City Weekly August 15, 2024

THE BEER ISSUE

Celebrating local brewers, local artists, local hops and the 14th annual Utah Beer Festival.

BY

CITY WEEKLY STAFF

S AP

BOX

Water Sports

Filling the Great Salt Lake for the opening ceremonies of our 2034 Winter Olympiad is visionary, no doubt. Entrepreneurs may call it a BHAG—Big Hairy Audacious Goal. Pessimists may call it impossible. But tomorrow’s Olympians are today’s children, and they may simply call it necessary, determined to rise above common expectations to reach their Olympic Dreams.

I can see a massive flutter of birds, like the ibis, rising out of the tall wetland grass ... and a cluster of biathletes charging over the crest of a hill.

And here we are, me and you, inherently now on the same team as we’ve been awarded the honor of hosting the 2034 Olympic Winter Games.

I can see a ski jumper flying down the hillside of the Utah Olympic Park, sticking the landing with confidence … and a pelican’s outstretched wings as it glides softly into the wetland waters of Bear River Bay.

As human beings we are in and of this landscape. Our quality of life is inseparable from the quality of the Great Salt Lake and the rivers that fill it. This is, was and will be the place. Me and you. Us and them. This lake, this air, this water, these are our problems to solve in this place we call home.

I can see a downhill ski racer’s thighs, flexing in slow motion as their skis move over the snow at 90 MPH ... and the undulating movement of water flowing through the pillowed snow banks of a canyon creek.

Imagine we each embrace that Olympic spirit, tapping into our highest and best selves to raise the Great Salt Lake to full pool for the opening ceremonies! Will it come easy? Absolutely not.

It will demand determination, sacrifice and conservation. Today’s youngest athletes will be competing in the 2034 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City, Utah— our home! Their dreams are big enough to overcome the too-common naysayer’s noise, and we must dream big with them. They deserve our best. Let’s fill up this Lake and give it to them!

I can see a speedskater’s perfectly smooth glide, laser focused, making a powerful pass ... and a coyote stalking its prey across the lakebed playa.

Sure, hosting a successful Olympic Winter Games is an achievement to be proud of, but we can do better, we can reach higher. Let’s go for the gold! Let’s fill this Great Salt Lake in honor of Utah, our humanity and our heritage. Let’s fill it in honor of our children.

Ten years from now, we will showcase our state on the global stage, and we have the opportunity to do what no community has ever done before—save their saline lake. We will show the world who are at the Opening Ceremonies.

I can see a tundra swan spreading its

wings bright and wide in the bay … and an ice dancing couple’s grandiloquent, graceful moves.

Remember, winter sports are water sports. Let the games begin!

KELLY HANNAH

Salt Lake City

“Cox Unpopuli,” Aug. 1 Private Eye

Gov. Spencer Cox should do his homework before jumping on the bandwagon. It wasn’t The Last Supper [during the Paris Opening Ceremony]. Do better.

CLCLARK44 Via Instagram

What I think this says is Christianity steals so much from other cultures they can’t tell their stories from the ones they steal.

SHOEBRRT Via Instagram

Care to sound off on a feature in our pages or about a local concern? Write to comments@ cityweekly.net or post your thoughts on our social media. We want to hear from you!

THE WATER COOLER

How do you prepare yourself for a Beer Fest ?

Pete Saltas

Memorizing 200 beers for ordering, menus and distribution. Staffing needs for over 100 vendors. Placement of every vendor delicately across a full city block. Coordinating supply needs from another 15-20 miscellaneous vendors. And, ultimately, curling up in a little ball.

Larry Carter

Grab my favorite stein, sun block, hat, comfortable walking shoes, shorts and t-shirt. And drink plenty of water before.

Eric Granato

Drink tons of water and have sunscreen on hand.

Kayla Dreher

Have a beer? Practice makes perfect.

Krista Maggard

Lots of water, protein, vitamins and electrolytes - before, during and after!

Paula Saltas

Since the board of health won’t allow us to let people make pretzel necklaces, everyone BRING YOUR OWN. Whoever does, reach out to me and win a prize if you are going to the Beer Festival.

Benjamin Wood

I’ll be running bike valet so I gotta figure out how to tie all my gear to my ride.

BY JOHN SALTAS

Left to Right

Today I celebrate—along with my youngest son Mikey—National Lefthanders Day. Given the nature of our country in these charged times, I’m hesitant to celebrate with lefthanders around the globe, lest I am deemed to be one of those, you know, left-wing antiAmerican globalists.

Still, it would be out of round not to mention at least some famous lefties that are not studied in the curriculum of some Utah high schools; such as Nikola Tesla, Sir Isaac Newton, Pierre and Marie Curie, German-born Albert Einstein and, of course, the most notable and worthy left hander of all—Sir Paul McCartney, he of skiffle band fame.

It’s not really fair to assume that some famous lefties are not studied in some Utah high schools. However, in the Private Eye column of two weeks ago, in which I invited Gov. Spencer Cox to my home for dinner to discuss ancient Christian iconography (he has not replied yes or no, if you are curious), I chastened him for

misappropriating in the name of “his faith” the message of the painting The Last Supper. Since he didn’t know (or ignored) that his own message was offensive, it’s possible that he didn’t know the painting is said to feature the face of a fellow who was supposedly the gay lover of the artist himself.

It’s not proven that the artist had a gay lover. However, it is known that the artist was the left-handed Leonardo da Vinci. You know how people are always jumping to conclusions and spreading rumors? Well, our Spencer became deeply offended by certain imagery at the opening ceremonies of the recent and beautifully-presented Paris Olympics, so he took to clutching his social media pearls and let out that good folks like him were mad as all gooey.

Never mind that the imagery had nothing to do with Christian worship. Do mind that Cox was upset because the scene in question supposedly regaled against Christian norms (it didn’t) because the characters in the scene seemed gay or something and were arranged in a manner similar to the arrangement in Da Vinci’s famous piece of wall art.

But, if one of the fellas in the original da Vinci painting was modeled after a gay man, that’s kinda ironic, right? That Spencer would be upset at presumed gay imagery on one hand (his right) but endorse it on the other (his left)? Such circular positioning pretty much sums up Spencer Cox.

The ether had barely wisped away on that fake controversy when another arose after the Republican vice presidential candidate,

Sen. J.D. Vance, decided he should challenge the military career of the Democratic VP candidate, Gov. Tim Walz. Not a smart move, yet one pounced upon by many of Utah’s legion of less valorous politicians.

Confused (veterans attacking veterans?), I looked to a friend I met years ago on social media for the lowdown. He did indeed share his feelings regarding the phony “stolen valor” tirade against Tim Walz. Here’s a snippet of his response: “President Bonespurs (Trump) has enlisted services of Corporal Underfoot (Vance) to shore up the skills that he sorely lacks.” Yep.

My friend goes by CT Phantomband. That’s not the name he used at South High School, when he enlisted into the service with his best friend at the peak of the Vietnam War. His buddy was killed within weeks of setting foot “in country.” CT came home and, like many Marines, his 13 months in Vietnam shaped his next 600.

Every time he writes—like, daily—I’m taken aback by his sense of place in this universe. I’ll share his thoughts in this space here and there if he permits.

Of late, he’s taken to using AI images to congeal a theme or thought. So, with minor surprise he also sent the AI image you see here this week, depicting the aftermath of a vicious, close combat battle in August of 1969 at Mutter’s Ridge. His was not the first battle there—that ground being taken then abandoned over and over starting in 1966.

Robert Mueller of Mueller Report fame/ infamy was wounded at Mutter’s Ridge. It’s also the fodder for the fabulous book Mat-

terhorn by Karl Marlantes, he too a Mutter’s Ridge Marine. CT shared his wonderful remembrance regarding that battle this week. I hope I have not missed anyone, CT, but in honor of that battle 55 years ago in Quang Tri Province near the DMZ, here is a list memorializing some of your fellow, fallen 3rd Marines, all KIA with valor on August 10, 1969: Alberto T. Anzaludua; Sam Catalano, Jr.; William R. Dickey; Donald L. Elliott; Stephen Glowe; Joseph L. Hesson III; James G. Hilliard; Richard A. Johnson, Jr.; Peter F. Kristof; Robert T. Marmie; Michael J. Mooney; Ronald R. Ozimek; Charles A. Poe; Reginald M. Sater; Charles B. Seminara; Michael F. Sheridan; Lindsay C. Turner; Luther Walker, Jr.; Dale S. Wilkinson; Brian E. Wolfe; and Lawrence K. Dowd. Valor is not left or right. It just is. CW

Send comments to john@cityweekly.net

HITS & MISSES

MISS: Last Words

There on the front page of The Salt Lake Tribune’s Sunday e-edition stands a gaggle of Utah journalists. Some are staring at their phones, some are standing stoically. All are standing around an empty execution bed— straps and all. The barbaric practice we call the “death penalty” has once again put Utah on the map, and it appears most Utahns approve. KUTV speculated the religious connection to capital punishment, saying that it’s “influenced by the concept of ‘blood atonement’ in early pioneer theology.”

House Speaker Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, is a staunch supporter, saying the death penalty helps solve cases and deters people who might commit crimes. Quick fact-check here: that’s not true. Research shows little if any relation to deterrence as one study suggests: “The Death Penalty Kills People Not Crime.” And it affects only a tiny percentage of people who commit murder. Utah was the first state to reinstate the death penalty after the Supreme Court lifted the moratorium. But who, including journalists, doesn’t love to watch someone take their final breath?

MISS: Underhanded Jabs

While vandals tear down and steal Pride flags around the state, the governor, Speaker of the House and, of course, Sen. Mike Lee are fanning Utah’s homophobic flames. As usual, they are outraged by something they saw and hastily concluded was wrong—in this case that Olympic Algerian boxer Imane Khelif is transgender. First, who knew they were even interested in Olympic boxing? You know how we are in Utah—we don’t like “men” playing in women’s sports, and really don’t like them winning. But that is not the case here. Khelif is and always was a woman, if a pretty tough one. Utah politicians, however, seem determined to protect the little woman who might fight against this burly one. Hey, they should watch the movie “Million Dollar Baby” if they really want to see how horrific boxing can be—woman to woman.

HIT: Not a Drop to Drink

Despite the ominous environmental future we face, it’s nice to know there might be a plan in case of catastrophe. The legislature put $24 million (plus federal assistance) toward a project to preserve drinkable water in case of an earthquake. The “Big One” is coming, and while it is certain to devastate, it doesn’t have to leave the 2 million people along the Wasatch Front without water. The plan is to upgrade or replace aging aqueducts to withstand a magnitude 7 earthquake. The pipeline will, of course, affect Northern Utah traffic, but it’s a small price to pay. And yes, there are other infrastructure issues to be addressed in handling natural gas, power and building safety. As priorities go, however, life-saving water—if there’s any left from climate change— should be

Get Certified

If you could save someone’s life, would you? I’m not talking about sacrificing your life for another, putting your life in danger, or even donating one of your organs. I’m asking, if you saw another human being in distress and had the ability to save them, would you?

Call me a “glass half-full” kind of gal, but my heart of hearts tells me that at least nine out of ten of you would say yes.

And it is with this belief that I am advocating for every adult over the age of 18 to be certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation—otherwise known as CPR.

Within the last 12 months, I have been teaching CPR and First Aid through the Red Cross and these classes have made me hyper-aware of how often emergency care is actually required. According to the Red Cross, half of all people that receive CPR within three to five minutes of collapsing, survive.

For those of you who are unfamiliar, high-quality CPR consists of chest compressions combined with artificial ventilation—or mouth to mouth—to manually pump blood through the body. It is performed when the heart suddenly stops beating (cardiac arrest) and the blood stops flowing to the brain and other vital organs.

And because three out of four cardiac arrests occur at home or at work, with proper training, you could end up saving your coworker, or loved one. I know what you’re thinking: “I don’t have time to take classes. I’m too busy with work and the kids and just everyday stuff.”

Well, what if I told you that training only takes about four hours and that the Red Cross offers classes numerous times throughout the day, weekdays and weekends?

Additionally, you can choose between a full in-person, instructor-led course or a blended option that is part online and part in-person.

As an added bonus, most classes include how to respond to life threatening bleeding, burns and sudden illnesses. Plus, you will be shown how to perform back blows and abdominal thrusts for choking emergencies. (Children and the elderly are highly susceptible to choking, with an average of 5,000 people dying each year in the United States alone.)

I could continue to validate my belief that all adults should learn CPR by stating the American Heart Association estimates that 100,000 to 200,000 lives could be saved each year if CPR were performed.

Or I could mention that even if someone survives cardiac arrest, by providing CPR you are preventing permanent brain damage and possible brain death.

But I won’t do that. I will instead conclude this column by asking one question: Is four hours of your time worth saving someone’s life? CW

Hot August Arts

Current exhibitions exploring climate change, the Iranian-American experience, the versatility of paper and more

BY SCOTT RENSHAW scottr@cityweekly.net @scottrenshaw

Aug. 16 marks this month’s Gallery Stroll, and there are plenty of fascinating exhibitions along the Wasatch Front and beyond this month. Here’s just a sampling of ways you can get your art on during these dog days of summer.

