LUDACRIS, PIONEER PARK, Thursday, Aug. 15, 7 p.m., $5
The first time I saw Ludacris, i was instantly hooked. He was on the road supporting his hit debut album, Back for the First Time, and opening for Outkast at the E Center (now Maverik Center) in the spring of 2001. All I knew of Ludacris was his “What’s Your Fantasy” track, then all over radio and MTV, and was at the show to review Outkast, paying little mind to the open before hand. With just a DJ backing him up, and a sold-out arena of 10,000 fans anxious for the headliner, Ludacris came out and just killed it. He stalked the stage like a savvy veteran, got the crowd involved from the get-go, and ended his opening set clearly demonstrating he wouldn’t be opening for long. A rapid-fire lyrical flow, ridiculously catchy hooks and samples and a distinct Southern-fried persona made Ludacris a superstar from Day One. Since that show, I’ve seem him rule venues ranging from clubs in Park City to a field of tens of thousands at New Orleans’ Jazz Fest, and he has not disappointed. His stream of new music has been more sporadic in recent years as he’s gotten into acting, but you can expect a great a show live full of old favorites and hopefully some new music as well. Two-9 opens the show.
Steely Dan’s music resides at the intersection of highly polished precision and jazz-fueled jams, and I’ll readily admit that’s an intersection I’ve spent the better part of my lifelong musical fandom actively avoiding.
That said, the Steely Dan appearance in Salt Lake City Saturday night was clearly a big deal for the fans who made it one of the first Red Butte Garden summer concerts to sell out when the season slate was announced. I don’t know if it was the first time ever that Donald Fagen and Walter Becker brought their project to Zion–Steely Dan’s been kicking around off and on since the ’70s, after all–but it’s the first time in my two decades-plus in Utah that I remember them coming to town.
Steely Dan is known as a “musician’s band,” and the reason why was clear from the moment the backing musicians, dubbed the Bipolar Allstars for this 2013 tour, preceded Becker and Fagen to the stage with an instrumental workout of Gerry Mulligan’s “Blueport.” Featuring four horns, guitar, bass, drums and keyboards (and abetted by three female backup singers known as the Borderline Brats), the players on the road with Steely Dan were remarkably entertaining throughout the show, whether taking one of the seemingly endless solos dotting the songs, or tightening up for Steely Dan’s myriad FM staples from yesteryear. Peeking at my Facebook feed during the show, it appeared that every musician in town was at Red Butte Garden posting their thrilled responses to the show, save for the folks with gigs at the weekend-long Uncle Uncanny festival up in Heber.
With the guitar-playing Becker content to blend in with the band, save a couple of turns on vocals and a couple more nonsensical rants and band introductions, Fagen naturally took the spotlight for much of the night. Mostly sitting behind his keyboards or moving around the stage blowing into a recorder, Fagen led the band into the show-opening “Gold Teeth,” “Aja” and “Hey Nineteen,” the crowd on its feet for every second.
After “Showbiz Kids,” Fagen accidentally flip-flopped the band’s pre-planned next couple songs, leading them into “Black Cow” before “Black Friday.” It’s a testament to the skilled players on stage that the mix-up was imperceptible, only coming to attention when Fagen explained what he did after the band finished “Black Cow.”
“Time Out of Mind” and “Godwhacker” led into Becker’s taking over vocals for “Daddy Don’t Live in That New York City No More,” followed by what I thought was the best performance of the night, an energetic take on “Bodhisattva” that truly showcased the band in all its glory. Drummer Keith Carlock was a powerhouse throughout the show, locking in with bassist Freddie Washington to give Fagen and Becker’s songs a strong backbone no matter what direction they chose. Likewise, the horn section–Michael Leonhart on trumpet, Jim Pugh on trombone, Roger Rosenberg on baritone sax and Walt Weiskopf on saxophone–proved invaluable to the songs, and helped draw this non-Steely fan into performances that otherwise might have left me cold.
The Borderline Brats had their own chance to showcase their considerable vocal chops on “Razor Boy” before Steely Dan thrilled the crowd with old favorite “Deacon Blues.” After Becker used a cover of Joe Tex’s “I Want To (Do Everything for You)” to formally introduce the musicians on stage, and the band followed up with “Josie,” I’d heard enough, even though there were a few songs left in the show.
After all, if I want to hear “Reelin’ in the Years,” I just have to turn on any classic-rock station in American and wait 10 minutes.
I was a few years too young to appreciate most of Steve Miller’s guitar-driven hits when they dominated the charts. But more than a decade later when I went to college, the man’s Greatest Hits 1974-’78 collection was as ubiquitous in the dorm rooms and fraternity houses as Bob Marley’s Legend and the music of a certain cheeseburger-loving seafarer with a mind to get drunk and screw.
