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Thursday, July 31, 2008

Plans for tonight: An unreasonable interview

- Ralph Nader submits to being taped in a live interview with KUER's Doug Fabrizio - as he probably tells us again why it wasn't his fault that George W. Bush became president - at 6 at the City Library auditorium, 210 E. 400 South, Salt Lake City. Free. Arrive by 5:45 to be seated. (If you've got an afternoon to kill, the overly apologetic documentary on Nader, "An Unreasonable Man," screens in the same room starting at 3:30 p.m.)

- The Yonder Mountain String Band performs their Colorado bluegrass-rock for this week's Twilight Concert Series entry, 7 at the Gallivan Center, 239 S. Main St., Salt Lake City. One-man-band Keller Williams opens the show. Free.

- Confederate Railroad plays its brand of country music at 8 at The Paladium, 615 N. 400 W., Salt Lake City. Tickets are $15, at Smithstix or at the door.

Labels: Tonight's schedule

What's hatching on Hatch's head?

So what's the deal with the splotch on Orrin Hatch's forehead?

Comedy Central's Indecision 2008 blog snapped a photo of the Utah Republican senator at Boston's Logan Airport (delivering a CD to Teddy Kennedy, perhaps?) and noticed his new facial deformity.

Is he returning home from a Mikhail Gorbachev look-a-like contest (which he lost to Larry Craig)? Is he trying to introduce bindis to the Mormon faith? Did he step on a rake deftly planted by Senate prankster Russ Feingold (D-WI)? Or is it none of the above?

Alas, the real explanation is more prosaic. The Tribune's D.C. intern Lindsay Hough reported Sunday that Hatch took a tumble while walking last week. Even so, he appeared on CNBC Tuesday to talk about union-busting legislation.

(HT: Glen Warchol, the Tribune's Salt Lake Crawler)

Labels: Orrin Hatch

Roadkill on the "Runway"? Nearly

If you're a regular viewer of Bravo's fashion-forward reality show "Project Runway," you know that when one contestant gets a lot of camera time to get biographical, that contestant is probably a goner.

So when Salt Lake City designer Keith Bryce, owner of the Filthy Gorgeous boutique, talked on Wednesday night's show about life in Utah - and uttered the words, "being gay in Salt Lake City is really difficult" - things weren't looking good for him on this week's challenge of making an evening dress inspired by a New York City street scene.

Later, when he told a competitor, "I'm not even close to being done," it was like hearing a cop in an action movie say he's two days from retirement. (Even worse, Bryce learned at the last minute that his model had dropped out of the competition.)

Sure enough, when Bryce's design (pictured at left) - suggested by a torn-up magazine he spotted on a New York sidewalk - hit the runway, it got trashed. "Like toilet paper caught in a windstorm" is how judge Michael Kors described it. Bryce was in the bottom 3 competitors facing elimination.

But, somehow, Bryce avoided host Heidi Klum's "Auf Wiedersehen," so he lives to sew another day. Instead, Emily - a 27-year-old designer from Sacramento, Calif. - was eliminated.

Labels: Keith Bryce, Reality show

Belly up to the bar... not so fast

My Tribune colleague Dawn House reports happy news for Utah residents who want to be treated like adults: The state's liquor control commissioners are recommending the end of Utah's byzantine system of private-club membership.

For those who have never tried to buy anything harder than apple juice in Utah, private clubs are sort of a legalized speakeasy system in which patrons had to pay a fee - either an annual membership, or short-term stays - just to get into a bar that served hard liquor.

On Wednesday, the Utah Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission voted 4-1 to direct staff members to write legislation, to be submitted at January's session of the Utah Legislature, that would essentially turn private clubs into public bars. The board also voted to do away with the "Zion Curtain," the ridiculous requirement of partitions between the bar and the restaurant sections of an establishment.

The legislation has the support of Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., who says Utah's complicated and confusing liquor laws are hurting tourism.

But don't get your hopes up yet, imbibers of Utah. Opponents of the change, including representatives of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, are pushing an alternative: A "welcome card," so tourists could pay a one-time membership fee to get into any private club for two weeks. Utah residents, apparently too immature to be trusted with this onerous responsibility without going on immediate drinking binges, would be denied this service.

MADD has a powerful ally in House Speaker Greg Curtis (pictured), who said he leans toward the "welcome card" proposal. Quoting the Tribune story:

Curtis, a Sandy Republican, expressed concern about any change to liquor laws, saying he is fearful that if membership requirements are abolished, imbibers, especially young drinkers, will barhop "buying three drinks here, there and everywhere." "Those same drinkers could also get behind the wheel, causing more drunk-driving accidents."

Having tourists go bar-hopping and smashing up their rental cars, though, is OK with Curtis. So is trusting out-of-staters over his own neighbors.

Labels: alcohol laws

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Plans for tonight: Space Cowboy lands

- The Steve Miller Band (at left) speaks on the pompatus of love at 7:30 at Usana Amphitheatre, 5400 S. 6200 West, West Valley City. Ticket range from $27 to $53, at SmithsTix.

- Los Lonely Boys and Los Lobos tag-team at 7 at Red Butte Garden, 500 Wakara Way, Salt Lake City. Tickets were $49, but they're sold out - so it's whatever the scalpers will charge.

- The Faint, with dance-punk beats from Omaha, play at 8 at In the Venue, 219 S. 600 West, Salt Lake City. Tickets are $17.50 to $20, at SmithsTix and 24Tix.

Labels: Tonight's schedule

Dance or diet?

Marie Osmond's ubiquitous TV ads for NutriSystem are getting on the nerves of New York Post pop-culture blogger Jarett Wieselman:

Every time I turn on the television - and that's a lot - I am confronted with a Marie Osmond fronted ad for Nutrisystem. "I lost 40 pounds!" Marie shouts, except there's one problem: Does she think we've forgotten her tenure on "Dancing with the Stars"?

Wieselman points out that the dance workouts the "Dancing with the Stars" performers did could burn a lot of calories, which may account for Osmond's weight loss as much as her diet plan.

Labels: Osmond

The kid stays in the picture - barely

Melanie Denos learned a lesson in how TV works - and how being pretty isn't always enough - outside EnergySolutions Arena on Tuesday morning.

Denos (at left), a 17-year-old from Bluffdale, Utah, was among the 4,000-plus people who auditioned for "American Idol" - and she seemed to have guaranteed herself at least a second or two of TV time before the auditions even started.

When Fox producers were setting up a crowd scene, during which hundreds of screaming auditioners cheer for the camera, Denos was in a prime position: Standing on the corner of the bottom stair outside the arena, the tip of the wedge of humanity being captured by the jib-mounted camera swooping overhead (pictured at right).

After a few preliminary passes, TV esthetics came crashing down. A production assistant moved Denos from the front spot, and two other young women were moved in front of her. Now the corner position (as the picture at top shows) was held by a taller, leggier blonde - 16-year-old Lauren Sater of Sacramento, Calif. - wearing a short skirt and high heels. When the Salt Lake City auditions air on "Idol" next winter, it will be Sater, not Denos, who will be the first smiling auditioner America sees.

That's showbiz.

(Crowd photos by Al Hartmann/The Salt Lake Tribune; Denos photo taken by me.)

Labels: American Idol, Reality show

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Plans for tonight: Go Wildcats!

- "High School Musical," the touring stage version of the Disney Channel hit, opens a weeklong run at 7:30 at the Capitol Theatre, 50 W. 200 South, Salt Lake City. Tickets range from $27.50 to $62.50, available at ArtTix.

- Motley Crue headlines "Crue Fest" - with opening acts Sixx AM, Trapt and Papa Roach, at 5 p.m. at Usana Amphitheatre, 5400 S. 6200 West, West Valley City. Tickets are $37.50 to $103, at SmithsTix.

- James McMurtry (left) brings his rootsy rock - and his band, The Heartless Bastards - to play at 9 at Bar Deluxe, 668 S. State St., Salt Lake City. Tickets range from $15 to $18, at SmithsTix.

("High School Musical" photo courtesy The Walt Disney Company; McMurtry photo by Craig Seth)

Labels: Tonight's schedule

Best ticket in town

My Tribune colleague Paul Wetzel calls the Utah Museum of Fine Arts' current exhibit, "From Monet to Picasso" the best entertainment deal in town.

I heartily agree. In the print edition of the Culture Vulture column today, I chronicle my family's trip to the UMFA show - and how my perspective for fine art shifts when I see it through my children's eyes.

(Pictured: Vincent van Gogh (Dutch, 1853–1890), "The Poplars at Saint-Rémy (Les peupliers sur la Colline)," 1889. Oil on fabric; 61.6 x 45.7 cm. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Bequest of Leonard C. Hanna Jr. 1958.32. Copyright: The Cleveland Museum of Art.)

Labels: UMFA

"American Idol": Faces in the crowd

"Bread and circuses, man," a photographer friend said as we circled EnergySolutions Arena this morning, watching the estimated 4,000-to-6,000 people auditioning for "American Idol." (Read my colleague Vince Horiuchi's story on the madness.)

But everybody has a reason to think they are America's next singing sensation. Here are a few of them:

Name: Arianna Rowley
Age: 20
Hometown: Salt Lake City, Utah
Why she's here: "I've been performing ever since I was a little girl."
Audition song: "Fame" by Irene Cara

Name: Andrew Nadon
Age: 27
Hometown: Salt Lake City, Utah
Why he's here: "I've never had the chance to audition, and this is the last year I can try it."
Audition song: "Summertime" by George Gershwin

Name: Taylor Lawrence
Age: 17
Hometown: Salt Lake City, Utah
Why she's here: "I've wanted it for a very long time, and it's my time to shine."
Audition song: "Take Me or Leave Me" by Idina Menzel, from "Rent"

Name: Janet Eicher
Age: 25
Hometown: Kirkland, Wash.
Why she's here: "I've been singing since I was six. Now is my time. All my students [third-graders at Bennett Elementary] told their parents I was quitting teaching."
Audition song: "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" by Stevie Wonder

Name: Liu Vakapuna
Age: 23
Hometown: Salt Lake City, Utah
Why he's here: "Polynesian's the new thing. You don't see too many Polynesians singing professionally." (Actually, Liu was too cool to speak. His buddy, who did not give his name, spoke for him.)
Audition song: "Ordinary People" by John Legend

Name: Juliet Christensen
Age: 27
Hometown: West Valley City, Utah
Why she's here: "Just for fun. Maybe I'll get on TV." (By the way, she's due to give birth to her second child on Sept. 29.)
Audition song: "Unchained Melody" by the Righteous Brothers

Name: Mikayla Dewar (left)
Age: 20
Hometown: Nampa, Idaho
Why she's here: "I've been wanting to be a singer since I was a year old. I want to be the next American Idol."
Audition song: "Fighter" by Christina Aguilera

