City Weekly February15, 2024 by Copperfield Publishing

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CITYWEEKLY.NET | FEBRUARY 15, 2024 | VOL. 40 N0. 38

How Utah lawmakers disclose—or don’t disclose—conflicts of interest BY SYDNEE CHAPMAN GONZALEZ & ERIC S. PETERSON

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CONTENTS

Cover Story

The Secret Sauce How Utah lawmakers disclose—or don’t disclose— conflicts of interest By Sydnee Chapman Gonzalez & Eric S. Peterson

Cover art by Derek Carlisle

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STAFF Publisher PETE SALTAS News Editor BENJAMIN WOOD Arts & Entertainment Editor SCOTT RENSHAW Contributing Editor JERRE WROBLE Music Editor EMILEE ATKINSON Listings Desk WES LONG

Editorial Contributors KATHARINE BIELE, ROB BREZSNY, MARK DAGO, JESSE M. GONZALES, SYDNEE CHAPMAN GONZALEZ, ERIN MOORE, ERIC S. PETERSON, MIKE RIEDEL, ARICA ROBERTS, CONNOR SANDERS, ALEX SPRINGER, LEE ZIMMERMAN

Circulation Manager ERIC GRANATO Associate Business Manager PAULA SALTAS Technical Director BRYAN MANNOS Developer BRYAN BALE Senior Account Executive DOUG KRUITHOF Account Executives KELLY BOYCE, KAYLA DREHER, KRISTA MAGGARD

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Salt Lake City Weekly is published every Thursday by Copperfield Publishing Inc. We are an independent publication dedicated to alternative news and news sources, that also serves as a comprehensive entertainment guide. 16,000 copies of Salt Lake City Weekly are available free of charge at more than 1,000 locations along the Wasatch Front. Limit one copy per reader. Additional copies of the paper can be purchased for $1 (Best of Utah and other special issues, $5) payable to Salt Lake City Weekly in advance. No person, without expressed permission of Copperfield Publishing Inc., may take more than one copy of any Salt Lake City Weekly issue. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in whole or part by any means, including electronic retrieval systems, without the written permission of the publisher. Third-class postage paid at Midvale, UT. Delivery might take up to one full week. All rights reserved.

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@SLCWEEK LY

“Ticking Clock,” Feb. 1 cover story

Bravo to Mary Dickson for her bravery and tenacity with this most important cause. Being a downwinder myself, the government never told us the truth and how extremely dangerous the nuclear testing was. I ended up with cancer at 30 years old, and we had no cancer in our family. It is time Congress stepped up to help all victims of this most tragic cover up. DOUGLAS TOLLSTRUP

Millcreek

“Washington Square Dispatch,” Feb. 9 online news

Ahhhh, the most politically “correct” City Council in SLC history. Yet when real moral courage is required—standing up for Palestine—they fold like chairs. Pathetic. PYRENEESBIG

Via Instagram

“Schoolyard Bullies,” Feb. 8 online news

They sure as hell better condemn [Natalie Cline]. She has no place being on the Utah Board of Education making decisions for any of our kids. When you are doing more harm than good, it’s time for you to resign. Every time she opens her mouth, it’s one harmful comment after another. Especially when it impacts the safety of our kids. They had to increase security for this student at the school because of her statements. This is not OK. And for any trans kid, or parent of a trans kid living through this nightmare, we see you, and we love you, and you’re absolutely welcome here! PEREZMORRISDESIGN

Via Instagram

Her intent with her post was to defame this student. She caused threats and emotional stress that simply don’t go away with an apology. [Natalie] Cline deliberately and intentionally attacked this student followed by a lame apology. She should be removed from her position and sued for defamation of character. Defamation is a statement that injures a third party’s reputation. The tort of defamation includes both libel (written statements) and slander (spoken statements). State common law and statutory law governs defamation actions, and each state varies in their standards for defamation and potential damages.

I’m so tired of this wretched person. The people here who are surprised this happened are obviously not familiar with Cline. She’s abhorrent. She needs more than condemnation—she needs to be kicked off the board and barred from being able to sit on any board in the future.

Via Instagram

Saw this coming— just not from a [state school board] member, which just goes to highlight the issue more.

Why is anyone surprised? This is what happens when the state essentially emboldens the would-be genital police.

HULAGIRLSHERI

COPPERPAISLEY

Via Instagram Kick her out! She doesn’t belong on any board that deals with children. SRPHILLIPS66

RAINYNEPTUNUS

Via Instagram

She will surely deny, spin and run for higher office with a platform of witch hunt, conservative values and freedom of speech. Sound familiar? WILKES1007

ASH86AC

Care to sound off? Write to comments@ cityweekly.net or reply on our social media. We want to hear from you!

Via Instagram

THE WATER

COOLER What was your first job? Wes Long

Bagger at a grocery store. A note to all: Baggers have no say in the store’s pricing of wares, so leave them alone about it!

Scott Renshaw

My first “cash under the table” job was helping a landscaper on weekends. My first “get a paycheck” job was at a movie theater, allowing me to see every movie for free—which explains a lot.

Kayla Dreher

When I was 12, I had a dog-washing business called Scrub-a-Dub-a-Dog.

Benjamin Wood

I was a fish farm attendant during junior high. I’d clean and gut fish all day and then, at closing time, I’d dig a hole and bury the contents of the “gut bucket.”

Bill Frost

Working construction for my dad. In St. George. During the summer. Zero stars, would not recommend.

Kelly Boyce

At 14, I was a busser at a Chinese/pizza restaurant in Ohio. Unique concept and, by far, the best buffet in the city!

Bryan Bale

I ran a small kitchen in the back of my dad’s tavern in Las Vegas for a summer. I made some pretty good burgers and wings.

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FEBRUARY 15, 2024 | 5

BY JOHN SALTAS

EYE @johnsaltas

When I’m 64

f you want to trigger an old person, mention something about age. If your comment is anything less than the old saw that “wine gets better with age” or any variant of that, be prepared to face the wrath of seven gods should you make your old fart of an uncle feel old. He will turn on you faster than a nano-scale rotor, which spins at about 300 billion revolutions per minute. I know, I know, one cannot trust the measurements of pure science these days. Thanks, MAGA. So, using a more identifiable analogy, casting an age aspersion as he cuts a Valentine’s Day cake will cause your uncle’s head to spin at about 2,550 rpm, or at about the same rate as an average Major League Baseball slider. Still another way to put it is that should you mock his age, your uncle will turn on you faster than former President Donald J. Trump turns on anyone whom he feels has not delivered sufficient fealty to him—especially those in the science community. It wasn’t that very long ago that I wrote a piece here suggesting the United States was ready for a new generation of leaders. Ronald Reagan was our president at that time. He was seriously taunted for being too old to serve as president, with the words “senile old man” constantly cast at him. When Reagan ended his two terms of office, he was 77 years old. Come Election Day 2024, the two leading male presidential candidates will each have more sun rotations than Reagan did when he left office—Donald Trump will be 78 and Joe Biden will be 81.

Well, it pissed people off that I suggested a yearning for younger high office holders. My pleas were not exactly logical, but it felt noble to turn over to a new generation the tools to build an America as great as they could expect it to become. I did get my wish, in that every president elected between 1989 and 2020 was younger at their own inauguration than Reagan was. But that didn’t go so hot, except for the years when Republicans began losing their everloving minds over Presidents Obama and Clinton—two fellows who, with their winning economies, made more money for Republicans than any Republican leader ever did in my lifetime. I wrote similarly about age when President Obama left office. I was a lonely voice who was keen on the idea of keeping our presidential elections free of baby boomers such as myself. My wish for that year didn’t go well, of course, with the top-end baby boomer Trump winning the electoral college votes and taking his seat in U.S. history. In 2020, I wished that if it had to be a Republican again sitting at the Resolute Desk, that it would be the Republican ghost of Reagan. But God doesn’t answer wishes. At least, that’s what I was told by certain locals who were fond of defending the leadership capabilities of the elderly. It’s hard to impress upon a population that electing to the presidency a fellow in his late 70s or beyond is not the greatest idea, when said population looks at the late 70s as prep school. I can’t say that they were wrong. Every LDS church leader in my lifetime has been in their 80s or 90s, it seems, and with pale exception, none appeared feeble or incapable. Then again, I don’t know if they deal in matters such as our U.S. presidents do, like being active at golf or bicycle riding. Such as it’s been all these years, I’ve come to accept that having elderly leaders is my fate. That’s likely a product of

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Coming out in December 2024 on Amazon.

me getting older myself, having reached an age where everything I do is met with some measure of advice—“Hold on to the rails,” “Did you take your vitamins?” “Why do you still wear that old sweater?” and “Who is your favorite performer of all time, Taylor Swift or Usher?” Huh? Indeed, in one of my spates of clear thinking, I wrote a column about 15 years ago saying I was too old to be writing opinion pieces, and I’d love to read the expression of younger voices. Many readers of my generation told me to piss up a rope, taking the point that old people should not just drop out of the game. They were right and, as I look back, it’s clear I got my wish: There are currently more young voices than ever in media—mostly social media—but they write in a snippet form of prose I don’t understand. I think they are called influencers. I asked a guy who runs a popular eatery in Salt Lake about influencers. He said they’re all over the place, but they can’t sell two hamburgers after Day 1. I think I know what he means. I think he means that there are more messengers and message paths than ever out there, but they don’t carry the big stick to when media channels delivered large audiences. Think of the Beatles in 1964. Could they change the world today? Where is the Walter Cronkite voice that all but ended our involvement in Vietnam? In our new media, the voices are there, but the singular audiences are not. The audience is fractured to the point that we yak about whatever is sticky at any moment in time and, today, it appears to be the nano-scale rotor moment to rag on about the age of Biden or Trump more than their ability, honor, trust or integrity, or proximity to a jail cell. But I only trust one elderly uncle to hand me a piece of cake on this Valentine’s Day: Joe Biden. I think I have a fair idea of where his hands have not been. CW Send comments to john@cityweekly.net

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Rewind Vo l u me 26: 2009 t o 2 0 10 years of

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CITY WEEKLY BY WES LONG wlong@cityweekly.net

“T

oday was bound to come,” remarked the City Weekly staff in 2010. “After months of acting ‘weird’ and being ‘constantly distracted’ (by his own admission), City Weekly founder John Saltas has left the building. For good, it appears.” Such an end to an era hit many readers hard, but surprise grew to consternation when companion articles floated the notion of the Weekly being sold to local entities like The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Curious emails and texts flowed into our offices with concern, hilarity and anger. The thing was, though, the aforementioned announcement had been made on April 1. “No one connected to this April Fools’ joke could have imagined the wide impact it had,” Saltas subsequently wrote. “Even half our own office believed it, thanks to some well-placed Facebook updates and a circumstantial visit by an authentic CFO from Tennessee named Max. For those of you who were hurt or shocked by the notion that your Utah lifeline had been severed, all I can say is, ‘Sorry,’ but you gotta admit, that was a pretty good one!” The CW family could use a bit of laughter. The paper was flourishing, but not much else seemed to be going too well. The economy was in decline, bitter and consequential debates waged around health care and banking reforms, and Gov. Jon Huntsman departed the state to become U.S. ambassador to China, leaving Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert to replace him in the governor’s chair. Herbert—a skeptic of climate change and marriage equality—was one of many rightwing hardliners to rise during this period, including Jason Chaffetz and Mike Lee. Their ascendency was bolstered amidst the backdrop of sophists like Glenn Beck and billionaire-funded “astroturf” movements like the Tea Party. Consequently, an even more strident variety of partisanship came into full flower, from freakouts over a banal speech made to schoolchildren by President Barack Obama, to hundreds of ATV riders illegally driving through a protected riverbed in the Grand Staircase-Escalante area.

