City Weekly November 28, 2024

CITY WEEKLY salt lake

Making a Scene

Salt Lake City’s after-hours, underground and EDM artists are having a moment.

BY ARICA ROBERTS AND B.I. EMPEY

S AP

BOX

“Prayer Time,” Nov. 7 Private Eye

As I finished reading John Saltas’s “Prayer Time” piece, the word that kept haunting me was “compromise,” a term, I am afraid, that the American people and our leadership have long forgotten. As I step back and view the America I see today, it is an America I do not recognize any longer.

It breaks my heart. The America I remember was kids growing up riding our bikes everywhere, coming home when our mothers stepped to the doorstep, yelled our name for dinner and we came running

from two blocks away after playing “kick the can” all day long. We rode our bikes to the Rexall drug store with 15 cents and bought enough candy for the week.

The street I grew up on consisted of Joneses, Salazars, Calagorys and Rothsteins. And we all played together and were all friends together—memories that the bulk of your readers will not understand. A simpler and better America.

But that’s okay. Times change, but our values should not. What should never change in the political landscape is “compromise,” a word long forgotten in Washington and on down to the state level. I recall Tip O’Neill and Newt Gingrich criticizing each other for days on end, then going to lunch and making the deals that worked for much of the American people. Not everyone got what they wanted, but came out with a livable and decent deal, whatever it was. And America was the better for it.

I hope the American people look hard at the next four years and realize the con the

majority bought into. There will be pain, plenty to go around regardless of one’s political affiliation.

I hope in my lifetime I see our elected leaders sit down and work out compromises to benefit the people of this great nation. I have faith that our country is stronger than what one man can do to it in four years. We know what’s coming—we lived it once before. Clearly the American people have very short memories. Readers—please vote, because only each of you can make a difference. What kind of America do you want and expect? What kind of America do you want to leave your children and grandchildren? The decision is yours to make.

Prayer time, indeed.

CORY OLSEN

Sandy

Best of Utah 2024

I think your readers’ pick for Best Former Utahn is a terrible choice. John Stockton is a rabid MAGA promoter, an anti-vaxxer

and will probably be nominated as Secretary of Former Basketball Stars in the Trump cabinet.

Sorry, but John was a great player for the Jazz and I loved when he played. But I’m afraid he’s gone to the dark side. Spokane has John now. There must have been someone else to be Best Former Utahn.

PAT THOMPSON

Murray

Oligarchy Tips

1.) Drop Twitter(X)—if you must engage in the chatter, try Bluesky; 2.) Don’t use Amazon; 3.) Use it up, wear it out, make it do, do without.

DIANA LEE HIRSCHI

Salt Lake City

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

THE WATER COOLER

What side dish cannot be missing from your Thanksgiving spread?

Ben Wood

Candied yams! As a kid I never tried it because it seemed like gross old-people food. I was so wrong and now I’m making up for all the lost years.

Bryan Bale

I don’t always have a T-day dinner, but when I do, I always go for some stuffing and cranberry sauce. The best “side dish” I ever had with a T-day dinner was lasagna. No yams or mashed potatoes for me, please.

Scott Renshaw

It’s changed enough over the years that my realization is what’s on the table doesn’t matter, only who’s around it.

Wes Long

Brussels sprouts. The way my mother and sisters figured out how to prepare them is heavenly.

Eric Granato

Cornbread drizzled with honey.

Cody Winget

Stuffing and sweet potatoes.

Christa Zaro

Without a doubt, my family’s famous homemade cranberry sauce that also doubles as a spread to serve with brie and crackers.

BY KEITH BURNS

OPINION Temporary Commandments

During The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ semi-annual General Conference in October, the faith’s second-highest ranking leader, Dallin Oaks, introduced an intriguing new framework to members worldwide. He differentiated between “permanent commandments,” summarized as “the doctrine of Christ,” and “temporary commandments,” defined as “necessary for the needs of the Lord’s church ... in temporary circumstances, but to be set aside when the need has passed.” Oaks then provided examples of temporary commandments, including God’s 19thcentury directive for pioneer Saints to migrate westward.

While Oaks’ description of temporary commandments is well-reasoned and historically supported, LDS authorities have typically been reluctant to label commandments with this qualifier and have more often framed them as immutable and eternal. For example, the late Apostle M. Russell Ballard declared in 1999: “One thing is certain: the commandments have not changed. Let there be no mistake about that. Right is still right. Wrong is still wrong, no matter how cleverly cloaked in respectability or political correctness.”

His long-time colleague, Apostle L. Tom Perry, echoed this sentiment in a more recent 2013 sermon: “The world changes constantly and dramatically, but God, His commandments, and promised blessings do not change.”

Statements like these will have a familiar ring to Latterday Saints, especially the more orthodox who have generally been taught to see commandments as unchangeable.

Despite Oaks’ departure from more traditional rhetoric on commandments, his assessment of their temporary nature throughout LDS history is correct. For instance, the

church’s health code—known as the Word of Wisdom—was for decades only a suggestion, until 1919 when then-church President Heber J Grant made compliance with it mandatory for temple attendance. Similarly, birth control and oral sex were once condemned sexual practices, but are now considered perfectly acceptable within a marriage.

And perhaps the most prominent example of a temporary commandment is the church’s 126-year priesthood and temple ban placed on members of African descent, which the 1949 First Presidency articulated as “not a matter of the declaration of policy but of direct commandment from the Lord, on which is founded the doctrine of the church from the days of its organization.” Along with the ban, LDS leaders long prohibited interracial marriage, with justifications ranging from it being a perversion of marital purity and a pollution of blood lines to social/cultural incompatibility between spouses. However, under intense sociocultural, political and internal pressure, the church eventually lifted the ban in 1978 and gradually rolled back condemnations of interracial marriage (current Apostle Gerrit W. Gong is part of an interracial marriage today).

Considering that commandments and doctrines the LDS church once claimed to be eternal and unchanging have changed dramatically across time, why have most leaders devoted significant effort toward preserving a narrative that they do not change? One explanation is that LDS leaders may feel that they strengthen credibility and authority by insisting to members that commandments never change.

If they were completely candid about the fact that commandments can and do change (like Oaks was recently), nuanced or progressive members might more rigorously advocate for changes to current, controversial commandments pertaining to homosexuality, transgenderism and women’s roles, for example. Thus, by constructing an illusion of unchangeability, perhaps LDS leaders feel that they can better regulate a narrative that increases faithfulness and decreases dissent among members.

Such a narrative, however, is simply unsupported by the ever-expanding accessibility of church history and is, therefore, increasingly untenable. Instead of clinging to unsustainable claims of immutability, more LDS leaders

should follow Oaks’ example of conceding the temporary nature of commandments. A notable example of another leader who leaned into continuing revelation as a way to explain a monumental change in church history was Apostle Bruce McConkie, well-known for his stern, authoritarian mantle and his ardent anti-Black positions.

To his credit, however, shortly after the priesthood and temple ban was lifted in 1978, he reflected: “Forget everything that I have said, or what President Brigham Young or President George Q. Cannon or whomsoever has said in days past that is contrary to the present revelation. We spoke with a limited understanding and without the light and knowledge that now has come into the world.”

Although McConkie held to deep-seated racist theological positions (i.e., Black people being cursed and less valiant in a pre-mortal existence) until his death in 1985, this forthright admission underscores a powerful and liberating aspect of LDS theology—that its core teachings, especially those that are unjust, can and do change.

In line with McConkie’s words, the modern LDS church acknowledges the temporary nature of commandments that placed restrictions on Black members, and now condemn the racism by which they were founded. In the same vein, they would be well within their theological bounds to label current commandments that prohibit same-sex relationships, gender transitions and women’s ordinations as “temporary.” Borrowing Oaks’ recent language, the church’s teachings around sexuality and gender were perhaps “necessary for the needs of the Lord’s church or the faithful in temporary circumstances,” but they can be “set aside when the need has passed.”

That need has passed.

In today’s world of expanding social justice and inspiring movements toward inclusion and equality, it is time for the church to let go of homophobic, transphobic and patriarchal temporary commandments. Far from undercutting fundamental doctrinal models, this shift would be perfectly backed by the principle of continuing revelation and would beautifully align with the highest of LDS and Christian teachings—love, joy and equity. CW

Private Eye is off this week. Email comments@cityweekly.net

HITS & MISSES

BY KATHARINE

HIT: Wet Work

Even if you’re a climate-change denier, you still want clean water and air—and maybe even dirty water, if droughts were to get bad. The recent election put all of this in the crosshairs as progressives worry the second Trump agenda means more coalfired plants and worsening, drier weather in the West. That sounds bad for the over-used Colorado River. But wait, good sense may prevail. “Elections don’t add water to the river,” John Entsminger, Nevada’s lead Colorado River negotiator, told The Hill “The same problem we were facing on November 4, we’re facing today, and it’s the same problem we’ll be facing into the indefinite future.” Conservation plans have been moving since 1992, with a goal of continuing to provide water to the U.S. and Mexico. The president just released a list of alternatives, and while there are differences of approach, there’s no lack of will to keep the water flowing.

MISS: Work Force

Sometimes you have to wonder what kind of education legislators got. In an administration that’s all about the bottom line, the idea of “reallocating” funds sounds just peachy. Let’s talk about higher education, where young people are filled with lofty ideas and ideals while pursuing something for the future. Well, forget that. Utah has long focused on technical education, which does provide income and jobs. But lawmakers seem focused on speeding up undergraduate work to get those kids working hard. Sen. Karen Kwan, D-West Valley, warns of going too far. Higher education, she told the Deseret News on Nov. 21, offers critical opportunities for a person to explore new ideas and fields, particularly for first-generation college students. By shutting down student support groups, it doesn’t look like the Legislature wants critical thinking—or diversity—in its institutions.

HIT: Ballot Boxing

Remember the constant drum beat of election fraud from the 2020 election? The far-right Republican fearmongering is seeping into Utah even though the state’s elections system has long run smoothly. Lawmakers have opened bills to “address” latearriving mailed ballots. At least one county clerk would like everyone to use ballot dropboxes or vote in person. Of course, the far-right believes undocumented residents are voting, too. Most of the allegations are simply false, as a KSL investigation showed earlier this year. There was, however, one instance where a county clerk saw just how a certain lawmaker voted. Uh-oh, that’s totally illegal. The secret ballot is a cornerstone of democracy and has been since the 1800s. Even so, Rep. Stephanie Gricius, REagle Mountain, is sponsoring a bill to ensure voter privacy. It is good that lawmakers are also considering transparency as part of the law. CW

Choose the Left

Within a well-appointed conference room of the Salt Lake City Main Library, a meeting of minds and souls recently took place. As the clock neared 3 p.m. on Nov. 17, most of the nine in-person participants—all within the 20- to 30-something age range—had at last gathered and the proceedings could begin. “I figured everyone would be following ‘Mormon Standard Time,’” laughed contributing organizer Nathan McLaughlin.