Name: Carna Peach (right)
Age: 24
Hometown: Orem, Utah
Why she's here: "I want to be the next American Idol. I'm the whole package. Do you want my autograph?"
Audition song: "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" by Marvin Gaye

Name: Katie Clark
Age: 28
Hometown: Magna, Utah
Why she's here: "I had a lot of friends and family tell me, 'You've got to do this.' "
Audition song: "Independence Day" by Martina McBride

Name: Melanie Denos
Age: 17
Hometown: Bluffdale, Utah
Why she's here: "I just wanted to try out, to see what I could do."
Audition song: "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)" by Betty Everett (later covered by Cher)

Name: Emily Peach
Age: 21
Hometown: Tucson, Ariz.
Why she's here: "I want to see if my dream should remain a dream. You can't win the lottery unless you buy a ticket."
Audition song: "Amazing Grace"

Name: Lauren Sater (right, with her mom, Sue)
Age: 16
Hometown: Sacramento, Calif.
Why she's here: "I want to be the next American Idol. It's always been my dream, since I was 11, to be on the show."
Audition song: "Always Be My Home" by Rachel Lampa

Name: B.J. Oldroyd
Age: 24
Hometown: Lindon, Utah
Why he's here: "I've been singing most of my life. A bunch of my friends in a choir I'm in [Latter-Day Celebration Choir] decided to come out. I love to sing."
Audition song: "Everything" by Michael Buble

Name: Katelyn Gallagher
Age: 19
Hometown: Pleasant Grove, Utah
Why she's here: "I've been singing or performing or entertaining since I was little. I absolutely love it."
Audition song: "I'm a Woman" from "Smokey Joe's Cafe" (a hit for Peggy Lee in 1963, and used as a jingle for Enjoli perfume in the 1970s)

Name: Mikalene Ipson
Age: 25
Hometown: St. George, Utah
Why she's here: "I've been singing for a long time, professionally since I was 13. ... I have been waiting to audition forever, and my little girl's potty-trained now."
Audition song: "Let's Hear It for the Boy" by Deniece Williams, from "Footloose"

Name: Kristen Back (holding a poster of her 6-month-old daughter Alexa)
Age: 21
Hometown: Nephi, Utah
Why she's here: "I've always wanted to do it, but it's just never been a convenient spot for me."
Audition song: "God-Fearing Woman" by Martina McBride

Name: Desirae Bronson
Age: 25
Hometown: Emmett, Idaho
Why she's here: "It was just a really good opportunity."
Audition song: "You Don't Know Me," a song covered by Patti Page, Elvis Presley, Ray Charles and countless others

Name: Cory Ferdinand
Age: 24
Hometown: Murray, Utah
Why she's here: "I thought it would be fun."
Audition song: Not sure, possibly something from "Aladdin"

Name: Brenden Heywood (left)
Age: 19
Hometown: Payson, Utah
Why he's here: "I think I have a lot of talent, a lot more talent than a lot of people. My coworkers [at Starbucks] took my shifts and made me come up to audition."
Audition song: Either "Swing Life Away" by Rise Against or "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" by Queen

Name: Shari Short (right), who made friends with Heywood in line
Age: 23
Hometown: Bonners Ferry, Idaho, recently relocated to Redondo Beach, Calif. (She's a singer-songwriter, with her own website.)
Why she's here: "It's a great opportunity. You just have to try it once in your life."
Audition song: "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" by Celine Dion

Name: Fehi Latu (left, with his wife Lani)
Age: 24
Hometown: Salt Lake City, Utah
Why he's here: "My wife and a lot of my family members said I should do this." (Lani: "It's been a dream of his.")
Audition song: "Sharing the Night Together" by Fiji, a Polynesian singer (covering a Dr. Hook song)

Name: Meredith Silver (left)
Age: 16
Hometown: Chicago
Why she's here: "This was my chance, this is my year. Maybe America will love me."
Audition song: "Mercy" by Duffy

Name: Ryan Silver (right), Meredith's brother
Age: 19
Hometown: Chicago
Why he's here: "It's just an awesome opportunity. It was one of the auditions that worked with my schedule."
Audition song: "Your Smiling Face" by James Taylor

Name: Andy Hulka
Age: 18
Hometown: Cottonwood Heights, Utah
Why he's here: "I just heard about it on Sunday, and I thought it would be awesome. Maybe I can get interviewed by the newspaper."
Audition song: "Proud to Be an American" by Lee Greenwood

Name: Amanda Arbon (left)
Age: 17
Hometown: Logan, Utah
Why she's here: "I've been waiting, like, ever to be old enough - and it's finally in Salt Lake."
Audition song: "At Last" by Etta James

Name: Dyson Morgan
Age: 16
Hometown: Garland, Utah
Why he's here: "She [Amanda, his cousin] was going to do it. My mom talked me into doing it."
Audition song: "I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz

Name: Christi Cox
Age: 22
Hometown: Boise, Idaho (originally from Texas)
Why she's here: "It's an awesome opportunity. It's something I want to do, and [my mom] sees it in me."
Audition song: "Walking After Midnight" by Patsy Cline

Name: Morgan Lolar, the absolutely last person in line
Age: 17
Hometown: Chandler, Ariz., relocated six months ago to Wetumpka, Ala.
Why she's here: "I've been singing since I was 10, and last year I had cheer camp so I couldn't audition ... and I hate Alabama."
Audition song: "Broken Wing" by Martina McBride

Labels: American Idol, Reality show

Monday, July 28, 2008

Plans for tonight: 'West' to Deer Valley

- Singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams, Grammy winner for her album "Car Wheels on a Gravel Road" and currently touring to support "West," plays at 7 at Deer Valley. Buick 6 is the opening act. Gates open at 5:30. Tickets are $31 for the lawn, $56 for reserved seats, and available through the Eccles Center.

- Chicago rockers Kill Hannah, named for the singer's ex-girlfriend (so no hard feelings, then), plays at 6:30 at Club Sound, 579 W. 200 South, Salt Lake City. The Medic Droid, InnerParty System and The White Tie Affair are also on the bill. Tickets are $15, at SmithsTix and KTix.

- The filmed-in-Utah comedy "Adventures of Power," a hit at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, will screen at dusk (around 9) at the Gallivan Center, 239 S. Main St., Salt Lake City. The short "The Loss of a Wrestling Match," with director Jed Cowley (a BYU alum) there in person, will precede the feature. Get there early for the pre-show entertainment: An air-drumming contest. Part of the Sundance Institute's Outdoor Film Festival. Free.

Labels: Tonight's schedule

Miley + Archie = ???

Being America's most famous 15-year-old girl doesn't mean you're not still a 15-year-old girl.

Hollywood gossip columnist Janet Charlton reports on her website that singer Miley Cyrus "has a schoolgirl crush" on David Archuleta - and has asked Utah's own "American Idol" finalist to make a cameo in the upcoming "Hannah Montana" movie.

This reminds me of those arranged marriages between underage royals back in the Dark Ages - a strategic alliance beween two mighty empires of teeny-bopper domination. Will an invasion of the Kingdom of "High School Musical" follow?

Labels: David Archuleta

Step 1: Quit the cigarettes

Actress Katherine Heigl was raised as a Mormon, and now she says she eventually wants to return to the faith.

In an interview with Britain's Daily Mail, the 29-year-old star of "Grey's Anatomy," "Knocked Up" and "27 Dresses" - whose family converted to the LDS faith when she was 7 years old - admits she's not "a strong, practicing Mormon":

"I'm not as disciplined about it as I once was, but I hope to find my way back as I get older and a little less selfish. I'm ashamed to say that I've just got very lazy about it. I satisfy my vices instead of fighting them. If I start going back to church, I'd have to stop the smoking and drinking, and I wouldn't be able to curse any more."

How prevalent are Heigl's vices? Most every interview she gives - like this Entertainment Weekly profile written when "Knocked Up" was released - prominently mentions her cigarette habit.

Heigl, who married musician Joshua Kelly last December at Deer Valley (near her Utah ranch), will get to play a role tied to her LDS faith soon. She's producing and starring in "Escape," an adaptation of Carolyn Jessop's memoir of life as a wife and mother in Warren Jeffs' FLDS sect.

Labels: LDS

Friday, July 25, 2008

Plans for the weekend: Go Western

- Get in the car and get yourself to Bicknell, Utah - about a three-hour drive from Salt Lake City - for the most fun you can have in the middle of nowhere: the 13th annual Bicknell International Film Festival at the fabulous Wayne Theatre. The theme this year is B-grade Westerns, with a screening tonight of Howard Hughes' "The Outlaw" (starring Jane Russell, pictured), and ending Saturday night with the infamous all-dwarf movie "The Terror of Tiny Town." For lodging and travel information for Bicknell and the Capitol Reef area, go here.

- San Francisco alternative folk-rockers Thao and The Get Down Stay Down - whose current album, "We Brave Bee Stings and All," is a perfect fit for the Beehive State - play tonight at 7 at Kilby Court, 741 S. 300 West, Salt Lake City. Tickets are $8 at SmithsTix and 24Tix.

- Mary Wilson of the Supremes sings Saturday at 8 p.m. at the Sandy Amphitheater, 9400 S. 1300 East, Sandy. Tickets are $25 for chairs, $15 for lawn seating, at SmithsTix.

Labels: weekend schedule

Reality watch: Three survivors

Three Utah residents are still in the running on their respective reality shows.

- Marcus, the many-tattooed comedian, won the challenge on NBC's "Last Comic Standing" to tell a funny bedtime story to "The Girls Next Door" - Hugh Hefner's girlfriends Holly, Bridget and Kendra. That win gave Marcus immunity, and a free pass into the Final 5.

- Pleasant Grove's Chelsie Hightower survived another week on Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance," making it into the final six. (By the way, the touring show for the Top 10 - which includes Hightower and Salt Lake breakdancer Gev Manoukian, will hit West Valley City's E Center on Sept. 23.)

- And Keith Bryce, the director of Salt Lake's Filthy Gorgeous boutique, was in the middle of the pack on this week's eco-friendly challenge on Bravo's "Project Runway." Style guru Tim Gunn described Bryce's creation (pictured) this way: "Keith designed a halter mini-bubble-dress using the champagne silk/hemp blend textile. You may know that I am not a fan of anything "bubble," but he made it work. His execution of the garment was excellent, the proportions were good, and his model Runa knew how to give it runway appeal. Bravo, Keith!"

Labels: Chelsie Hightower, Keith Bryce, Marcus, Reality show

"Idol" pursuit

This is the weekend that many Utah singers - and would-be singers - have been waiting for: To start the audition process for "American Idol."

Registration for "American Idol" auditions begins Sunday morning at EnergySolutions Arena, with the real auditions beginning Tuesday morning.

