UTAH ARTS FESTIVAL, LIBRARY SQUARE, Thursday-Sunday
The Utah Arts Festival is one the best community celebrations our state has to offer, and one of my favorite weekends each year. And the reason for that always changes. Some years, I’ll discover a new visual artist or two among the dozens of booths lining the grounds at Library Square and the City-County Building. Other years, I’ll run across someone performing spoken word, or a group doing some street theater or dance, and gain a greater understanding of art forms that are pretty foreign to me. And EVERY year the first thing I do when I get the festival guide in my hand is check out the music lineup, because the festival is always strong at booking a great mix of local talent and touring headliners that deliver a range of sounds as diverse as the visual artists’ works filling the fest.
This year, the name that jumped out to me was Sunday night headliner Jason Isbell. Anyone who regularly reads my stuff knows the regard I have for the young singer/songwriter. The songs he wrote during a six-year stint with the Drive-By Truckers helped make me a fanatic of that band, and his solo career since has included a series of ever-improving albums, including the recent release of his fourth, Southeastern.
Isbell’s work always veers between rock, country and folk, with a literary bent in his lyrics that shows off a remarkable talent for evocative imagery and heartfelt sentiment. Southeastern is a more personal record than any of his previous albums, arriving as the first he’s put out since tackling a drinking problem and getting hitched to his occasional musical collaborator Amanda Shires. As such, it’s also a bit more optimistic a collection than past Isbell albums, and tunes like “Songs She Sang in the Shower” and “Flying Over Water,” “Stockholm” and “Traveling Alone” are bound to be favorites for Isbell fans for years to come.
The new Isbell album has garnered him media attention beyond any he’s ever enjoyed before in just the first couple weeks after release; check out a recent New York Times Magazine story and an NPR “All Things Considered” feature to hear more about this young talent.
If you’ve never seen Jason Isbell, be sure to wander over to the Amphitheater Stage on Sunday at 9:45 p.m. And check out this performance of another one of his new songs, “Elephant.” Below, you’ll find more of my music recommendations for this year’s Utah Arts Festival.
My music recommendations for the 2013 Utah Arts Festival:
Thursday, June 20
King Niko, pop-rock, 8:30 p.m., Amphitheater Stage
Holy Water Buffalo, rock, 9:15 p.m., Park Stage
The Iguanas, New Orleans funk and soul, 9:45 p.m., Festival Stage
Friday, June 21
Paul Jacobsen & trhe Madison Arm, 2:30 p.m., Park Stage
Matteo, world-folk, 7 p.m., The Leo
Y La Bamba, world-folk, 9:45 p.m., Festival Stage
Salt Lake Electric Ensemble, 10 p.m., The Round
Saturday, June 22
Juana Ghani, gypsy-folk, 7:45 p.m., City-County Building
The Steeldrivers, bluegrass, 9:45 p.m., Festival Stage
Mark Dago, hip-hop, 10 p.m., The Round
Sunday June 23
Bullets & Belles, folk, 3:45 p.m., Park Stage
MINX, pop-rock, 5 p.m., Park Stage
Jason Isbell & 400 Unit, 9:45 p.m., Amphitheater Stage
PARQUET COURTS, THE URBAN LOUNGE, Tuesday, June 18, 9 p.m., $8
Simply put, New York’s Parquet Courts have created one of my favorite few albums released so far in 2013 with their sophomore effort, Light Up Gold. Fifteen songs full of jagged guitars, catchy-as-hell bass lines and vocal interplay between the band’s two songwriters make for some exciting, brash rock and roll in the vein of Gang of Four, with a dash of Pavement. Originally from Texas, the quartet is more inviting than many of their detached Brooklyn peers, while turning a somewhat jaundiced eye toward the plight of their generation growing into adulthood amid multiple wars, a horrible economy and little hope for improvement. Funny thing is, the uplifting sound of a young rock band hitting its stride is exactly the kind of thing that gives me hope for the future. Koala Temple and Pentagraham Crackers open the show.
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.
