Dave Matthews Band Postpones Utah Concert

August 25th, 2008 by david lay

According to the band’s official website:

“Dave Matthews Band is postponing tonight’s show at Raley Field in West Sacramento, CA and Wednesday’s show at USANA Amphitheatre in West Valley, UT. We apologize for any inconvenience and will announce more information on these two dates as soon as it becomes available.”

I imagine that the funeral services for LeRoi Moore are the reason for the postponement. Stay tuned for more information as it becomes available.The band’s final US show is scheduled for September 9th. I imagine we can look for the new date to fall shortly thereafter.

Stay tuned.

Posted in Utah Concerts, Music | No Comments

DMB Saxophonist Moore Dies

August 19th, 2008 by david lay

Dave Matthews Band saxophone player and founding member, LeRoi Moore, died this evening at age 46.

Moore was seriously injured in an ATV accident on June 30 outside Charlottesville, VA. He had a punctured lung and broken ribs but was released from the hospital after a short stint. Moore went back into the hospital last month due to prolonged complications that continued to arise.

Moore died in Los Angeles this afternoon, after taking a turn for the worse. It is uncertain at this point how Moore’s death will effect the remainder of DMB’s summer tour.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Moore’s children and family.

LeRoi Moore 1961-2008

Posted in Utah Concerts, Tribute, Music | 1 Comment

Thrillionaires - Utah’s Improv Theater

May 13th, 2008 by david lay

For two years running, The Thrillioniaires have been making up Broadway-style musicals and improvising other film and theater styles for Utah audiences. Using only suggestions from the crowd, The Thrillionaires are the perfect union of theater and improv and are happy to have found a home at the Covey Center for the Arts in Provo.

Previously, they have been privileged to perform with musician/actor Kirby Heyborne and British theater veteran Orlando Seale. They have shared the stage with noted and award-winning performers such as Jenny Frogley, William Joseph, Jericho Road, Alex Boye, Mindy Gledhill and George Dyer. Even LaVell Edwards, Stephen R. Covey, and Mayor Lewis Billings have been in attendance to enjoy The Thrillionaires‘ special brand of entertainment.

If you haven’t seen The Thrillionaires perform, you are missing one of the most unique experiences live theater has to offer. It might make you laugh, it might be heart-wrenching, or it might be both. But, whatever happens, it will definitely be an unforgettable experience! Don’t hesitate to reserve your tickets today.

Additionally, most Tuesday nights at 8:00 at Covey Arts Center offer Cheap Thrills: The Thrillionaires‘ experimental (but experienced) improv group. This is your chance to see our up-and-coming cast showcase their talent. Missing are the costumes, sets and other trappings of our full-scale Thrillionaires shows but there is an abundance of heart, talent and laughs. It’s a night of live, improvised contemporary theater at a special price.

For more information, visit CoveyCenter.org.

Posted in Utah Concerts, Yada Yada, Events | 2 Comments

Coldplay Announces Utah Concert

May 9th, 2008 by david lay

Coldplay has just announced their Viva La Vida North American Tour in support of the their new album of the same name, which is set to drop on June 17th. The forthcoming tour will kick off on June 29th in Philadelphia and close out here in Utah at Energy Solutions Arena on November 22nd. Ticket information for the Utah concert is available at Coldplay.com and they will go on sale June 14th at 10 am.

Viva La Vida, Coldplay’s upcoming album, will be released by Capitol Music on June 17th. The album is produced by Markus Dravs and Brian Eno and is the follow up to X&Y, which debuted at #1 in 32 countries and has sold more than 10,000,000 copies worldwide.

Coldplay is one of the most popular bands on the planet, and I’m sure tickets will sell fast for their concert in Utah, so don’t wait too long to pick yours up!

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Nine Inch Nails in Concert in Utah

May 7th, 2008 by david lay

Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails played an important role in bringing industrial music to the masses in the 90’s. Though often referred to as a “group” NIN is only officially made up of Reznor, the singer/instrumentalist/producer who is solely responsible for NIN’s direction in the same way that Dave Grohl is the Foo Fighters, despite other fairly regular band members.

