City Weekly February 14, 2019

C I T Y W E E K LY . N E T

FEB. 14, 2019 | VOL. 35

N0. 38

sex lake city

All across Utah, people are celebrating sex positivity and getting an education—as well as their kink on. by rich kane

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2 | FEBRUARY 14, 2019

CWCONTENTS COVER STORY

Fix your roof today!

SEX AND THE (SALT LAKE) CITY

Once the epitome of oppression, SLC is now host to an array of sex-positive events and spaces.

Call Lifetime Roofing today at (801) 928-8881

Cover illustration by Derek Carlisle

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CONTRIBUTOR

4 LETTERS 6 OPINION 10 NEWS 15 A&E 21 DINE 25 MUSIC 35 CINEMA 37 COMMUNITY

RICH KANE

Cover story Birds do it, bees do it. Even award-winning journalists do it. ”I love writing revealing stories that peel away Utah’s stereotypes, even for the people who live here,” the OC Weekly alum says about this week’s cover story. “Who knew that we’re one of the horniest states in the country?”

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COMMENTS@CITYWEEKLY.NET

Cover story, Jan. 31, “Caught in the Immigration Maze” Amazing!

KATE BACHER Via Instagram

Nice. Now tell us the truth.

I’m sure you are holding back some facts. Trump 2020.

DEAN MICHAEL HALLADAY Via CW comments

News, Jan. 24, “Banking on Coal”

Funny that no major wind or solar farms have been installed in the last 10 years in Utah. It’s great saying coal costs more but why haven’t these alternative energy sources popped up in Utah?

MATT MORRIS Via Facebook I wouldn’t bank on coal. It’s time to utilize the natural resources available in Utah.

Hydro and wind. They’re both renewable and won’t run out like coal will.

DIANE ARMSTRONG Via Facebook Little lesson from a finance guy. The only way to switch to clean energy is to provide a better cost/benefit. [Rocky Mountain Power] is a public company under Pacificorp.

It’s the fiduciary responsibility of the board of Pacificorp directors to spend money that generates the biggest returns to shareholders.

Investing for “a better envi-

ronment” isn’t measurable in dollars, so the operational expense is put where it generates the most revenue.

PETER MUSCARELLO Via Facebook

Online news post, Jan. 30, “Limited Influence”

Everyone here drives like they are at .05.

SCOTT WEAVER Via Twitter

Online News Post, Jan. 31, “It’s the Utah Way, Baby!”

[Gov. Gary Herbert] is one reason young people are drawn the other way. Who needs his brand of politics?!

EDWIN FIRMAGE Via Facebook Each time he says “socialism” it seems you could replace it with “not being Republican.”

BRAD MIDGLEY Via Twitter Everyone hates socialism until there is snow on the roads. Then it’s like where the hell is that plow?

ANDY JORGENSEN Via Facebook Those 481 snow plow drivers do it for fun, Andy. There’s no publicly funded program that pays them to clear our roads. No correlation here.

BENJAMIN DANIEL HOERST Via Facebook

Don’t forget public schools, public highways, and much more. They want democratic socialist services without calling them that.

JOHN KEAHEY Via Twitter Wow, he’s got nerve saying that he’s fighting for the people’s voices to be heard after what he helped do with Prop 2.

DIANE ARMSTRONG Via Facebook And just how many years has Herbert been living off taxpayer welfare?

FRED A. SCHMAUCH Via Twitter Socialism is actually good, if you had a college education you might know that, Gary.

TYLER RIGGS Via Twitter Maybe he meant he was disturbed that his generation and fellow politicians have exploited every resource for personal and corporate gain, leaving little more than crisis for the next generation and creating a world where socialism might appear to be a better way.

JOE SCHMIDT Via Facebook I like how it’s always excluded middle with these guys.

Could it be that younger generations appreciate some aspects of socialism (investment in social programs and infrastructure) without ac-

cepting it, wholesale? Nah! Nuance sucks, amiright?

COLBY PETERSON Via Twitter A moderate political position seems socialist to this guy.

SEAN DEVLIN Via Facebook Says the man who has fed from the public trough all his life.

MIKE SCHMAUCH Via Facebook This generation has learned that our version of capitalism no longer works for the majority of U.S. citizens. It only works when unions are strong and able to force corporate capitalists to give the workers their share of the profits the workers created.

SHARON WENDT Via Facebook Isn’t Utah’s liquor system socialism at its finest?

TOM WHARTON Via Twitter Well, the church literally commands socialism, so I can understand why there may be some confusion on the issue.

SCOTT ALLEN Via Twitter

Online News Post, Feb. 4, “Taking a Gamble”

This is what the government does. Bullshit with stupid issues to look like they are doing something, meanwhile important issues get

sidetracked and the planet is in the condition it is in.

DAVE CALDWELL Via Facebook This is what our morons in the Legislature think is priority. They all need to go.

DEANNA BISHOFF GARCIA Via Facebook

Online news post, Jan. 24, “Guv says, ‘I’m a pro-life guy’”

Pro-birth. He doesn’t care for kids after they are born.

JAMES ROHLING Via Facebook Oh hell no. If you have a penis, you do not get a say in this discussion. Once science can force a man to carry a pregnancy to term, we can talk.

JAMIE LEE DILLIER Via Facebook

Not really. Are you for single payer? Affordable housing? Affordable education?

Because most “pro-life” people I’ve met don’t want to fund these things because of “big government spending.”

JAMES ROHLING Via Facebook

Science has advanced. Methyl mercury from coal causes spontaneous abortion and birth defects. Clean up our air if you’re a pro-life guy.

N. SHANE CUTLER Via Facebook Republicans science?

BRYAN ORVIS Via Facebook

believe

in

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Salt Lake City Weekly is published every Thursday by Copperfield Publishing Inc. We are an independent publication dedicated to alternative news and news sources, that also serves as a comprehensive entertainment guide. 50,000 copies of Salt Lake City Weekly are available free of charge at more than 1,800 locations along the Wasatch Front. Limit one copy per reader. Additional copies of the paper can be purchased for $1 (Best of Utah and other special issues, $5) payable to Salt Lake City Weekly in advance. No person, without expressed permission of Copperfield Publishing Inc., may take more than one copy of any Salt Lake City Weekly issue. No portion of this oublication may be reproduced in whole or part by any means, including electronic retrieval systems, without the written permission of the publisher. Third-class postage paid at Midvale, UT. Delivery might take up to one full week. All rights reserved.

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OPINION I Heart Consent

Despite the recent popularity to rebrand Valentine’s Day as Consent Day, many still question: Is consent sexy? I’m not shy about expressing my distaste for Meh-lentines and I’m in favor of turning what I view to be an otherwise useless day into something more productive. Personal bias aside, I find it troubling to exist in a world where people think consent isn’t sexy.

Granted, in an ideal world, the necessity to raise awareness of consent would be irrelevant—respecting others would be the norm. But until generalized permission for consent becomes a reality, why not bring more awareness to a concept that protects all involved? It could even clear up all the mixed messages we’re taught growing up.

America’s abstinence-based sex-ed has long been considered a running joke—at least for the portion of the public who pay attention to statistics—and our conservative state is no exception. According to the Utah Department of Health, we rank ninth in the nation for reported rapes.

Even more disturbing, rape is the only violent crime where Utah lands higher than the national average. Unfortunately, such horrific stats don’t appear to be as embarrassing to the powers-that-be, seeing how they struggle to take comprehensive sex-ed seriously. God forbid we provide young people accurate information about human sexuality in an effort to set the stage for a future of healthy relationships.

In addition to the lack of school-taught sex-ed, lessons on manners only further confuse a growing individual’s ability to convey their wants. Last V-Day, Teen Vogue put

BY ASPEN PERRY Ogden’s Kanesville Elementary on blast for the school’s practice to not allow students to turn down a requested spin around the gymnasium during the sixth grade Valentine’s dance. While I’m all for teaching inclusivity, I question the mixed-message of telling a tween it’s impolite to refuse another’s request to be in their personal space.

Niceties should never come at the cost of personal boundaries, and the line between being polite vs. being prey is not always easy for young minds to grasp. Instead of telling boys and girls they have to say yes when confronted with an uncomfortable situation, why not allow them a safe space to master the art of saying no?

As we grow older, life and dating only get more complicated, while the influence of misguided information stirs more self-doubt. For many, romantic comedies serve as the next step in understanding sexual relationships. Unsurprisingly, I’m not a big fan. For years, I’ve held a firm belief rom-coms ruined dating for women. What I had not considered, until recently, is how the poor portrayal of dating ruined men, too. The most common plot in a chickflick is as follows: Woman meets man; woman hates man; said man wears her down; then she falls madly in love. The same scenario in the real-world would be deemed settling on the female’s part, and stalking on the male’s. Neither of which result in a healthy sexual relationship, or a happily ever after ending.

The other extreme is showcased in the Jane Austen-era flicks, where the lines of consent are so formal, modernday ladies and gents are unable to apply them to the swiperight ways of our current dating scene. Given the inadequate and inconsistent lessons of our youth, compounded with the cinematic spectacle of what’s ideal, it’s no wonder we need to turn holidays into PSA announcements.

When Valentine’s took a turn from silly fun to obligatory romance, I decided it was no longer for me. Not unrelated, obligation is often at the root of what gets women (and men) into situations ranging anywhere from uncomfortable to traumatic. Until we live in a world where individuals are better equipped to filter out a lifetime of mixed-messages, turning a basic Hallmark holiday on its head puts the power back in the hands of the obliged. Reminding them that even on the most romantic of holidays, their first priority is to their own comfort and self worth. As far as I’m concerned, nothing is sexier than a confident person, empowered to live life on their terms.

To claim consent kills the mood completely misses the point. Wild sex and consent are not mutually exclusive.

Often times, the biggest hurdle people face is getting past the hush-hush role sex plays throughout much of their life.

At its foundation, consent is simply the practice of encouraging an open dialogue between sexual partners. Think of it as the mental equivalent of pushing the reset button on years of programming—where the very act of talking was considered taboo. Sure it can be intimidating, but whether it’s a one-time fling or ongoing, communication is key to understanding each others’ wants and needs. Unsure of where to start? Just hit up the good ol’ reliable of our day and age—Google—for articles featuring fun and sexy ways to initiate consent. After all, the saying, “different strokes, for different folks,” exists for a reason, and if your partner doesn’t know which strokes you’re into, one of you isn’t going to have that great of a time. CW

Aspen Perry is an SLC-based aspiring author, and self-proclaimed “philosophical genius,” who loathes Valentine’s Day. Send feedback to comments@cityweekly.net

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Hearts and flowers don’t really make the grade on this holiday. At Take Back The 14th! you hear about the first woman to cast a vote in the United States— and she was from Salt Lake City. “We are taking back the date Feb. 14 and celebrating women’s voices and equality for all,” the event’s website says.

Christine Durham, retired chief justice of the Utah Supreme Court, serves as keynote speaker. And did you know that the Equal Rights Amendment is still alive? Jennifer Seelig of the Salt Lake City Mayor’s Office will speak about the mayor’s initiative to finally pass the amendment. There will be music, refreshments and a signature drink “The Suffragette.” Centro Cívico Mexicano, 155 S. 600 West, Thursday, Feb. 14, 6:30-9:30 p.m., $15, squ.re/2SGg9xS.

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FEBRUARY 14, 2019 | 7

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No, you can’t just go shout it from the rooftops. In this country, there are limits to your First Amendment right of free speech. That doesn’t mean you can’t speak out—and you should. Join the ACLU of Utah in collaboration with the Pioneer Justice Center for Dumb Enough To Try It: Government Limits on Free Speech, where you learn about how the government tries to shut you up.

In this political environment, the First Amendment seems to have taken a back seat to the Second, and yet that personal freedom of expression is arguably the most important amendment to the Constitution. Pioneer Justice Center, 75 E. 400 South, Ste. 200, Thursday, Feb. 21, 6-7 p.m., free, bit.ly/2Dl3AOX.

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You might have heard the name Malcolm X, but do you really know what he stood for? Malcolm X was a Muslim minister and human-rights activist whose legacy has been mixed. He was a harsh critic of white America in terms of crimes against black Americans. Others saw him as teaching racism and violence. Still, he has had an abiding influence in black history. At the Malcolm X Remembrance on the School-to-Prison Pipeline, you watch a short film and discussion of his life. A panel looks at ending zero tolerance, alternatives to school resource officers, promoting peer-mediation and restorative justice, and finally challenging high-stakes tests and the so-called achievement gap. Racial disparity in the juvenile justice system will be a hot topic.

Salt Lake Community College South City Campus, 1575 S. State, 801-9717654, Tuesday, Feb. 19, 6-7:30 p.m., free, bit.ly/2SiHA1C.

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8 | FEBRUARY 14, 2019

HITS&MISSES

BY KATHARINE BIELE @kathybiele

Idle No More

Utah is a curious state, and we’re not even talking about Medicaid expansion.

Breathe deeply and think about the air, or rather what’s in it. Studies, research, facts—none of that matters in a world where personal liberty trumps [sic] the general well-being. Only last year did the Legislature finally OK regulations on wood-burning stoves, which account for some 14 percent of fine-particulate pollution. Rep. Patrice Arent, D-Salt Lake City, has valiantly pushed forward her anti-idling bill, which failed once already be. Arent brought her legislation back, allowing for one warning instead of zero or the current three, which at least moves the bill forward. The Environmental Defense Fund estimates that for every 10 minutes your engine is off, you’ll prevent one pound of carbon dioxide from being released. That’s not nothing.

School Board Dodgeball

Here we go again! This time it’s a freshman legislator who’s proposing a “new and improved” way of selecting members to the state Board of Education. Quick, name your school board member. You probably can’t. Sadly, many citizens can’t name their local legislators.

But that hasn’t stopped Utah from electing 15 members of the Utah board. Past attempts have included eliminating the board and making elections partisan. Laws have played dodgeball with how members are elected—by a screening panel that recommends to the governor who appoints two to face off. How weird is that? Rep. Melissa Garff Ballard, R-North Salt Lake, wants to end elections and give the governor sole authority to appoint a smaller board, according to The Salt Lake Tribune.

So, you don’t know who they are; you don’t know what they do. This is an undemocratic solution, but maybe it’s inevitable.

The Majority’s Tyranny

With all the border-wall talk, Americans are beginning to understand fear, hatred and isolationism. So, it’s not surprising that the Caucasians of San Juan County want to secede from what is not a Native American, or at least Democratic majority, rule.

