MUSIC PICKS OCT 24 - 30 

• Patrick Sheehan

John Hiatt @ The State Room 10/24-25
John Hiatt belongs to the rare breed of singer/songwriters: an artist who's become part of the foundation of Americana. While Hiatt tends to tap tender feelings, he also brings warmth, wry humor and sweet sentimentality to his music, reflecting core values while also allowing for ample doses of wistful reflection. He is, in that regard, a musical storyteller in the tradition of John Prine, Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson. The nine-time Grammy nominee's songs—such as "Memphis in the Meantime," "Riding With the King," "Across the Borderline," "Have a Little Faith in Me," "Thing Called Love" and "Perfectly Good Guitar"—not only became his signature songs, but also found favor with other artists, including Bonnie Raitt, Eric Clapton, B.B. King, Delbert McClinton and Joe Cocker. And his classic albums—The Tiki Bar Is Open, Crossing Muddy Waters and Terms of My Surrender, among the many—have found Hiatt casting an occasionally gruff demeanor into the vast expanse of heartland happenstance. A true American original, he possesses a singular stature that's made him rightfully revered. To paraphrase the title of one of his seminal standards, have a little faith in the fact that the opportunity to catch him in an acoustic concert is one not to be missed. John Hiatt—with special guests Paul Jacobsen and Alicia Stockman—performs a 21+ show at The State Room at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 24 and Friday, Oct. 25. Tickets cost $78 - $107.75 at axs.com. (Lee Zimmerman)

• via @getfreaky

Get Freaky @ Utah State Fairpark 10/25-27
It's that time of year where the ghouls and all things spooky come out in Halloween rave outfits and dance the night away for an entire weekend. V2 Presents' annual Get Freaky festival is here, and it won't disappoint. With artists like dubstep legend Zomboy and house & bass favorite Corrupt (UK) on Friday, Slander's well-known melodic future bass, house and heaven trap and Kayzo's signature hardstyle on Saturday and Crankdat's bass-heavy set Sunday, each day will be packed with power and touches of dark, spooky fun. And, it's not all dubstep! Artists like Andy C (the king of drum and bass) and one of the OG house/techno producers, Will Clarke, are part of this year's Get Freaky. The SLC local Ranger sound car will be present at the Utah State Fairpark this time, and will be full of house sets, emphasizing local talent such as Cyntax, Lextacy, Obayashi and Scott Haslam b2b Cash Rose. V2 promises that this year, "We're going bigger, bolder, and freakier than ever under the big top this Halloween!" The lineup is truly stacked, with more than 50 artists across the weekend, so look into the full festival pass for Friday, Oct. 25 through Sunday, Oct. 27. Put your costume on and get tickets fast. Three-day General Admission costs $215. Friday costs $85, Saturday costs $80, and Sunday costs $75. For full event information and to purchase tickets, go to v2presents.com. (Arica Roberts)

• Freeman Promotions

GWAR @ The Depot, 10/26
Christopher Guest's Nigel Tufnel character in This is Spinal Tap coined and immortalized the concept of "going to 11" more than 40 years ago. But GWAR starts at 11, and goes from there. This Virginia-based collective of artists and creative types set out to create the most outrageous, over-the-top spectacle known to music—and they clearly decided the only way to achieve that goal was to devise a show that incorporated all elements in their most absolutely extreme, and then use that as merely a starting point. The music is roaring, unrelenting metal, but it's the visual element that sets this band apart. Musicians are clad in elaborate, garish monster costumes and armed with fearful weapons. Lots and lots (and lots) of liquid—fake blood or simulated ooze of another variety—will forcefully emanate from injured monsters. And the ruddy stream will soak those crowd members foolish (or calculating) enough to have positioned themselves up front. The GWAR ethos is more, faster, louder. More than perhaps any other contemporary concertgoing experience, a GWAR show is all about being there. The spectacle, the volume and the songs about death and hate are all so ludicrously outrageous as to be very, very funny. You have been warned. GWAR plays a very much 21+ show at The Depot on Saturday, Oct. 26 at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $45 at livenation.com. (Bill Kopp)

Halloween Records Gallery Stroll @ Fountain Records 10/26
The archiving of past media is a matter of cultural history rather than just commercial history, so perhaps there should be a public archive, public library or some sort of institute that takes charge of it. Enter: the Lost Media Archive. The Utah-based collective specializes in kitsch, music and film, offering antique items ranging from aesthetic to historical pieces. Founder BC Starrett has partnered with Adam Michael Terry of Fountain Records to create Utah's first ever Halloween Records Gallery Stroll. This free self-guided tour will showcase hard-to-find records with an All Hallow's Eve panache. Displayed in different categories—such as sound effects, library, spoken word, wacky children's vintage vinyl and prime collectibles—the offerings should provide a chill up one's spine. Some of the LPs lurking in the store will be JPM's rare rad garage bubblegum rock 'n' roller Maledictus Sound; Edgar Allan Poe's Nightmare (which has "The Pit and The Pendulum" on one side and "The Tell-Tale Heart" on the flip); It's Monster Surfing Time (which serves up awesome surf rock, of course); Monster Man Lon Chaney Jr's The Wolfman Speaks; and the really rare and special, Robbie the Werewolf (which should be on every Halloween playlist). Get there early, as there's a limited runtime on this truly horrific evening (psst, until 9 p.m.) Catch this event at Fountain Records (202 E. 500 South in Salt Lake City) on Saturday, Oct. 26. Show at 6 p.m. Admission for the-all ages record stroll is free. For more information, please check fountainrecordsslc.com or @fountainrecordsslc. (Mark Dago)

• Wyndham Garrett

La Luz @ The Urban Lounge 10/30
La Luz is bringing their sweetly psychedelic rock all the way from Seattle to Salt Lake City on Oct. 30, just in time to be utterly bewitched by their hauntingly marvelous melodies. This no-man band has long held hostage the new rise of garage psych with honest and unflinching lyrics, married to steady yet intricate musicality. After blasting onto the scene with their 2013 EP Damp Face, their 2024 release of News of the Universe 10 or so odd years later reminds die-hard fans of what marked their splashy debut in the first place: grounded grit and floating ecstasy disguised as song. Their newest album, while paying tribute to their roots as a small superstar act, also explodes forth as a mature, well-developed endeavor, indicating their growth as a band as the years have passed. With opening act Tele Novella joining La Luz for this show, this pre-Halloween event promises to be both frighteningly good and wickedly wonderful. The show is 21+ and tickets can be purchased at 24tix.com, starting at $22. Doors open at 7 p.m. (Sophie Caligiuri)