Green House and Simon Zivny: On Route @ Finch Lane Gallery. Comprised of work by 18 artists connected to Brigham Young University’s Department of Art—current students, graduates and faculty—and curated by Joseph Ostraff, Green House explore the creative response to the idea of greenhouses, both literal and theoretical. Across a range of media, the works investigate concepts including humanity’s relationship with the natural world and greenhouses as metaphors for cultural norms and human desire (Lydia Henry’s “Gator Paradise” is pictured).

Salt Lake City-based photographer Simon Zivny transitioned to photography from other creative media during a 2,650-mile walk from Mexico to Canada, capturing uncurated scenes of everyday life. He applies that same principle to On Route, which is made up of photographs Zivny took during a two-year period working for the U.S. Post Office, and presenting images of life in suburban Utah (“Kids” is pictured).

Green House and Simon Zivny: On Route show at Finch Lane Gallery (54 Finch Lane) now through Sept. 20, free and open to the public; a Gallery Stroll opening reception will take place Friday, Aug. 16 from 6 – 9 p.m. For regular gallery hours and additional information, visit saltlakearts.org/programs/finch-lane-gallery.

FEMA Climate Resiliency, Photography and Storytelling @ Ogden Contemporary Arts. The FEMA ArtWorks program—which connects the arts with hazard mitigation— sponsors an exhibition in which artists and residents of the American West share perspectives on the region’s challenges of adapting to climate change. Included in the exhibition are works with Utah ties: Salt Lake City-based multimedia artist Tiana Birrell researches the immense consumption of water resources by Utah’s massive data centers; and the

three-person Making Waves for the Great Salt Lake artist collective share perspectives through visual art and poetry regarding our relationship to the changing lake.

Also part of the exhibition is Denver-based Bill Nelson’s Fragile (pictured), employing a steel viewfinder to invite viewers into thinking about their own role as environmental stewards; Coloradan Emilie Upczak’s film Silt, exploring how we respond to and process events that seem to be out of our control; photographer Tamara Susa’s investigation of how climate change takes place continuously over time; and Warm Cookies of the Revolution’s Community Almanac Project, which collects perspectives on solutions to the climate crisis collected in the Denver community.

The exhibition runs now through Oct. 13 at Ogden Contemporary Arts (455 25th St., Ogden); the Ogden Gallery Stroll takes place the first Friday of every month. Visit ogdencontemporaryarts.org for gallery hours and additional information.

Fazilat Soukhakian: Under the Same Sky @ Material Gallery. Photographic work by Iranian-American artist and Utah State University faculty member Fazilat Soukhakian makes up Under the Same Sky. Representing pieces taken from 2006 to the present, the exhibition reflects both the origins of the artist’s career as a photojournalist in Iran, and her more recent experience in the United States (“This Is Me” is pictured). In an artist statement, Soukhakian says, “I invite viewers to contemplate the interconnectedness of our experiences and emotions. My work is a testament to the power of photography not only to document moments but to provoke thought, inspire change, and unite us under the vast and unifying expanse of the sky.”

Under the Same Sky is scheduled to run at Material Gallery (2970 S. West Temple, Unit B) now through Sept. 20, with a Gallery Stroll reception Friday, Aug. 16, 6 – 8 p.m. and a closing reception Friday, Sept. 20, 6 – 8 p.m.; other viewing is by appointment. Visit materialartgallery.com to schedule an appointment or for additional information.

Papyrus Perspective @ Urban Arts Gallery. The unique creative properties of paper are on full display in the group exhibition Papyrus Perspective. The exhibition invited artists to showcase paper in a range of ways, from printmaking to origami, from collage to papier-mâché and more. It’s a unique look at how a fragile thing can become a versatile canvas.

Papyrus Perspective runs at Urban Arts Gallery (116 S. Rio Grande St. at the Gateway) now through Sept. 1, with a free Gallery Stroll reception Friday, Aug. 16, 6 – 9 p.m. Visit urbanartsgallery.org for regular gallery hours and additional event information. CW

“This Is Me,” by Fazilat Soukhakian

“Gator Paradise,” by Lydia Henry

“Kids,” by Simon Zivny

"Fragile," by Bill Nelson

theESSENTIALS ENTERTAINMENT PICKS,

Complete listings online at cityweekly.net

AUGUST 15-21, 2024

Romance Day @ The King’s English

As we discovered back in March when we spoke to local writers of romance fiction, that community is rich and thriving in Utah. The stigma attached to romance novels is one based on old paradigms, and those who create them are blazing interesting new trails for those who enjoy reading them. And both writers and readers get to celebrate the form this week when The King’s English presents a day of events celebrating romance fiction.

The fun begins with a Historical Romance Tea Party, a ticketed event at 10:30 a.m. featuring tea service, party favors, and a copy of the new historical romance Accidental Courtship with the Earl by Utah author Samantha Hastings (pictured). At 2 p.m., writers from the League of Utah Writers’ Romance Chapter offer a 90-minute Romance Writing Workshop for budding authors, sharing tips, tropes, tricks for marketing and finding an agent, and much more information about getting your own writing rolling; the event is free, but registration is required. At 5 p.m., authors Yamile Saied Mendez and Bradeigh Godfrey join moderator Krysti Meyer for a panel discussion about contemporary romance fiction. Then, the evening wraps up with an “after-hours” Romance Trivia Night at 7 p.m., with a pub-quiz-style team format for dropping all of your romance lit knowledge; tickets are $10 with wine provided, but admission cost is redeemable against cost of purchasing any in-store item that night. All events take place at The King’s English Bookshop (1511 S. 1500 East) on Saturday, Aug. 17. Visit kingsenglish.com for registration links and additional event information. (SR)

theESSENTIALS ENTERTAINMENT

City Weekly Utah Beer Festival

Once upon a time, the idea of a grand celebration of any kind of alcoholic beverage in Utah seemed preposterous; this was hardly considered the place either for creators or consumers of adult beverages. That was before an explosion in the market for craft brews and spirits, driven in part by talented local creators helping to teach Utahns what great beer could taste like. Celebrating the growth and success of that industry and its customers is what led to the creation of the initial Utah Beer Festival by City Weekly in 2010, and we’re back for more in 2024.

More than 200 different beers, ciders and other libations will be on tap from vendor booths representing more than 70 Utah-based and national brewers, as well as food trucks and merchandise vendors. Live music will also be available on the festival grounds by great local bands, and transportation via Trax is convenient and safe. Says City Weekly publisher Pete Saltas, “We learned Utahns want to come together and enjoy the final days of summer with great food, music and of course, beer.”

The 14th annual City Weekly Utah Beer Festival returns to The Gateway (400 W. 200 South) Aug. 17 – 18, 2 p.m. – 8 p.m. daily, with 1 p.m. early-access for VIP and “early beer” ticket holders. Advance ticket prices for the 21+ event include $20 admission only/designated driver passes, $35 advance/$40 day-of-event single-day passes which include 10 punches for sample pours, to $90 for VIP packages. Full weekend passes are also available. Visit utahbeerfestival.com to purchase tickets and for additional event information. (SR)

Utah Dance Film Festival

During the height of the COVID pandemic in 2020 and 2021, many dance companies pivoted to recorded presentations to connect with their audiences—but as any of those artists would tell you, dance for the camera is its own distinct creative form. The Utah Dance Film Festival celebrates that form as a place for both filmmaking and recognizing the potential for compelling use of dance in filmmaking, in a weekend of short films, workshops and filmmaker conversations.

The program includes more than 30 shorts representing creators from around the country and around the world, as well as locally. Made-in-Utah highlights include: The Star, a production of the Provo High School Dance Company inspired by works in New York’s Metropolitan Art Museum; The Weight of Salt by Irishia Hubbard and Kellie St. Pierre, exploring resilience in the face of climate change’s impact on the Great Salt Lake; Pushing Limitations by James Coca, profiling Mexico-born choreographer Alan Salazar; and Nonlinear by Jessica Heaton, investigating evolving ideologies through the collapse of building blocks.

The 2024 Utah Dance Film Festival comes to the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center (138 W. 300 South) with presentations of four individual 75-minute film/Q&A programs, on Saturday, Aug. 17 at 6 p.m. & 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Aug. 18 at 4:30 p.m. & 7 p.m. The 90-minute filmmaking workshop takes place Aug. 17 at 2 p.m., and the awards ceremony follows the 7 p.m. screening on Aug. 18. Select shorts will also be available online Aug. 18. Visit utdancefilmfest.com for additional information, and arttix.org for tickets. (SR)

CINEMA

Capsule Roundup

My

Penguin Friend, Sing Sing and Skincare hitting local theaters.

BY SCOTT RENSHAW scottr@cityweekly.net

@scottrenshaw

My Penguin Friend BB½

Never underestimate the ability of cute animals to carry a movie a long way, nor how relatively bland that same movie can seem when the cute animal isn’t around. Set mostly in a coastal Brazilian fishing town, the fact-based drama follows a fisherman named João (Jean Reno), deeply affected by the death of his son years earlier, who nurses an ailing Magellanic penguin back to health, then finds the little creature—whom he names Dindim—returning to visit every year during his seasonal migration. Reno and Adriana Barraza (as João’s wife) nicely underplay the lingering pain of parental grief, and director David Schurmann is wise enough to give us an actual real-life penguin for most of the key scenes, allowing for an audience connection to something that’s not just a CGI creation. Unfortunately, the charm of that connection also makes the subplot involving a trio of marine biologists (Alexia Moyano, Nicolás Francella and Rochio Hernández) in Argentina feel extremely tedious by comparison; the actors feel like they’re reciting their English-language dialogue as though reading it

trying to get through delivering the necessary plot points. The Incredible Journey-esque arc of the third act raises the stakes again, to the extent that it kind of makes you wish that the penguin-less scenes were left on the cutting room floor. Available Aug. 16 in theaters. (PG)

Sing Sing BBB

Everything about this premise is earnest, understated and inspirational—so why does it feel like it falls short of real emotional catharsis? The concept is based on the real-life Rehabilitation Through the Arts program at New York’s Sing Sing prison, following several incarcerated men—including aspiring playwright John “Divine G” Whitfield (Colman Domingo)—as they work on their latest production under the supervision of director Brent Buell (Paul Raci). Director Greg Kwedar and the screenwriting team take an unconventional approach to this story, bypassing a lot of potential points of manufactured conflict—including Whitfield’s role as alpha in this group being challenged by new arrival Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin (playing himself, as do most of the other actors)—in favor of something that emphasizes the program’s process of pulling angry, internalized men into emotional honesty. And it’s a solid piece of work on that level, particularly with Domingo and Maclin anchoring the narrative with powerful performances, and rich cinematography by Pat Scola. It also at times feels almost too unwilling to be a genuine crowd-pleaser, as though naturalism couldn’t go hand-in-hand with deeply-felt emotions, or even more overt silliness like the broadly comedic original play we ultimately

see very little of. As a tale of men learning that they might deserve to be free, it’s certainly effective; it simply feels timid about being willing to give us a place to cheer. Available Aug. 16 in theaters. (R)

Skincare BB

Not every movie needs to be “about something,” but when you get the impression that everyone involved seems to believe that it is about something, you’d better be able to make it understandable. Director Austin Peters and his two co-writers draw from real events to tell the fictionalized story of Hope Goldman (Elizabeth Banks), a Hollywood aesthetician with a client roster full of celebrities and dreams of launching her skincare products as a retail line. But that dream appears in peril when a competing salon moves in across the plaza from hers, at the same time that someone seems to be launching a campaign to destroy her reputation. There’s obviously plenty of material to be mined from the surface-conscious culture of the L.A. beautiful people, and Banks does effectively capture the panic of someone trying to maintain the illusion of success while trying to stay above water financially. But the satirical components generally get buried in the details of the attacks Hope faces, and the trappings of a whodunnit— and it may just be the perspective of someone who watches way too many movies, but the perpetrator never seems particularly in doubt. With so much focus on plot-plot-plot, and no particular style to the filmmaking, there’s no time to serve the ideas— and the result is something that feels just as superficial as the people it could theoretically be skewering. Available Aug. 16 in theaters. (R) CW

Come for the Surf, Stay for the Turf

Downtown SLC’s newest nightspot just dropped, and it’s fantastic—here’s what to know about Aker.

BY ALEX SPRINGER comments@cityweekly.net @captainspringer

The balance between style and substance is often a tricky line to toe when it comes to restaurants. In my experience, an overabundance of style tends to accompany food that is often sub-par. Sure, we try and convince ourselves that it’s worth the premium, but deep down, we know the menu was part of a grift.

Over the years, I think local restaurateurs have become a bit more adept at nailing this balance, and my recent experience at Aker is a good example of this. For starters, Aker has a decent pedigree of restaurateurs and chefs running the show. Brothers Brandon and Jason Hargett—the team behind Ruby River Steakhouse and Hoppers—have summoned their years of restaurant experience to turn Aker into downtown’s most exciting new nightspot.

Its culinary foundation comes from Japanese robata, a wood-fired grilling technique that brought us yakitori skewers. The Japanese theme extends throughout the rest of their menu and into the space as a whole; its floor-toceiling windows offer plenty of natural light, and its elegant decor provide an excellent backdrop for your meal.