And guess who’s liking the idea? Rep. Phil Lyman, R-Blanding. You know, some people just feel disenfranchised now and view themselves as hostages of the new majority, a Trib story reports. Boo-hoo, they don’t like the tyranny of the majority. Proponents of the change say it feels like payback in a country of winners and losers where few are willing to listen to the other side. The backdrop in San Juan is the battle of Bears Ears National Monument. But this is not just about bad losers.

It’s about living in a silo and listening only to the sound of your own voice.

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10 | FEBRUARY 14, 2019

NEWS Bikes,

T R A N S P O R TAT I O N

Scooters and Cars, Oh My!

BY RAY HOWZE rhowze@cityweekly.net @rayhowze1

W

hether by scoot or by pedal, the dockless harbingers of treacherous sidewalks are here to

stay.

Months after the electric scooters showed up in Salt Lake City, “micro mobility” company Lime went in for a onetwo punch and unloaded a fleet of nextgeneration bicycles on icy city streets last November. The green, electricassisted bikes operate just like their scooter cousins. The bikes unlock via smartphone and can be dumped almost anywhere around the city—with some exceptions, such as on public right-ofways—once trips are completed.

Residents have learned to live with the scooters, but the bikes have added another wrinkle to the dockless-device conundrum facing cities across the country. As any downtown denizen can tell you, Salt Lake already has its own bike-share program, GreenBike, which relies on docking stations unlike its dockless counterparts.

GreenBike’s founder and executive director, Ben Bolte, says there aren’t any plans to dip into the tempting dockless nectar.

“There’s a reason the private sector, venture capital-based companies are doing the dockless-based model,” Bolte says. “Because when you’re using community buy-in, public dollars and sponsor dollars to put these products in, there’s no way anybody would be OK with the concept of ‘Oh yeah, just be able to leave it anywhere.’ Everybody would have lost their minds.

“It was hard enough just to find locations for the stations and let people know, ‘It’s fine, anyone can take it.’”

Bolte says he does “not want to be polarizing” when it comes to the dockless debate. His nonprofit program has been around since 2013 and sold its highest number of memberships last year. When it comes to community buyin and polarization potential, it’s toed the line carefully. As for dockless bike initiatives, look to just a few other cities

ENRIQUE LIMÓN

Dockless bicycles add new wrinkle to device-sharing transportation model.

Lime’s introduction of bikes last year following its scooter debut will factor into regional standards for the Wasatch Front. to see what’s transpired.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio called the electric bicycles “a real danger,” The New York Times reported.

The city confiscated hundreds in 2017, which set up a clash among residents, the city council and companies such as Bird and Lime.

A coast away, the number of e-bikes seemingly dwindled from spring to fall last year in San Diego, Calif. In August, hundreds were spotted piled up at a recycling center, though the bike-share company Ofo played it off as a routine part of operations, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune. Now, Ofo is on the verge of bankruptcy, and photos of thousands of bikes at scrap metal facilities have made the rounds online.

And in St. Louis, Lime’s bikes showed up in spring 2018 but disappeared almost entirely in the following months, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

The bikes were later found stored five high with broken wires and seats awaiting repair. The bikes were being replaced by the company’s scooters.

You might be thinking, “This is Utah, dangit! We’re different.” In keeping with the state’s industrious past, and perhaps applying lessons learned during the e-scooter fiasco, municipalities along the Wasatch Front seem to be taking a long-term approach—all the while looking to Salt Lake City as a model for regional standards when it comes to dockless devices. Perhaps, if done right, area cities will avoid headlines such as “Land of Misfit Limes” or “Push to Legalize E-Bikes and E-Scooters Sets Up City Hall Clash.”

The Wasatch Front Regional Council has formed a shared mobility-device task force to help bring the numerous governing bodies together and address concerns about the spread of the devices.

“Is there a way all the communities can be on the same page?” Jory Johner, director of long-range planning for the WFRC and GreenBike board member,

asks. Some cities allow the devices to be “scattered around” he says, while others require them to be left in designated sports. “If everybody can kind of get on the same page, it helps everybody with enforcement, with knowing what requirements are out there, what expectations they have, things like that.”

Millcreek Mayor Jeff Silvestrini tells City Weekly that once the scooters started popping up in Salt Lake last year, he started getting calls from businesses in his jurisdiction telling him they were showing up there as well. Now, more than six months later, Silvestrini says the city is nearing an operating agreement with Bird to officially welcome the scooters inside city limits.

“The main thing as municipalities that we’re interested in is that the companies are responsible,” he says. “And they’re compliant when these devices are stacked up or knocked down—basically they’re responsive to them. I think it’s in all of our interest to have some uniform rules for how they operate so you know you can ride on the sidewalk or you can’t.”

The spread of the scooters and bikes was inevitable. The charges the devices hold help riders get to longer-distance destinations. Hugh Van Wagenen, another member of the WFRC’s long-range planning team, says “clearly, users are taking them where they’re needed.”

Van Wagenen says the impetus for the council’s new task force arose soon after the devices stretched outside of Salt Lake’s city limits.

“We’re certainly excited about providing additional transportation choices for everybody in our region,” Van Wagenen says. “We’re also excited that we can be a convener and bring all these groups together as a regional entity.”

Jon Larsen, Salt Lake City’s transportation division director, who also serves on the GreenBike board of directors, says it appears dockless Lime bikes are here to stay, at least for now. According

to the operating agreement with Salt Lake City last year, bikes and scooters are both included as part of the 500 devices companies are permitted to disperse within city limits. Unlike some of the aforementioned cities, though, scooters showed up here first, possibly contributing to the tempered public reaction when the bikes appeared.

“There hasn’t really been a lot of outcry,” Larsen says about the influx of dockless bikes. “I think a lot of people are kind of, like, ‘Oh, there’s bikes now.

OK,’ and it seems like the launch timing makes sense to test out bikes in this market during the winter. Bikes are going to do better than scooters if it’s snowy.”

Larsen ultimately says they’d like to figure out how to have the dockless and docked models operating cohesively, but there is some worry about confusion. Larsen says some riders could be confused since both are green, and Bolte mentioned that when the bikes first rolled out, some were trying to dock Lime bikes in GreenBike stations.

But Bolte cautions against any hastened changes to its infrastructure to align with what’s hot.

“We still don’t know what the regulatory environment is going to be for these products,” Bolte says. “Dockless is a very volatile space.”

Lime did not respond to multiple requests for comment for this story.

Whether it’s from national conglomerates or local companies, don’t be surprised to see more bike- and scootersharing programs along the Wasatch Front in 2019. It just might be about who gets there first.

“We’ve been talking about how to regionalize these services for years, but the problem has been that it’s expensive. Some cities don’t want to use grant money to fund that [and] it’s hard to come up with sponsor dollars,” Bolte concludes. “Different communities have different needs, and we’re certainly not going to be able to go everywhere.” CW

sex l ake city

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All across Utah, people are celebrating sex positivity and getting an education—as well as their kink on.

t’s an early Saturday evening somewhere along the Wasatch Front. On a quiet street inside an undisclosed house, a group of Mormon men are about to get naked and have sex with one another.

Well, not everyone here is a church member, but it’s not hard to pick them out as they remove their temple garments and make small talk about their families and goings-on in their ward. The men are all shapes, sizes, ages and ethnicities—it’s probably one of the most diverse gatherings of people in Utah.

A Missionary’s Position

FEBRUARY 14, 2019 | 11

“There’s a lot of ignorance about sex because the Utah culture tells us that sex is to be solely for procreation, not what your soul or gut is telling you,” says Dr. Laurie Bennett-Cook, a clinical sexologist who co-founded Sex Positive Utah in 2016, which has more than 300 members on meetup. com. The group hosts private events that explore all angles of human sexuality, including polyamory and kink.

“The only way to counteract that ignorance is with education,” BennettCook says. “And once people get into a group, when they take that first step to their authenticity and they’re accepted, it’s really hard to ever go back into the closet about it.”

That’s a good way to describe Finch, a 36-year-old man who founded a similarly-named group, Utah Sex Positive Education, in 2017. Until recently, he also sponsored kink classes at Salt Lake City club Area 51 each month and helps run kink venue, The Menagerie.

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Chat with the men who own the house—we can’t divulge their names either, lest their day job bosses get weirded out and terminate them—and they’ll tell you that people need these kinds of play spaces to explore their sexuality, something that’s hard to do in a state like Utah.

“We wanted to have a place where not just LDS men, but any man, can go, whether they’re out or in, and be intimate with one another,” one homeowner tells me. “In one sense, with the LGBTQ suicide rate the way it is, we provide a needed service.” Research indicates LGBTQ youth contemplate suicide at almost three times the rate of their straight peers. And suicide is the second-leading cause of death among 10 to 24 year olds.

This is far from the only sex party in the state. There are regularly scheduled ones each month, like the Menagerie, which is for men and women, and the men-only Blackboots. There are more social and information-based clubs like the Rocky Mountain Pet Alliance, a group for “human pets” and pup players. There’s Utah TNG (The Next Generation), a kink org for people age 18-35. And the Rocky Mountain Rebellion, an annual conference for BDSM lovers held in a downtown Salt Lake hotel every summer.

Details on most of these are a click away at beehivekink.com, where a quick scroll reveals a side of Utah that would make Brigham Young’s eyes bug out.

Many of these parties and groups have only sprouted in the last few years, a sign that Utah’s long history of sexual repression is loosening up, or at least rising up from the underground. It’s not terribly difficult to find your own sex/fetish/kink tribe, even after Craigslist took down its adult-content listings last year.

After stripping down and storing their clothes, men drift off to the back room play areas, where there are leather slings, king-size beds, a spanking bench, massage tables and several hidden enclaves for more private moments. On a kitchen table are assorted munchies and drinks. Gay porn flashes on TV screens. Strangers seduce strangers with a touch or glance. Some instantly lock lips or other body parts.

Condoms and lube are plentiful, always within an arm’s reach, as are paper towels for post-coital mop-up.

Some men, though—maybe most of them—aren’t here for sex. Some come just to watch, or be held, or, for the men who are secretly gay, to experience senses of intimacy they don’t get from their wives back home.

@rkane29

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By Rich Kane | comments@cityweekly.net |

Clearing a Path

Path is another Utah sex-positive group that helps its members explore their kinky side, and the oldest in Salt Lake City, with roots dating back to 1998. Meetings are held in a private home and can have as many as 75 people, according to Amadio Saveur, the group’s program organizer.

“Usually, we have an introduction and talk about who we are and what we’re about, then go over some basic rules of etiquette,” Saveur says. Discussion topics can range from spanking techniques to the best ways of incorporating food into your sex play. Sometimes there are classes on gender theory with featured guest speakers.

“Anything that impacts the sex-positive community, we’ll teach,” Saveur says.

Saveur has witnessed a significant increase in Path membership these last few years, which he credits the Fifty Shades of Grey books and movies for broadening people’s minds about what sex can be. The wider visibility of transgender issues in the news and in entertainment also has drawn people interested in exploring that side of their lives.

For Saveur, Path is nothing less than a community service—about helping people find the path on their own personal journey.

“It’s definitely a rebellion to explore different sexual practices, but more so in Utah,” Saveur says. “We see youths coming out of college and LDS church members who are ending their first marriages. They all want their own sexual ID. They’re hungry for information and want to be exposed to different things. Sometimes our meetings can be very emotional when people start talking about their lives and are able to get this huge weight off their chest. They realize they’re not alone.”

Michael Sanders

RICH KANE

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Finch also doesn’t want his full name used. But he has no problem opening up about how getting rid of shame helped save his life.

“I was as Mormon as Mormon could be, did a mission, all of it,” Finch says. Until around 2012, when the stress of living an inauthentic life got to be too much.

“I nearly killed myself. I was born into the faith and supposed to be ridiculously, blissfully happy, but I wasn’t, so something was obviously wrong with me. I realized I’m either going to be Mormon and dead or not be Mormon and be alive.”

After a period of self-discovery, which included divorce, Finch found a whole new world when he stumbled upon fetlife.com, a popular kink social network.

“I came to realize I’m not monogamous, I’m polyamorous,” he says.

“I started going out to events and it snowballed. The more I was around other people with the same interests, the more safe, happier and fulfilled I felt. Through kink, I found my community, the way other people find that in the church. I identify now as a fucked-up pervert in all the wonderful, best ways possible.”

Finch’s main goal for Utah Sex Positive Education, he says, is to help others combat the same sense of shame he wrestled with when he was an active church member.

“I’m such a missionary at heart that I’m now on a mission for BDSM,” Finch says, dropping the common catch-all acronym for bondage, dominance, sadism and masochism. “I’m now about spreading the gospel of kink, sex positivity, consent and shame-free living.”

Area 51 still hosts the monthly Fetish Ball—going strong after 16 years—and features demonstrations of how rope bondage, melted wax and electric stimulation can be used in sex play. “It’s a Costco of kink,” as Finch puts it.

He says it draws people who were raised one way, decided they weren’t that person anymore, and are now trying to find out who they are.

In the Menagerie space, where Finch also lives, there are bondage tables and other sex-play equipment throughout the home and garage, including a medical room for doctor/patient fantasy scenes. They hold two parties a month, and are getting increasingly popular as word of mouth spreads, he says.

“People are getting sick of the culture that exists here,” Finch says.

“But it’s changing. It used to be that if you got sick of Utah enough, you’d just move out of the state. But there are a lot of people who don’t want to leave. I want to stay here and change the culture, because if I don’t do it, who else will?”

“Through kink, I found my community, the way other people find that in the church. I identify now as a fucked-up pervert in all the wonderful, best ways possible.”

—Finch

Always Sunny

Spreading the Love

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FEBRUARY 14, 2019 | 13

“There’s a prevalent point of view here that sex should not be fun, it should be shamed, a man should enjoy it but a woman shouldn’t,” J. Wilford Neville, who leads the 2,300-member strong Utah Polyamory Society, says.

Neville lives with two romantic partners—one domestic partner and a girlfriend, plus two metamours, or a partner’s partner, along with two teenagers.

“So my girlfriend T is married to G and in a relationship with C,” Neville explains, “but my domestic partner K is also in a relationship with G.” That arrangement might not work for everyone, but Neville says it certainly works for them.

“The more parental figures kids have—and the science is consistent on this—they turn out to be better-functioning adults,” Neville says. (While we could not corroborate this statement, data does exist on children who grow up with two parents displaying increased well-being indicators.)