Judging by the sold-out Red Butte Garden Wednesday night, Miller’s music still connects with plenty of fans. On a picture-perfect night, the folks filling the amphitheater were on their feet for all the classics, waving their arms in time at the command of Miller’s sidekick/hype man, and thoroughly enjoying a serious blast from the past.
Miller certainly knows how to pace out a show, giving the crowd plenty of what it craved and adding some mini-sets along the way that featured one of his band members taking lead vocals for a few songs, or an acoustic almost-solo section.
He came out firing some of his biggest guns, opening with “Jungle Love” and quickly moving into “Take the Money and Run” and “The Stake”–all songs that clearly thrilled the crowd. Miller wasn’t much for between-song banter, introducing the definitely dated “Abracadabra” with a quick “Here’s a little magic for ya.”
Miller ceded lead vocals for his cover of Eric Clapton’s “Further on Up the Road,” and a couple more songs before he got into more of his standards, including dedicating “Living in the U.S.A.” to “all the men and women in the armed forces.
The best part of the show came when Miller delivered several songs from his 1973 album The Joker. There’s no denying Miller’s skill as a guitar player and way with writing hooks, and that came through on lesser-known (at least to me) Joker tunes like “Sugar Babe,” “Mary Lou” and “Shu Ba Da Du Ma Ma Ma Ma,” a song he dedicated to Santana’s old rhythm section after telling a story about hanging out with Carlos Santana at San Francisco’s Fillmore, watching and playing with everyone from B.B. King to the Grateful Dead.
Given its 40th anniversary, focusing on The Joker made sense, and helped the show with a much-needed veer away from the same old hits. The acoustic takes on “Wild Mountain Honey” and “Dance Dance Dance”–both abetted with a little pedal-steel–were solid, and the band jammed out a bit on “Fly Like an Eagle” before “Jet Airliner” got the crowd back on its feet and dancing.
Miller’s voice sounds pretty much the same despite the passage of several decades since most of the songs in his set debuted, and his guitar-playing is crisp and worth the price of admission on its own. And a real bonus for me? The fact that a Steve Miller show is one of the few I can attend and still feel like a young punk.
Solitude on the first Sunday of August is always the best place in Utah to spend a sunny afternoon, thanks to the Taste of the Wasatch. The event is a bit of a foodie paradise, gathering dozens of restaurants and thousands of culinary geeks at the mountain resort for a four-hour tasting, with all proceeds going to benefit agencies fighting hunger in Utah–this year including Utahns Against Hunger, Utah Food Bank and Ogden-Weber Community Action Partnership.
The organizers, chefs, breweries and wine purveyors deserve a lot of credit for putting together what has got to be a logistical nightmare, but you would never know that by how smooth the entire production seemed for festival-goers.
Here are some of my personal highlights from this year’s event.
Favorite table decoration: Del Mar al Lago’s silver fish
One of my favorite new restaurants in town served up incredible Cebiche de Pescado and Arroz con Mariscos (a Peruvian paella), and broke up this killer statue to help draw people to their booth. It was Del Mar al Lago‘s first visit to Taste of the Wasatch.
Favorite proof my disdain for all things cheese might be misplaced: Whole Foods’ Goat Cheese Fritter with Wild African Honey & Berry Reduction, featuring Shephard’s Dairy Goat Cheese
Cheese in its various forms is not one of my favorite things. It’s a totally unreasonable childhood phobia that I’ve never really gotten over, and it’s what will keep me from every being a REAL foodie. But this tasty nugget brought me back to Whole Foods‘ booth more than once.
Favorite pleasant surprise: Pallet Bistro’s Caputo’s Bauernspeck-wrapped Hamachi with Pickled Jalepeno Watermelon Salad
I’ve never dined at SLC’s Pallet, which is clearly a mistake after delving into this tasty bite. Note the near-empty tray–that was pretty much the case all day after people got a sample. Pallet was one of many restaurants to find a creative use of Utah’s watermelon bounty.
Favorite pork of the day: The Glitretind at Stein Erickson Lodge‘s Extra Fatty Pork Shoulder Ribs with Utah Peach Barbecue Sauce, Local Corn, Heirloom Tomato and High West Bourbon Relish
Just read the name of that dish, and you can see how this effort by the always-a-favorite Glitretind crew rose to the top of several rib and pulled-pork efforts at this year’s event. Suffice to say, there’s no way to eat just one, or beat the chef’s sales job as he serves up the goods.
Best way to lure me into eating pate: Aerie Restaurant’s County Pate, Bread & Butter Pickles and Bourbon Gelee
At face value, pate is not really in my personal culinary wheelhouse, but the great thing about all the options at Taste of the Wasatch is that it allows you to try things you might never order when visiting a restaurant. It was pretty easy to dismiss my fear of pate when I got a taste of The Aerie‘s delicious effort.