Anyone can enter - well, not anyone. According to the audition rules, you have to be a U.S. citizen or legal U.S. resident, between 16 and 28, have never been an "Idol" semi-finalist, not already signed to a record label or similar contract, and not related to anybody who works for Fox or Coca-Cola or any company related to or sponsoring the show.

The idea is that you register to get a wristband and ticket into the audition, so everybody will be ready to go when auditions start Tuesday morning. You can also get ahead of the game by downloading the "American Idol" release form and guardian form (if you're under 18) and signing them ahead of time.

You should read the release form carefully before signing it, though, if only to appreciate the purity of the legalese. Here's just one example, detailing how the show can use your image:

I understand that I may reveal, and other parties may reveal, information about me that is of a personal, private, embarrassing or unfavorable nature, which information may be factual and/or fictional. I further understand that my appearance, depiction and/or portrayal in the Program may be disparaging, defamatory, embarrassing or of an otherwise unfavorable nature which may expose me to public ridicule, humiliation or condemnation. I acknowledge and agree that Producer shal l have the right to (a) include any or all such information and appearances, depictions or portrayals in the Program as edited by Producer in its sole discretion, and (b) broadcast and otherwise exploit the Program containing any or all such information and appearances, depictions or portrayals in any manner whatsoever in any and all media now known or hereafter devised, or for any other purpose, throughout the universe in perpetuity.

In other words, once you sign up, Fox owns your Celine Dion-warbling butt forever - and can show you in any demeaning way it wants.

Are you sure you want to be famous? If you still do, you better spend the weekend rehearsing.

Labels: American Idol, Reality show

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Plans for tonight: Happy Pioneer Day!

- The Days of '47 concludes with the Native American Celebration, going on all day and night at Liberty Park, 500 East and 900 South, Salt Lake City. Fireworks are at 10 p.m. Admission is $4, and free for children under 6 and seniors 65 and older.

- De La Soul bring their eclectic style of hip-hop to the Twilight Concert Series, at 7 at the Gallivan Center, 239 S. Main, Salt Lake City. The Cool Kids are the opening act. Free. (After the show, Maseo of De La Soul will be performing with KPD Soundsystem at 10 at The Hotel Bar and Nightclub, 155 W. 200 South, Salt Lake City. Tickets are $5 at 24tix.com.)

- Kellie Pickler, the "American Idol" finalist and embodiment of every blonde stereotype, sings at 7 at Sandy City Amphitheater, 9400 S. 1300 East, Sandy. Tickets are $25 for chair seating, $18 for lawn seating, at Sandy Arts.

- A 25th anniversary screening of the Cold War thriller "WarGames," starring a very young Matthew Broderick and Ally Sheedy, screens at 7:30 at six Wasatch Front movie theaters. Behind-the-scenes interviews and a sneak peek at the sequel are part of the program. Tickets are $10, available through Fathom Events.

Labels: Tonight's schedule

Backstage at the Days of '47

You could have watched the Days of '47 Parade - Utah's annual celebration of its specialness - on TV, or from the sun-baked route from downtown Salt Lake City to Liberty Park.

But, as anybody knows, the real human drama is what's going on behind the scenes. So I spent the parade in the staging areas on South Temple and Main Street, snapping these shots of the people waiting for their turn in line.

Miss Orem Krystal Millard and her attendants, Graceann Jacobson and Kandice Carter, know the most important thing about being parade royalty: comfortable shoes.

Who's the most valuable player on Hyrum's Mountain Crest High School Mustangs Marching Band? The guy with the water bottle. (That would be Paul Wakefield, watering the members of the drumline outside Abravanel Hall.)

Excuse me, I have to hang up now - I'm being an anachronism.

Finishing touches: A parade volunteer pins a corsage on Bette Burton, president of the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers.

Parade floats are a good place to take a quick nap, as Miss Sandy and her attendants discovered ...

... as did the teens on this float, honoring the sister-city relationship between Salt Lake City and Matsumoto, Japan.

As I'm walking along Main, this man in a white shirt and red bowtie comes up to me and asks, "When do we go on?" Since his car - a 1947 Ford - was #102 out of 110 entries, I told him he'd be waiting awhile. Then he told me about his car.

Dale McAllister, the man in the bowtie, bought the Ford in 1959 and drove it for 20 years. "I used to drive it to Seminary and back," said Dale, 82. Then he parked it at his house, where it languished for almost three decades - the roof dented, the upholstery shot, and so on.

A couple of years ago, Dale's son Craig and his grandson Morgan got to work restoring the car, buying parts on eBay and yard sales. Now it's in mint condition and, according to the elder McAllister, runs like a dream.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Plans for tonight: Hit me with your best shot

- Bountiful Handcart Days Grand Parade - a warm-up for Thursday's Days of '47 Parade - starts at 6 at the corner of Main Street and 1500 South in Bountiful, running up Main Street to 400 North. Free.

- "The Up Beat," Utah filmmaker Brandon Smith’s documentary about the rise of ska music in Utah in the 1990s, screens at 7 at the Tower Theatre, 876 E. 900 South, Salt Lake City. The band Fews & Twos will perform. Free.

- Marv Hamilton, who defines his music as "part folk, blues, roots and Americana, all soul," plays at 7:30 at the Anderson-Foothill Library, 1135 S. 2100 East, Salt Lake City. It's part of the "Concerts By the Creek" series. Free.

- '80s rockers (and husband and wife) Pat Benatar (pictured) and Neil Giraldo perform at 8 at The Depot, 400 S. West Temple, Salt Lake City. Tickets are $45 at the door.

Labels: Tonight's schedule

UMFA cashing in

Monet means money for the Utah Museum of Fine Arts.

The museum's first blockbuster exhibit, "From Monet to Picasso," has been bringing in an average of 520 people a day, museum officials tell the Tribune's Julie Checkoway. And foot traffic has increased since the exhibit opened last month - with 614 people a day visiting last week.

That figure is nearly on track to hit the museum's goal of 50,000 visitors for the exhibit's 12-week run. The number of new museum members is also up sharply.

The exhibit runs through Sept. 21.

(Pictured: Claude Monet (French, 1840–1926). The Red Kerchief: Portrait of Mrs. Monet (La capeline rouge, portrait de Madame Monet), 1868–78. Oil on fabric; 99 x 79.8 cm. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Bequest of Leonard C. Hanna Jr. 1958.39. Copyright: The Cleveland Museum of Art.)

Labels: UMFA

Holy self-incrimination, Batman!

A lesson for anyone who might engage in illegal behavior: Anything you say on YouTube will be taken against you in the court of public opinion.

Take the case of David Farnham, Utah's "Dark Knight Dad," now facing a class A misdemeanor charge of child abuse for allegedly leaving his 2-year-old son in a hot car while he watched a Saturday late-night screening of "The Dark Knight" at South Salt Lake's Century 16 theaters.

Several blogs, as well as KSL, uncovered Farnham's handiwork on the video-sharing site - a rambling monologue in which he promises, among other things, "if there's anything I know, it's how to get attention." (There's also a brief glimpse of his 2-year-old son.)

Here's the clip:

Comments left by YouTube viewers are divided: Some want to see Farnham brutally assaulted in prison, while others just hate his guts.

Meanwhile, on Farnham's MySpace page, he wrote in February about leeching off of a neighbor's unsecured wireless network.

Tell me there's not a Kevin Smith movie in here somewhere.

Labels: Stupid Criminals Division

Floating

The family and I checked out the Days of '47 Float Preview Party at the South Towne Expo Center in Sandy.

If you are a regular parade watcher, you should check out the preview next year - it's really the best way to get an upclose look at these elaborate constructions. Here are a few of the more interesting floats:

This was the favorite float of my 5-year-old. I liked the retractable smokestacks with the orange crepe-paper flames coming out the top.

My 8-year-old voted for this one. He liked the astronauts and space aliens.

I'm still trying to figure this one out. I must have missed that part of Utah history where the pioneers fought pirate battles on the Great Salt Lake.

For those of you preparing your holiday plans for Thursday, the Tribune serves up this handy guide for the parade and other events going on around Utah.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Plans for tonight: Folk in the garden

- The "Soul Stew Revival," featuring husband-and-wife guitarists Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi, plays at 7 at Red Butte Garden, 500 Wakara Way, Salt Lake City. Tickets are $40, or $35 for garden members and $25 for students, available at redbuttegarden.org.

- The documentary "A Soldier's Peace" - about Marshall Thompson, a Utah soldier who returns from Iraq and walks the length of Utah to talk about ending the war - screens at 7 at the Main Library auditorium, 210 E. 400 South. Thompson and his wife, Kristen, will speak after the screening, presented by the Salt Lake City Film Center. Free.

- Country stars Sawyer Brown plays at 8 at the Sandy Amphitheater, 9400 S. 1300 East, Sandy. Phil Stacey, a finalist on season 6 of "American Idol," is the opening act. Tickets, at $30 for a chair or $20 for lawn seating, available at SmithsTix.

- The Watson Twins, a folk-rock duo who are twins and are named Watson (Chandra and Leigh, actually), play at 9 at Urban Lounge, 241 S. 500 East, Salt Lake City. Cub Country is the opening act at this 21-and-older show. Tickets are $10 at the door.

Labels: Tonight's schedule

In the bag

The Tribune's Cassandra Crockett filed this story about Angus and Tara Beavers, a Park City couple who have developed a line of eco-friendly purses and totes from recycled burlap feed and produce bags.

The WeBe Bags line is making a splash worldwide, thanks to the celebrity exposure received at the last Sundance Film Festival.

Stars such as Jude Law, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Colin Firth (whose wife owns a "green" department store) have bought the bags. And rapper 50 Cent ordered 50 purses - each with "50 cents" printed on the burlap.

Now, 350 boutiques are carrying the bags, and the Beavers have hired 10 full-time seamstresses to sew the bags.

(Photo: Scott Sommerdorf/The Salt Lake Tribune)

"Dark Knight Dad" goes national

It didn't take long for the story of a Utah father, accused of leaving his two-year-old son in a locked car during a late-night screening of "The Dark Knight," to do laps around the blogosphere.

"Candidate for father of the year" is how AOL's ParentDish blog labeled 23-year-old David Farnham. Celebrity blogger Perez Hilton ran Farnham's mug shot with the word "dumbass" scrawled above his face. KevINda, a Chicago sketch-comedy duo, satirically sympathized with Farnham: "I feel you, dude. You gotta do what you gotta do. Stupid toddler."

A media flogging may be a mild punishment compared to what might have happened. Farnham is lucky the audience at the Century 16 didn't pummel him when South Salt Lake cops took him out of the theater. Here's an account of the arrest, from KSL:

Farnham, who has no prior criminal history, missed the last 10 minutes of the movie, and there was a slight interruption for everyone else when officers turned up the lights and arrested him inside the theater.