In Reznor’s case, his innovative approach to industrial music helped open the ears of millions to the genre that was previously considered by many to be harsh or grating on the ears with its electronic beats and heavy distortion. He also resurrected the genre by adding a bit of a human touch and became a recognizable figure in the industry and offered fans someone to equate with the genre.

Nine Inch Nails will perform on September 3rd at the E Center along with Deerhunter. Tickets will be on sale Saturday, May 10 at Smith’s Tix Outlets and the E Center Box office. Ticket prices are $35 and $45.

Posted in Utah Concerts, Music | 1 Comment

Red Butte Gardens Concert Schedule Announced

May 6th, 2008 by david lay

I have said before that I think Red Butte Gardens amphitheater is my favorite venue for concerts in Utah. Its small size creates an intimate environment while its location (the middle of a botanical garden on the University of Utah campus) adds to its beauty.

Additionally, Red Butte Gardens has played host to some of the best musical acts to tour Utah, in my opinion. They tend to focus on slightly lesser known names in the alt. country, blues and jazz genres which fits in pretty well with the overall feel of the venue. Past shows at Red Butte include Indigo Girls, Ryan Adams, Son Volt, Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi, and Wynton Marsalis.

The amphitheater was renovated a bit this winter and the summer lineup was just released:

July 11	Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis
July 15	Jonny Lang with special guest Dusty Rhodes and the River Band
July 20	Emmylou Harris with special guest Jimmy Gaudreau & Moondi Klein
July 22	Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi - Soul Stew Revival with special guest Scrapomatic
July 30	Los Lonely Boys & Los Lobos – “The Brotherhood Tour”
August 10	Alejandro Escovedo & Greg Brown
August 18	Wilco
August 19	A Prairie Home Companion: The Rhubarb Tour with Garrison Keillor
August 20	KT Tunstall
August 26	Bonnie Raitt with special guest Richard Julian
September 3	Al Green
September 11	G. Love & Special Sauce with special guest the John Butler Trio

I don’t think this is quite as strong as the last couple of years, but there are definitely some gems in there - Wilco, Derek Trucks and Prairie Home Companion would all be fun.

If you get a chance to check out one of these shows at one of Utah’s most unique and fun venues, and let me know what you think.

Posted in Utah Concerts, Music, Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Danny Gans - Entertainer of the Year

May 4th, 2008 by david lay

If you have been to Las Vegas in the past five or six years, and are observant at all, you are probably familiar with Danny Gans. Danny Gans took over for Sigfried and Roy at The Mirage after Roy Horn was attacked by the white tiger in October of 2003.

Gans is billed at The Mirage as “The Man of Many Voices” due to his Vegas show in which he mixes his knack for comedy and music to create a hilarious act as a musical impressionist. However, Gans did not begin his career as a singer or an aspiring entertainer.

Gans was a high school and college baseball star, being drafted by the Royals after high school and by the White Sox after college at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where he became an All-American. He played for a while for the Durham Bulls and was even on screen as a third baseman during a brief scene in Kevin Costner’s 1988 film, Bull Durham.

A knee injury had ended Gans’ career as a baseball player, but like any true superstar, he picked himself up, dusted himself off, and started all over again. Gans began a 15 year tour throughout the U.S. working as an impressionist and motivational speaker . Soon he was one of the hottest and most sought-after performers in the corporate world, playing for thousands of people for McDonald’s and IBM and various other Fortune 500 company events. He began to catch the eye of fellow entertainers such as Bill Cosby and Natalie Cole, and soon he was a force to be reckoned with in the industry.

Danny Gans has been in Las Vegas now for 12 years and has headlined at The Mirage for nearly six of those. He has won numerous awards during his career and has certainly earned the status of “Entertainer of the Year”. Next time you are in Vegas, look for his billboards, and try to check out his show at The Mirage.

Additional Links:

Danny Gans at The Mirage.
Danny Gans Official Site.
Book Danny Gans as a Motivational Speaker.

Posted in Baseball, Tribute, Utah Concerts, Yada Yada, Sports, Movies, Events, Music | 1 Comment

Sheryl Crow In Concert

April 25th, 2008 by david lay

Sheryl Crow is coming to concert in Utah on August 25th at USANA Amphitheater

Sheryl Crow, a nine-time Grammy winner has announced her summer tour dates for 2008, and among them is a stop at Utah’s USANA Amphitheater. Sheryl’s Detours tour will be making a stop in Utah on August 25th.