Best touch of local lavender: Cena Ristorante’s Tuna Crudo with Capers, Fried Rosemary, Salsa Verde and Lavender
Okay, I’m not food photographer, so there’s no way this photo does any justice to the incredible flavors found in this one-bite explosion by Ceno Ristorante. I could have been happy eating a dozen of these, no problem. Just read that list of ingredients and put your imagination to work.
Best reason to order something besides kouing aman: Les Madeleines’ Laminated Brioche with Roasted Garlic and Pecorino Cheese
You don’t need me to tell you that Les Madeleine has an amazing array of baked delights at their Salt Lake City shop, but I’d never sampled this amazing brioche. Among all the proteins and Utah-grown produce, this was a melt-in-your-mouth blast of garlic and cheese in a flaky pastry that easily served as dessert–even with the amazing Utah Baker’s Dozen dessert pantry just a few feet away.
Entering Sunday night’s show at Deer Valley, music lovers knew they were going to be treated to some of the finest American music ever created, but the form of the performance remained a mystery.
That was because this appearance in Park City by Darlene Love and Muscle Shoals Live wasn’t just another stop on a cross-country tour for the musicians on stage. It was a special one-off collaboration by musicians featured in two documentary films that premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. Topping the bill was Darlene Love, one of the featured artists in Twenty Feet from Stardom, and opening up and acting as Love’s band was a slew of musicians from Muscle Shoals, the doc about the legendary Alabama music studio where blues, rock and soul artists created some of the biggest hits of the American music canon.
The Muscle Shoals crew took the stage first, and it was a massive collection of musicians including four horns, four backup singers, two percussionists, two keyboardists, guitar, bass and a rotating cast of singers that included originators of some of the old hits, and young powerhouses reinterpreting old classics.
Their set was a loosely chronological run-through of some of the best songs ever recorded at Muscle Shoals, starting with the first No. 1 hit ever recorded there, the Staple Singers “I’ll Take You There,” and then moving through “Sweet Home Alabama,” “Patches” and “Land of 1,000 Dances,” the old staple that got the disappointingly small crowd on its feet and dancing. Singer Mike Farris killed his take on Percy Sledge’s “When A Man Loves A Woman,”
Candy Staton took the stage by announcing, “This is every artist’s dream, to take this band on the road,” and it was easy to hear what she meant in the soulful grooves and funky horn blasts dotting the band’s set. Even Staton’s disco hit, “Young Hearts Run Free,” came through with genuine feeling, and the crowd certainly ate it up.
Aretha Franklin’s Muscle Shoals recordings were prominent in the set as well, from “Chain of Fools” to “Respect” to “You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman.” “Mustang Sally” was a fun blast from the past, and Bob Seger’s “Old Time Rock and Roll” was an appropriate, if somewhat out of place, finale.
Love took the stage with the Muscle Shoals crew backing her up, proving an incredibly gracious frontwoman in thanking the audience for her 50-year career in the business. Then she showcased her still-incredible pipes through a set that touched on her old Crystals and early solo classics recorded with Phil Spector, to more modern fare, and genre excursions like a gospel tune, or a little blues.
Old classics “Wait Til My Bobby Gets Home” and “Da Doo Ron Ron” came early on, and then she launched into a medley of covers including “Ain’t That Peculiar,” “You’re All I Need to Get By” and “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” that showcased Love and the band to great effect.
Truth be told, Love’s set had a harder time keeping up momentum the same way the Muscle Shoals run of all-time classics did, but that might be an unfair comparison since Love is still a regularly touring artist and the Muscle Shoals crew doesn’t get to play together as often. And there was no denying the power of Love taking on Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Goin’ On?” or Roberta Flack’s “Killing Me Softly.” For my money, though, the best of Love came through the oldest songs in the set, like “(Today I Met) The Boy I’m Gonna Marry” and “A Fine, Fine Boy.”
Small quibbles aside, the night was almost pure pleasure, a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see what some of the best musicians ever can do decades after they made their names. Kudos to the concert organizers, and even more so to the musicians who have given so much to music fans through the years.
SEBADOH, THE URBAN LOUNGE, Monday, Aug. 5, 9 p.m., $14
The reunion of the old Dinosaur Jr. lineup featuring long-time rivals J Mascis and Lou Barlow was one of the more unlikely musical miracles of the past few years. As happy as I am about that, though, I’m even happier that it hasn’t kept Barlow from touring with Sebadoh, the band he focused on most after leaving Dinosaur Jr all those years ago. Sebadoh always seemed like the ideal outlet for all of Barlow’s songwriting skills, from the heart-rending ballads to the full-on punk screamers, more so than his work with Folk Implosion or even his own solo albums. Fellow songwriter Jason Loewenstein is no slouch himself, writing some of Sebadoh’s best tunes through the years. Now the band is not only back on the road, but prepping for the release of a new album, Defend Yourself, in September, their first in 14 years. And we can expect to hear some rough stuff due to Barlow’s divorce from his wife and partner of 25 years. No doubt it will still sound beautiful, though.
Daniel Nailen 