Movie goer Katty Zlochevsky said, "About the last 10 minutes, all of a sudden the screen turned off and everyone freaked out."

"Two cops came up with what looked like two managers," she explained.

With the movie off and the lights on, the officers told the packed crowd they were looking for Farnham. Then they told the crowd why.

"In regards to the baby left in the car," Zlochevsky said. "Then everyone kind of gasped."

"We all looked to see where he was, and he stood up and went down the stairs. And then people kind of threw stuff and started booing, and no one knew what to do," she said.

Farnham was taken away, and the last 10 minutes of the movie continued.

Labels: Stupid Criminals Division

"HSM": A dose of reality

Maybe this "High School Musical" bandwagon is slowing to a crawl - or maybe it's not the same without Troy and Gabriella singing and swooning.

Overnight ratings for Sunday's debut of "High School Musical: Get in the Picture," an ABC reality show based on the popular Disney movie franchise (and shot at Utah's Murray High School), drew just 4 million viewers, according to Neilsen estimates.

It came in third in its time slot, behind CBS's "Big Brother" and a rerun of NBC's "America's Got Talent." And it drew fewer viewers than the show before it - a rerun of "America's Funniest Home Videos."

"High School Musical: Get in the Picture" did score well with viewers in the 6-to-11 age range. If the show sticks around, expect more commercials for sugary breakfast cereals and bad computer-animated cartoons.

Labels: Reality show

Monday, July 21, 2008

Plans for tonight: You can't do that on a stage

- Plan-B Theatre Company's annual fund-raiser, "And the Banned Played On," with actors performing excerpts of banned plays - from "Romeo and Juliet" to "The Who's Tommy" - at 7 at Rose Wagner Center for the Performing Arts. Bill Allred of X96 and Doug Fabrizio of KUER are the emcees. Admission is $35 (including the post-show reception with cash bar), available at ArtTix.

- John Mayer, with Colbie Caillat and Brett Dennen as opening acts, plays at 7 at Usana Amphitheatre, 5150 S. 6055 West, West Valley City. Tickets are $31 to $59, at SmithsTix.

- Less Than Jake plays its brand of ska-punk at 7 at the Murray Theater, 4916 S. State St., Murray. Opening the show are Goldfinger, Big D and The Kids Table and Suburban Legend. Tickets are $23, at SmithsTix and KTix.

- "Movement (R)Evolution Africa," a film featuring dance works by nine African choreographers, screens at 7 at the Salt Lake Main Library Auditorium, 210 E. 400 South, Salt Lake City. Part of the Salt Lake City Film Center's New Faces of Africa series. Free.

- "The Iron Giant," the animated movie Brad Bird made before joining Pixar and wowing the world with "The Incredibles" and "Ratatouille," screens at dusk at the Gallivan Center, 239 S. Main, Salt Lake City. Part of the Sundance Institute Outdoor Film Festival. Free.

Labels: Tonight's schedule

Where's Batman when you need him?

Furthering the argument that parenting, like driving a car, should require a licence (from a news item by the Tribune's Ana Breton):

A 23-year-old father was booked into jail under suspicion of second-degree child abuse after leaving his son in his car while he watched the midnight showing of "The Dark Knight."

David Farnham of Salt Lake City left his 2-year-old son inside his car in the parking lot of the Century 16 Theaters at 125 E. 3300 South on Saturday night. An onlooker walking by the car at 1:22 a.m. on Sunday saw the baby inside the vehicle crying and sweating profusely, said detective Gary Keller with the South Salt Lake City Police Department.

Farnham rolled the windows up in the car "so the child could not be taken out," according to a jail booking statement. The temperature inside the vehicle was 87 degrees, the statement added.

Farnham was located inside of the theater and the boy was taken out of the car. The boy was thirsty, but otherwise in good condition, Keller said.

The boy has since been released to his mother. Farnham was booked into the Salt Lake County Metro Jail where he is being held without bail.

The case has been turned over for screening at the District Attorney's Office.

Labels: Stupid Criminals Division

West side story

If the arts are for everyone, and everyone pays for arts institutions through their taxes, than everyone should have a say in how those institutions are run, right?

That's not the way it works in Salt Lake County, according to a surprising analysis by my colleague Jeremiah Stettler in today's dead-tree Tribune.

Of the 238 board members for the county's premier arts institutions, Stettler found, 160 live on the east side of Interstate 15, while only 13 live west of I-15. The analysis found that 47 don't live in the county, and 18 are either government officials or their address couldn't be confirmed.

There are no west-siders on the boards of the Clark Planetarium, Discovery Gateway, Pioneer Theatre, the Utah Symphony or Wheeler Farm. Only one west-side resident sits on the Hogle Zoo board, and two are on the board for the Center for the Arts.

Defenders of the arts groups, particularly the independent nonprofits such as Pioneer Theatre and Discovery Gateway, say the main reason board members are selected is their ability to raise money - and that money usually comes from the wealthier, more corporate east side.

But, west-side officials point out, South Jordan has the highest average household income in the county, while West Jordan, Herriman and Riverton - all in the southwest part of the county - have average incomes higher than the median.

Stettler quotes County Councilman Randy Horiuchi, a Democrat, who says in his typical hyperbole: "We need to be way more proactive in trying to get more west-side members. Their tax dollars are going to these institutions like everyone else's. This is what the Boston Tea Party was all about."

Dance 10, mouth 3

The political columnist Michael Kinsley once said that "a gaffe is when a politician tells the truth." The definition also applies, apparently, to reality-show judges.

Mia Michaels, judge and choreographer on Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance," had to do some serious backpedaling last week after she gave this explanation for the prevalence of Utahns on her and other dance competitions: "Because they have no social life. ... It's the Mormon thing: No sex, drugs, drinking. So dancing becomes a great outlet."

(Four Utah dancers were among the top 20 finalists of "So You Think You Can Dance," and Pleasant Grove's Chelsie Hightower is still in the top eight.)

Michaels also talked about the culture shock of visiting Salt Lake City. "I remember going there once and you can't have a glass of wine after rehearsals because nothing is open," Michaels said. "And then in the morning, you say, "OK, I need coffee." And they say, 'Um, no, it's Sunday.' I was like, 'What?' "

On Friday, Michaels issued a statement praising the talent and work ethic of Utah dancers, adding "I totally apologize if what I said came out wrong, because putting down their way of life is not what I meant, at all. I think it's so admirable, what they do. I respect their way of life. I should take their advice. My sister and her husband are going to build a home and retire in Deer Valley, Utah. It's gorgeous there."

Labels: LDS, Reality show

Card at Comic-Con

Science-fiction author (and BYU and U. of Utah alum) Orson Scott Card will be one of the big draws at Comic-Con, the massive convention for comic-book and sci-fi fans happening this weekend in San Diego.

According to Entertainment Weekly, Card will be signing autographs at the Marvel Comics booth to promote a new graphic-novel version of his 1985 novel Ender's Game. (A sample page is pictured at left.)

In adapting Card's story of a young man on whom the fate of mankind hinges, the magazine writes, illustrator Pasqual Ferry was inspired by such movies as "2001: A Space Odyssey" and "Minority Report."

Friday, July 18, 2008

Plans for the weekend: Synchronicity

- The Salt Lake City Gallery Stroll runs from 6 to 9 tonight at art galleries around downtown. Go get yourself some culture.

- Flobots, the Colorado alt-rap group that boasts the 2008 hit "Handlebars," plays tonight at 6:30 at the Avalon Theater, 3605 S. State, South Salt Lake. Doomtree and P.O.S. are also on the bill. Tickets are $12 at SmithsTix and KTix.

- When their eloquence escapes you, their logic ties you up and rapes you - it's the Police, reunited for a world tour, Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the Usana Amphitheatre, 5150 S. 6055 West, West Valley City. Elvis Costello and the Imposters open the show. Tickets range from $46 to $206, at SmithsTix. (To prepare for the show, read my colleague David Burger's interview with the Police's drummer, Stewart Copeland.)

- Lyle Lovett and His Large Band, big music and bigger hair, play Saturday at 8 p.m. at Kingsbury Hall on the University of Utah campus. Tickets, at $40 and $55, at SmithsTix. (Read Burger's interview with Lovett.)

- Flogging Molly, the L.A.-based Irish-influenced punk band, plays Saltair tonight. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20 in advance and $22 on the day of the show, at SmithsTix and KTix. (And read Burger's interview with frontman Dave King - geez, Burger was busy this week!)

- Incoming! The Utah Symphony kicks off the Deer Valley Music Festival with a rendition of the 1812 Overture, Saturday at the Deer Valley amphitheater in Park City. The show starts at 7:30 p.m.; gates open at 5:30 p.m. Tickets - $60 for reserved seats, $30 for general admission, $12 for students and kids - available at ArtTix.

- Children's movies don't get as weird as "Creating Rem Lezar," the latest entry from Out/Ex, Salt Lake's avant-garde film and video series, Saturday at 8 p.m. at Nobrow Coffee & Tea, 315 E. 300 South. Free.

- The evergreen Emmylou Harris plays Sunday at 7 p.m. at Red Butte Garden, 500 Wakara Way, Salt Lake City. Jimmy Gaudreau & Moondi Klein open the show. Tickets are $45, $40 for Garden members and $30 for children, available at redbuttegarden.org.

Labels: weekend schedule

Reality roundup: Gev's out

Salt Lake City breakdancer Gev Manoukian was eliminated from Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance" on Thursday night - the third finalist from Utah (out of four) to get cut so far.

According to this recap from Entertainment Weekly, Gev (pictured at right) never fully recovered from an early mistake in his solo routine. That leaves Chelsie Hightower, from Pleasant Grove, as the only Utahn left among the eight remaining competitors.

Meanwhile, West Jordan comedian Marcus survived another week on NBC's "Last Comic Standing." And Salt Lake boutique owner Keith Bryce made it through his first challenge on Bravo's "Project Runway," even though he was one of several designers who went for the easy option - a tablecloth - when choosing supermarket items from which to make a dress. (His design is pictured at left.)

And the fate of Rhiannon, the Logan singer who is one of the three remaining finalists on MTV's "Legally Blonde: The Search for Elle Woods," will be decided on Monday night's big finale.

Labels: Keith Bryce, Marcus, Reality show, Rhiannon

Who wears short shorts?

Things are getting a little breezy at Richter7, the Salt Lake City advertising agency.

This week, Richter7 issued this press release declaring a "No Long Pants" policy it its offices from now through Aug. 15, "in an effort to keep cool and combat the effects of global warming."

"All employees, from the top brass down to the newest employee, will be encouraged to wear shorts, capris, skorts, kilts - anything but long pants - to work until the oppressive heat lets up, even in professional meetings with clients," the release said. "Those found wearing long pants will face the 'knickerbocker police,' who will fine offenders a quarter."