With additional people tuning in online, the “pre-launch” meeting of Mormons with Hope for a Better World commenced with a prayer, a hymn and printed handouts of an 1875 manifesto from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on economic inequality and cooperation. As Mormon leftists, the group discussed the teachings of Jesus, the sermon of Mormon prophet King Benjamin and the theories of Karl Marx.

“Mormonism is actually revolutionary to its core,” McLaughlin told attendees, paraphrasing the scholar Susan Stryker. “It was always built to be antagonistic to the American colonial project and to carve out a literal Kingdom of God where everyone could be equals and care for each other. It was only through the compromises it made through time to sustain itself that it kind of lost that spirit.”

It is this spirit that Mormons with Hope for a Better World hopes to reignite among practicing and non-practicing Latter-day Saints. As a political organization, it aims to organize, advocate, realize material change and rebuild a Mormon leftist space across the world and far beyond the occasional public protest.

“Our religion has been co-opted by reactionary and fascist elements,” McLaughlin explained. “I am sick of fascists getting to define my faith.”

Reclaiming one’s faith and culture is hard, lonely work, and organizations like these hope to diminish isolation, lighten one another’s burdens and to provide a seedbed for programs that sustain local needs and move the community closer to their ideals of a “Zion people.”

Being a “pre-launch” gathering, the details for their official January 19 debut were discussed, as were the varied interests and capabilities of participants to meet the new group’s needs (press, outreach, event-planning, newsletters, etc.). A constitution and official nonprofit status are also in the works—much is being prepared in anticipation of their official start in the new year.

Judging from the reactions of those in attendance, the organization appears to be satisfying a long-neglected need. “I’ve been dying for something like this for years!” enthused Aaron Johnson. Ray Nielson, another participant, echoed the sentiment: “This is exactly what I’m looking for.”

Further details for Mormons with Hope for a Better World can be found at linktr.ee/mormonswithhope. CW

BIELE | @kathybiele BY WES LONG

A&E

Holiday Spirit

Ballet, symphony, theater, music, lights and more for your Christmas season enjoyment.

BY SCOTT RENSHAW scottr@cityweekly.net @scottrenshaw

Once the Thanksgiving dishes are cleared, even those who have resisted the “get in the holiday spirit as soon as Halloween ends” expectations are starting to feel ready to celebrate the season. If you’re a fan of the arts and special events, that usually means an almost overwhelming array of Christmas-themed options. This by-no-means-comprehensive list will at least allow you to start planning your December activities so you can fill your days with seasonal magic.

GLOW @ Gallivan Plaza: For the fifth season, Gallivan Plaza becomes home to a dazzling sculpture garden of immersive light installations. Created by Emily Nicolosi and In Theory Art Collective, the pieces are designed with viewer participation in mind, creating magical experiences. And, it’s free and open to the public. Now – March 1, 2025, 50 E. 200 South, thegallivancenter.com.

Hale Centre Theatre: A Christmas Carol: For 40 years now, Hale Centre Theatre has delighted audiences with its annual presentation of Charles Dickens’ beloved holiday classic about tight-fisted businessman Ebenezer Scrooge and a Christmas Eve filled with ghosts and important life lessons. This musical version offers a wonderful theatrical spectacle to accompany the always-relevant story, and tickets often sell out—so don’t wait and be a humbug. Nov. 29 – Dec. 28, Mountain America Performing Arts Center, 9900 S. Monroe St., Sandy, $27 - $75, hct.org.

Utah Symphony: Messiah Sing-In: One of the most enduring Salt Lake City holiday traditions invites audience members not just to listen to the amazing music of the Utah Symphony, but to become a part of it. The Thanksgiving weekend offers more than Black Friday craziness as the musicians and the artists of the Utah Symphony Chorus perform Handel’s 1741 oratorio inspired by the life of Jesus—and attendees are invited to sing along with the famed “Hallelujah” chorus in a celebration of joy and community. Saturday, Nov. 30 & Sunday, Dec. 1, 7:30 p.m., Abravanel Hall, 123 W. South Temple, $8 - $45, utahsymphony.org.

Star of Wonder: Concert Version: James Conlee’s original musical—built on traditional Christmas carols, and set both during and in the aftermath of the first World

War—has been a work in progress for several years now. As the production incorporates new elements, the show is being offered in 2024 as a “concert version” with a reduced production, but the same story and musical elements that audiences have come to adore. Nov. 30 – Dec. 4, 7:30 p.m. West Valley Performing Arts Center, 3333 S. Decker Lake Dr., West Valley City, $12.50, starofwonder.com.

Christmas with C.S. Lewis: For more than 30 years—since performing in a production of the C.S. Lewis biographical drama Shadowlands—actor David Payne has become closely associated with playing the celebrated Christian apologist and author of The Chronicles of Narnia, playing Lewis in more than a thousand productions. This show finds Lewis hosting American expatriates in England, as their host shares Yuletide stories and the tale of how Lewis’ friendship with J.R.R. Tolkien changed his views on religion forever. Sunday, Dec. 1, 2 p.m. & 6 p.m., Rose Wagner Center Jeanne Wagner Theater (138 W. 300 South), $60 - $80, arttix.org.

Ballet West: The Nutcracker: Few Utah holiday traditions can match the enthusiasm with which generations have passed down a love for the beloved ballet of Tchaikovsky’s music, set to the timeless choreography and production of William Christensen. This 80th annual incarnation of America’s first production of The Nutcrack-

er remains as delightful today as when it premiered in 1944, and there’s no reason for you not to join the party at Herr Drosselmeyer’s—unless, that is, you’re too slow on the trigger to grab a ticket. Dec. 6 – 28, J. Q. Lawson Capitol Theatre, 50 W. 200 South, $36 - $220, balletwest.org.

Mike Delamont: God is a Scottish Drag Queen Christmas Special: Canadian comedian Mike Delamont has already offered three full-length shows imagining the Almighty as a floral-power-suit-wearing Divine Feminine with a Scottish burr, skewering popular culture and the world around us. This most recent variation takes on a holiday theme, with targets like A Christmas Carol and the way Christmas has been celebrated through the years. Dec. 12 – 13, 7 p.m., Rose Wagner Center Jeanne Wagner Theater, 138 W. 300 South, $25 - $40, arttix.org.

Derek Hough: Dance for the Holidays: The Sandy, Utah native and Dancing With the Stars alum always attracts an audience when he comes back home for live performances, and that’s unlikely to change with this holiday-themed production. Hough leads a team of dancers in festive interpretations of carols, classic standards and modern pop hits. VIP meet-and-greet experiences are available. Dec. 18 – 19, 7:30 p.m., $50 - $799, Eccles Theater, 131 S. Main St., arttix.org. CW

ON ALL KIDS SKI/BOARD GEAR! Bring in your kids & gear to get set up for the new season

BEAU PEARSON

Gallivan Glow

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theESSENTIALS ENTERTAINMENT

Complete listings online at cityweekly.net

PICKS, NOV 28 -DEC 4, 2024

Irreplaceable: A Poem for the Great Salt Lake

While the landscape of Utah has often inspired artists with its beauty, there is also a component to artists being inspired by nature’s fragility. When the Great Salt Lake reached its historic low point in 2022, it became an immediate call to action. And it was also part of the inspiration for irreplaceable: a poem for the Great Salt Lake—a collaborative project overseen by poet nan seymour built on her community writing practice River Writing.

A newly-published volume collects the current incarnation of irreplaceable—which is expected to remain a work in progress—through more than 400 voices, including indigenous stakeholders, school children, birders, scientists and artists. An introduction by Terry Tempest Williams chronicles the 2022 gathering at the lake to read the lines composed by that point, and the ensuing verses include verse in praise of the natural world, in deep concern for the future of the lake’s ecosystem, and in recognition of the way the human inhabitants of the Salt Lake Valley are connected to its health and welfare.

Several events are being held in recognition of the print publication of irreplaceable in partnership with Utah Poet Laureate Lisa Bickmore. On Saturday, Nov. 30 at 10 a.m., a reading will take place at Salt Lake City Library Marmalade Branch (280 W. 500 North), in collaboration with artist Kellie Bornhoft’s illustration exhibition By a Thread. A Zoom gathering is scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 5 at 6 p.m., and an additional in-person event at the Eccles Art Gallery on the SLCC South City Campus (1575 S. State Street). To read the poem and for additional information, visit irreplaceablepraisepoem.org. (Scott Renshaw)

theESSENTIALS

Cirque Dreams: Holidaze

“Circus” takes on a different meaning than it might have been associated with for generations, full of animals and questionable husbandry practices. Today, the circus arts are a decidedly human endeavor, centering acrobatics, clowning, aerialists, balancing acts and the like. Nationally-touring companies and Las Vegas productions have recognized the appeal of transforming the presentation of these displays of skill into grand-scale theatrical productions—and if you want such a production designed to get you into the holiday spirit, you’ve come to the right place if you check out Cirque Dreams: Holidaze

The 100-minute, family-friendly production is a long-running seasonal presentation by Cirque Dreams, one that incorporates grand music, elaborate sets and theatrical lighting with live musical performance and, of course, all of those aforementioned circus arts. It’s all in the service of a holiday spectacle full of fanciful characters and storybook tales, offered up with a heavy sprinkling of Christmas cheer.

If you’ve ever wondered what it might be like to see reindeer engage in athletic jump-roping, or wanted a clown to lead an audience-participation bell choir, check out the show that St. Louis-based radio station KDHX called “an evening of magic and miracles.” Cirque Dreams’ production of Holidaze visits the J.Q. Lawson Capitol Theatre (50 W. 200 South) for performances on Saturday, Nov. 30 (3 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.) and Sunday, Dec. 1 (1 p.m.). Tickets are $28 - $99; visit arttix.org to purchase tickets and for additional event information. (SR)

Heather Gay: Good Time Girl

Becoming a reality TV star—like Heather Gay did on The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City—can certainly change your life. In her case, not only did it make her a celebrity, but it allowed for the publication of her first memoir, 2023’s Bad Mormon, in which she chronicled her conservative upbringing and the journey of departing her marriage and the faith in which she grew up. Now, she gets a chance to come clean on what has happened since then in her new book, Good Time Girl

This latest volume addresses not just some of the more adventurous pursuits of her pre-fame life, but much of the craziness that has happened in its wake, in a funny and provocative exploration of her life’s second act. That includes some of the awkward dates set up by her RHOSLC co-stars, and behind-the-scenes accounts of some of the show’s more infamous episodes. On her Instagram feed announcing the book’s release, Gay promised “Reciepts! Proof! Timeline! Screenshots!”—and when she talks about all this stuff in person, it’s sure to be a lively occasion.