JON SPENCER BLUES EXPLOSION, URBAN LOUNGE, Friday, June 14, 9 p.m., $15
We can all be forgiven for believing the excellent junk-blues trio Jon Spencer Blues Explosion were dead and gone, considering they went a solid eight years without creating or releasing any new music. Thankfully, the 2010 reissues of the band’s back catalog inspired a frenzy of touring, and the reconnection of Jon Spencer, Russell Simins and Judah Bauer resulted in the new Meat and Bone, 12 tracks of classic JSBX mayhem. For youngsters who think Jack White is the man who brought the blues into the hip alt-rock scene–forget about it! Jon Spencer Blues Explosion were destroying stages and creating fiery blues-rock tunes 20 years ago, and from the sound of Meat and Bone, they have some good years left in them. The fact Salt Lake City gets to experience a Jon Spencer Blues Explosion show on a Friday night is a real treat, because going to work the morning after these guys play is something NONE of us wants to do. Red Bennies open the show.
ROGUE WAVE, URBAN LOUNGE, Wednesday, June 12, 9 p.m., $16
Apparently you CAN go home again, at least when it comes to record companies. Oakland pop-rockers Rogue Wave released their excellent 2004 album Out of the Shadow on SubPop before hooking on to Jack Johnson’s Brushfire Records and then Vagrant for a few releases. Now, the band led by singer/guitarist Zach Rogue is back based on Seattle’s SubPop for Descended Like Vultures, a collection that veers from sounding at times like classic rock, and others like pure power-pop. It’s the first time Rogue has gathered all the members of the band into the studio to record–Rogue Wave relied more on traded files and tapes before this latest collection–and the cohesiveness shines through. Koala Temple opens the show.
A so-called “jukebox musical” is an ideal vehicle to lace a story with a massive amount of hit songs that the public already loves, and Jersey Boys might be the ultimate example of the form.
Based on career of pioneering doo-wop boy band The Four Seasons, the hit show currently making its Utah debut with a run at the Capitol Theatre is a savvy blend of the band’s distinct song catalog and a story that has all the drama and tension needed to appeal to large audiences–even without the songs to rely on.
Formed as a classic doo-wop group by small-time crook Tommy DeVito (Nicolas Dromard), The Four Seasons sound evolved with the additions of each of its members–the quiet, steady bass man Nick Massi (Brandon Andrus), the savant-like songwriter with a head full of hits and harmonies Bob Gaudio (Jason Kappus), and of course the man whose falsetto croon is THE signature aspect of The Four Seasons’ sound, Frankie Vallie (Nick Cosgrove).
Together, the quartet rose from ignored road warriors reliant on loan sharks and mob-connected friends to global superstars who sold more than 100 million albums. Like virtually every group you’ve ever heard of, though, the relationships within the group were constantly strained due to jealousy, creative differences and outright deception. It’s truly remarkable that the group survived to become as popular as they did.
The four lead actors in this traveling production all do an excellent job handling the acting and musical duties required of them. The play is divided into four “seasons,” with each member of the group taking over as narrator for different seasons, telling the story of the band from their respective perspectives. It’s a great construct for telling the story of the band and filling the show with as many hits as possible. Older songs like “Sherry,” “Walk Like a Man” and “Big Girls Don’t Cry” elicited raucous cheers from the audience I watched with Wednesday night, and later fare like “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” and “Working My Way Back to You” helped deliver an emotional finale that earned the standing ovation that followed.
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The production is slick beginning to end, and the set is one of the best I’ve seen. Not only did scenes flow into each other easily thanks to constantly moving parts on stage, but a video screen above the action served as a live TV screen when the band performed for the American Bandstand cameras at one point. At other times, the screen showcased animation that helped fill out the narrative of the show. The creativity in Jersey Boys comes from more than just The Four Seasons’ deep catalog.
Whether you’re an old fan of the band, or simply interested in a high-energy slice of American rock and pop history, Jersey Boys will serve you well. And you just might hurt yourself trying to hit those high notes from the songs that will stick in your head well after the curtain drops.
Jersey Boys runs through June 16 at Capitol Theatre. Tickets range from $40 to $125, and are available through ArtTix outlets.
(All photos courtesy of Broadway in Utah).
Daniel Nailen 