The "No Long Pants" policy may not save the planet, but it may prove something to clients: If Richter7 can drum up publicity for its clients half as much as it drums up publicity for itself, customer satisfaction is guaranteed.

Feulner: Signing off?

On Tuesday, Blair Feulner - host of the morning show on Park City's community public-radio station KPCW - told his listeners he was taking a sabbatical, and that he may or may not be back on the air.

And so ends, possibly, a 28-year era for an icon in Utah radio, according to this article by my colleague Christopher Smart.

Feulner is credited with launching KPCW from a tiny room on Park City's Main Street in 1980, and helping it grow into a regional powerhouse and a vital part of the ski town's fabric. He also helped establish Salt Lake City's KCPW, which the Park City station's parent, Community Wireless of Park City, is in the process of selling off.

Feulner has also drawn criticism, in part for drawing a six-figure salary on a station that regularly begs for donations from listeners.

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Plans for tonight: 1, 2, 3, 4

- Two singer/songwriters - Chicago multi-instrumentalist Andrew Bird and Idaho-born folkie Josh Ritter - share the bill at 7 at the Gallivan Center, 239 S. Main, Salt Lake City, in this week's Twilight Concert. Free.

- Canadian indie-rocker Feist (whose hit "1234" has gone from iPod commercials to "Sesame Street" - see the YouTube evidence below) performs at 7 at the Deer Valley outdoor amphitheater, up Park City way, as part of the "St. Regis Big Stars, Bright Nights" concert series. Tickets are $56 reserved, or $31 for lawn seating, available via the Eccles Center.

Labels: Tonight's schedule

Miller and movies

Movies were never a big part of Larry H. Miller's business portfolio - about 0.2 percent of his revenue, he once told me.

But Miller, who has been hospitalized recently and handed over the CEO duties of his company to his son Greg Wednesday, has become a big player in Utah's cultural landscape because of his movie-theater empire - as well as his ownership of the city's premier big-concert venue, EnergySolutions Arena.

Miller's Megaplex Theaters control 70 screens from Ogden to Lehi. The Megaplex 12 at the Gateway is the only mainstream first-run theater in downtown Salt Lake City. The Megaplex 17 at Jordan Commons consistently ranks among the nation's most-popular theaters for big blockbusters (such as the "Harry Potter" and "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchises), and boasts the only commercial IMAX theater in Utah.

But Miller - auto dealer, real-estate magnate, motorsports mogul and owner of the NBA's Utah Jazz - acknowledged, in a 2006 interview, that he didn't understand the movie business that well. "It's not my favorite business, just because it's one I'm not that engaged with like the car business and the basketball business."

He tried his hand at making movies, investing in Richard Dutcher's "Brigham City" and later bankrolling (to the tune of millions) as executive producer of three movies based on "The Work and the Glory," Gerald N. Lund's series of LDS historical novels.

But movies aren't like Miller's other businesses. You sell a quality car, or put a winning team on the court, and people will beat a path to your door. With movies, Miller said, "There can be some really well-done stuff - cinematography-wise, story-wise, even acting-wise - and not have it do well."

As an exhibitor, Miller courted controversy in January 2006 when he yanked the acclaimed "Brokeback Mountain" from his Jordan Commons theaters because of its depiction of two gay Wyoming sheepherders. The move smacked of narrow-minded moralizing, and of hypocrisy - because the "torture porn" horror movie "Hostel" opened there the same day.

But Miller's theaters have been a boon to Utah. They are the best-run, the cleanest and most comfortable theaters around. And Miller has been first in Utah in upgrading to digital projection.

(Photo: Al Hartmann/The Salt Lake Tribune)

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Plans for tonight: Cattle drivers

- The Days of '47 Rodeo kicks off its eight-day run (taking Sunday off, of course) at 7 at Energy Solutions Arena. Tickets are $12.50 to $39.50 (half price tonight for kids under 14) at Ticketmaster. If, however, you believe teasing livestock is not a sport, you can always join the inevitable animal-rights protest outside.

- Folk musician/songwriter Kate McLeod (right) plays the "Concerts at the Creek" series, 7:30 at the Anderson-Foothill Library, 1135 S. 2100 East, Salt Lake City. Free.

- The Utah Symphony plays selections from "Lohengrin," "Carmen," "Star Wars" and John Philips Sousa at 8 at the Sandy Amphitheater, 9400 S. 13oo East, Sandy. Free.

- Hip-hop supergroup Dark Lotus rocks out Saltair at 6:30 p.m. Esham and Wolfpac are the opening acts. Tickets are $25 at the door.

Labels: Tonight's schedule

Wedding Bella

OK, all you Twilight fans out there - and you know who you are - now's your chance to show exactly how much you love your teen vampires.

The King's English Bookshop, 1511 S. 1500 East, is marking the forthcoming release of the fourth Twilight novel, Breaking Dawn, with a big party on the night of Aug. 1 (the book comes out at midnight, Aug. 2) - including a contest to design a wedding dress for the lead character, Bella.

The submission guidelines are quite specific - white satin with vintage lace, a veil and a train, and inspired by the fashions of 1918 (as described on page 614 of Eclipse). You can submit a painting, a sketch, a sculpture or textiles, but the deadline is Monday. The top three entries win awards, with Bella's bracelet going to the first-place winner.

Labels: Twilight

But who will the crowd root for?

One third of the "Axis of Evil" is invading Utah this week, armed with large cowhide globes.

The NBA announced that Iran's national basketball team will play this month in the Rocky Mountain Revue, the annual summer basketball confab hosted by the Utah Jazz.

The Iranians - who are warming up for the Olympics in Beijing next month - will play the NBA D-League Ambassadors, a team of all-stars from the NBA 's development squads, Thursday and Sunday at The Factory, the Utah Flash's practice facility in Lehi. They will play a Dallas Mavericks squad on Saturday, and a Utah Jazz team on Monday - both games at Salt Lake Community College campus on Redwood Road.

Don't underestimate the Iranians. Though they are ranked 33rd in the world, they won a berth in the Olympics by taking the FIBA Asia Champions Cup in May.

(Photo: AFP/Getty Images)

Hatch's song for Ted

Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy's battle with brain cancer - and a request from Democratic senators - has inspired Utah's senior senator, Republican Orrin Hatch, to write a song about his colleague, according to this Boston Globe article.

"Sailing home, sailing home. America, America, we're headed home at last/ Just honor him, honor him, and every fear will be a thing of the past," the lyrics go.

The song could be played as a tribute to Kennedy next month at the Democratic National Convention in Denver. (Kennedy himself won't be there, as he's continuing his treatment for cancer.)

OK, I could say something snarky, like "Hasn't Kennedy suffered enough?" But there's something sweet and beautiful in the friendship between two senators on opposite sides of the political spectrum.

Labels: Orrin Hatch, politics

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Plans for tonight: Where Jerry meets Genesis

- Rabbi Saul Grife (at right) in concert, revealing the connections between the Grateful Dead and the Book of Genesis, at 7 at the I.J. and Jeanne Wagner Jewish Community Center, 2 N. Medical Drive, Salt Lake City. Free.

- "The Ballad of Esequiel Hernandez," a documentary about a 1997 incident in which U.S. Marines patrolling the U.S.-Mexican border shot and killed a U.S. citizen tending his goats, screens at 7 at the Main Library auditorium, 210 E. 400 South, Salt Lake City. Free.

- Valient Thorr, a hard-rock band that boasts classic-rock influences (is that something to boast about?), plays at Club Vegas, 445 S. 400 West, Salt Lake City. The show starts at 9 p.m. Early Man and Architects are the opening acts. Tickets are $10 at SmithsTix. Nobody under 21.

Labels: Tonight's schedule

Fashion forward in Utah

Add Keith Bryce to the swelling ranks of Utahns on TV reality shows.

Bryce (at left), a 26-year-old Salt Laker, is one of the 16 contestants who will show off their fashion-design skills on Bravo's "Project Runway," which starts its fifth season Wednesday (at 10 p.m. on Salt Lake City's cable systems).

Bryce studied at Salt Lake Community College, but calls himself a "self-taught designer" with a background in marketing and advertising. He is executive director of Filthy Gorgeous, a fashion collective with a boutique (pictured at right) in downtown Salt Lake City that really needs to fix its web site.

For those of you keeping score at home, Bryce is the fifth Utahn now competing on a reality show. (That's not counting the recently eliminated Kelsey Nixon from "The Next Food Network Star" and "So You Think You Can Dance" outcasts Thayne Jasperson and Matt Dorame.) The others still in competition are:

Marcus, the much-tattooed West Jordan comedian on NBC's "Last Comic Standing."
Rhiannon, the 19-year-old Logan native who's on MTV's "Legally Blonde: The Search for Elle Woods."
Gev Manoukian, the 21-year-old Salt Laker on Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance."
Chelsie Hightower, the 18-year-old from Pleasant Grove who's on Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance."

(Thayne Jasperson, by the way, will be back in Utah this week - teaching in Odyssey Dance Theatre's Dance Utah! workshop, which starts Wednesday at Utah Valley University in Orem.)

Labels: Reality show

Seriously, so hilarious

In today's dead-tree Culture Vulture column, I spotlight a hilarious blog, "Seriously, So Blessed."

Tiffany/Amber/Megan/Nicole, a k a TAMN, is your typical blissfully happy newly-married Mormon woman, and she blogs about the things she loves: Scented candles, Stephenie Meyer books, girls night out, giving talks in church, and her hubby Jordan/Jason/Wes/Taylor (or JJWT).

Of course, it's a parody - a wickedly dead-on spoof of the suddenly trendy married-Mormon blog phenomenon. And, like the best parodies, there's as much truth in it as in the real thing. Seriously.

Labels: LDS

What's this camera for?

Culture Vulture doesn't have a Stupid Criminals Division, but maybe I should start one.

Take as an example the case of Michael Birkeland, an actor and comedian who's appeared in several LDS-themed comedies ("The Singles Ward," "The Home Teachers," "Church Ball") and spent the weekend in jail - charged with felony theft.

According to this KSL report, police arrested Birkeland on Friday. He's accused of stealing a computer from a Utah Valley University art instructor, whose class Birkeland had visited shortly before the computer went missing April 3.

Here's the funny part of the KSL report:

Two days later, the victim logged onto Skype and, thanks to the built-in camera in his MacBook Pro computer, he could see exactly who was using his stolen computer over the Internet. The instructor contacted Birkeland online and also by phone, asking for the computer back, which is valued at $2,128. Court documents state that Birkeland then covered up the camera on the computer to conceal his identity. Instead of directly returning the computer, police say he dropped it off at the gift shop at Thanksgiving Point.

Birkeland posted bond Monday, and is scheduled to appear in court next Monday.

