SLCene Suggests: 5 Tips for Your Week

Plenty of music in Salt Lake City that’s worth your attention this week, plus one tasty trip to the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art. Check out some options.

The Lumineers, The State Room, Thursday, April 5, 8 p.m., $12

This Denver-based trio got some serious buzz at SXSW, making fans of some big names among the critic-corps, like Jon Pareles and Greg Kot. It’s not hard to hear why; the band’s energetic brand of folk-rock is excellent both on their new, self-titled debut album, and in concert based on some clips I’ve seen floating around. Quiet Life opens the show.

Elizabeth Tobias: Let Them Eat Cupcakes, Utah Museum of Contemporary Art, Friday, April 6, 8 p.m., free

This month’s First Friday celebration at the Utah Museum of Contemporary Arts includes an opening reception for and performance by artist Elizabeth Tobias of her Let Them Eat Cupcakes project, which ” combines performance, outreach and installation to create a sobering commentary about the scale of hunger in the United States,” according to the UMOCA Web site. Tobias will be on hand Friday night, trading actual, delicious cupcakes for ideas or memories about hunger from visitors who write them down on index cards for her to use in the installation.

Neon Trees and The Lower Lights, Mountain View High School, Orem, Saturday, April 7, 5 p.m., $20

Provo’s own Neon Trees are about to head out for another round of world domination with the arrival of  their sophomore album, Picture Show, on April 17. They have performances lined up on Jay Leno, The Today Show and Conan O’Brien in the coming weeks, but first, they’re headlining a performance for the Giant Steps Autism Preschool in Utah County. Neon Trees bass-man Branden Campbell has a 4-year-old son who is graduating from the program this spring. Opening the show is The Lower Lights, the collective of local musicians who together have recorded a stellar collection of rootsy gospel tunes, as well as one mean Christmas album. Tickets are available at the door and at 24tix.com.

Explosions in the Sky, In The Venue, Saturday, April 7, 7 p.m., $22 at the door

The Austin-based instrumental rockers were the opening-night headliners of last summer’s Twilight Concert Series, and their dramatic, dynamic music makes for inspiring live shows. It’s also might cinematic–check out Gregg Araki’s hit-and-miss Sundance flick Kaboom to get an earful of Explosions in the Sky and a bunch of characters as obsessed with the band as the fans you’ll see Saturday night. They also did the soundtrack for Friday Night Lights.

Bronco and Spell Talk, The Garage, Saturday, April 7, 9 p.m., $5

Two of my favorite local bands team up for what is sure to be one wild night at the juke joint on Beck Street. Bronco brings a little twang to their rootsy rock tunes, while Ogden boys Spell Talk  land in that garage-y, psych-rock realm. Lucky for music fans, both bands’ tunes go down smooth with a beer and/or a shot of whiskey. Be sure to dig into some of The Garage’s tasty grub while you’re there, and lounge on one of the best bar patios in town, too. Here’s a clip of Bronco: