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CWCONTENTS COVER STORY MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN?
For many LGBTQ+ Mormons facing discrimination—and potential excommunication— choosing to marry the opposite sex is the Utah way. Cover photo illustration by Mukhina
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Anna planned to be basic by herself on February 29th.
CAROLYN CAMPBELL Cover story Campbell has been writing for City Weekly since the Earth cooled. Whether it’s profiling UFO abductees or the Mama Dragons, a group made up of LDS women who wholeheartedly support their LGBTQ+ kids, Campbell’s narrative often opens minds and touches hearts.
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Cover, Jan. 30, “A Crusade in Kanab” Kanab and Best Friends dodged a bullet. The environment usually loses to greed and corruption. I’m really surprised and happy about the outcome. ERIC BLAIR Via cityweekly.net
News, Jan. 30, “Charter Candidates” If what I read in the headlines in Utah is typical of charter school oversight, then that oversight is lacking with charter schools. Millions in debt and forced to close. Seen several instances of this over the past few years. Where did the millions go? DAVID JAY CRISPIN Via Facebook As a teacher at a charter school, I would advise that you look at the results. Don’t just assume that all charters are for profit and that all or any money goes to these officials. KATE HICKAM Via Facebook Because [lawmakers] all make a profit off of them. MIKE SCHMAUCH Via Facebook Public schools are taxpayer funded communism and indoctrination. ROBERT JAMES DOBROVNIK Via Facebook Voted Best Thrift / Consignment Store for 5 years
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Urban Living, Jan. 30, “Ghosts and Hobbits”
The new owner of Allen Park is not Rinaldo Hunt. There is no new owner. Hunt says he is “under contract” and claims to be the new developer but that is not yet factual. It’s an important distinction. He is trying to make it seem that the Allen Park property sale is a done deal, so neighbors think there is no way to save it. That’s not accurate. A neighborhood group called Save Allen Park is organizing to try and save this unique open space from Hunt. Please ask author Babs De Lay to be more accurate. As an aside, he also does not really want to save the historic art. One only needs to look at his proposal to see that he doesn’t want to save anything except his checkbook.
WANDA GAYLE, Salt Lake City
#HeroRomney?
In my opinion, Sen. Mitt Romney has committed a serious offense against the President of the United States. By joining with the highly partisan Democrats in the House of Representatives and the Senate, he became the first senator in history to vote for removal of a president in his own political party. He previously voted to request more witnesses in a trial that was completely mishandled in the House. It was abundantly clear to even casual observers, that the case so carelessly created by
Democrats would not survive an editor’s review, yet Sen. Romney decided to try to add some amount of validity to baseless charges. Outrage by the public across our country illustrates that voters are extremely upset about how a fairytale can be forced through Congress. Democrats and Sen. Romney should be ashamed of their actions and should be shunned. Undoubtedly, history will record the performance of Sen. Romney as a net negative. He has failed the voters of Utah and the United States. He should seriously consider resigning from the U.S. Senate. If he does not, then his last four years in office should be marked with constant reminders of his inexcusable actions.
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Sen. Romney: Thank you for upholding your oath and more important answering to a higher power, our Lord Jesus Christ. I am an independent voter who appreciates what you have done by putting country first over party and realizing what a threat Donald Trump is to our country and our American citizens. Hold your head high, because you and the other senators who voted to remove Trump from office, upheld your oath of office. Again, thank you for supporting and giving a voice to the independent American voters. DIANA C. ELLIOTT, Via CW comments
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OPINION
Full of Shit: Trump Takes a Dump on the Good Guys
It had all the makings of a “drug deal,” and President Donald Trump handled it in a manner that would be highly respected by a Mexican cartel. His intimidation of America’s legislative branch, during his impeachment, was reminiscent of what happened in Culiacán, Mexico, last October when authorities attempted to arrest Ovidio Guzmán López, a son of convicted drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzman. Sinaloa Cartel gunmen seized the city, threatened to execute hostages, sprayed the streets with gunfire, blocked the roads with burning automobiles, and demanded his release. That’s the way things are done by Mexico’s most ruthless crime bosses—and it worked. Nobody wanted to die, and no one wanted to see their city destroyed. The army and national guard abandoned the mission and López went free. Domestic terrorism is not a Mexican exclusive. It exists right here in the good ol’ U.S. of A. Our criminal-in-chief understands the meaning of threats, and, just like his Mexican hermanos, he is in the habit of getting what he wants. The sham of the Senate’s acquittal vote is only days old, but the impeachment of DJT has left us all with a bad taste in our mouths. At least on some subconscious level, those who prostituted themselves in order to ensure their political futures are wishing they hadn’t allowed fear to control their actions. Among them are the Lindsay Grahams and Mitch McConnells who, though they have sworn the blood-
BY MICHAEL S. ROBINSON SR. oath of loyalty to their leader, silently understand that POTUS is nobody’s friend and will eventually turn on them. Such second-thoughts are unavoidable for the Republican scumbags who made a mockery of the impeachment proceedings. They must now find ways to rationalize how such a trial could ever be held as valid—in the absence of living, breathing, first-hand witnesses who could have nailed Trump to the wall. It wasn’t like they hadn’t had an adequate chance to jump ship; there was plenty of time to consider the matter of doing their sworn-juror duty. Tonight, they must lay their heads on their pillows, with the understanding that they failed the country they supposedly love, and made a treasonous mockery of their sacred duty. Even those who had the clarity and strength of conscience to vote for the president’s removal are wondering how much flack they will now face for standing up to be counted. Sen. Mitt Romney, though it might have been too little too late, shone above his fellow senators. As Utahns, we should all be proud that he followed his conviction. Those who seek to detract from the significance of his act—even through legislative moves to unseat him—are sorely out of line. But their haste to condemn Mitt is understandable. They pick on him, mostly out of their own guilt for not having had the personal integrity and courage to do the right thing. Although not likely to have their heads lopped-off by the executioner’s axe, those who sought to uphold the rule of law can certainly anticipate that the mobster-in-chief will be looking for ways to retaliate. Anyone who valued the integrity of their country over Trumpian loyalty will pay. Patriots Gordan Sondland, Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, and his brother Yevgeny already have, and there will be more. That’s something we can bank on. Although he hasn’t resorted to violence, Trump’s threats are reminiscent of history’s worst rogue regimes, all of which maintained power through fear, trampled their own constitutions, and undermined the rule
of law by emasculating authority of the courts. Trump will continue to do what he does best; his you’llpay-for-this mindset is driven by a pea-sized brain, remarkably ill-informed judgment, abysmally-low morals, and a delusional “righteous” indignation for anyone who calls him on his abominable behavior. He has the substance and character of a sausage casing, stuffed to its capacity with excrement. Sadly, his Republican minions will carefully avoid the moral considerations of their actions, largely because they understand that sausage casings are ruled by their structural limits and thus might rupture at any moment, leaving the stinky slop over all those who chose to cling too close. They all know that their king is just that—crap with a skin—yet it is a mortal fear of retaliation that keeps them in his power. In the past, we’ve seen Trump’s fundamental flaws. His inability to assign blame to himself, his lack of introspection, his absence of conscience, his incitement of racial hate, and his vengeful vindictiveness—even against the deceased— are all markers of the man’s narcissistic personality disorder. His greatest fear is of those who stand up to him. Even those he considers to be his supporters have choked on his attacks of worthy adversaries, like the late Sen. John McCain. At this point, no one knows for sure if attempts to deal with America’s No. 1 mobster will be successful. It is clear, however, that his attacks on our democracy are enabled by a large number of invertebrate minions—wimps who blindly strive to give legitimacy to their leader’s monstrous actions. It cannot be allowed to continue; America is at its most precipitous juncture ever, and the Constitution is very literally hanging by a thread. CW
The author is a former Vietnam-era Army assistant public information officer. He resides in Riverton with his wife, Carol, and one mongrel dog. Send comments to comments@cityweekly.net
HITS&MISSES BY KATHARINE BIELE @kathybiele
Bird Brains on the Hill
What a fine mess we’re in—decrying partisanship, screaming against religious discrimination and yet happily participating in both. The Legislature wants Sen. Mitt Romney’s head on a platter because … they are acting as the Republican Party? Their little resolution would censure the senator for voting yea on one count of impeachment. Oh, and they also want to be able to recall their senators, something that’s likely unconstitutional. Surely they don’t want to recall Sen. Mike Lee, so it must be about Romney, who some on Twitter insist is “not a Republican.” While the state GOP and a large part of the state adore the president, at least Gov. Gary Herbert recognized that it’s inappropriate to heap scorn on Romney for a deeply held religious conviction. Now there are billboards hailing him as a patriot, a GoFundMe campaign for him and the undying hatred of the Republican monolith. Just goes to show there is diversity of thought.
Benign Destruction
It’s been 100 years since women won the right to vote. The suffragettes endured mockery, shame and even prison in their fight for equality—a fight that goes on today. Celebrate the wins and stand fast for rights yet to be gained as the League of Women Voters rallies not only in remembrance of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, but also for the centennial founding of their organization. Bring your signs, banners and dress in white at the Women’s Rights Rally. Speakers include former Reps. Rebecca ChavezHouck, David Irvine and Genevieve Atwood; District Attorney Sim Gill, former Congresswoman Karen Shepherd, Rep. Ray Ward, R-Bountiful; Rep. Elizabeth Weight, D-West Valley City; Rep. Jen Dailey-Provost, D-Salt Lake City, Deeda Seed of the Center for Biological Diversity, Mayor Erin Mendenhall, Amy Rich of Fair Utah and more. Utah Capitol, south steps, 350 N. State, Friday, Feb. 14, 4 p.m., free, bit.ly/2UxJfQO
GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION RALLY
The bad guys with guns are apparently winning. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now says 39,741 Americans died from gun violence in 2018. Meanwhile in Utah, what is the Legislature doing to stanch the violence? The Gun Violence Prevention Rally takes place the day after the anniversary of the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Fla. Student speakers explain bills that have been filed and how you can support them. Write postcards to legislators and get information on important action items. Utah Capitol, 350 N. State, Saturday, Feb. 15, 1-2 p.m., free, bit.ly/2OAsFfg
HOUSING SOLUTIONS PANEL
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—KATHARINE BIELE
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It’s no secret that Utah is expecting a population boom. In Salt Lake City—despite the building fervor—it’s getting harder to find affordable housing. At Salt Lake City’s Housing Solutions, experts discuss policies and programs to help supply housing for those experiencing homelessness, promote affordable rental options, provide rental assistance, and support first-time homebuyers throughout Salt Lake. Panelists include Lani EggerstenGoff, director, Salt Lake City Housing and Neighborhood Development; Dejan Eskic, senior research analyst, Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute; and Tammy Hunsaker, senior project manager, RedevelopmentAgencyofSaltLakeCity.Hinckley Institute of Politics, 260 S. Central Campus Drive, Wednesday, Feb. 19, noon-1 p.m., free, bit.ly/2UsFQ5L
As the world welcomes the death of science, it’s no small wonder that oil and gas drilling has become a clarion call for the Trump administration. It’s the economy, stupid, the argument goes. So now, the Interior Department has finalized plans to open most of what’s left of Utah’s largest national monument to those beautiful oil, gas and coal companies, according to the failing New York Times. Grand StaircaseEscalante and Bears Ears monuments are shadows of their former selves for the good of the economy. And that’s going to be good for your health, says famed junk scientist Ed Calabrese, whose theory has caught the interest of the EPA, a Hartford Courant story notes. Calibrese believes that low levels of toxic chemicals and radiation are benign—just like the destruction of public lands.
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Who even knew what “ratioed” meant until Sen. Lyle Hillyard, R-Logan, became the poster child for it? “A person working at a job that does not pay a livable wage really only has a hobby,” he tweeted. The Salt Lake Tribune explains that being ratioed means that replies far outnumber likes or retweets on social media. That Hillyard lives in a sheltered and entitled world goes without saying. “Fifty-three million workers ages 18 to 64—or 44% of all workers—earn barely enough to live on. Their median earnings are $10.22 per hour, and about $18,000 per year,” the Brookings Institution notes. Two-thirds of those low-wage workers are in their prime working years and more than half are primary wage earners. To Hillyard, survival is a hobby.
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JODIE AND DOUG PALMER
By Carolyn Campbell | comments@cityweekly.net
F
rom around age 11, Jodie Palmer sensed she was different. Even after realizing she was attracted to women, she still didn’t see any path other than marrying a man in a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints temple. “Marriage and family were always important to me. It was always my goal,” she says. Growing up in rural Montana, she didn’t hear the word “gay” until she attended college. She framed her sexual orientation as temporary at best and, at worst, as “a brokenness or something unspeakable.” She has now been married to a man for almost 15 years. After the birth of her fourth and last child, her life began to shift. “I began to be less able to manage my carefully managed life,” she says. “I had tried to keep my sexual orientation hidden and locked away. But it just wouldn’t stay there anymore.” At that point, she viewed her sexual orientation in a new way. “I discovered for myself that this wasn’t something that was broken or wrong. Instead, it was part of who I am and how God made me,” she says. Prior to the shift, Palmer never viewed herself as gay. Afterward, the gay label proved to be lifesaving. “I was suicidal during that shifting time,” she confesses. “Identifying as gay was a way to stake my claim that I belonged here and was worthy of being alive. Coming to terms with that truth and owning it saved my life.” After her traditional coping methods stopped working, she and her husband, Doug, had to navigate changes in how they supported each other. “I have to be deliberate and conscious about loving my spouse and engaging in loving behavior that doesn’t come naturally to me,” she says. “In certain ways,
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Gay is A-OK, so why do some LGBTQ Utahns choose to be unhappily married to the opposite sex?
it’s actually something that would typically drive me away. I have to lean into things—physical and emotional intimacy—that I’m not naturally drawn to.” She acknowledges there are physical and emotional costs in her mixed-orientation marriage. “I deal with a lot of chronic anxiety and stress,” she says. “It isn’t unusual for me to have suicidal ideation. That doesn’t mean I’m going to kill myself, but life sometimes gets to the point where I would rather not be here.” Before her marriage, she told her husband that she had some feelings for other women and had some relationships with women. “We talked a small amount about that. It wasn’t a problem in my life; it wasn’t anything I was worried about,” she says. For about the first seven years, Palmer felt she had a good handle on it. “Then I felt that God’s fingerprints were all over a shift in my framework,” she recalls. She perceives it must be hard for her husband to be married to someone who isn’t naturally attracted to him. “I have a deep empathy for how difficult it must be for the straight spouse to be married to someone who doesn’t feel the normal chemistry or depth of love that a typical spouse feels,” she says. “It is hard to love someone who doesn’t love you back in the same way. It’s a burden on both sides.” Palmer chooses to stay in her marriage because of her perceived value of having an “intact family.” According to LDS teachings, “The concept that the family unit can continue beyond the grave as a conscious, loving entity, with the marriage partnership and parent-child relationships intact, is a core belief of Latter-day Saints.” That belief matters so much to Palmer, that she’s willing to pay a steep price for it. “I would never give up the joys of being a mother to these four children,” she says. She doesn’t want her story to bolster the idea that divorce is bad. If she could somehow start over, she says she would probably choose a same-sex marriage. “In my back pocket, I might wish that my life looked a little different, I never expected to be in this place and to own it,” she says. Thanks to that realization, she’s not a supporter of mixed-orientation marriages. “Any individuals who are considering entering into one, need to do so with significant preparation and support, because the price is so high for a straight spouse, a gay spouse and their children,” she says. Palmer’s case is not uncommon. Kristin Hodson, a Salt Lake City-based licensed clinical social worker and certified sex therapist, explains that mixedorientation marriages are often complex. “For someone who is identifying as gay or experiencing same-sex attraction, the best solution isn’t to get married in a heterosexual relationship,” she says. “Some find that they are in mixedorientation marriages before they knew that they were gay or their partner did. They are then trying to reconcile what that means for them, because they experience a wide range of emotions.”