Chef de Cuisine Jhonny Lopez of Urban Hill and Sushi Roku fame is running

things in the kitchen, while Chef Pae Randall oversees the sushi menu. Their combined talents make for an adaptable dining experience that can be easily adjusted by the diner. Those looking for some socializing among small plates and cocktails can stick to the starters and sushi menu, while those after something a bit more substantial will be happy with the menu’s mains.

My wife and I decided to craft a threecourse meal for ourselves, and the food is definitely on par with Aker’s elegant design. We were initially intrigued by the yakitori skewers, so we started things off with one beef ($10) and one Kurobuta pork ($7). Both skewers were right on the money as far as preparation goes. The beef skewer is prepared with a bit of soy sauce, and it absolutely melts in your mouth. I liked the pork skewer slightly more—each morsel of pork is rolled up with a small shiso leaf, which imparts a nice minty herbaceousness to each bite.

As these skewers are designed to be starters, don’t expect gigantic shish kabobs to hit your table after you order. These little guys are about condensing huge amounts of flavor into small, orderly bites.

We liked the idea of getting some sushi next, since Aker’s sushi menu is one of the few local spots to dry-age their sushi protein. If you’re familiar with dry-aging beef, the process is quite similar. Before it’s served, dry-aged fish is kept in a temperature-controlled environment that removes excess moisture, and promotes the breakdown of connective tissue. The result is that your yellowtail, amberjack and sablefish are a bit more buttery and flavorful once they hit your plate.

The best way to experience the sushi menu at Aker is to order the nigiri flight ($29), or the premium nigiri flight ($39) if you’re feeling fancy. We went with the former, and it was lovely to behold—sushi fans are going to want to check this place out pronto. The nigiri that you get in your flight are up to the chef; I always appreciate this option because you’re typically

getting the stuff the chef is most excited about. If the dry-aging description is at all confusing, it makes sense when you take your first bite of these nigiri. The proteins are texturally delicate, and the dry aging process does seem to have intensified the proteins’ natural flavors. When it came time for mains, I knew I wanted to try out one of the wagyu steaks, so I went with the ribeye ($59). My wife is a fan of miso-glazed anything, so she ordered the miso cod ($33). As the freedom to try each others’ restaurant entrees was in our wedding vows, I sampled some of her dish—I shared mine too, don’t fret—and it’s everything you’d want in a miso-glazed cod. The fish itself was tender and flaky, but the glaze—made from three different types of miso—was fantastic. Buttery, sweet, caramelly and smokey are all appropriate adjectives here, but they’re tremendously balanced, which means you get a little bit of everything with each bite.

The ribeye, served with a housemade chimichurri and piles of both kosher salt and black lava salt, is a fine cut of meat. It arrives pre-sliced, though it has been given plenty of time to rest, and hitting it with a few dabs of that chimichurri to help bring out its natural flavors is a match made in steak heaven. Based on my visit, this is the dish that really brings the Japanese and Latin flavors together.

Even though Aker is still in its early days downtown, the service, menu and execution are all quite impressive. I’ve been burned by a few high-concept restaurants before, but the team at Aker is creating something very special in the heart of Salt Lake City, and it’s definitely worth checking out. CW

Sashimi

BACK BURNER

BY ALEX SPRINGER | @captainspringer

Sugar House Welcomes Hearth and Hill

The Kirchheimer family behind Park City’s Hearth and Hill and Hill’s Kitchen restaurants, as well as Salt Lake City’s Urban Hill, recently broke ground on two new locations in Sugar House. The current game plan is to open second locations of Hearth and Hill and Hill’s Kitchen in early 2025 as part of the new commercial and residential space within the new Residences at Sugar Alley (2188 S. Highland Drive). It’s huge news for fans of the Kirchheimers’ Leave Room For Dessert Eateries, which is the driving force behind these monsters of the Utah culinary scene. Both Hearth and Hill and Hill’s Kitchen will enjoy expanded spaces that will serve up all the local favorites we’ve come to love.

Local Oktoberfest Celebrations are Live

Mid-August is upon us, which means it’s time to kick off some of our local Oktoberfest celebrations. One of the biggest and most popular will be taking place at Snowbird Ski Resort (snowbird.com) from now until Oct. 13, and it will feature all the bells and whistles that have made it one of Utah’s most beloved ways to celebrate Oktoberfest. The team at Snowbasin Resort (snowbasin.com) is also taking part in the annual festivities with their SnowWiesn Oktoberfest that runs from Aug. 17 – Oct. 6. Regardless of where and how you like to get festive with your beers and brats, Snowbird and Snowbasin will have you covered this season.

Bobby Flay Brings Bobby’s Burgers to Orem

Celebrity chef Bobby Flay’s national restaurant Bobby’s Burgers (bobbysburgers.com) will be opening its first Utah location at Orem’s University Place (575 E. University Parkway). Formerly University Mall, University Place recently announced the opening of several high-profile businesses that will be calling this Utah County shopping center home. As you’d expect from a Bobby Flay property, Bobby’s Burgers takes the chef’s Tex-Mex sensibilities and plops it all on a big ol’ burger for your dining enjoyment. Honestly, the menu does look pretty tasty—a nacho burger with pickled jalapeños, queso and blue corn tortilla chips doesn’t sound half bad right now. Bobby’s Burgers is currently scheduled to open in November of this year.

Quote of the week: “If you aren’t nervous about your passion, you aren’t passionate about it.” –Bobby

Flay

THE BEEHIVE

It’s been 14 years since City Weekly’s first Utah Beer Festival. As we put the finishing touches in place for another great weekend at The Gateway (see page 28), I can’t help but stop and think about how far Salt Lake City has come and how large a role our friends in the brewing industry played in that progress.

In the pages that follow, resident Beer Nerd Mike Riedel describes some of the expansion efforts underway or recently completed by the folks at Fisher Beer, Shades Brewing and Policy Kings, as well as the national and inter national accolades being heaped on the Templin Family. It recalls to mind what The Granary district looked like 14 years ago (if you don’t remember, you haven’t forgotten much), where Fisher and TF have been crushing it while a neighborhood blossoms around them. Same story for Central Ninth, where Policy Kings will soon open its doors, a stone’s throw from fellow beverage stalwarts like Scion Cider, Water Witch, Hoppers Brewing and the incoming Thieves Guild Cidery.

Down the road in Ballpark, Shades is helping to transform a neglected slice of the city into a new hot spot, adding energy and vibrancy to 300 West after doing much the same thing with its great downtown space on State Street.

And these are just the few examples highlighted in this year’s issue, as there’s simply too much quality work and excitement to capture: Granary pioneer Kiitos is expanding into Sugar House; Level Crossing is anchoring The Post District; Proper Brewing is reportedly searching for larger digs; and all throughout the city, more folks than we can name are doing the critical work of building community, connection and camaraderie, one pint at a time.

This is no small thing. Some in our Utah family may scoff, while others may foolishly work to tear these entrepreneurs down. But I believe a growing majority recognize how important a cold drink and a friendly watering hole are to our quality of life. When you belly up to a bar and order a tall mug of something tasty, you’re sup-

porting a web of brewers, bartenders, delivery drivers, label artists (see page 36) and, depending on the location, kitchen staff, food truck operators, musicians and so many other creators who ripple through the city and its citizenry. Maybe a good drink inspires you to go searching for hops (see page 30) and try your hand at home-brewing. Or maybe your presence on a patio on an otherwise uneventful weeknight is the unspoken endorsement that makes a street feel inviting, helping others to get outside, go for a stroll and belly up to a bar themselves, starting the cycle anew.

If this all sounds a little high-minded for a few stories about beer, blame the Olympics. I watched plenty of the events from my couch but I also made a point to get to our pubs, taverns, cider houses and beer halls, where I saw Salt Lakers of all stripes huddled around televisions, chatting with erstwhile strangers about the finer details of competitive archery, or rowing or breakdancing (pardon me, breaking) while

clinking glasses and toasting Team USA. I’m reminded of the power of global events and how often a good beer, a comfy chair and a so-called “third place” is the secret sauce that helps us peek out from under our individual turtle shells and engage with our fellow travelers.

And, of course, Salt Lake City will once again be welcoming the world to our little corner of it in 2034, with the long-destined announcement this summer of a second turn hosting the Winter Olympic Games. We can only begin to imagine the changes that are in store over the next decade and beyond, but a couple things are certain: first, that our local breweries will be an indispensable component of that change; and second, that City Weekly and the Utah Beer Festival will be here to champion and celebrate them every step of the way.

Cheers!

Brew News 2024

Three Utah breweries expand operations in Salt Lake and a local favorite repeats top honors at the World Beer Cup.

BY MIKE RIEDEL COMMENTS@CITYWEEKLY.NET @UTAHBEER

We, the staff and freelancers at City Weekly, love our local beers—so much so that we created Utah’s largest beer festival to spread the joy of craft beer, ciders, spirits, booch, sake and canned cocktails. And every year, we document the changes and expansion taking place throughout the industry in our hallowed CW Beer Issue.

In this corner of the pages, we celebrate a year of evolution, when our friends, neighborhoods and brothers and sisters in adult beverages build upon previous successes to help enhance the artisan beverage world with which we fell in love. This year, we’re happy to share four stories of expansion among Utah’s best creators and purveyors of libations that will take us into the future.

Shades 3.0 at The Engine Block

When Shades Brewing originally opened its doors in 2011, Park City was the official home base for the fledgling brewery—at that time called Shades of Pale Brewing Company. It quickly started gaining momentum in Utah’s ever-expanding craft beer industry, with so much momentum that it outgrew its tiny production facility and was in desperate need for a site to call home. Park City was the first choice, but rent for a larger production space in the high-dollar resort town was out of reach for a small brewery. In 2014, Shades found a new space in South Salt Lake City with a large

”We have an opportunity to finally build the dream location we have been looking for.”

—Shades co-founder Alexandra Ortiz (left)

ing from industrial to mixed-use residential. Ortiz—brewery co-owner and Fargher’s spouse—recalled when Shades’ growth started to become problematic.

“Our success also led to some zoning changes that created obstacles to our growth,” Ortiz added. “Multiple things happened with our building, it was actually cut in half in 2018 to build apartments and the warehouse we acquired next to the brewery was no longer zoned to be of use to us—as it was supposed to become our new bar. So that pub space we desperately needed was no longer usable.”

Zoning also prevented Shades from having a proper front door. Due to the new apartment next door, the entry would have to be located in a less-than-desirable spot next to the brewery’s loading dock.

After much soul searching, Fargher and Ortiz realized their time in SSL was coming to an end. “We have wanted to have a really nice brewpub for years and things just didn’t work out in our current location,” Ortiz said. “We have an opportunity to finally build the dream location we have been looking for.”

footprint in an area providing great access. The new brewery would occupy a space that formerly housed the old Hi-Grade Meats—a sausage manufacturing facility.

It was hard to conceive that this area could become a vibrant space for a pub and nightlife back then, but owners Trent Fargher and Alexandra Ortiz took on the challenge of swaying the SSL Mayor and City Council that this would be a good thing.

“We went into South Salt Lake, which was a really bad area,” Fargher recounted. “I mean, we’re talking crime, needles and prostitution after we moved in. That all started

Shades Brewing is set to move into the “engine block,” just off the new 300 West cycle track.

going away and the brewery helped to elevate the area that it is now.”

Looking back, Fargher recalled how the timing seemed to make things all come together.

“We had to work with the City Council to be able to change the laws, to even be allowed to operate in South Salt lake,” he said. “Thankfully, there was a fairly progressive mayor and City Council that got the ordinances changed.”

Shades reopened its doors to much success, not only for the business but also for its South Salt Lake neighborhood, which underwent a bit of a renaissance, completely transform-

Shades entered into a new deal in 2023 to anchor a rehabbed block in Salt Lake City’s Ballpark Neighborhood. The property, known as “The Engine Block,” was the former site of an old car dealership and garage. While much smaller than their current, larger production brewery, the new space offers new amenities like natural lighting and a front door.

“We have an actual front door!” Ortiz enthused. “A location with some very basic things that we found incredibly difficult to find at our current location … for example, where can you find a location with over 100 parking spots in Salt Lake City?”

After walking though the new space, you can see the appeal of the industrial architecture. “All the garage doors and the natural light is so beautiful,” Ortiz said with a grin. “Our customers have dogs and we love dogs and we don’t want to leave the dogs out so we’re really looking for a place with a patio that people and the pets can enjoy.”

Aesthetics aside, the current winning formula for a successful brewery/brewpub is the smaller neighborhood model, another thing that

Shades’ larger footprint couldn’t provide customers.

“The market has changed over the last 15 years since we’ve been around,” Fargher noted. “The distribution market has kind of—I don’t know if I want to say gone away, but it’s definitely shrunk and it’s kind of shifted back towards a kind of micro environment with the smaller brewers really dominating that market space. So we had to think differently and we’ve decided to create a more localized community brewery.”

A smaller brewery in SLC doesn’t mean less will be made. The Engine Block location will be a small batch brewery. However, Fargher tells CW that a new production brewery is being planned to go online in Evanston, Wyoming, sometime in 2025. And that’s not all.

