EVENT: Wednesday Rocks!
ARTIST: 12 Stones with the Hard Rockin' Johnsons
DATE: August 13, 2008
VENUE: Gallivan Plaza, Salt Lake City, UT
REVIEWER: Vicki Kinnaird

The revolution started with a whisper, exploded in a bang, and then was almost obliterated in the blink of an eye. But, on August 13, 2008, the fight of local, independent radio against the corporate beast continued when The Hard Rockin’ Johnsons and 12 Stones took the stage for the second of four free shows at the Gallivan Center in Salt Lake City. Hosted by the newly minted 97.5 The Blaze (the new frequency of the old 94.9 The Blaze), the show proved that the audience might be on that infamous highway to hell, but damned if they aren’t going to enjoy the trip. (Read more...)

Something strange happened on August 6, 2008 in Salt Lake City, Utah - and no, it wasn’t the free show for hundreds of rock fans. The humidity climbed above 30%! Suddenly, eyes were staring Eastward, praying that the mass of black storm clouds would stay over the mountains while rockers, families, and the occasional dancing dude descended on a park in downtown Salt Lake City.

Nestled between the towering windows of the Wells Fargo Building and the elegance of the Marriott Hotel, just a couple of blocks from the Mormon Temple, there is a small amphitheater that at one time served as the medal podium for the Olympic Games. Now, it is a beautiful skating park in the winter and a well used concert venue in the summer. For the month of August, 97.5, Utah’s local hard rock and metal station, has taken over Wednesday nights at the Gallivan Center and they’ve done so at no cost whatsoever to the fans. What? Free shows? You mean it’s going to be dinky local bands who have never played before an audience, right? Nope. (Read more...)

Tucked away off of State Street in downtown Salt Lake City, in the same district as the Scott Matheson Courthouse, the Department of Workforce Services, and the City/County Building, there is a small street that houses a tattoo parlor, a tea bar, and a Salt Lake icon: The Heavy Metal Shop. As a girl growing up in Salt Lake, I spent a lot of time listening to the music that shop sold, but I never actually visited the premises until I was an adult. Better late than never though – it’s now one of my favorite places. On those days when I’m downtown with a bit of time on my hands, I love to duck inside the small shop, chat music, giggle at Sydney the dog, and spend a few moments looking at CDs and merchandise. (Read more...)

A little bit ago, I attended a two-day rib pig-out-a-thon along the intersection of Damen, Lincoln and Irving Park: the Chicago Ribfest. Noted restaurants such as Calvin’s BBQ, The Fireplace Inn and Freddy’s of Chicago had tents set up selling their smoked delicacies. The Malt Shoppe and Coldstone Creamy sold ice cream to help beat that mid-spring heat. And my favorite, the Chicago Chocolate Company, was also there, with their mouth-watering chocolate fountain that looked good enough to swim in.

The entertainment consisted of two stages with 10 to 11 acts per day. Primarily, I was interested in the Bud Select Stage on Saturday, June 7, since several noted local bands were playing. Unfortunately, I missed the first two bands, Boho Paisley and Rafter, and arrived just as Company of Thieves was setting up their equipment. (Read more...)

[Ed: Posted as a courtesty to Salt Lake City's 94.9, The Blaze, who are contributors to this website in their own way, for providing so many great shows for which our own Shauna Brock brings us her great coverage and reviews. Local radio is some of the best radio out there - because it's honest radio. Support your LOCAL radio stations.]

I’ve heard it said that radio doesn’t matter anymore. I’ve heard the laments about how it’s dying. Maybe yes and maybe no. Maybe we’ve become complacent. Maybe there are too many options out there. There’s the internet and satellite and of course – who needs radio when you’ve got all the songs you could ever need all loaded onto your mp3 player. But radio is more than commercials and DJs. Radio stations, especially the local ones, support musicians. They are the ones bringing concerts to town and the support that is given to the bands of all sizes can help to drastically reduce costs to the bands and the fans. Radio stations promote community events and bring people together on a human level.

Radio does matter. (Read more...)

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