Heather Gay comes to MILK+ (49 E. 900 South) on Monday, Dec. 2 at 6 p.m. for a 21+ event in honor of the release of Good Time Girl, sponsored by The King’s English Bookshop. The event is $35 for regular admission, which includes a signed hardcover copy of the book; $45 VIP tickets are also available with preferred seating and priority for personalized autographs. Visit kingsenglish.com to purchase tickets through Eventbrite, and for additional event information. (SR)

Thanksgiving Cinema

Moana 2, Maria and Sweethearts for your Turkey Day viewing

BY SCOTT RENSHAW scottr@cityweekly.net @scottrenshaw

Moana 2 BB 1/2

Sometimes, you just have to acknowledge that your main problem with a movie is really the principle of what it represents—in this case, a sequel that’s merely “the same, but more.” Here, Disney follows up its 2016 feature by sending Moana (Auli’i Cravalho) and the demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson) out on another seafaring quest, in this case lifting a curse on a sunken island in order to allow for a reunification of divided island peoples. It’s kind of a nice idea to center unity over division as an inherent good, but the filmmaking team here never seems interested in pursuing it beyond the abstract, focusing instead on set pieces and musical numbers. And in both cases, compared to the original, they’re just bigger without being any better; in particular, the new songwriting team of Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear feel like they’re trying to mimic the style of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Moana songs in a way that just draws attention to their shortcomings, including quite a few half-assed rhymes. Cravalho and Johnson remain engaging central figures, and there are a few fun visual ideas, like a giant blobfish-looking critter. The whole enterprise simply reeks of unnecessariness, regurgitating themes of brave striving. It’s a placefiller on a release calendar, something where you can pass the time without thinking too hard about how it’s less an act of creation than an act of re-creation. Available Nov. 27 in theaters. (PG)

Maria BBB

I’m not about to complain when a creative-artist biopic ditches the structural predictability that often hinders the genre; I will suggest that it’s possible to be more selective about what to install in its place. Director Pablo Larraín and screenwriter Steven Knight (who collaborated on the Princess Dianacentric Spencer) offer a profile of celebrated operatic soprano Maria Callas (Angelina Jolie) focusing on the

final week of her life in 1977 Paris, long retired from public performance but not ready to give up her craft entirely. Spencer employed a similar device of understanding a public figure through a relatively narrow window of time, and here it allows Jolie’s performance to capture how the persona of an imperious diva is used as a kind of emotional shield. That material alone—emphasizing Maria’s relationship with her two loyal house servants (Pierfrancesco Favino and Alba Rohrwacher), and her love-hate relationship with living up to her own legend—proves compelling enough, but the script also takes a detour into a hallucinated journalist (Kodi Smit-McPhee) as Maria processes her life. And there are occasional black-and-white flashbacks to pivotal moments, like being pimped out to Nazi soldiers by her mother as a youth in Greece, or her first meeting with Aristotle Onassis (Haluk Bilginer), which sometimes feel more distracting than insightful. The result is an oftenentertaining character study that feels like it misunderstands the idea of “opera” as meaning “there’s no such thing as too much.” Available Nov. 27 in theaters; Dec. 13 via Netflix. (R)

Sweethearts BB 1/2

It’s hardly unprecedented for a narrative to offer a secondary character whose sub-plot is more interesting than that of the ostensible protagonists, but it can still make for frustrating viewing when you spend much of the time waiting to get back to the good stuff. At its core, this is the tale of Jamie (Kiernan Shipka) and Ben (Nico Hiraga), platonic BFFs-since-middle-school struggling through their freshman year as college dormmates, who realize that what they need to shake them out of their doldrums is to break up with their respective hometown romantic partners during Thanksgiving break. What follows is mostly a “one crazy night” comedy premise, as Jamie and Ben’s plans are repeatedly thwarted, and the situations writers Jordan Weiss (who also directed) and Dan Brier concoct for them are rarely as laugh-out-loud funny or outrageous as they seem intended to be. Then, periodically, they’ll turn their attention to Palmer (Caleb Hearon), the third member of Jamie and Ben’s friend troika, who’s planning on using the holiday to come out as gay—and Hearon creates a character too endearing and complicated to exist in the “gay friend” shadows. Theoretically, those two largely-parallel stories both explore that messy post-high-school time of figuring out who you really are and what you want—but only one of them feels like more than a thin armature on which to hang a bunch of bawdy set pieces. Available Nov. 28 via Max. (R) CW

Attendees gather at the 2024 Das Energi

MAKING A SCENE

SALT LAKE CITY’S AFTER-HOURS, UNDERGROUND AND EDM ARTISTS ARE HAVING A MOMENT

BY ARICA ROBERTS AND B.I. EMPEY COMMENTS@CITYWEEKLY.NET

It’s the witching hour, and VI:BRA—Miel Franco Pérez, founder of ¡Dyked!—is dressed in a simple blue bandeau, sarong and long white wig as Princess Kida from the 2001 film Atlantis: The Lost Empire. As they perform a live DJ set at the late-night warehouse Plumhouse, just west of Salt Lake City’s downtown core, an 800-strong, packed-house crowd of sapphic, non-binary and trans attendees goes absolutely wild. It’s a bacchanal of alternative sexuality. The stage is an altar of marigolds and painted skulls in a salute to Día de los Muertos, flanked on both sides by writhing, glistening pole dancers. There’s an intentional sacredness that permeates the space too, a feeling engendered by Franco Pérez’s invitation to honor those who have passed on as well as to celebrate the authentic identities of their attendees.

As a queer, agender Mexican immigrant, Franco Pérez knows they and their community need a space to feel safe—to dance, to express and to connect as attendees and artists alike. Local, queer DJs play a variety of genres throughout the night and by highlighting femme, sapphic, trans and non-binary artists who may not be taken into consideration for other events, !Dyked! has become a premier platform for queer talent to directly connect with their community.

“I craved the ability to explore and navigate my queerness in a way that was approachable” Franco Pérez says. “You also add the context of being POC, which it’s like a whole other ballpark.”

As Franco Pérez’s set concludes, the courtyard is illuminated with fire dancers. They spin brightly lit batons alongside aerialists as a surging crowd circles in awe.

Lush drapes, curtains and pillows fill the outdoor space as patrons bundle together. They share the warmth of cacao and hot tea as the brisk autumn evening turns into night. Playfulness and dressup is celebrated, with body painting, makeup with face gems, tarot readings and some botanical flogging provided by local queer-led farming co-op Mobile Moon.

Franco Pérez briefly pauses when thinking about the central reason for their work at ¡Dyked!.

“I was craving representation in my field,” they tell City Weekly

The rise of alternative communities like those of Franco Pérez, alongside the ascent of contemporary electronic dance music (EDM) in the broader zeitgeist of the past two decades is undeniable. Today, richly interwoven contemporary EDM subcultures exist throughout the Intermountain West and North

America at large. In that landscape, Salt Lake City is emerging, somewhat surprisingly, as a driver of broader swaths of the EDM culture. And its outsized impact on North American dance music often manifests in unexpected ways.

Just look at the 360-degree sets of local promoters Mutiny Music Collective, which have quickly enjoyed viral exposure, as well as superstar DJ/producer Kaskade’s ongoing global influence and the struggles of more “underground” collectives and local artists emerging and establishing themselves. It’s clear that the EDM status quo in Salt Lake City is finding itself as a substantial cultural force.

A plethora of mainstream and underground promotions call Salt Lake home, from visible outfits like V2 or LNE Presents to homegrown affairs like Doof, IYKYK HiFi+, Ranger Sound Car, Social Disco

Festival at The Great Saltair.

Club, ETA45MINS, Nightfreq, Distorted Soulz, Jaguar Occult, New City Movement, FERVOR, SubCurrent Sound, Incorrekt, LFG! and Defiance. Local producers and DJs are rising, too—those like Fransis Derelle, Kollaba and Gaszia (formerly X&G), ZandZ, MALIXE, OBAŸASHI, Miss Maenad, Alex Unger and The DirtNap.

It’s a bit of a mouthful as the local culture bursts at the seams with talent.

As the night rolls on at Plumhouse, the entrance queue grows and wraps around the block. In an ironic twist, several groups of cisgender men are begging at the door to be let in, creating minor chaos and frustration for the security and for Franco Pérez. Media managers for the venue accidentally posted the event on social media, prompting regular after-hours attendees to show up, only to be denied entry based on their selfidentified gender.

The explosive growth of ¡Dyked! seems even more remarkable considering how rare sapphic spaces like lesbian nightclubs are and the historical violence against them. Accordingly, ¡Dyked! exists not to exclude cis men, but rather for lifting marginalized individuals to create a safe community where healing is possible.

“A big value is that I don’t want to gender police people,” Franco Pérez explained. “It’s not my intention to look at someone and be like, ‘Well, you’re a man.’ But I’m asking people that are coming into the space to know where they’re coming into.”

The event’s tagline is “Portal of Possibility,” and both the theme and the event itself are meant to address a lack of representation and safety in the underground electronic music scene. By creating a space for queerness to exist outside mainstream culture, traditional identities are exposed to the otherization and ostracization that marginalized

“We are not the counterculture. We are the culture.”

—BLAQ VOID co-founder Drue Olsen.

groups deal with at all times. The exclusion of some is not born out of animosity; rather, it seeks to build empathy between traditionally marginalized communities and mainstream culture.

“As we get bigger, we’re going to be needing different tactics and ways to just keep the container,” Franco Pérez notes. “To reiterate, it’s not even about the exclusion of men. But as marginalized individuals, we need a specific container to be able to heal.”

As their community grows, perhaps only one thing remains certain for Franco Pérez—whatever realities the portals they open might entail, they’ll probably be looking to hire a few new bouncers to help handle their growing crowd.

Into the VOID

At BLAQ VOID, the ethos embraces a raging, wholly inclusive, all-night party where attendees trust promoters to book forward-thinking electronic music acts under their playfully mysterious marketing strategy. The more dangerously exciting aspects of “the underground” can be felt not only in the space itself, but also in how they curate the events.

There’s a flier formula in which the artist’s nom de plume is spelled out in question marks, like a game of hangman, with a single letter and the artist’s top three labels revealed. That’s why there’s a sense of ominous wonder when entering a BLAQ VOID show, be it via secret tunnel or up massive concrete ramps in a multi-level garage with diabolically lit passageways and massive black banners displaying the promotions logo—alongside stylized skulls and Satanic nuns adorned with oral bondage balls.

While BLAQ VOID founders Drue Olsen, Brandon Gebo and Randy Jimenez are not overly attached to mainstream success, their events present an accessible gateway to the underground for attendees who may be more used to mainstream experiences.

“It’s very reminiscent of OG rave culture from back in the day,” Gebo explains to City Weekly. “You’d get a message and there wasn’t very much information, and I think that was what played into the allure of going to events like that.”

Officially 6 years old, BLAQ VOID seeks to remove the stigma of these events with a focus on building community. Their biweekly events generally sell out or reach capacity, and that matters for an organization that emphasizes a culture of giving back. It’s about building trust with the broader culture of Salt Lake City and removing the stigma of the electronic dance music scene.

So, how does BLAQ VOID see themselves and SLC’s underground? “We are not the counterculture,” Olsen proudly proclaims. “We are the culture.”

A Dark Horse

A gigantic temporary stage has been erected on a grassy field behind LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo, and as he performs, Ryan Raddon can’t help but stick his tongue out in glee.

Better known as the globetrotting superstar DJ Kaskade, Raddon is back in his college hometown for Brigham Young University’s homecoming game. As he performs, BYU’s beloved mascot Cosmo the Cougar crowdsurfs over thousands of fans jampacked in celebration.

It’s an unexpectedly rowdy party scene for the supposedly conservative epicenter for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. But it’s hard not to let loose a little when a top-shelf talent like Kaskade comes to town.

After all, Raddon’s many accolades and accomplishments include eight Grammy nominations in his ever-growing trophy case. There’s also his Kx5 collaboration with electronic music titan Deadmau5, the forward-thinking, brisk-speaking and notori-

NOIZU performs a 360-degree set at Boxpac Project for the Mutiny Music Collective.

VI:BRA (Miel Franco Pérez) DJs at a ¡Dyked! event at the after-hours venue Plumhouse.

The stage lights up at the Utah State Fairpark for Get Freaky 2024.

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Continued from page 18

“Salt Lake City is a dark horse. ... Nobody expects it to succeed with any type of counterculture, yet the whole world is fascinated with what’s brewing here.”—DJ Kaskade

ously fickle Canadian DJ/producer. One obvious benchmark of the success of that partnership: while Raddon performed as the first in-game DJ for the Super Bowl earlier this year, he played Kx5’s breakout “Escape” (feat. Hayla) to hundreds of millions of viewers during one of the broadcast’s early commercial outros.

But for all the splendor of his lifestyle and every spectacular show he’s been a part of, Salt Lake City still holds a special place in Raddon’s life.

“My ties to Salt Lake City, and Utah in general, will always be deep,” Raddon tells City Weekly over email. “That’s the place I first started dreaming of creating this life, and the place where I started stepping into it.”

Along with those sentiments, Kaskade has a series of upcoming Christmas shows scheduled at Kingsbury Hall featuring his unconventional mix of outstanding electronic dance music. It’s a manifestation of his ties to the state and his ongoing commitment to his foundational LDS religious beliefs.

“Salt Lake City is a dark horse,” Raddon says. “Nobody expects it to succeed with any type of counterculture, yet the whole world is fascinated with what’s brewing there. Many of the best musicians I’ve worked with are from Utah.”

Raddon says there’s an unfair snobbery directed at Salt Lake by other cities. But he adds that the underdog status presents an advantage to local promoters, who are “pulling off parties that scale to some of the best ones in the world.”

“I might get criticized for saying this, but hear me out,” he says. “SLC comes across as a sort of younger sibling to LA and possibly Denver. Without question, Salt Lake does have a heavy religious presence. I think it pushes people either to push back or find their way within, and pushing back is an act of rebellion, which isn’t to say that

is bad. That self-confidence that comes from questioning everything and coming to your own conclusions is crucial in growing up.”

Raddon said that Salt Lake City presents an environment where people are pushed to identify as either “this or that.” But that same dynamic also leads Utahns to say “no thanks” to preconceptions and, instead, to create their own organically grassroots landscape.

“The other cities in The West don’t have that same pressure,” he added, “which also prevents them from having that revolutionary energy.”

For its seemingly drab place on the outskirts of the American cultural tapestry, Salt Lake City can serve as a colorful backdrop for live music experiences: one example being Kanye West’s Sunday Service at the Gateway Plaza during LDS General Conference in October of 2019. And Raddon is right: in Salt Lake City, any response to the overarching dominant culture is strongly reciprocated. The result is an incredibly vibrant counterculture.

Maybe that’s what Raddon means when he talks about the revolutionary energy that pulses throughout SLC’s mainstream and underground dance music scenes.

Our Culture

It’s spooky season at the Utah Fairgrounds as the 20th annual edition of SLC-based promoter V2’s Get Freaky Halloween Festival kicks off, and co-founder Brandon Fullmer is in the holiday spirit. He’s dressed as a deviant droog from Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange as the first acts take the stage.

Fullmer’s personality isn’t nearly as extreme as Kubrick’s maladjusted Alex, of course. But V2’s reign as the preeminent large-scale electronic dance music event producer in the region is largely a result of Fullmer and business partner Jeremy Moreland’s

decades of work advocating to establish the electronic dance music scene in Salt Lake City.

Earlier that week, as Moreland joined Fullmer at The People’s Coffee for a conversation with City Weekly, the pair explained that in their earlier years, city authorities had issues with V2 that led to difficulties getting permits.

“They didn’t really like what we were doing,” Fullmer recalls. “They didn’t understand what we were trying to accomplish, so permitting was hard. They thought it was drug parties.”

There’s still a familiar friction between authorities and the V2 promoters, though. But that effort to legitimize their events is more than worth it to Moreland and Fullmer.

“We have permits,” Fullmer deadpans when pressed to elaborate on their ongoing relationship with regulators.

Moreland is straight to the point too. “This is our culture,” he says. “We’ve been doing this a very long time—well over 25 years for the both of us.”

Moreland says he was drawn to underground culture because it was so inviting as a place where one is accepted regardless of lifestyle.

“You are essentially a family,” he says. “We’re a big family that understands and loves this music, and the vibes and the energy that comes with it. To me, it changed my life.”

Nowadays, V2 is the preeminent electronic dance music event producer in Utah, and one of the leaders in the western United States in sheer volume of booking artists and crowd size. They throw several major annual festivals at the Great Saltair and Utah Fairgrounds, including their crown jewel Das Energi Festival, which regularly draws thousands of fans across three massive stages.

V2 has captured the attention of key industry heavyweights, including the likes of Pasquale Rotella, the head of all-encompassing brand Insomniac.

The main stage at the 2024 Das Energi Festival.

It’s standing room only at Get Freaky, by V2 Presents.

COURTESY PHOTO

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Dombresky performs a Boxpac Project set.

COURTESY PHOTO

Rotella notably attended Das Energi this year and later that night was spotted at after-hours venue Plumhouse. So how does V2 see Salt Lake City’s influence on the bigger scene in North America?

“It’s growing. It is on the map. And I’m not gonna say that we did it ourselves,” Fullmer readily admits. “These smaller production companies are extremely important to the culture.”

Fuller and Moreland are definitely supportive of smaller production companies and the underground scene in general. That commitment in action is mostly unseen: for example, V2 moved the date of its popular Get Funky Festival this past summer to accommodate revelers who wanted to attend regional Burning Man event Element 11.

In recent years, several key underground groups have decided to go completely off the map by migrating their events to the Jenkstar Ranch, Element 11 and Burning Man. That includes groups like CataLün Village, the SophistaPirates, Camp Cicadia, Lost Highway and Wasteland Caravan. In the hazy, oppressively hot desert dust, those groups are enjoying a newfound creative freedom that is unencumbered by the many obligations and risks that go along with throwing parties within the visibility of city limits.

“These other production companies are really good at helping feed the evolution of the culture,” Moreland says. “The biggest thing is realizing that we do support them, and we do understand the importance of what they’re doing.”

Although they respect all independent event promoters, according to the V2 founders, there’s one group that comes straight to mind as exemplary when considering the entire mainstream and underground Salt Lake City scenes.

“Mutiny—they’re doing a really great job at doing something different, doing something cool,” Moreland says.

“We’re a big family that understands and loves this music, and the vibes and the energy that comes with it. To me, it changed my life.”

—Jeremy Moreland.

Relentless Creativity

A warm autumn day falls over Salt Lake as Danny Krotz and Alex Prevatt meet City Weekly at 3 Cups in Holladay. It’s a contrast to their usual work environment: a pounding explosion of dance music from the most forward-thinking artists in the industry.

Along with lighting director Benjamin Vazquez, videographer Miles Chisolm and photographers Matthew Dippel and Sebastian Callahan, Krotz and Prevatt’s Mutiny Music Collective has landed prime slots on key outlets including DJ Mag and 1001Tracklists. Tens of millions of online impressions and buzz among industry professionals illustrate the impact of Mutiny’s work. It’s proven to be a recipe for success for Mutiny—both in their sellout crowds and their larger cultural impact outside the state.

Mutiny shows merge aspects of the underground (industrial aesthetics, unique settings, a wild, chaotic feeling of a show) with parts of the mainstream (a licensed bar, security and emergency personnel, a 1 a.m. standard ending time).

The events are often debuts of influential artists breaking into the market for the first time (like neowunderkind Knock2), or who explicitly list Boxpac as the first stop on a new tour (like French house music maestro Dombresky) or who reach out to the producers to book special one-offs due to the viral hype of the videos at their 360-degree Boxpac shows (like gangsta-house pioneer Dr. Fresch).

Mutiny’s creativity and innovation drives progress forward. It’s a counterexample to local artists or promoters who fail to grow or become better versions of themselves by failing to continue iterating.

Prevatt and Krotz just wrapped up the one-year anniversary of the Boxpac Project, hosted in a nondescript white industrial building that used to be a crate warehouse. It’s a massive, three-dimensional canvas to create their immersive, experiential electronic dance music and event productions.

“It’s in an industrial park, you have to cross the railroad tracks to get there. The train actively drives through,” Prevatt says. “It’s super raw. It feels like there should absolutely not be concerts happening.”

Beyond Boxpac, Prevatt and Krotz have stunned audiences with events at the Fear Factory and the Golden Nugget Casino in Wendover. Now, the pair are gearing up for their annual two-day New Year’s Eve extravaganza at The Complex. There’s also new ventures within Mutiny, such as their merch line with local artist Kuya Allen and potential expansion into artist and label management.

But what stands out is Prevatt and Krotz’s optimism and competence when interfacing with regulators and attendees alike. They also share a unique creative spirit, an unending work ethic and fidelity to their personal tastes while building their creative community. The result is a feedback loop from fans to promoters to talent that makes the experience exceptional for all involved. “Everything we do has to be a part of that relationship,” Krotz tells City Weekly

With that sort of ongoing relationship between their community, amongst their place in the richly developing tapestry of Salt Lake City’s electronic dance music scene, it seems a new frontier in EDM might be emerging. As Salt Lake City grows into a truly global city with its second Winter Olympics Games coming in 2034—and all of the accompanying business development—the burgeoning electronic dance music scene continues to evolve as the city’s popular growth shows no signs of slowing.

The underlying force propelling the culture forward, according to Mutiny? “It’s this relentless drive to keep creating,” Krotz says.

With so many creatives surrounding Salt Lake City’s various EDM scenes sharing a similar energy to Krotz and Prevatt’s, only time will tell to what heights the culture will rise. But it’s sure to be forward thinking, as always. CW

Brandon Fullmer (left) puts an arm around his V2 Presents co-founder, Jeremy Moreland (right).

Danny Krotz (front) and Alex Prevatt (right) of Mutiny Music Collective, pose with models for their new merchandise label.

Ryan Raddon, aka DJ Kaskade, says that Salt Lake City holds a special place in his heart.

COURTESY PHOTO COURTESY

MARK OWENS

Eye of the Stromboli

Marcato Kitchen redefines an Italian classic.

BY ALEX SPRINGER comments@cityweekly.net @captainspringer

It’s no secret that I’m a fan of the humble sandwich. It seems like no matter how many dishes I cross off my culinary bucket list, I always find myself craving the familiar flavors of a well-made Cubano or muffuletta. This affection for sandwiches has further informed my enthusiasm for meat-stuffed carbs of any variety—empanadas, samosas, pupusas, gyoza, you name it. So when I heard that the team at Marcato Kitchen was making sandwich-style stromboli inspired by some genre classics, I knew it was time to check this place out.

For starters, we need to define the geometry of a stromboli, especially when compared with its cugino, the calzone. Calzones, stromboli and pizza all start out the same way, with a flattened circle of dough adorned with a wide variety of toppings. Pizza stays flat before it goes in the oven; calzones get folded up like a taco and pinched at the edges. But a stromboli gets rolled like a lovely pizza burrito. Obviously, each of these variations is excellent, but the stromboli has great potential in the sandwich realm.

It’s a potential that Chef Kyle Williams, who co-owns Marcato Kitchen with Chefs Freddy Del Mar and Giovanni Nuvan, is excited about. I had a chance to sit down with Williams at Square Kitchen in the Granary District, which is where Marcato

currently does business. Williams is a longtime veteran of Utah’s food scene, but he first developed a taste for stromboli when working with Giuseppe Randazzo at Bon Appetit in the Vivint Solar offices. “It really got me thinking about pizza dough, especially the Neapolitan pizza dough,” Williams says.

Over the years, Williams has perfected his dough recipe, which is definitely one of the main draws of Marcato Kitchen. With a menu that includes some classic heavy-hitters like a Cubano ($13.50) and the affectionately named Little Shawty ($18) with short rib and house giardiniera, the stromboli dough has a huge job to do. These stromboli are designed to be handheld affairs, which means the dough needs to keep all these great fillings in line while diners dive in.

I tested the stromboli sandwich experiment with two menu classics: the Bodega ($13.99) and the Banh-Boli ($14.50). Neither of them slouch when it comes to sandwich fillings, which are displayed in all their savory glory when slicing the stromboli in half. Williams’ dough recipe is tailor-made for such big ‘bolis—thin enough to let the fillings shine, and with a crispy finish enhanced by toasted sesame seeds on top. Form, function and flavor are all on display thanks to this remarkable stuff.

The Bodega is inspired by the Mexican flavors of adobo and salsa macha, which are both extremely rich and vibrant. The protein here is ground beef mixed with some caramelized onions, and it’s accompanied by fermented cabbage and a melty blend of cheddar and American cheese. With such potentially volatile flavors on display, it would be easy for a combination of this caliber to get out of control, but that’s not the case; this is a primo example of balance. Yes, you’ve got some truly fearless flavors on display, but the richness is offset by the acid of

the cabbage and the creaminess of the cheese. Everything shows up on your tongue exactly when and how it should.

The Banh-Boli also followed suit, and anyone familiar with the singular flavor combo assembled on a Vietnamese banh mi knows that it’s a tricky one to pull off. One of my favorite things about this stromboli was the fact that the cilantro component gets blended into an acidic chimichurri, which is truly inspired. This creates the same herbaceous highlights without having to pick your way through the stems and leaves of cilantro sprigs that usually show up to the banh mi party. Of course, the star of this dish is the smoked brisket—a thick, tender slice of meat that truly stands out here.

Stromboli fans who want to stick to classic Italian flavors will want to check out an item called the Teacher ($13.99). This stromboli gets its sagacious name from Chef Randazzo, whose stromboli originally inspired Chef Williams. It’s got classic Italian meats like pepperoni, salami and mortadella, paired with some baby kale, roasted pepper aioli, mozzarella and provolone. Then there’s the Student, which pares things down a little bit—it only has pepperoni, pesto and the mozzarella/provolone duo. Regardless of what you’re craving in an artisan-baked stromboli, it’s safe to say that Marcato Kitchen is delivering something that you’ll like. Interested diners can always come visit them during business hours at Square Kitchen, but Chef Williams has been sending his little ‘boli babies all over town. We’ll be keeping a close eye on these culinary innovators; I’m sure we’ll be seeing great things from them on our local radar. CW

The Banh-Boli

73 West 7200 South, Midvale

2RowBrewing.com

On Tap: Piney Peaks “West Coast IPA”

Kiitos Brewing

608 W. 700 South, SLC KiitosBrewing.com

Now with a full bar license & draft beer cocktails!

On Tap: Gluten Free Peach Bellini Sour

avenuesproper.com

On Tap: Steamy Wonder Rye

Bewilder Brewing

445 S. 400 West, SLC BewilderBrewing.com

On Tap:  Festbier

Bohemian Brewery

94 E. Fort Union Blvd, Midvale BohemianBrewery.com

On Tap: Steam Lager, Oktoberfest Märzenbier

NEW: BrewSki German Pilsner, Munich Dunkel Bier

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: HARVEST - Wet Hop Amber

Craft by Proper

1053 E. 2100 So., SLC properbrewingco.com

On Tap: Steamy Wonder Rye Steam Ale

Desert Edge Brewery

273 Trolley Square, SLC DesertEdgeBrewery.com

On Tap:  Ay Curuba! Curuba Sour

Epic Brewing Co.

825 S. State, SLC EpicBrewing.com

On Tap: Chasing Ghosts IPA

Etta Place Cidery

700 W Main St, Torrey www.ettaplacecider.com

On Tap: Imperial Cider, RaspberryHibiscus Session Mead

Fisher Brewing Co.

320 W. 800 South, SLC FisherBeer.com

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

Grid City Beer Works

333 W. 2100 South, SLC GridCityBeerWorks.com

On Tap: Cask Nitro CO2

Helper Beer

159 N Main Street, Helper, UT  helperbeer.com

Hopkins Brewing Co.

1048 E. 2100 South, SLC HopkinsBrewingCompany.com

On Tap: Campfire Smoked Lager

Level Crossing Brewing Co.

2496 S. West Temple, South Salt Lake

LevelCrossingBrewing.com

On Tap: Vienna-Style Lager

Follow us on Instagram: @ levelcrossingbrewing

Level Crossing Brewing Co.,

POST

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

On Tap: Bat Country Blonde Ale

FREE yoga every other Saturday. 10:15am

Moab Brewing

686 S. Main, Moab TheMoabBrewery.com

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

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

On Tap: Cranberry Rosemary Hard Cider

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

Ogden Beer Company 358 Park Blvd, Ogden OgdenBeerCompany.com

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

Park City Brewing 1764 Uinta Way C1 ParkCityBrewing.com

On Tap: Galaxy Haxy Pale - 5.0%

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

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

On Tap: 302 Czech Pilsner

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

On Tap: Steamy Wonder Rye Steam Ale

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

On Tap: Blizzard Wizard Hazy Pale Ale

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

Red Rock Brewing 254 So. 200 West RedRockBrewing.com

On Tap: Gypsy Scratch

Red Rock Fashion Place 6227 So. State Redrockbrewing.com

On Tap: Munich Dunkel

Red Rock Kimball Junction 1640 Redstone Center Redrockbrewing.com

On Tap: Bamberg Rauch Bier

RoHa Brewing Project 30 Kensington Ave, SLC RoHaBrewing.com

On Tap: Focus Group Kolsch

Roosters Brewing Multiple Locations RoostersBrewingCo.com

On Tap: Roosters Ogtoberfest

SaltFire Brewing 2199 S. West Temple, South Salt Lake SaltFireBrewing.com

On Tap: Mt Naomi Cab Fran Pilsner Oenobeer

Salt Flats Brewing 2020 Industrial Circle, SLC SaltFlatsBeer.com

On Tap: Prickly Pear Kolsch

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

On Tap: Tin City Hubba Hubba 11% ABV

Second Summit Cider 4010 So. Main, Millcreek secondsummitcider.com On Tap: Spiced Peach

Shades Brewing 154 W. Utopia Ave, South Salt Lake ShadesBrewing.beer

On Tap: Fresh Hop IPA (with homegrown local hops)

Shades On State

366 S. State Street SLC Shadesonstate.com

On Tap: Hellion Blonde Ale; Black Cloud Lager

Silver Reef

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

Squatters Pub Brewery / Salt Lake Brewing Co. 147 W. Broadway, SLC saltlakebrewingco.com/ squatters

On Tap: Salt Lake Brewing Co. – Lambert’s Holiday Nut Brown Ale

Squatters and Wasatch Brewery

1763 So 300 West SLC UT 84115 Utahbeers.com

On Tap: 20 beers with 12 rotating small batch releases: Black Tea English Porter, Hazelnut Brown Ale, and more! Small Batch Series Release: Back Abbey Double Belgian Ale (available 11/22)

Strap Tank Brewery, Lehi 3661 Outlet Pkwy, Lehi, UT StrapTankBrewery.com On Tap: Lonesome Shadow (Schwarzbier); Fish Tank (Collaboration Munich Dunkle w/ Fisher Brewing)

Strap Tank Brewery, Springville 596 S 1750 W, Springville, UT StrapTankBrewery.com

On Tap: The Gambler (Mango Kolsch); Caught in the Rain (Pineapple Sour)

TF Brewing 936 S. 300 West, SLC TFBrewing.com On Tap: Strata Fresh Hop Pale Ale

Talisman Brewing

BEER NERD

Utah Pint

Day

2024

Because you deserve a pint of beer, in a special glass, over the Thanksgiving weekend.

BY MIKE RIEDEL comments@cityweekly.net @utahbeer

F

ounded in 2011, the Utah Brewers Guild (UBG) was created as a 501(c)6 nonprofit trade organization made up of craft breweries, associate members, and craft beer enthusiasts who promote and support a dynamic and growing craft beer industry in Utah. They may be more familiar to beer lovers from around the state for their popular collaboration beer festivals, where local breweries pair up to create unique brews just for that one day during Utah Craft Beer Week.

To create more engagement within the craft beer community, the UBG is looking to create multiple special events throughout the year, geared towards Utah’s beer lovers and those breweries that make them so very happy. One such event is Utah Pint Day. Well, it’s actually a whole weekend—the long holiday weekend of Nov. 29 – Dec. 1.

“This is our Second Annual Pint Day,” says Stephanie Biesecker, Executive Director of Utah Brewers Guild. “We started it last year, as an experiment to see how people would respond to it. We were delighted by its success.”