Local efforts to establish independent commissions on political redistricting and ethics reform were both hampered by the high signature threshold required of citizen initiatives. One would be tempted to drink at such times and thankfully, local liquor options were expanding, however haltingly, with the death of the old private club laws. Whether one’s needs were related to the bottle or the ballot, City Weekly had it covered with Beer Crawl events and an open forum on citizen lobbying. Among the special issues released this year: a celebration of Utah’s alternative pioneers was a standout; Shane Johnson and Eric Peterson wrote a guide to muckraking; and Stephen Dark reported on efforts to protect the Jordan River. “Our readers have a sense of ownership of City Weekly that runs deeper than we knew,” Saltas reflected. “We love Salt Lake City. We love you. And we’re going to keep on being who we are—because, dammit, it’s fun and it’s serious and it’s ever more fun. That’s the City Weekly way.” And that is no joke.

In the videos

City Weekly was hitting the screens in a big way—not just because our logo made an unexpected cameo in the Oscar-winning short film Logorama. Taking advantage of burgeoning social media platforms, City Weekly’s street team—composed of our valiant marketing staff—shot local interviews and events coverage to supplement the reporting our writers were producing elsewhere. Another contributor to early efforts in video was Leo Dirr (1977-2018) with his series “Who the Hell?” Beginning in the summer of 2009 and running for more than 100 brief installments, Dirr encountered the “oddly interesting” denizens of Salt Lake. From the baristas at Beans and Brews to the founder of My Dough Girl (later Ruby Snap Cookies), Dirr presented all with the same four questions: “Who the hell are you? What the hell are you doing? Why the hell are you doing that? Can I have a hug?” “Leo was a really quirky dude,” remembers Marty Foy—the producer of Dirr’s

series—who was himself another influential force in our early video efforts. Having started with the Weekly as a summer intern and sticking around for a time before moving to Colorado, Foy became the go-to person for videos on the strength of his minimal exposure in college classes. “I was like a kid sitting at the big people table,” Foy recalled in a recent interview. “They let any little weirdo come in and try something out. I never had so much fun.” Perhaps his greatest contribution was the weekly web show “Zionized,” which centered on “local people doing local stuff.” From Spanish lessons with the Always Learning Free Skool to following the Urban Iditarod and spotlighting Latin drag queens at El Paisa Grill, Foy covered a wide spectrum of people, events and experiences. “Every once in a while, I get a little nostalgic,” Foy said. He occasionally looks back at his work and groans over their quality. Still, he credits the experience as instrumental in developing the “figure-it-out” instincts that have served him well as director of marketing at Morrow. “It was the first experience where I was being treated seriously as an adult,” he beamed.

In talks

“Mormons and non-Mormons alike were taken by surprise when on Nov. 10, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints officially pledged support for two Salt Lake City nondiscrimination ordinances,” reported Jesse Fruhwirth on Nov. 19, 2009. “This was after a year in which gay-rights activists amplified their criticisms of the church’s stance on homosexuality.” Fruhwirth confirmed that businessman Jim Dabakis had led a gay-rights delegation to meet with representatives of the church’s public affairs department. Deeda Seed, a former Salt Lake City Council member who attended the emotional talks, wondered at the experience. “Just think about it,” she told Fruhwirth, “Here they [LDS officials] are sitting down and talking with me and other folks, and I’m a person who organized a protest event in front of their church.”

These were welcome developments in the estimation of such local activists as Jacob Whipple and Troy Williams, both of whom nevertheless remained ready to exert more pressure if the city ordinances proved to be a one-off thing or, worse, a publicity stunt. “[Williams] believes the backlash the church has experienced since Prop. 8 prompted its support of the ordinances,” Fruhwirth wrote. “That negative attention has included multiple protests, satirical plays like The Passion of Sister Dottie S. Dixon, which Williams co-wrote, and even a segment on The Colbert Report that focused on former City Weekly account manager Derek Jones and his partner, Matthew Aune, who were detained by church security for kissing on the Main Street Plaza.” Brandie Balkan noted that some effort came from within the faith community itself. “It’s important to acknowledge that far beyond protests that occurred, beyond any press, I know there were private, earnest conversations that occurred in many, many homes,” she said. “You could frame that as pressure, but in some ways, there’s a much greater piece that is understanding.” Duane Jennings, then a member of the Mormon support group Affirmation, added that countless Mormons who wrote to church leaders or who disengaged from active participation had also had an effect. To Jennings, there was nothing shameful about progress and reform, even for a church. “[Church leaders] want to pretend things are the same as ‘yesterday and today and forever,’” he told Fruhwirth. “ ... they forget God is the same ‘yesterday and today and forever,’ but the people on earth are continually progressing and improving.” Since Fruhwirth’s article was published, the church has made additional calls for nondiscrimination ordinances, but also rolled out an ill-conceived (and short-lived) 2015 policy declaring members in same-sex marriages to be “apostates.” Progress is neither inevitable nor a straight line. As of this writing, it remains to be seen where this will all go next. Here’s hoping the earnest conversations continue both privately as well as publicly. CW

HITS & MISSES BY KATHARINE BIELE |

@kathybiele

MISS: On the De-Cline

While officials are expressing their righteous indignation over state school board member Natalie Cline’s impolitic social media posts, they ignore their own complicity. Rep. Kera Birkeland, R-Morgan, is a case in point in the drama we’ll call “Everyone must be like us—or else.” Cline, who has long railed against LGBTQ+ and other marginalized groups, posted a photo of student athletes, one of whom she suspected as being transgender. Cline took it down, issuing a lukewarm apology when she discovered the girl was a girl at birth. But then Birkeland, in an effort to show her superior moral fiber, struck out at Cline by mentioning a commission ruling to ban four trans teens from sports. That information should have been legally protected—even from Birkeland. Despite calls to impeach Cline, the House Speaker says he wants to be fair—whatever that means. It’s hard to know when he, the Legislature and the governor all helped spread the red carpet of fear, hatred and discrimination.

MISS: The Banner Yet Waves

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FEBRUARY 15, 2024 | 9

Trust lands are hard to figure out. They generate funding for education but are sometimes bad for the land itself. At statehood, the feds gave Utah millions of acres of land to manage and generate revenue. Basically, the trust lands get swapped or leased to the highest bidder, giving rise to the question of greed over the best use of natural resources. Enter Bears Ears and years of contention over the monument. A recent land swap agreement, according to The Salt Lake Tribune, fell apart after the federal government indicated it might adopt a restrictive land management plan. Goodbye to recreation, grazing and other public uses. Just to muddy the issue, a bill before the Legislature would prioritize hunting over schools. Bottom line is always the question of how well the state would manage public lands and who would benefit. At least the federal government pays the bill for the lands it oversees. CW

n the new development landscape, there may be no more idiosyncratic sight than that of the historic Cramer House, built in 1890, said to be one of only two single-family homes left standing in downtown Salt Lake City. It’s become part of the landscape surrounding the modern, recently completed Aster apartments on 265 S. State. You’ll pass by the modest, two-story Cramer House on the now-opened pedestrian pathway between State Street and Edison Street, making an already vibrant downtown area poised for even more foot traffic. And for the folks behind local bar Water Witch, the Cramer House will fit right into their portfolio of invitingly human-size drinking and dining establishments. Central 9th’s Water Witch is always packed, or at least pleasantly buzzy— in part because it is so tiny inside, but also because it’s in the middle of a fastgrowing neighborhood that’s dense and walkable. Water Witch’s other ventures—Bar Nohm next door and Acme Bar Co. in Sugar House—share in these qualities, though the latter is a roomier space. Cramer House is slated to host two bars, Cramer House on the first floor and The Florist above. Those names make me feel like a future Small Lake City column will need to be written for the amusement park-ification of historically preserved spaces in developing cities, but, for now, let’s focus. The old flower-shop-turned-watering-hole is poised to reap the same benefits as Water Witch—brushing shoulders, as it does, with dense apartment housing and other businesses, off an alley people already love to use as a shortcut between nightlife locales. There is a lot that goes into a successful bar. While any business can have a sexy cocktail menu or charismatic, knowledgeable staff, its location and how people get to it are a critical part of the equation. The Water Witch folks have cornered this limited market because they know the benefit of operating a bar in a dense, walkable neighborhood: You get a regular community popping in, day to day, giving the establishment the shine of a local spot—or what’s known as a “third place”—even if it’s also a weekend destination for taking flaming shots. While SLC may be in the midst of a development boom, structures like the Cramer House couldn’t be built today. Ever notice how many giant apartment buildings have a yawningly large lobby, mail room or gym on the first floor? That’s because not all city zoning allows for commercial spaces within residential buildings and, when it is allowed, the area doesn’t always have the necessary density to support ground-floor retail. So, even if more local businesses wanted to follow Water Witch’s lead, they’d be shopping around in a city where the glass windows and open-air parking lots don’t reflect a great deal of opportunity for the kind of humanscale, neighborly spaces that beckon people in. CW

HIT: Land Grabs

Location, Location

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Lawmakers are discussing homelessness, gun safety, health care and education, but one issue that keeps poking at them is a flag. It’s the Utah State Flag, which recently got a modernized update. To most, the change was of passing interest. To an aggrieved few, it was a sign of the apocalypse or maybe the end of democracy. To say this group doesn’t like the new flag is an understatement of immense proportions. First, they tried a referendum. It failed. Then they went the initiative route, a path to citizen lawmaking that legislators have made both difficult and expensive. When it looked like they wouldn’t make the signature deadline, they asked the lieutenant governor to extend the deadline and ignore a bunch of laws. Blanding Republican Rep. Phil Lyman tried to help them out with a bill to require a statewide vote, but like his gubernatorial campaign, this, too, is destined for failure. Maybe Restore Utah’s Flag should try a contest to see who in Utah could reproduce the old and cluttered state flag.