“We’ve always been told that monogamy is the ideal relationship model, but with divorce rates, that isn’t really true,” he continues. “Figuring out to have relationships at all is a difficult thing. But the key, as always, is consent and communication. I hadn’t even heard the term sex positivity until two or three years ago, but it’s good to see these changes happening.”

Utah’s largest and most ambitious sex parties by far are the frequent bashes thrown by Risqué Soirée, founded in 2004 by Xavier Lang. The Soirée boasts some 5,000 men and women swingers who range from 22 into their late-70s—Lang says about 90 percent are also ex-Mormons like him— who travel from other states to attend events like their annual Erotic Ball and other theme parties, always held in secret members-only locations.

One particularly memorable Halloween party went off atop the Wells Fargo Center in downtown Salt Lake City, with an estimated crowd of 1,000.

To ensure the safety of party guests, Lang requires that all members take a 90-minute sex-positive essentials class focusing on consent and boundaries before every event. It’s taught by a professional sexual wellness coach, part of Lang’s emphasis on fun but always-safe play.

“After our very first party in 2004, people were telling us thanks, that they had never felt more like themselves in their lives,” Lang says. “And being a conduit for that, that’s such an awesome feeling. People tell me they feel very free and safe at our events, and that’s the whole reason I started this. If you want to come to our party wearing a bunny suit with a strap-on, you can do that.”

Lang also subscribes to the theory that where there are people with extreme conservative views, the kinkier the population is.

“Everything that’s in Vegas, all the wild parties, that’s here in Utah—it’s just underground. You have to search for it. People here are finally coming out of their shells and saying this is OK. Utah is changing. It’s not the little conservative state it used to be.” CW

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Sunny Carroll is a 73-year-old veteran BDSM practitioner who’s seen a lot of scene history. A Path instructor—and, like many interviewed for this story, raised LDS—Carroll says the classes can be therapeutic, but it’s not therapy.

“It’s a great relief to find other people as kinky as you are,” she says. “There are a lot of new people who feel very alone and wonder if they’re entirely sane, so they get a sense of relief, even a sense of coming home when they’re here for the first time.”

Safety and consent are the two most important things taught at Path, Carroll says. Things like places on the body that shouldn’t be hit with a spanking paddle and safe ways to use fire.

“We had a class a few months ago that was about the difference between what we do and abuse. BDSM is consensual and abuse obviously is not,” Carroll says.

These new sex-positive groups are not only attracting curious people who want to explore their sexuality, they’re also helping to make a healthier Utah, according to Lynn Beltran, epidemiology supervisor of the STD and HIV prevention program at the Salt Lake County Health Department.

“People feel more open to disclosing that their relationships don’t fit into a certain box. Even terms like polyamory have become more mainstream,” Beltran says. “The concept of sex positivity is to be more open to diverse sexual practices. These groups are talking about these things and giving accurate sex information, and that’s important in a state that’s struggling with high STD rates. That’s partly due to the lack of sex education in schools where the only thing students are told is based on abstinence.”

“Abstinence-only is pretty ineffective, but it makes everyone feel good,” Michael Sanders, founder of the Blackboots fetish gatherings and education programs that stress consent, HIV and STD prevention and safe play.

“The predominant culture here is very much one of non-sex positivity, even in marriage,” Sanders, who also organized last year’s inaugural Utah Leather Pride festival, says. “But sex is a natural part of being a human being. Everyone should be having sex. If not, they get cranky.”

Sanders moved to Utah from New York City 12 years ago, and soon noticed a pattern of behavior among men who had married women and had children, only to realize that they were gay all along.

“They were raised Mormon, did the mission, got married, had kids. And didn’t want to rock the boat,” he says. “They felt the need to stick it out for the sake of the marriage, the church, the family.” The familiar story, Sanders notes, comes with its own set of casualties. “A break happens in their late-30s, early-40s, when they finally decide to live a more authentic self and leave the wife and kids. And that creates whole other issues I’m not a fan of. It’s unfair to the women to make them feel like they’re developing a lifelong connection and commitment as a family when the man’s intent is just to wait until the kids are old enough so they can split. I have a lot of trouble with that.”

NIKI CHAN

NIKI CHAN

Sunny Carroll

14 | FEBRUARY 14, 2019

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Hollywood might be the place you’d peg as the capital of the movie-making world, but the Indian film industry makes more movies than the United States. The most distinctive part of that industry is the Hindi language portion known popularly as Bollywood—which carries on a tradition of epic musicals full of music and romance.

A deep love for that tradition drove co-creators Heena Patel and Rushi Vakil to put together Bollywood Boulevard, a live theatrical celebration of Bollywood musicals, which debuted in 2017. “There has been an exponential uptake in interest in Bollywood since Slumdog Millionaire won the Oscars,” Patel says. “However, a lot of the understanding that has emerged since then … has been of films created in the last 10-15 years. For me, that really felt incomplete, because Bollywood is over 100 years old.”

The production combines projected scenes from Bollywood musicals across the years with live dancers re-creating the choreography. To the extent that there’s a narrative through-line, Patel says, “we have made our story the story of the film industry itself and how it has changed, grown and shifted over the generations.”

One of the main challenges was narrowing down such an expansive history to just a few numbers. “We have reworked the song list since our premiere and in fact will be debuting some new songs in Salt Lake City,” Vakil says. “I think diehard Bollywood fans are going to appreciate the level of thought that went into creating the song list for this show, and the expanse of people that we were able to recognize through it.” (Scott Renshaw) Bollywood Boulevard @ Kingsbury Hall, 1375 E. Presidents Circle, 801-581-7100, Feb. 15, 7:30 p.m., $5-$40, utahpresents.org

“It’s very rare and unusual to see a female comic perform pregnant,” Ali Wong insists. “Female comics don’t get pregnant. Once they do get pregnant, they generally disappear.”

That, in essence, defines the style of Wong— an unapologetic comedian when it comes to mores, manners and matters of social acceptance. Born of Chinese and Vietnamese ancestry, she emigrated to the U.S. at age 4 and later achieved a Bachelor of Arts in ethnic studies. The latter helped inform her cultural commentary and ability to skew stereotypes at every turn.

The tack worked well. In 2011, Variety singled her out as one of their “10 Comics to Watch,” while her appearances on the late-night talk show circuit reaped rewards in the form of two Netflix comedy specials and a recurring role in the hit series American Housewife. That’s in addition to guest appearances on Inside Amy Schumer and Black Box, her gig as a writer for the comedy series Fresh off the Boat and voice acting credits in the recent films The Angry Birds Movie, The Lego Ninjago Movie and Ralph Breaks the Internet. Even with her irascible attitude, Wong’s found substantial success.

And yes, with two kids, Wong’s also a working mom. While breaking down barriers for Asian Americans, she’s redefining womanhood as well.

“I’m an Asian woman and therefore guaranteed to live until I’m a billion,” she notes. “I’m guaranteed like a turtle from the Galapagos.”

Political correctness might dictate there’s nothing wrong with that. Fans would note that’s very Wong indeed. (LZ) Ali Wong: Milk and Money Tour @ Abravanel Hall, 123 W. South Temple, 801355-2787, Feb. 17, 7 p.m., $65, artsaltlake.org

Ali Wong: Milk and Money Tour

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Once returns to the place where it all began—in a manner of speaking—when the stage musical begins a run at Pioneer Theatre Co. on Feb. 15. The movie version of Once first got attention outside of Ireland as a breakout hit at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2007. The rest, as they say, is history: Once went on to get a theatrical release and won an Oscar in 2008 for Best Original Song, and the soundtrack garnered a Grammy nomination. In 2012, the story was transformed into a Broadway show by Irish playwright Enda Walsh and won eight Tony Awards.

Once is the story of an Irish street musician and vacuum cleaner repairman (known as “Hoovers” in Ireland) and a Czech woman who sells flowers. They bond over music and end up falling in love. However, both have other romantic and family entanglements that complicate things. The musical includes favorite songs from the film, like the Academy Award-winning “Falling Slowly,” as well as two songs created specifically for the stage version by the film’s two-person music team, Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová.

For this production, Roderick Lawrence, who audiences might recognize from a cameo as a hot lawyer from Comedy Central’s Broad City, takes the role of “Guy.” Hillary Porter, who has Broadway experience, makes her PTC debut in the role of “Girl.” The cast also includes PTC veterans Mary Fanning (Baruska), Chris Mixon (Da), and local youth actors Hailey Burnham and Britton Gardner. (Geoff Griffin) Once @ Pioneer Theatre Co., 300 S. 1400 East, 801-581-6961, Feb. 15-March 2, Mondays-Thursdays, 7 p.m.; Fridays, 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays, 2 & 7:30 p.m., $44-$71, pioneertheatre.org

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SUNDAY 2/17

Bollywood Boulevard

FRIDAY 2/15

Pioneer Theatre Co.: Once

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Make no mistake: Racism is rampant in America.

It’s found in a medical school yearbook that allegedly shows the governor of Virginia posing in either blackface or a Ku Klux Klan hood. And it’s given cover when a white supremacy rally is said to include “good people on both sides.”

That makes Black History Month all the more important, and this weekend, Good Company Theatre celebrates the rich legacy of black America’s contributions to the American stage, from the hardship and struggle replayed in Porgy and Bess (John W. Bubbles, from the 1935 premiere production, is pictured) to the multiracial reimagining of the legacy of our founding fathers in Hamilton.

As its title might suggest, You Bet Your Black Ass, Broadway is a spirited revue, featuring an all African-American cast performing songs from the greatest musicals showcasing black performers ever to emerge from the “Great White Way.” Indeed, there are plenty of Broadway blockbusters to choose from—Big River, The Color Purple, Passing Strange, The Wiz and Dreamgirls among them.

“This revue is a chance to celebrate AfricanAmerican contributions to musical theater,” says Camille Washington, Good Company Theatre founder and the show’s co-director. “We’ve been involved with Broadway since its very beginnings in vaudeville. So often, black folks have given— not just through music like rhythm & blues and gospel, but through performance style—to an art that seldom gives back. Good Company Theatre wants to promote, honor and share black talent through song.” (Lee Zimmerman) You Bet Your Black Ass, Broadway @ Good Company Theatre, 2404 Wall Ave., Ogden, 801-917-4649, Feb. 14-15, 8 p.m.; Feb. 16, 4 & 8 p.m.; Feb. 17, 4 p.m., $20, goodcotheatre.com

FRIDAY 2/15

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Good Company Theatre: You Bet Your Black Ass, Broadway

Complete listings online at cityweekly.net

PIONEER THEATRE CO.

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

THURSDAY 2/14

ENTERTAINMENT PICKS, FEB. 14-20, 2019

ANNE WHITMAN PHOTOGRAPHY

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The Greatest Geeky Love Stories Ever Told

Who says fantasy stories can’t deliver the romantic goods?

BY BRYAN YOUNG comments@cityweekly.net @swankmotron

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omance isn’t usually associated with geekdom. More often, geeky stories are filled with worlds at risk that need saving by people too busy with all that worldsaving for a personal life. For these heroes and villains, however, saving (or destroying) the world (or the galaxy) without a true love would be awfully boring. We catalogued a number of our favorite geeky love stories to help put even the nerdiest among us in the mood for Valentine’s Day. 8. Batman and Catwoman (DC Comics): In the persona of Bruce Wayne, Batman has had a string of romances, but none has captivated audiences like his pairing with Catwoman. For decades, the two have done the forbidden dance, playing cat and mouse—or bat and cat, rather—for

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each other’s attentions and affections. They very nearly got married last year, but Catwoman realized that by marrying him, Batman might no longer exist, and the world needs Batman. Tragic. Romantic. Beautiful. For more, read Tom King’s 50-issue run from 2016 to 2018.

7. Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson (Marvel Comics): There have been many iterations of the “one true pairing” of Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson. From the earliest days of the Spider-Man comics, Peter had problems with his love life, most notably the death of Gwen Stacy, but Mary Jane was always better for him anyway, and her first line, “Face it, Tiger, you just hit the jackpot,” was as true then as it is now. For the latest dose of the Peter Parker and Mary Jane romance, check out Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse, still in theaters.

6. Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy (DC Comics): Although Harley Quinn was created as a love interest for the Joker, her greatest pairing leaves that abusive psychopath behind. For many years, Harley and Poison Ivy have been involved in a queer, non-monogamous relationship. Their exploits aren’t traditional, but they are great fun. Most recently, they even got married, as recounted in issue No. 70 of Injustice 2.

5. Batwoman and Maggie Sawyer (DC Comics): Starting with issue No. 854 of Detective Comics, Kate Kane takes over the book as Batwoman, and her relationship with Gotham Police Officer Maggie Sawyer heats up the pages. These issues and subsequent spin-off comics are some of the best reading out there. This pairing courted controversy, as well, with an entire creative team leaving the book after they weren’t allowed to show the marriage of these two characters.

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4. Wolverine, Jean Grey and Cyclops (Marvel Comics): I’ve long called X-Men comics a soap opera, only with more tight leggings and superpowers. Part of the reason is the perpetual love triangles. The classic push-pull in the relationship between Jean Grey, Wolverine and Cyclops is one of the most compelling reads (or watches) in the world of romance. For a good sampler, check out The Dark Phoenix Saga or the movies X-Men and X2: X-Men United.

3. The Doctor, Rose Tyler and River Song (Doctor Who): As a virtually immortal timelord, the Doctor doesn’t often have time for romance, but when he does, he makes it count. In this new era of Doctor Who (starting in 2005), we’ve had two of the greatest pairings in the history of the franchise: The Doctor and Rose Tyler, and then the Doctor and River Song, his wife across time. Both stories end in tears, but both are incredible. Start with the first episode from 2005 and just watch everything forward from that.

2. Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala (Star Wars): Many of the most beloved romances are tragic.

Perhaps my favorite on this list, Anakin and Padmé are, essentially, desperate teenagers looking to find secret love amid their hectic lives, but their love plunges a galaxy into chaos. Experience it yourself by watching the first three episodes of the Star Wars Skywalker saga.

1. Han Solo and Leia Organa (Star Wars): Han and Leia might have one of the most iconic love stories in the world of nerdery. With equal parts sarcastic barbs and heartfelt love, these two go to the ends of the galaxy to save each other and their way of life. Patterned loosely on the romantic duo in Gone with the Wind, Han and Leia have been the pinnacle of relationships in science fiction for almost 40 years. Check them out in episodes IV through VII in the Star Wars saga. CW

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Elisabeth Bunker’s oil paintings explore the effect of the winter inversion and how we see the Salt Lake Valley through an obscuring lens, in Keep Breathing at DRAW Inc. Gallery (752 E. 6th Ave., drawinc.org), co-sponsored by HEAL Utah. Opening reception: Friday, Feb. 15, 6-9 p.m.