The idea of Pint Day was created to take advantage of the long Thanksgiving weekend that stretches from Black Friday through Sunday evening. “So we wanted to take advantage of Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and the nationally-recognized Small Brewery Sunday,” Biesecker continues. “We figured since everyone’s already out shopping, this would be a great way to get them to stop by, support their local brewery, and have a pint while maybe buying some brewery related gifts.”

To make the event a little more enticing, Biesecker and the Guild members decided that they would commission a special Pint Day glass for those looking to stop in to many of their favorite breweries.

“See some friends and while you’re at it pick up an exclusive glass that is different every year,” says Biesecker.

The UBG looked to local artists to create this year’s special Pint Day glass. “We really want to support a local artist each year, so this year we commissioned Chuck Barrett to do art for the glass, and he did a beautiful job with the 2024 theme,” Biesecker noted. “Last year’s theme was, ‘Welcome to Brewtiful, Utah’. This year,

it’s ‘Brewtiful Things Bloom Here.’”

Taking advantage of the new theme artist, Barrett combined two of Utah’s special botanicals, according to Biesecker: “The pint glass artwork features the Sego Lily, our native state flower, and the vines of wild hops that grow all over Utah.”

You may have noticed that there are many different business models that local breweries have adopted. Some are bars, others are restaurants and some breweries are even “strong beer only” pubs. To help the participating breweries, the Guild is letting their member breweries have a Pint Day that corresponds with their specific business needs.

“The participating breweries all do it their own way. That’s the fun part about it: They get to choose how they participate,” Biesecker adds. “Breweries can choose if they want to use the glassware as a promotional item, or maybe a raffle or, just give them away. Maybe some will want to sell them so that they can help boost their own income, and support themselves in that way.”

Biesecker goes on to note that it’s just a way to get people to go out and support their local brewery. So when people are out doing their Black Friday/Small Business Saturday/Small Brewery Sunday shopping, they’re not just buying themselves a pint of beer; they’re contributing to their community’s economy while fostering connections to those craft beer houses that made us all so proud to be Beer Nerds.

If you’d like to see if your favorite brewery or brewpub is participating, please visit the Utah Brewers Guild’s website at utahbrewersguild.org.

As always, cheers! CW

the BACK BURNER

BY ALEX SPRINGER | @captainspringer

Matteo Relocates

It’s been a busy year for Matteo (matteoslc.com). After its Liberty Park location established the Italian restaurant as a serious contender in Utah’s food scene, all that buzz has prompted a downtown relocation, at 77 W. 200 South, Ste. 100. These new 6,000 square foot digs will not only accommodate the restaurant’s growing audience, but it will place it near Capitol Theater. The Modena-inspired cuisine that Chef Matteo Sogne’s fans have come to adore will continue to be featured at this new location—as will Manuela Sogne’s famous housemade focaccia. The new location is currently open and accepting reservations.

7 Brew Opens Second Location

National drive-through coffee chain 7 Brew (7brew.com) recently opened its second Utah location in Millcreek at 877 E. 4500 South. As was the case at the ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the opening of its first location in Provo, 7 Brew presented Primary Children’s Hospital with a $2,000 donation. If you’re new to this national brand, it touts itself as having more than 20,000 different drink combinations, including everything from coffee to energy drinks to smoothies. Its 7 Fizz drinks include sparkling water that can be infused with a wide variety of flavors, which is sure to be a hit with the “dirty soda” crowd.

Spilled Milk Closes

The local dessert and cereal bar Spilled Milk recently announced a total closure of all five of its locations via Facebook. This local favorite made a name for itself with its nostalgic blend of classic breakfast cereals, ice cream and desserts, and it was a pretty substantial hit from the Wasatch Front down to St. George. Spilled Milk was a distinctly Utah eatery—and I say that with all the respect possible. Everyone has a soft spot in their hearts for a bowl of sugary breakfast cereal, and Spilled Milk helped us all proudly acknowledge that. Though the Facebook post didn’t provide any details about the closure, it did thank everyone for supporting the Spilled Milk journey.

Quote of the Week: “Pay attention. Don’t let life go by you. Fall in love with the back of your cereal box.” – Jerry Seinfeld

Witch Craft

Eyes of Eva bring gothic vibes to songwriting, videos and a theatrical sensibility.

BY EMILEE ATKINSON eatkinson@cityweekly.net @emileelovesvinyl

Sometimes it’s hard to find just the right fit. The moment you find that ideallysized piece of clothing or pair of shoes can be euphoric—and the same goes for finding a perfect fit for a band. It takes time to find people who click artistically, have the same vision and are willing to put in the required work to bring that vision to fruition.

Local rock band Eyes of Eva have found that ideal combination and it facilitates the creation of some truly exceptional music. Eyes of Eva started out like most other bands—with a couple friends and a dream. Guitarist Brandon Watson and bassist Dustin Ballew had worked together on other projects, but wanted to start something new where they could fully express their artistic desires.

“I always wanted to do a band that had a lot of imagery,” Watson said. “We wanted to throw some theatrics in.”

According to Ballew, it’s taken time to get things just right, but they love how the band is today, featuring drummer Damon Evans and vocalist Shawnii Secrest. “It’s taken a lot of incarnations, and I’m sure that it’s going to continue to evolve as time goes on, but we’ve definitely more or less landed the mark with this one,” he said.

Secrest became the linchpin, helping them to fully realize their goals as a band. “Shawnii has one of the best voices I’ve ever worked with, let alone heard,” Ballew said. “Shawnii has played a big part in finding our sound.”

They released their first single “Eva” in

MUSIC

2022, followed by their first album Temptation in March 2023. Eyes of Eva has an excellent rock/metal sound reminiscent of bands like Evanescence, Nightwish and Flyleaf, so if you’re missing the goth vibe, you’ll feel right at home with their music. To preview Temptation, the group released a music video for the title track, putting their visually stunning gothic vibes out for all to enjoy.

In October 2023, Eyes of Eva returned with their single “Drown With Me,” heavily inspired by the Salem Witch Trials—specifically, the last words of Sarah Good, one of the first women to be accused of witchcraft and executed in 1692. “I’m no more a witch than you are a wizard, and if you take away my life, God will give you blood to drink,” Good said all those years ago.

“Dustin actually was the one that came up with the idea of Sarah Good’s last words,” Secrest said. “We built off of that, and then it just became the whole story. And honestly, I think it’s become one of the coolest songs that I’ve ever written, had the pleasure of being a part of and doing. I love witchy stuff though too, so it’s definitely in my realm of stuff that I enjoy learning about. I’m a huge history buff,” she said.

The rest of the band share Secrest’s love of the witchy vibes, so “Drown With Me” came easily to them. The song is melodic and paints a beautiful yet heartwrenching picture of pain as Secrest sings about their interpretation of how Sarah Good spent her final moments. Accompanying the song is also a music video where the band was able to bring the theatrics in full force.

Although the idea for that particular song came from one of the members, songwriting for the group is usually a very collaborative effort.

“Nobody’s trying to play over one another.” Ballew said. “Nobody’s trying to show off any particular cool skills that they have. It’s just whatever is in service to whatever we’re playing at the time.”

Moving forward, the group hopes to incorporate more music videos into their work. “You have elements with the song in itself, but bringing the video, it brings the whole thing to life,” Secrest explained. “Then anybody can have their own experience just from watching it. It’s like its own mini movie.”

Since releasing “Drown With Me” in October 2023, listeners have been hungering for more from Eyes of Eva. Luckily, this

week their new single “Memento Mori” is out, and it’s a must-listen. It features those familiar somber, melodic, gothic vibes, but it also feels like the band is leveling up with this song.

“I think it’s the next level of Eyes of Eva,” Evans opined. “That’s where we’re going— a little bit deeper, darker of a sound, a little bit more complex and straight to the point.”

The production is top-notch, and while listening, you can hear the cohesiveness shared by all of the members of Eyes of Eva. It’s clear they’re passionate about the music, and that shines through here. Even the title, “Memento Mori,” meaning “remember you must die,” lends itself to the band’s goth/theatrical side.

“Momento Mori” will be streaming everywhere Friday, Nov. 29, the perfect postThanksgiving gift. There is more to come from the group, and they say it will continue to be high-level stuff like this new single.

“We’re constantly growing and coming up with amazing ideas that I never thought that we would write about,” Secrest reported. “We’re all goofballs and we do it for the love of it, love of music, and we want to inspire people with what we’re doing.” CW

TUESDAYS

WEDNESDAYS

BEST BAR IN UTAH!

GREAT FOOD

MUSIC PICK S

Leetham, Connor Cristi, Orange Soda @ Kilby Court 11/29

If there’s one thing you can count on from SLC pop artist Leetham, it’s quality, wellproduced tracks that you’ll want to listen to again and again. This is a perfect time to see Leetham live, especially if you want to use your well-earned money for something other than electronics on a Black Friday sale. Leetham is teaming up with fellow locals Connor Cristi and Orange Soda for a show that is not only going to be a blast, but is for a good cause, as all of the proceeds from this show will be going to the Utah Abortion Fund. It’s important now more than ever to help those who need access to abortions get the care they need. “It’s times like these where community and love matter most,” Leetham said on Instagram. Leetham will also be unveiling a new single at the show; meanwhile, Connor Cristi will be dazzling listeners with their addicting rap/pop tracks. This trio of local artists is a match made in heaven, with Orange Soda’s intriguing and ever-so-danceable electronic tracks. Come have a good time and support a worthy cause. Spend your Black Friday having fun on Friday, Nov. 29 at 7 p.m. Tickets for the all-ages show are $10 and can be found at 24tix.com. (Emilee Atkinson)

WEEKLY LINEUP

Leetham

AND 2 EACH 3 BUTTON KEY FOBS

MUSIC PICK S

Transmit @ The Great Saltair 11/30

Transmit is back! V2 Presents is bringing huge names like Duke Dumont and Green Velvet for a night of pure house and techno. The London-based DJ and producer, Duke Dumont (Adam George Dyment), became well known in 2013 with the single “Need U (100%),” and since has slowly risen to the top of the list of house producers. His debut album Duality was not released until 2020, which he explained to Billboard: “It gave me an opportunity to make an album and a body of music that has an emotional impact.” The emotive electronic flare of the album works well as he’s known for blending emotional ballads with UK rave cuts, showcased in the songs “Ocean Drive,” “The Power” and “Therapy.” It’s a fun contrast with Green Velvet (Curtis Alan Jones), a product of ’80s and ’90s Chicago house music. He’s best known for the 1992 single “Coffee Pot (It’s Time for the Percolator),” better known as “Percolator,” which was included on Rolling Stone’s “20 Best Chicago House Records.” Chicago is the birthplace of house music, so Green Velvet is definitely the real deal. The lineup also includes the Norwegian duo KREAM, D.C. native Andrew Bayer, the mysterious Nora Van Elken and local support from Parker Andriese. This 21+ is at The Great Saltair on Saturday, Nov. 30. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the event ends at 2 a.m. General admission costs $65 and charging lockers are available, starting at $39, at transmitslc.com. (Arica Roberts)