“We are still gonna continue doing a lot of brewing and still have the beer to go,” Fargher revealed, “but we also plan to add distilling to the new location as well.”

It appears that Shades may have finally found a home. And for a brewery doing good work for the community by bringing people together in a safe social environment, things seem to be falling into place nicely. Look for Shades’ new space at 1388 S. 300 West towards the end of 2024.

Policy Kings Moving to SLC from Cedar City

Craft beer rules along the Wasatch Front and Back. Breweries and brewpubs seem to be flourishing along the main population corridors in Northern Utah. Not to be outdone, Utah’s smaller, more rural communities crave craft suds just as much and seem to be rallying around the ale and lager houses in their individual corners of Utah.

One such brewery that has found success in small-town Utah is Cedar City’s Policy Kings Brewing Company. Utah’s only black-owned brewery is also only one of three Southern Utah beer hotspots, but that will be coming to a close soon, as municipal support is making it difficult for the soon-to-be 7-year-old brewery to continue in Cedar City.

The husband and wife team of De-

andre and Sara Ridgel are quite fond of the community that gave them the opportunity to start their own business, but the realities of conservative Southern Utah and real estate prices have stunted the growth of Policy Kings and forced the Ridgels to make a change.

“The market for commercial spaces in the area, combined with flat growth of craft beer, is not growing or evolving like it is up in Northern Utah,” Sara Ridgel observed. “We were looking for spaces down here in Cedar City for a couple of years and we couldn’t find anything. So when we came across the perfect building in Salt Lake, combined with a much more beer-friendly city, we knew this was the next chapter of Policy Kings.”

Even though craft beer built Ridgel’s business, Policy Kings 2.0 doesn’t necessarily want to just be known as a brewpub.

“We don’t want it to be labeled just as a brewery,” Ridgel said. “It’s going to be an event space for live music, cocktails, beer—just a good environment for people to come and have a really good time. We’re gonna be doing so many other things.”

On top of entertainment options and drinks, there’s one thing that many patrons say is a must: food.

“That’s one big reason we chose

the space in SLC,” Ridgel noted. “It already has an existing kitchen and we’ve been wanting to evolve to that next step, so we’re gonna be bringing food along with everything else.”

If you’ve been to Salt Lake recently for drinks, entertainment or nightlife, you may have noticed that the Central Ninth neighborhood has exploded with libation and food options over the last few years.

From cider bars, brewery crawls, fine dining and markets, the halfmile stretch from State Street to 300 West is highly desirable.

“Our space in the Central Ninth area is just across the street from Scion Cider Bar, and two spots down from where Hoppers’ new brewery is,” Ridgel said. “It’s going to be a hotspot for people to beer crawl, get food, bar hop. We’re excited to be part of it.”

The whole endeavor has been fasttracked, with a very ambitious timeline to have Policy Kings up and running in Central Ninth the first week of November 2024.

“November will be our seventh anniversary, we’d like to keep that going if we can,” Ridgel related. “Sadly, we won’t have a patio at the beginning—that’ll have to come later, but we’ll get that figured out.”

To help expose Salt Lake to their new neighbors, Policy Kings will de-

“We are coming to the Utah Beer Fest for the first time!”

—Policy King’s

but three of their beers this month in SLC.

“We are coming to the Utah Beer Fest for the first time!” Ridgel announced. “I’m gonna be there, please come and chat with us.”

Sara says they’re very excited to be part of Salt Lake’s culture and hope their brand of beer and hospitality will be a welcome addition to the city. “We’re really grateful for the support of everybody and the support of Salt Lake City and all the different breweries.”

Policy Kings’ brewery will be located at 925 S. Jefferson St. as a 21-and-over bar, offering beers along with Policy Kings’ new line of Hard Seltzers.

Fisher Expands, Despite Setbacks

In February of 2017, something happened that had never happened before in Utah’s brief history—a brewery that was lost to time and poor economics was resurrected.

The A. Fisher Brewing Company, founded by German immigrant Albert Fisher, was established in 1884 and served the people of Utah and the Western region for 83 years until it was shut down in the mid-1960s.

Fast forward to 2016 when four friends, one of which was an ances-

Sara Ridgel (left)

tor of Albert Fisher, decided it was time to get into the beer business.

Tom Riemondy (descendant), Colby Frazier, Tim Dwyer and Steve Brown dedicated themselves to brewing a unique array of experimental ales and lagers while inspiring an outdoor lifestyle brand.

The brewery flourished. But then, in 2020, the world came to a screaming halt as the COVID years began to take hold.

“COVID was absolutely brutal on lives and livelihoods, taking so much from many of us,” recalled co-owner Steve Brown.

Through those times of uncertainty, it was hard to imagine that any positives would emerge from the pandemic years.

Luckily, Brown says there were some positive stories that would eventually pop up to remind them how resilient people could be.

“We had to get creative, like most breweries had to,” Miller said. “Our whole business model was based around a social pub. Now we had to pivot to just being a beer store.”

Going from an on-site consumption model to a direct-to-customer approach led the partners to a realization. “Even when customers were allowed back in, we were limited to less than 50% capacity for a while,” Miller remembered. “It took about 18 months to recover.”

Fisher’s “one trick pony” approach wasn’t going to cut it anymore, if the brewery was going to thrive.

“I think during that moment, it made us kind of look at our business and reevaluate it to see if it was worth diversifying a little bit,” Miller said, “getting into some packaged products, a little bit of distribution, things of that nature.”

Then, a quick look around at the status of the neighborhood provided some inspiration.

“Ironically, fortunately, randomly—there were two buildings that were sitting right next to our property, fully available,” Miller recounted. “We put pencil to paper, spaced it out and thought, ‘this could be a great expansion plan.’”

Serendipity appeared to be on Fisher’s side. The two extra buildings offered space for a larger, second brewhouse, an extra bar area and an event space.

“It all happened so quick,” Miller

reflected. “From making the initial offers to dealing with the city, everything just fell into place.”

As luck would have it, the block that Fisher occupies in Salt Lake’s Granary District was bought out and put up for sale.

And development companies operating nearby were eager to have a prominent community anchor for their coming projects.

“That was a third factor in our decision making, to protecting our business,” Miller added. “Everything around us is about to get bombed and demolished.”

Miller continued: “I don’t know if you’ve ever seen the movie Up, but it felt like we might be the ‘Up business,’ surrounded by big apartments on both sides, We didn’t want to be overshadowed.”

So after years of stress and planning, the first stages of Fisher part 2 opened in October of 2023. Fisher had gone from a tavern to having a full bar license and upgraded their selection of libations to include cider, wine and spirits.

And it all came with a brand new bar area.

“It’s almost a mirror image,” Miller observed. “It has the same amount of seating as the original tap room, plus two projectors in that space, four TVs total. We drop those down and throw on local or national sports.”

But there’s something else the Fisher crew really likes. “There’s an event space with added patio seating on the street,” Miller said. “It’s kind of a large, flexible space that allows us to have movies, art markets, wedding rehearsal dinners, birthday parties, things of that nature.”

And in May of 2024, the final piece to the puzzle fell into place as the bar’s long anticipated rooftop deck was completed.

“It was kind of the cherry on top, literally. It’s the final piece of the pie, and it’s pretty cool,” Miller emphasized. “It’s a fairly intimate rooftop patio with 360-degree views of the mountains and the city. I think it’s a really comfortable spot.”

Miller said that the Granary District now appears to be in good hands and even the trials dealt by the COVID pandemic have born fruit, building a community of partners with shared goals.

“We’ve already seen success in the neighborhood with Evo, Slackwater and Level Nine still sticking around. On top of that the additional breweries like Kiitos, TF and we’re soon to have Hoppers and Policy Kings,” Miller said. “It’s just a great, pure culture of diversity in the neighborhood, which is awesome. Hopefully this continued growth in Granary continues in the right direction.”

TF Squirrel Juicy IPA Wins Best in The World

Rodney Dangerfield was famous for saying, “I get no respect.” Many in Utah’s brewing community absolutely empathize with the late comedian’s catchphrase, as they tend to get “no respect” outside of Utah’s borders. I’m sure it stretches back to the times when Utah’s draft ABV had a legally mandated ceiling of 4.0%, or the puritan liquor laws that still have an influence on visitors. Personally, I’ve never understood it. In 2007, Red Rock Brewing—under head brewer Kevin Templin— was awarded Large Brewpub of the year at the Great American Beer Festival, along with the Utah Brewers Cooperative (Wasatch/Squatters) being named Mid-Size Brewing Company of the Year in 2010. Both honors were given because their beers were deemed to be the best in blind judging.

There are many other success stories for sure, the latest coming in the form of a specific beer style or, more importantly, one beer. If you enjoy craft beer or follow beer trends, you are more than aware that India Pale Ales (IPAs) rule. The sometimes overly bitter ales explode with fruity, floral and tropical flavors and are made all over the world.

MIKE RIEDEL

The Fisher Brewing crew, enjoying a round on their newly-built rooftop deck.

Currently, the most popular India Pale Ale style in the United States is the Hazy or Juicy IPA category.

These IPAs feature very low bitterness and are high in citrus and tropical flavors from the hops. The best examples tend to come from the New England or East coast … until 2023.

In May of 2023 at the World Beer Cup—the largest international beer competition—something happened that made people look west and take notice.

A medium-sized brewery, located in Utah of all places, won a gold medal in the Juicy or Hazy Strong Pale Ale category.

“It’s not an easy category to medal in,” said Kevin Templin, owner and head brewer at Templin Family (TF) Brewing. “There were close to 200 beers entered in that category that year.”

Beer competitions are a good gauge for brewers and consumers to get an unbiased view of what people are enjoying. I asked Templin if that’s why they entered them.

“I’m a competitive person when it comes to that stuff,” Templin related. “I like to see how we stand up against everybody else to see what’s working and what’s not.”

Last year was a good one for Templin and the brewery. Word of mouth brought in visitors and vacationers from around the world, hearing about Salt Lake’s world-class brewery.

“I really want to be known as the best Lager House,” Templin said. “To me, nailing those styles is the biggest accomplishment I could hope for—but people don’t just want lagers, so we offer a wide range of beers.”

Lightning rarely strikes twice, so when it came to entering the 2024 World Beer Cup, Templin’s attitude was just to enter the beer you make every day.

“We just decided to enter it again this year, to defend the title, and were just blown away,” he admitted.

For the second year in a row, Templin’s Squirrel Juicy IPA won gold once again, turning that fluke into a fact and proving that the Templin Family crew was on to something.

“I was in disbelief—utter shock,” Templin recalled. “But I knew, stylistically, Squirrel was correct. And considering there were 173 beers in that category this year, I couldn’t have been more proud of our team’s efforts.”

When beer nerds hit Utah, they tend to chase the ales and lagers with the good press. And though TF’s reputation is filling their taproom, they’re not the only ones benefiting from it.

“There are so many excellent breweries in Utah, some are blocks away from my place, making award-winning beers too,” Templin said. “I think it’s one of those ‘a rising tide raises all ships’ situations. When we do well, it exposes others to the bad ass beers Utah has to offer.”

Templin Family’s Squirrel is now in the brewery’s normal rotation and is available at DABS stores, beer pubs and, of course, at the source—936 s. 300 West in Salt Lake City. CW

MIKE RIEDEL

TF Brewing’s award-wining Squirrel Juicy IPA

How To Beer Fest

The Utah Beer Festival returns to The Gateway for a full weekend of fun in downtown Salt Lake City.

BY BENJAMIN WOOD BWOOD@CITYWEEKLY.NET

Raise a glass, friends, for the Utah Beer Festival is back! Now in its 14th year, City Weekly’s annual celebration of the local and regional brewing industry returns to The Gateway on August 17 and 18 for a full weekend of beer, food, music and more.

The party will spread out along Rio Grande Street and around the Olympic Legacy Plaza. But keep an eye out for our friends upstairs and throughout The Gateway—who will be hosting special accommodations and deals for Beer Festival guests—as well as the many downtown retailers offering their services in the surrounding area.

“Keeping the Utah Beer Festival in the heart of downtown is a major goal of ours,” said City Weekly publisher Pete Saltas. “Aside from creating a fun environment that showcases creators across the brewing industry, artists and other purveyors, we know that there is an economic impact to our friends in the city as folks flow to other spots.”

On Tap

More than 50 vendors—including nearly all of Utah’s local breweries—will be on hand sampling more than 200 beers, as well as offering hard ciders, seltzers, kombucha and non-alcoholic beverages, plus food and other merchandise available for purchase.

Among the first-time participants at this year’s festival are Policy Kings Brewery, which is currently in the process of moving from Cedar City to Salt Lake City, and Idaho’s Bombastic Brewing. Plus, both Vernal Brewing and 2 Row Brewing are returning to the festival after scheduling conflicts prevented them from attending in recent years. Flanker Kitchen and Sporting Club will host an upgraded experience for VIP passholders, combining a private serving area with exclusive beer samples, appetizers and refreshments.

Single-day, weekend, VIP and early-entry tickets are available at utahbeerfestival.com and include an initial 10-punch passport and souvenir 5 oz. mug for redeeming samples, with guests able to purchase additional punch cards on site. But act fast, as ticket prices will increase on the day of the event. A discounted entry-only pass for nondrinkers and designated drivers is also available.