PERFORMANCE THEATER

An American in Paris Hale Centre Theatre, 9900 S. Monroe St., Sandy, through Apr. 6, hct.org The Cake Salt Lake Acting Co., 168 W. 500 North, through March 10, saltlakeactingcompany.org Comedy of Errors BYU Nelke Theatre, 800 E. Campus Drive, Provo, through Feb. 16, 7 p.m.; Feb. 16, 2 & 4 p.m., arts.byu.edu Company Babcock Theatre, 300 S. 1400 East, through March 3, tickets.utah.edu Disenchanted! The Musical Midvale Main Street Theatre, 7711 S. Main, through Feb. 16, Fridays & Saturdays, 7:30 p.m.; Sundays, 5 p.m., midvaletheatre.com First Date The Grand Theatre, 1575 S. State, through March 2, Thursdays & Fridays, 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays, 2 & 7:30 p.m., grandtheatrecompany.com The Dinner Detective: Valentine’s Day Shows Hilton City Center, 255 S. West Temple, through Feb. 15, 7 p.m., thedinnerdetective.com A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder Hale Centre Theatre, 9900 S. Monroe St., Sandy, through March 16, hct.org Grassroots Shakespeare: Much Ado About Nothing Salt Lake Masonic Temple, 650 E. South Temple, Feb. 14-15, 7:30 p.m., grassrootsshakespeare.com Hands on a Hard Body The Gateway, 400 W. 100 South, through Feb. 23, wasatchtheatre.org The Little Mermaid Jeanne Wagner Theatre, 138 W. 300 South, Feb. 15-23, artsaltlake.org My Big Fat Utah Wedding: Bigger! Fatter!

Utah-ier! Desert Star Playhouse, 4861 S. State, Murray, through March 23, desertstar.biz Newsies Hale Center Theater Orem, 225 W. 400 North, through April 20, haletheater.org Noises Off Theater at Mount Jordan, 9360 S. 300 East, Sandy, through March 2, ThursdayFriday, 7:30 p.m., sandy.utah.gov Once Pioneer Theatre Co., 300 S. 1400 East, through March 2, Mondays-Thursdays, 7 p.m.; Fridays, 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays, 2 & 7:30 p.m., pioneertheatre.org (see p. 15) Robyn Hood The Off Broadway Theatre, 272 S. Main, through Feb. 23, Mondays, Fridays &

Saturdays, 7:30 p.m., theobt.org The Three Musketeers Midvale Performing Arts Center, 695 W. Center, Midvale, Feb. 15, 2 & 7 p.m.; Feb. 16, 7 p.m., titustickets.com You Bet Your Black Ass, Broadway Good Company Theatre, 2404 Wall Ave., Ogden, Feb. 14-15, 8 p.m.; Feb. 16, 4 & 8 p.m.; Feb. 17, 4 p.m., goodcotheatre.com (see p. 15) Wicked Eccles Theater, 131 S. Main, through March 3, artsaltlake.org

DANCE

Ballet West: Swan Lake Capitol Theatre, 50 W. 200 South, through Feb. 23, balletwest.org Bollywood Boulevard Kingsbury Hall, 1395 E. Presidents Circle, Feb. 15, 7:30 p.m., tickets.utah.edu (see p. 15) J Wong’s Chinese New Year Lion Dance J Wong’s Thai & Chinese Bistro, 163 West 200 S. Ste. 101, Feb. 16, 6 p.m., jwongs.com Utah Ballet: La Fille Mal Gardée Marriott Center for Dance, 330 S. 1500 East, Ste. 106, through Feb. 16, tickets.utah.edu

CLASSICAL & SYMPHONY

American Piano Quartet BYU Madsen Recital Hall, 800 E. Campus Drive, Provo, Feb. 15, 7:30 p.m., arts.byu.edu BYU Symphonic Band BYU de Jong Concert Hall, 800 E. Campus Drive, Provo, Feb. 14, 7:30 p.m., arts.byu.edu BYU Wind Symphony: Band Music from Around the World BYU de Jong Concert Hall, 800 E. Campus Drive, Provo, Feb. 15, 7:30 p.m., arts.byu.edu Lyric Opera Ensemble: Mozart’s Don Giovanni with Paradigm Chamber Orchestra Libby Gardner Hall, 1375 E. Presidents Circle, Feb. 15-16, 7:30 p.m., tickets.utah.edu

COMEDY & IMPROV

Ali Wong Abravanel Hall, 123 W. South Temple, Feb. 17, 7 p.m., artstaltlake.org (see p. 15) Cash Levy Wiseguys SLC, 194 S. 400 West, Feb. 14, 7 p.m., wiseguyscomedy.com Cash Levy Wiseguys Ogden, 269 25th St., Feb. 15-16, 8 p.m., wiseguyscomedy.com Erica Rhodes Wiseguys West Jordan, 3763 W. Center Park Drive, Feb. 15, 8 p.m., wiseguyscomedy.com

Pauly Shore Wiseguys SLC, 194 S. 400 West, Feb. 15-16, 7 & 9:30 p.m., wiseguyscomedy.com Samuel J. Comroe Wiseguys West Jordan, 3763 W. Center Park Drive, Feb. 14, 7 & 9 p.m., wiseguyscomedy.com

LITERATURE AUTHOR APPEARANCES

Feminista Jones & Blair Imani: Reclaiming Our Space & Modern HERstory The King’s English Bookshop, 1511 E. 1500 South, Feb. 20, 7 p.m., kingsenglish.com Reema Zaman: I Am Yours: A Shared Memoir The King’s English Bookshop, 1511 S. 1500 East, Feb. 15, 7 p.m., kingsenglish.com Rhonda Stapley: I Survived Ted Bundy Weller Bookworks, 607 Trolley Square, Feb. 16, 7 p.m., wellerbookworks.com Steven Bohls: Jed and the Junkyard Rebellion Provo City Library, 550 N. University Ave., Provo, Feb. 19, 7-9 p.m., kingsenglish.com

SPECIAL EVENTS FARMERS MARKET

Winter Market Rio Grande Depot, 270 S. Rio Grande St., through April 20, Saturdays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., slcfarmersmarket.org

LGBTQ

The Liberation of Persephone: A Weirdo Production The Beehive, 666 S. State, Feb. 16, 6 p.m., thebeehiveslc.com Art of Love Kimball Art Center 638 Park Ave., Feb. 14, 6-9 p.m., kimballartcenter.org

TALKS & LECTURES

VISUAL ART GALLERIES & MUSEUMS

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FEBRUARY 14, 2019 | 19

Arash Rahimi: The Eyes Wagner Jewish Community Center, 2 N. Medical Drive, through March 1, slcjcc.org Ben Steele: Now Showing Modern West Fine Art, 177 E. 200 South, through March 1, modernwestfineart.com Bill Laursen: Concept+Color+Composition Marmalade Library, 280 W. 500 North, through Feb. 28, slcpl.org Brian Kershisnik Meyer Gallery, 305 Main, Park City, through Feb. 16, meyergallery.com Candelaria Atalaya: Time & Light Souvenirs Sweet Library, 455 F St., through Feb. 23, slcpl.org The Chinese Helped Build the Railroad—The Railroad Helped Build America Viridian Library, 8030 S. 1825 West, West Jordan, through Feb. 28, slcolibrary.org Lisa Anderson: Imprints: Phenomena in Nature Main Library, 210 E. 400 South, through March 1, slcpl.org The International Tolerance Project Utah Museum of Fine Arts, 410 Campus Center Drive, through June 23, umfa.utah.edu

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The Bee: First Date/Worst Date Metro Music Hall, 615 W. 100 South, Feb. 14, 6:00 p.m., thebeeslc.org Martha A. Sandweiss: Discovering History through a Photograph Utah Museum of Fine Arts, 410 Campus Center Drive, Feb. 16, 11 a.m., umfa.utah.edu Rumi’s Poetry with Coleman Barks and Eugene Friesen Libby Gardner Hall, 1375 E. Presidents Circle, Feb. 17, 7:30 p.m., rumi.brownpapertickets.com

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FESTIVALS & FAIRS

Elisabeth Bunker: Keep Breathing Draw Inc., 752 E. 6th Ave., Feb. 15, 6-9 p.m., drawinc.org (see p. 18) Lenka Clayton: Under These Conditions UMOCA, 20 S. West Temple, through May 11, utahmoca.org Mike Simi: Gettin’ By UMOCA, 20 S. West Temple, through May 11, utahmoca.org Love in the Abstract A Gallery, 1321 S. 2100 East, through March 2, agalleryonline.com The Race to Promontory: The Transcontinental Railroad and the American West Utah Museum of Fine Arts, 410 Campus Center Drive, through May 26, umfa.utah.edu Revolution Curated: Original Art of Yan’an’s New Society, 1955-1984 Utah Cultural Celebration Center, 1355 W. 3100 South, West Valley City, through Feb. 27, culturalcelebration.org salt 14: Yang Yongliang Utah Museum of Fine Arts, 410 Campus Center Drive, through June 2, umfa.utah.edu Shady Acres UMOCA, 20 S. West Temple, through May 25, utahmoca.org Storied Earth Alice Gallery, 617 E. South Temple, through March 1, artsandmuseums.utah.gov Susan Makov: Field Notes Main Library, 210 E. 400 South, through March 1, slcpl.org Utah Children’s Chinese Calligraphy & Painting Main Library, 210 E. 400 South, through March 1, slcpl.org Tracing the Path Utah State Capitol, 350 N. State St., through June 26, goldenspike150.org Utah’s 15 Rio Gallery, 300 S. Rio Grade St., through March 8, artistsofutah.org Vincent Mattina, Etsuko Kato & Bill Dunford Finch Lane Gallery, 54 Finch Lane, through Feb. 22, saltlakearts.org World of the Wild Hogle Zoo, 2600 E. Sunnyside Ave, through March 17, hoglezoo.org

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Choco-Love This year, my valentine is chocolate.

BY ALEX SPRINGER comments@cityweekly.net @captainspringer

C

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hocolate and Valentine’s Day have always been bosom buddies. A box of chocolates is second only to roses when it comes to the holiday clichés surrounding this celebration of all things lovey-dovey. Additionally, chocolate has long been considered an aphrodisiac, which is actually a bit of a stretch. According to a few minutes of terribly unsexy research, I learned that chocolate’s power over our libidos is marginal, if it exists at all. But there is something inherently sexy about chocolate. The way it tastes, the way it melts on the tongue and the way it can be drizzled on just about anything you want to put in your mouth makes it a welcome treat come mid-February. As chocolate is never too far from our minds this time of year, here’s a list of some of Salt Lake’s finest chocolate delicacies.

LE LIS KC AR RE

Chocolate Beet Torte at Zest Kitchen & Bar

As I always strive to help our vegan and gluten-free communities live deliciously, I’ve also got a lovely plant-based option for all you chocolate lovers out there. The choco-

Ruth’s Chocolate Malt Pudding at Ruth’s Diner

While I’m enjoying all of the items on this list right now, this is the one I’ll be enjoying for the rest of my life. I paid due homage to Ruth’s chocolate malt pudding ($4.99) during a previous review of Ruth’s Diner—blessed be its name—but if we’re talking about the best uses of chocolate as an ingredient and state of mind, this small manifestation of pure bliss has to make an appearance. It’s everything you need in a chocolate dessert, plus so much more.

Ruth’s Diner 4160 Emigration Canyon Road 801-582-5807 ruthsdiner.com

FEBRUARY 14, 2019 | 21

One of the best aspects of chocolate is its dizzyingly complex flavor spectrum. For an unadulterated shot of the pure stuff that hits you right in the brain stem, try some chocolate drink mix ($3.50) from The Chocolate Conspiracy. If you’re going to chase this particular brand of cocoa dragon, you first need to empty your mind of every hot chocolate experience you’ve ever had—this ain’t that. It’s a consciousness-expanding delve into the flavor complexities of pure dark cocoa, and you can get lost in it if you’re not careful. I recommend starting with the four-ounce portion, but they do have an eight-ounce option ($6) if you’re feeling saucy. You can even take a whole bag of the chocolate mix home for $17. Products from The Chocolate Conspiracy are available at most local grocery stores, but if you want a freshly-brewed cup of this magical beverage, you can visit their factory on Saturdays from noon to 6 p.m.

The Chocolate Conspiracy 774 S. 300 West 385-212-4474 eatchocolateconspiracy.com

late beet torte ($8) at Zest Kitchen & Bar is one of the finest chocolate desserts—vegan or otherwise—available in the city. Using beets and avocado, the geniuses at Zest have built a rich, velvety foundation for the chocolate flavor to play with. It sacrifices nothing for flavor and texture, and it’s an absolute treat for the entire palate. Since each slice offers up a helping of vegetables, you have my permission to eat this wondrous dessert while dieting.

Zest Kitchen & Bar 275 S. 200 West 801-433-0589 zestslc.com

| CITY WEEKLY |

It was a proud day when we finally outgrew our inhibitions about breakfast and started adding chocolate to the menu. There’s really not a bad way to enjoy chocolate for the first meal of the day, and fluffy chocolate chip pancakes hit all the right buttons. It’s a hard recipe to mess up, but there’s something truly magical about the chocolate chip pancakes ($7.95) at The Original Pancake House.

Rich seams of slowly-melting chocolate run through the giant stack of golden-brown pancakes like silver runs through a mountain. A healthy dose of maple syrup makes the sweetness sing, but don’t be afraid to get some fresh strawberries for something a bit more decadent.

The Original Pancake House Multiple locations ophutah.com

Drinking Chocolate at The Chocolate Conspiracy

Chocolate Chip Pancakes at The Original Pancake House

DE

Chocolate-on-chocolate cookies are among the finest culinary innovations known to humanity. Warm or cold, flat or fat, I’ve never met a chocolate-on-chocolate cookie I haven’t liked. That being said, I can’t say I’ve ever had one I’ve loved with a capital L—until I met the Frida ($2.50) at RubySnap.

It’s named after Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, and it comes as close to encapsulating a historical figure as a cookie possibly can. The mound-shaped cookie takes its cue from the Mexican technique of spiking chocolate with a bit of heat— in this case, a chocolate ganache center with a chile de árbol mixture. It’s a perfectly balanced cookie that captures the magic of chocolate when it tangos with chile pepper.

