MUSIC PICKS: DEC 16 - 22 

• Frank Hoensch

Luke Combs at Vivint Arena
We've been in this pandemic for a hard bit now, long enough that some folks like Luke Combs are still just now starting to promote 2019 albums on tour—in his case, his album What You See Is What You Get. In a review of the album, Rolling Stone noted that it's an apt example of his high-'90s country-rock influence, filled with his "well-crafted, down-the-center power balladry." It includes country tropes galore, like the opener "Beer Never Broke My Heart," and finding beauty in the mundane and the homely, like he does while looking over old family photos on "Refrigerator Door." Rolling Stone and others have also called him an up-and-coming country music Everyman, and the way he keeps his feet in the cheeky-but-wise '90s camp is interesting considering he's only 31, meaning he probably grew up with the music of artists like Brooks & Dunn and Alan Jackson filtering over the radio. Besides What You See Is What You Get, Combs also has a series of extended-release songs to play on the tour, ones released over the big void of 2020, titled What You See Ain't Always What You Get. He's also got a fresh single out, the meta "Doin' This," which finds him reflecting on how his life would be different but also the same without the stardom he's found since he burst onto the scene in 2015. See the ever-growing country legend when he stops at Vivint Arena on Thursday, Dec. 16. The show is all-ages, starts at 7 p.m. and tickets are $80 - $538.75 at lukecombs.com.

LANCO at The Depot
The band LANCO—short for Lancaster and Company—call themselves "honky-tonk hippies" on their latest release, the EP of the same name. And the designation fits well for the group of Nashvillers, who are rather new on the country music scene, having got their start after meeting producer Jay Joyce at a Keith Urban concert in 2015. When it comes to the music they've made since, they may very well be described as hippies, in the sense that even on earlier releases like 2018's Hallelujah Nights, they do a great job of fusing traditional country sentimentality and pop approachability, in a way that could almost be construed as indie-leaning, but it isn't quite. Their music is immediately approachable even to fans outside the country lexicon, whether it's that first album, full of hooks, or their latest EP. Full of feel-good jams built to appeal to many, the band's Honky-Tonky Hippie tour will be accompanied by the talents of Ross Ellis. The country soloist is a complimentary fit for the big, romantic pop country vibe of LANCO, though he leans more into the soul side of things, especially on his latest single "Home to Me." Both acts come to The Depot on Thursday, Dec. 16 at 7 p.m., and tickets to the all-ages show are $27.50 at depotslc.com.

• Kendal Walker

The Backseat Lovers at The Depot
Their most popular song may be called "Kilby Girl," but these homegrown indie rockers have long outgrown the scrappy venue—they just announced a U.K. and European tour, and for this SLC stop, they'll be coming to The Depot. The Backseat Lovers found their popularity very quickly and very recently after winning the Velour Battle of the Bands in the summer of 2018, which we mentioned last week in our piece on the legacy of the competition. The four-piece is the latest band to find fame after winning it, and for good reason—they've got charm in spades, from their earnest and romantic songwriting style to their upbeat and hooky melodies. "Kilby Girl," off of their 2019 album When We Were Friends, isn't the only winner by the band either. Frontman Josh Harmon shows his crooner chops on other songs too, like on the honeyed and dramatic "Pool House," or on "Watch Your Mouth," where both Harmon and the guitar parts exhibit a little more grit than usual as the story of a frustrated and shallow relationship unravels. The way that song then sinks back into gentler, soulful guitar ramblings is a perfect example for how the band juggles both positive and negative passions in general—and those efforts result is some catchy songs. The all-ages show is this Saturday, Dec. 18 at 7 p.m. Even The Depot can't contain these famous locals, though, so at press time find resale tickets for the sold-out show at depotslc.com.

Get It Write Holiday Ball at The Urban Lounge
Get your hip hop fix this Christmas season and head over to The Urban Lounge to do it. This Tuesday, Dec. 21, find a killer list of locals lined up under the banner of Get It Write Records, a local hip hop hub and label known for putting out work by big Northern Utah names in the rap scene like Zac Ivie, Ocelot, Dumb Luck, Earthworm, T-Mental, ChefboyZarDeE and Titan The Quiet Boi. While those artists won't be performing at the show, trust their proximity to the up-and-comers slated for this holiday affair, and watch them chase their own notoriety. The lineup includes AP, CeeLos, Big C, The Messenger, PJ The Giant and Christian Harris, plus other artists like Dblacc who's got a fresh single out in "When I was Down," an oscillating brag track that contrasts other 2021 tracks like the low-key, drama-filled "Gold100." CeeLos also has some singles worth drawing attention, following up a round of 2020 singles with this year's really good "Lil Goat," a collaboration with Uriel Lopez, who provided compelling beats that take the song to another level. The show starts at 7 p.m., is 21+ and tickets are $10 at theurbanloungeslc.com.

• Deanne Rose

Mark O'Connor at Eccles Center Theater
A man of many genres, Mark O'Connor doesn't stop on any one style—from country, bluegrass, jazz and classical, he's had experience playing it all on his violin and fiddles, after starting out as a youth learning flamenco music on classical guitar. It didn't take long for him to move onto becoming a prolific artist in his own right as a teen in the '70s, a career that would lead to collaborations with contemporaries like James Taylor, or Johnny Cash on the song "The Devil Comes Back to Georgia." It follows that such a disciple of all kinds of music would also turn to the challenge of Christmas music, and that's what he did in 2011, when he released An Appalachian Christmas. Though not of the region himself (he's a Washingtonian), O'Connor nods to Appalachia with an admirable quality of sound and ease of spirit, taking on songs such as "The Christmas Song," "O Christmas Tree" and "Carol of the Bells" while giving them all the keening, elegant treatment of his strings with accompanying vocals from various artists. Since that release, the album has been celebrated as a Christmas classic, and he tours on the album every year as a tradition—one that's being brought back this year to the Eccles Center in Park City. He'll be touring with an ensemble that includes his wife Maggie O'Connor on fiddle and vocals and his son Forrest O'Connor on mandolin, guitar and vocals. The show goes on Tuesday, Dec. 21 at 7:30 p.m., and tickets range from $39 - $125 at parkcityinstitute.org.