When I reviewed "The Home Teachers" in 2004, I was down on the movie but I complimented Birkeland's performance as "engaging" with "a goofy, Chris Farley-esque appeal." I wonder if that will work for him in a courtroom scene.

Labels: Stupid Criminals Division

Monday, July 14, 2008

Plans for tonight: Attack of the Archies

- The American Idols LIVE! tour - featuring Utah's favorite pint-sized song-o-tron, David Archuleta - plays tonight and Tuesday at 7 at the E Center, West Valley City. Tickets are $39.50 to $68.50, available at Ticketmaster.

- The Sundance Institute's Outdoor Film Festival kicks off at twilight (9ish) at the Gallivan Center, 238 S. Main, Salt Lake City, with the Coen brothers' "Raising Arizona," starring Nicolas Cage and Holly Hunter. Free.

Labels: David Archuleta, Tonight's schedule

To boldly go to Vegas - but hurry

Bad news for "Star Trek" geeks - soon there will be one less destination to live out your science-fiction dreams.

"Star Trek: The Experience," the simulator/thrill-ride attraction (with museum, gift shop, Quark's Bar and a Trek-themed wedding chapel) at the Las Vegas Hilton, will shut down on Sept. 1, according to Wired.com's Underwire blog.

The attraction opened in 1998, a nifty mix of live interaction (actors in Starfleet costumes), a film adventure and a simulator "shuttlecraft" ride that took the riders traveling through time. The ride was updated in 2004 with a second adventure, "Borg Invasion 4D."

For a fond remembrance of "Star Trek: The Experience," check out this blog post by Wil Wheaton, who played young Wesley Crusher on "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and has had a complicated, shall we say?, relationship with all things "Star Trek" ever since.

In recalling his first time trying the ride, Wheaton writes, "Until this moment, all I have been able to remember is the pain that came with 'Star Trek.' I'd forgotten the joy."

NPR: No Post-boomer Radio

The stereotyped view of National Public Radio listeners - Volvo-driving, latte-sipping professionals in their '40s and '50s - didn't get any help today, as NPR canceled its experimental "Bryant Park Project."

The New York Times reports today that the BPP will air its last morning-news show on July 25 - less than 10 months and $2 million after its Oct. 1 launch.

The show was NPR's version of a "Morning Zoo" - a conversational and fast-paced mix of news and pop-culture talk, incorporating both a podcast and a blog. The aim was to connect with a younger, more Web-savvy audience than the traditional NPR listener.

NPR seemed to be throwing its support into the new venture last January, when host Alison Stewart (former anchor at MTV and MSNBC) brought the show to Park City for live coverage of the Sundance Film Festival. And it seemed to be paying off online, with a million unique visitors to the Web site a month.

But on the radio, few could hear the show. It was carried on only five NPR stations - including Salt Lake City's KCPW-FM - and 19 high-definition channels.

Stewart, who co-founded the show with Luke Burbank (who quit before the debut, but ended up staying through December), has been on maternity leave in April - but she told the Times she'll be back next week (the show's final week) as scheduled.

Playing out a familiar script

You have to wonder who's playing who in this scenario.

Step 1: Las Vegas entrepreneur Chad Hardy creates calendar showing beefcake photos of men purporting to be Mormon missionaries.

Step 2: Leaders in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (you know, the Mormons) get in high dudgeon, and call Hardy - a non-attending church member - for a disciplinary hearing.

Step 3: Hardy goes public before the disciplinary hearing, guaranteeing plenty of news coverage.

Step 4: Church leaders excommunicate Hardy.

Hardy gets what he wants: Reams of publicity for his calendar, and status as a rebel fighting for the First Amendment. And the church gets what it wants: A clear signal to its membership that you can't mess with one of its beloved symbols - the innocent white-shirted missionary - and not suffer the consequences.

Did anybody think it was going to go down any differently?

(Photo: AP)

Labels: LDS

Kelsey's a bride, but not a star

It was a good news/bad news weekend for Kelsey Nixon.

The bad news was that Nixon, a 23-year-old North Ogden native and one-time intern for The Salt Lake Tribune's food section, was booted from the competition on "The Next Food Network Star," which aired Sunday on the cable channel. (If you missed it, the rerun is on Thursday.)

Nixon came up short among the four finalists in a cooking challenge inspired by chef Bobby Flay's program "Throwdown," in which two chefs go head-to-head cooking their own and their opponent's signature dishes. The judges thought Nixon's chicken parmigiana and pork tenderloin were too dainty and high-end, considering her frequent emphasis on back-to-basics cooking.

The good news for Nixon came Friday, when she and fiance Robby Egan got married in the Bountiful Temple. Among the guests at the reception: Aaron McCargo, the New Jersey chef who pummeled Kelsey in the "Throwdown" challenge. (That's him with the happy couple, photographed by the groom's uncle Rick, a Tribune photographer.)

Labels: Kelsey Nixon, Reality show

Friday, July 11, 2008

Where do you put the nametag?

As surely as night follows day, you can be assured that anything that involves the words "Mormon missionary" and "naked" will soon be followed by the words "disciplinary hearing."

Which is why Chad Hardy, a 31-year-old entrepreneur in Las Vegas (and a lifelong member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - you know, the Mormons), shouldn't be surprised that his "Men on a Mission" calendar - featuring shirtless Mormon missionaries - as earned him a letter summoning him to a meeting Sunday with LDS elders in Nevada.

According to this AP story, Hardy could face probation, disfellowship or even excommunication from the church over this incident.

Either way, Hardy guarantees himself a ton of publicity - and more sales for his calendar. Well played, sir.

Labels: LDS

Plans for the weekend: The other Utah jazz

- Red Butte Garden opens its new amphitheater tonight at 7, with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra - featuring the great Wynton Marsalis. General tickets are $53, but forget it - it's sold out.

- If you can't get into that jazz show, the Salt Lake City Jazz Festival kicks off tonight at 5:30 p.m. at Washington Square (a k a the City-County Building), 400 South and State Street. Highlights: Jack Jones tonight at 7:40 p.m.; The E Family (Sheila E, along with Pete and Juan Escovedo), Saturday at 9:50 p.m.; and R&R (Rick Braun and Richard Elliott), Sunday at 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 per day, available at SmithsTix.

- Journey, Heart (pictured) and Cheap Trick - essentially the playlist on the FM stations of my childhood - play Usana Amphitheatre in West Valley City, tonight at 7 p.m. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Tickets, ranging from $25 to $125, are at SmithsTix.

- Big Bad Voodoo Daddy plays its retro-swing, tonight at 8 at the Ed Kenley Centennial Amphitheater, 403 N. Wasatch Dr., Layton. Tickets, at $23 and $28, are available at the door.

- Good Charlotte - the side project in which Joel and Benjy Madden perform when they're not acting as arm candy for Nicole Richie and Paris Hilton - and Boys Like Girls play Saturday at Saltair, 12406 W. Saltair Dr., Magna. Doors open at 6 p.m.; the opening act is Metro Station (a band that features Trace Cyrus and Michael Musso - who are the brother and TV co-star, respectively, of Miley Cyrus). Tickets are $26 in advance, $30 on the day of show, and are available at SmithsTix.

- The Salt City Shakers roller-derby squad bumps into FOCO Girls Gone Derby, Saturday at 6 p.m. at the Olympic Oval, 5662 S. 4800 West, Kearns. Tickets are $10 at SmithsTix.

Labels: weekend schedule

Bracing for "Twilight"

Fans of Stephenie Meyer's vampire novels will be rushing to their newsstands this weekend: Entertainment Weekly has the leads of Twilight, Bella and Edward (or actors Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattison, who play them in the movie coming in December), on the cover - and an profile of the author inside.

The profile recounts how Meyer, a Mormon housewife in Phoenix, went to being - in the minds of publishers, anyway - the second coming of J.K. Rowling with her vampires-in-love novels. (The fourth one, Breaking Dawn, hits stores on Aug. 2 - and EW has the opening pages.)

There's also an extended description of Meyer's recent book-tour stop in Salt Lake City for her non-vampire novel The Host. The article describes the rabid nature of Meyer's fans, and that there are some questions about her characters Meyers prefers not to answer - namely, "If vampires go nuts for the smell of blood, what does Bella do when she has her period? 'Gross,' says Meyer."

TMI, people.

Labels: Twilight

Redford backs Obama

No surprise here: Actor and activist Robert Redford says he's going to support presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama for president.

But the Sundance Kid is not 100 percent confident the Illinois senator will win.

"I hope he'll win. I think he will," he told Michael Dwyer of The Irish Times in a public interview at Dublin's Trinity College. "If he doesn't, you can kiss the Democratic Party goodbye. I think we need new voices, new blood. We need to get a whole group out, get a new group in."

Redford recalled that when he first became politically active, speaking out on energy issues in the 1970s, he was frequently belittled as "just an actor."

"That had a lot of weight," Redford said, "until Reagan was elected. Now things have changed so much. You're not alone out there."

Redford is receiving an honorary degree from Trinity College today.

Labels: Robert Redford

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Plans for tonight: Gallivan's the place

- The Roots bring their brand of hip-hop from Philadelphia to Salt Lake City, opening the Twilight Concert Series, 7 at the Gallivan Center, 239 S. Main, Salt Lake City. The Knux is the opening act. Free, but be prepared for a crowd. (And if you're up for it afterward, ?uestlove - the one with the really big 'fro - will be doing a DJ set with DJ Sayo, at 10 at the Hotel Bar and Nightclub, 155 W. 200 South, Salt Lake City. Tickets are $5, at 24tix.)

- The Red Desert Ramblers perform from 6:30 to 8:30 at Sugar House BBQ, 2207 S. 700 East, Salt Lake City. Free with dinner.

- A benefit gig for Salt Lake's Red Light Books & Music (179 E. 300 South) - featuring the bands Aodl, Lion Dub, Expulsion and T.B.A. - starts at 8 at Burt's Tiki Lounge, 725 S. State, Salt Lake City. Admission is $5 at the door.

Labels: Tonight's schedule

Staring at the back of some guy's head

The in-flight movie - your chance to watch a movie you avoided when it hit theaters, but with all the naughty bits sloppily removed, and on a tiny low-resolution screen - may soon be a thing of the past.

In the latest cost-cutting move, US Airways announced it will remove the in-flight entertainment systems from its domestic flights starting in November.

The video systems weigh about 500 pounds each, and losing that weight means improving the plane's fuel economy. A company spokesman says the move will save $10 million a year in fuel costs - and I'm sure those savings will be passed along to bored passengers right away.

So pack your iPod or a book. Of course, the added weight of those items in your carry-on bag will be charged against you when you board.

(Photo: dougbull)

A week without snark?

Snarky is the default setting in the blogosphere.

Defined in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as "sarcastic, impertinent, or irreverent in tone or manner," snarky is the preferred attitude for commentary on anything and everything.