RubySnap 770 S. 300 West 801-834-6111 rubysnap.com

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The Frida at RubySnap

the

BACK BURNER

BY ALEX SPRINGER @captainspringer

SLC Eatery Opens

There’s something special about having the evening’s offerings showcased directly at your table, and that’s what the folks at SLC Eatery (1017 S. Main, slceatery. com) offer nightly. They serve up their rotating menu of small bites, like smoked tri-tip with bonito flakes and roasted mushroom salad, on a dinner cart that cruises through the restaurant. In addition to their cart items, SLC Eatery maintains a more-traditional menu of larger plates for those who want their food slightly less mobile.

It’s currently open during dinner hours only, but the plan is to eventually expand into the lunch market.

Valentine’s Dinner at Table X

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Of all the dining options this Valentine’s Day, Table X (1457 E. 3350 South, 385-528-3712, tablexrestaurant.com) is shaping up to be one of the best bets. The ambiance alone at this Millcreek restaurant is enough to impress dates with the most discerning of tastes.

Found-art sculptures, industrially themed lighting and impressionistic wall art are only a few highlights of the restaurant’s atmosphere, but it’s their seven-course dinner that will really be the MVP in the all-star game of getting you laid on V-day. Dinner will be served on Thursday, Feb. 14, and runs $85 per person—which isn’t too shabby considering the quality and amount of food you get. Reservations are required and can be made online or over the phone.

italianvillageslc.com

5370 S. 900 E. / 801.266.4182 M ON-T HU 11a-11p / FR I -SA T 11a-12a / SU N 3p-10p

Singles Awareness Day at East Liberty Tap House

AS SEEN ON “ DINERS, DRIVE-INS AND DIVES”

Serving American Comfort Food Since 1930 -CREEKSIDE PATIO-87 YEARS AND GOING STRONG-BREAKFAST SERVED DAILY UNTIL 4PM-DELICIOUS MIMOSAS & BLOODY MARY’S-LIVE MUSIC ON THE PATIO-SCHEDULE AT RUTHSDINER.COM“In a perfect world, every town would have a diner just like Ruth’s” -CityWeekly

“Like having dinner at Mom’s in the mountains” -Cincinnati Enquirer

For the lone wolves who will be out and about this weekend looking for a watering hole devoid of couples making googly eyes at one another, check out Singles Awareness Day at East Liberty Tap House (850 E. 900 South, 801-441-2845, eastlibertytaphouse.com). On Thursday, Feb. 14, and Friday, Feb. 15, the 9th & 9th pub offers food-and-drink specials all day long as a way to celebrate relationship independence. Whether you’re drowning your sorrows due to a recent breakup or on the prowl for a bit of no-strings-attached action, East Liberty is a great place to kick off your weekend.

25

year

s!

Valentine’s Party at Tracy Aviary

Quick: How long has it been since you visited Tracy Aviary? This Friday, Feb. 15, is the perfect opportunity to fall in love with the Liberty Park gem all over again.

From 6-9 p.m., the aviary hosts a sweethearts party with libations, dancing and mini-lessons on bird-mating rituals. The night, designed for those 21 and over, is sure to give the term “lovebirds” a whole new meaning.

Tickets start at $40. Visit tracyaviary.org for more.

Quote of the Week: “I love love. Every day of my life is Valentine’s Day. When you’re a pathological narcissist, you have to fall in love with yourself every day.”

—Katya Zamolodchikova

4160 EMIGRATION CANYON ROAD | 801 582-5807 | WWW.RUTHSDINER.COM

Celebrat i

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22 | FEBRUARY 14, 2019

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FEBRUARY 14, 2019 | 23

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Two fruit beers employ different approaches.

BY MIKE RIEDEL comments@cityweekly.net @utahbeer

I

n my experience, fruit beers are probably one of the most divisive styles you’ll find out there. You either love them or hate them; I only hate them when they’re so damn cloying and fruity it’s like choking down a glass of grandma’s grape juice. The key to a good fruit beer is to showcase the fruit while letting the base beer shine. This can be done successfully with a heavy hand or a light touch, depending on the beer style. This week, I present two ales that are, respectively, weighty and feathery light in their approaches.

Red Rock Brewing Peaches & Steam: This pours a clear orange-amber color with

| CITY WEEKLY |

24 | FEBRUARY 14, 2019

Contemporary Japanese Dining LUNCH • DINNER • COCKTAILS

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The Feather and the Hammer

a single finger of fairly dense and fluffy offwhite head, which reduces to a nice, lingering cap. Spotty, soapy lacing clings down the glass; a good amount of streaming carbonation retains the cap. The aroma points toward tangerine, peach and pineapple, with lesser doses of pine, caramel and toasted biscuit. The taste begins with caramel, light toffee and toasted biscuit, which is pretty much in line with what you’d expect from a California common/steam beer. Next, notes of light peach, grapefruit and pineapple push forward; they’re very light, and you might miss them if you’re not paying attention. Toward the end, orange peel, pine and herbal grasses round out the flavors. The taste is still dominated by the malty goodness of caramel, toasted bread, sugar, grain, toffee and dough, while the hops become much bolder. There’s a moderate amount of piney, spicy bitterness on the finish. You’ll find nice complexity, with a great malt-to-bitterness balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish, and light-to-moderate dryness from bitterness as well. The carbonation is mediumhigh, with a medium body and a smooth, fairly crisp, balanced mouthfeel. The 4 percent alcohol is very well hidden, with zero warming effects.

Overall: I have to admit I was a little hesitant when I saw “peaches” on the label, but the subtle and controlled use of the fruit added to the all-around great complexity, ro-

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BEER NERD

bustness and balance of peach and the base beer. It’s a very pleasant take on the style.

2 Row Brewing Passion Fruit Sour: This beer pours a clear, pale golden yellow color, with a rather aggressively teeming tower of puffy, loosely foamy and fizzy bone-white head. It smells of pungent tropical fruit, with a bit of lactic sourness, predominant cereal malt, some understated white wine and very tame, leafy, earthy hops. The taste starts with grainy pale and wheat malt; passion fruit emerges next, with hints of mixed tropical fruits. Acidic lactic notes and domestic citrus round out the flavors with earthy hoppiness. It’s easy to drink, with a nice spritzy body and feeling to it, and no alcohol warmth to speak of. The damp cereal grains are a distraction

and keep it from bumping up to a higher level.

Overall: A mild and interesting fruited sour beer. Not too rough around the edges, but a good starter beer for those of you that might be thinking of getting into sours, as the casual drinker can easily pick out the fruit, handle the sour and begin to search out the funkier aspects.

Peaches & Steam will be floating around for a while and is available at most Harmons grocery stores and all Red Rock locations. Look for it in Red Rock’s 16-ounce bottles or on draft. The Passionfruit Sour will require a bit more legwork; though it will be at your better beer pubs, you’re guaranteed to find some at 2 Row’s bottle shop in Midvale. As always, cheers! CW

P.S. They Love You

MUSIC

Salt Lake City quartet The Backseat Lovers move fans with their emotional indie rock and unstinting work ethic.

BY NICK McGREGOR music@cityweekly.net @mcgregornick

CASSIE ANDERSON

W

Left to right: Juice Welch, Jonas Swanson, Ethan Christensen and Joshua Harmon of The Backseat Lovers

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FEBRUARY 14, 2019 | 25

grown a lot closer. I think that’s one of the most important parts about being in a band.”

That extra level of cohesion is apparent on The Backseat Lovers’ 2019 full-length debut, When We Were Friends. Boasting a heightened level of sonic excellence and instrumental precision, it’s still rooted in reflective nostalgia. “The songs are all written from honest personal experience,” Harmon says. “Some date back to when I was 16 years old, and some back to just a month ago. On our first EP, I wrote all the songs, but since then, the writing process has become extremely collaborative. Recording the album, we learned so much and can happily say we wouldn’t change a thing. We’re very excited to keep challenging ourselves while writing and recording even better music.”

The biggest challenge for The Backseat Lovers so far has come with expanding their tour profile. While they relish the shows they’ve played at Velour and Kilby Court, true growth occurred when they ventured north through Logan and into Idaho—and played in front of bigger, newer crowds. “Rexburg was different but very positive,” Harmon raves. “The people there were accepting and we had a fun show playing to a crowd that didn’t know us; it felt like we needed to earn it and play our hearts out. It was a good way to dip our toes into touring.”

On the heels of their sold-out album release at Velour in January, the group now ventures to California for the first time, with shows at the Fox Theater in Pomona on Feb. 15 and the Moroccan Lounge in Los Angeles on Feb. 17. “Our biggest short-term goals are focused around growing outside of Utah,” Harmon says.

“With the release of our new album, we’re planning to do everything we can in 2019 to spread it as far nationally as possible.”

The quartet plans to move into a house together this spring to focus on writing new music and saving money for national touring, with their sights set on bigger festivals and outdoor venues here in Utah as well.

Beyond that, The Backseat Lovers have big dreams. By 2020, their goal is to move from part-time to full-time musicians. “We want to give the music everything we’ve got,” Harmon says. “We want to push ourselves to our creative limits and, in return, be able to sustain ourselves.”

If their trajectory, highlighted best by the evolution from Elevator Days to When We Were Friends, is any indication, that shouldn’t be a problem. “It has always and always will be about creating bigger and better music with every release,” Harmon says. “When it all comes down to it, the songs are what matter most.” CW

| CITYWEEKLY.NET |

ith Sundance in the books, the biggest snowstorm of the season behind us and Valentine’s Day dead in our sights, we’re all looking for a little love.

Luckily, Salt Lake City quartet The Backseat Lovers have affection to spare: for their fans, for themselves and for the process of creating their infectious blend of indie rock, bedroom pop and glam strut.

From the very first song off their very first EP—2018’s Elevator Days—Joshua Harmon (lead vocals/guitar), Juice Welch (drums/ vocals), Jonas Swanson (lead guitar/vocals) and Ethan Christensen (bass) have plucked nostalgic heartstrings. On “Out of Tune,” they sing lovingly of being “introduced to rock ’n’ roll, YouTube and girls.” On “Pictures,” they juxtapose the reading of scripture with a plan to “move out to the coast/ gonna figure out what I like most.”

On “Still a Friend,” The Backseat Lovers flash their hand of Dr. Dog-by-way-of-Weezer influences most obviously, Harmon wailing over staccato guitar crunches before the song’s instrumental bridge slows to a psychedelic crawl.

Even when they were brand new, these young Utah 20-somethings knew the right way to “Address Your Letters.” Who else has the chutzpah to sample John Lennon addressing the Queen of England over tender fingerpicked guitar and emotional lyrics about “kiss[ing] my youth goodbye?” That verve and transparency, explains both The Backseat Lovers’ origin story—Harmon met Swanson while waiting in line for an open mic at Velour in Provo, and since neither of them got on the list to play that night, they sat on a park bench and played their songs to each other—and their immediate success.

Less than a year after that fateful night, the band took another crack at the Velour stage, playing a June edition of the venue’s Battle of the Bands contest. This time, fresh off the release of Elevator Days, they won over the judges and the crowd, claiming the coveted title and jumpstarting The Backseat Lovers’ ascent. “That was definitely the start that we needed in terms of both confidence in ourselves and our credibility as a group,” Harmon says. “Less than a month after the EP was released, a good chunk of the crowd was already singing along. That opened a lot of doors in the music community and helped brand our name as a legitimate band.”

Not bad for a new band with a short five-song set, recorded half in the band’s original home of Heber City, and half at Pale Horse Sound in Sugar House. The catch is that everything on Elevator Days—along with subsequent singles like “Maple Syrup,” “Sinking Ship” and “Pool House”—is rooted in the deep emotion of young artists struggling to find their outlet. Like the country-tinged emopunk of Pinegrove and the R&B-bathed rock of Alabama Shakes, you can hear the desperation, the ecstasy and the ennui in every note The Backseat Lovers hit. It’s authentic, incisive and irresistible—no matter the genre. What more can you ask for?

“As a group, our chemistry has grown the most in the short eight months that we’ve had to play together,” Harmon says. “You can see it reflected in our songwriting and overall cohesiveness when it comes to collaboration. As people and as musicians, we’ve

COMPLETE LISTINGS ONLINE AT CITYWEEKLY.NET

BY NAOMI CLEGG, BARBY GARCIA, NICK McGREGOR & LEE ZIMMERMAN

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FRIDAY 2/15

Le Butcherettes, Stars at Night, Lord Vox

This Mexican garage-punk band from Guadalajara deserves our full attention.

Vocalist/guitarist Teri Gender Bender is far from your cookie-cutter frontwoman. With her raw, versatile vocals, the band’s 1950s fashion inspiration and props like feather dusters and bloody aprons, it’s no surprise why Le Butcherettes were awarded Best New Artist and Best Punk Record accolades at the 2009 Indie-O Music Awards. Ten years later, Gender Bender, Riko RodriguezLópez, Alejandra Robles Luna and Marfred Rodriguez-López have stayed true to their punk roots, even as they’ve added enough of a psychedelic and electronic feel to land them opening gigs for The Dead Weather and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Perky drum beats and political lyrics dominate their muchanticipated fourth full-length, bi/MENTAL, released Feb. 1 on Rise Records as the follow-up to 2015’s A Raw Youth. The new album touches on subjects of family and serves as an ode to mental-health awareness. “Essentially, this record was inspired by the death of a living mother, but none of that matters anymore,” Gender Bender said in a news release for the album. With production and cameos from indie rock legend Jerry Harrison of Talking Heads and an unapologetic take on female empowerment

The Infamous Stringdusters

and avant-garde art-rock, Le Butcherettes should have your attention now. (Barby Garcia) Kilby Court, 741 S. Kilby Court, 7 p.m., $15, all ages, kilbycourt.com

SATURDAY 2/16

SLUG Mag’s Time Warp: 30th Anniversary Party

Whether you celebrate Valentine’s Day or not, on the weekend after, treat yo’ self to a retrospective dive into the history of one of Salt Lake City’s most pivotal music, arts and lifestyle publications. Black lights, T-shirt decoration and live screen-printing, a build-your-own SLUG cover station and SLUG Bingo hosted by Adam Sherlock are the initial draws of this celebration, with additional jams laid down by local favorites Cool Banana, Durian Durian and DJ Finale Grand. Spanning The Urban Lounge and Rye Diner & Drinks, this is a party you won’t want to miss. City Weekly founder John Saltas tells us why: “SLUG Mag founder J.R. Ruppel and myself met up when SLUG was just a few issues old at his old music joint, The Word. J.R. started doing layout and production for our paper, and we let him use our stuff to produce his—copier, paper, computers, wax, knives, line tape, cigarettes, all the basics. It’s easy to tell which ads and layouts J.R. did, since he fell in love with a particular piece of early software that let you stretch and scrunch fonts. It was like his ‘sticky bandits’ signature—you knew it was

AARON FARRINGTON

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Exotic burgers!