On Stage

The Utah Beer Festival features two days of live performances by an all-star lineup of local musicians, with a breadth of styles and genres including reggae, rock and afrobeats.

Brazuca Band will headline the opening day, with earlier performances on Saturday by Vinyl Koala, Magda Vega and Master Kennedy. On Sunday, 3 Deep will get things going with a set at 3 p.m., followed by Dead Horse Revival, The 4 Horsemen and Michael Louis Austin, with Makisi taking the stage at 7 p.m. to close out the festival.

En Route

UTA’s transit services offer a convenient and safe way to arrive at and depart from the festival. The Gateway is surrounded by three Trax light rail stops, with the Blue line stopping at Arena and Planetarium Stations and the Green line stopping at Planetarium and North Temple Bridge/Guadalupe Stations. Several high-frequency bus lines are also routed near The Gateway—including the Downtown 200, the 1, the 2 and the 209—and west side residents have the option of UTA On Demand’s microtransit vehicles.

For out-of-town guests, the Frontrunner regional train stops less than one-half mile away at North Temple and less than one mile away at Salt Lake Central Station. But transit riders should be aware that Frontrunner services are suspended on Sundays, while Trax continues to operate all weekend long.

For cyclists, a GreenBike docking station is located at the intersection of 100 South and Rio Grande Street, beneath the skybridge, with a second station located behind The Gateway on 500 West. And a free bike valet (tips appreciated) will

be available for micromobility devices of all types at a secure and supervised indoor location on Rio Grande Street just south of 100 South.

The Gateway’s downtown location also makes ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft a convenient option. And garage parking is available at The Gateway (Utah Beer Festival does not offer validation) with limited on-street parking and other paid parking options in the surrounding neighborhood. Festival guests who choose to drive are reminded to do so responsibly.

On the Scene

This year, the Utah Beer Festival has worked to incorporate Gateway businesses and community entities into the event. In addition to the VIP experience at Flanker Kitchen and Sporting Club, beer and cocktail specials featuring festival vendors will be available at Seabird, The Bruce Scottish Pub will be serving food specials for attendees and the Urban Arts Gallery will offer a sneak peak of the new Dreamscapes installation to festival attendees.

The American Foundation of Suicide Prevention is partnering with the Utah Beer Festival this year. And The Depot will host live performances throughout the weekend, just steps away from festival grounds.

“We are thrilled to welcome back the Utah Beer Festival to The Gateway,” said Julissa Breslin, The Gateway’s director of marketing. “It’s an ideal location to sample brews with our ample outdoor gathering areas and diverse array of merchants that provide additional offerings to guests, making the festival a well-rounded and more enticing experience.”

Find tickets and more information about the event at utahbeerfestival.com. CW

More

Fresh Off The Bine

Take your home-brewing to the next level with fresh-foraged, local hops.

BY ERIN MOORE COMMENTS@CITYWEEKLY.NET

Want a cold pint with a dash of botanical mystery and Utah history?

Try local hops. Getting access to fresh hops through foraging or gardening has gotten more popular in the last few years in the local brewing community, and we’re here to tell you about it, with the help of some local home brewers.

What are local hops?

If you’ve ever thought a hoppy beer or hop water had a floral taste, you’ll be pleased to know that your taste buds are working well—hops are technically the cone-shaped flower of the prolific climber vine Humulus lupulus. What local hops are depends on how you get your hands on them.

If you’re growing them in your garden, you need specialized varieties that you can buy and plant as rhizomes, root-like systems which grow prolifically. Ever heard of a “Citra IPA?” That kind of beer gets its distinct flavor from Citra hops, a variety that also grows well in Utah. It also grows well in the backyard of local home brew enthusiasts John Howa and Sonia Hernandez.

The pair’s homegrown bines—the sticky, hairy vines that hop cones flower from—sprawl across an old clothesline, appearing at first glance like grape vines, or maybe ivy. On closer inspection in mid-July, however, the young hop flowers distinguish the plant.

Hernandez and Howa can’t remember what they planted next to

Cone-shaped hops add distinct flavors to beers and other brewed beverages.

the Citra—Columbus, Cascade or CTZ. Either way, it’s these Pacific Northwest varieties that can manage the Utah climate. That’s something Howa says he learned the hard way when he started growing hops in 2009.

“I was like, I don’t know what I’m doing. The Germans know what they’re doing. I’m going to do what they do,” he explained of his initial plantings of German hops.

As it turns out, the Germans didn’t know that their hops don’t grow well here. Now we all know.

When/where to harvest hops?

When not intentionally planted, hops can be found in the wild. In the high, cool places around Summit County and Park City in the summer, wild hops grow like crazy around abandoned mines and miners’ camps.

Continued on page 32

Local lore tells that wild hops came to Utah by way of German immigrant miners hoping to brew their beloved beverage.

But Howa couldn’t grow German hops here, and neither can other folks, which has led some to believe that the hops the Germans were tending to and whose perennial ancestors live on in Utah weren’t German hops at all, but native, or at least a German-native hybrid.

Only DNA testing could solve that mystery, but in the meantime, whatever they are, they’re good, and you can brew beer with them.

Every summer, the local land advocacy group Summit Land Conservancy teams up with Top of Main Brew Pub to lead foraging groups to look for hop spots located around the Park City area for harvesting at the end of summer.

Most of their scouting trips are done for the season—an August 14 excursion concluded just prior to press time—but look for their TBA hops harvest at the end of summer/ beginning of fall, when hops are prime for brewing.

Why harvest your own hops?

If you’re not a brewer, you’re probably wondering why people go to the effort to search for these things in the wild, or to tame them in their yards. If you are a brewer, you already know.

It’s because fresh hops are a temporal treat in the brewing world—as an ingredient in beer, they contribute a lip-smacking freshness, leading many to dub IPAs brewed with them as “juicy” or “wet-hopped.”

And while you may question, “isn’t all beer wet?” a fresh-hopped IPA really does taste, well, wetter—especially opposed to standard brewed IPAs, which can be more bitter or dry.

How to hop?

Whether you grow or forage, getting hops ain’t easy.

In Howa and Hernandez’s garden, it requires springtime pruning to get the plants to their healthiest for the growing season.

“We didn’t trim the hops at all at the beginning of the this year,” Hernandez said. So when it came time to reel the plant in later, she ended

up with what felt like a really bad sunburn all over her arms, thanks to plunging into the rough, sticky-ish bines that easily cling to the ground, fences, walls, other plants, internet provider cables and the exposed skin of hops enjoyers.

So when it comes to harvesting hops, it requires more than clippers and a bag to carry the bounty in—it means covering your skin and getting anything out of the way that the bines could cling to.

Hops grow on sprawling, sticky plants known as bines.

Once collected, it’s best to use them fresh. After the annual group harvests held by Summit Land Conservancy, the brewers at Top of Main Brew Pub get to immediate work, throwing the bounty into their annual specialty brew.

But they can’t just be thrown in the same way dried hops are. If brewed wrong, or too long, they can make a beer taste like what Howa describes as “vegetal.” The delicate, fresh hops are best used as a last-minute addi-

Continued on page 34

tive boiled into the brew for a very short time at the very end of the process. Done right, the unsavory compounds are eliminated, leaving the pleasant aromatic flavors of the fresh hops.

Howa’s own experiments have gone awry, but he knows how others get it to work. “These like, really heavy, juicy IPA-type things, they’re usually commercially grown, very specifically harvested at exactly the right time for hops,” he said, “and then they just throw it in for like, a minute or two. And then just immediately pull it out.”

If you’re a homebrewer looking for a new challenge, take this as your sign to dive into the world of hops, fresh off the bine.

Where to forage

To get a crash course on how and where hops grow in the Summit County area, you can go on one of the group hikes and harvesting events that are offered by Summit Lands Conservancy, where you will find that hops are very common in open,

wild spaces as much as they are in old mine camps.

Some report finding them growing in people’s yards on garages, chimneys or fences, on the sides of footpaths like the Rail Trail in Park City and other human-disturbed spaces. Until you can find your own hop spot, check out Summit Land Conservancy’s guided hikes at wesaveland.org/hops-hunters.

Get your gear (and rhizomes)

Whether you want to try homebrewing with wild hops or want to try growing your own bines, you can get what you need at The Beer Nut, SLC’s one-stop shop for everything home brew. Not only do they have equipment, ingredients, kits and knowledgeable staff for more standard brewing projects, they even have a variety of hop plant rhizomes you can peruse online for your own planting at beernut.com.

If you want to go full DIY, seek out hops plants with the tips above and pull your own cutting from the underground rhizome and try trans-

planting it in your garden. Get tips on how to make your planting a success from USU Extension’s Yard and Garden section at extension.usu.edu/ yardandgarden/research/hops-inthe-garden.

More hoppin’ ideas

Beer not your thing? If you get your hands on fresh hops, they’re also great in cider, which is also more straightforward to make than beer.

If you want something that is alcohol-free, infusing hops into a shrub could be a tasty spin on an easygoing treat—mash sugar together with some fruit, veggies and/or herbs, top with a good quality apple cider vinegar, let it sit out for a day, then strain it off and pour to taste into sparkling waters, salad dressings, etc. There are also recipes online for concocting your own hop water— maybe the quenchiest new bev in the NA world. CW

COURTESY PHOTO

John Howa and Sonia Hernandez grow and harvest their own hops.

Can You Dig It?

Utah artists turn love of the craft into eye-catching labels for local brews.

BY THOMAS CRONE COMMENTS@CITYWEEKLY.NET

As one of the last, true dive bars remaining in downtown Salt Lake City, the recent sale of Junior’s Tavern had regulars curious as to the future of this quirky place, especially with the spot’s ownership promising a small batch of changes to the decades-old pub.

As it turned out, the alterations came and then … kept on coming. The place didn’t quite get the kind of closed-for-two-weeks-now-everything’s-different type of rehab seen on shows like Bar Rescue. Instead, the changes came quickly at first, then very, very slowly, with quite the transformation taking place over the past year (and change).

From a shift in staffing to an enhanced patio to a new interior design aesthetic that’s straight outta your favorite makeover show’s palette, Junior’s ain’t what it used to be. But that beer can collection—thank the renovation gods—stayed intact.

It’s moved from a position near the tavern’s front door to the back, true, but the display’s still showcasing quite the array of vintage beer cans, a classic bit of old-school, barroom

decoratin’ that’ll never completely go out of style. Corner bars and a good, in-house beer can collection go together like a pint and a shot (at least in most states).

We note that Utah’s breweries continue to add to the lore of the beer can, with local and regional brands doing their best to bring new and interesting branding to life, in the form of 12- and 16-ounce vessels as well as 750-ml bottles, crowlers and all forms of associated, brand-centric merch.

At Epic Brewing Company, the responsibility for can designs is handled by someone familiar to those who stop by for a pint or some takehome product. Claire Frisbie had been bartending at Epic for a bit of time, thinking of opportunities to take her design skills to another level. But with one conversation turning into another, Frisbie found herself selling Epic’s fine beers both as a bartender and as the lead designer of their cans and bottles, which can

“The vibe I wanted was definitely funky.”—Epic

The vintage beer can collection at Junior’s Tavern.

Brewing designer Claire Frisbie

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also turn into affiliated merch like hoodies, coasters and the like.

“Honestly, it’s a dream job,” Frisbie says. “I never thought I’d be designing beer can labels. I started working at Epic a little over a year ago as a bartender as I was trying to fill in a gap for a more serious job. And then this opportunity naturally happened, which was really cool.”

Frisbie recalled how she was looking for a graphic design job when the bar’s director of sales mentioned needing someone to sketch out new can labels.

“I gave it a shot. It’s a fun job,” she reports. “I don’t really have a specific title, but I’m the graphic designer for the brewery and I work on other things like social media.” Without knocking the brewery’s former approach in the least, she says that she’s brought a somewhat different angle to her role, as the brand had previously approached designs that were “pretty simple.”

“They didn’t have a lot of artwork on them. I wanted to change that when I stepped into this role,” Frisbie explained. “There’s so much potential. You want the artwork to catch your eye. I’m 26 and younger people really like the fun cans.”

Frisbie said that a canned cocktail series in production will be offered as a line with similar artwork. But for the beers, she said she handles each release differently, with a product-by-product approach.

“With the canned cocktails, we’ve worked on a margarita and a mule,” she disclosed. “A cosmo is next and we’ve gone through approving all that’s needed for that label, which is super-girly and a cute label that people are really going to like.”

RoHa Brewing Project’s Rob Phillips noted the Hoomba Bus IPA design as a personal favorite.

collaboration, with her role a central, but not exclusive one. “With the first label I did, I went into it a bit blindly,” she recalled. “They’ve given me a lot of creative freedom.”

Frisbie noted how the label on a can is often the first thing people see when they come in to buy a beer. She likes to lean into vibrancy, giving the example of a blood orange wheat pale ale that she paired with bright oranges, reds and yellows.

“The vibe I wanted was definitely funky,” she said. “In my time here, everyone’s been really cool and open to what I want to see, to my vision. So I send a proof and everybody puts in their two cents.”

