Buzz Blog

Hello to all you vote-casting, music-loving, venue-packing, heat-perpetuating, band-battling, gonna-crown-a-new-winner-tonight enthusiasts! --- If you didn't catch on from the opening line, tonight is the finals for Velour's bi-annual Battle Of The Bands! You can catch me, along with City Weekly music editor Kolbie Stonehocker, and a list of local celebs helping judge the final five bands and crown a new winner. The winter showcase featured Mimi Knowles as the grand prize winner, the summer edition has a ton of new talent. You should join us tonight and pack the place full. In lieu of a 337 Wall update, here's some random art from Downtown SLC.

Starting tomorrow, if you're up in Logan (or feel like making the drive), Kevin Smith, Jason Mewes and other members of the Smodcast family will be invading Death Ray Comics for theirone-year anniversary to do a meet-and-greet, followed by podcast recordings which will start at Noon and go throughout the day. This is a rarity, as Smith hardly ever comes to Utah, even for Sundance where he really made a name for himself. So if you wanna get your View Askew memorabilia signed this is your chance. And while you're up there, as a personal favor to me, please ask him “where the fuck is that great hockey movie you wrote and were supposed to film?”

On Wednesday, up in Ogden at Whitespace Contemporary, they'll be starting their first AWW Art Salon, partially sponsored by Ogden City Arts. This is basically an opportunity to get some arts and culture in the middle of your work week, featuring poetry by JulieAnn Carter-Winward and music from Brooke Mackintosh. Oh, and it's totally free, so go check it out!

On Thursday this week, 5 Monkeys becomes the next stop of the Girls With Mace comedy tour, featuring comedians Ariel Elias and Molly Ruben-Long from New Orleans, heading up the all-women lineup of standup performers. Local talent taking part in the show includes three of our favorite ladies we've interviewed before: Taylor Hunsaker, Melissa Merlot and Natashia Mower. Tickets are just $5 and it starts at 8 p.m. Go check it out, you know you want to!

On Friday, Wasatch Renaissance returns with another Hip Hop Roots SLC showcase, taking over the still inappropriately named Canyon Inn. This month will be a baby shower for co-founder Burnell Washburn and Angie Ornelas's newborn who could be arriving soon. You're going to get music from Washburn himself, Dumb Luck, Malev Da Shinobi, Only Sun, Lost Boy, Rhyme Progression, Travelers Music, Icy Blu, the Dine Krew and others to be named, all for the cheap price of $8.

Next Saturday, June 21, an event I can't talk much about (being a SLUG employee by day, for full disclosure), but if you're a skate fan you should check out the 15th annual Summer Of Death series at Crossroads Skate Park. Visit their website for more details.

Also on Saturday, the Salt Lake Comic Con are taking up a very charitable cause with Millie's Princess Foundation 5K Run/Walk. Basically all you gotta do is dress up like a princess or a superhero and do a 5K, or 3.1 miles for those who don't know. Registration is totally free, which you can do here, and by doing so, you get a ticket for Thursday's events at the Con this September. Go support a worthy cause in a cool way.

Most of the following week is concerts until we get to next Thursday, June 26. You're going to be reading a ton about this event over the next few days, when the Utah Arts Festival conquers both Library Square and Washing Square in downtown SLC. Tons of local and visiting artists, a bunch of local bands to see, the Fear No Film fest inside the library, and much more that would take more than a short paragraph to explain. Just trust us, go to this thing!

On Friday, June 27, Diabolical Records will be holding their monthly New Songs Showcase, featuring Lady Murasaki, Swinging Lights and Roots of Arcatta. This is essentially a chance to see three local bands put on new music that you haven't heard yet and probably won't be able to own for a while. I highly suggest you get out of the house and enjoy it as much as you can.

As for the blog... the next two weeks are going to be a fine mix of local music, art, radio, film podcasting and yoga. Yes, you read correctly, yoga! At least, that's the plan for now; as always, we'll see what happens.

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