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Le Butcherettes his work. Often, I had to pick him up for work or take him home, so at one point I just gave him my old red Saab so he’d have wheels.

SLUG was cool, and a number of people affiliated with it from that period went on to do some great things. Good people and good times.” (Nick McGregor) The Urban Lounge, 241 S. 500 East, 8 p.m. $5, 21+, theurbanloungeslc.com

The Infamous Stringdusters, Shook Twins

It might sound like an unlikely proposition, but there’s only a scant divide between yesterday’s brand of bluegrass and today’s populist precepts. Often termed nü-grass, Americana or “grassicana,” the current generation shows its reverence for the roots while tempering them with contemporary credence. The Infamous Stringdusters offer an ideal example in name and practice.

After more than a dozen years and eight studio albums, the “Dusters” (as they’re often called by their legions of diehard devotees) continue to crisscross the country, playing approximately 120 shows a year.

Recognized by the International Bluegrass Association for their artistry and innovation, The Infamous Stringdusters incorporate guitar, fiddle, dobro, banjo and bass to mesh jam-band improvisation with dedication and discipline, resulting in rousing performances that emphasize technical skill, energy and exhilaration. This show’s openers, identical siblings Katelyn and Laurie Shook—naturally known as the Shook Twins—bring their recently released fourth album, Some Good Lives, to town. An homage to the men around them, the Shook Twins share the idea that while a strong sisterhood and the #MeToo movement have brought serious concerns to the forefront, there are still more than a few good men willing to rally for their cause. (Lee Zimmerman) The Commonwealth Room, 195 W. Commonwealth Ave., 8 p.m., $30, 21+, thecommonwealthroom.com

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FEBRUARY 14, 2019 | 27

RYAN PFLUGER

TUESDAY 2/19

Sharon Van Etten, Nilüfer Yanya

SPIR ITS . FO O D . LO CA L BEER 2.13 LORIN WALKER MADSEN

2.14 GROOVEMENT

2.15 SUPERBUBBLE

2.16 MURPHY & THE GIANT

2.18 OPEN BLUES & MORE JAM

Sharon Van Etten has accomplished a lot since her last album, Are We There, was released in 2014. The New Jersey native, now a New Yorker, got into acting, guest starring in the Netflix series The OA. She went to school to get a degree in mental-health counseling and worked on several film scores, including music for David Lynch’s reboot of Twin Peaks.

But most monumentally, the singer-songwriter became a mom, giving birth to a first son for her and her drummer, now manager. After a whirlwind five years, Van Etten returns to her first love, music, with 2019’s Remind Me Tomorrow, released Jan. 18 on Jagjaguwar.

Written while Van Etten was pregnant, her fears and possibilities of impending motherhood infuse the record, which skews far more electronic than her past acoustic guitar-centric work. “I want to be a mom, a singer, an actress, go to school,” the singer says in a news release for the album, “but yeah, I have a stain on my shirt, oatmeal in my hair and I feel like a mess, but I’m here. Doing it. This record is about pursuing your passions.” NPR Music’s All Songs Considered host Robin Hilton described the album as “full of all these pulsing synths and big beats and lots of strange dark textures.”

Van Etten has moved from spare melodies to fuller songs backed by a cranking band; for this album, she worked with producer John Congleton to make something darker, deeper and more energetic than her past work. As Hilton says, echoing the thoughts of critics and fans the world over, “I think it’s the best thing [Van Etten’s] ever done, and it’s also unlike anything she’s ever done before.” (Naomi Clegg) Metro Music Hall, 615 W. 100 South, 8 p.m., $25, 21+, metromusichall.com

Sharon Van Etten

WEDNESDAY 2/20 Parker Gispert

It’s all too tempting to toss out a cliché like “Parker Gispert flips his wig,” or, in this case, “Gispert flips off The Whigs.” After five albums together since 2002 and an unceasing touring routine punctuated by countless TV appearances, it was clearly time for Gispert, The Whigs’ lead singer, to take a breather from the Athens, Ga.based garage-rock combo. So he did what all overworked rock stars do: He headed out of town. “I’ve never really lived out in the country like that,” he said in late 2018.

Yet while The Whigs were on hiatus, Gispert couldn’t shake off his muse. “It sort of occurred to me I was going to have to do it solo for the first time,” he said. “It was that realization—and finding myself out in the country—that broke everything down and made it a lot simpler.” The resulting album, Sunlight Tonight, unfolds in a sublime set of songs imbued with psychedelic suggestion, using cellos, acoustic guitars, strings and keyboards to convey its aural imagery. The transition from studio to stage ought to be most satisfying, particularly in the intimate environs of Rye Diner & Drinks. Gispert has done solo shows before, but in the past, he’s mostly offered individual interpretations of songs he wrote for The Whigs. This time, he’ll have new illumination and inspiration to tap into. (LZ) Rye Diner & Drinks, 239 S. 500 East, 6 p.m., $16 advance; $18 day of show, all ages, ryeslc.com

Parker Gispert

2.20 SLINGS AND ARROWS

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RIS MAREK

CONCERTS & CLUBS

WEDNESDAY 2/20 Okilly Dokilly, Playboy Manbaby

I once had a friend who, for the sake of anonymity, we’ll call “Jay.” Jay wore light polo shirts and khakis. Outwardly, his appearance was clean-pressed and his attitude positive, but in reality, he was the biggest metalhead I’ve ever known. At shows, you could find Jay in the middle of the pit slam-dancing, headbanging and destroying anything in his path.

Why reminisce on past friendships? Well, neighborinos, the old saying about not judging a book by its cover has come to life again thanks to Phoenix-based “Nedal” band Okilly Dokilly, which of course pays tribute to legendary The Simpsons character Ned Flanders.

Inspired by a 1996 episode dubbed “Hurricane Neddy,” this five-piece band of Neds is touring the country in support of their upcoming second album, Howdilly Twodilly. “You can be very much into metal and not necessarily have the look or the lifestyle,” Head Ned, founding member and vocalist of Okilly Dokilly, says. And sometimes appearances can deceive; although Okilly Dokilly started as a simple idea, the band quickly took the online world by storm with just a four-track demo and no live shows to their name. Now, Okilly Dokilly is racking up press and exposure, the likes of which they never dreamed. In classic Ned Flanders fashion, the band has a mission in mind: “We do play up the story of this kind of volcanic energy in Ned,” Head Ned says. “There’s definitely this idea that Ned has this Jekyll and Hyde personality, and that’s our storyline of what drives us for shows.”

Celebrating 2019 with more than a couple glasses of white wine spritzer, these Flanders fanatics have a few more aims, as well. “The band’s current goal as far as ‘Reneducation’ of the planet is to make sure that everybody just gets closer to Ned, grows a little kinder and maybe uses their left hand a little more,” Head Ned says. “Hopefully, our new record will reach far and wide and cheer people up.” (Rachelle Fernandez) The Urban Lounge, 241 S. 500 East, 8 p.m., $15, 21+, theurbanloungeslc.com

THURSDAY 2/14 LIVE MUSIC

Amy Winehouse Tribute feat. Amy Jade’s Beehive Society (The State Room) Atmosphere + deM atlaS + The Lioness + DJ Keezy (The Union) Choir Boy + Fossil Arms + Ani Christ (Urban Lounge) Common Kings + Nattali Rize (O.P. Rockwell) Groovement (Hog Wallow Pub) Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real (Commonwealth Room) Mary Wilson (Egyptian Theatre) Nashville Unplugged (Rockwell Room) TV Girl + George Clanton (Kilby Court) VadaWave (Rye) Wiz Khalifa + Curren$y (The Depot)

FRIDAY 2/15 LIVE MUSIC

The Anchorage + The Gringos + The Makeways (Ice Haüs) Bassjackers (Park City Live) Colt.46 (The Westerner) Comethazine + Matt Ox + TNT Tez (The Complex) Dead Floyd (The State Room)

Endings + Heretic A.D. (The Underground) Fear and Loathing (Gold Blood Collective) Fiji (Soundwell) German Wyoming + Afterhrs + Gussy (Urban Lounge) Harpers + Star Crossed Loners (ABG’s) Le Butcherettes + Stars at Night + Lord Vox (Kilby Court) see p. 26 Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real (Commonwealth Room) Mary Wilson (Egyptian Theatre) Mass Appeal (Metro Music Hall) Natural Causes (Club 90) Pixie & The Partygrass Boys + St. Terrible (Urban Lounge) Reverend Horton Heat (The Depot) Rick Gerber + Will Baxter Band (Lake Effect) Royal Bliss + Ginger & The Gents + Nick Rage + Michael Alexander (The Royal) Will Baxter Band (Gracie’s) You Topple Over (Garage on Beck)

SATURDAY 2/16 LIVE MUSIC

The American Hitmen (Ice Haüs) Adventures of Walter Ergo (Velour) Barefoot John Whipple (HandleBar)

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32 | FEBRUARY 14, 2019

POPLAR STREET PUB

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BAR FLY

BAYNK + Golden Vessel (Soundwell) Chad & Kristo (State Road Tavern) Colt.46 (The Westerner) Dead Floyd (O.P. Rockwell) Donner Pass (The Spur) Echo Muse + No Company + Hollow Crown + Untamed Engine + Good Call + Damn Dirty Vultures (The Complex) The Infamous Stringdusters + Shook Twins (Commonwealth Room) see p. 26 Live Trio (The Red Door) Mary Wilson (Egyptian Theatre) Matt Calder + Marmalade Chill (Lake Effect) Monét X Change (Metro Music Hall) Mythic Valley (Garage on Beck) Natalie MacMaster + Donnell Leahy & Family (Eccles Center) Royal Bliss (The Yes Hell) Sav’Joe + Drewthepoet + Theciscokidd + PONYY!! + Murderou$t (Kilby Court) SLUG Mag’s Time Warp 30th Anniversary feat. Cool Banana + Durian Durian + DJ Finale Grand (Urban Lounge) see p. 26 Spazmatics (Liquid Joe’s) Stay Away + Bueno Hearts + New Limbo + DTA (The Underground) Tim Daniels Band (Legends)

U92 Throwback Jam feat. Ice Cube + Too $hort + Ying Yang Twins + ZAPP + Baby Bash + Digital Underground + The Luniz (Vivint Smart Home Arena) Winter Wonder Jam feat. Badfeather + Michelle Moonshine + Morgan Snow + Gillian Chase + Big Blue Horns + Big Blue Ox + Will Baxter Band (The Depot)

SUNDAY 2/17 LIVE MUSIC

Aetherus + The Odious Construct + A Traitor’s Last Breath + Winter Light + Hero Double Zero (The Loading Dock) AshenVoid + Stormhaven + Stasis (The Beehive) The Bellrays + The Atom Age + Slick Velveteens (Urban Lounge) Crazy Town + Jezus Rides a Riksha + Andrew Boss + Natas Lived (Metro Music Hall) Dreamgirl + Acid Tongue (Kilby Court) Groundation + Vocal Reasoning (O.P. Rockwell) The Lazlos + Chris Orrock (Garage on Beck)

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Sunday is the best day for scouting photography around the city. Car traffic might be lighter, but foot traffic is dense downtown, especially near 200 West, where patrons gather at Poplar Street Pub to get their mimosas and brunch in before Monday. On my photo journey, I faced the dilemma: In which bar should I be a fly on the wall for this week’s feature? Just then, I spotted a City Weekly stand and an old-school beach cruiser with ape hangers chilling outside Poplar Street Pub. It was fate—the choice was made. Nestled in between two old orange brick buildings, Poplar offered up a similarly cozy spot at the bar, where I took a seat next to Lauren, a regular. She and I started to discuss the best and worst IPAs, if fruit belongs in beer, and life after college. The Minnesota native uprooted her life to attend the University of Utah: “I came here at 20 years old with my record player and my Led Zeppelin poster—and I have been here ever since,” she tells me in between sips of her Ballast Point Grapefruit Sculpin. However, it’s not just fruitthemed brew that brings Lauren and other patrons to Poplar Street Pub. Every Sunday, it’s all-you-can-eat brunch; Lauren swears by the chicken-fried steak smothered in gravy and topped with pot stickers. As the barback brings out plates, the bar chatter gets louder and the outside patio crowds make their way inside to line up. For omelets and photo ops, Poplar Street Pub’s giant brick building proved picture perfect in its own way. (Rachelle Fernandez) 242 S. 200 West, 801-5322715, poplarstreetpub.com

Mary Wilson (Egyptian Theatre) Mike Rogers (Legends) Tonight Alive (The Complex) Will Baxter Band (Lake Effect)

Sharon Van Etten + Nilüfer Yanya (Metro Music Hall) see p. 28 The Waldron Brothers + The Rubies + Whole Milk (Kilby Court)

MONDAY 2/18

WEDNESDAY 2/20

LIVE MUSIC

LIVE MUSIC

Amanda Johnson (The Spur) Nate Robinson (Legends) Slay Lake City Showcase: Rock ’n’ Roll Camp for Girls Showcase (The Depot) Will Baxter Band (Lake Effect)

TUESDAY 2/19 LIVE MUSIC

The Band Camino + Hardcastle (In the Venue) Chris Robinson Brotherhood (The Commonwealth Room) Daniel Torriente (The Spur) From the Heart (Urban Lounge) Lauren Williams (Velour) Momentum + Drain + Hands Of God (Gold Blood Collective) One OK Rock + Waterparks + Stand Atlantic (The Depot)

As It Is + Sharptooth + Point North + Hold Close (Loading Dock) COIN + Tessa Violet (The Depot) Crucialfest Showdown feat.