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RON AND SUZANNE RAYNES
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BRYAN AND MARIKO KOWALSKI
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Like Palmer, Bryan Kowalski felt different from the time when he was about 10 years old. “By my teenage years, I realized I was more attracted to boys than to girls,” he says. He dated during high school, but considered it more of a social experience rather than a romantic pursuit. “I wasn’t too concerned when I didn’t connect with girls beyond being friends,” he recalls. He thought that dating would get easier with time and experience. He was disappointed when his feelings didn’t change after he served an LDS mission. When he wasn’t particularly interested in any women in college, he concentrated on graduating. He earned a degree in travel industry management in 1980 and returned home to work. The following year, moving to Japan was a way to avoid facing his feelings and continue studying the Japanese language. He focused on that, along with starting a new job as an English conversation teacher. In 1987, a mutual friend introduced him to Mariko. “I thought she was one of the most beautiful Japanese women I’d ever seen,” he says. For her part, Mariko felt that Bryan was “very kind and fun to be with.” They dated for three months before she came to the U.S. and temporarily stayed with his mother while studying English. Their relationship continued even after Mariko returned home. As an active LDS church member, Bryan felt that marriage “was the next step he should take in his life,” and proposed to Mariko a year later. They’ve remained together since. Early in their marriage, Mariko sensed “there was a big wall between him and me.” She felt that he was in a hard shell and wouldn’t let her in or share his feelings. At times, she thought that he didn’t love her anymore or that she wasn’t good enough for him. “I blamed myself,” she says. “I tried my best to win his love.” At church, she noticed that many men put an arm around their wives when they sat together in church meetings. “I envied them,” she says. “I wondered why my husband didn’t do that.” She noticed that Bryan had “special feelings for men and got along really well with them,” but didn’t take her awareness beyond that. Bryan says, “I had to make a special effort to be close or intimate with a woman in all its meanings, which definitely took a toll on our relationship when I wasn’t in the mood.” In retrospect, he says, the marriage “was difficult for both of us and we could just as easily have divorced,” but they decided to stay together and “try harder to make it work.” During the next few years, they had two children. Mariko recalls that Bryan would take the kids to the park to play and was trying to be a good father. “I still didn’t feel like I was loved, but he loved our kids.” By the late ’90s, they relocated to Salt Lake City to be near his family.
Two years ago, their children moved out to pursue college and professional careers. Now an empty-nester, Bryan felt a need to volunteer where he could make a difference. In January, 2018, he began volunteering as a “straight ally” at Encircle, an LGBTQ+ family resource center. A friend also invited him to join the Salt Lake Men’s Choir, where a large majority of the members are gay. Seeing how happy he was after participating in the two groups, Mariko’s suspicions grew. “I just had a feeling that he might be gay,” she says. The following year, she asked him, and he responded, “No.” “I was in such denial of the inference that I was actually offended,” Bryan says. Within the week, however, he admitted to himself that he was. He confided in his stake president. “I left there feeling better. That I could do this,” he says. Days later, when Mariko again asked, Bryan dissolved in tears. “I finally admitted it to her. Then I broke down and sobbed,” he recalls. “I thought it would be the end of our marriage.” After Bryan came out, Mariko says her life changed dramatically. He began participating in meetings, associations, events and choir activities specifically catered to gay people. “I was surprised how many kinds of LGBTQ support groups there are in Salt Lake City,” she says. “He came home late almost every night.” She couldn’t sleep, worrying that, “he might find some attractive gay man out there.” Feeling that she didn’t know about gay men in general, she visited a longtime friend of theirs who was gay and had divorced some 10 years earlier. He said she should let Bryan “go free to the gay community, because a gay man will never connect with a woman emotionally.” The friend said that a gay person could connect much easier with another gay person. He advised Mariko to “set him free from your unhealthy marriage.” She was devastated, especially when a friend who was a counselor offered similar sentiments, saying that most mixed-orientation couples get divorced because the gay husband can’t be emotionally compatible with his wife. Mariko thought, “How about our 29 years of partnership? If he doesn’t connect with me emotionally, then how about our spiritual connection? A spiritual connection, like a family bond, survives the test of time.” She didn’t want to lose her husband by believing the counselor. She says that, soon, Bryan also started to say their marriage was unhealthy. He also wasn’t sure if going to church was right for him because of the faith’s anti-LGBTQ stance. (In November 2015, the LDS church took formal steps to define marriage equality as a form of apostasy. In an official statement, the church reversed its stance in April of last year, though it still considers same sex marriage “a serious transgression.”)
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Mormon Refugees
Ron Raynes can relate to the Kowalskis’ story. He and his wife, Sue, joined the LDS church as teenagers and later served missions. At the time, he didn’t accept himself as gay. “Being gay was a choice. I wasn’t choosing that,” he says. Still, he recognizes, “the gay wasn’t going away.”
It was a secret he hid until he came out to his wife in 2000. “At first, I was very angry and felt very betrayed,” Sue says. “It is supposed to be for time and all eternity and then, suddenly, it isn’t for him anymore.” Ron adds, “We were suffering and were in marital counseling.” Today, the Raynes have been married 38 years. He didn’t start coming out at church until 2007. “Then I was open enough to disclose at church that I was gay.” The couple remained active and believed in the LDS church until 2015. “Our family is part of the collateral damage of the exclusion policy,” Ron says. “We continued to go to church every week for a year. Then, in 2017, we investigated attending another faith community and we landed in the Community of Christ [formerly known as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints], which is baby steps away from the LDS church because of shared history.” Starting a new chapter as “Mormon refugees,” the couple became involved with Affirmation, a community of support for LGBTQ Mormons across the spectrum of sexual orientation, gender identity and faith. In 2014, the pair founded the Affirmation-sponsored community with the acronym Mixed Orientation Families in Affirmation, or MOFIA. They recognized a need and a gap in the support community for families that were impacted by mixed-orientation marriages. “We don’t judge what your relationship is, or what your faith and beliefs are,” Ron explains. “We are just a safe place for both spouses to talk about issues and concerns. Most of the time, when a gay spouse comes out, it’s a train wreck; it’s hard on everybody.” He says that 70-80% of couples in mixed-orientation marriages divorce. “We don’t tell people that they should stay married, that divorce is wrong or bad. We try to help people get along in their efforts to separate amicably,” Ron says. “For a mixed-orientation marriage to last, both spouses have to want it really bad. They have to go through some contortions to make it work.” Compromise and forgiveness are necessary components. “Make no mistake, both spouses are victims in this contrived arrangement,” he continues. Today, Sue feels that their joint involvement in Affirmation and other similar activities has benefitted their relationship. “I’m glad that Ron loves me and feels that our relationship is worth hanging onto even though he knows that there is something that is missing for him,” she says. “Ron has stayed faithful to me and hasn’t chosen to have another relationship. He still does a lot of other things—such as singing in two choirs—so he is not looking for an outside interest.” While their marriage has endured almost four decades, Sue’s advice to a straight person who considers entering a mixed-orientation marriage is, “Don’t do it. There can be a lot of sadness and misery. While most of the time, my marriage has been delightful, it was sometimes really hard, too,” she says. “I’m very fortunate to have someone like Ron, who is an incredibly committed man, who honors the covenants we made when we got married.” Ron adds that while the LDS church no longer actively counsels gay people to marry straight spouses, mixed-orientation marriages are still happening “because of attitudes of a few oldschool leaders who don’t want to acknowledge what social scientists have said for 20-30 years,” he says. “They are still coming from the mindset that gay people are broken and the way that you fix them is marriage.” He says that while the LDS church has made some good strides in acknowledging LGBTQ people and in helping members to be more accepting through resources like mormonandgay. org, “Frankly, the public affairs department can’t publish anything without the review and approval of the brethren, and there is some old-school thinking in the Quorum of the Twelve.” COURTESY PHOTO
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10 | FEBRUARY 13, 2020
“I heard that a lot of gay men left the church soon after they came out,” Mariko says. She worried that Bryan might follow the same path. “My only hope was that our church bishopric and stake president would be understanding and accept him as he was,” she says. It turns out, they were supportive and Bryan continued to attend church and serve in the position he’d held before he came out. Mariko says that the most challenging aspect after Bryan came to terms with his true self was that his personality changed. “Most gay husbands of mixedorientation marriages who were in the closet for many years, develop a new personality after they come out,” she says. She interprets this to mean that the “gay side” of the closeted person’s personality “finally has a chance to open up, so it looks like two personalities in one body—an original one and a new one.” Mariko says that a counselor told her that this phenomenon is very common for a closeted gay person. “Two personalities will merge in the final process to unfold one’s full self, but it depends on the individual how long it will take,” she says, adding, “It was very challenging for me. Even though I was talking to my husband, it was as if an unknown person was talking to me with my husband’s body.” She often asked him, “Who are you? I don’t know you.” She felt that Bryan, in his new personality, was cold and rejected her. “He kept saying that he now felt very comfortable being with gay people, but was less comfortable with straight people.” She says that as he became more interested in connecting with gay men, he hoped that the two of them would separate, though he couldn’t think about divorce yet. “However I would rather divorce than separate,” she says. “Our discussion usually went in the same cycle.” She acknowledges that while there are successful mixed-orientation couples who are doing well, she knows of several who have chosen divorce. “One day, when we were really at the edge of our marriage, I prayed harder than usual,” she reminisces. “Suddenly, I felt inspiration in my mind telling me how I should find the good points in his new personality.” She decided to follow what she viewed as divine instruction. She says that her choice to focus on Bryan’s good points changed not only her, but Bryan, too. “I gained [a deeper] psychological understanding about a man who was in the closet for many years and was trying to seek peace and authenticity in his life,” she says. “After I started to pursue a deeper understanding about him, his rejection and cold attitude toward me decreased.” Mariko says she now understands more about Bryan’s new personality with its gay components. Instead of clinging to the idea of traditional husband and wife roles, she says that removing gender expectations and creating their own relationship gave her peace of mind. “It changed Bryan’s attitude toward me as well. Recently, his new personality has almost merged with his original one and he has settled down as a more warm and thoughtful person,” she says. Bryan says that acceptance has also translated to better meshing of his gay and active church member selves, mending how the church’s and society’s view of homosexuality in the ’70s and ’80s drove him further into the “closet of denial” in the years leading up to his marriage. “I realize how my own internal homophobia and inability to accept who I was had a huge effect on our relationship and marriage,” he admits. “I regret and am sorry for the pain it caused my wife through the years.” People ask if they plan to stay married. “Our answer is that we don’t know exactly what the future holds for us, but we do know that our bond is stronger than before,” he says.
“There is so much focus on the gay spouse being who they are, being their authentic selves, that straight spouses have often sublimated who we really are by living the story we thought was true. We need to hear affirmation that we are not crazy.”
−Janet McMonagle Communications director for straightspouse.org
Bad Romance Expert John Dehlin weighs in on the ‘deeply hazardous’ nature of mixed-orientation marriages.
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—Carolyn Campbell
faction with life,” he notes. “Most people in mixed-orientation marriages who are gay or lesbian are miserable. And it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand why there are such high misery rates in mixedorientation marriages. Marriage is hard enough if you are attracted to the person you are married to.” He continues, “Let’s not forget about the straight spouses in these marriages. When you marry someone, you want them to love you, cherish you, to adore you, to think you are the greatest thing ever and be attracted to you. What is it like for a straight spouse to be married to someone that not only fundamentally isn’t attracted to you, but who probably visualizes someone else when they are making love to you so that they can actually just be aroused? Or who just doesn’t want to make love to you? Or very infrequently wants to make love to you, because they are fundamentally just not that into you.” The problem is double-pronged. “It’s psychologically and emotionally devastating not just to the LGBTQ partners, but to the straight partners as well. For all those reasons, I wouldn’t wish a mixed-orientation marriage on my worst enemy,” Dehlin says. “It’s not to say that there is no such thing as a mixed-orientation marriage that has survived or is OK— certainly it can happen. But my point is, that if a mixed-orientation marriage were a product, it should be classified like cigarettes. With a huge, blaring red warning label saying that mixed-orientation marriages fail 70% of the time. And even if they are successful, they are deeply hazardous to your health and you should know the risks and the harm beforehand.” CW
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ohn Dehlin is the host of the Mormon Stories podcast and an excommunicated former Mormon. He received a Ph.D. in clinical and counseling psychology. He was the lead author on a 2011 paper as a Utah State University doctoral student in psychology. While at USU, he and other scholars surveyed 1,612 Mormons who had experienced same-sex attraction. “Our goal was to understand whether or not conversion therapy was useful and to figure out which lifestyle choices that LGBTQ Mormons pursued were most healthy or unhealthy,” he tells City Weekly. Of the respondents, 30% had entered into a mixed-orientation marriage at some point in their lives. About 69% of their marriages had ended or were ending. He adds that a lot of people think that the general divorce rate is 50%—which is both true and untrue. He says 25% of first marriages end in divorce, and, of those people who divorce, many have subsequent—and sometimes multiple—marriages that also end, thereby bringing the divorce rate up to 50%, when, actually, 75% of first marriages are successful. “The fact that most marriages actually succeed makes the divorce rates for mixed-orientation marriages even more troubling,” he says. “You are three times more likely to divorce if you are in a mixedorientation marriage than in a straight [one]. Would you want you or your child to enter a marriage with a predicted 70% likelihood of failure?” Dehlin and the other scholars administered a quality of life survey to the LGBTQ participants. For those who were in mixed marriages, “Their ratings were actually lower than people who reported having Lupus. In other words, they had very high levels of anxiety, depression and dissatis-
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COURTESY PHOTO
‘I Found Your Porn, Are You Gay?’