BY ERIN MOORE

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A&E

Throwing Down

Visual Art Institute pottery classes invite guests to get their artistic hands dirty BY JESSE M. GONZALEZ comments@cityweekly.net

hrough the “big” doors of Visual Art Institute that are open to the pottery class sits a group of focused students, all at different levels of ability. Some have fully formed mugs spinning on the wheel, some are already finished, and some are patiently waiting for the clay to form. Students show that pottery-making, like any art form, is a personal expression. “I am actually a little bit curious about it. I would be interested in trying it again, but it’d also be cool if it was paired with, like, a smash room,” said student Kelsey Pesta jokingly, taking her first Friday Night Throwdown pottery class. “It’s been fun to work with your hands, it’s calming, it’s fun to play around.” From oil painting to poetry readings, the 20,000 square foot space of VAI hosts a multitude of different art forms. The weekly Friday Night Throwdowns—shortterm, individual three-hour-long sessions—have been filling up to maximum capacity, igniting a spark in the creative minds of both experienced and novice pottery makers. “The throwdowns are short-term individual three-hour long sessions,” said Hana Janatová, the executive director and co-leader of the art facility. “The throwdowns are supposed to be super beginner-based friendly so that any person of any background can come,” said

Shelbie Colton, a pottery instructor at the VAI. “Throwing on the wheel—it takes a lot of practice and so they get interested in coming back for 12-week courses, so it’s a really great way to introduce them to the art.” The VAI supplies potters with three pounds of clay, which permits the creation of approximately three finished pieces, depending on the size of the intended creation. “When they finish their pieces, we have them over here,” said Colton, pointing to a long, wooden table carrying dozens of assorted mugs and bowls, fully formed and sculpted. “Then the next morning I write all their names on the bottom and write down the glaze they chose. We fire them, glaze them, and fire them again. I think it’s been a great way for different people in the community to come together, and I’ve had a huge variety of people come here.” The Visual Art Institute was founded in 1978 by Utah State University professor, Stephanie Burn, making it the oldest nonprofit after-school art program in the state. Unfortunately, Burn died in 1998 from cervical cancer, after which Bruce Robertson took the mantle. “I took over from there and I surrendered the stuff I don’t like to do. I’m more on the creative side,” said Robertson, who teaches drawing and painting at the University of Utah as well as a Wednesday watercolor class. “She [Stephanie] was a different soul. She did a great thing . . . when she passed away, she only let people know that she was sick ten days before she passed. They ran my name past her to see if it would— and she felt good about that—that was one of the last lucid things she said,” said Robertson. In 2022, Hana Janatová took over the

CAPTION

role of executive director, as Robertson stepped down to solely focus on curriculum as VAI’s art director. The following year, VAI transferred locations from Highland to South Salt Lake—a monumental change which brought greater space and a more desirable location. “It’s a historical building too. It’s one of the oldest meatpacking plants in Utah. If you want a fun fact, it was the largest purveyor of meat products to the U.S. troops during World War 2 for the whole entire nation,” said Janatová. “Hence those big doors—everything was a refrigeration unit or meat locker.” “We’re trying to make this a real community art center. We’re just trying to break down some barriers and get people to recognize that this is a safe place, it’s a

good place to be, it’s a very fun and loving community and it’s a very familial kind of a thing,” said Robertson. “I’ve done one other class, probably like two years ago,” said Caroline Boyd, a local video producer. “Shelbie’s great. She’s really hands on and she explains the process really well. Also having the opportunity to create three mugs—the last class I went to was one . . . when you mess up, kind of try to do better the next time. It’s one of those art forms that’s very delicate, that you have to work very slowly and methodically. I’m just really grateful for the people who put on this class.” CW

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ENTERTAINMENT PICKS, FEBRUARY 15-21, 2024

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Utah Symphony: Sonorous

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FEBRUARY 15, 2024 | 11

As much as symphony fans love hearing the classic works of the great masters, it would be foolish to think that orchestral music no longer has great practitioners creating fascinating new work. Utah Symphony has set out to make that point in its 2023-2024 season, debuting not one, not two, but three brand-new compositions, showing local audiences that contemporary work belongs on programs with work from centuries past. Following on the heels of last month’s world premiere of Sir Stephen Hough’s First Piano Concerto, Utah Symphony presents a program featuring the world premiere of composer Quinn Mason’s trombone concerto Sonorous, written specifically for the talents of Utah Symphony principal trombonist Mark Davidson (pictured) and intended to shift perspective on the instrument associated with marching bands to a different quality. “Quinn Mason is such a prominent composer,” says Davidson via press release. “[His composition] has such a sonar, singing quality to it and Quinn is making that a priority to bring that out in the instrument.” Sonorous will share the evening’s program with Strauss’s Don Juan, Haydn’s Symphony No. 88, and Barber’s Symphony No. 1; the third world-premiere comes later this month with Swiss composer Michael Jarrell’s Émergences-Résurgences on Feb. 23-24. Utah Symphony’s program featuring Sonorous comes to Abravanel Hall (123 W. South Temple) Feb. 16-17 at 7:30 p.m., with tickets beginning at $21; an additional performance takes place at Utah Valley University’s Noorda Concert Hall Feb. 15 at 7:30 p.m. Visit utahsymphony.org for tickets and additional event information. (SR)

The many events, venues and community offerings of the Utah Arts Alliance—including the Urban Arts Gallery, Illuminate, Alliance Theater and the annual Urban Arts Festival—don’t happen through magic or wishful thinking. It takes money, and one of the best and most entertaining fund-raisers for the organization returns this year, as visitors trot out their fanciest white clothes for the SLC White Party. The 24th annual incarnation of the UAA White Party fund-raiser certainly has some consistent elements, in terms of the garb encouraged for attendees. But there are usually additional thematic components to each event, and this year includes an invitation to a “rhinestone rodeo,” where you can bling up your outfit with sequin-covered cowboy hats, boots and more, with a mechanical bull on site for anyone who feels brave enough to try it out. Otherwise, you can just dance the night away, enjoy cocktails and mocktails, and even get a chance to win art pieces and other door prizes as part of the opportunity drawings taking place throughout the evening. So get yourself duded up in your Western best and help support this wonderful organization. The 2024 SLC White Party takes place at UAA’s Dreamscapes location in the Shops at South Towne (10450 S. State St., Sandy) on Saturday, Feb. 17 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $45 general admission, $125 VIP, with optional add-ons for the Dreamscapes Immersive Art Attraction, which allows you to dance your way through Dreamscapes to the music of your choice. Visit utaharts.org/en/slcwhite-party for a link to tickets and for additional event information. (SR)

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In playwright Debora Threedy’s Balthazar—a twist on Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice focused on Portia, who poses as a man in order to argue a case in court—there’s a moment where her law instructor, Bellario, asks her a legal question. “She answers, ‘It depends,’” Threedy says, “and [Bellario] is delighted, saying that’s the answer to most questions you’ll encounter in the law.” Threedy—who teaches at the University of Utah School of Law—has a firm foundation in both the law and theater. And “it depends” might be the answer to most questions you’ll encounter in Balthazar, which explores fluidity in gender identity and sexual attraction by turning some of The Merchant of Venice’s subtext into text. She recalls finding the inspiration for Balthazar while teaching a continuing-education literature class to lawyers and judges. “For one of those, I was re-reading The Merchant of Venice,” Threedy says. “This idea came into my head—when Portia goes into court and dresses as a man, that’s not the first time she dresses as a man.” She further suggests that such exploration of gender-swapping in theater goes beyond its common use as a plot device in Shakespeare plays. “Some people make the argument that all theater is always a kind of cross-dressing, pretending to be other than you are,” Threedy says. “This is the heart of theater.” Plan-B Theatre Company’s world-premiere production of Balthazar comes to the Rose Wagner Center Studio Theatre (210 E. 300 South) Feb. 15 – March 3, with limited tickets available at press time. Tickets are $15 - $25; visit arttix.org. (Scott Renshaw)

FARRIS GERARD

Plan-B Theatre Company: Balthazar

In a post-Walk Hard world, it is to the credit of director Reinaldo Marcus Green and his screenwriting team that their film biography of reggae legend Bob Marley (Kingsley Ben-Adir) doesn’t make all the mistakes represented in the nowclassic genre satire; instead, they mostly make a bunch of new ones. Rather than tell a cradleto-grave story, for example, they focus mostly on 1976-1978, with Marley already a star in his native Jamaica and trying to navigate the political divisions of that country as his popularity ascends internationally; in flashback, we occasionally see the early days of Marley’s music career, meeting eventual wife Rita (Lashana Lynch) and his conversion to Rastafari. Sure, we do also get some Walk Hard-esque moments, like the studio recording session where a specific song gets someone’s ears pricked up, or cameos by other artists of the era. And while It’s a bold decision to hinge a story of social upheaval around a character who is so generally mellow, Ben-Adir finds the vibe of Marley’s unique brand of zealotry, for better or worse. But for mostly worse, One Love plays out largely as a Rasta recruiting film, focused on spreading its message of racial justice and world harmony to a very specific audience, to the extent that its un-subtitled Jamaican patois is frequently incomprehensible. As an authorized biography, we do get the benefit of plenty of great music; we also get decisions that might eventually inspire its own very specific parody. Available Feb. 14 in theaters. (PG-13)

The Taste of Things BBB½

For approximately the first 30 minutes of writer/ director Anh Hung Tran’s deliriously romantic feature, we watch the preparation and consumption of a single meal in an 1880s French chateau: head cook Eugénie (Juliette Binoche) bringing in produce from the garden and leading the preparations; the house’s master, gourmand Dodin

12 | FEBRUARY 15, 2024

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There’s an important distinction between “what is this movie about” from a synopsis standpoint and “what is this movie about” from a thematic standpoint—and while I can certainly explain to you the former, I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around the latter. It’s the tale of Adam (Oakes Fegley), a 14-year-old raised off the grid in a remote forest, who—after the death of the man who raised him (David Duchovny)—sets out with a list of three names to find out which one of them is his biological father. The schematic nature of the plot structure really dampens the sense of drama, because let’s face it, we know that that will be like a search for missing keys in the sense that dear old Dad is going to be in the last place Adam looks. But it’s never even clear what Adam is supposed to be learning from his non-fatherly encounters, or why the people in writer/director Irving Franco’s movie keep behaving in ways that are writerly contrivances. Fegley does his best to convey a mix of scrappiness and longing, even when Franco decides to use an interminable pan during one scene to focus on someone else’s response to an emotional meeting. The diversions into quirky sorta-comedy and violent confrontations make it all the more difficult to figure out who this movie is for, or what lessons we’re supposed to take away from it. Available Feb. 14 in theaters. (NR) CW

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Three Loves

Bouffant (Benoît Magimel), frequently assisting; a young would-be apprentice chef (Bonnie Chagneau-Ravoire) learning the ropes. The expression “food porn” has dominated discussion of this and other long stretches of The Taste of Things, but it feels almost cruel to reduce the experience to that level, as Tran—adapting Marcel Rouff’s novel La vie et la passion de DodinBouffant, Gourmet—turns the act of sharing a love for something into pure visual poetry. The loose narrative involves the fact that Dodin and Eugénie have engaged in a decades-long love affair, with Eugénie having rejected several proposals of marriage even as she begins experiencing fainting spells. That relationship is the real heart of Tran’s film; as lovingly as the camera captures the preparation of food, it’s the expressions on the faces of those who take joy in creating and enjoying it that make it sing, juxtaposed with the ritual consumption of ortolans while hidden under a napkin. It all leads to a final exchange of dialogue that absolutely wrecked me, capturing what it means to be truly kindred souls. Available Feb. 14 at Broadway Centre Cinemas. (NR)

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The Secret Sauce How Utah lawmakers disclose—or don’t disclose—conflicts of interest BY SYDNEE CHAPMAN GONZALEZ & ERIC S. PETERSON comments@cityweekly.net

The following story was reported by The Utah Investigative Journalism Project in partnership with Salt Lake City Weekly.

he Utah Legislature is made up of part-timers whose day jobs shape their approach to lawmaking. In many cases, their expertise as doctors, educators, business owners and more offers insight into a myriad of issues affecting Utahns. But lawmakers’ professional interests can also open the door for conflicts of interest. Take the fact that 40% of House members and 51% of senators are involved in real estate, though few list it as their primary occupation. How does this impact their approach to eviction or affordable housing? And what other, perhaps more niche, conflicts of interest could impact the public? Some, but by no means all, of the answers are in lawmakers’ financial and conflict of interest disclosure forms. Each member is required by state law to file these selfreporting forms that cover their and their spouse’s past and current employers, holdings and investments, businesses and real estate holdings that they believe may be a conflict of interest. In an ideal world, the forms would give critical insight into how lawmakers make their money. But a Utah Investigative Journalism Project review of lawmakers’ 2024 disclosure forms found that many use vague language to describe their employment or business ventures, making it difficult to identify possible conflicts. For example, the form asks lawmakers to report individuals or entities from which they received at least $5,000 in income. Many lawmakers did not include their employers or businesses in that category or left it blank. Other lawmakers disclosed that they provide consulting but did not specify to what businesses or industries. Elected officials should be as upfront as possible about their finances, said David Cuillier, director of the Brechner Freedom of Information Project at the University of Florida. Privacy regarding personal finances, he added, is something elected officials sacrifice when they choose to run for office. “Those sorts of things, we should know that, otherwise we’re going to have a really corrupt government—even more corrupt than what people suspect,” he said. “Every penny should be reported. We should know what they’re up to because they’re our servants, we’ve elected them to do the public’s job. If they’re being influenced by certain forces for money, then we should know that.” Some lawmakers left out certain investments and businesses from the form entirely. The Utah Investigative Journalism Project used public records to identify 30 active businesses that lawmakers did not report disclosures. Those undisclosed businesses are spread across 13 Utah lawmakers.

Workin’ It

Reps. Phil Lyman, R-Blanding; Kera Birkeland, R-Morgan; Ken Ivory, R-West Valley; Val Peterson, R-Orem; and Sen. Jerry Stevenson, R-Layton, all had one undisclosed business each. Rep Stewart Barlow, R-Fruit Heights, had two. Those lawmakers did not respond to a request for comment. Sen. Don Ipson, R-St. George, had 10 undisclosed corporate entities, but in an email said they were set up years ago by his lawyer and accidentally renewed with the state. Reps. Bridger Bolinder, R-Grantsville, and Dan Johnson, R-Logan, also each had an undisclosed entity, but when contacted about them, both said the entities weren’t active, they had forgotten to include them and have since updated the forms. Sen. Evan Vickers, R-Cedar City, responded that he did not disclose three entities since they were no longer functional, though they are still listed with the state. Rep. Keven Stratton, R-Orem, and Sen. Heidi Balderree, R-Lehi, also each had an undisclosed entity they mistakenly left off their forms, which have since been updated. House Speaker Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, had four real-estate-related entities left off his disclosure, including for apartments and land investments. After being asked about the entities, he also updated his disclosure form. In a statement from the Legislature, it was explained that the oversight was because he “no longer oversees the day-today operations.” Many lawmakers disclose holding companies but don’t disclose what real estate those companies might own. Some holding companies are also controlling members of other companies that were not disclosed. Sen. Mike McKell, R-Spanish Fork, has a Sockeye Holdings that is a member of Black Canvas. He declined to say what the company did but said it wasn’t functioning and didn’t hold any assets. Lyman’s Recapture Investment Group is also a member of the Roughstock Group, which is involved in real estate activities, according to state paperwork. Some lawmakers, however, opted to be more specific when filling out their disclosures, such as including a long list of their volunteer positions or items that are not specifically required. St. George Republican Rep. Neil Walter, for example, disclosed that his family’s ranch is currently involved in a lawsuit with the state over water rights; Sen. Karen Kwan, D-West Valley, disclosed that her home sits along the Jordan River; and Sen. Keith Grover, R-Provo, listed a number of crypto investments as well as several real estate LLCs, mostly in Hawaii and Paraguay. “Well you have to disclose that, because then invariably we might get a crypto bill, right?” Grover said. “I don’t mind being abundantly clear.”

Day Jobs

A review of lawmakers’ professions showed over 30 different types of private work among lawmakers. The most common job among lawmakers is attorney, with 16 of the state’s 104 lawmakers—or 15%—listing attorney as their primary occupation. The second most common occupation is business owner/manager/consultants at 14%,

Utah Legislature occupations Accountant Attorney Business Owner/Manager/Consultant Economist Educator Engineer Finance Higher Education Administrator Homemaker Local Government Other Physician Policy Analyst/Director Rancher Real Estate Retired Salesperson Solcial Services Tech Occupations were pulled from individual lawmaker’s financial disclosure forms Chart: Sydnee Chapman Gonzalez, Utah Investigative Journalism Project. Created with Datawrapper

followed by retired individuals at 10% and educators (teachers and professors) at 7%. Other more common occupations included higher education administrator, tech jobs, homemaker, engineer and physician. Less common professions included accountant, advocate, nurse, police officer and office manager. A comparison of lawmakers’ legislative bios and their disclosure forms found that some appeared to cherry-pick parts of their profession to promote publicly and on the Legislature’s website. Schultz, the House speaker, has highlighted his agriculture background, including work at a young age on his grandfather’s cattle farm and operating a family ranch in Croydon. Schultz’s disclosure form confirms that he does indeed own a ranch—but he also owns several businesses, ranging from real estate and aviation to contracting and finance lending. Schultz told KUTV 2 reporters last year that he has been pulling out of real estate due to conflicts. Morgan Rep. Kera Birkeland lists herself as a private preschool teacher in her legislative bio, but neither her current disclosure nor the disclosure she filed when she was appointed to the House in 2020 listed her doing preschool teaching. More recently, Birkeland worked as a business manager for the Durbano Group, a law and real estate development firm—a position left out of her LinkedIn and legislative bio but included in her disclosure form. She currently owns a churro food truck and a marketing firm, works for the medical spa SkinFX and as a high school football and basketball referee, according to her disclosure form. Rep. Trevor Lee, R-Layton, lists his profession as “wealth manager” on the legislative website, but his disclosure form lists Home Depot as his current employer. That is left out of his LinkedIn, but both his LinkedIn and disclosure form highlight Lee Financial Consulting—which he described as “insurance, sales trusts, wealth management, annuities and hard money loans.” Lee’s disclosure did not include Lee Financial Consulting as an entity he had received at least $5,000 from in income, but it did include insurance commissions from Midland National, which Lee clarified was

income he made through Lee Financial Consulting. He said his employment with Home Depot was left out of his LinkedIn and bio because he hadn’t updated them. Sen. Daniel Thatcher, R-West Valley, lists his profession as an independent electronics and low voltage wiring contractor. However, he lists senator as his current employment on his disclosure form and does not list any income. The only other disclosure Thatcher included was his status as president for iTeam-USA, a nonprofit focusing on career and technical education. Thatcher did not respond to a request for comment.

Forms and Function

These exclusions and vague descriptions don’t automatically signal a lawmaker is up to no good. But they may indicate a need for more specific requirements, according to Gabe Roth, executive director of Fix the Court, which pushes for more court transparency. He suggested lowering the reporting threshold for the investments and income and requiring exact dollar amounts. The state elections office reviews legislator disclosures for completeness and timeliness. But Utah does not conduct full audits on the disclosure, unlike many other states, according to a review by the Center for Public Integrity. Justin Kirkland, a University of Virginia professor who researches state legislature transparency, said a thorough audit of conflicts can make lawmakers more detailed in their disclosures. He cautioned, however, that disclosures and other transparency initiatives have limited ability to encourage accountability and can have unintended consequences, like discouraging those with certain expertise from seeking office “The public is generally not paying great attention to state-level politics,” Kirkland said. “Media coverage of state politics has declined significantly in the 21st century and the thoroughness of these regimes varies pretty widely.” Cuillier argued that disclosures are still a vital tool despite pitfalls. “I still think that overall it’s a valuable thing to do. It’s just whether or not there are the resources and the will to act on it,” he said. CW

House Speaker Mike Schultz

Rep. Tim Jimenez

Midterm Report Bathrooms, vouchers, diversity and guns—the education bills to watch before the end of the 2024 legislative session. BY CONNOR SANDERS comments@cityweekly.net

While the state board is showing support for a few bills that are still in process, the main priority for board members is seeing how the funding will shake out. As of press time, the Legislature is poised to approve a 5% increase to the weighted

pupil unit (WPU), a metric used to determine per-student spending. A minimum 3.8% increase to the WPU is necessary to address inflation, with additional increases representing new funding for academic programs. Utah routinely ranks at the bottom of the nation for per-student spending. The state board has requested a WPU increase of 6%, James said. The other big funding measure to watch is the Utah Education Fits All scholarship. In 2023, legislators approved a scholarship for public school students who wish to attend private schools but can’t afford it. The bill was roundly opposed by education organizations throughout Utah. The first $42 million worth of funding will be allocated this month, beginning Feb. 28, when the application portal opens. Lawmakers initially wanted to triple the amount of funding to $150 million next year, but the increase was shrunk to $50 million during budget negotiations. Proponents argue it empowers parents to make the best decisions for their child. Opponents say voucher programs like this one tend to help the familes already enrolled in private schools while taking money away from the stretched public school system. Another key priority for the board is ensuring that funding for arts and early literacy programs is maintained. These programs were approved in previous legislative sessions, and the board has asked that they be funded as separate add-ons, rather than using the At-Risk or WPU funds.

Odds and Ends

One of the big victories for the school board so far this session has been an effort to support student teachers in HB 221. This bill provides a $6,000 stipend for student teachers during their training hours. As districts throughout the country struggle to hire and retain educators, this bill provides support for prospective teachers on their way to certification. “If we’re not bringing people into the profession, we’re always going to be short teachers,” James said. HB 221 passed 72-0 in the House last week. It must pass the Senate before it can be signed, but the margin in the House is a good indication of its bipartisan support. Rep. Michael Petersen, R-North Logan, has proposed HB 269, Ten Commandments in Public Schools. As the title would indicate, this is an effort to display a “poster or framed copy” of the biblical Ten Commandments in every public school classroom in

Sen. Keith Grover

the state—yes, the Ten Commandments that Moses brought down from Mount Sinai. If passed, this display could no doubt help teachers trying to cut down on the wave of murder, covetousness and the worship of strange gods plaguing Utah classrooms. And lest there be any funny business, Petersen indicates in the bill that the poster must be at least 16 inches by 20 inches. The bill appears to be at odds with another piece of legislation, HB 303, which prohibits teachers from “espousing, promoting or disparaging” a particular viewpoint related to religion, politics, sexual orientation, gender identity and more, broadly seen as a way to prohibit Pride flags and other pro-LGBTQ displays. HB 303 narrowly passed out of a House committee last week, while the Ten Commandments bill has yet to receive an initial hearing. As elementary schools in Salt Lake City and throughout the valley face closures, Rep. Brady Brammer, R-Pleasant Grove, has proposed a bill that requires more communication with parents and taxpayers, and extends the requirements for communication when considering a closure or boundary change to special enrollment programs, like dual immersion, special education or gifted programs. The bill has passed through the House Education Committee and is waiting for an official vote on the House floor. One of the more off-the-wall bills this session is HB 119. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Tim Jimenez, R-Tooele, would create an “Educator-Protector Program to incentivize school teachers to responsibly secure or carry a firearm on school grounds.” Teachers who want to participate in the program would have to complete a minimum four-hour training from a local law enforcement agency. The training would cover how to safely load, unload and store a gun; where emergency supplies are located in the school; and a “live action practice plan in responding to active threats at the school.” Upon completion of the annual training, participating educators would be able to store a firearm in a biometric gun safe in their classroom or office and “carry the firearm in a concealed manner.” The bill appears to have died upon its first reading on Jan. 16, but the effort could be something to keep an eye on in future sessions. The state board of education hasn’t taken a position on any of the bills mentioned in this section. They’re also not officially opposing any bills this year. CW

FEBRUARY 15, 2024 | 15

Crunching the budget

Rep. Katy Hall

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Two bills were signed into law on Jan. 30 by Gov. Spencer Cox, one being the aforementioned HB 261, sponsored by Rep. Katy Hall, R-South Ogden. This bill has a number of new requirements for universities, but two of the most impactful ones involve “prohibited submissions” and the banning of “discriminatory practices.” Perhaps the most devastating and imme-

diate knock-on effect of the bill, according to its opponents, is the outlawing of diversity, equity and inclusion offices. The bill also requires an annual training for employees on “the separation of personal political advocacy from an institution’s business and employment activities.” Professors at the University of Utah voiced their displeasure at a recent meeting with the school’s president, according to The Salt Lake Tribune. There’s been less attention on the subject of prohibited submissions, but it’s an equally strong-handed element of the policy. Prohibited submissions are, according to the bill, any “submission, statement or document” related to anti-racism, Critical Race Theory (CRT), intersectionality and other topics relating to “bias.” Universities, under the new bill, cannot “require, request, solicit or compel’’ a prohibited submission when considering applicants—both as potential employees and students. Essentially, schools can’t force potential hires, employees seeking promotions (like professors seeking tenure, for example) or incoming students to talk about their work with one of these banned subjects when considering them for involvement at the university. It also bans schools from giving any “preferential consideration” to individuals who provide prohibited submissions with or without solicitation. The bill passed the House and Senate on party-line votes, with Democrats opposed. The other education-related bill signed law month focuses on sex-based separation of bathrooms and locker rooms. HB 257, sponsored by Morgan Republican Rep. Kera Birkeland, is particularly relevant to transgender students attempting to use gender-designated facilities within the public school system. Specifically, the bill requires school districts to establish a “privacy plan” with parents and students and to “address gender identity and fear of bullying.” The bill comes with a penalty of $10,000 each day for institutions that fail to comply and it requires that male and female facilities are of an equal standard.

Rep. Mike Petersen

It Came to Pass

Rep. Kera Birkeland

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he Utah Legislature, as is tradition, is taking a long look at education this session. Lawmakers have pitched more than 70 school-related bills this year. From bathroom requirements to water efficiency, sex education, displaying the Ten Commandments and beyond, the Legislature has big plans for the future of Utah’s children and teens. Members of the Utah Board of Education formally supported six bills this session, including a proposal to pay out a stipend to student teachers as they work toward certification. While there is plenty of noise on the Hill about education, the board is trying to keep the focus on kids and educators, spokesperson Kelsey James said. “When the board looks at legislation, it’s like, ‘OK, does it support students and their academic achievement? Does it support educators? Can we afford it?’” James said. “That’s a big question this year, because the Legislature doesn’t have as much money as they may have had in the past.” As of press time, several education bills have already passed. Of those, one—HB 261—has perhaps garnered as much attention as any bill this year, as it rids Utah’s eight public universities of their diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

Rep. Brady Brammer

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ALHAMBRA SHAWARMA 3965 W. 5400 South 801-645-6959

have always been a fan of tracking down the cultural origin point of things like movies, music and food. So many of the things we enjoy today represent years of evolution, and it’s always fun to trace that evolution as far back as possible. So, while I was enjoying the tacos al pastor at Kompas Taqueria a few weeks ago, I got thinking about shawarma. Both dishes rely on a vertical spit that roasts proteins like chicken or lamb in their own decadent juices, and anyone who has yet to see the majesty of a roasting meat cone will want to make tracks to Alhambra Shawarma. As the predecessor to tacos al pastor—it’s thought that Lebanese immigrants brought the technique to South America—the shawarma has had a huge impact on street food as we know it. While tacos al pastor and shawarma share a similar preparation technique, the shawarma’s lavash-wrapped presentation is undisputably burrito-esque. This implies an even greater influence on this tortilla-clad favorite as well. In short, we have the ancient Ottoman Empire to thank for the widespread popularity of tacos al pastor and burritos that we enjoy today. Despite its culinary pedigree with Mexican and South American street food, the shawarma still manages to be its own delicious self. It’s something the team at Alhambra knows how to celebrate, and their command of this traditional Middle Eastern favorite made me take notice while dining at their food truck a few years back. While attending a summer carnival at the city park near my house, I kept seeing people with these vibrant, purple and yellow boxes stuffed with shawarma, falafel and fries. I finally tracked the source of this colorful deliciousness to Alhambra’s food truck, and the rest is history. Recently, Alhambra opened its first brick-and-mortar restaurant in Taylorsville, so I swung by to see how they were doing. Fans of the food truck menu will be happy to see that not a whole lot has changed; Alhambra’s combos still come in those colorful boxes, and they’re as tasty as ever. Those new to Alhambra will want to check out the Alhambra Box ($16.99) that features their

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Taylorsville’s Alhambra Shawarma blends tradition with a bit of DIY attitude.

signature shawarma with your pick of beef, chicken or falafel and a pile of golden fries. The box also comes with two aiolis— one spicy, one mild—both of which are great with the fries. The shawarma itself is a stellar example of the craft. Its own aioli makes it nice and saucy, while the acidic mix of tomato, onion, pickles and cilantro brings some sharpness. Whatever you choose for your protein will be tender, juicy and filled with that trademark slow-roasted flavor imparted by the vertical spit roast. You get the same experience with the falafel shawarma, so this is a great option for plant-based foodies as well. Speaking of falafel, the falafel box ($14.99) is another great riff on a Middle Eastern classic. I appreciated the amount of falafel on display here—within a toasted flatbread bowl, you get about six or seven golden-brown falafel topped with the same tomato and onion relish you get on the shawarma. This one also comes with a mild aioli and some hummus, which go a long way to add a bit of creaminess to the crispy falafel. I found myself wishing it was easier to fold the flatbread bowl in half and scoop up the rest of the falafel so I could eat them more like a wrap; the toasty flatbread is a bit too thin and crispy for such grand designs. Those who want their shawarma journey to be a tad more epic in scale will want to check out the aptly named Supreme Shawarma ($22.99). It is essentially what you would get if your regular shawarma ate everything else in the box, and then had everything else in the restaurant for dessert. You don’t need to worry about the filling, as it comes prepared with beef, chicken, falafel and fries; the only thing missing is the restaurant’s homemade baklava ($2.99). While it maintains a pretty high price point, it’s easily shareable as it contains two full meals in one gigantic shawarma. Even if you don’t share this, it’ll be some time before you’re hungry again. I always like seeing food trucks climb the ranks and set up storefronts of their own, and that affection doubles when the food is as good as it is at Alhambra. Regardless of what you get here, you’re getting something that creates a nice mix of bold flavors and traditional techniques. I also appreciate how Alhambra has gone big with some of its menu items—the only thing better than bold flavors is getting those flavors in bulk. This little shawarma joint and its satellite food truck are always worth checking out when the craving for traditional Middle Eastern cuisine hits your gut. CW

Burgers so good they’ll blow your mind!

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

Avenues Proper 376 8th Ave, SLC avenuesproper.com On Tap: Midnight Especial- Dark Mexican Lager

Level Crossing Brewing Co. 2496 S. West Temple, S. Salt Lake LevelCrossingBrewing.com On Tap: Sinday - Pale Ale

Bohemian Brewery 94 E. Fort Union Blvd, Midvale BohemianBrewery.com Bonneville Brewery 1641 N. Main, Tooele BonnevilleBrewery.com On Tap: Peaches and Cream Ale Chappell Brewing 2285 S Main Street Salt Lake City, UT 84115 chappell.beer On Tap: Collaboration with Cupla Coffee. Tweek - Coffee Pale Ale

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Kiitos Brewing 608 W. 700 South, SLC KiitosBrewing.com

Bewilder Brewing 445 S. 400 West, SLC BewilderBrewing.com On Tap: ESB - English Amber

Craft by Proper 1053 E. 2100 So., SLC properbrewingco.com On Tap: Gungan Sith Lord - Dark Lager

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Desert Edge Brewery 273 Trolley Square, SLC DesertEdgeBrewery.com On Tap: La Playa-Mexican Style lager Epic Brewing Co. 825 S. State, SLC EpicBrewing.com On Tap: Barrel-Aged Imperial Vanilla Porter Fisher Brewing Co. 320 W. 800 South, SLC FisherBeer.com On Tap: A rotation of up to 17 Fresh Beers!

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2 Row Brewing 6856 S. 300 West, Midvale 2RowBrewing.com

Grid City Beer Works 333 W. 2100 South, SLC GridCityBeerWorks.com On Tap: Cask Nitro CO2

TWO LOCATIONS 550 S. 300 W. SUITE 100 SLC 2496 S. WEST TEMPLE, SLC LEVELCROSSINGBREWING.COM @LEVELCROSSINGBREWING

Level Crossing Brewing Co., POST 550 So. 300 West #100, SLC LevelCrossingBrewing.com On Tap: Down the Road - West Coast IPA Moab Brewing 686 S. Main, Moab TheMoabBrewery.com On Tap: Bulliet Bourbon barrelaged Brown Mountain West Cider 425 N. 400 West, SLC MountainWestCider.com On Tap: Orange & Cardamom Resolutions Cider 6.9% Abv Offset Bier Co 1755 Bonanza Dr Unit C, Park City offsetbier.com/ On Tap: DOPO IPA Ogden Beer Company 358 Park Blvd, Ogden OgdenRiverBrewing.com On Tap: Injector Hazy IPA Park City Brewery 1764 Uinta Way C1 ParkCityBrewing.com On Tap: Jalapeno Ale Policy Kings Brewery 223 N. 100 West, Cedar City PolicyKingsBrewery.com Prodigy Brewing 25 W Center St. Logan Prodigy-brewing.com On Tap: Cached Out Hefeweisen -- Now available to go! Proper Brewing/Proper Burger 857 So. Main & 865 So. Main properbrewingco.com Proper Brewing: SLC Pils - Pilsner Proper Burger: Salted Caramel Porter - Porter Brewed with Caramel and Salt

Helper Beer 159 N Main Street, Helper, UT helperbeer.com

Proper Brewing Moab 1393 US-191, Moab properbrewingco.com On Tap: YRJB - Juicy IPA

Hopkins Brewing Co. 1048 E. 2100 South, SLC HopkinsBrewingCompany.com On Tap: Honey Wheat

Red Rock Brewing 254 So. 200 West RedRockBrewing.com On Tap: Gypsy Scratch

Red Rock Fashion Place 6227 So. State Redrockbrewing.com On Tap: Munich Dunkel Red Rock Kimball Junction 1640 Redstone Center Redrockbrewing.com On Tap: Bamberg Rauch Bier RoHa Brewing Project 30 Kensington Ave, SLC RoHaBrewing.com On Tap: Brewers Select: Stage Left IPA, 7.3% ABV Roosters Brewing Multiple Locations RoostersBrewingCo.com On Tap: Every Nook & Cranberry Sour SaltFire Brewing 2199 S. West Temple, S. Salt Lake SaltFireBrewing.com On Tap: Heavy Metal Parking Lot in can 6.66%abv Salt Flats Brewing 2020 Industrial Circle, SLC SaltFlatsBeer.com On Tap: Huldra and Holle: Rum barrel aged Imperial Stout with Chaga Mushroom Scion Cider Bar 916 Jefferson St W, SLC Scionciderbar.com On Tap: Etta Place Stray Arrow Rosé - 6.8% ABV Second Summit Cider 4010 So. Main, Millcreek https://secondsummitcider. com On Tap: Imperial, Dry cider with English apples

Shades Brewing 154 W. Utopia Ave, South Salt Lake ShadesBrewing.beer On Tap: Foggy Goggle Winter Lager Live Music: Thursdays Shades On State 366 S. State Street SLC Shadesonstate.com On Tap: Hellion Blonde Ale

147 W. Broadway, SLC saltlakebrewingco.com/squatters

On Tap: Salt Lake Brewing Co.’s New Hop Who Dis? Rotating IPA

Squatters and Wasatch Brewery 1763 So 300 West SLC UT 84115 Utahbeers.com On Tap: Wasatch Apricot Hefeweizen – Fruited Wheat Beer Strap Tank Brewery, Lehi 3661 Outlet Pkwy, Lehi, UT StrapTankBrewery.com On Tap: Wake-Up Call Coffee Stout. Collab with KBER 101 and Kings Peak coffee. Strap Tank Brewery, Springville 596 S 1750 W, Springville, UT StrapTankBrewery.com On Tap: Bananza Hefeweizen TF Brewing 936 S. 300 West, SLC TFBrewing.com On Tap: Kiss From a Gose Talisman Brewing Co. 1258 Gibson Ave, Ogden TalismanBrewingCo.com On Tap: The Griffen- Citrus Wheat Ale in collaboration with the 419th at Hill AFB Top of Main Brewing 250 Main, Park City, Utah saltlakebrewingco.com/wasatch

On Tap: Top of Main’s Hop Carousel Rotating IPA Uinta Brewing 1722 S. Fremont Drive, SLC UintaBrewing.com On Tap: Was Angeles Craft Beer UTOG 2331 Grant Ave, Ogden UTOGBrewing.com On Tap: Golden Grant 5% ABV. Vernal Brewing 55 S. 500 East, Vernal VernalBrewing.com Wasatch Brew Pub 2110 S. Highland Drive, SLC saltlakebrewingco.com/wasatch

On Tap: Top of Main’s Mother Urban’s Parlor Blonde Ale

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

Zion Brewery 95 Zion Park Blvd, Springdale ZionBrewery.com

Squatters Pub Brewery / Salt Lake Brewing Co.