Green Velvet

Olivia

Olivia

Linda Ronstadt

Linda Ronstadt

Demons Night @ The International 12/3

Experimental music is a very specialist genre; it can be challenging to the point of academic listening. Fear not, though, because while SLC Demons melodic wizard David Payne (a.k.a. DJ Daioujou) pushes creative boundaries with his artistry, his musical eclecticism justifies each and every event he curates in the city. “Your perception of music is more than just your ears,” Payne told Slug Magazine. “You aren’t trying to capture what it sounds like, but you’re trying to capture what it feels like, which is a very different experience.” There are certain tools that just fit to produce the sound you’re after and there are near-mythical instruments and gear that evoke the life they’ve had and influence how one might play. SLC Demons (Josh Stippich a.k.a DJ Falchion B and Dave) have organized a monthly Tuesday night where their improvisational dark wave “Blade Runner-esque” analogue synths really do change in character, effect pedals crunch tones and supernatural string elements go into the mix—a big

ol’ bouillabaisse of sounds that test ambience and ideas, essential for the development of a creative culture. Many of us do not have the time to trawl through all the things they do not know; if you don’t know it exists, you need to be shown. Nevermind the Giant and Boo Ghost DJ open. Catch these acts on Tuesday, Dec 3 at 8:30 p.m. Tickets for the 21+ show are free and can be found at internationalbarslc.com. (Mark Dago)

Celtic Woman: White Symphony Tour @ Abravanel Hall 12/3

There’s something to be said about engaging an audience with a traditional tapestry that defies cultures, geographical boundaries or even an era gone by. That’s clearly borne out by the success of the internationallyrenowned ensemble known as Celtic Woman. They share the legacy of Ireland’s rich musical heritage while managing to present it in a way that’s vibrant and compelling. Over the course of a 16-year career, they’ve sold more than 10 million best-selling albums

MUSIC PICK S

and DVDs, and performed for audiences worldwide. The only all-female act to achieve multi-platinum status in classical and world music realms, they’ve been named Billboard’s Number One World Music Artist of the Year six times, while debuting at Number One on Billboard ’s World Album chart, achieved the Top Ten on the Billboard pop charts and Top Five on the video charts. That’s in addition to a Grammy nomination for Best World Music Album for their 2016 album Destiny. While the group’s membership may have shifted over the years, the four young women that currently represent Celtic Woman continue to entertain fans and followers with songs that are both classic and contemporary, accompanied by a troupe of dancers, bagpipers and a full band that excels with a variety of Celtic instrumentation, including bodhran, tin whistle, bouzouki and uilleann pipes. The Irish eyes of artists and audience alike are certain to smile when they expand the sound with a certain symphonic splendor. Celtic Woman White Symphony Tour comes to Abravanel Hall at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 3. Tickets cost $52 - $130. Go to saltlakecountyarts.org. (Lee Zimmerman)

Sixpence None the Richer @ The State Room, 12/4

This alt-rock band originally from New Braunfels, Texas is something of an outlier in the world of popular music. Fronted by singer Leigh Nash, Sixpence None the Richer has found its biggest successes—in the form of two of its most popular singles—by covering songs that were massive hits for other artists, as both “There She Goes” (originally by Liverpool Britpop band The La’s) and “Don’t Dream It’s Over” (by New Zealand’s Crowded House) were major hits for the group in the ‘90s and early ‘00s. An original song, “Kiss Me,” was in fact a bigger smash, climbing to the Top Ten in six countries. Sixpence None the Richer is also one of few bands to find success on both pop and Christian charts. The band took a three-year hiatus, but returned in 2007; since reforming, they’ve released two albums, including a Christmas album (The Dawn of Grace) and their most recent full-length to date, 2012’s country-flavored Lost in Transition. A new EP, Rosemary Hill, was released in October, and the group is currently on tour with all its original lineup, celebrating Sixpence None the Richer’s 25th anniversary as a band. Sixpence None the Richer plays the State Room Wednesday, Dec. 4 at 8 p.m.; Emily Hicks opens this 21+ show. Tickets cost $43 at axs.com. (Bill Kopp)

BEN PEARSON

Sixpence None

The Richer

free will ASTROLOGY

BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (March 21-April 19)

Renowned composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart had a sister nicknamed Nannerl. During their childhoods, she was as much a musical prodigy as he. They toured Europe doing performances together, playing harpsichord and piano. Some critics regarded her as the superior talent. But her parents ultimately decided it was unseemly for her, as a female, to continue her development as a genius. She was forcibly retired so she could learn housekeeping and prepare for marriage. Is there a part of your destiny, Aries, that resembles Nannerl’s? Has some of your brilliance been suppressed or denied? The coming months will be an excellent time to recover and revive it.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

Do you have any doppelgängers, Taurus? I bet you will meet one in the coming weeks. How about soul friends, alter egos or evil twins? If there’s no one like that in your life right now, they may arrive soon. And if you already know such people, I suspect your relationships will grow richer. Mirror magic and shadow vision are in the works! I’m guessing you will experience the best, most healing kind of double trouble. Substitutes and stand-ins will have useful offers and tempting alternatives. Parallel realities may come leaking through into your reality. Opportunities for symbiosis and synergy will be at an all-time high. Sounds like wild fun!

GEMINI (May 21-June 20)

Humans have been eating a wide range of oranges since ancient times. Among the most popular type in modern times is the navel orange. It’s large, seedless, sweet, juicy and easy to peel. But it didn’t exist until the 1820s, when a mutation on a single tree in Brazil spawned this new variety. Eventually, the navel became a revolutionary addition to the orange family. I foresee a metaphorically comparable development in your life during the coming months, Gemini. An odd tweak or interesting glitch could lead to a highly favorable expansion of possibilities. Be alert for it.

CANCER (June 21-July 22)

Cancerian, you are a finalist for our “Most Resourceful and Successful Survivor of the Year” trophy. And if you take a brief trip to hell in the next two weeks, you could assure your victory. But wait! Let me be more exact: “Hell” is an incorrect terminology; I just used it for shock effect. I would suggest that “hell” is an invention that mischaracterizes the true nature of the realm of mystery, shadows and fertile darkness. In reality, the nether regions can be quite entertaining and enriching if you cultivate righteous attitudes. And what are those attitudes? A frisky curiosity to learn truths you have been ignorant about; a brave resolve to unearth repressed feelings and hidden yearnings; and a drive to rouse spiritual epiphanies that aren’t available when you’re in the trance of everyday consciousness.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):

In my astrological opinion, you need and deserve big doses of fun, play, pleasure and love. Amusement and enchantment, too. As well as excitement, hilarity and delight. I trust you will schedule a series of encounters and adventures that provide you with a surplus of these necessary resources. Can you afford a new toy or two? Or a romantic getaway to a sanctuary of adoration? Or a smart gamble that will attract into your vicinity a stream of rosy luck? I suggest that you be audacious in seeking the sweet, rich feelings you require.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

December will be Home Enhancement Month for you Virgos. Get started immediately! I’ll offer tips for how to proceed and ask you to dream up your own ideas: 1. Phase out décor or accessories that no longer embody the style of who you have become; 2. Add new décor and accessories that will inspire outbreaks of domestic bliss; 3. Encourage everyone in your household to contribute creative ideas to generate mutual enhancement; 4. Do a blessing ritual that will raise

the spiritual vibes; 5. Invite your favorite people over and ask them to shower your abode with blessings.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

Libran songwriter and producer Kevin MacLeod has composed over 2,000 pieces of music—and given them away for free. That’s why his work is so widespread. It has been featured in thousands of films and millions of YouTube videos. His composition “Monkeys Spinning Monkeys” has been played on TikTok more than 31 billion times. (PS: He has plenty of money, in part because appreciative people give him free-will donations through his Patreon page.) I propose we make him your inspirational role model in the coming weeks and months, Libra. How could you parlay your generosity and gifts into huge benefits for yourself?

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

According to my grandmother, I have such a mellifluous voice I should have pursued a career as a newscaster or DJ. In eighth grade, my science teacher admired my work and urged me to become a biologist. When I attended Duke University, my religious studies professor advised me to follow his path. Over the years, others have offered opinions about who I should be. As much as I appreciated their suggestions, I always trusted one authority: my muses. In the coming weeks and months, Scorpio, you may, too, receive abundant advice about your best possible path. You may be pressured to live up to others’ expectations. But I encourage you to do as I have done. Trust your inner advisors.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

I invite you to get a head start on formulating your New Year’s resolutions. January 1 is a good time to instigate robust new approaches to living your life, but the coming weeks will be an even better time for you Sagittarians. To get yourself in the mood, imagine you have arrived at Day Zero, Year One. Simulate the feeling of being empty and open and fertile. Imagine that nothing binds you or inhibits you. Assume that the whole world is eager to know what you want. Act as if you have nothing to prove to anyone and everything to gain by being audacious and adventurous.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

There was a long period when many popular songs didn’t come to a distinct end. Instead, they faded out. The volume would gradually diminish as a catchy riff repeated over and over again. As you approach a natural climax to one of your cycles, Capricorn, I recommend that you borrow the fadeout as a metaphorical strategy. In my astrological opinion, it’s best not to finish abruptly. See if you can create a slow, artful ebb or a gradual, graceful dissolution.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

When he was young, Aquarian musician and sound engineer Norio Ohga wrote a critical letter to the electronics company now known as Sony. He complained in detail about the failings of their products. Instead of being defensive, executives at the company heeded Ohga’s suggestions for improvement. They even hired him as an employee and ultimately made him president of the company at age 40. He went on to have a stellar career as an innovator. In the spirit of the Sony executives, I recommend that you seek feedback and advice from potential helpers who are the caliber of Norio Ohga. The information you gather in the coming weeks could prove to be highly beneficial.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)

What would your paradise look and feel like? If you could remake the world to suit your precise needs for maximum freedom, well-being and inspiration, what changes would you instigate? Now is an excellent time to ponder these possibilities, Pisces. You have more ability than usual to shape and influence the environments where you hang out. And a good way to rouse this power is to imagine your ideal conditions. Be bold and vivid. Amuse yourself with extravagant and ebullient fantasies as you envision your perfect world.

DEVELOPER BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE

JetBlue Airways Corporation: Lead Developer Business Intelligence – Salt Lake City, UT. Responsible for creating compelling & action-oriented data visualizations & dashboards. Req’s bachelor’s or foreign equiv in Computer Engineering, Technology, or in closely related field followed by 5 years progressively responsible exp creating data visualizations & dashboards using Tableau or Spotfire OR master’s or foreign equiv in Computer Engineering, Technology or in closely related field & 1 year of exp. Will accept any suitable combination of education, training and/ or experience. 100% remote; may be performed anywhere in the US where JetBlue has legal presence. Up to 15% travel. SALARY: $123,552-$175,523/ yr. TO APPLY: Email resume to talentacquisitionsupport@ jetblue.com. Reference JB128. EOE/M/F/D/V.