But what happens if snarky takes a week off?

It's happening this week, through a harmonic convergence of summer vacations: Keith Olbermann is off this week from MSNBC's "Countdown" (though Air America's Rachel Maddow makes a good substitute), Jon Stewart's "The Daily Show" and Stephen Colbert's "The Colbert Report" are in reruns, and, locally, X96's "Radio From Hell" is playing "best of" snippets.

What's a snark-seeking blogger to do?

Should I redouble my efforts at being sarcastic? Find unflattering pictures of celebrities and write obnoxious captions about them? Pick on local newscasters for their shallow readings of important news stories?

Or maybe there's another way. Maybe I can write a blog that's positive. A blog that celebrates the good things in this world. A blog that sees an old lady in the crosswalk and tries to help her across, rather than kicking her in the shins. A blog that runs on hope, not snarkiness.

Nah.

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

No more Broken Record

Two of my fellow bloggers - Jamie Gadette at City Weekly and Vulture emeritus Dan Nailen at Salt Lake magazine - report that the Broken Record Bar & Grill (formerly Todd's), at 1051 S. 300 West, has bit the dust.

In other dead-bar news, the Zephyr Club remains shuttered after nearly five years, as the City Weekly's Bill Frost obsessively continues to chronicle. Come back to us, Bill - there are other places in this town where you can get drunk and listen to bad music.

Plans for tonight: Going for the gold

- Singer and multi-instrumentalist Gary Stoddard performs at 7:30 at the Anderson-Foothill Library, 1135 S. 2100 East, Salt Lake City; 7:30 p.m. Free.

- Lumpy's Downtown, 145 W. Pierpont Ave. in Salt Lake City, is staging the "1st Annual Bar Olympics," starting at 7:30 with a "torch crawl" involving several downtown drinking establishments. (Hat tip to Vulture emeritus Dan Nailen, on his "Lounge Act" blog at Salt Lake magazine.)

Labels: Tonight's schedule

Marcus at the movies

I ran into an increasingly familiar face at last night's promo screening for "Hellboy II: The Golden Army": Marcus, the one-named and many-tattooed Utah comedian who's a finalist on NBC's "Last Comic Standing."

Marcus sat in press row with some of his friends from KXRK-FM's "Geek Show" podcast, and riffed a bit about movies.

"What are we seeing? 'Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2'?" Marcus asked. "You know what they should call that? 'Sisterhood 2: The Pantsening.' " And he went on like that for about five minutes.

OK, so maybe you had to be there.

Labels: Marcus, Reality show

The ax falls

It's part of a newspaper employee's daily ritual: Check out Jim Romensko's industry blog to find out what paper has announced staff cuts today. (Yesterday it was 80 jobs at the Chicago Tribune.) It's the journalistic equivalent of reading the obits to see if you're still alive.

But yesterday's announcement that the Deseret News is cutting 34 newsroom employees brought the pain close to home.

In the Tribune newsroom, we all know people at the D-News, our crosstown rival - and although they're the competition, we have a lot of respect for most of them. So the news that some of them won't be writing for Salt Lake City's other newspaper is a body blow.

Just a few names you might know: Feature writer Elaine Jarvik, arts writer Susan Whitney, visual arts critic Dave Gagon, book critic Dennis Lythgoe, and the copy-producing machine that is Carma Wadley.

Even more, those who stay behind will have to pick up the slack. My friend Jeff Vice, the D-News' film critic, is keeping that job - but he also will be writing about visual arts (for the departing Gagon) and filling in on the book beat (to replace Lythgoe).

But finally, the news is a reminder of how precarious the newspaper industry - dealing with declining revenue and still scrambling to find a new business model in the Internet age - can be. Though the Tribune's management promises no layoffs or buyouts are coming, we all know the ax could fall at any time.

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Plans for tonight: Hey, man, no shot

- The re-formed Filter, the industrial-rock band led by Richard Patrick, plays the Avalon, 3605 S. State, South Salt Lake. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.; Opiate for the Masses is the opening act. Tickets are $16 at the door. UPDATE: This show has been canceled.

- Kenny Endo, player of the taiko (a Japanese drum), performs at 7 at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, 138 W. 300 South, Salt Lake City. Tickets are $20 (or $10 children, seniors and students), available at ArtTix.

- I don't know anything about this band (except that they're from North Carolina), but I love the name: I Was Totally Destroying It. Anyway, IWTDI is playing with The Good Bites and The Hotness at Kilby Court, 741 S. Kilby Court (330 West), Salt Lake City. Show starts at 7. Tickets are $7, available at 24Tix.

Labels: Tonight's schedule

Salt Lake Art Center: Well-endowed

The Salt Lake Art Center is cheering the gift of $500,000, an endowment from the estate of Judge Judith Faye Whitmer.

Whitmer, who was a SLAC trustee from 1970 to 1982, graduated from the University of Utah Law School and practiced as an attorney before being appointed as a juvenile-court judge. She also owned the now-defunct Southwest Shop in Salt Lake City's Ninth & Ninth neighborhood, and was on the board of the Sarah Daft Home.

The gift, which was announced at SLAC's annual gala last month, will go into the art center's endowment fund. The center's youth education program ArtWORKS will be renamed in Whitmer's honor.

Save the critics!

As newspapers are retrenching, reorganizing and cutting staff, one of the concerns is the loss of individual voices - particularly that of critics.

Over on my Movie Cricket blog, I've chronicled the loss of film-critic jobs across the country. Similar losses have been felt among TV critics, book critics and music critics, too.

The Music Critics Association of North America is circulating a letter (which industry blogger Jim Romenesko posted) to newspaper editors, begging them to keep classical-music critics on the payroll.

The letter cites several papers - the Seattle Times, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, the Kansas City Star and the Miami Herald - where the classical music critics took buyouts, were laid off or were reassigned. The group laments these decisions, as well as what it sees as a devaluing of the critical voice:

"Critics -- not just classical music critics, of course -- play an essential role in the artistic process, which involves an ongoing cycle of creation and reaction. But they typically do much more than write reviews. They produce a steady flow of feature stories and hard news, trend pieces, analyses and more... . They also serve, in effect, as consumer guides, helping people make decisions about how they spend or donate their money. Only a local paper can provide this benefit. And employing a staff critic sends a strong, clear message that the local paper recognizes the true value and newsworthiness of classical music in the community."

The problem, though, is that this particular ship has sailed. When the cutbacks started, the classical-music beat was among the first to go.

The Salt Lake Tribune has been without a full-time classical music critic for years. Currently the work is split between ace copy editor Catherine Reese Newton and some free-lancers.

The Tribune's arts-and-entertainment staff has six writers - a movie critic/columnist, me; TV critic Vince Horiuchi; pop-music critic David Burger; food writer Kathy Stephenson (food is a form of entertainment, apparently); and two general-assignment arts writers, Julie Checkoway (who has an emphasis on visual arts) and Roxana Orellana (whose main, but not only, beat is theater). And we're charged not only with writing reviews, but also blogs, previews, features and the occasional hard-news story. Oh, and we have to sweep up afterwards.

Eva talks about rehab - kinda

Actress Eva Mendes talks about her recent trip to Utah's Cirque Lodge in the upcoming Interview magazine - but she doesn't say a lot about it. (The interview isn't up on the magazine's web site yet, but The Huffington Post has excerpts.)

"There are so many lies out there regarding my recent trip to Cirque Lodge," Mendes tells interviewer David Colman (who kicked things of by telling a rehab joke that Mendes found "tacky"). "But I don't care what people think. I just don't care. So I will neither confirm nor deny. I think now we just know way too much about our celebrities. It's not that interesting when you know that much about people."

The issue hits newsstands July 15.

Monday, July 7, 2008

Plans for tonight: Native sound

- Wayne Gardner (pictured), a member of the Ute tribe, and the band Kokobolo play their blend of original folk-rock and traditional Northern Ute flute music - and kick off the Utah Arts Council's Mondays in the Park series - at 7 p.m. at the Chase Home Museum of Utah Folk Arts in Liberty Park (enter at either entrance - at 600 East, either at 900 South or 1300 South). Free.

- The Salt Lake City Film Center screens "Los Zafiros," a documentary about a Cuban singing group that was an international sensation in the '60s and '70s, at 7 at the Main Library auditorium, 210 E. 400 South. Free.

- Metal-core band UNDEROATH (and, yes, it's supposed to be in capital letters) plays at In the Venue, 579 W. 200 South. Doors open at 7; POS is the opening band. Tickets are $20 (day of show) at SmithsTix and 24Tix.

Labels: Tonight's schedule

Don't go too far

The hip word of the moment - that moment being when you notice your kids' tuition is going down your gas tank - is "stay-cation."

It's the notion that instead of driving long distances for your vacation and spending tons of money on $4-a-gallon gasoline, you can have just as much fun staying close to home.

The Tribune's Tom Wharton compiled a list of Wasatch Front attractions that would make good "stay-cation" destinations - from Gardner Village in West Jordan to Trafalga in Orem (with Thanksgiving Point's Museum of Ancient Life, pictured, somewhere in the middle).

Meanwhile, KSL has found some good news in high gas prices: Utah arts organizations may benefit from people staying closer to home. For example, the Utah Shakespearean Festival in Cedar City is reporting a 5 percent rise in ticket sales compared to last year.

(Photo: Chris Detrick/The Salt Lake Tribune)

Zion as musical inspiration

Zion National Park inspires some to take photographs, others to write poetry, others just to gawk at the beauty as they hike.

For composer Phillip Bimstein, Zion inspired him to buy a house in Springdale, serve as mayor twice, and become "composer in residence." And, as this profile that aired Friday on NPR's "All Things Considered" notes, it has inspired Bimstein to write classical works and ballads about the land and the people who are part of it.

"Zion National Park is not only the rock and the river," Bimstein said. "It is also the wildlife and the people who live there and have shaped the place."

(Photo: Lin Alder/courtesy NPR)

Friday, July 4, 2008

Happy Fourth of July!

I'm giving the Vulture a rest for the holiday. Enjoy your independence and see some fireworks. See you on Monday.

(Pictured: Jasper Johns's 'Flag', Encaustic, oil and collage on fabric mounted on plywood, 42 x 61 in., Museum of Modern Art, New York, 1954-55. Copyright Jasper Johns/Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY)

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Plans for the weekend: A red-hot Fourth

If you're looking for a fireworks show on the Fourth, check out this list of places to go. Otherwise, here's what's going on this weekend:

- Poison, the '80s hair-metal band now better known because two of its members - lead singer Bret Michaels and guitarist C.C. DeVille - are reality-show stars, plays EnergySolutions Arena tonight at 7:30 p.m. Dokken is the opening act. Tickets, from $29.50 to $49.50, available at TicketMaster. (And there's a Bret Michaels after-show party at Club Vegas, 445 S. 400 West. Tickets are $25, available at SmithsTix.)