She starts by sketching different ideas on an iPad, then sifts through the candidates in consultation with the Epic team.

“I offer three options,” she explained. “They choose which one they want and we go from there.”

Frisbie said that when she looks at the offerings of other local beer retailers (at, say, a grocery store) her eye is frequently struck by the work done by Proper Brewing Company.

“I really like Proper’s labels,” she said. “They put all the specs and facts about the beers on their cans and it’s always really fun to read those. That’s something that I’ve thought about incorporating, too.”

There’s no doubt that brewers keep an eye on the work being done by others, be those national brands or the friendly competitors across town. Rob Phillips, who heads up RoHa Brewing Project, has some faves among his local brewing kin.

“I think there are a lot of great labels out there—some simple, some complex,” he said. “But I think that

Tradition ...Tradition...

ing the simple pattern style that is taking over; Fisher, TF, Offset all have this going on. I think Uinta has made some great labels, too, and they always stay true to brand, which is key. You can see a Uinta can from across the store, even if you don’t know what it is.”

Like other breweries with a smaller staff, the look and feel of RoHa’s beers and merchandise are generally produced in-house, with only a small segment of that work outsourced.

Phillips recalled how the brewery hired “a kid named Nick Larson,” who in 2017 was a graphic design student at the University of Utah.

His work on RoHa Brewing Project’s logo and cans doubled as a senior project.

“When we initially came up with the design, we wanted a scientific feel with an outdoorsy vibe, so that hexagon [logo] represents some chemical-type feel, while its shape looks like a tree or some other outdoorsy branded emblem,” Phillips said. “Nick has handled all can designs since inception—other than the Brewers Select, which was done by one of our employees Mason Powell, and our Hop Drop can concept came from another employee Kas Prestwich. Kas also does all the menu signs; an impressive artist.”

While it might not be expressly noted on applications, to be hired at RoHa means you’re probably inclined toward the outdoors life.

The brewery’s staff tends to head outta town for weekend fun and the branding is a direct reflection on that generalized approach to life. “We want that outdoorsy vibe,” Phillips

noted. “We all love to get out into the mountains—biking, hiking, boating, skiing and all things in between.”

Over time, the basics have been kept in place, though tweaks have been seen.

Their branding approach is an aspect of the company that has changed quite a bit, according to Phillips.

“When we launched, we knew we needed some simple design just to get beers on the market, but we learned pretty quickly that cool designs (and great liquid, of course), sell beer,” he observed. “So we slowly started integrating some artwork into the background of our branding, and it helped sell the beer. So we continue down that path and include more cool artwork on cans while sticking to our branding roots.”

His favorites from in-house? Phillips has some ideas.

“There are a few that I loved lately,” he said. “Hoomba Bus IPA is one of my favorites; I just think Nick did a great job integrating so many neat elements. False Prophet Hazy IPA was one of our first really artworkcentric, break-from-the-mold options. And one that got discontinued was our Steady Edge Imperial Red Ale; I loved the desert theme it had.”

There’s little doubt that a few cans from the collected offerings of RoHa and Epic are today being washed, rinsed and saved, maybe even displayed in a nice case in someone’s basement barroom.

And maybe a few will even find a home at a renovated dive bar in downtown Salt Lake someday, a nice contemporary complement to all that old-school cool. CW

PARTICIPATING BREWERIES

2 Row Brewing

Abita

Beers of the World

Bewilder Brewing

Big Sky

Bombastic Brewing

Boulevard

Chappel Brewing

Constellation Cerveza

Denver Beer Company

Deschutes

Epic Brewing

Etta Place Cider

Firestone

Fisher Beer

Flying Embers

Grid City Beer Works

Hopkins Brewing Co

HUSA

Jiant

Lagunitas

Left Hand

Love River

Mikes / CAYMAN

Moab Brewing

Moab Brewing High Point

Monaco

Monster Beverage

Mountain West Cider

Non-Alcholic Tent

Ogden’s Own Distillery

Pabst Brewing

Park City Brewing

Prodigy Breweing

Proper Brewing

Proper Brewing High Point

Pure Madness Group

Red Rock Brewing

Roha Brewing

Salt Fire Brewing

LIVE MUSIC sponsored by

Saturday

6:30 Brazuca

5:30 The Alpines

4:15 Magda Vega

3:00 Vinyl Koala

Sunday

7:00 Makisi

6:00 Michael Louis Austin

5:00 The 4 Horsemen

4:00 Dead Horse Revival

3:00 3 Deep

GAMES

Salt Flats Brewery

Salt Lake Brewing Scion Ciders

Second Summit Cider

Shades Brewing

Silver Reef

SKA Brewing

Smirnoff/GUINNESS

Squatters

Strap Tank Brewing

Talisman Brewing Company

Top Of Main

Truly Twisted Upslope

UTOG

Vernal Brewing

Wasatch

White Claw

VIP Hosted at VIP Area sponsored by & sponsored by

2 Row Brewing

73 West 7200 South, Midvale 2RowBrewing.com

On Tap: Lollygaggin’ Farmhouse Ale

Avenues Proper

376 8th Ave, SLC avenuesproper.com

On Tap: Limited Pride release, “Gei Effect”: a mango and pineapple Gose, 5%

Bewilder Brewing

445 S. 400 West, SLC BewilderBrewing.com

On Tap:  Cerveza De Mayo for Bewilder.

Bohemian Brewery

94 E. Fort Union Blvd, Midvale BohemianBrewery.com

On Tap: California Steam Lager, Hans Gruber Export Lager

Bonneville Brewery

1641 N. Main, Tooele BonnevilleBrewery.com

On Tap: Peaches and Cream Ale

Chappell Brewing

2285 S Main Street Salt Lake City, UT 84115 chappell.beer

On Tap: Pie Hole; Strawberry Rhubarb Tart Ale

Craft by Proper

1053 E. 2100 So., SLC properbrewingco.com

On Tap: “Proper Yasuke” dark rice lager 5%, Mamachari Strawberry Serrano kombucha (NA)

Desert Edge Brewery

273 Trolley Square, SLC DesertEdgeBrewery.com

On Tap:  Ay Curuba! Curuba Sour

Epic Brewing Co.

825 S. State, SLC EpicBrewing.com

On Tap: Blood Orange Wheat

Etta Place Cidery

700 W Main St, Torrey www.ettaplacecider.com

On Tap: All-American Cider, Raspberry-Hibiscus Session Mead

Fisher Brewing Co.

320 W. 800 South, SLC FisherBeer.com

On Tap: A rotation of up to 17 Fresh Beers!

Grid City Beer Works

333 W. 2100 South, SLC GridCityBeerWorks.com

On Tap: Cask Nitro CO2

Helper Beer

159 N Main Street, Helper, UT  helperbeer.com

Hopkins Brewing Co.

1048 E. 2100 South, SLC HopkinsBrewingCompany.com

On Tap: Equinox - Dry-hopped Lager

Kiitos Brewing

608 W. 700 South, SLC KiitosBrewing.com

On Tap: Hyperwave West Coast IPA [Available Friday, Aug. 16]

Level Crossing Brewing Co. 2496 S. West Temple, South Salt Lake

LevelCrossingBrewing.com

On Tap: Sinday Pale Ale Insty: @levelcrossingbrewing

Level Crossing Brewing Co.,

POST

550 South 300 West, Suite 100, SLC LevelCrossingBrewing.com

On Tap: You-Tah Coffee Uncommon is back!

FREE yoga every other Saturday. 10:15am

Moab Brewing

686 S. Main, Moab TheMoabBrewery.com

On Tap:  Arnie (Co-Lab with 2 Row brewing): cream ale base with Lychee black tea and fresh pasteurized lemon juice.

Mountain West Cider 425 N. 400 West, SLC MountainWestCider.com

On Tap: Pineapple Ginger hard cider

Offset Bier Co 1755 Bonanza Dr Unit C, Park City offsetbier.com/ On Tap: DOPO IPA

Ogden Beer Company 358 Park Blvd, Ogden OgdenBeerCompany.com

On Tap: 11 rotating taps as well as high point cans and guest beers

Park City Brewery 1764 Uinta Way C1 ParkCityBrewing.com

On Tap: Cold IPA dry hopped w/ Mosaic, Amarillo, and Chinook

Policy Kings Brewery 223 N. 100 West, Cedar City PolicyKingsBrewery.com

Prodigy Brewing 25 W Center St. Logan Prodigy-brewing.com

On Tap: Mango Milkshake IPA

Proper Brewing/Proper Burger 857 So. Main & 865 So. Main properbrewingco.com

Proper Brewing: Limited Pride release, “Gei Effect”: a mango and pineapple Gose, 5%

Proper Burger: “Whispers from Santa Maria” Helles lager with peach and jalapeno

Proper Brewing Moab 1393 US-191, Moab properbrewingco.com

On Tap: “Bermuda Blonde” key-lime blonde ale 5%

A list of what local craft breweries and cider houses have on tap this week

Red Rock Brewing 254 So. 200 West RedRockBrewing.com

On Tap: Gypsy Scratch

Red Rock Fashion Place 6227 So. State Redrockbrewing.com

On Tap: Munich Dunkel

Red Rock Kimball Junction 1640 Redstone Center Redrockbrewing.com

On Tap: Bamberg Rauch Bier

RoHa Brewing Project 30 Kensington Ave, SLC RoHaBrewing.com

On Tap: False Prophet Hazy IPA

Roosters Brewing Multiple Locations RoostersBrewingCo.com

On Tap: Pineapple Sour Seltzer

SaltFire Brewing 2199 S. West Temple, South Salt Lake SaltFireBrewing.com On Tap: Chipotle Lager

Salt Flats Brewing 2020 Industrial Circle, SLC SaltFlatsBeer.com

On Tap: Prickly Pear Kolsch

Scion Cider Bar 916 Jefferson St W, SLC Scionciderbar.com

On Tap: Art & Science Mt. Good - 7.5% ABV

Second Summit Cider 4010 So. Main, Millcreek https://secondsummitcider. com On Tap: Pineapple Mango 6.5%

Shades Brewing 154 W. Utopia Ave, South Salt Lake ShadesBrewing.beer On Tap: Slushies; Harvey Wallbanger Sour Ale

Shades On State

366 S. State Street SLC Shadesonstate.com

On Tap: Salud Mexican Lager; Spring Fever Grapefruit Radler

Silver Reef 4391 S. Enterprise Drive, St. George SGBev.com

Squatters Pub Brewery / Salt Lake Brewing Co.

147 W. Broadway, SLC saltlakebrewingco.com/ squatters

On Tap: Salt Lake Brewing Co. Hop Head Red

Squatters and Wasatch Brewery

1763 So 300 West SLC UT 84115 Utahbeers.com

On Tap: Bulletproof Zest Lemon Kolsch

Strap Tank Brewery, Lehi

3661 Outlet Pkwy, Lehi, UT StrapTankBrewery.com

On Tap: The Baroness (Munich Helles); Leviathan (Vienna Lager)

Strap Tank Brewery, Springville 596 S 1750 W, Springville, UT StrapTankBrewery.com On Tap: German Pilsner TF Brewing 936 S. 300 West, SLC TFBrewing.com On Tap: Japanese Style Rice Lager

Talisman Brewing Co. 1258 Gibson Ave, Ogden TalismanBrewingCo.com On Tap: American Light Lager

Uinta Brewing 1722 S. Fremont Drive, SLC UintaBrewing.com On Tap: Was Angeles Craft Beer UTOG 2331 Grant Ave, Ogden UTOGBrewing.com On Tap: Golden Grant 5% ABV. Vernal Brewing 55 S. 500 East, Vernal VernalBrewing.com

Wasatch Brew Pub 2110 S. Highland Drive, SLC saltlakebrewingco.com/ wasatch On Tap:  Top of Main Brewery –Big U Pilsner Zion Brewery 95 Zion Park Blvd, Springdale ZionBrewery.com Zolupez

205 W. 29th Street #2, Ogden Zolupez.com

Music Mailbag

Aug 2024

New music by Lisa and the Missing Pieces, Sydney Rian, Die Shiny, Cardinal Bloom and more

BY EMILEE ATKINSON eatkinson@cityweekly.net @emileelovesvinyl

Lisa and the Missing Pieces, “He’s So Bad”: “We love what we do. We love how music can make the world better and connect people,” said Lisa Menninger, frontwoman for Lisa and the Missing Pieces. The band has been hard at work on their debut album Open Your Heart, which is set to release Saturday, Aug. 24. If you don’t want to wait until then, however, they will be headlining a release party for the album Saturday, Aug. 17 at Fisher Brewing Company (320 W. 800 South, fisherbeer.com). In the meantime, you can check out their single “He’s So Bad” if you need a sample before diving into the main course. This track has a fun, exciting, upbeat rock feel to it that’ll have you bobbing your head and tapping your foot along to the beat. Menninger’s voice is energetic and powerful, and the music is well-crafted and addicting. Plus, there’s a smooth-assilk guitar solo in the middle you don’t want to miss. “He’s So Bad” is a strong showing for this new album, so it’ll be exciting to hear the full release.