Suppressing your orientation because of outside influence isn’t unique to Utahns and Mormons. Janet McMonagle is the communications director for straightspouse.org, an international organization headquartered in Chicago. The network reaches across the United States and extends to England, Australia, Canada and India. McMonagle has been divorced for 20 years. Her former husband has a different last name from hers and lives in a different state. “I had begun to suspect some things,” she remembers. “Then I found his pornography—and there weren’t any women in it.” She was also suspicious about a relationship with a colleague. During their divorce process, she asked, “I found your porn, are you gay?” She recalls that her husband smirked at her and then got mad for going through his browser history. “He said, ‘You really don’t know very much about men; we are all curious, we all look at gay porn.” In counseling, she wondered if all men were interested in gay porn. She went to a straight spouse meeting where she described her situation to a couple of men there. “They looked at me and said, ‘Listen, we like looking at pictures of naked women. We don’t like looking at pictures of naked men. Gay men like looking at male porn.’” Then a woman who was sitting at the table said, “So he’s says he’s not gay. You are in the right place.” McMonagle recalls, “It was so refreshing. I felt like I had found my tribe.” Her former husband still has not officially come out. Speaking to others in similar situations, McMonagle says the first step is reaching out. When a straight spouse calls with concerns, “Our team figures out what they need, and who they need to speak to. Someone usually responds within 48 hours,” McMonagle says. She estimates that, very conservatively, there are at least 2 million spouses in these situations in the U.S. and says that of the people who contacted her website, at least 30% were men, married to lesbians or bisexual women. McMonagle says that typically, when a gay man, such as Ed Smart (father of kidnap victim Elizabeth Smart), comes out, people have all kinds of reactions. “They might say they always knew, or celebrate that he is coming out, or think this is a terrible thing,” she says. “Reactions toward the straight spouse can make them very uncomfortable. It is helpful to have people to talk with.” Within the network, there are some meeting places along with “multiple online secret communities,” either based on geography or particular concerns, such as faith-based issues. “They might want to network with others who are staying married,” McMonagle says. Another group includes people whose spouses have never come out, such as in her case, where her husband has never admitted he’s gay. “Often, through the process of these marriages, straight spouses find that we have to get back in touch with who we really are,” she says. “There is so much focus on the gay spouse being who they are, being their authentic selves, that straight spouses have often sublimated who we really are by living the story we thought was true. We need to hear affirmation that we are not crazy,” she says. She says the idea of the straight spouse can make other people uncomfortable. “They shy away. Or they will say, ‘But I thought you knew he was gay,’ which makes me want to ask, ‘Why would I have married him?’ Or they say, ‘I can’t believe you didn’t know.’” She adds that many people marry knowing that their spouses have had some kind of same-sexual experience, but not realizing that the person is genuinely LGBTQ. “You might know that there is some kind of a tendency, but you don’t really know all that it entails.” That buyer beware-style approach rings true for sex therapist Hodson. “The idea that you can solve same-sex attraction by getting married in a heterosexual relationship is just not the case,” she warns. Still, she’s aware of a limited few “that enter mixedorientation marriages and make it work, although the predicted outcome is not in their favor.” CW
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Saxsquatch PriMate Social If you’re looking for a unique way to get into the Valentine’s Day mood, it doesn’t get any better than hearing the sexy sounds of a saxophone from a guy dressed as Bigfoot, all while learning about how other primates get their freak on. The Saxsquatch PriMate Social is right in the wheelhouse of the distinctive “edutainment” events sponsored by STEAMpunk Academy, but in this case, timing was everything. STEAMpunk Academy executive director Justice Morath explains that Marcus King Band saxophonist Dean Mitchell was looking for a place to perform his side act as Saxsquatch—the aforementioned horn-blowing hominid—in conjunction with the band’s performance at The Depot (see p. 28). “We’re thinking, ‘How can we make this somehow fit what we do?’” Morath says. “We know a couple of anthropologists and primatologists; let’s make it about primate mating systems.” In addition to the performance by Mitchell/ Saxsquatch, the event includes video featuring information about various primates’ mating habits, and the similarities and differences compared to humans. Supplementing that educational information is a pair of experts on site—anthropologists Brenda Wiebe and Alex Porpora—to provide additional information to guests. While the event is geared toward adults, Morath notes that the content will be presented in a “familyfriendly” way. “What makes it most interesting [as a Valentine’s Day activity] is people will learn about other primate mating systems, and have an interesting tidbit of information to take home and think about pair-bonding,” Morath adds. “Being able to look at love and our rituals around it from the lens of an anthropologist.” (Scott Renshaw) Saxsquatch PriMate Social @ Dreamscapes, 110 W. Rio Grande St., 801637-5155, Feb. 13, 7 p.m., $20, steampunkacademy.org
Complete listings online at cityweekly.net
FRIDAY 2/14
Kimball Art Center: Art of Love Whether you’re consciously coupled or a bachelorette with a bestie, Kimball Art Center is offering patrons the Art of Love this week to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Skip the standard fare of chocolate or roses and form a deeper connection through creativity with dinner, drinks, music and various art projects. “Whether you celebrate or dread Valentine’s Day, there’s much to love about making art. Participating in the creative process reduces stress and opens the heart and mind to possibilities,” Amy Roberts, the center’s senior director of marketing and events, says. “You’ll be hard pressed to find those same benefits by going to dinner and a movie.” For this event, focused on creating keepsakes and memories for years to come, the ticket price includes a buffet dinner with vegan options, a variety of libations, and a live band to complement the mood. In addition, expert instruction and art supplies are available to make any or all of several projects. The three art methods include crafting a fused-glass candleholder, painting a beautiful bouquet in watercolors, or discovering printmaking by designing a one-of-a-kind monoprint. No experience is necessary, and all skill levels are welcome. “Even if you don’t know which end of the paintbrush to use, this is a judgment-free zone and our expert instructors will help you create a lasting memory,” Roberts adds. Participants, she predicts, “will find inspiration, form a connection, and deepen their appreciation for the artistic process.” (Colette A. Finney) Art of Love by Kimball Art Center @ The St. Regis Deer Valley, 2300 Deer Valley Drive East, Park City, 435-649-8882, Feb. 14, 6 p.m., 18+, $75, kimballartcenter.org
FRIDAY 2/14 and SATURDAY 2/15 SweetHeartz Diva!
A couple of hours into plucking, tucking and painting, there’s a moment when the transformation is fully realized for drag entertainer Jason CoZmo: applying the contour on his chest to complete the Dolly Parton illusion. “I call it my ‘rusty seagulls,’” he says. “It’s a mix of brown and oranges, and when I wipe it off afterward, my chest looks pissed off at me.” A little bit more than a year into CoZmo’s Metro Music Hall residency, his Dolly—as well as Nick Russell’s Kylie Minogue, Jeremy Sidwell’s Lady Gaga, Israel Isaac’s Charo (“It’s just ridiculous … full-on coochie-coochie,” CoZmo advances) and even an ABBA tribute number—takes the stage for a Valentine’s Day extravaganza. For CoZmo, the show is also a chance to bring back one of his personal faves from the drag archives—Lucille Ball. Before his trailer was permanently hitched at Dollywood, it turns out, the Magna-based entertainer made a name for himself channeling the Vitameatavegamin spokeswoman. “I won a zillion contests impersonating her,” he says of his love for Lucy. “If I were to relate to anyone, it would be her because she wasn’t a singer or a dancer. She was a comedian; she was a clown.” He also admires the crimson-haired comedian’s shrewd business acumen. “The character Lucy and Lucille Ball, just like Dolly, she ran everything,” he says. “And just like with the Jason CoZmo show, you couldn’t put on the show without Lucy,” he adds with a laugh. Missed out on the fun, met someone new postValentine’s or are celebrating a recent divorce? The divas return the following weekend for a second helping of drag fabulousness. (Enrique Limón) Viva La Diva SweetHeartz Diva! @ Metro Music Hall, 615 W. 100 South, 385528-0952, Feb. 14 & 15, 8 p.m., 21+, $30, thevivaladivashow.com
TOM SPARKS PHOTOGRAPHY
TORY GUILFOYLE
MICHELLE STANELL
THURSDAY 2/13
ENTERTAINMENT PICKS, FEB. 13-19, 2020
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ESSENTIALS
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SATURDAY 2/15
Salt Lake Choral Artists: My Funny Valentine: Love Songs Through the Ages Let’s face it: Most of us get somewhat sentimental around Valentine’s Day. It’s the one time of year where we’re able to share our feelings with the people we love, and become an unapologetic sap without any prodding or hesitation. A bouquet of roses, a box of chocolates and a candlelight dinner are typical, but the soundtrack that accompanies it all is equally essential as well. Consequently, credit the Salt Lake Choral Artists for providing that melodic backdrop courtesy of My Funny Valentine: Love Songs Through the Ages, a concert that presents choral arrangements of popular love songs that have attained popular appeal. A collaboration with the Salt Lake Symphonic Choir, it’s especially auspicious given that the latter’s conductor is a former graduate student of Brady R. Allred, the Concert Choir’s artistic director. Indeed, Valentine vibes reign all around. “As I was planning this program and digging through my thousands of files, I had my mom and dad in mind, thinking about the songs that they loved to listen to when I was a teenager,” Allred says via email. “It was touching to hear my father sing lines from ‘I Honestly Love You’ to my mother when it would come on the radio, or when I would sit at the piano and play for them. My 80-year-old parents will be attending the concert and so it’s a special tribute to them.” And, we’d add, a salute to all sentimental souls. (Lee Zimmerman) Salt Lake Choral Artists: My Funny Valentine: Love Songs Through the Ages @ Libby Gardner Hall, 1375 E. Presidents Circle, Feb. 15, 7:30 p.m., $10-$15, saltlakechoralartists.org
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FEBRUARY 13, 2020 | 13
A&E
THEATER
Two new world-premiere productions put their female protagonists to the test. RENT ONE GET ONE FREE GOOD FOR ONE DAY RENT EXPIRES: 2/28/20
50% OFF TUNE-UPS! SKI/SNOWBOARD TUNE-UP $20 REG $40 EXPIRES: 2/28/20
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BY SCOTT RENSHAW scottr@cityweekly.net @scottrenshaw
T
ragedy plus time equals comedy, an old proverb goes. After four years, playwright Jenny Kokai was ready to put that maxim to the test. Plan-B Theatre Co.’s new Singing to the Brine Shrimp goes for absurdity in its staging, crafting a musical that includes talking and singing puppets. But it was born out of a real-life event that left Kokai frustrated and disillusioned—a playwriting lab in New York where she felt that being from Utah had other participants acting condescending to her. “The people in New York had a perception of who a person, or a writer, from Utah was,” Kokai recalls. “And I had just moved there, so I didn’t really identify with that. Most of the people were a lot younger than me, confused by the fact that I was a mom. … It kept getting in the way of us just making art. I was there to do work and make the play better, but we never really got around to doing that. “Then, right before my big reading, something truly tragic happened at home,” she adds. “I was hoping for this miraculous ‘pulling it out at the last minute,’ like in every sports movie. But no. It took a really, really bad turn.” The play creates a surrogate for Kokai named Allison, who interacts with people and puppets in a dramatized version of this actual scenario. That decision to employ puppetry had both a thematic and practical consideration. “Enough of the story seemed ridiculous already, that I really wanted to lean in and make it as theatrical as possible,” Kokai says. “But to be honest, it’s an efficient and inexpensive way to have a lot of characters.”
The cast of Flying
Subsequent to that negative New York experience, Kokai found herself connecting with the Utah theater community, and was impressed with the way it celebrates stories with local specificity. “Life is different in any geographical location,” she says. “They’re really distinct places with their own histories to grapple with … even things like word choice and sense of humor. There’s a cynicism to a lot of New York plays that doesn’t necessarily work in Utah. Let us find the writers and stories that our audiences connect to.” With this particular story, she’s content if something that caused her pain and stress at the time turns into a story that provides amusement to audiences that might need it. “The world right now is very stressful,” Kokai says. “So I did write this to be as comedic as possible. It really just fills me with joy. If nothing else, what I want people to take away from this are moments of silly joy.”
SINGING TO THE BRINE SHRIMP
Plan-B Theatre Co. Rose Wagner Studio Theater 138 W. 300 South Feb. 13-23 $10-$22 planbtheatre.org There are many compelling stories about women facing a world that tells them what they can’t do because of their gender. There’s something uniquely compelling about a story where the women have already showed what they can do, and are then told they can’t do it anymore. Sheila Cowley’s Flying dives into the historical story of the WASPs—Women Airforce Service Pilots—who flew 60 million miles worth of transport and other missions during World War II. The play centers on one such ex-WASP, Susan (Nicole Finney), who after the end of her service returns to civilian life trying to run the Midwest airfield operated by her still-absent husband. For director Teresa Sanderson, Flying spoke to a fascinating era, and was thrilled to discover that a playwright was exploring it. “The WASP is a fairly unknown story,” Sanderson says. “Anyone who’s younger than we are probably hasn’t even heard of them. These women weren’t celebrated in any way [and] couldn’t be buried in military cemeteries until 2001. I love aeronautics and the history of the war, so it spoke to me on every level.” In the process of preparing the play, Sanderson learned details that she hadn’t known previously. While most of the WASP missions involved ferrying soldiers or material, some also assisted with training for fighter pilots, trailing targets that the male pilots would fire at with live ammunition. “[The fighters] often missed, and would shoot through the bottom of the plane, and wound the women in the feet,” she says. The character of Susan also provided a perfect personification of the struggles
RICK POLLOCK
Women at Work
ROBERT HOLMAN
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THE Source for Tune-Ups, Rentals & Equipment
Latoya Cameron and friends in Singing to the Brine Shrimp
facing these WASP pilots as they rotated back to the lives they had before the war. “I don’t think I ever realized how hard it was for them to go back to sweeping the floors and doing the dishes after having these huge adventures,” Sanderson says. “I can’t imagine the freedom of flying, then being told to forget that it happened.” While Sanderson acknowledges that there have been plenty of advances in opportunities for women in the years since—which can be demonstrated by a woman currently being commander at Hill Air Force Base, scheduled to be a guest at the talk-back session following Flying’s Feb. 29 matinee performance—she notes that there’s still a long way to go. That makes it even more important to celebrate the pioneers who broke barriers. “These were bad-ass women,” Sanderson says. “They were brave and smart, and I just love to tell stories about them.” CW
FLYING
Pygmalion Theatre Co. Rose Wagner Black Box Theater 138 W. 300 South Feb. 14-29 $22.50 pygmalionproductions.org
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thru the month of February
Ogden’s Own in January
Friday, February 14th: Viva La Diva Show Metro Music Hall 615 W 100 S SLC Doors at 6:30, show at 8:00 pm more info at thevivaladivashow.com
Saturday, February 15th: Viva La Diva Show Metro Music Hall 615 W 100 S SLC Doors at 6:30, show at 8:00 pm more info at thevivaladivashow.com
Love Stinks, Let’s Drink Proper Brewing 857 S Main Street SLC 7:00 pm - 1:00 am
Thursday, February 20th: Investor’s Choice Conference Reception Zion’s Bank Founder’s Room 1 S Main Street 18th Floor SLC 5:00 - 7:00 pm
FEBRUARY 13, 2020 | 15
Events to find
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Five Wives 1000ml
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moreESSENTIALS
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COMPLETE LISTINGS ONLINE AT CITYWEEKLY.NET
Utah Museum of Contemporary Art (20 S. West Temple, utahmoca.org) presents an exhibition by the New York-based anonymous feminist art collective Guerrilla Girls, representing a 35-year history of stickers, posters and other works exposing bias and corruption in art, politics and popular culture, through June 6.