Riding Gravity + Mantis Jackson + Repressionist + Founders of Ruin + The Salt, The Sea, The Sun God (Metro Music Hall) Joshy Soul & The Cool (Gallivan Center) Live Jazz (Club 90) Men I Trust + Michael Syer (Kilby Court) Okilly Dokilly + Playboy Manbaby (Urban Lounge) see p. 30 Parker Gispert (Rye) see p. 28 Point of the Mountain + Substitute Dad + Red Checker (The Underground) Riley McDonald (The Spur) Saves the Day + Remo Drive + Mighty (The Complex) Sydnie Keddington (Lake Effect)

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FILM REVIEW

Human Touch

CINEMA PRESENTS

Alita: Battle Angel finds some heart in high-tech spectacle.

RENDEZVOUS

BY SCOTT RENSHAW scottr@cityweekly.net @scottrenshaw

H

@ N. RIO GRANDE STREET

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APRIL 20TH | 2PM - 8PM

Rosa Salazar in Alita: Battle Angel scenarios are as predictable as a baby enjoying chocolate for the first time. It takes a special kind of performance to shine through not just when your face is digitally altered, but when the situations involve archetypal hero quests and cut-and-paste relationship dynamics. Sharing the screen with winners of a total of four Oscars—Jennifer Connelly as Ido’s enigmatic ex-wife, is part of the supporting cast in addition to Waltz and Ali—Salazar radiates charisma and finds both power and decency in Alita.

That’s what a would-be blockbuster— and, it’s clear from the final scenes, wouldbe franchise—needs in order to stand out from the pack in 2019, much more than an investment in hundreds of programmers to render your story’s physical architecture.

Sure, it’s a well-crafted action movie, and it looks impressive in IMAX 3D. But when Alita: Battle Angel works, it’s because there’s some feeling in the middle of familiar genre material. Like Alita herself, it’s less about all the cutting-edge technology than about the heart that drives it. CW

PAIR WITH The Bourne Identity (2002) Matt Damon Franka Potente R

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FEBRUARY 14, 2019 | 35

Gunnm (1993) Miki Itô Shunsuke Kariya NR

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BBB Rosa Salazar Christoph Waltz Mahershala Ali PG-13

ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL

A FREE EXPERIENTIAL EVENT SPOTLIGHTING ACTIVITIES THAT CAN BE ENJOYED BY THE WHOLE FAMILY.

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revolves around watching and betting on a roller derby-esque game called motorball, with the game’s primary mogul/fixer, Vector (Mahershala Ali), as the city’s de facto boss. If you want to make a world believable, make sure the underclass gets its bread and circuses and make the faint hope of getting out dependent on success in a violent sport.

More than the trappings of this world, though, Alita’s wow factor depends on Iron City’s various electronically enhanced denizens. There’s not exactly anything game-changing in the design of characters like the human-faced, robot-bodied Zapan (Ed Skrein) or the massive assassin Grewishka (Jackie Earle Haley), with his ejectable hand-claws, but they occupy a universe where people with artificial body parts interact seamlessly with unenhanced humans. A dreary post-apocalyptic urban center might not get the blood flowing, but the inhabitants—and their furious battles, as staged by Rodriguez—are consistently interesting to look at.

The surprising center, however, is Alita herself, and it’s not just because of the stylized animation that renders her with oversized anime-style eyes. In a sense, there’s a familiar arc to Alita as an amnesiac whose dangerous abilities show themselves in bits and pieces—she’s a little bit Jason Bourne, a little bit Iron Giant—and there’s certainly nothing radical about her infatuation with a kindly scavenger named Hugo (Keean Johnson). Yet Salazar invests the character with an infectious humanity, even when the

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

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ow close are we to the post-spectacle cinematic era? It might seem like a counterintuitive question in 2019, as theatrical releases seem to focus more and more on blockbusters, while mid-budget stories flee to cable and streaming services in ever-growing numbers. But more than 25 years after Terminator 2 and Jurassic Park changed the game with revolutionary CGI technology, we get multiplex visits to dazzling fantastical universes almost monthly. From Wakanda to Atlantis, from distant planets to dystopian futures, it’s easy for awe fatigue to set in. No matter how much work a creative team puts into special effects, something human is required for a story to grab audiences’ attention. Somewhere between the oohs and the aahs, there has to be an emotional connection.

In adapting the 1990s manga story Battle Angel Alita—also known in Japan as Gunnm—screenwriters James Cameron and Laeta Kalogridis and director Robert Rodriguez have a familiar kind of landscape as the foundation for their futuristic fantasy. In the year 2563, a metropolis called Iron City has emerged in the shadow of the last remaining floating city, a muchdesired destination called Zalem. At the center of this surface city is a pile of garbage ejected from Zalem that would keep WALL-E busy for centuries—and it’s there that scavenging scientist Dr. Dyson Ido (Christoph Waltz) finds the discarded head and core of a cybernetic human he calls Alita (Rosa Salazar), who awakens with a new body created for her by Ido and no memory of her previous life.

Obviously a lot of the world-building work for Alita was done by the source material, but Rodriguez and Cameron do a reasonably effective job of establishing this setting’s economy of gleaners, criminals and government-sponsored mercenaries. It even feels just right that civic life in Iron City

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CINEMA CLIPS MOVIE TIMES AND LOCATIONS AT CITYWEEKLY.NET

NEW THIS WEEK Film release schedules are subject to change. Reviews online at cityweekly.net ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL BBB See review on p. 35. Opens Feb. 14 at theaters valleywide. (PG-13) CAPERNAUM BB Miserabilism is too common an artistic choice in portraying poverty; director Nadine Labaki’s variation on that theme adds a premise that’s morally indefensible. The narrative centers on a 12-year-old Syrian boy named Zain (Zain Al Rafeea), who—in framing sequences set after he has been convicted of a violent crime—files a lawsuit against his parents for having him. The bulk of the story unfolds in flashbacks, as Zain runs away from home after his beloved sister is sold off into marriage and winds up serving as a live-in babysitter for an Ethiopian immigrant.

The non-professional Al Rafeea provides a prickly energy to the unpleasant developments in Zain’s life, and maybe this basic narrative works with a conventional chronology, minus the awful framing device. But it’s really gilding the lily to mix up the impoverished native underclass with the plight of migrants and the evils of those who prey on their vulnerability. The heartstring-tugging works at times, but when it feels like we’re ultimately coming down on the side of “the best way to prevent a lot of suffering is to sterilize the poor,” that’s, like, a problem. Opens Feb. 15 at Broadway Centre Cinemas. (R)—Scott Renshaw HAPPY DEATH DAY 2U [not yet reviewed]

Tree (Jessica Rothe) once again faces a mysterious loop in which she must experience her own death over and over again. Opens Feb. 13 at theaters valleywide. (PG-13) ISN’T IT ROMANTIC BBB Is it a cheat or an impressive tightwire act to spoof romantic comedy tropes while also fully embracing them? Rebel Wilson stars as Natalie, a New York-based architect who has resigned herself, as a plus-sized woman, to being invisible to others— until she wakes up from a knock on the head to find herself living inside a romantic comedy where her apartment is improbably massive, flowers line every street and men see her as beautiful.

Erin Cardillo’s screenplay generally only takes love taps at the genre she’s sending up, rather the body blows landed by a satire like They Came Together, so the jokes rarely feel truly inspired.

But Wilson is delightful, nicely underplaying the role of a cynic responding to the unfamiliar role of being in a romantic triangle between a hunky, rich client (Liam Hemsworth) and her nice-guy co-worker (Wilson’s Pitch Perfect costar Adam Devine). You might see the moral of the story coming from a mile away, but that doesn’t mean it’s an unwelcome one—or that you can’t chuckle both at the idea of people spontaneously breaking into a production number and at the production number itself. Opens Feb. 13 at theaters valleywide. (PG-13)—SR

SPECIAL SCREENINGS 90-SECOND NEWBERY FILM FESTIVAL At Main Library, Feb. 16, 2 p.m. (NR) BACKCOUNTRY FILM FESTIVAL At Park City Library, Feb. 19, 6:30 p.m. (NR) BANFF FILM FESTIVAL At Kingsbury Hall, Feb. 19-21, 7 p.m. (NR)

BEARS OF DURANGO At Main Library, Feb. 19, 7 p.m. (NR)

Aesthetically, it’s easy to embrace Cold War. The things going on beneath its beautiful surface remain a bit more elusive. (R)—SR

SHOPLIFTERS At Park City Film Series, Feb. 15-16, 8 p.m.; Feb. 17, 6 p.m. (PG-13)

THE KID WHO WOULD BE KING BBB Writer/director Joe Cornish tells the story of Alex (Louis Ashbourne Serkis), a 12-year-old British schoolboy who improbably finds himself wielding Excalibur and leading a quest to prevent the rise of the sorceress Morgana (Rebecca Ferguson) with a ragtag crew of young Round Table knights. Cornish doesn’t show the same sense of pacing he did in Attack the Block; this two-hour kid pic drags a bit on the way to its climax. But the appealing young cast provides some welcome energy, and the battles against flaming demon skeletons are solidly rousing.

There’s a satisfying Brexit-era insistence on the need for a basic code of decency, and an inspirational message to young viewers: Big battles can be won by those who work together and refuse to let powerful bad guys win—and you don’t need to be a Chosen One. (PG)—SR

CURRENT RELEASES COLD PURSUIT [ZERO STARS] The latest Liam Neeson revenge fantasy consists of random racist, sexist crap padding out a rancid excuse for a thriller—and it makes no sense whatsoever. We never know why the son of Neeson’s snowplow driver Nels Coxman is murdered by drug lord “Viking” (Tom Bateman), but perhaps we’re not meant to care why Neeson is going on another rage-fueled execution spree.

Cheap callbacks to Fargo only remind us that the Coen brothers might have made this unpleasant mess palatable. The tone here, however, is thoroughly appalling: jokes about kidnapping and the comedic undercutting of grief are abhorrent; women and people of color are humiliated. This is the sort of cinematic abomination that thinks it can get away with abuse and bigotry because it’s coming from the villains, but what does that say about the filmmakers who engineered it all? (R)—MaryAnn Johanson COLD WAR BBB It’s an odd feeling watching a filmmaker reach for a thematic complexity he can’t quite wrap his arms around. Pawel Pawlikowski seems interested in nothing less than distilling the Soviet Bloc era of Polish history into one messy romantic relationship—between Wiktor (Tomasz Kot), the music director of a folk music troupe, and Zula (Joanna Kulig), one of his performers—between 1949 and 1964. That 15-year scope takes only 89 minutes, and the breakneck pacing leaves gaps in the central relationship. It’s fortunate, then, that Cold War has two other terrific things going for it: stunning black-and-white cinematography by Oscar-nominated Lukasz Zal, and a terrific performance by Kulig that captures Zula’s ferocious survival instinct.

THE LEGO MOVIE 2: THE SECOND PART BBB Five years and four Lego features after 2014’s The Lego Movie, its burst of imagination in the great sea of CGI-animated sameness has given way to something simply fun and diverting, as Emmet (Chris Pratt), Lucy (Elizabeth Banks) and friends try to fight off Duplo invaders. The script aims again for a mix of winking nods at blockbuster filmmaking and a recognition of how real-world kids process their world through play. And while the gags are generally satisfying, it’s hard for the whole thing not to feel like a Duplo-cation of the original, including the attempt to create an earwormy theme song. In fact, at times it feels more like it’s trying to mimic the Toy Story franchise—a fine model for great animated filmmaking, but not quite as effective as when everything was awesome and completely distinctive. (PG)—SR

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AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): “A freshness lives deep in me which no one can take from me,” Swedish poet Gunnar Ekelöf wrote. “Something unstilled, unstillable is within me; it wants to be voiced,” philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche wrote. In accordance with your astrological omens, I propose we make these two quotes your mottos for the next four weeks.

In my opinion, you have a mandate to tap into what’s freshest and most unstillable about you—and then cultivate it, celebrate it and express it with the full power of your grateful, brilliant joy.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): According to the Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology, the word “obsession” used to refer to the agitated state of a person who was besieged by rowdy or unruly spirits arriving from outside the person. “Possession,” on the other hand, once meant the agitated state of a person struggling against rowdy or unruly spirits arising from within. In the Western Christian perspective, both modes have been considered primarily negative and problematic.

In many other cultures, however, spirits from both the inside and outside have sometimes been regarded as relatively benevolent, and their effect quite positive. As long as you don’t buy into the Western Christian view, I suspect that the coming weeks will be a favorable time for you to consort with spirits like those.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): When directors of movies say, “It’s a wrap,” they mean that the shooting of a scene has been finished. They might use the same expression when the shooting of the entire film is completed. That’s not the end of the creative process, of course. All the editing must still be done. Once that’s accomplished, the producer might declare that the final product is “in the can” and ready to be released or broadcast. From what I can determine, Aries, you’re on the verge of being able to say, “It’s a wrap,” for one of your own projects. There’ll be more work before you’re ready to assert, “It’s in the can.”

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Are there two places on earth more different from each other than Europe and Africa? Yet there is a place, the Strait of Gibraltar, where Europe and Africa are just 8.7 miles apart.

Russia and the United States are also profoundly unlike each other, but only 2.5 miles apart where the Bering Strait separates them. I foresee a metaphorically comparable phenomenon in your life. Two situations or influences or perspectives that might seem to have little in common will turn out to be closer to each other than you imagined possible.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Virgo basketball star Latrell Sprewell played professionally for 13 years. He could have extended his career at least three more seasons, but he turned down an offer for $21 million from the Minnesota team, complaining that it wouldn’t be sufficient to feed his four children. I will ask you not to imitate his behavior, Virgo. If you’re offered a deal or opportunity that doesn’t perfectly meet all your requirements, don’t dismiss it out of hand.

A bit of compromise is sensible right now.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In 1992, an Ethiopian man named Belachew Girma became an alcoholic after he saw his wife die from AIDS. And yet, today, he is renowned as a Laughter Master, having dedicated himself to explore the healing powers of ebullience and amusement. He presides over a school that teaches people the fine points of laughter, and he holds the world’s record for longest continuous laughter at 3 hours and 6 minutes. I nominate him to be your role model in the next two weeks. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, you will be especially primed to benefit from the healing power of laughter. You’re likely to encounter more droll and whimsical and hilarious events than usual, and your sense of humor should be especially hearty and finely-tuned.

1. ____ crawl 4. Analyze, as ore 9. Some email attachments 13. Nonverbal communication, for short 14. Collins and Mickelson 15. Work (up) 16. ____ Paulo, Brazil 17. Message on a cake in "Alice in Wonderland" 18. ____ Paul, Emmy winner for "Breaking Bad" 19. Metamorphic rock named after a Dakota tribe 22. Quashes 23. Russian for "peace" 24. Like many users of sign language 27. Add oomph to something 32. "It's f-f-freezing!"