Sydney Rian, “Heartbreak Party”: If you’re having a sad-girl summer, SLC pop artist Sydney Rian has the perfect track for you. The subject matter of the song is evident from the title,

but when you press play, you’re greeted with Rian’s beautiful-yet-longing voice and somber music that firmly plants you into a melancholic mood. That’s not to say that the song is too overly depressing; it tugs at your heartstrings just the right amount. Not only can you listen to this beautiful track that deals with love, loss and the complexities of relationships, you can also watch Rian perform the track in a well-crafted music video on YouTube.

“Heartbreak Party” is streaming everywhere now.

Die Shiny, “Sacrament” music video: If you follow electro-pop duo Die Shiny, there’s a good chance you’ve heard their song “Sacrament,” and possibly even seen the intense and heart-wrenching video that accompanies it. The song and video aren’t brand-new—the song released as a whopper of a finisher on the duo’s January EP Sex, in tandem with the music video—but the video is only now getting some well-deserved recognition, as it was submitted to the West Sound Film Festival in Washington state and came home with the “Best Music Video” award. Die Shiny has mentioned on many Instagram posts how much this video means to them, and it’s exciting to see it get attention from viewers outside of Utah. The stunning visuals of the video stick with you as scenes flash across your screen—some moments heavy, others breathtaking and some haunting. “I can’t believe we have such a beautiful collaborative work of art here from the song I wrote one sleepless night a year ago. I couldn’t have imagined this music video, and I never dreamed we’d release this to only open arms and love. Your response has floored us,” Die Shiny wrote

on Instagram after the video’s release. If you haven’t heard the song or watched the video, now is a good time. Stream “Sacrament” wherever you listen to music, and check out the video on YouTube.

Cardinal Bloom, “12:30”:

Do you find yourself thinking about what the kid version of you thinks of you as an adult, or are you normal? This thought has crossed my mind many a time, and now indie rockers Cardinal Bloom have released a song that perfectly captures that feeling. “It’s been 6 months since we’ve released anything, and we’ve been holding onto this song for a while now!” they said of their new single. “‘12:30’ is a song about tapping into your younger self and wanting to understand if they would love the person you are today and the choices you made. Almost more a self-reflection on if you’ve been living out those dreams you’ve had as a kid.” “12:30” is a lively yet comfortable track with a nostalgic vibe that will have you listening over and over. Cardinal Bloom never disappoint with their perfectly-executed indie sound and heartfelt themes. “12:30” is streaming everywhere now.

Pdubba-U on Van Sessions: If you’re anything like me, you recently saw Ogden duo Pdubba-U on Van Sessions last week and thought, “Holy shit, who are these guys?” Van Sessions is a weekly podcast/ video series that sees locals playing in front of a beautiful ‘87 Dodge in a more intimate and sometimes stripped-down setting. City Weekly talked about Van Sessions in December 2023 if you want to read more about them. Last week, Pdubba-U sat down in front of the van and performed a mix of original songs and covers, and completely blew the crowd away. Singer Wesley Knight Jensen has pipes for days, and uses them liberally in all of the performances at Van Sessions. One stand-out from the evening was their track “Comp,” which has Jensen belting at the top of his lungs, leaving the crowd as breathless as he probably was after making such incredible sounds come out of his body. The two played four songs that evening, including a cover of “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” by The Proclaimers, and it’s a great watch/listen from start to finish. If you’re interested in hearing more from Pdubba-U, stream their debut EP Miki Endo, watch their Van Sessions performance and keep an eye out for their new album Past Lives on Sunday, Sept. 1. CW

Cardinal Bloom CLARK CLIFFORD

THURSDAYS

FRIDAY, AUGUST 16 THE BEST IN SLC HIP HOP!

SATURDAY, AUGUST 17 GEAR THEFT RELIEF SHOW! AT 8:00

SHARK SUNDAYS POOL TOURNEY HOSTED BY TANNER

MONDAYS

REGGAE MONDAY WITH DJ NAPO

TUESDAYS GROOVE

WEDNESDAYS KARAOKE

BEST BAR IN UTAH!

GREAT FOOD

MUSIC PICK S

Park City Song Summit @ Cannons Village Amphitheater 8/15-17

The Park City Song Summit returns for its third annual event for three days of live performances, programming and wellness. This unique festival is not only a love letter to the power of songs, but an inclusive space to talk about mental health, representation, social equity, recovery and more of the everyday inner workings of musicians and songwriters. Each day has plenty to choose from, including meaningful panel discussions, activities and music. The Canyons Village Amphitheater will host evening shows from artists like Anders Osborne, Jackie Greene, Eric Krasno & Friends, Larkin Poe, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, My Morning Jacket and the iconic Mavis Staples. Staples doing “The Weight” with The Band on The Last Waltz remains one of the all-time highlights of music for me—thrilling, gorgeous, full of soul, longing and a humanity so deep it almost brings me to tears. Mavis’ blues moan after “but my friend can stick around” is simply one of the best noises any human being can make. Her spiritual truth and power is so strong it can almost make me a believer. And if you listen very closely to the very end of “The Weight” you’ll hear her whisper “beautiful”....which it absolutely is. A spine tingler, even after a thousand listens. Timbre to the max. Be sure to check the entire schedule at parkcitysongsummit.com and catch these musicians at the Park City Song Summit at the Canyons Village Amphitheater in Park City on Thursday, Aug. 15 - 17. Passes for the event vary and can be found at tixr.com. (Mark Dago)

MUSIC PICK S

The Australian Pink Floyd Show @ Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre 8/16

With the notable and high-profile exceptions of their one-off Live 8 reunion (2005) and release of an album compiled from decades-old outtakes (2014’s The Endless River), Pink Floyd ceased operations in October 1994. It has been three decades since the group toured, but the enduring legacy of Pink Floyd and its music lives on. The band’s active years—1967 to 1982, and then 1987-1994—yielded many blockbuster albums, best-known among them 1973’s The Dark Side of the Moon and 1979’s The Wall. Countless bands around the world have added Pink Floyd’s songs to their own repertoire, but an Adelaide, Australia-based group took things several steps further, launching a Pink Floyd tribute band. A pair of early breaks—being championed by music journalist Glenn Povey, and being invited to play at the birthday party of none other than Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour—catapulted The Australian Pink Floyd Show into the big league, a status they’ve maintained and cultivated ever since. Today, TAPFS has been together longer than the group to which it pays tribute. With a sound and visual presentation carefully crafted to recreate the experience of a Pink Floyd concert (albeit with a flying kangaroo instead of a pig), TAFPS brings the music of the iconic group to concert audiences around the globe. The group comes to Salt Lake City Aug. 16 at 7 p.m.; tickets for the all-ages concert are $41 and up and can be purchased via concerts.livenation.com. (Bill Kopp)

The Marías & Automatic @ Library Square 8/16

The Marías have long held loyal listeners captive, erupting on the scene with their 2017 EP Superclean, Vol. 1, solidifying their global star-power status when featured on a 2022 Bad Bunny single, and tantalizing indie ears once again with their new 2024 album, Submarine. Masterfully mixing a flavorful blend of the confectioner’s glaze of a sweet sound similar to ’60s girl groups with a bitter although far from unpleasant tang of modern indie “sadgirls” such as Faye Webster and Mitski, The Marías have carved a space for themselves in popular music that is contemporarily timeless. And, while it’s rare that an opening act can go toe-to-toe with a long-established headliner, some might be more excited to see Automatic hit the stage. An incredibly fresh take on the post-punk scene, the three-piece brings an android-like edge to a newly popular soundscape that is anything but robotic—let’s just say it was Brat-coded far and long before Brat even dropped. Don’t know what I’m talking about? Neither do I: see them both at the all-ages Twilight Series Concert, Friday, Aug. 16. Doors at 5 p.m. Tickets can be found at 24tix.com. (Sophie Caligiuri)

Beach Boys @ Red Butte Garden 8/18

It’s hard to imagine a more perfect prospect for summer. After all, the Beach Boys have always epitomized an eternal quest for sun, sand and surf. Moreover, they represent the American dream, and the quest for innocence, optimism and eternal youth. Brian Wilson was a genius of legendary stature, and back in the day, the music he made found even the Beatles looking on with a mixture of admiration and envy. Wilson’s masterpiece Pet Sounds was ranked by Rolling Stone at number two on its list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time,” in addition to placing the band itself at Number 12 on its list of the “100 Greatest Artists of All Time.”

Inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1988, they were honored with The Recording Academy’s Lifetime Achievement

Grammy Award as well. Sadly, the original band is no more, due to the tragedy and turmoil resulting from the premature passing of brothers Dennis and Carl Wilson and the on-again, off-again family friction that beset the band practically from the beginning. These days, Brian’s cousin, co-writer and eternally young frontman Mike Love claims the name and positions himself prominently on the marquee. Nevertheless, he proudly carries on the group’s fabled legacy alongside Brian’s original touring replacement Bruce Johnston, and a new generation of musicians that effectively share the Beach Boys’ classic catalog. Fun, fun, fun? You bet! The Beach Boys’ Endless Summer Gold Tour comes to Red Butte Garden on Sunday, Aug. 18 at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $62 (garden members), $67 (nonmembers) at redbuttegarden.org. (Lee Zimmerman)

Pavel Petrov @ Soundwell 8/21

Pavel Petrov’s journey into electronic music began in the rich cultural tapestry of Eastern Europe, where techno reigns supreme. Petrov was inspired by the underground electronic beats in the local Bulgarian clubs of the ’90s, which drove him to turn his passion for music into a career. The journey to become an international DJ has included the release of his song “EXE,” which was inspired by a venue of the same name in Sofia, Bulgaria. For techno purists, the repetitive four-on-the-floor beat and existential lyrics like, “My origin defines my reality/ Its meaning, its function / Without memory of the past, there would be no language, no relationships, no identity…Who am I?/ My identity forms the contrast/I am the things that make me different.” It’s as pure techno as you can get! Tracks like “Adapt” and “Reflections” bring nostalgia for the techno of past decades. Another favorite is “Generation” with a vocal sample from the cult classic film “Fight Club.” On Wednesday, Aug. 21, LNE Presents is bringing DJ Pável Petrov to Soundwell. Doors open at 8 p.m. General admission for the 21+ show costs $16 at tixr.com (Arica Roberts)

CHECKOUT THE ROOFTOP PATIO!

Pavel Petrov

free will ASTROLOGY

BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (March 21-April 19)

Years ago, when I worked as a postal delivery person in Santa Cruz, California, I mastered my route quickly. The time allotted was six hours, but I could easily finish in four. Soon I began to goof off two hours a day, six days a week. Many great works of literature and music entertained me during that time. I joined a softball team and was able to play a game each Saturday while officially on the job. Was what I did unethical? I don’t think so, since I always did my work thoroughly and precisely. Is there any comparable possibility in your life, Aries? An ethical loophole? A workaround that has full integrity? An escape clause that causes no harm?

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

From an astronomer’s perspective, Uranus is huge. Sixtythree Earths could fit inside of it. It’s also weirdly unique because it rotates sideways compared to the other planets. From an astrologer’s point of view, Uranus symbolizes the talents and gifts we possess that can be beneficial to others. If we fully develop these potentials, they will express our unique genius and be useful to our fellow humans. It so happens that Uranus has been cruising through Taurus since 2018 and will mostly continue there until 2026. I regard these years as your best chance in this lifetime to fulfill the opportunities I described. The coming weeks will be especially pregnant with possibilities.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20)

Mountaineer Edmund Hillary is renowned as the first person to climb to the summit of Mt. Everest. It happened in 1953. Less famous was his companion in the ascent, Gemini mountaineer Tenzing Norgay. Why did Hillary get more acclaim than Norgay, even though they were equal partners in the monumental accomplishment? Was it because one was a white New Zealander and the other a brown Nepalese? In any case, I’m happy to speculate that if there’s a situation in your life that resembles Norgay’s, you will get remediation in the coming months. You will receive more of the credit you deserve. You will garner the acknowledgment and recognition that had previously been unavailable. And it all starts soon.

CANCER (June 21-July 22)

As an American, I’m embarrassed by the fact that my fellow citizens and I comprise just four percent of the world’s population but generate 20 percent of its garbage. How is that possible? In any case, I vow that during the next five weeks, I will decrease the volume of trash I produce and increase the amount of dross I recycle. I encourage you, my fellow Cancerians, to make a similar promise. In ways that may not be immediately imaginable, attending to these matters will improve your mental health and maybe even inspire you to generate an array of fresh insights about how to live your life with flair and joy.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)

The coming weeks will be a wonderful time to waste time on the Internet. If you are properly aligned with cosmic rhythms, you will spend long hours watching silly videos, interacting with friends and strangers on social media, and shopping for products you don’t really need. Just kidding! Everything I just said was a dirty lie. It was designed to test your power to resist distracting influences and mediocre advice. Here’s my authentic counsel, Leo. The coming weeks will be a fantastic phase to waste as little time as possible as you intensify your focus on the few things that matter to you most.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

Scientific research suggests that brushing and flossing your teeth not only boosts the health of your gums, but also protects your heart’s health. Other studies show that if you maintain robust microbiota in your gut, you’re more likely to avoid anxiety and depression as you nurture your mental health. The coming weeks will be a favorable time to focus on big-picture thoughts like these, Virgo. You will be wise to meditate on how each part of your life affects every other part. You will generate good fortune as you become more

vividly aware and appreciative of the intimate interconnectedness that underlies all you do.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

The official term for the shape of a single piece of M&M candy is “oblate spheroid.” It’s rounded but not perfectly round. It looks like a partially squashed sphere. An Iraqi man named Ibrahim Sadeq decided to try the difficult task of arranging as many M&M’s as possible in a vertical stack. He is now the world’s record holder in that art, with seven M&M’s. I am imagining that sometime soon, Libra, you could achieve a comparable feat in your own domain. What’s challenging but not impossible?

