid brother and I saw them crash land in Salt Lake for a show we spent the better part of a week feeling the repercussions of. We hadn’t thought about needing ear plugs, and the band made us pay for it for days. The rock was turned way way up (maybe even past 11), and we loved it. Heard their songs in our ears for days. Last week was a chance to recall that night (and this one was nicer on all our ears, no plugs required).
Photos by Clark Clifford @clarkcliffordphoto
My brother and I went from recalling that initial middle-aughts evening for how incredible it was to hearing a more seasoned band tap into their younger selves (with equal parts reckless and measured abandon). What were once new songs now came out practiced, maybe better than they were before. I suppose when you know what to expect — and you already like it — you’re already an excited, happy customer, start to finish.
Owning up to lyrics that want to cozy up to some of Led Zeppelin’s one day and dabbling into AC/DC riff territory with all the rampant glee you could ever hope to hear or see, the band is well worth the revisit, especially if you haven’t given their tunes a go in some time. Yes, they hold up. There’s a purity to what they created then, and the songs will catch you smiling now.
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