As consumers, we’re entitled to be upset at the state of any business built around the different mediums of art. That said, we are also responsible for searching for its best iterations in the right places before dismissing “the way things are today.”
It’s no secret that a lot of major music festivals have started blurring into one another to the point where they don’t serve a distinct purpose on their own anymore. You can now watch headlining sets by Tyler, the Creator, Doechii, Hozier, Gracie Abrams or Doja Cat depending on when you’re free or where you are — great as they may be, it’s tough to not think of their presence across so many events as a cop-out geared solely toward high ticket sales.
The great thing about the United States, however, is that no matter where you live in its three-plus million square miles, music festivals are pretty much always within arm’s reach. At this point in time, some of the best concert series in the country are based on the fringes of “central” locations such as Los Angeles, Chicago, or New York.
The godly state of Utah is one such example; the sixth edition of Kilby Block Party has arguably been the best music festival of the year so far because it has a clear-cut identity. Set in Salt Lake City, the three and a half day gathering scored high on the test for multiple reasons this time around.
Aside from hosting the friendliest crowd of strangers (which might be more of a Utah thing), the festival was also organized in a manner so thoughtful that most attendees didn’t have to make too many sacrifices. The two main stages never had coinciding performances, while the same applied to the two smaller ones — put simply, there was one major and one rising act on at all times, but never two of the same. What’s more, the headlining show overlapped with no other set, allowing everyone to gather in one place toward the end of the evening.
A number of artists stood out over the performances that took place at the Utah State Fairpark from May 15–18. Built to Spill, Slowdive, Still Woozy, Weezer, Frost Children, Geese, Car Seat Headrest, and Rilo Kiley all followed through on the very high expectations that preceded them. Things also got a little bittersweet as Tennis played what might be their last-ever show in SLC before they go on hiatus, whereas Black Country, New Road proved that the group’s future remains radiant despite longtime singer Isaac Wood’s departure from the group in 2022.
Beach House, on the other hand, were a tad underwhelming, but that’s mainly because they’ve remained firm in their decision to dim the lights, stand still and just play their music like they’re in their bedrooms — despite that, the music still sounded great. In a similar spirit, New Order lacked the vigor of a main event. Funnily enough, the highlight of their set was when Brandon Flowers of The Killers made a cameo for “Bizarre Love Triangle” (an incredibly Utah experience for those visiting), adding some oomph to Bernard Sumner’s frail vocals.
However, three acts in particular deserve special mention.
Firstly, Devo soft-launched the festival on Thursday night with a knockout set that proved that age needn’t have any bearing on the quality of live music. Then, St. Vincent conquered Kilby Block Party in just one hour with a performance so badass that it’s safe to say she might be among the best live acts in the world at this moment — this is not an exaggeration. Finally, Suki Waterhouse played her role to perfection on the festival’s final evening, prompting those who were slowly shifting gears to weekday mode to catch one final wind of energy.
Kilby Block Party feels like the good old days of music festivals — easy movement and access with a unique lineup and genuine crowd. Of course, the locals will say the good old days of Kilby are behind us, which is only natural. For the rest of us, the live music circuit in Salt Lake City is where it’s at.
Kilby Block Party in Photographs