PERFORMANCE THEATER
A Doll’s House, Part 2 Salt Lake Acting Co., 168 W. 500 North, through March 8, dates and times vary, saltlakeactingcompany.org Arsenic and Old Lace Theater at Mount Jordan, 9360 S. 300 East, Sandy, through Feb. 15, FridaySaturday, 7:30 p.m., sandy.utah.gov Baz Luhrmann’s Strictly Ballroom: The Musical Hale Centre Theatre, 9900 S. Monroe St., Sandy, through April 11, dates and times vary, hct.org Bright Star Hale Centre Theatre, 9900 S. Monroe St., Sandy, through May 2, dates and times vary, hct.org FLIP Fabrique: Blizzard Kingsbury Hall, 1395 E. Presidents Circle, Feb. 13, 7 p.m., tickets.utah.edu Floyd Collins Babcock Theater, 300 S. 1400 East, Feb. 14-March 1, dates and times vary, tickets.utah.edu Hamlet 1 University Hill, Provo, through Feb. 15, dates and times vary, calendar.byu.edu James Blonde: Agent 7-11 in License to Thrill Desert Star Playhouse, 4861 S. State, Murray, through March 21, dates and times vary, desertstar.biz The Musical of Musicals (The Musical) Grand Theatre, 1575 S. State, through March 7, dates and times vary, grandtheatercompany.com Pygmalion Theatre Co.: Flying Rose Wagner Center Black Box, 138 W. 300 South, Feb. 14-29, dates and times vary, pygmalionproductions.org (see p. 24) Peter and the Starcatcher CenterPoint Legacy Theatre, 525 N. 400 West, Centerville, through Feb. 15, cptutah.org Safe An Other Theater Co., 1200 Towne Centre Blvd., Provo, through Feb. 15, dates and times vary, anothertheatercompany.com Plan-B Theatre Co.: Singing to the Brine Shrimp Rose Wagner Studio Theatre, 138 W. 300 South, Feb. 13-23, dates and times vary, planbtheatre.org (see p. 14)
CLASSICAL & SYMPHONY
Bravo! Anderson and Roe Madsen Recital Hall, 1 University Hill, Provo, Feb. 13, 5 & 7:30 p.m.,
calendar.byu.edu Utah Symphony: Women Rock Val A. Browning Center, 1901 University Circle, Ogden, Feb. 13, 7:30 p.m.; Abravanel Hall, 123 W. South Temple, Feb. 14-15, 7:30 p.m., utahsymphony.org
COMEDY & IMPROV
Bucket List Open Mic Wiseguys SLC, 194 S. 400 West, Tuesdays through Feb. 25, 7:30 p.m., wiseguyscomedy.com The Dollop Wiseguys SLC, 194 S. 400 West, Feb. 19, 7:30 p.m.; Feb. 20, 7 p.m., wiseguyscomedy.com Gina Brillon Wiseguys Ogden, 269 25th St., Feb. 14-15, 8 p.m., wiseguyscomedy.com The Hodge Twins Wiseguys SLC, 194 S. 400 West, Feb. 16, 7 & 9:30 p.m., wiseguyscomedy.com Josh Blue Wiseguys Ogden, 269 25th St., Feb. 13, 7 p.m.; West Jordan, 3763 W. Center Park Drive, Feb. 14-15, 7 & 9:30 p.m., wiseguyscomedy.com Open Mic Wiseguys SLC, 194 S. 400 West, Wednesdays, 7 p.m., wiseguyscomedy.com Pete Lee Wiseguys SLC, 194 S. 400 West, Feb. 13, 7 p.m.; Feb. 14-15, 7 & 9:30 p.m., wiseguyscomedy.com Random Tangent Improv Comedy Draper Historic Theatre, 12366 S. 900 East, Saturdays, 10 p.m., randomtangentimprov.org
DANCE
12 Minutes Max Salt Lake Main Library, 210 E. 400 South, Feb. 16, 2 p.m., slcpl.org Ballet West: Giselle Capitol Theatre, 50 W. 200 South, through Feb. 15, dates and times vary, balletwest.org Utah Ballet II Marriott Center for Dance, 330 S. 1500 East, Feb. 13-15, dates and times vary, tickets.utah.edu
SPECIAL EVENTS FESTIVALS & FAIRS
Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour Peery’s Egyptian Theater, 2415 Washington Blvd., Ogden, Feb. 16, 7 p.m.; Feb. 20, noon, egyptiantheaterogden.com
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moreESSENTIALS FARMERS MARKETS
Winter Farmers Market Rio Grande Depot, 270 S. Rio Grande St., Saturdays through April 18, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., slcfarmersmarket.org
LGBTQ
Beyond a Night of Music Encircle Salt Lake, 331 S. 600 East, Thursdays, 6:30-8 p.m., encircletogether.org Men’s Sack Lunch Group Utah Pride Center, 1380 S. Main, Wednesdays, noon-1:30 p.m., utahpridecenter.org TransAction Weekly Meeting Utah Pride Center, 1380 S. Main, Sundays, 2-3:30 p.m., utahpridecenter.org
TALKS & LECTURES
Beyond The Gate: Zines For Change SLCC Community Writing Center, 210 E. 400 South, Feb. 19 & 26, 6 p.m., slc.edu/cwc The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem Revisited University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law, 383 S. University St., Feb. 13, 12:15 p.m., law.utah.edu Ibram X. Kendi Utah Museum of Fine Arts, 410 Campus Center Drive, Feb. 18, 3 p.m., kingsenglish.com The Status of Women Worldwide: Becoming Informed & Empowered as Global Citizens Utah Valley University Auditorium, 800 W. University Parkway, Orem, Feb. 19, 6:30 p.m., utwomen.org
VALENTINE’S DAY
Kimball Art Center: Art of Love The St. Regis Deer Valley, 2300 Deer Valley Drive East, Park City, Feb. 14, 6:30 p.m., kimballartcenter.org (see p. 12) Saxsquatch PriMate Social Dreamscapes, 110 W. Rio Grande St., Feb. 13, 6:30 p.m., steampunkacademy.org (see p. 12) Salt Lake Choral Artists: “My Funny Valentine: Love Songs Through the Ages” Libby Gardner Hall, 1375 E. Presidents Circle, Feb. 15, 7:30 p.m., saltlakechoralartists.org (see p. 12) Viva la Diva Sweetheartz Diva! Metro Music Hall, 615 W. 100 South, Feb. 14 & 15, 8 p.m., metromusichall.com (see p. 12)
LITERATURE AUTHOR APPEARANCES
Ashok Khandkar: Swimming Upstream The King’s English Bookshop, 1511 S. 1500 East, Feb. 13, 7 p.m., kingsenglish.com Ibram X. Kendi Utah Museum of Fine Arts, 410 Campus Center Drive, Feb. 18, 3 p.m., kingsenglish.com Jason Van Camp: Deliberate Discomfort Weller Book Works, 607 Trolley Square, Feb. 15, 2 p.m., wellerbookworks.com Rachel Anne Cox: A Light from the Ashes Barnes & Noble Layton Market Center, 1780 N. Woodland Park Drive, Layton, Feb. 15, noon, barnesandnoble.com Rebecca A. London: Rethinking Recess Jon & Karen Huntsman Education Center, 8th Ave. and C Street, Feb. 18, 6:30 p.m., playworks.org
VISUAL ART GALLERIES & MUSEUMS
Adrian Stimson: Buffalo Boy Utah Museum of
COMPLETE LISTINGS ONLINE AT CITYWEEKLY.NET
Contemporary Art, 20 S. West Temple, through May 16, dates and times vary, utahmoca.org Ancient Mesoamerica Utah Museum of Fine Arts, 410 S. Campus Center Drive, ongoing, umfa.utah.edu Art for Justice Modern West Fine Art, 412 S. 700 West, through Feb. 21, modernwestfineart.com Better Days 2020: Utah Women Working for the Vote and Beyond Utah Capitol, 300 N. State, fourth floor, through December, betterdays2020.com Beyond the Divide: Merchant, Artist, Samurai in Edo Japan Utah Museum of Fine Arts, 410 S. Campus Center Drive, through July 5, umfa.utah.edu Comforting Discomfort: Works by Dalila Sanabria and Fiona Barney Rio Gallery, 300 S. Rio Grande, through March 6, artsandmuseums.utah.gov Greater Merit: The Temple and Image in South Asia Utah Museum of Fine Arts, 410 S. Campus Center Drive, ongoing, umfa.utah.edu Guerilla Girls Utah Museum of Contemporary Art, 20 S. West Temple, through June 6, utahmoca.org (see p. 16) Heyday Rasoulpour & Clarence Bowman: In Search of Homeland & Do You See What I See? Art Access II Gallery, 230 S. 500 West, Ste. 125, through Feb. 14, accessart.org Hidden Voices: Aesthetics of Change Woodbury Art Museum, Utah Valley University, 575 E. University Parkway, Orem, through March 7, uvu.edu In Search of Homeland Art Access Gallery, 230 S. 500 West, Ste. 125, through Feb. 14, accessoart.org Love in the Abstract “A” Gallery, 1321 S. 2100 East, through Feb. 29, speakers agalleryonline.com Marva Match, Dan Fandrich & Lynda Lee: Families, It’s All Relative Art Access II Gallery, 230 S. 500 West, Ste. 125, through Feb. 14, accessart.org Nolan Flynn: Vertical Obedience Finch Lane Gallery, 1340 E. 100 South, through Feb. 28, saltlakearts.org Pompeii: The Exhibition The Leonardo, 209 E. 500 South, through May 3, dates and times vary, theleonardo.org
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FEBRUARY 13, 2020 | 19
ALEX SPRINGER
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The Heart Wants What it Wants
A Valentine’s Day dining guide for the unconventional. BY ALEX SPRINGER comments@cityweekly.net @captainspringer
W
ith Valentine’s Day upon us, it’s time to consider the notion of “romantic” restaurants. I used to believe that places like upscale steakhouses, swanky Italian bistros and any place with the word niçoise on the menu had the amorous eatery market cornered. That’s not to say that a visit to a place like this isn’t going to score you points with whomever you’re sharing your V-Day with—decades of social and cultural mores have made it so. That said, I’ve been in love for long enough to know that romance is something that you bring along with you, so it’s more important to have fun. Several local restaurants offer a memorable—if not slightly unconventional—evening. If you’re looking to mix things up, here are a few suggestions.
Ejo Korean BBQ
Places where you cook your own food are awesome for a date night, and Korean barbecue joints like Ejo are among the finest examples of this culinary subgenre. I like Ejo because it’s casual without
feeling cheap and the menu lends itself to exploration. The staff is great at making even first-timers feel comfortable with the ordering and cooking process, so there’s little risk that you’ll make idiots of yourselves. Ejo also
lends itself to something a bit more sexy than fun—the tactile nature of cooking up slices of meat and eating them hot off the grill is enough to rev your engine if the chemistry is working. 633 E. 3300 South, 801-474-0047, ejokoreanbbq.com
Chabaar Beyond Thai
Heat. Spice. Fire. These words are synonymous with romance, but only the brave and headstrong take these terms literally during dinner. Eating spicy food on a date is one of the best ways to get to know a person, but it should only be attempted under the right circumstances—seeking out a spicy meal can easily backfire. For those interested in turning up the heat for dinner, I recommend Chabaar Beyond Thai. In addition to serving a solid menu of Thai staples, the staff at Chabaar makes you prove that you can handle their mid-tier heat level before venturing further. I can visualize a date here as a kind of friendly competition to see who can graduate to Chabaar’s upper echelon first. 87 W. 7200 South, 801566-5100
Sweet Rolled Tacos
Dessert and Valentine’s Day will always be bosom buddies, and there’s no reason not to take a detour from dark chocolate ganache or chocolate covered strawberries once in a while.
Consider a visit to Sweet Rolled Tacos where rolled ice cream meets taco shells made from crispy waffles (pictured). The idea of a dessert taco is charming enough for something a bit more whimsical, but there’s a surprising amount of thought behind this menu. Sure, you can get ice cream mainstays, like strawberry cheesecake and cookies and cream, but you can also get more unusual flavors like avocado and matcha. Regardless, rolled ice cream tacos are fun to eat with someone you can goof off with. 157 S. Rio Grande St., 801702-8610, sweetrolledtacos.com
Garage on Beck
For those who really want to ditch convention this Valentine’s Day, it doesn’t get much more unconventional than Garage on Beck. It’s a dive bar with a heart of gold, and it’s packing a menu of gastropub rock stars that will ensure a satisfying meal. Fried chicken and fried funeral potatoes are a match made in heaven, and it’s the kind of place that will pick up the slack if your date happens to be a bit of a drip because the food is stellar and the beer is plentiful. On the flip side, it’s a great place for a couple of lifers who have hitched their wagons together long enough to want a good meal and some live music in lieu of roses and jewelry. 1199 Beck St., 801-521-3904, garageonbeck.com
Lucky’s Iron Door Roadhouse
One way or another, some lovebirds just can’t find a babysitter when they want to go out to dinner. This can be a bit tricky to navigate, but a place like Lucky’s Iron Door Roadhouse is an ideal spot for a dinner that happens to have a few tagalongs. Located in Jordan Landing mall, Lucky’s is a kid-friendly offshoot of Lucky 13, one of downtown Salt Lake’s finest bars and burger establishments, which means you get the same colossal burgers, sandwiches and salads in an environment where the little ones are welcome. 3754 W. Center View Way, West Jordan, 801-8789439, luckysirondoor.com
The Pie
Finally, for those whose idea of romance is a comfy sofa, a warm blanket and binge-watching Fleabag, you really can’t go wrong with pizza from The Pie. With several locations along the Wasatch Front, The Pie has become a hero to those of us who’d just rather not face the dinner reservations and high-pressure gift exchanges that Feb. 14 foists upon us. The ultimate Valentine’s snub is to order the Holy Shiitake in all its roasted garlic glory, but there’s also something vibrant about the Hawaii Pie-O that just feels right on a Valentine’s Day spent indoors. Multiple locations, thepie.com CW
TRY THE DALEY’S SPECIAL! Dutch Oven Cobbler
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20 W. 200 S. SLC | (801) 355-3891
Serving American Comfort Food Since 1930
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-CREEKSIDE PATIO-89 YEARS AND GOING STRONG-BREAKFAST SERVED DAILY UNTIL 4PM-DELICIOUS MIMOSAS & BLOODY MARY’S-LIVE MUSIC ON THE PATIO-SCHEDULE AT RUTHSDINER.COM“Like having dinner at Mom’s in the mountains”
“In a perfect world, every town would have a diner just like Ruth’s”
-Cincinnati Enquirer
-CityWeekly
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Burger Bowls | Pizza | Tacos | Filled Portabellas Full Bar | Big Screen TVs | Board Games
IT’S A MONDAY Double Pepperoni & Double Cheese Pizza $6.99 OPEN MIC NIGHT 6:30-9PM
TACO TUESDAY Your choice of any 2+ Tacos $2.50
WING WEDNESDAY 75¢ Wings Minimum order of 5
NEW $6 Boneyard Bloodys!