Joining Crow for her tour are: Reggae act, Toots and the Maytals and British singer/songwriter James Blunt - both of whom were handpicked by Crow for this tour.

Crow’s sixth album, “Detours” was released last month and has risen to #2 on the Billboard 200. Crow says “Detours” is a highly personal album inspired by recent experiences in her life such as her battle with breast cancer, her newly adopted child, and her highly public break up with cyclist Lance Armstrong.

Tickets for Sheryl Crow, James Blunt, and Toots and the Maytals at Utah’s USANA Amphitheater will go on sale April 26th at 10 through SmithTix and the E Center box office.

Posted in Utah Concerts, Music | 1 Comment

Mötley Crüe Announces Crüe Fest 2008

April 16th, 2008 by david lay

The Summer’s Loudest Show on Earth - in Concert in Utah

Mötley Crüe will be performing at USANA Amphitheater on July 29th as part of their Crüe Fest 2008. Fans in 45 cities across the US will be treated to the Mötley Crüe’s unique brand of hard rock mayhem, and Utah will be among one of the stops they make this summer.

Vince Neil, Mick Mars, Nikki Sixx, and Tommy Lee are touring once again and have vowed to make Crüe Fest 2008 the “Loudest Show on Earth”.

Tickets for Crüe Fest 2009 at Utah’s USANA Amphitheater are available through SmithsTix, the E Center Box office and USANA-Amp.com and are on sale NOW!

Posted in Utah Concerts, Music | 2 Comments

STP Reunion Tour Includes Utah Concert

April 14th, 2008 by david lay

Stone Temple Pilots’ long awaited reunion concert tour is kicking off this summer and will include a stop at Utah’s E Center.

On June 11th, Stone Temple Pilots is set to appear in Utah for the first time in nearly 10 years as they embark on a massive 65 city reunion tour across the nation.

They are doing some very innovative things in this tour including a “Pick a Set” promotion that allows fans to pick the setlist for their shows.

This is going to be a massive tour and sure to be one of the summer’s most sought after concerts tickets. I loved Stone Temple Pilots back in “the day”, and I am glad to see them getting back out to the concert circuit and even gladder that they are bringing their reunion tour to Utah.

This information is brand new (not even on the E Center website yet), and no pre-sale or ticket information is set up yet, but keep a look out for tickets as I’m sure they’ll go fast!

Posted in Utah Concerts, Music | No Comments

John Mayer Coming to Utah

April 14th, 2008 by david lay

Blackberry Presents John Mayer Live in Concert

 

John Mayer has been added to this summer’s Utah concert slate, along with special guests,Colbie Caillat and Brett Dennen. The Trio will be bringing their mellow musical stylings to concert in Usana Amphitheater in West Valley, Utah on July 21st, 2008.

Tickets for this event will go on sale Saturday, April 19th at 10 AM through Smithstix.

Posted in Utah Concerts, Music | No Comments

James Taylor Brings Rhythm to Utah

April 8th, 2008 by david lay

When I was in high school, I made a list of five musical acts that I MUST see before I die. One of them was James Taylor. I have managed to miss out on seeing him in concert several times in the past, but that streak will (knock on wood)be ending on August 4th, 2008.

James Taylor and His Band of Legends will be performing a concert at Utah’s USANA Amphitheater this summer!

The uber-talented singer-songwriter will make a stop in West Valley City during his North American Tour in support of his upcoming fall release - a covers album inspired by the works of Chuck Berry, Big Mama Thornton, Junior Walker, and others, but there is no doubt that he will be serenading the crowd with some of his greatest hits as well.

Tickets for the event will go on sale this Saturday at 10am and will be available at all SmithsTix outlets and the E Center box office. Ticket prices range from $29 to $85.

Posted in Utah Concerts, Music | No Comments

Utah Concerts - The Summer So Far

April 7th, 2008 by david lay

Despite the weather, the summer is coming, and, though a full slate of summer concerts in Utah is not yet announced, there have been some fine acts booked that will help make this summer a fun one.