34. Vacuum brand 36. Bombeck who wrote "Housework, if you do it right, will kill you" 37. "Vive le ____!" (old French cry) 38. They're played with plectrums 41. Abbr. ending a company name 42. Motocross racers, for short 44. Egypt's Sadat 45. Center of a poker table 46. Orange snacks in a red box 49. Competitor of Ivory and Coast 51. Crosses (out) 52. Clobber with snowballs, say 55. TLC reality series hosted by dermatologist Sandra Lee (who would definitely give her attention to 19-, 27-, 38- and 46-Across) 62. "The roof of the world" 63. Singer with the 1999 #1 hit "If You Had My Love" 64. Myrna of "The Thin Man" 65. Mideast bigwig 66. Former Disney president Michael 67. "I'll take that as ____" 68. A crane might hover over one 69. Tooth trouble 70. Yang's opposite

DOWN

55. Cost of an old phone call 56. Ruth's 2,214 57. Move doggedly 58. "A temporary insanity curable by marriage": Ambrose Bierce 59. Grandiose 60. Org. that opened a Bob Barker building in 2012 61. Osbourne of Black Sabbath 62. J's value in Words With Friends

Last week’s answers

| COMMUNITY |

1. So last year 2. Bolt of lightning speed 3. Red Cross event 4. Top 5. NBA legend with a size 22 sneaker, informally 6. In ____ (as found)

7. ____ mater 8. French/Belgian river 9. Kansas expanse 10. Word before poor or cheap 11. Resting place for a polar bear 12. Many a presidential hopeful: Abbr.

18. Ansari of "Parks and Recreation" 20. "____ your head!"

21. Celebrity gossip site 25. Woodworking tool 26. "In case it's of interest ..."

27. ____ Hopkins University 28. From scratch 29. Rare baseball event 30. "Let me think ... yeah, that's dumb" 31. Treaty 32. Bric-a-____ 33. Philip who wrote "Portnoy's Complaint" 35. "Right now!," to a surgeon 39. "Way cool!"

40. ____ Lanka 43. Authority on birds and bees?

47. Time, in Germany 48. Suffix with ideal 50. Google Maps, for one 53. Téa of "Madam Secretary" 54. Assess, as a dress

| CITYWEEKLY.NET |

FEBRUARY 14, 2019 | 37

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): A study published in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science suggests that people who use curse words tend to be more candid. “Swearing is often inappropriate but it can also be evidence that someone is telling you their honest opinion,” said the lead researcher. “Just as they aren’t filtering their language to be more palatable, they’re also not filtering their views.” If that’s true, Scorpio, I’m going to encourage you to curse more than usual in the coming weeks. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, it’s crucial that you tell GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In 1995, astronomer Bob Williams got a strong urge to investi- as much of the whole truth as is humanly possible. (P.S. Your gate a small scrap of the night sky that most other astronomers cursing outbursts don’t necessarily have to be delivered with regarded as boring. It was near the handle of the constellation total abandon everywhere you go. You could accomplish a lot known as the Big Dipper. Luckily for him, he could ignore his just by going into rooms by yourself and exuberantly allowing colleagues’ discouraging pressure. That’s because he had been the expletives to roll out of your mouth.) authorized to use the high-powered Hubble Space Telescope for a 10-day period. To the surprise of everyone but Williams, SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): his project soon discovered that this seemingly unremarkable In the mid-1980s, a California carrot farmer grew frustrated with part of the heavens is teeming with more than 3,000 galaxies. I the fact that grocery stories didn’t want to buy his broken and suspect you might have a challenge akin to Williams’, Gemini. A oddly shaped carrots. A lot of his crop was going to waste. Then he pet project or crazy notion of yours might not get much support, got the bright idea to cut and shave the imperfect carrots so as to but I hope you’ll pursue it anyway. I bet your findings will be dif- make smooth little baby carrots. They became a big success. Can you think of a metaphorically comparable adjustment you could ferent from what anyone expects. undertake, Sagittarius? Is it possible to transform a resource that’s partially going to waste? Might you be able to enhance your CANCER (June 21-July 22): A study by the Humane Research Council found that more than possibilities by making some simple modifications?

80 percent of those who commit to being vegetarians eventually give up and return to eating meat. A study by the National CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Institute of Health showed that only about 36 percent of alco- Mongolia is a huge landlocked country. It borders no oceans or holics are able to achieve full recovery; the remainder relapse. seas. Nevertheless, it has a navy of seven sailors. Its lone ship is And we all know how many people make New Year’s resolutions a tugboat moored on Lake Khovsgol, which is 3 percent the size to exercise more often, but then stop going to the gym by of North America’s Lake Superior. I’m offering up the Mongolian February. That’s the bad news. The good news, Cancerian, is navy as an apt metaphor for you to draw inspiration from in the that during the coming weeks you will possess an enhanced coming weeks. I believe it makes good astrological sense for you to power to stick with any commitment you know is right and good launch a seemingly quixotic quest to assert your power, however modestly, in a situation that might seem out of your league. for you. Take advantage!

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): In accordance with astrological omens, I invite you to create your own royal throne and sit on it whenever you need to think deep thoughts and formulate important decisions. Make sure your power chair is comfortable as well as beautiful and elegant. To enhance your ability to wield your waxing authority with grace and courage, I also encourage you to fashion your own crown, scepter and ceremonial footwear.

They, too, should be comfortable, beautiful and elegant.

ACROSS

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.

Go to realastrology.com for Rob Brezsny’s expanded weekly audio horoscopes and daily text-message horoscopes.

Audio horoscopes also available by phone at 877-873-4888 or 900-950-7700.

PIMPLE

BY DAVID LEVINSON WILK

Complete the grid so that each row, column, diagonal and 3x3 square contain all of the numbers 1 to 9.

B R E Z S N Y

© 2017

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Practice What You Preach

Ugh. The Legislature is back in session.

Hide your wallets and gird your loins, brothers and sisters! Did you know about nine out of every 10 legislators are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? Equally high numbers are white, male and Republican. That data might explain how the legal blood alcohol level was changed this year to .05—the lowest in the country—and how Prop 2 (the voter-approved access to medical cannabis) was substantially revised. They love to try to make us conservative, and gosh, they do it for so little pay. But hey, all lawmakers get to park free in Salt Lake City during the session’s 45 days.

There are many parking spaces around our Capitol building, and two large public lots east of the Senate building. While votes come and go, committees meet and backroom deals are struck in those sacred halls on the Hill, ordinary citizens have a hard time finding any open spaces once the 29 senators, 75 representatives and dozens of staff members park their vehicles. If you’ve ever been to a protest on the hill during the annual legislative session, you know how hard it is to park. Hopefully, you’ve learned to get there by walking, biking or taking public transit.

The irony is that UTA’s Route 500 runs free from downtown to the Capitol and back, and the bus is often empty. There are also 32,000 parking spaces in downtown Salt Lake City where a person could park and then walk to a bus stop to avoid the parking hell on the Hill.

Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski says she wants all of us to use public transit to reduce air pollution but then encourages legislators to park—which means they have to drive first—for free during the session. In her January State of the City address, she said, “From expanding bus service to working cooperatively with companies like UTA, Lyft, Uber, GreenBike, Bird and Lime, Salt Lake City is committed to exploring every idea to help people move around in a greener way.”

Maybe the mayor envisions legislators will fill up their pork barrels at R&R BBQ and then waddle through the snow to a UTA stop to attend a committee meeting. No, that will never happen, because UTA ridership statistics show most Utahns don’t use public transit. If the mayor threw out the free-parking rule, then maybe a few of the elected officials might actually park in a Frontrunner lot and take a train or bus to the hill. Don’t these folks seem to say in their campaign propaganda that they want to see expanded UTA service and cleaner air? Practice what you preach. n The author is a former UTA board member. Content is prepared expressly for Community and is not endorsed

by City Weekly staff.

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Wait, What?

Vaev, a Los Angeles-based internet startup, is offering consumers the “luxury to choose” when to become sick with a cold, gushes 34-year-old Oliver Niessen, the company’s founder. For $79.99, Vaev will send you a box containing a petri dish, which houses a facial tissue used by a sick person.

Niessen explained to Time magazine that the recipient wipes their nose with the provided tissue and contracts a cold virus to get it out of the way before, say, leaving on a vacation. But Charles Gerba, professor of microbiology at the University of Arizona, debunked Niessen’s theory: “There are more than 200 types of rhinoviruses ... getting inoculated from one doesn’t protect you against all the others.” He adds that Vaev’s customers will never know what exactly is on the provided tissues, which Niessen says are produced by a “stable” of 10 go-to sneezers, some recruited on the internet. Still, Neissen claims to have sold about 1,000 used tissues, though the company’s website currently shows the product as sold out. “We’ve had some supplychain issues,” Niessen said, without offering details.

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robbery, please give me all your 100’s and 50’s in a envelope and everything will be OK.” The employee did as directed and the robber left the building, then hopped on a Jump electric scooter and took off down the sidewalk. He perhaps failed to consider that the scooters are linked to GPS tracking systems and online accounts with phone numbers, email addresses and credit card information, which, after police obtained them from Jump, led them to Mangiarano. Austin Detective Jason Chiappardi told The Washington Post: “We had never had a scooter involved in a robbery.”

Happy Vday

WEIRD

Gift With Purchase A shopper at a Primark store in Essex, England, was startled to discover a human bone in a sock on Dec. 10. Essex police reassured the public that the bone “did not appear to be a result of recent trauma,” and it did not have any skin attached to it, according to Sky News. A Primark spokesman said the company is checking with its supplier, and “No evidence of any kind exists to suggest that any incident has occurred in the factory, so it is highly probable that this object was placed in the sock by an individual for unknown reasons.”

Least Competent Criminal Police in Austin, Texas, caught up with 19-year-old suspect Luca P. Mangiarano on Jan. 24, a month after a bank robbery, in large part because of his choice in getaway vehicles. According to police, Mangiarano stepped into the BBVA Compass bank on Dec. 18 and handed a note to a teller, reading: “This is a

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Uh, No On Jan. 29, the Chenoa (Illinois) Police Department put a call out for volunteers to help with a training session taking place that evening. “Officers are undergoing their annual Taser training tonight ... and are looking for members of the public who are willing to volunteer for the experience,” announced WEEK-TV. Volunteers were required to sign an “exposure waiver” in order to participate, but it was unclear whether the Tasers would be live.

Ewwww!

Penny Pospisil, 47, of Sumter County, Fla., was arrested on Jan. 25 for the alleged murder of her boyfriend, 55-year-old Anthony Mitchell, according to WFTV. Investigators believe that last August, in the Lake Pan RV Village where Pospisil and Mitchell lived, she killed Mitchell and cut his body into pieces, living with the remains in their camper. When neighbors asked about him, she explained that Mitchell had died of natural causes and she had him cremated. But they also noticed a foul odor coming from the camper and that Pospisil was regularly showering at the pool.

When police arrived in December to investigate her overdue lot fee, she told them that she was a victim of domestic violence and had killed Mitchell in self-defense. She faces charges of seconddegree murder and abuse of a dead human body.

Blame It on the Meth Debra Lynn Johnson, 69, of Searles, Minn., suffered from heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and mental illnesses, according to The Mankato Free Press, and was a patient at a transitional care center before her husband took her home to have a “death party,” he later told authorities. Brown County sheriff’s officers responding to a 911 call from Duane Arden Johnson, 58, on Jan. 24 found the words “Death Parde God Hell” spraypainted on the front door. Duane came out of the house naked, yelled that his wife was dead and ran back inside, where officers found him in the bathtub picking “things” from his skin. Debra’s body, still warm, was wrapped in a sheet. Duane told police his wife had begged him to take her home to die, so they had staged the party, “rocking out” to Quiet Riot’s “Metal Health” and taking methamphetamines. After her death, Duane said he washed and wrapped her “like the Bible told me to do.” Police found stolen guns and hundreds of rounds of ammunition in the home, and Duane was charged with felony counts of theft and receiving stolen property.

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Gutsy So much for advanced Russian security. As art lovers browsed an exhibition at Moscow’s Tretyakov Gallery on Jan. 27, Euro News reported, a thief nonchalantly strolled in, plucked a 1908 landscape by Arkhip Kuindzhi off the wall, and walked out of the building. Police quickly viewed surveillance video and arrested a 31-year-old man, who admitted he hid the painting, worth an estimated $185,000, in an unfinished building nearby. The gallery was able to recover the painting and announced that “security measures have been reinforced ... at all venues of the Tretyakov Gallery.”

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| COMMUNITY |

It’s Good to Have Goals Pavol Durdik added another Guinness world record to his collection Aug. 3 in Puchov, Slovakia, by extinguishing 62 lighted matches with his tongue within one minute, according to United Press International. In a video posted by Guinness World Records on Jan. 25, Durdik had the matches laid out in front of him and lighted each one before putting it out on his tongue.

He also holds the record for most socks put on one foot within 30 seconds.

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Police Report A motorist in New Canaan, Conn., called police on Jan. 23 after spotting a woman stopped at an intersection in the driver’s seat of her car with her eyes closed. When officers arrived, they found Stefanie Warner-Grise, 50, “unable to answer basic questions,” according to the arrest report. They “detected an odor of vanilla coming from her breath (and) her speech was slurred ...

In addition, several bottles of pure vanilla extract were located inside the vehicle.” The Hour reported Warner-Grise failed field sobriety tests and was charged with driving under the influence of vanilla extract. The Food and Drug Administration requires that pure vanilla extract must be at least 35 percent alcohol, which makes it 70 proof.

Bright Idea—Really Outdoorsman Scott Ritchie of Loveland, Colo., has a new lease on life thanks to 3D printing. Ritchie, 52, was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer in early 2018 after noticing pain in his hip after fly-fishing. CBS4 in Denver reported Dr. Ronald Hugate of the Panorama Orthopedics and Spine Center in Highlands Ranch took an aggressive and creative approach to treating Ritchie: He made a 3D virtual model of Ritchie’s pelvis, then designed an implant to exactly replace the area of bone that would have to be surgically removed. Made of titanium, the implant was produced using a 3D printer. Two weeks later after surgery, Ritchie was walking with crutches, and he is expected to walk on his own in a few weeks more, though he was warned he might have a limp. “If I do have a limp, it’s better than nothing,” Ritchie said.

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