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

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layer of dirty white suds over top. Nice hang time is displayed here, with lots of messy lace tattering the glass walls. The nose is made up of some real pungent pine aromatics backed by a blend of citrus fruit and tropical produce. This is not distinctly dank or weedy to me, but definitely coming across as resinous; it has the sticky pine presence all up in there, plus a bit of sugary grapefruit. Some faint malt sweetness makes itself known as well as a touch of alcohol strength—real nice and sharp on the olfactory senses. Huge pine resins dominate up front, with citrus and tropical notes to follow, mostly candied grapefruit and sweet mango. There is a sharp hit of bitterness mid-palate, and such a long lasting resinous linger to this one. Again, it’s not particularly dank like Mary Jane here, but damn solid hop juice for sure. I get a bit of malt and toasted bread tucked in the back along with a touch of caramel sweetness; it comes off as a big beer with some creeper alcohol in there, but still in good balance. They definitely hit on the sticky-icky component—tasty and with bold hop flavor. A moderate heft in body with ample carbonation offers up a nice creamy consistency. It’s big and bold in the bitterness, with a sharp feel and long lasting resinous linger. This 7.3 percent ale finishes-out a touch dry and very very sticky on the palate. Verdict: I wasn’t expecting this amount of dank from this WCIPA, but this one definitely delivers on the sticky—real intense bitterness with super-fresh hop flavors and a proper malt balance to allow for some good drinkability. A nice offering in my book and would have again. I’m looking forward to the next release. The huge amount of hops used in these two beers mean they’re relatively small batches compared to the brewers’ regular-production beers. I’d chase both of these sooner rather than later—not just to make sure you get some, but because these are fresh. And fresh is always best with hoppy beers. As always, cheers! CW

ed Rock - Citra Black: This is not a Black IPA or a Cascadian Dark Ale. It’s actually a black lager that features a massive amount of Citra hops. What’s the difference? More cocoa and less roast. Let’s get into it. Citra Black has a body that is black with just the slightest tinge of dark brown foam. Retention is quite good, buoyed by a likely stream of carbonation rising from the glass. A nice up-front bouquet includes pungent hops, with citrus and some bitterness hinting at semi-dark chocolate. There’s also some nice earthiness, but it’s hard to tell if that’s coming from the hop profile or the roasted grains. And lastly, some hints of herbal pine appear as it warms a bit. The citrus is far more subdued in the taste than it was in the aroma. Dark chocolate and muted orange remind me a bit of a chocolate-covered orange or, maybe more accurately, orange-infused dark chocolate. Bitterness emerges from the roasted malts and herbal hops, as well as hints of drip coffee and onion in the finish. You’ll get medium body and moderate carbonation in this 7.8 percent lager, with a lingering bitterness on the tongue. Verdict: A tasty little hoppy dark lager, but it doesn’t quite stand up to my favorite two or three in the same style range. That said, I would encourage anyone who likes the interplay between bitter, roasty malt and citrusy, herbal hops to check this one out. RoHa - Brewers Select (Stage Left IPA): This West Coast IPA pours amber with orange tones and some considerable hop haze across the body, and enough effervescence to produce a thick

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2024 Chocolate Lovers Festival at Solitude

Fans of noshing on chocolate against the scenic alpine landscape of our Rocky Mountains will want to check out this year’s Chocolate Lovers Festival at Solitude Mountain Resort (12000 Big Cottonwood Canyon). A valid lift ticket or season pass gets you access to this annual event, which takes place near Moonbeam Lodge. Here you’ll find a plethora of chocolatiers distributing their tasty treats, and if you can fill up your stamp card you have a chance to win some prizes provided by the resort. The event begins at 8 a.m. and runs until 2 p.m., or until supplies run out—so make sure you get there early.

Alhambra Storefront Opens

Alhambra has been one of my favorite local food trucks for a while now, and I’m happy to announce that they’ve opened their very first storefront in Taylorsville (3965 W. 5400 South). For those unfamiliar with Alhambra’s menu, they’ve dedicated themselves to the Middle Eastern art of shawarma. I’ve tried out their truck many times and they’ve really got their recipe for this savory lavash wrap down; get this in a box with some crinkle-cut fries and you’ve got yourself a helluva good thing going. Alhambra also serves loaded fries and falafel which can definitely stand up to their stellar shawarma options. Looking forward to checking this place out very soon.

Seven Brothers Burgers Expands

The Hawaii-based Seven Brothers Burgers (sevenbrothersburgers.com) recently expanded its Utah operation to include a location in Pleasant Grove (1495 W. State Street). In addition to their four locations in Hawaii and one location in Arizona, Seven Brothers maintains a location in Provo and one in Saratoga Springs. They’re perhaps best known for their beach vibes and dunking their burger patties in smoky teriyaki sauce before they hit the bun. This burger spot has been gaining popularity in our SLC-adjacent cities, and it looks like they’ve got plans to open a few more locations—including one downtown—in the near future. Everyone loves a good grilled pineapple on their burger, though I’d like to see them add a bit more Spam to the works.

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e’ve gotten off to an incredibly strong start with new releases from local bands in 2024. It’s hard to keep up with all of the new stuff coming out, so I’ll try to keep you in the loop with these great releases. Add them to your playlists, and catch these bands at live shows when you can— you won’t want to miss these songs live. Plastic Cherries, “Tomorrow”: After Plastic Cherries’ exciting 2022 hit “Lovers on the Run” released, fans have been waiting with bated breath for the newest entry to the band’s catalog. Dreams came true last August with their release of “Moon II,” and again at the beginning of January with “Tomorrow.” According to a post on the band’s Instagram, the song came to singer Shelby Maddock in a dream. Dreamlike is a perfect way to describe the single— it has the retro vibes the band is known for, along with calm instrumentation and Maddock’s entrancing vocals. Fans of the Cherries have been lovingly dubbed the “Moon Unit,” and can be found supporting the group at shows with awesome costumes and jamming to the otherworldly tunes. “Tomorrow” and “Moon II” are perfect entries into the Plastic Cherries’ repertoire. Leetham, “Boys”: One of SLC’s favorite pop performers is back at it again with an upbeat anthem that will cheer you up on the darkest of days. “Boys” was

Poolhouse, “Sorry Sucks”: Indie guitar pop trio Poolhouse are well-known for their charming, upbeat and catchy tunes, so it’s no wonder their latest single fits the bill perfectly. “Sorry Sucks” is everything you want out of a great indie track—clear yet unique vocals, some clean electric guitar and a chorus that’s so incredibly catchy. Poolhouse always takes such care while creating their music, and this song is no different. As a bonus, “Sorry Sucks” also has a music video to accompany the song. Their videos are always a blast and very well-produced, so you’ll want to check this one out ASAP. Kaytlin Numbers, “WE DON’T TALK ABOUT IT”: If you’re in the business of collecting super-rad indierock anthems for your library, you’ve just found another one. “WE DON’T TALK ABOUT IT” is the latest from singer/songwriter Kaytlin Numbers, and perfectly encapsulates the word “anthem;” it’s hard to listen to this song and not want to sing it out loud, especially as it gets to the chorus. Numbers even said, “Can’t wait to play this one live and scream together,” of the track on Instagram. Be sure to keep an eye out for live shows featuring Numbers so you can indeed scream with her while this one plays. Msking, Her World: Msking (pronounced “miss king”) is starting 2024 out strong with their latest EP Her World. If you’re

Poolhouse

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BY EMILEE ATKINSON eatkinson@cityweekly.net @emileelovesvinyl

MUSIC

into moody, pop punk vibes, Msking is the group for you. This five-song collection has it all—fast guitar, lamenting vocals and relatable lyrics. It’s a great EP for when you’re in your feelings, and are maybe feeling a bit emo and want to lean into it. It’s also something to headbang to, if that’s the mood you’re in. Fans of early ‘00s pop punk will be feeling the nostalgia while listening to Msking, as their sound very much resembles the sounds of yesteryear—which is a great thing. The world always needs more pop punk vibes. Bly Wallentine, “O Frozen Butterfly”: Diving into Bly Wallentine’s music always yields delightful surprises. The singer/ songwriter is always experimenting with sounds, and never confines themself to a specific box when it comes to what genres they write. “O Frozen Butterfly” is an adventure of a song inspired by the likes of Elliot Smith, Cat Stevens, Montreal and even Beethoven himself. The song is also inspired by those who “Just like to sit on the porch and watch time fester like a box

NEW RELEASE ROUND UP Olivia Rodrigo Sparkle Horse Linda Ronstadt

of soggy saltines. Is that you? Why don’t you take some time today to ask yourself ‘who am I?’” Wallentine said on Instagram. “O Frozen Butterfly” is currently only on BandCamp (which is a great place to buy music from local artists to support them) at the moment, but will be streaming everywhere soon. The Mellons, Introducing… The Instrumentals! (Side A): Sometimes you just need background music to create a soundtrack to the events of your life. Vocals are great, but they sometimes get in the way of that “main character” feeling, and you need some instrumental tracks to allow your imagination to run wild. Or, if you just need background music without vocals because it’s distracting, The Mellons have you covered. Their most recent project is taking the tracks from their debut album, Introducing… The Mellons!, and cutting out the vocals. It’s always fun to hear songs without the singing on top, because it lets you hear more details that you may not have otherwise noticed. And they allow you to have a great soundtrack for even the most mundane daily activities. Introducing… The Instrumentals! (Side A) is streaming now. CW

Ne w &

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recorded/produced with fellow pop artist Jayden McKenzie, and was an international project: McKenzie is in Canada, but the two artists were able to seamlessly create an exciting, addicting dance track. I’ve never been to a club in my life, but this is the exact type of song I’d expect to hear in one with the lights low and sound turned up to 11. This is the track for you if you’re boy-crazy, or just need something to dance it out to.