THIRSTY THURSDAY Pint of Beer or Tall Boy w/shot $5.00 12oz. Can of Roha Thursday $3.00 LIVE MUSIC 6PM -8PM
525 N 300 W, SLC (across from Marmalade Library) | diversioneatery.com |
SATURDAY & SUNDAY BRUNCH
Food menu Available from 11am to 3pm $3 Mimosas | $6 Boozie Coffees | NEW $6 Boneyard Bloodys
LIVE MUSIC 12:30PM-3PM SUNDAYS
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FEBRUARY 13, 2020 | 21
Ask about Catering! low-carb and gluten free options along with a kid-friendly mini menu
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ALL YOU CAN EAT KOREAN BBQ
Korean BBQ and Sushi
Lunch: $13.95 Dinner: $17.95 +$5 per sushi roll
the
BACK BURNER BY ALEX SPRINGER @captainspringer
15% OFF ALL SUSHI ROLLS
Full Bar
M-Th: 11am-9:30pm F-Sa: 11am-10:30pm Su: 3:30pm-9pm 109 W 9000 S Sandy, UT. 84070 @so_grill_korean_bbq • sogrillsushi.com • 801.566.0721
Jafflz Scores Big at Harmons
Our local frozen pockets of stuffed goodness known as Jafflz (jafflz.com) have been causing quite the stir lately. Not only were they the featured snack at the AP Music Lounge during this year’s Sundance Film Festival, but 17 Harmons Grocery locations have agreed to sell Jafflz in-store. For those who have not yet sampled this local export, Jafflz are self-contained sandwiches packed with sweet and savory ingredients while leaving out stuff like added sugar and sodium—think flavors like chicken enchilada and apple pie. Jafflz founder Meryl van der Merwe will be following this local rollout with a visit to QVC’s In the Kitchen with David.
Tsunami on 9th Opens
I’ve been following the progress of this exciting new addition to the 9th and 9th neighborhood, and the day has finally come for Tsunami on 9th (1059 E. 900 South, 385-900-0288, tsunamiutah.com) to open its doors. Tsunami has already made a name for itself as one of Utah’s favorite sushi destinations, and it’s been fun to watch its gradual expansion. The new location is open for lunch and dinner, and it will be serving up sushi and other Japanese favorites that Tsunami is known for. You can’t go wrong with the Sugar House or Samurai rolls, but it’s also worth checking out their chicken katsu if you’re not in the sushi mood.
La Trattoria di Francesco Opens
The Sicilia Mia restaurant group has welcomed La Trattoria di Francesco (1500 S. 1500 East, 801-4190730, siciliamiautah.com) to its ranks, and it looks to be dripping with excess in all the right ways. Take, for example, the carne di Francesco section of the menu that features succulent cuts of steak like filet mignon or a bone-in tomahawk steak cooked with truffles and 24-karat gold that will run you a few hundred bucks. Of course, you don’t have to chase that particular dragon— they’re also packing a menu of promising pasta dishes like spaghetti carbonara finished up tableside in a wheel of Parmigiano-Reggiano. Quote of the Week: “You can’t buy happiness, but you can buy sushi. And that’s basically the same thing.” —Unknown Back Burner tips: comments@cityweekly.net
TRADITIONAL LEBANESE & MIDDLE EASTERN CUISINE HALAL • VEGAN • VEGETARIAN CATERING AVAILABLE
1326 E. 5600 S. SLC (801) 679-1688 BEIRUTCAFE.COM
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It ain’t all about romance in this beer nerd’s life. BY MIKE RIEDEL comments@cityweekly.net @utahbeer
W
hen my wife selects wine, she lets the artwork on the bottle speak to her. It’s not exactly scientific, but it gets the job done—and it makes for a classy looking cellar. When I choose beer, I always look to see that there’s beer in the bottle or can. That’s about as complicated as I get. I also like a clever name, which is what initially drew me toward these two beers (and my wife). Hey, nobody ever accused me of being a Michelangelo … maybe Barney Fife. Level Crossing Bewing Co. Dallas Alice: There’s a frothy head of an off-white color over a mostly clear, straw-yellow body, with ample lively carbonation. Retention is above average, and lacing is light and spotty. Aromas of malted wheat, crackers and a
MIKE RIEDEL
What’s In a Name
soft biscuit sweetness start us off. Hop notes are subtle, generating a delicate floral and fruity character. The hops are accented by a fruity yeast profile that generates gentle notes of summer fruit, pineapple juice and light coriander spice. The malt profile follows many of the same characteristics of the aroma, though the malts aren’t as balanced due to the use of candied sugar, which sweetens up the base quite a bit. Hop notes of lemon, grass and herbal spices generate a mild bitterness; the yeast profile is increasingly dry, with a moderate cleanliness and accented notes of coriander and white pepper among soft bitters. The beer finishes softly grainy with an emphasis on cereal wheat funk and earthy spice with a marked dryness. The body is medium for the style, and medium overall. The 6.2% alcohol is mild, and there are no notable off characters. Overall: The enjoyable hop profile complements the style well, though it’s overshadowed slightly by chewy candy sugars and a potent yeast strain. At points, this comes across more like a saison, but it’s generally an enjoyable ale that is quite complex for Belgian blonde. Templin Family Brewing Fluffy Nutz: The beer pours dark brown and somewhat thinner bodied than you’d expect from the style. The nitrogen-infused body pours black with caramel colored bubbles. The head is a firm cap of dense froth that stays
to the end, while the liquid looked shimmery and oily in the glass. You get a really nice peanut butter-forward aroma— punchy and quite savory—and roasted malts are also apparent. Medium roast coffee notes come through as well, with a touch of brown sugar sweetness. As the beer sits, the peanut butter become more subtle, though there’s an excellent peanut butter presence in the flavor profile. Like the nose, the peanut butter seems to be natural and quite savory. Roasted malts are noticeable on the front end, followed by brown sugar sweetness, and a subtle coldbrewed coffee presence in the center with a hint of vanilla. More roastiness is there on the back end and the finish. At 5% ABV, the alcohol is nowhere to be found. There’s a soft and smooth mouthfeel, light-bodied
for the style. After a few sips, the liquid leaves a sticky film on my lips. Overall: I have tried quite a few peanut butter-enhanced beers over the past few years, and each label has demonstrated a noticeably different level of peanut butter intensity. This release is somewhere in the middle-to-light side. Like all the beers in the TF portfolio, this is really enjoyable and surprisingly drinkable. The crew at Level Crossing informed me that Dallas Alice will be picked up by the DABC, so you’ll start seeing it there in the coming weeks. If you can’t wait that long, the brewery is still your best option for cold cans. Fluffy Nutz is served on nitro at the Templin Family Brewery for in-house drinking only (nitro beers don’t growler well). As always, cheers! CW
24 | FEBRUARY 13, 2020
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BEER NERD
Now Open! 7277 S PLAZA CENTER DRIVE WEST JORDAN
GOODEATS
4150 S, REDWOOD ROAD TAYLORSVILLE 801.878.7849
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We put ALL THE FEELS in our food
Rugged Grounds
Not only is this small, hip coffee shop located in Provo, it’s also open on Sundays—a rarity in Utah County. Relax in its reclaimed-wood setting with a fresh cup of coffee, tea or local kombucha, or take your refreshment to the outside counter and survey Provo’s upand-coming industrial district. The train yard nearby might be booming, but the atmosphere at Rugged Grounds is quiet and comfortable. You might even catch some live music in the afternoons. If you feel a bit peckish, you can tuck into some avocado toast or, true to this college town’s nature, a bowl of cereal or instant noodles. 156 W. 500 South, Provo, 801888-3356, ruggedgrounds.com
cHINESE & jAPANeSE CUISINE
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Serving classic Italian cuisine Beer & wine available Open seven days a week 11a-11p 11a-12p 3p-10p
(801).266.4182 | 5370 S. 900 E. SLC
italianvillageslc.com
NOODLES|FRIED RICE
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Mon-Thu Fri-Sat Sunday
Offering authentic Italian cuisine in a modern, downtown atmosphere, this restaurant offers pies and pastas which are made—you guessed it—from scratch. Start your meal off with the braised short rib, which comes with horseradish and a honey au jus. As for pizza, try the fennel sausage, with green and red onions, or go with the Whiteout, which has three types of cheese and roasted garlic. If you’re not in the mood for pizza, the tasty signature burger is topped with shoestring onions and melted smoked cheddar cheese. You can wash it all down with an Italian soda. 62 E. Gallivan Ave., 801961-9000, fromscratchslc.com
HOLLADAY, UT | 801.410.8200 | NARRABISTRO.COM M-F 11am-930pm | SAT 4pm-930pm |SUN closed
@NARRABISTRO
FEBRUARY 13, 2020 | 25
ninth & ninth
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5% off Panwich with Ad mention! Come and try our delicious modern Southeast Asian and Filipino cuisine!
4760 S 900 E. SLC 801-590-9940 | FACEBOOK.COM/THE ROYALSLC WWW.THEROYAL.COM
BAR | NIGHTCLUB | MUSIC | SPORTS CHECKOUT OUR GREAT MENU
Wednesday 2/12 KARAOKE & pick-a-prize bingo
karaoke @ 9:00 i bingo @ 9:30, 10:30, 11:30
Thursday 2/13
AMBER PAREDES
Reggae at the Royal one drop
w/ wakeup and live a bob marley tribute
Making the Whole World Cry
Friday 2/14
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MUSIC
CONCERT PREVIEW
Valentine's Day Party with American Hitmen
Saturday 2/15
Live Music
listening party Featuring Zac Ivie, Dj BAloo & More!
Tuesday 2/18 open mic night YOU Never KNow WHO WILL SHOW UP TO PERFORM
Friday 2/21
Jagertown Friday 2/22
Live Music
(hed) p.e.
w/andrew w boss
Coming Soon 2/28 Retro Riot Dance Party Prince Night 3/28 Powerman 5000 4/24 Trapt, The Calling, Smile Empty Soul Tantric & PSYCHOVILLAGE
ALL SHOW TICKETS AVAILABLE AT SMITHSTIX OR AT THE ROYAL
NVM expand their personal moody sound to put themselves in the listeners’ shoes. BY ZAINA ABUJEBARAH comments@cityweekly.net @zainaabujebarah
W
hile they started out in 2016 scratching an itch to write a few sad rock songs, St. George-based shoegaze number NVM have moved onto bigger goals—some as lofty as making the whole world cry. As they introduce their first full-length record, Thermal Memory, they’re not only attempting to grab the attention of those who have listened and liked them before, but to touch (or break) the hearts of a broader audience. By building upon the dreary, dark framework they’ve built with their first two EPs, NVM bring an arsenal of brightened soundscapes to the table to re-introduce themselves with a polished, confident and relatively newfound sense of identity. Whether “the world” means their hometown, Salt Lake City or Utah at-large—make the world cry, they do. Throughout their first two EPs—the aptly titled (maybe self-titled?) 2017 EP, featuring the word “Nevermind” on the front, and 2018’s Aqua Cross—NVM have used their myriad influences to experiment with various soundscapes and sonic vibes. The result has been a collection of songs whose notable characteristics are emotion-heavy screaming and dark, dramatic atmospherics. However, with their debut LP, some major stylistic changes are in place. When it came to deciphering what direction NVM were going in their new album, they knew that it would take a lot of change and definition to get it just right. “We needed time to refine our craft and to understand who/what we are as a band,” lead vocalist Austin Mariano says. “Some of the biggest adjustments we made have been song structure. We put ourselves in the listeners’ shoes for Thermal Memory, which is something we haven’t done before.” While developing their nuanced sound, NVM pulled from the unique musical backgrounds of each member. “Our sound comes from a conglomerate of multiple influences,” Mariano says. “I think we manage to blend all that we love together in a unique melting pot, with the heart of rock ’n’ roll at the forefront.”
Left to right: Jordan Talley, Ian Ford, Austin Mariano and McCabe Johnson of NVM While Mariano found his start in high school, where he was involved with a “crappy” pop-punk band, McCabe Johnson has been in multiple hardcore bands, such as Liar’s Tongue and Takeover, both of which explored different sub-genres within hardcore. Guitarist Jordan Talley has experimented with a variety of projects in St. George. As for their bassist, Ian Ford, NVM is his first dive into the world of being in a band, despite his music education background. Considering these varied backgrounds, Mariano remarks, “We all are different in so many ways, but we all share the same vision.” While Thermal Memory opens itself up for a lighter delivery, the lyrics are still laced with depressing, melancholic subject matter—staying true to NVM’s somber roots. The way emotion is distributed throughout this album is pungent and genuine, leaving listeners with a heavy heart. Lyrically, Mariano pulls inspiration from past, present and upcoming traumas, as well as fears, love and other personal experiences. “The new album isn’t a stranger to things I’ve written about in the past, but this round, it’s more consistent in relating to others and not just myself,” he says. Now that they’ve got a cohesive new album out, their top priority is touring and playing shows in 2020. “Being from the Southern Utah area for us has been tough for exposure, shows, touring and building our own fan base,” Mariano says. “However, over the past few years, I think we’ve learned to embrace being outcasts of these more popular areas. It’s allowed us to develop a harder-working mentality—plus, we are so grateful and stoked for any opportunity that comes our way.” Their first show of this tour pairs NVM with one of their biggest influences, Hunny, at the Loading Dock on Wednesday, Feb. 19. Their official album release show, however, is still a few months down the road, on June 19 at The Urban Lounge, where they’re hoping to have some physical copies (vinyl!) of Thermal Memory for purchase. Be sure to catch their upcoming performance, and keep an eye out for others since this up-and-coming band of darkwavers are absolutely worth following wherever they go. CW
NVM
w/ Hunny, Bay Faction, Mundy’s Bay The Loading Dock 445 S. 400 West Wednesday, Feb. 19, 7 p.m. $16 presale; $18 day of show 21+ facebook.com/theloadingdockslc
L IV E M U S IC ! FRIDAY: VALENT INES WITH THE TRIBE OF I SATU RDAY: CH AN NE L Z
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EAT AT SUES!!!