For starters, BB King is playing The Depot on April 15th, and Ben Folds will be gracing the stage at The Great Saltair on April 23rd. What a great way to carry us into the summer! Dave Matthews Band and Jack Johnson return in August (27th and 18th, respectively) to Usana Amphitheaterto close the summer out with a bang.

I’m sure there will be a ton of additional acts to fill in the gaps, but for now here is a list of Utah Concerts coming this summer.

BB King	April 15th	The Depot
The Pink Floyd Experience	April 17th	Dee Events Center
Apocalyptica	April 21st	In the Venue
Ben Folds	April 23rd	The Great Saltair
Dierks Bentley	April 26th	E Center
Celtic Woman	April 26-29	Kingsbury Hall
The Used	May 1st	The Great Saltair
Pennywise	May 6th	The Great Saltair
Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s	May 17th	Kilby Court
The Cure	May 23rd	E Center
Nightmare of You	May 25th	Solid Ground Cafe
The Kooks	May 28th	Avalon Theater
Charlie Daniels Band	May 30th	Usana Amphitheatre
White Rabbits	May 30th	Monk’s House of Jazz
Tiger Army	May 31st	In The Venue
Ladytron	June 2nd	In The Venue
Kanye West	June 9th	E Center
Mark Knopfler	June 25th	Abravanel Hall
Tim McGraw	June 27th	Usana Amphitheatre
Vans Warped Tour	June 28th	Utah State Fairgrounds
Crosby, Stills, and Nash	June 28th	Peppermill Concert Hall
311	June 30th	Usana Amphitheater
Cyndi Lauper	July 4th	Usana Amphitheatre
Journey	July 11th	Usana Amphitheatre
Aimee Mann	July 12th	Deer Valley Resort
Low	July 15th	In The Venue
The Police	July 19th	Usana Amphitheatre
Steve Miller Band	July 30th	Usana Amphitheatre
James Taylor	August 4th	Usana Amphitheatre
Jack Johnson	August 18th	Usana Amphitheatre
Poison	August 20th	Usana Amphitheatre
Dave Matthews Band	August 27th	Usana Amphitheatre

Posted in Utah Concerts, Music | 1 Comment

Stadium of Fire Sells Out in Minutes

April 7th, 2008 by david lay

Yours Truly Gets the Shaft…Again

Tickets went on sale for this summer’s Stadium of Fire last week and tickets were sold out in less than 20 minutes.

Of course, we all knew that this year’s concert combination of Miley Cyrus and Blue Man Group would surely be a phenomenal success when combined with everyone’s favorite celebrity speaker, Glenn Beck. But the magnitude of the situation was underestimated by many, myself included.

I’m sure many of the tickets are safely in the hands of ticket brokers who will sell them for 10 times their face value. This is pretty much par-for-the-course when it comes to Hannah Montana tickets, but it’s just as infuriating for those who really want to go, nevertheless. Now, I don’t count myself in that group, and in all honesty, I was buying them myself for their resell value, but I have a younger sister, who would have loved to go, as I’m sure thousands of other little girls would have, but they won’t be so fortunate, unless their daddies are dot com millionaires.

The same thing happened when I was trying to buy tickets to the Boston Red Sox/Colorado Rockies World Series last year - only, I was going to actually use the tickets then - no reselling. After an hour and a half in the ‘virtual waiting room’ at the Colorado Rockies’ website, I found out the tickets were all sold to ticket brokers and rich Denverites. It was very upsetting, to say the least.

But alas, this is the world we live in. For me, there will be many other opportunities to exploit others via eBay and Craig’s list for large amounts of money. Until then, the ticket brokers have won the battle, but I vow to fight on…

Posted in Utah Concerts, Music | 2 Comments

The Police Announce Concert in Utah

April 6th, 2008 by david lay

The Police to hold Utah concert along with Elvis Costello

Sting and the boys are bringing their act to Utah this summer along with the great one - Elvis Costello and the Imposters.

I doubt I’ll be able to make it to this one, but I’m sure plenty of tickets will get sold - it would be fun to see The Police, but Elvis Costello is the real reason I’d go to this one!

At any rate, tickets are on sale now for the concert at Utah’s USANA Amphitheater on July 19th. Go to any SmithsTix outlet or the E Center Box office to get your tickets.

Posted in Utah Concerts, Music | No Comments

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