PHOTOGRAPHERS WANTED

urban LIVING

The Gay Days

Many decades ago, there was a tiny little women’s bar located under a viaduct just about where The Gateway stands today. My friend Bucket and I were baby gays and really wanted to go to the bar but were terrified for a few reasons—mainly because we weren’t sure that our fake IDs would pass muster there.

We were hanging out at the old Sun Tavern, which used to be at the northwest corner of where the Delta Center now stands, because our IDs did pass muster there. “The Sun,” as we called it, was a great place to dance to disco, smoke on the patio and throw dollars at drag queens who performed there regularly. By the way, it was named— tongue in cheek—after the Sun Stone at the Nauvoo Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

When we did get the courage to go to “Perky’s” one night, we learned from a small love note on the door that the bar had “closed forever and [had] moved to Idaho. Thanks for your business!” Damn.

I’ve been out since the ‘70s and was the first out realtor in the Salt Lake Board of Realtors. I ran an ad in local papers of me sitting on my motorcycle that read “If you won’t ride with me I don’t want you as a client.”

People laughed and nowadays those bike riders have grown up like me and many of them own very expensive motorcycles and buy expensive homes!

I worked in gay bars and even owned one a few years back. It’s a hard business, but also a fun business. Back then, there were two main bars—Radio City at 147 S. State Street and the Sun Tavern.

The Sun was a famous place for out-of-town gays to hang and a showroom for traveling acts. Gloria Gaynor—famous for the song “I Will Survive”—danced us patrons into a fury by standing on a bench inside the bar one night, belting out her legendary trademark song, and comedian Paul Lynde of Hollywood Squares fame got blind drunk one night and got arrested when he left the bar and caused a scene outside. Drag queens performed regularly at both bars.

Then came The Rainbow Room (an expansion of the Sun), Sisters, Puss N’ Boots, the Paper Moon, Club Jam and a few others. The only ones left standing from those days are Tryangles and the Sun Trapp (formerly the Sun Tavern). Newer bars include Milk+, Why KiKi and Club Verse.

Sadly, the owners of Club Verse at 609 S. State Street have just announced they are permanently closing, because co-owner Riley Richter suffered a major cardiac episode and he and his husband Michael have moved to Colorado to get him the best possible care at the Aspen Valley Hospital Traumatic Brain Injury Clinic. We all send our love and prayers to Riley and Michael—two of the nicest guys you could ever meet. n

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

ACROSS

1. Lingerie buy, for short

5. MDX and RDX maker

10. Chest muscles, briefly

14. ___ Mills (bygone photography business)

15. Kidney-related

16. “Magnum P.I.” setting

17. A “Sesame Street” monster’s butt?

19. Cherry part

20. “... ___ the fields we go”

21. “Bill ___ Saves the World”

22. Samplers of sorts

24. Bagel cheese

26. Writer Fleming

27. U.K. city with a lot of bridge discards?

34. Actress Lively

37. Went too far, like a sentence

38. Teensy

39. Puerto Rican pop star Fonsi

40. He preceded Liz and Rishi

41. “Me as well”

42. Tool for rowing

43. Eldest Stark daughter on “Game of Thrones”

44. Watch covertly

45. Prescription taken while in restraints?

48. “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” announcer Wilson

49. In a bawdy way

53. With 60-Across, possibility with shoddy “Survivor” merchandise?

57. “Wahoo!” in Oaxaca

58. Singer Corinne Bailey ___

59. Not achromatic

60. See 53-Across

63. Ski resort near Park City

64. Actor Michael, subject of dueling impersonations in “The Trip”

65. Tennis tournament type

66. Dishevel, as hair

67. Not acquired, in some poems

68. “I, Claudius” emperor

DOWN

1. Hot mugful

2. Skin lotion ingredient sources

3. Language where “How’s it going?” is “Kei te pehea koe?”

4. Do a comic book job

5. Words before “kidding” or “serious”

6. Forfeit

7. Burmese leader of the 1950s

8. Whitewater ride

9. ___ Romeo (Italian car)

10. Mail-related

11. Corroded

12. “Believe” Grammy winner

13. Added amounts

18. Fireplace nook

23. Roadside marker

25. Puts in the form of a question

28. Fern leaf

29. Iran’s official language

30. Early supercomputer

31. Votes of opposition

32. Fish in a Pixar pic

33. Cookbook author Paula

34. Allied nations

35. Pacific island party

36. Groups of planes, collectively

40. Mid-2010s term of endearment

41. Blow out, as a volcano

43. Broadcast TV censor’s concern, once

44. Villainous look

46. Acting family of three generations

47. “Yeah, right!”

50. Arrange loosely

51. Bronny James, as of a recent

draft pick

52. Like some two-choice questions

53. “Careless Whisper” duo

54. “Shoresy” streamer, stateside

55. Tuskegee or Spelman, for short

56. Actor Morton who played King George in “Hamilton” (and whose son played “Young Sheldon”)

57. “That’s ___ concern to you!”

61. Newton’s tree?

62. Long time

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

NEWS of the WEIRD

Creme de la Weird

On Nov. 7, the South China Morning Post reported an uproar following a social media post depicting a small child urinating on a table full of food. The baby’s mother reportedly captured the moment on video when her child sprayed the breakfast table with urine, then proudly revealed that the family had continued to eat the food. The Beijing mom commented that they “rarely put disposable diapers on him ... We do not cover it because it is better not to interrupt the child while he is urinating.”

Recurring Theme

On Nov. 8, police in Los Angeles arrested a man who had apparently been living in the crawl space beneath a 92-year-old woman’s home, The New York Times reported. She had heard unusual noises from inside her house and assumed they were animals, but when family members heard knocking, they called the police. When officers arrived, the alleged squatter, Isaac Betancourt, 27, who was naked, would not come out from under the home. Betancourt had to be forced out with gas; he was released after his arrest for trespassing. The homeowner’s son-in-law, Ricardo Silva, said the entrances to the crawl space would be secured. “It’s probably not uncommon, you know,” Silva said, “in this day and age, people are looking for shelter.”

The Aristocrats

Auction house Reeman Dansie in Colchester, England, announced that a slice of wedding cake from the marriage of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip has been purchased for $2,831, United Press International reported. The little slice of history, part of a 500-pound cake served at the Nov. 20, 1947, wedding, had been given as a gift to Marion Polson, a housekeeper at Holyrood House in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was preserved in a box bearing the then-princess’s insignia and included a letter from the bride. No word on how it tasted.

Awesome!

Aaron Fowler, a surfer in Denmark, Western Australia, was riding the waves on Nov. 1 when he spotted an unusual bird, the Albany Advertiser reported. “There was this big bird in the water ... and it just stood up and waddled right over to us,” he said. The emperor penguin had swum thousands of kilometers from Antarctica and was malnourished; it was given into the care of the University of Western Australia’s School of Biological Sciences, where its rehabilitation is expected to last a few weeks. One expert there said the penguins are never observed north of the 60th parallel south. “It was kind of funny,” Fowler said, “like as he came out of the water, he went to do a tummy slide—like I guess he’s used to on the ice—and he just did a kind of face-plant in the sand ... and looked a bit shocked.”

Say What?

Semi-professional paranormal investigator Johnny Turnip of Abergavenny, Wales, has weighed in on the recent American election, the Abergavenny Chronicle reported on Nov. 11. “Trump isn’t the real enemy, leprechauns are!” he said. “They have been using world leaders and royalty as puppets and distractions from their own diabolical schemes for generations. I don’t think either Donald Trump or Kamala Harris were ever aware that they were being used by these corrupt, goldhungry, shamrock-obsessed, stove-pipe-wearing, alcoholic little pygmies.” Turnip went on: “Most people don’t think leprechauns are real, and neither did I until a wise man told me that I’d have a hard time finding a mermaid in this day and age because the leprechauns had systematically slaughtered most for them for their scales centuries ago.” Unsurprisingly, he had much more to say than we can include. Consider yourself warned.

Undignified Death

The Marion County (Indiana) Coroner recently identified a man who was found deceased on Nov. 11 as Derek Sink, age 39, People magazine reported. Sink was discovered inside of a tanning bed at a Planet Fitness location, where he had arrived on Friday, Nov. 8. Sink’s family said that they had not heard from him since Friday and reported him missing on Sunday; Sink, who had battled addiction, was wearing an ankle monitor, so his probation officer was able to see his last location. Sink’s mother, Karen Wetzel, said a syringe was found in the room with him, and she suspects he overdosed. She called her son “the kindest person” with “the softest heart.”

The Passing Parade

On Nov. 6, Mohammed Abdullah Alabilan, age 27, of Pennsylvania, received a lap dance inside the Reign nightclub in Clearwater, Florida, but then “refused to pay the $40 service fee,” The Smoking Gun reported. When Alabilan tried to leave the club, a deputy stepped in and charged him with misdemeanor theft. Alabilan was reportedly released from jail after paying ... a $40 bond. The judge also ordered him to stay away from the nightclub.

Least Competent Criminals

Four Californians were arrested for insurance fraud on Nov. 13 after an incident that took place in January, NBC News reported. Ruben Tamrazian, age 26; Ararat Chirkinian, age 39; Vahe Muradkhanyan, age 32; and Alfiya Zuckerman, age 39, had filed insurance claims on three Mercedes cars, complete with video evidence, which they said had been damaged by a bear. The Jan. 8 alleged attack had taken place while the cars were parked at Lake Arrowhead, northeast of Los Angeles.

“The investigation determined the bear was actually a person in a bear costume,” the insurance department said. The bear costume, paws and metal hand tools that simulate claws were found in the suspects’ home, officials said. Investigators said they had shown the video to a biologist from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, who “opined it was clearly a human in a bear suit.”

Animal Antics

Residents of Mablethorpe in Lincolnshire, England, reportedly seem conflicted about the badgers that are causing problems in their burg. The Daily Star reported on Nov. 13 that the burrowing animals have caused roads and sidewalks to collapse, which has resulted in construction projects and delays everywhere. But the local residents are reticent about eliminating the animals: “I don’t want anything untoward to happen to them, but I’m a believer that they’ve got to be controlled in certain areas,” said resident Des Barnett. Natural England has warned road workers that their construction projects must be complete by the end of November, when badger mating season begins, or be put off until July 2025.

Oops

Mattel is scrambling after releasing its new line of Wicked dolls in packaging that included a link not to the upcoming movie’s official page, but to a porn website, United Press International reported. “We deeply regret this unfortunate error,” the company said in a statement. It was unclear how many dolls carried the misprint, but the company said they were mostly sold in the United States. Mattel helpfully advises people who have purchased products with the misprint to dispose of the boxes.