BY KEITH L. McDONALD, NICK McGREGOR, ALEX MURPHY & LEE ZIMMERMAN
THURSDAY 2/13
Since 2017, Blood of the Young has been a semi-regular celebration of Salt Lake-based new wave, goth and post-punk featuring, according to a past event description, all the “despair, lace, heartbreak and romance” a local could want. Artists at past years’ events have included Fossil Arms, Primitive Programme and Fearing, delivering smoky, synth-driven darkwave and post-punk to venues decked out in goth prom-appropriate decorations like flowers, skulls, velvet and “fog so thick no one will see your tears.” This lineup for Blood of the Young 3 is decidedly less synth-oriented, but still supremely dreamy: local artists Sculpture Club and Corner Case perform. Sculpture Club conjure smart, vicious missiles of gloom-rock dripping in fuzz and a nihilistic drawl—imagine The Cure, but wearing boxing gloves. No official word if Sculpture Club’s return precedes new recorded music, but based on the fact of bassist Chaz Costello’s regular output in Choir Boy, it’s fair to hope so. Corner Case, on the other hand, have developed a musky, introspective post punk sound driven by heavy-chorus guitar and saturated vocal melodies. Made up of two members of the popular but now-defunct jangle-rock act Strong Words, plus bassist Paula Bravo, Corner Case will play from their worthwhile October release Haunted House. In addition to live music, Blood of the Young 3 also features DJs, photographers and Instagramready coffin displays. It will no doubt be another memorable night of new-wave nostalgia draped in light, fog and lipstick—a small diorama of the broken-heart dreamworld imagined in the goth-prom prototype. (Alex Murphy) Urban Lounge, 241 S. 500 East, 8 p.m., $5, 21+, theurbanloungeslc.com
Marcus King Band, Lee White
Don’t let Marcus King’s baby face, upperregister vocals or tender years deceive you.
Marcus King
JEREMY DEVINE
Blood of the Young 3: Sculpture Club, Corner Case
At age 23, King is already a well-seasoned performer. You could consider him a child prodigy, given the fact that he’s been at the helm of his eponymous outfit for more than a decade, and has been playing guitar since he was a toddler. Nevertheless, King seems to have adapted to that scenario quite well. “I was making executive decisions at the age of 13 and 14,” he recalled in an earlier interview with this writer for Relix magazine. “I had older musicians working with me, but I was the one that had to get the check at the end of the night. It all stemmed from my father’s advice to be the guy that runs it.” Apparently, that proverb worked out well. Mentored by such illustrious guitar gods as Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks, he quickly moved up the ranks while reaping kudos for his band’s adept blend of rock, roots and blues. King’s credibility is so well established that he’s also able to venture out on his own, as his new solo album, El Dorado, demonstrates. Produced by Dan Auerbach and featuring an all-star lineup of superb session players, it shows that even at an age where most folks are still trying to find their way in the world, his stardom is already well-secured. This is one King who deserves reverence and respect. (Lee Zimmerman) The Depot, 13 N. 400 West, 8 p.m., $25-$75, 21+, depotslc.com
Sculpture Club get down with for an hour or so is one of the most important skills to cultivate. Guava Tree seems to understand this intuitively. The psychedelic rock project, spearheaded by singer, songwriter and lead guitarist Sam K. Johnson, has proven itself willing and able to adapt to just about any crowd out there, whether it’s a hip indie venue like Kilby Court, a pizza joint like Logan’s own Factory Pizzeria, a DIY house show or even an impromptu streetside busking session. Still, as impressively elastic as Guava Tree’s performance style is, Johnson’s sun-baked, flower child attitude and easygoing, reggae-influenced songwriting style manage to shine through no matter where he and his cohorts might be playing. This Tuesday, Guava Tree returns once again to Logan’s premier local music venue WhySound—where Johnson regularly runs the ticket booth and soundboard—for a psychedelic-themed local music night. They’ll be joined by Salt Lake psych-folk trio Blue Rainboots and alt-rock outfit Sunfish. (Nic Renshaw) WhySound, 30 N. Federal Ave., Logan, 7:30 p.m. $8, all ages, whysound.org
Guava Tree
FRIDAY 2/14
In the Logan music scene, a generalist approach will get you a long way. The northern Utah college town simply doesn’t have the population to support multiple music scenes operating independently of each other, so it helps to have crossover appeal. In a small, tight-knit music community, developing a sound that just about every music fan can
POND IMAGES
Guava Tree, Blue Rainboots, Sunfish
OLLY CURTIS
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North Mississippi Allstars
MONDAY 2/17
DAILY DINNER & A SHOW OPEN 365 DAYS A YEAR • NO COVER EVER
FEBRUARY 12
FEBRUARY 16
GEEKS WHO DRINK TRIVIA AT 6:30 BREAKING BINGO AT 8:30 PERFECTAMUNDO PLAYING 10PM-1AM
SUNDAY BRUNCH 10-3 THE HAWTHORN ROOTS 8PM-11PM
FEBRUARY 13
MONDAY NIGHT JAZZ SESSION WITH DAVID HALLIDAY AND THE JVQ 7PM-10PM
LIVE MUSIC WITH LANE CHANGERS 10PM-1AM
FEBRUARY 14
SINGLES AWARNESS DAY PARTY THE DAVE BOWEN ORCHESTRA PLAYING 6PM-9PM FUNKY FRIDAY WITH DJ CHE 10PM
FEBRUARY 15
SATURDAY BRUNCH 10-3 DJ CHASEONE2 10PM
FEBRUARY 17
FEBRUARY 18
TUESDAY NIGHT BLUEGRASS JAM WITH PIXIE AND THE PARTYGRASS BOYS 7PM
Dual careers can’t be easy, so virtual hats off to the two prime members of the Mississippi Allstars, brothers Luther and Cody Dickinson, for dedication to their day job while also sharing their skills with others. Making music is also in their blood: Their dad, musician and producer Jim Dickinson, built a career as a sideman to the stars, with credits that include backing Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, The Replacements, Jerry Jeff Walker, Sam and Dave, Aretha Franklin and others too numerous to mention. It might be a bit intimidating trying to live up to their dad’s legacy, but the younger Dickinsons have done quite well on their own, courtesy of the 19 albums their band’s released since the turn of the century, and the various Grammy nods, chart placements and critical praise that followed. One would think the Dickinson boys could be content to rest on their laurels, focus on their own ensemble and not worry about the freelance opportunities that consistently come their way. Indeed, the duo’s recently released album Up and Rolling, an aural snapshot of their namesake environs as it existed in another time and space, which provides further proof that they rank high among today’s purveyors of contemporary blues, roots and gospel. So while they’ll likely continue to lend their talents whenever like-minded folks like John Hiatt, Robert Randolph and John Medeski come calling, they’ll remain certified Allstars while simply playing for the home team. (LZ) The State Room, 638 S. State, 8 p.m., $33, 21+, thestateroompresents.com
Murder by Death
Murder By Death, Saintseneca
Kentucky-based Southern-goth folk-rockers Murder By Death, by moniker alone, conjure up an indelible image cranked taut with apocalyptic noir. Lead singer Adam Turla’s baritone reeks of Johnny Cash, but the band’s eighth full-length, 2018’s The Other Shore, launches into more futuristic directions. A concept album about Earth’s impending end-times and a human population in peril, The Other Shore blends eerie intrigue, emotional circumspection and haunting insight better than any previous entry in Murder By Death’s storied discography. Even better, MBD continues to play by its own rules, 20 years after inception. Turla and his wife, Sarah Balliet, self-manage every aspect of the band; they even invested in a Louisville, Ky., Italian restaurant to shore up their finances and provide free creative rein for the band. “Our restaurant is very much like the band in that it’s something we turned from a hobby into a profession,” Turla told City Weekly in 2018. “We got to try to make a living at something we were passionate about. That gave us confidence to move forward.” Tourmates Saintseneca— founded in a small Appalacian town in 2007—exude a similar sense of scrappy self-assurance. Frontman Zac Smith added banjo, mandolin, dulcimer, balalaika, bouzouki and violin to the indie-folk mix after moving to Columbus, Ohio. Four acclaimed full-lengths later, Saintseneca is revered for its quirky art-rock flourishes and reflections on hardened survival. Don’t miss these two bands flexing their muscles in between album cycles, with Murder By Death celebrating its milestone 20th anniversary by selecting songs from all eight albums, giving away free zines documenting the band’s history, and having fans curate set lists each night. (Nick McGregor) The Commonwealth Room, 195 W. 2100 South, 8 p.m., $27, 21+, thestateroompresents.com
FEBRUARY 19
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MARA BATTISTE
30 | FEBRUARY 13, 2020
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North Mississippi Allstars
TUESDAY 2/18
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
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OPEN JAM EVERY MONDAY 9:30PM BREAKING BINGO TUESDAY NIGHTS 2.13 MORGAN SNOW
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th ebruary 15 F y a d r u t a S
Michelle e Trio MoonshCininnabar vival e R d r a y k The Baclage
Jake & The Hei st Canyon
Show at s Village 3:00 PM Sunday F ebruary 16th
Eric He ideman Band The Corn e
Show at r Store Canyons Vil 0 PM 3:00 PM :0 Show at 3 MOUNTAINTOWNMUSIC.ORG
3200 E BIG COTTONWOOD ROAD 801.733.5567 | THEHOGWALLOW.COM
FEBRUARY 13, 2020 | 31
Snowbasin 0 PM Show at 3:0 th ebruary 15 Saturday F
Show at Cinnabar 3:00 PM Monday February 17th
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lag Canyons Vil 0 PM Show at 3:0 th ebruary 15 Saturday F
BD How 16th es Snowbas in’s
ogie o B r e n r o Streetc e
Sunday F ebruary
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2.12 MICHELLE MOONSHINE
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Dj Soulpause
the place to be for
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32 | FEBRUARY 13, 2020
CONCERTS & CLUBS SATURDAY 2/15
THE CHAMBER GROUP
Bone Thugs-n-Harmony
THURSDAY 2/13
FRIDAY 2/14
LIVE MUSIC
LIVE MUSIC
Blood of the Young 3: Sculpture Club + Corner Case (Urban Lounge) see p. 28 Bronco (Rye) Lane Changers (Gracie’s) Matt Calder + Matthew Bashaw (Lake Effect) The Marcus King Band + Lee White (The Depot) see p. 28 Morgan Snow (Hog Wallow Pub) Reggae at the Royal feat. One Drop (The Royal) Sarah McLachlan + Vanessa FreebairnSmith (Eccles Theatre) Year of the Dog (Bourbon House)
DJ, OPEN MIC, SESSION, PIANO LOUNGE
’80s Flashback Hits w/ DJ Radar (Area 51) Dueling Pianos: Drew & JD (Tavernacle) Dueling Pianos (The Spur) Dusty Grooves All Vinyl DJ (Twist) Open Mic (Sugar House Coffee) Soul & Funk Dance Party DJ James Beard (Alibi) Therapy Thursdays feat. i_o (Sky
Amy Jade’s Beehive Society—Amy Whinehouse Tribute (The State Room) Badfeather (The Cabin) Bodysnatcher + Great American Ghost + Born a New + Distinguisher + Amorous (Loading Dock) Boomchick (Club 90) Colt 46. (The Westerner) Guava Tree + Blue Rainboots + Sunfish (WhySound) see p. 28 Jesse Walker + Typefunk + Love Island (Alibi) Live Local Music (A Bar Named Sue) Live Music (Outlaw Saloon) Nikki Jean + The Lioness + DJ Keezy (Union Event Center) The Paranoyds + Spendtime Palace (Kilby Court) Royal Bliss (The Royal) Stonefed (Hog Wallow Pub) Sundog Sky (O’Shucks) The Swinging Lights (Garage on Beck) Tender + XYLØ (The Greek Station) Terence Hansen + Tony Oros Trio (Lake Effect) The Toasters (Liquid Joe’s)
RANDY'S RECORD SHOP
If you are a ’90s baby, chances are you heard your parents bumping Bone Thugs-n-Harmony at one point in your childhood. Despite their rugged name, image and penchant for underworld imagery, Bone Thugs managed to turn their fast-paced, often indiscernible lyrics and catchy melodies into significant commercial success, reaching heights that most rap acts only dream of. Their seminal hit, “Crossroads,” was played on Top 40, hip-hop and even country stations. At one point, Bone Thugs was the highest-selling rap group in the history of music. Like fellow ’90s stalwarts Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, Nas and Tech N9ne who are still touring, Bone Thugs appeal to an audience that includes folks who might not have been alive in their heyday because their material is classic and ages well. You can still listen to “Budsmokers Only,” “1st of Da Month,” “Buddah Lovaz” and “For the Love of $” and vibe with them like hip-hop heads back in the day. Despite changes in styles, deaths in the crew, legal troubles, different group configurations and tremendous success, Bone Thugs has endured. Qualities like their rapid-fire lyrics and harmonizing in the middle of a rap song ensure that they are a unique powerhouse of a group. Don’t miss a chance to catch East 1999’s very own. (Keith L. McDonald) Park City Live, 427 Main, Park City, 8 p.m., $25–$100, 21+, parkcitylive.net
DJ, OPEN MIC, SESSION, PIANO LOUNGE
(Urban Lounge) Palace + Janet May (Kilby Court) Pinegrove + Whitney Ballen (The Complex) Silver Tongued Devils (Johnny’s on Second) Star Metal + Sorrow For Virtue + Rakshasi + Fall Away + Coherent State (Loading Dock) Stone Company (Piper Down) Spock Block + Sydney Keddington (Lake Effect) The Spazmatics (Liquid Joe’s)
SATURDAY 2/15
DJ, OPEN MIC, SESSION, PIANO LOUNGE
Dance Music (Chakra Lounge) DJ Chaseone2 (Lake Effect) DJ Che (Gracie’s) DJ Juggy (Bourbon House) DJ Sneeky Long (Twist) Dueling Pianos (Tavernacle) Funkin’ Friday w/ DJ Rude Boy & Bad Boy Brian (Johnny’s on Second) Peekaboo (Complex) Valentine’s Ball (Area 51)
LIVE MUSIC
Dance Music (Chakra Lounge) DJ Chaseone2 (Gracie’s) DJ Flash & Flare (Alibi) DJ Handsome Hands (Bourbon House) DJ Latu (The Green Pig) DJ Matty Mo (The Cabin) DJ Ramirez (Lake Effect) DJ Soul Pause (Twist) Gothic + Industrial + Dark ’80s w/ DJ Courtney (Area 51) Dueling Pianos (Tavernacle) Sky Saturdays w/ DJ Bangarang (Sky) Top 40 + EDM + Alternative w/ DJ Punkin (Area 51)
The Anchorage + Dangus Kong (Ice Haüs) Bone Thugs-n-Harmony (Park City Live) see above Boomchick (Club 90) Boys Ranch (Garage on Beck) CO Jones (Pat’s BBQ) The Lil Smokies (The State Room) Live Local Music (A Bar Named Sue) Live Music (Outlaw Saloon) Metal Dogs + Rage Against the Supremes (The Spur) Metronomy Forever + Bodega
NEW HIMALAYAN PUB FUSION SMALL PLATES MENU
$2 VINYL SALE
FRIDAY, MARCH 6 & SATURDAY, MARCH 7 Most LP's valued @ $2 - $7, some $8 - $10 Over 1200 LP's put out on both Fri & Sat AM Also CD's & DVD's @ $1.00, 45's & cassettes @ $0.25 “UTAH’S LONGEST RUNNING INDIE RECORD STORE” SINCE 1978
Great Vinyl at Bargain $2 prices TUE – FRI 11AM TO 7PM • SAT 10AM TO 6PM • CLOSED SUN & MON LIKE US ON OR VISIT WWW.RANDYSRECORDS.COM • 801.532.4413
MONDAY OPEN MIC WITH KATE
TUESDAYS 9PM BREAKING BINGO
WEDNESDAYS
THURSDAY
FRIDAY & SATURDAY
WHISKEY & WING NIGHT WITH .50¢ WINGS & $3 JIM BEAM
KARAOKE THAT DOESN’T SUCK W/MIKEY DANGER
DANCE MUSIC
CHAKRALOUNGE.NET OPEN NIGHTLY 364 S STATE ST. SALT LAKE CITY 5 PM - 1 AM
$4 JAME $5 SHOT & SON BEER DAILY
SUMMONS BY PUBLICATION IN THE SALT LAKE CITY DEPT. OF THE THIRD JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, SALT LAKE COUNTY, STATE OF UTAH. CASE NO. 209901950, JUDGE PATRICK CORUM. CASCADE COLLECTIONS LLC, PLAINTIFF V. KELLIE SHEPPARD, DEFENDANT. THE STATE OF UTAH TO KELLIE SHEPPARD: You are summoned and required to answer the complaint that is on file with the court. Within 21 days after the last date of publication of this summons, you must file your written answer with the clerk of the court at the following address: 450 S State St., Salt Lake City, UT 84114, and you must mail or deliver a copy to plaintiff's attorney Chad C. Rasmussen at 2230 N University Pkwy., Ste. 7E, Provo, UT 84604. If you fail to do so, judgment by default will be taken against you for the relief demanded in the complaint. This lawsuit is an attempt to collect a debt of $13,122.83. /s/ Chad C. Rasmussen
The Marcus King Band February 13 -21+ Alter Bridge February 18 -21+
Ostrich Elk Buffalo
Home of Utah’s Exotic Burgers!
