SLCene Suggests: 5 Tips for Your Week

This weekend features a slew of roots-rock music dominating the agenda, from free shows from local faves to powerhouse performers helping support the Utah Arts Festival. Check out a few suggestions for your perusal:

• The Folka Dots, Jewish Community Center, Thursday, 7 p.m., free

Still haven’t seen Salt Lake City’s rootsy crew The Folka Dots? Here’s a chance to see the quintet do the harmonizing, twang-filled thing they do so well for free, at an inviting spot with an amazing view of the Salt Lake Valley. They’re playing outdoors at the Jewish Community Center, and there will be food and beer available–just remember to bring your sunglasses, and prepare to enjoy a sunset to some of the finest locally produced tunes Utah has to offer.

The Folka Dots headline a free show at the Jewish Community Center Thursday, and open for Neko Case Saturday at Library Square.

• The Moondoggies with The Mighty Sequoyah, Kilby Court, Friday, 7 p.m., $10

The Moondoggies are a criminally underappreciated Seattle roots-rock band with an admittedly terrible name (admit it–you’re thinking surf band when you hear a name like that, right?) and a serious Neil Young jones. They’ve played to small audiences in Salt Lake City in the past; the last time I saw them was at Schuba’s in Chicago, and they managed to fill that room for some killer tunes. Here’s hoping the comfy confines of Kilby encourages the Moondoggies to keep coming back. Click that Moondoggies link up above and you can download a free, mostly acoustic live show from the band to sample their sound.

The Moondoggies headline Friday at Kilby Court.

• Roy Kay Trio and The Rhythm Combo, W Lounge, Friday, 8 p.m., $5

In a show originally slated for the now-slightly-charred Garage, Seattle’s rockabilly crew The Roy Kay Trio is now going to throw down their hot mix of traditional root-rock, country and bop at a venue a little more used to bass-heavy club tunes, the W Lounge. That won’t keep the Roy Kay Trio from getting the crowd moving and grooving on the well-shimmied dance floor downtown. The band is joined by Utah’s own Rhythm Combo.

The Roy Kay Trio headline a night of rockabilly and roots music at W Lounge Friday.

• Neko Case and The Folka Dots, Library Square, Saturday, 7:30 p.m., $30

For anyone who’s ever seen and heard Neko Case perform–whether with pop-rock crew New Pornographers or leading her own country-rock bands–asking them to check out the big-voiced belter isn’t a hard sell. If you’ve never seen Case run through songs from her excellent catalog like Furnace Room Lullaby and Fox Confessor Brings the Flood, well, you’re simply missing out on one of the best voices and songwriters working today, regardless of genre. Get it together and check her out for this fundraiser for the Utah Arts Festival. Hit that link up above and get some tix while you can.

Neko Case headlines the Summer Solstice Concert Saturday at Library Square.

• The Henry Clay People with Motion City Soundtrack, In the Venue, Monday, 7:30 p.m., $22

Two years ago, The Henry Clay People’s debut Somewhere on the Golden Coast landed on my desk when I was music editor at Salt Lake City Weekly, and the somewhat unhinged set of singalong anthems became one of my favorite albums of 2010. I’m happy to report that the band’s full-length follow-up being released on June 26, Twenty-Five for the Rest of Our Lives, is just as rambunctious a collection. The band is opening for the power-pop dudes in Motion City Soundtrack on Monday, and you’ll want to make sure you’re there on time for The Henry Clay People, a band with a sound that lands somewhere between Titus Andronicus, Built to Spill and Meat Puppets.

The Henry Clay People are in the middle of a Monday night triple-bill at In The Venue.