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The mighty Mic Masters Alliance is back again with another entry in their hybrid series. Mic Masters is a battle rap league that showcases Utah talent. Battle rap is a sport and an art form that has been growing steadily since its inception, and has reached a standard of improvised verbal wit which would please Cicero. No Love Lost 2 will feature contests between 5padez vs. N.E.Z., Josh Matter vs. Smoove Da Juugman & Lefty vs. Random, along with a producer/ beat battle between Looney Got Da Tunez vs. Minute After 8. Also, there will be several live performances from T-James, UA the Duo and L8KTWNENT. Headlining the night is the Bay Area’s Locksmith. He is an artist that you never get tired of hearing from, and spits quotables that give one the chills. For what it’s worth, the diversification of battling will filter out the shit from the shit in due course. Sure, some of it might lack imagination, going for the low-hanging fruit as main subjects (i.e. mid, meh, wack, etc.) However, that 5 percent of hidden gold that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise? That’s what the REAL will make, and use, to inform the creative practice, subvert and expand paradigms, and move the whole rap game on. Similar to that of a UCF fight. DJ Intimin8 on the wheels of steel all night long. Catch all of these acts at Liquid Joes on Friday, Feb. 16. Doors at 7 p.m.; show at 8 p.m. Tickets for the 21+ show are $30 and can be found here utahrapper.com (Mark Dago)

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SLC Live Winter Edition: Deadmau5, Gryffin @ The Gateway Olympic Plaza 2/16-17 Well, the mouse is out of the bag: Deadmau5 (pronounced “dead mouse”) is headlining this week in the heart of downtown SLC at The Gateway Olympic Plaza. The Canadian EDM DJ and producer Deadmau5, aka Joel Zimmerman, has paved the way for electronic music since 1998. A true legend of EDM, Deadmau5 will bring his renowned blend of electro-house and progressive house music donned in his usual mouse helmet (“mau5head”) headgear. If you’ve never been in a crowd with attendees wearing the iconic mau5head helmets while bumping along to Zimmerman’s 2x platinum-certified single “Ghosts ‘n’ Stuff,” then have you truly lived? His seven critically acclaimed albums, six grammy nominations and worldwide fan base speak to how respected Zimmerman is in the music industry. This is a must-see! Accompanying Deadmau5 is melodic house DJ and producer, Gryiffin, aka Dan Griffith. His newest album, Pulse, is set to be released this year, following two albums full of tear-jerking music to get you through the hard times. SLC Live Winter Edition is going to be an overall visual and sonic treat and an unforgettable experience to share with friends. Check out both Deadmau5 and Gryffin on Feb. 16 and 17 at The Gateway Olympic Plaza. Doors open at 4 p.m. A Friday pass costs $70; a Saturday pass costs $65; two-day passes cost $110. For the full line-up and tickets, go to saltlakecitylive.net (Arica Roberts)

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Blackwater Voodoo @ The DLC SLC 2/17 Blackwater Voodoo is a band name you might expect to find in a place like New Orleans rather than Northern Utah’s own Layton, but here they are, and fans of hard rock need to check them out ASAP. It can often feel like rock bands are a dime a dozen, but when you find one that does it so right, you have to hold on and never let go. If you’re a fan of bands like Pop Evil, Shinedown, Otherwise and Papa Roach will most likely find comfort in Blackwater Voodoo’s sound. Their songs have driving guitar, strong vocals and a sheen to them that is hard to match. The singles the band has out so far are listed as demos, but man, you could have fooled me; if these are just demos, I’d love to hear the final product. What the band has released came out back in 2022, and while that feels like just yesterday, that’s coming up on two (!) years. Hopefully we hear more from Blackwater Voodoo as we progress into 2024. If you want to experience some great, modern hard rock for yourself, head out to the DLC on Saturday, Feb. 17 at 8 p.m. Tickets for the 21+ show are $10 and can be found at 24tix.com. (Emilee Atkinson)

Strawberry Cough, Bat Brain, Stardance Riot @ Urban Lounge 2/17 Getting through these early winter months can be a bummer. The days are still short, there’s half-melted dirty snow all over and spring is around the corner, but not close enough. To help some of those winter blues though, there are always exciting local shows to head out to and get your spirits lifted. If you’re needing a pick me up this week, you’ll want to head out to see SLC alt-gaze group Strawberry Cough. While their name sounds like a mildly concerning yet possibly pleasant condition, their music is definitively addicting. While they only have one single published officially so far—“My Song 19”—it’s one that you can easily dive into over and over. It starts with an energetic countdown and an extra tasty bass track that drives the song forward. From there, “My Song 19” turns into an epic anthem that is every punk/alt/gaze fan’s dream. It makes you want more, but for now, you’ll have to savor this one. Joining Strawberry Cough is garage band Bat Brain and Stardance Riot, the latter having released their first single “Hard to Say” back in May. It’s another perfect alt-rock song to throw on and jam out to when you need to get some energy out. Come check out this fantastic trio of locals on Saturday, Feb. 17 at 8 p.m. Tickets for the 21+ show are $10 and can be found at 24tix.com. (EA)

Sarah Jarosz

Sarah Jarosz @ The Depot 2/20

SHERVIN LAINEZ

Strawberry Cough

VIA INSTAGRAM

MUSIC PICKS

It’s easy to classify young artists as prodigies, wunderkinds or whatever else ties their age to their identity. Sarah Jarosz naturally fell into that category after being signed to a record label and releasing her initial album at the age of 16 and while still in school. After one of its songs was nominated for a Grammy in the category of Best Country Performance, she proved it was no fluke, having garnered a nomination for Song of the Year courtesy of the Americana Music Association when her second studio album, Follow Me Down, appeared. Her third album, Build Me Up From Bones, brought another nomination, this time for Best Folk Album, while its title track was nominated for Best American Roots Song. Its follow-up, Undercurrent, then won the awards for Best Folk Album with the Best American Roots Performance award going to its song “House of Mercy.” That was four for four as far as the kudos were concerned, and yet, she was all of 25 at the time. She’s gone on to show that age and aptitude needn’t be constrained within the same context. Her last album—2020’s World on the Ground, her first release in four years—brought home the Grammy for Best Americana Album. Her new offering, Polaroid Lovers, will likely continue that trend. After all, at age 32, there are likely plenty of plaudits yet to come. KRCL Presents Sarah Jarosz: Polaroid Lovers Tour at The Depot, 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 20. Tickets cost $41 - $101 at concerts.livenation.com (Lee Zimmerman)

free will ASTROLOGY BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (March 21-April 19)

Some stories don’t have an orderly beginning, middle and end. At any one point, it may be hard to know where you are. Other tales have a clear beginning, middle and end, but the parts occur out of order; maybe the middle happens first, then the end, followed by the beginning. Every variation is possible, too. And then there’s the fact that the beginning of a new story is implied at the end of many stories, even stories with fuzzy plots and ambiguous endings. Keep these ruminations in mind during the coming weeks, Aries. You will be in a phase when it’s essential to know what story you are living in and where you are located in the plot’s unfoldment.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

As I meditate on your destiny in the near future, I sense you will summon extra courage, perhaps even fearless and heroic energy. I wonder if you will save a drowning person, rescue a child from a burning building or administer CPR to a stranger who has collapsed on the street. Although I suspect your adventures will be less dramatic than those, they may still be epic. Maybe you will audaciously expose corruption and deceit, persuade a friend to not commit self-harm or speak bold thoughts you haven’t had the daring to utter before.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20)

CANCER (June 21-July 22)

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

Dear Wise Gambler: You rank high in your intelligence, intuitive logic and robust fantasy life. There’s only one factor that may diminish your ability to discern between wise and unwise gambles. That’s your tendency to get so excited by big ideas that you neglect to account for messy, inconvenient details. And it’s especially important not to dismiss or underplay those details in the coming weeks. If you include them in your assessments, you will indeed be the shrewdest of wise gamblers.

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CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Capricorn golfer Tiger Woods is one of the all-time greats. He holds numerous records and has won scores of tournaments. On 20 occasions, he has accomplished a hole-in-one. But the weird fact is that there were two decades (1998–2018) between his 19th and 20th holesin-one. I suspect your own fallow time came in 2023, Capricorn. By now, you should be back in the hole-inone groove, metaphorically speaking. And the coming months may bring a series of such crowning strokes.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

Poet Anna Akhmatova (1889–1966) lived till age 76, but her destiny was a rough ride. Her native country, the authoritarian Soviet Union, censored her work and imprisoned her friends and family. In one of her poems, she wrote, “If I can’t have love, if I can’t find peace, give me a bitter glory.” She got the latter wish. She came close to winning a Nobel Prize and is now renowned as a great poet and heroic symbol of principled resistance to tyranny. Dear Aquarius, I predict that your life in the coming months will be very different from Akhmatova’s. I expect you will enjoy more peace and love than you’ve had in a long time. Glory will stream your way, too, but it will be graceful, never bitter. The effects will be heightened if you express principled resistance to tyranny.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)

Piscean perfumer Sophia Grojsman says, “Our lives are quiet. We like to be disturbed by delight.” To that end, she created over 30 bestselling fragrances, including Eternity Purple Orchid, Désir Coulant (Flowing Desire), Spellbound, Volupté (Pleasure) and Jelisaveta (“God is abundance”). Pisces, I believe it’s now essential for you to be disturbed by delight—as well as to disturb others with delight. Please do what’s necessary to become a potent magnet for marvelous interruptions, sublime interventions and blissful intrusions. And make yourself into a provider of those healing subversions, too.

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.

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Actor and writer Andrew McCarthy hiked across Spain along the famous pilgrimage route, Camino de Santiago. On the way, he felt so brave and strong that at one point he paradoxically had a sobbing breakdown. He realizedfear had always dominated his life. With this chronic agitation absent for the first time ever, he felt free to be his genuine self. “I started to feel more comfortable in the world and consequently in my own skin,” he testified, concluding, “I think travel obliterates fear.” I recommend applying his prescription to yourself in the coming months, Virgo—in whatever ways your intuition tells you are right. Cosmic forces will be aligned with you.

Scorpio author Dan Savage says, “I wish I could let myself eat and eat and eat.” He imagines what it would be like if he didn’t “have to monitor the foods I put in my mouth or go to the gym anymore.” He feels envious of those who have no inhibitions about being gluttonous. I authorize Savage and all Scorpios to set aside such inhibitions. Take a break. Experiment with what it feels like to free yourself to ingest big helpings of food and drink— as well as metaphorical kinds of nourishment like love and sex and sensations and entertainment. Just for now, allow yourself to play around with voraciousness. You may be surprised at the deeper liberations it triggers.

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Of your hundreds of wishes and yearnings, Leo, which is the highest on your priority list? And which are the next two? What are the sweet, rich, inspiring experiences you want more than anything else in life? I invite you to compile a tally of your top three longings. Write them on a piece of paper. Draw or paste an evocative symbol next to each one. Then place this holy document in a prominent spot that you will see regularly. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, you are in a phase when focusing and intensifying your intentions will bring big rewards.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

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As I study the astrological omens for the coming weeks, I suspect you will feel more at home in a situation that has previously felt unnerving or alien. Or you will expedite the arrival of the future by connecting more deeply with your roots. Or you will cultivate more peace and serenity by exploring exotic places. To be honest, though, the planetary configurations are half-mystifying me; I’m offering my best guesses. You may assemble a strong foundation for an experimental fantasy. Or perhaps you will engage in imaginary travel, enabling you to wander widely without leaving your sanctuary. Or all of the above.

In the natural world, there are four partnership styles. In the parasitic variety, one living thing damages another while exploiting it. In the commensal mode, there is exploitation by one partner, but no harm occurs. In the epizoic model, one creature serves as a vehicle for the other but gets nothing in return. The fourth kind of partnership is symbiotic. It’s beneficial to both parties. I bring these to your attention, Libra, because the coming weeks will be an excellent time to take an inventory of your alliances and affiliations—and begin to de-emphasize, even phase out, all but the symbiotic ones.