- Dancer/choreographer Bill Evans performs a solo tap concert (joined for two works by Salt Lake City dancer Deborah Robertson), tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, 138 W. 300 South, Salt Lake City. Tickets are $15 (or $10 for students), available at ArtTix.

- Styx rolls out its '70s hits, Friday at 8 p.m. at the Cache County Fairgrounds, 400 S. 500 West, Logan. Tickets are $25 through SmithsTix.

- Kenny Rogers will know when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em in Wendover, Saturday at 8 p.m. at the Peppermill Concert Hall. Tickets range from $40 to $110, available through WendoverFun.com. Must be 21 or older.

- Girl in a Coma, a female San Antonio rock trio that has played the Vans Warped Tour, Sunday at 8 p.m., Burt's Tiki Lounge, 726 S. State, Salt Lake City. Tickets are $8, available at SmithsTix. Must be 21 or older.

- Constantines, performing blue-collar rock from Toronto, plays Sunday at 8 p.m. at the Urban Lounge, 241 S. 500 East. Tickets are $8 in advance, $10 on the day of show, through SmithsTix or 24tix.

Labels: weekend schedule

Little David's big debut

So how did David Archuleta, Utah's favorite "American Idol" runner-up, do on his first time out in front of a post-"Idol" audience?

Really good except for his wardrobe, according to a review of the first "American Idols Live" tour stop Tuesday night in Glendale, Ariz.

The Arizona Republic's Randy Cordova said the show overall was good - the awful group numbers were kept to a minimum, and Ramiele Malubay was the only clunker among the top 10 singers - but Archuleta was fantastic:

"Things hit ear-piercing levels when David Archuleta hit the stage. I always rooted for the kid on the show; on stage, he's equally impressive. He opened at the piano with Robbie Williams' 'Angels' and the purity and range of his voice was breathtaking. Then he took the dark angst of OneRepublic's 'Apologize' to illustrate how versatile his voice is and how it can be placed in different settings. Strangely, the only weak spot was the closer: Josh Groban's "When You Say You Love Me" is the kind of drippy song that he needs to stay away from, because he is capable of so much more. He also needs a new fashion coordinator: The shiny black slacks - were they leather? - and a jacket lined with glittery piping made him look ready for a gig on a cruise ship.

The tour hits West Valley City's E Center on July 14 and 15. Tickets are still available for the 15th at TicketMaster.

(Photo: David Wallace/The Arizona Republic)

Labels: David Archuleta

A job to die for?

We're scared people here in the newspaper business.

With newspapers announcing job cuts practically every day (The Los Angeles Times is the latest), we ink-stained wretches worry for our jobs while editors try everything they can think of to keep you readers from going away - even the desperate move of making reporters write blogs. (Ahem.)

But usually we're not in fear for our lives from our colleagues. Maybe we should be.

Former New York Times reporter and editor is publishing a murder mystery, Black and White and Dead All Over, which is evoking such descriptions as "inspired by real life" and "thinly veiled."

One character, seemingly based on former Times standards editor Allan M. Siegal, is found murdered in the first chapter, an editor's spike in his chest.

"I loved it," Siegal told Portfolio.com's Jeff Bercovici. "I had heard somewhere along the way that it was a roman à clef, so I asked him if I could see it. I found a great many people in it that I recognized. I think it was riotously funny."

An engaging 'Bitch' session

I spent an illuminating evening Wednesday in the basement of Sam Weller's Zion Bookstore, at a gathering of Salt Lake City feminists and would-be feminists.

The occasion was a discussion with Debbie Rasmussen, the editor of Bitch magazine, a journal of cultural criticism from a feminist perspective. And among the things I observed (besides the large number of upper-arm tattoos among young feminists) is how Rasmussen listened a lot more than she talked.

She got an earful from the 30-or-so people in attendance. She learned about the size and viability of Salt Lake's underground scene, the pervasive influence of the LDS church, the disconcerting link between activism and drinking establishments (young people "thought drinking was radical because most people in the [LDS] culture don't do it," said one participant"), and the difficulty of publicizing events like this.

Most of all, the assembled women and men agreed on one thing: The need to reclaim the term "feminist," which has been hijacked in recent years by conservatives and those aiming to thwart the movement. One participant quoted a bumper sticker, which she said often disarms those who object to the term: "Feminism is the radical belief that women are people." (UPDATE: Thanks to commenter Jamie for the correction of the quote.)

Weeding out chauvinism in media, which Rasmussen said is her magazine's goal, is a full-time job, though. "We've been around for 12 years and we haven't tweaked our mission in the slightest," she said. "There's just endless things to say."

For another view of the evening, check out Jamie Gadette's rundown on the City Weekly's blog.

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Plans for tonight: Talking culture

- A discussion, "Feminism In/Action: What Is Your Feminism For and Why Does It Matter," led by Debbie Rasmussen, publisher of Bitch magazine, 5-7 p.m., Sam Weller's Zion Bookstore, 254 S. Main St., Salt Lake City. The afterparty, with music by DJ Emily Allen, starts at 8 at Kayo Gallery, 177 E. 300 South, Salt Lake City. Both events are free, though a $5 donation is suggested for the party (proceeds going to the magazine).

- Tilly and the Wall, indie folk/pop, with opening acts Kid Theodore and The Devil Whale, 7 p.m. at Kilby Court, 741 S. 330 West, Salt Lake City. Tickets are $12 at 24tix.

- Chanticleer the Clever Cowboy (a k a Andrew Shaw) plays his eclectic acoustic folk as part of the Concerts by the Creek series, 7:30 p.m., Anderson-Foothill Library, 1135 S. 2100 East, Salt Lake City. Free.

Labels: Tonight's schedule

Hip-hop won't stop at Utah shop

For those who think "hip-hop culture" and "Salt Lake City" are mutually exclusive terms, the Tribune's Jennifer W. Sanchez introduces you today to Mouthpiece Jewelry.

The shop specializes in custom "grills," as well as designer shirts, hoodies, shoes and jewelry.

The store opened two years ago, Sanchez reports, though it closed for five months while owner Anthony "Train" Garcia recovered from being shot by an intruder at the store last October.

(Photo: Chris Detrick/The Salt Lake Tribune)

Sundance Channel goes on

Robert Redford says he is staying on as a consultant for the Sundance Channel, which was recently sold to Rainbow Media (owners of the cable channels AMC and IFC).

Redford told The New York Times that he plans to direct (and possibly appear in) a series of short films under the Sundance Channel brand that will screen exclusively on mobile phones. He also is pushing for two initiatives he couldn't get his old partners, NBC and Universal, to move on: Expanding the documentary programming on the channel, and taking the channel overseas.

Redford said he was “interested in new technology” but “ultimately interested in whether we’re providing stories well told.”

Labels: Robert Redford

The political power of celebrity

Yesterday I noted that Utah resident and world citizen Robert Redford had written an e-mail endorsement for Colorado Democrat Mark Udall, who's running for the U.S. Senate.

How much is such a celebrity endorsement worth? Depends on who you ask.

Stephen Baldwin - who qualifies, barely, for the title "celebrity" because he was on "Celebrity Apprentice" - opined Monday on Fox News that "what is freaky to me is the media and Hollywood is so convinced that Middle America and mainstream America cares what it thinks."

Baldwin then went on to endorse John McCain for president, and promised that he would leave the country if Barack Obama becomes president - a riff on brother Alec's promise, on which he reneged, to leave the country in 2004 if John Kerry lost. (This brings up two questions: 1. Isn't Stephen Baldwin leaving if Obama's elected what we would call a "win-win"? 2. What's Thanksgiving dinner like at the Baldwin house?)

Obviously, the answer to the question of "What's a celebrity's endorsement worth?" is "The same as anyone else's endorsement is worth." But not all celebrity endorsements are created equal.

Some celebrities - like Redford or Warren Beatty - carry more weight because they have reputations for thoughtful political involvement. Others (for example, Barbra Streisand) help bring in fundraising dollars. Republicans seem to like to be surrounded by action-movie stars (like Arnold Schwarzenegger, before he became a politician himself, or Chuck Norris) to give their candidates an air of toughness. Obama got serious traction from the endorsement of Oprah Winfrey.

People may listen to these celebrities' opinions - just as they listen to the opinions of their elected officials, their clergy, their relatives or their barber. How much weight each of those carries is up to the individual voter to decide.

Labels: Barack Obama, politics, Robert Redford

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Plans for tonight: Red, white and blue

- The Utah National Guard 23rd Army Band provides your patriotic-music fix, 8 p.m., Brigham Young Historic Park, State Street and North Temple. Free, but seating is limited.

- The Utah Symphony also gets all red-white-and-blue with Gershwin, Copland and more, 8 p.m., Utah Cultural Celebration Center, 1355 W. 3100 South, West Valley City. Free.

- "Perfecto," a film by climber/filmmaker Mike Call about climbing limestone cliffs on the coast of Mallorca, screens at 8, Tower Theatre, 876 E. 900 South, Salt Lake City. Tickets: $10 at the door.

Labels: Tonight's schedule

Burnout at "Stadium of Fire"?

If you're going to see Miley Cyrus at Provo's Stadium of Fire on Friday, consider this news (from The Onion) that it may be your last chance:

Meet the artists

In today's dead-tree version of the Culture Vulture, I talked with some Salt Lake City artists who were showing off their works at the just-completed Utah Arts Festival.

Alison Armstrong, Tessa Lindsey and Cat Palmer all have websites (who doesn't these days?), so you can appreciate their styles far beyond my meager abilities to describe them.

(Pictured: Work by Tessa Lindsey - ink, acrylic, & wax on paper.)

Labels: Utah Arts Festival

E-mail from the Sundance Kid

Colorado voters, about 50,000 of them, may be seeing an e-mail in their inbox from Robert Redford.

According to Rocky Mountain News columnist Penny Parker, The Sundance Kid sent out a campaign pitch for Mark Udall, the Colorado congressman who's running for a U.S. Senate seat.

Udall is the son of venerated Arizona congressman Mo Udall, the nephew of JFK's Interior Secretary Stewart Udall, and the cousin of New Mexico congressman (and U.S. Senate candidate) Tom Udall. And, yes, they're all Democrats.

It's not the first time Redford has helped Mark Udall - having recorded a robo-phone message for Udall's 2000 House campaign. "Some women saved that voice mail for such a long period of time," said campaign spokeswoman Tara Trujillo. "Some accidentally erased the voice mail and called our office back to see if [Redford] could re-record the voice mail."

Labels: politics, Robert Redford

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Feedback

If you have any hot tips - interesting art exhibits, weird experiences at the theater, unusual billboards, sightings of “High School Musical” stars at Crown Burger, whatever - send them along to me at vulture@sltrib.com.