Wild Boar Venison Wagyu
KARAOKE!
Machine Head February 19 -21+ Led Zeppelin 2 February 22 -21+
“Over the Bun” Prime Rib Sandwich $9.95
Black Jacket Symphony March 7 - 21+ The Wonder Years
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Daily 8pm-close
March 12 - ALL AGES
Bar and Grill 2106 W. North Temple. Salt Lake City, Utah 801-741-1188 | loftesbarandgrill.com
10% off for military, firefighters and law enforcement
March 12 - 21+
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Beatles vs. Stones
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FEBRUARY 13, 2020 | 33
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34 | FEBRUARY 13, 2020
STRAP TANK BREWING CO.
ERIN MOORE
BAR FLY
SUNDAY 2/16 LIVE MUSIC
Hawthorne Roots (Gracie’s) Jazz Jags + Special Guest (Twilite Lounge) Live Bluegrass (Club 90) Live Latin Jazz + Soul Fusion (Alibi) The New Pornographers + Diane Coffee (The Depot) Pinewalker + Swarmer + Turtleneck + Wedding Dress + Winterlight (Metro Music Hall)
DJ, OPEN MIC, SESSION, PIANO LOUNGE Dueling Pianos (The Spur)
MONDAY 2/17 LIVE MUSIC
North Mississippi Allstars (The State Room) see p. 30 Quaker City Night Hawks + Mike and the Moonpies (Urban Lounge) Slay Lake City Showcase + Talia Keys (The Depot)
Murder by Death + Saintseneca (Commonwealth Room) see p. 30 Soap + Guava Tree + Nicholas James (Kilby Court) Turtle Dovin + Trigger & Slips (Lake Effect)
DJ, OPEN MIC, SESSION, PIANO LOUNGE
DJ, OPEN MIC, SESSION, PIANO LOUNGE
Live DJs (Tinwell) Monday Night Open Jazz Session w/ David Halliday & the JVQ (Gracie’s) Open Blues Jam w/ West Temple Taildraggers (The Green Pig) Open Jam hosted by Paul Checkler (Hog Wallow Pub)
TUESDAY 2/18 LIVE MUSIC
The Laser Yes + Darling (Kilby Court) Lynn Jones (The Spur)
Before the massive snowstorm hit, I found myself in Utah County one unseasonably warm day with my friend Cody, driving around with the actual windows down, navigating Springville in search of Strap Tank Brewing Co. We eventually found our way to the brewery, located in a rather bizarre plaza that screams Mad Max. A vintage motorcycle museum hulks large on one end, while a multi-colored jumble of old shipping containers is piled in another corner as some establishment-in-progress. Then there’s Strap Tank itself, which is made of intricately tiled bricks, modeled off of an old Harley-Davidson factory. Walking in, you’re greeted with a skeletal early model Harley that looks more like a bicycle than a motorcycle, and beyond that, the bar opens up into a lofty space. The decor feels like if Garage on Beck had a baby with a pirate ship. Broken planks draped with ropes or chains hang like a roof over the bar, and out in the more restaurant-style area, things like a coconut-busted mermaid hangs mysteriously above everyone’s heads. At the bar, we quickly pick out our beers; their Endlich Munich Dunkel Lager for Cody and the Lowside Whitbier for myself, which I quite like. There’s no Red Lobster fare here, but we do order some food (pizza, fish and chips) to cut through the high-ish percentage beers, which not too long into our sit prompt Cody to remark that he feels drunk already. We don’t seem to be alone—the late noon Saturday crowd is quite present, everyone munching and drinking. We have to fight off our beer-infused fatigue to finally wrest ourselves from the clamor of the place. I wave goodbye to the mermaid (in my heart) and we head out to the car—but not before discovering a few motorcycle sculptures skulking in the bushes. Vroom vroom! (Erin Moore) 596 S. 1750 West, Springville, 385-325-0262, straptankbrewery.com
Beats & Bones DJ Concise Kilgore (Alibi) Groove Tuesdays (Johnny’s on Second) Hirie (Soundwell) Open Jazz Jam (Bourbon House) Open Mic (The Wall at BYU) Tuesday Night Bluegrass Jam w/ Pixie & The Partygrass Boys (Gracie’s)
WEDNESDAY 2/19
The Delta Bombers + Reckless Ones + Decent Animals + Dealin’ In Dirt (Metro Music Hall)
LIVE MUSIC
BOBO + Calvin Lee + Goldie & the Guise + Pummel (Urban Lounge)
Casey Webber (Hog Wallow Pub) Elliot + Gabriel (The Spur) Hunny + Bay Faction + Mundy’s Bay + NVM + Hunny + Bay Faction + Mundy’s Bay (Loading Dock) see p. 26 Jazz Jags + Special Guest (Twilite Lounge) Live Jazz (The Rabbit Hole) Machine Head (The Depot) MarchFourth + Moodlite (The State Room) Tall Heights + Victoria Canal (Kilby Court) Terence Hansen + Corey Christansen Quartet (Lake Effect)
DJ, OPEN MIC, SESSION, PIANO LOUNGE Dark NRG w/ DJ Punkin (Area 51) Dueling Pianos (Tavernacle) Open Mic (Velour) Roaring Wednesdays: Swing Dance Lessons (Prohibition)
PROCEEDS TO BENEFIT THE U OF U CLINIC 1A COMMUNITY PREP CLINIC
MANIC MONDAY KARAOKE 9PM-CLOSE W/ DJ DUCKY
TACO TUESDAYS - $1 TACOS
WHISKEY WEDNESDAY - $4 PINT OF PBR AND WELL WHISKEY SHOT COMBO
THIRSTY THURSDAYS - $9 LONG ISLANDS
FIREBALL FRIDAY - $4 SHOTS SATURDAY - DJ NAOMI 9PM DARTS STARTING AT 7:30PM GURLESQUE 1/25 11PM-2AM
@the_suntrapp | thesuntrapp.com
SUNDAY - $3 BLOODYS,MARGS & MIMOSAS
Funerals weddings make someone ’ s day
Birthdays 801-363-0565 580 E 300 S SLC theartfloral.com
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Art Floral
The
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OGDEN 2822 WALL AVE: 621-0086 OREM 1680 N. STATE: 226-6090
WWW.SOUNDWAREHOUSE.COM
Se Habla Español
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MODEL CLOSE-OUTS, DISCONTINUED ITEMS AND SOME SPECIALS ARE LIMITED TO STOCK ON HAND AND MAY INCLUDE DEMOS. PRICES GUARANTEED THRU 2/20/20
165 E 200 S SLC | 801.746.3334 JOHNNYSONSECOND.COM
FEBRUARY 13, 2020 | 35
COME IN TO YOUR NEAREST SOUND WAREHOUSE LOCATION TO SEE ONE OF OUR KENWOOD OR PIONEER MODELS
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34999
ting star at
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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY B Y R O B
B R E Z S N Y
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.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Aquarian author Derek Walcott had a perspective on love that I suspect might come in handy for you during this Valentine season. “Break a vase,” he wrote, “and the love that reassembles the fragments is stronger than that love which took its symmetry for granted when it was whole.” I urge you to meditate on how you could apply his counsel to your own love story, Aquarius. How might you remake your closest alliances into even better and brighter versions of themselves?
much to spend on luxuries. In her memoir, Akhmatova recalled the time they went on a date in the rain at the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris. Barely protected under a rickety umbrella, they amused each other by reciting the verse of Paul Verlaine, a poet they both loved. Isn’t that romantic? In the coming weeks, I recommend you experiment with comparable approaches to cultivating love. Get back to raw basics. Happy Valentine Daze!
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): (Warning: Poetry alert! If you prefer your horoscopes to be exclusively composed of practical, hyper-rational advice, stop PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Piscean poet Saul Williams wrote a meditation I hope you’ll reading now!) Happy Valentine Daze, Virgo! I hope there’s consider experimenting with this Valentine season. It involves someone in your life to whom you can give a note like the one I’ll transforming mere kisses into sublime kisses. If you choose to offer at the end of this oracle. If there’s not, I trust you will locate be inspired by his thoughts, you’ll explore new sensations and that person in the next six months. Feel free to alter the note as meanings available through the act of joining your mouth to you see fit. Here it is. “When you and I are together, it’s as if we another’s. Ready? Here’s Saul: “Have you ever lost yourself have been reborn into luckier lives; as if we can breathe deeper in a kiss? I mean pure psychedelic inebriation. Not just lustful breaths that fill our bodies with richer sunlight; as if we see all of petting but transcendental metamorphosis, when you became the world’s beauty that alone we were blind to; as if the secrets aware that the greatness of this other being is breathing into of our souls’ codes are no longer secret.” you. Licking your mouth, like sealing a thousand fleshy envelopes filled with the essence of your passionate being, and then LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): opened by the same mouth and delivered back to you, over and In the course of your life, how many people and animals have truly loved you? Three? Seven? More? I invite you to try this over again—the first kiss of the rest of your life.” Valentine experiment: Write down their names on a piece of paper. Spend a few minutes visualizing the specific qualities ARIES (March 21-April 19): Now that she’s in her late 40s, Aries comedian and actress Tig in you that they cherished, and how they expressed their love, Notaro is wiser about love. Her increased capacity for romantic and how you felt as you received their caring attention. Then happiness has developed in part because she’s been willing to send out a beam of gratitude to each of them. Honor them with change her attitudes. She says, “Instead of being someone who sublime appreciation for having treasured your unique beauty. expects people to have all the strengths I think I need them to Amazingly enough, Libra, doing this exercise will magnetize you have, I resolved to try to become someone who focuses on the to further outpourings of love in the coming weeks. strengths they do have.” In accordance with this Valentine’s season’s astrological omens, Aries, I invite you to meditate on SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): (Warning: Poetry alert! If you prefer your horoscopes to be how you might cultivate more of that aptitude yourself. exclusively composed of practical, hyper-rational advice, stop reading now!) Happy Valentine Daze, Scorpio! I invite you to TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Taurus artist Joan Miró loved to daub colored paint on canvases. copy the following passage and offer it to a person who is He said he approached his work in the same way he made love: “a receptive to deepening their connection with you. “Your healing total embrace, without caution, prudence thrown to the winds, eyes bless the winter jasmine flowers that the breeze blew into nothing held back.” In accordance with astrological omens, I invite the misty creek. Your welcoming prayers celebrate the rhythyou to invoke a similar attitude with all the important things mic light of the mud-loving cypress trees. Your fresh dreams you do in the coming weeks. Summon the ardor and artistry of a replenish the eternal salt that nourishes our beloved song of creative lover for all-purpose use. Happy Valentine Daze, Taurus! songs. With your melodic breath, you pour all these not-yetremembered joys into my body.” (This lyrical message is a blend of my words with those of Scorpio poet Odysseus Elytis.) GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In 1910, Gemini businessman Irving Seery was 20 years old. One evening he traveled to the Metropolitan Opera in New York City SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): to see an opera starring the gorgeous and electrifying soprano The poet Virgil, a renowned author in ancient Rome, wrote three singer Maria Jeritza. He fell in love instantly. For the next 38 epic poems that are still in print today. His second was a masteryears he remained a bachelor as he nursed his desire to marry her. piece called the Georgics. It took him seven years to write, even His devotion finally paid off. Jeritza married Seery in 1948. Dear though it was only 2,740 lines long. So on average he wrote a little Gemini, in 2020, I think you will be capable of a heroic feat of love over one line per day. I hope you’ll use him as inspiration as you that resembles Seery’s. Which of your yearnings might evoke toil over your own labors of love in the coming weeks and months. There’ll be no need to rush. In fact, the final outcomes will be betsuch intensely passionate dedication? Happy Valentine Daze! ter if you do them slowly. Be especially diligent and deliberate in all matters involving intimacy and collaboration and togetherness. CANCER (June 21-July 22): I’ve been married twice, both times to the same woman. Our first time around, we were less than perfectly wise in the arts of relation- CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): ship. After our divorce and during the few years we weren’t together, (Warning: Poetry alert! If you prefer your horoscopes to be we each ripened into more graceful versions of ourselves; we devel- exclusively composed of practical, hyper-rational advice, stop oped greater intimacy skills. Our second marriage has been far more reading now!) Happy Valentine Daze, Capricorn! I invite you successful. Is there a comparable possibility in your life, Cancerian? to copy the following passage and offer it to a person who is A chance to enhance your ability to build satisfying togetherness? ready to explore a more deeply lyrical connection with you. “I An opening to learn practical lessons from past romantic mistakes? yearn to earn the right to your whispered laugh, your confident caress, your inscrutable dance. Amused and curious, I wander Now is a favorable time to capitalize. Happy Valentine Daze! where moon meets dawn, inhaling the sweet mist in quest of your questions. I study the joy that my imagination of you has LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In 1911, the famous Russian poet Anna Akhmatova and the awakened. All the maps are useless, and I like them that way. I’m famous Italian painter Amedeo Modigliani were in love with guided by my nervous excitement to know you deeper. Onward each other. Both were quite poor, though. They didn’t have toward the ever-fresh truth of your mysterious rhythms!”