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Lately, you have been learning more than you thought possible. You have surpassed and transcended previous limits in your understanding of how the world works. Congratulations! I believe the numerous awakenings stem from your willingness to wander freely into the edgy frontier—and then stay there to gather in all the surprising discoveries and revelations flowing your way. I will love it if you continue your pilgrimage out there beyond the borders for a while longer.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

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Colorful Cues Architectural Digest has come out with interesting home trends for this year that feel a lot like the ’70s are coming back. Here are a few of them. Peach and apricot are the dominant color forecasts for this year as well as turquoise. Pantone’s color of the year is Peach Fuzz, a light peach color as the name implies. Chrome, steel and aluminum are hot as a “natural consequence of the early 2020’s overload of earth tones.” AD reports that people are rediscovering color in their homes and putting in jewel tones in surfaces and furniture. Romantic design isn’t just for the 19th century or the 1980s. “From pillows to bedding to area rugs, we’re seeing botanical inspiration creep into all textiles. Floral patterns in weaving and block prints are popular with bigger than life blooms in wallpaper.” The Digest also suggests that homeowners will be mixing and matching styles from historic eras and they report that there is a precedent for this in the early 20th century, when modern artists and their avant-garde patrons created the market for what is known as “Americana.” “When viewed through a social lens, Americana feels just as fresh,” AD reported. “The Shakers, for example, didn’t have much sex, but they were anything but tame, pushing functionalism toward an ecstatic edge the Bauhaus could only dream of. Who wouldn’t want to own a piece of that radical American history in 2024?” At our house, we have colonial-era chests of drawers alongside mid-mod living room furniture. It all works and makes décor more interesting to decorate around. Why is the Pantone color of the year so important? Each year, the Pantone Color Institute picks a single hue that encapsulates current cultural trends that influence both fashion and design. The institute was founded in the 1960s and is the global authority on color. Well, someone had to do it, right? Standardized color swatches ensure consistency over a huge variety of industries. If you were an interior decorator charged with picking colors for furniture in a new high rise apartment building downtown, you’d pull out your Pantone swatches to show the developer what look you have in mind for their new project. If they were doing projects in several states and wanted uniformity in the look of the lobby furniture in their buildings, the Pantone swatch is exacting and creates consistent color threads and material. If you shop at Nordstrom or Macy’s this spring and summer, you’ll find Pantone-colored clothing and accessories for sale based on this year’s color of the year. One fashion article applauds the Pantone system as a “reflection of the current zeitgeist.” There is always a connection between culture and color, globally and locally. The last four years of Pantone colors have been: 2023—Viva Magenta; 2022—Very Peri (a periwinkle shade); 2021—Illuminating (yellow hue) and Ultimate Grey (gray color). n Content is prepared expressly for Community and is not endorsed by City Weekly staff.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

HOW TO SUCCEED

BY MATT JONES

ACROSS

1. Card pack 5. Jazz legend Davis 10. Galaxy addition? 13. Supporter 14. Kind of army or band 16. 2014 U.S. Women’s Open champ Michelle 17. *Showroom sale item 19. Tax preparer’s charge 20. There’s no accounting for it 21. *”You’ll do great!” 23. Indefinitely long period 24. Actress Taylor-Joy of “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” 25. Bar offerings 26. “Yes, ___” (improv principle) 28. Small child 30. Lay down the lawn 32. “Help wanted” listings 34. Capricious urge 37. Overinflate 41. *”All we need,” per a 1988 Guns N’ Roses ballad 44. “8 Seconds” venue 45. Make agitated 46. One of four on the New Zealand flag 47. Geese formation shape 49. ___ Soundsystem (“I Can Change” band) 51. He/___ pronouns 52. Not fully 55. Certain internet junk 58. Monopoly board abbr. 60. *Screen protector of sorts? 62. Amounts typically shown in red 65. Got away fast 66. Conclusion leading to perseverance, or a hint to the last words of the starred answers? 68. Enmity 69. Tribute 70. Lower range 71. Like much of PinkNews’s demographic 72. See 33-Down 73. Decelerate

DOWN

1. Nuts 2. Swingin’ Fitzgerald 3. Secretive kind of auction without knowing the price 4. City near Osaka

5. Rapper/actor ___ Def, a.k.a.Yasiin Bey 6. Worked up 7. “30 Rock” character Liz 8. Bad thing to see on your gas gauge 9. Mexican restaurant condiments 10. Horrible 11. Jigsaw unit 12. Looks up the answer, maybe 15. Org. for teachers or artists 18. “It’s living ___-free in my head” 22. Crockpot scoopers, maybe 26. Partway open 27. ___ contendere (no contest plea) 29. Nighttime hunter 31. Kimono sash 33. With 72-Across, portrayer of Brian Hackett on “Wings” 35. Corp. debut 36. Word processing function for automating letters 38. Attentive 39. “Superfood” berry 40. Political period 42. Shoe end 43. “Waterfalls” group 48. Conditional deposit 50. Marcel Duchamp’s movement 52. Parsley bit

53. Scarlett of “Gone With the Wind” 54. It doesn’t grow on trees 56. “Fork it over!” 57. Take ___ at (guess) 59. The Venetian’s site 61. Numerical suffix 63. One of the Jackson 5 64. Winter weather prediction 67. “Get ___ Ya-Ya’s Out!” (Rolling Stones album)

Last week’s answers

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

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NEWS of the WEIRD

We sell homes to all saints, sinners, sisterwives and...

BY THE EDITORS AT ANDREWS MCMEEL

No Longer Weird

It’s that time of year again, and the Homeward Bound Pet Adoption Center in South Jersey is stepping up in a feline sort of way. NBC4-TV reported on Jan. 26 that as part of a Valentine’s Day promotion, in return for a $50 donation, the shelter will name a feral cat after your ex, then spay or neuter it before releasing it back into the wild. Sporting the motto “Because some things shouldn’t breed,” the program is aimed at reducing the feral cat population and satisfying disgruntled former lovers, who are asked to supply only a first name or nickname. Love is in the air!

It’s Come to This

Looking for a cuddle in this season of love? Pop on over to Tokyo and the Mipig Cafe, where you can snuggle up with a petite porcine pal. The Associated Press reported that customers pay $15 for 30 minutes with the micro pigs, who are clean and odor-free. “Each pig is unique. Each one has his or her own personality,” said Shiho Kitagawa, an executive at Mipig. People enjoy the interaction so much that they often don’t bother with getting a drink. But Sachiko Azuma, head of an animal cruelty organization, isn’t a fan. “The animals have become tools for a money-making business,” she said.

Unconventional Weaponry

Wrong Place, Wrong Time

Crime Report

Wait, What?

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Overachievers

Graffiti artists have tagged more than 25 stories of an abandoned Los Angeles skyscraper, KTLA-TV reported on Feb. 1. Renovations on Oceanwide Plaza stalled in 2019, and the building has been sitting empty. Daron Burgundy, a street photographer, said that he had noticed taggers working on the building for the previous three nights. “I could see people up on the balcony,” he said, adding that he heard people were coming from out of state for the chance to tag the vacant building. “It’s been wild to watch. It’s not so luxury around here anymore.” The Los Angeles Police Department has made two arrests and is working with district officials to secure the building.

The Continuing Crisis

Canoe.com reported on Jan. 26 that the rental real estate market in Toronto is rough, with high prices inspiring landlords to become extra-creative. One listing for a “room for rent” in Brampton actually features a twin bed wedged into a space in the kitchen between the counter and a support column. As we know, it’s all about location, location, location, and the listing claims the “sharing space” is near colleges and universities, banks, grocery stores and other conveniences. One commenter posted, “Now you can literally wake up and smell the coffee.”

HOME LOANS MADE BRIZZÉE

It’s a Mystery

Should you be near Edmonton, Canada, in the coming days, you should keep an eye peeled for a missing 12-foot-tall, 500-pound taxidermy polar bear. The BBC reported that the bear, standing on its back legs, was stolen from Lily Lake Resort sometime during the extreme January cold. The resort usually has 24-hour security patrols, but they were canceled that night because of the frigid winter temperatures. Wanda Rowe, who works at the resort, said that the thieves would have had to cut through cables that secured the bear and drag it out to a waiting vehicle. “It 100% had to be planned,” she said. Send your weird news items to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com

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FEBRUARY 15, 2024 | 31

A dried 285-year-old lemon fetched $1,780 at auction in Shropshire, England, United Press International reported on Jan. 31. The lemon was discovered in a 19th-century cabinet that was being prepared for auction. But here’s the weird part: It was inscribed: “Given by Mr. P. La Franchini Nov. 4, 1739, to Miss E. Baxter.” The cabinet sold for $40.

Babs De Lay

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Bertha Yalter, 71, allegedly became enraged on Jan. 28 after her husband of 52 years received a postcard from a woman he dated 60 years ago, WPLG-TV reported. The couple from North Miami Beach, Florida, were at their home when Yalter attacked, trying to “smother him with a pillow, bit and physically battered him,” police said. Remarkably, someone was taking video with a cellphone, which will be admitted into evidence. Yalter faces charges of attempted murder, aggravated battery and tampering with a victim and was held without bond.

n HOP Shop convenience stores in northern Kentucky have discovered a new way to draw customers into the bathrooms (or maybe just to distract from the conditions within), WDKY-TV reported. The stores have installed a button on the wall that says “Do Not Push This Button.” And when the button is inevitably pushed, bathroom users experience a disco party: regular lights off, mirror balls with colored spotlights on, and accompanying disco music such as “I’ve Had the Time of My Life.” Ann Gilbert, manager of human resources for Valor Oil, which owns HOP Shops, said they were trying to “figure out something that would make us a destination,” and now six stores feature the disco bathrooms. Boogie down!

NURSES!

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David Richardson of Humpty Doo, Australia, was exonerated by Judge Therese Austin in late January after pleading guilty to exposing himself to a teenager worker in the drive-thru line at Hungry Jack’s, the Daily Mail reported. The incident from last September took place a day after Richardson had consumed “Pit Bull Super,” which combines Viagra with Cialis, and was suffering from an “extremely painful” result. “I wasn’t trying to flash myself at anyone,” Richardson said. “I just wanted to grab a feed and go home. (I) honestly didn’t think the workers would see me.” However, the towel he had placed over his lap didn’t conceal his situation, and the female worker said she was “reduced to tears.” Judge Austin told Richardson he should have gone to the hospital rather than to Hungry Jack’s, but she agreed that there was no sexual intent and let him off the hook.

man running with a small refrigerator strapped to his back, the BBC reported on Jan. 29. “One police officer wound down his window and said, ‘You understand we’ve got to stop you. Is that a fridge on your back?’” the runner said. As it turns out, Daniel Fairbrother wasn’t stealing the appliance but training for the London Marathon. Fairbrother told the officers he has named the fridge Tallulah after the bobsled in Cool Runnings.” He hopes to raise 10,000 pounds for Diabetes UK in honor of his friend Sam, who has Type 1 diabetes. A police spokesperson said they “wish Daniel all the best with training for the marathon.”

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Celia Barrett, 35, entered a gas station in St. Petersburg, Florida, on Jan. 28 wearing no clothing and wielding a vegetable peeler, with which she threatened to kill staff members, Fox35-TV reported. She told police she had consumed six shots of liquor before waving the peeler at workers and knocking over a display of Red Bull drinks. Deputies responded to the scene, and Barrett was taken into custody, where she remains.

Bright Ideas n In Stevenage, England, police recently detained a

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32 | FEBRUARY 15, 2024

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