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

I’ve heard many people brag about their hangovers. The stories they tell are often entertaining and humorous. One of my best laughs emerged in response to two friends describing the time they jumped on the roof of a parked Mercedes Benz at 3 a.m. and sang songs from Verdi’s opera Falstaff until the cops came and threw them in a jail cell with nothing to eat or drink for ten hours. In accordance with astrological omens, Scorpio, I ask you to not get a hangover in the coming weeks, even an amusing one. Instead, I encourage you to studiously pursue extreme amounts of pleasurable experiences that have only good side effects.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

Most famous musicians demand that their dressing rooms be furnished with specific amenities. Beyoncé needs rosescented candles. Rihanna expects her preparatory sanctuary to have dark blue or black drapes topped with icy blue chiffon. Eminem insists on a set of 25-pound dumbbells, and the hip-hop duo Rae Sremmurd wants Super Soaker water guns. Since the coming weeks may be as close to a rock star phase of your cycle as you’ve ever had, I recommend you create a list of your required luxuries. This imaginative exercise will hopefully get you in the mood to ask for exactly what you need everywhere you go.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Sleep deprivation is widespread. I see it as a pandemic. According to some studies, over half the people in the world suffer from insomnia, don’t get enough sleep, or have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. Most research on this subject doesn’t mention an equally important problem: that many people aren’t dreaming enough. And the fact is that dreaming is key to our psychological well-being. I bring this to your attention, Capricorn, because the coming weeks will be a favorable time to enhance your relationship with sleep and dreams. I encourage you to learn all you can and do all you can to make your time in bed deeply rejuvenating.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

Only 47 people live on the volcanic Pitcairn Islands, which are located in the middle of nowhere in the South Pacific Ocean. Pollution is virtually non-existent, which is why the honey made by local bees is the purest on the planet. In accordance with astrological omens, I’d love for you to get honey like that in the coming weeks. I hope you will also seek the best and purest of everything. More than ever, you need to associate with influences that are potent, clear, genuine, raw, vibrant, natural and full-strength.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)

Many Indigenous people in North America picked and ate wild cranberries. But farm-grown cranberries available for commercial use didn’t appear until 1816. Here’s how it happened. In Cape Cod, Massachusetts, a farmer discovered a secret about the wild cranberry bog on his land. Whenever big storms dumped sand on the bog, the fruit grew with more lush vigor. He tinkered with this revelation from nature and figured out how to cultivate cranberries. I recommend this as a teaching story, Pisces. Your assignment is to harness the power and wisdom provided by a metaphorical storm or disturbance. Use it to generate a practical innovation in your life.

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Data Engineer IV (DE4-PP) in Midvale, UT. Partner w/arch, engrs, info analysts, business & tech stakeholders for dvlping & deploying enterprise grade platforms that enable data driven solutions. Telecommuting permitted within area of intended employment. BS followed by 6 yrs rltd progressive exp. Send resumes to Zions Bancorporation at ZionsCareers@zionsbancorp.com. Must reference job title & code in subject line.

Noisy Neighborz

Download now to hear what your neighborz were doing last night.

Highland Dr, SLC UT

urban LIVING

Bye Bye to the Man

After almost two decades, I’m saying goodbye to the desert playa and Burning Man. It’s not because of last year’s rain that stranded all of us for a few days and forced us to shelter in place. I’m just over the heat and hassle and onto new adventures.

My wife will be there for almost three weeks, as she has a staff role in managing Temple Guardians at the Temple of Together. We have both been volunteers there for almost two decades in an area most folks outside of the event don’t know about.

Burning Man is not a rave or a giant concert/music venue like Coachella. It is a counterculture festival that celebrates art and self-expression. But there is plenty of music to be found, from the small live band stages to huge platforms with DJs spinning from dark to dawn under laser and drone shows.

It’s held each year over the Labor Day weekend, about 120 miles north of Reno on an ancient lake bed made of alkaline dust and clay right around native Paiute lands.

The original festival was held in 1986 on Baker Beach in San Francisco, with a few dozen folks building an 8-foot effigy of a man that they burned on the shore one night.

For the past few years, about 70,000 “citizens” attended the event, with thousands of volunteers and minimal paid staff overseeing the celebration. Most of today’s Burning Man is about creating art of all kinds, with hundreds of large and small objects built and brought in or built on the playa and set up around a huge central “man” sculpture, which burns on the Saturday of the holiday weekend.

The next night, the beautiful temple, which is designed and built by a different artist each year, is burned. Some of the other art is burned during the week, some sold after the event to public and private entities.

What folks don’t know is that for years it has been almost impossible to get tickets to the festival, as it has sold out instantly. This year, for the first time that I can remember, there are tickets available for anyone who wants the experience!

That’s right, nothing has changed about the event itself, except it’s not sold out. Find out more information at burningman.org.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

ACROSS

1. Adoption org.

5. Dallas player, for short

8. Because of

13. “Relax!”

14. St. crosser

15. Ambassador’s assistant

16. Religious leader’s maxims (unrelated to late actor Robert)

17. Fight back

19. Night of amateur comedy or music, more formally

21. 100% accurate

22. Like the Woodsman of Oz

23. Hallow ender

24. Licorice-scented herb

28. TV network heardquartered in Ottawa

31. City between Cleveland and Akron which hosts an annual festival for multiple births

36. All-encompassing

38. Tire filler

39. Schedule listing

40. Shel Silverstein children’s book that has drawn controversy

43. Roll of grass

44. More weird

45. “Grease” band ___ Na Na

48. “Superstore” actor Feldman

50. Be less strict

53. Washington, for one

58. Vince Gilligan, for “Better Call Saul”

59. “Circle of Friends” novelist Binchy

60. Native American emblem

61. Long period of time

62. Complete confusion

63. Like some stares or brooks

64. Miffed

65. ‘Rents, more rudely

DOWN

1. “Ye Olde” establishment

2. With feet turned in

3. Gorillaz song “___ Eastwood”

4. Texas mission to “remember”

5. “The Life and Slimes of ___ Summers” (solo performance from the host of “Double Dare”)

6. Positively profess

7. Presidential bill blocker

8. “New” capital

9. Worker’s organization

10. Lemonheads lead singer Dando

11. Carryall

12. “___ Como Va” (Santana song)

13. Almost there

18. More appropriate

20. ___ instant

25. Anti-inflammatory drug acronym

26. “___ you, Nancy, from doing harm ...”

(line from “The Craft”)

27. ___ pricing

28. Green Bay Packers fan

29. Recycling container

30. Narrow bed

32. Make like a happy tail

33. “The Last King of Scotland” subject Amin

34. Neighbor of Belg.

35. “A Man Called ___” (Fredrik Backman novel turned into a Tom Hanks movie)

36. “Dynamite” K-pop band

37. 17th letter of the Greek alphabet

41. Singer/songwriter Shepard who recurred on “Ally McBeal”

42. Not kosher, in Jewish dietary law

46. ___ rancheros (Mexican breakfast)

47. ___-ski (lodge lounging)

48. President Martin Van ___

49. Foe

Tickets are $575 and if you don’t care how much you can spend, they are $1500. For reals. Also, for the first time I’ve seen a massive call out for volunteers. I’ve seen social media saying only about 50% of the volunteers needed to run the event have signed up.

Yes, it’s quite an adventure to get there. But once you’re on the dirt and have set up or joined a camp, the fun begins. Many folks think it’s a big rave, but there’s so many things to do and people to meet. You literally get a

that

of events and

n

51. Transmission repair franchise with a “beep beep” ad

52. “60 Minutes” reporter Lesley with an appearance in “Marcel the Shell With Shoes On”

53. Arch location

54. Eight, for starters?

55. “Big-ticket” thing

56. “You’ve Got Mail” director Ephron

57. June honoree

58. Dollar fractions, briefly

Last week’s answers

Complete the grid so that each row, column, diagonal and 3x3 square contain all of the numbers 1 to 9. No math is involved. The grid has numbers, but nothing has to add up to anything else. Solve the puzzle with reasoning and logic. Solving time is typically 10 to 30 minutes, depending on your skill and experience.

NEWS of the WEIRD

BY

But Why?

St. Petersburg, Florida, resident Jaclyn Goszczynski, 40, was arrested on July 26 and charged with felony child abuse, The Smoking Gun reported. Goszczynski, police said, had been hanging picture frames with her three children when she asked her 12-year-old daughter whether she’d ever been “screwed in the a**,” then proceeded to drive a screw into her daughter’s “left side buttocks” with an electric screwdriver. N o word on the daughter’s condition, but Goszczynski sits in the county jail on $25,000 bond and has been ordered to have no contact with the victim.

Saw That Coming

Homeowners’ associations seem to aspire to be the group versions of “Karens.” To wit: The Wildernest Home Owners Association in Summit County, Colorado, called the sheriff’s office in late July to tattle on a kids’ lemonade stand that they said was blocking the road. When officers arrived, KKTV reported on July 28, they found the kids were not blocking the road, “but did ask them to move back from the road a few feet for their safety,” police said. “The original reporting parties came out and began yelling at the children, claiming they were on private property ... (but officers) determined the property was shared HOA property and because the children’s parents are part of the HOA, they had a right to be there,” the report went on. Kids 1, HOA 0.

Animal Antics

When Alicia Mastroianni left for work in Brighton, Massachusetts, on July 15, she found her car covered in scratches and a note, she told WBZ-TV. The note was from a neighbor, who wrote, “I just watched and recorded a massive turkey attack your car for over 15 minutes. Sorry you were the target of this turkey rage.” “All sides of my car were messed up,” Mastroianni said. The Massachusetts Environmental Police said turkey attacks aren’t rare anymore in the area. One reason for the assaults is that the birds see their own reflection in the car’s surface and attack. They recommend covering your car or yelling to scare turkeys away.

What’s in a Name?

On July 22, when officers noticed a white van on the I-5 near Weed, California, that kept swerving out of its lane, they engaged their lights and sirens—and it still took almost 3 miles for the van to pull over, reported KOBI-TV on July 26. Inside the van, they found 1,021 rooted marijuana plants, which, according to driver Yung Fai Sze, 53, were on their way to Oregon. However, Sze did not have the proper documentation from the California Department of Cannabis Control, so he was arrested and charged with illegal transportation and possession of marijuana.

Awesome!

In Leicestershire, England, a quaint problem is getting a practical solution, the BBC reported on July 2 5. The North West Leicestershire District Council received a grant of about $9,300 from Keep Britain Tidy’s Chewing Gum Task Force to clean up the discarded wads of gum littering the sidewalks. “Many o f the streets, pavements and shopping areas in our towns are affected by discarded chewing gum,” said Michael Wyatt of the council, which will also install signs asking people to dispose of their gum properly. The grant is provided by gum manufacturers.

It’s Always Something

In 2016, the Scottish government declared it would increase the number of medical school placements because of a doctor shortage, the BBC reported. Eight years later, professor Gordon Findlater, HM Inspector of Anatomy for Scotland, has declared an unexpected and potentially dire result of the change: a shortage of cadavers for students to train on. “This is already having an impact on the surgical colleges (which) are now having to cancel training classes,” Findlater said.

The

Continuing

Crisis

River Church Kansas City in Lenexa, Kansas, celebrated Father’s Day with a raffle, KSHB-TV reported on July 2 9. Just what did the lucky winner receive? An AR-15 rifle, of course. The contest was so popular that for the Fourth of July, River Church gave away three more firearms. Why? Well, “A gun is a blessing because here in America, we have what’s called the Second Amendment, and we’re free Americans,” explained pastor Christopher Zehner. “Christ gives us freedom, and so, as Christ has given us freedom on the inside, Americans are free as well, so it correlates,” he went on. “Our attendance doubled after this whole thing happened,” he said. “We will probably do it again. I would say maybe Christmastime, to be a blessing again.” The four winners declined to comment.

Bright Idea

Jason Arsenault, 41, pleaded guilty in Portland, Maine, on July 29 to an unconventional bank robbery attempt, HNGN reported. Back in January, Arsenault, wearing a black hat, mask and sunglasses, pulled into the drivethru lane of a Key Bank location and sent a note to the teller through the pneumatic tube: “CAR BOMB No Cops Alarms or WE ALL DIE $50,000 in 20s.” The teller sent the money back through the tube, and Arsenault drove away. Surveillance video allowed law enforcement to track Arsenault’s movements until they could spot him without his disguise; six days later, he was arrested. He directed police to a backpack with the money, hidden in the woods. He faces up to 20 years in prison.

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