CINEMA
FILM REVIEW
Snow Job
Downhill remakes a dark character study as broad comedy. BY SCOTT RENSHAW scottr@cityweekly.net @scottrenshaw
choice for this role—his genial doofus persona doesn’t lend itself well to the idea of a guy forced to re-evaluate his own masculinity—but he still conveys someone who knows he’s exposed the worst of himself, with no idea how to set things right again. The problem with Faxon and Rash’s approach is that it’s the thinnest possible take on this material. Like Force Majeure, Downhill is more or less equally about both of the two main characters, and the impact on their marriage of the patriarch’s moment of shame. But by playing more of the content for laughs, this version blunts the idea of how much in a relationship can be broken in a moment. The stakes are deliberately lowered to make it easier to swallow; instead of something as caustic as acid, Downhill only offers a tart splash of vinegar. One of the most baffling changes in Downhill involves a late incident that offers Pete a chance at redemption. Force Majeure hints at complex circumstances surrounding
Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Will Ferrell in Downhill that incident, but Downhill puts it bluntly into an exchange of dialogue. From there, it leads not to the potent uncertainty of Force Majeure’s final shot, but to something that feels like a blatant attempt at a happy ending. And there’s nothing inherently wrong with happy endings, or more artistically pure about unhappy endings. You just have to know your material—or, to look at it another way, you have to hope that your viewers don’t know it. CW
DOWNHILL
BB.5 Julia Louis-Dreyfus Will Ferrell Miranda Otto R
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taken their two sons. All is well, until a controlled avalanche goes a bit out of control while the family is on an outdoor patio. The primary threat, however, turns out not to be to their lives, but to the family’s perception of Pete, as his reaction to the frightening event changes everyone’s sense of who he is. Faxon and Rash (The Way Way Back) are comedy guys at their core, so it’s not surprising to see them fashion this story into primarily a dark comedy of manners. They go broader with a lot of the material, including the supporting character of a bawdy, blunt hotel employee (Miranda Otto) and Billie finding herself in an embarrassing situation in a public bathroom. Mostly, they play to the strengths of their two leads, particularly Louis-Dreyfus. She’s a master of incredulous reaction takes, which she puts to terrific use as Ferrell’s Pete either attempts to avoid talking about the humiliating incident, or gaslights Billie about what actually happened. Ferrell’s not exactly the ideal casting
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could write a book-length treatise on how and how not to do a cinematic remake— and given the film industry’s fondness for recycling, there would be no shortage of material. The fact is, there isn’t any one way to approach the task, depending on the source material that’s being remade. Are you updating a vintage Hollywood movie? Maybe you lean into casting bankable stars, and making whatever modern tweaks give the story a new angle (e.g. The Shop Around the Corner and You’ve Got Mail). Are you doing a new version of something already based on other source material? Then maybe it’s all about whatever the new filmmaker brings to the table (e.g. True Grit). And if you’re doing an English-language version of a non-English language original, well, maybe you just hope your target audience didn’t see the original. I’m sure if you went through a long enough list, you’d find some international-to-English remakes that improved on their predecessors—but most of those cases might involve farcical comedy or horror. The subtler the material, the more likely it is that the new creative team will sand down the rough edges, underline the ambiguities and otherwise miss the point. So while it’s fair to say that Nat Faxon and Jim Rash’s Downhill takes a different tonal approach than Ruben Östlund’s 2014 Swedish drama Force Majeure— one that’s better suited to this version’s stars—it’s hard not to feel that everything that was compelling about the original has been sucked from its bones. That setup involves a family ski vacation in the Austrian Alps, where Billie (Julia Louis-Dreyfuss) and Pete (Will Ferrell) have
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Next month, you’ll get an envelope from the government that isn’t your tax refund. Instead, it’s a 2020 Census form you can fill out and mail or go online to complete. If you ignore the questionnaire, a census taker will come knockin’ on your door to ask you a bunch of questions. Don’t start looking for the nearest exit—the Census ocurs every 10 years and is mandated by the Constitution. The Census Bureau can impose fines for failing to answer or intentionally providing false information. Questions include, “How many people are living in your home as of April 1, 2020?” This is to help the government count the entire U.S. population. “Is this a house, MediaBids_190103_24.indd 1 12/28/2018 5:15:20 apartment or mobile home, and if this home is owned by you, is there a mortgage on the home?” This information helps produce statistics about home ownership and renting. Ownership can be a direct indicator of the country’s economic health. In an ideal world, renting stats can help increase or create housing programs. A mortgage is most often public record and the census taker can look up an address to determine who holds the mortgage. Another asks, “What’s your phone number?” Census workers might call later to clarify information or ask for more specifics. The Census Bureau also wants to know the name of the person who pays the rent or mortgage and the sex of that person. Why? Again, to create statistics to better underTHIS WEEK’S FEATURED stand where different age groups live. One PARTLOW RENTALS: of the contentious questions this year is, “Is the person paying rent or mortgage of Hispanic, Latino or Spanish origin?” The bureau uses this information to help federal agencies monitor compliance with antidiscrimination provisions, such as those in the Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act. Many folks think that this is an excuse for the government to ferret out undocuSOUTH JORDAN BOUNTIFUL mented immigrants, which officials deny. Luxury 3 bdrm 2 bath condo loaded Beautiful and Spacious 2 bd. w/ The U.S. Supreme Court blocked the citiwith amenities! Attached garages, hookups, central A/C, extra storage, private balcony, HOA Dues included! zenship question. Carport! Pet Friendly! $995 1/2 MONTH RENT FREE! $1395 Census workers are paid $15 per hour. The bureau wants to hire 5,000 Utahns to help count or knock on doors. The application is online and the agency hopes to hire bilingual temp employees who will work in their own towns to find people who don’t respond or to track down Native Americans MAGNA/WVC SUGARHOUSE in rural areas. Flexible hours, paid training Must Have 2 bdrm. 4-plex! Hookand weekly paychecks to count heads isn’t a Sweet Deal! 2 bdrm four-plex, ups, off street parking, balcony, lots bad job and training starts ASAP. pet friendly, on-site laundry, wall of closet space! Cat or Dog ok! $845 mounted A/C! ONLY $875 Fill it out, people! Conspiracy theories about the census are rampant. But it gets us better federal funding in many areas and could result in more representation in Congress. To find out more about VIEW OUR RENTALS ONLINE AT what’s coming in the mail or to apply, go to PARTLOWRENTS.COM 2020census.gov. n
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14. “SNL” segments 16. Thrive 18. State flower of Tennessee 22. Snake charmer’s snake 23. Struggle against 24. Broadway brightener 25. Heavy metal band with the triple-platinum album “Out of the Cellar” 26. Merriam-Webster ref. 27. Like ____ of sunshine 31. Alternative to Wi-Fi 33. Not quite right 34. Distant 36. Peru’s capital 37. Bio. and chem. 39. Family nickname 40. “Good heavens, old chap!” 41. Beginner, in video game lingo 46. Balls of yarn 48. Handle hard times 49. Mr. ____ of “Pride and Prejudice” 51. Sticks with cotton ends 52. Crumple before tossing out 53. MD meeting an
ambulance 54. When tripled, “and so on” 55. Place to get clean 60. Chinese leader who hosted Nixon 61. The Once-____ (Seuss character) 62. Craft beer letters 63. Skype annoyance 64. Wino’s woe
Last week’s answers
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.
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Least Competent Criminal Matthew Davies, 47, of Dunfermline, Scotland, pleaded guilty on Jan. 17 to assault and robbery in the case of a bumbling Bank of Scotland holdup in September, the Daily Record reported. On that day, Davies charged into the bank with a meat cleaver in hand and a pillowcase over his head. Unfortunately, he had neglected to cut eyeholes in the pillowcase and therefore couldn’t see—so he had to take it off. Undeterred, Davies used the cleaver to batter a glass partition on the counter and eventually took off with almost 2,000 pounds, casually wandering toward home, even stopping to pet a dog along the way. One brave customer of the bank followed Davies to his home and alerted police; there they found cash and the pillowcase, along with a stun gun. He’ll be sentenced in February.
Police Report Antoine McDonald, 21, of Altamonte Springs, Fla., became famous last year for dressing up as the Easter Bunny in Orlando, but he found his costume unhelpful on Jan. 16 after ramming his motorcycle into a carport, which collapsed on a car parked there, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The motorcycle then hit a fence and flipped over, and a neighbor observed the Easter Bunny limping away from the scene. When officers caught up with McDonald, lying in the back seat of a car, he denied involvement in the crash: “I wasn’t in any crash. I’m the Orlando Easter Bunny. Google it,” he claimed. “The bunny appeared to be alive,” officers reported, according to the Orlando Sentinel, and they asked him to remove the costume before arresting him and transporting him to the hospital for rib and leg injuries sustained in the crash.
Oops! In June 2019, the city of Roubaix, France, proudly announced it had installed 187 solar panels to generate electricity for the city’s library, and paid a local company about $113,000 for the “green” equipment. But during the installation of a wind turbine to supplement the clean energy effort in December, workers noticed the solar panels had never been connected to the library’s electrical network. Oddity Central reported the panels were intended to supply about a quarter of the library’s needed power, but “we realized this was not the case,” admitted Alexandre Garcin, the city’s deputy mayor, who did not elaborate on why it took six months to figure out the oversight.
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Creepy Houston mother Emily Madonia’s nightmare began in 2015, when the Elsa (from Frozen) doll her daughter received for Christmas 2013 began reciting lines from the movie in both English and Spanish; originally it had only spoken English. Next, the doll began speaking and singing randomly, even when her on/off switch was in the off position. In December 2019, Madonia threw the doll out, Click2Houston reported, but she and her husband later found the doll in a bench inside their home. So they double wrapped the doll in plastic bags and “put it in the bottom of our garbage can,” Madonia wrote on Facebook. Days later, her daughter found the doll again in the backyard. Finally, Madonia sent the doll to a friend who lives in Minnesota, where it remained at press time. In the meantime, Madonia has been contacted by paranormal investigators and the Travel Channel. Suspicions Confirmed. Not. Ben Lilly, 40, on his way to Halifax in West Yorkshire, England, on Jan. 25 passed an object in the road that looked like a dead animal—a leopard, to be specific. Lilly stopped and turned around, carefully approaching the large cat. He told Metro News his heart was racing and he was afraid his face might be “ripped off” by the beast. “I saw the markings on it. It had the tail bit on it, too,” Lilly said. “But as soon as I looked at it from the other angle, I started laughing.” It turned out to be a leopard-print jumpsuit, complete with tail. Lilly speculated on Facebook it might be “some tart’s coat from last night. ... It was Saturday morning and Halifax is a bit of a drinking town.” Send tips to weirdnewstips@amuniversal.com
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n Now-retired high school English teacher Jeffrey S. Churchwell, 60, of Elkhorn, Wis., apologized to Walworth County Sheriff’s deputies in October and admitted that he had been defecating, sometimes several times a day, since 2017 outside and on a building in the rural Natureland Park in Whitewater. The Milton Courier reported Brent Brooks of the Walworth County Highway Shop met with deputies in October about the repeated offenses, which required parks department workers to power-wash and sometimes repaint facilities, on top of picking up used toilet paper. Trail cameras recorded the man relieving himself, and deputies caught up with Churchwell
Unclear on the Concept United Press International reported that an unnamed man in Orlando, Fla., got a little mixed up as he tried to fill his boat’s gas tank before a fishing trip on Jan. 27. Rather than putting the gas nozzle into the fuel tank, the man inserted it into a fishing pole holder and pumped 30 gallons of gas directly into the cockpit. Orange County Fire Rescue was called to the 7-Eleven, and a hazmat team siphoned most of the errant gas from the boat before the fisherman filled up the actual tank and went on his way.
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People With Issues A mystery was solved on Jan. 22 in Natick, Mass., when police arrested Andrea F. Grocer, 51, of Ashland, on suspicion of defecating in front of the Natick Outdoor Store eight times over the last four months. Henry Kanner, the store’s owner, had reported the incidents to police in December, and officers first thought an animal might be the culprit—until they found “toilet paper and other wipes,” Natick police spokesperson Lt. Cara Rossi told The MetroWest Daily News. Some of the incidents had been recorded by surveillance video, but police hadn’t been able to identify a license plate. During extra patrols of the parking lot, they spotted Grocer at 6:51 a.m. as she prepared to leave her mark again, police said. “I have no idea who she is,” Kanner said, adding that he knows of no connection she has with the store. Grocer’s lawyer described her as a “pillar of the community.”
on Oct. 8. When asked why, he replied, “Stupidity,” according to sheriff’s office reports. Churchwell was charged with disorderly conduct and was ordered to pay more than $6,000 in fines and restitution. He was put on leave from the Milton School District on Nov. 25; his retirement took effect Jan. 16.
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SUMMONS BY PUBLICATION IN THE SALT LAKE CITY DEPT. OF THE THIRD JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, SALT LAKE COUNTY, STATE OF UTAH. CASE NO. 209901832, JUDGE KEITH KELLY. CASCADE COLLECTIONS LLC, PLAINTIFF V. WILLIAM STOCKSETH AND NICHELLE BEASLIN, DEFENDANTS. THE STATE OF UTAH TO WILLIAM STOCKSETH AND NICHELLE BEASLIN: You are each summoned and required to answer the complaint that is on file with the court. Within 21 days after the last date of publication of this summons, you must each file your written answer with the clerk of the court at the following address: 450 S State St., Salt Lake City, UT 84114, and you must each mail or deliver a copy to plaintiff’s attorney Chad C. Rasmussen at 2230 N University Pkwy., Ste. 7E, Provo, UT 84604. If you fail to do so, judgment by default will be taken against you for the relief demanded in the complaint. This lawsuit is an attempt to collect a debt of $3,701.80. /s/ Chad C. Rasmussen
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