SLCene Suggests: Rachael Yamagata at The State Room

RACHAEL YAMAGATA, THE STATE ROOM, Friday, June 14, 9 p.m., $17

A long-time Utah favorite, and not just because she has some relatives here, Rachael Yamagata’s career has been a slow, steady rise rather than an instant, but brief, spark. She’s currently touring in support of a 2012 EP, Heavyweight, and she’s doing it way stripped down, playing intimate venues with few bells and whistles on stage. And it’s on stage where Yamagata’s growth as a songwriter and performer really come through–she’s much more assured now than, say, eight years ago, probably thanks to past tours she’s shared with the likes of The Swell Season, Ryan Adams and Ray LaMontagne. Sanders Bohlke opens the show Friday night.