- Singer-songwriter Kate Voegele (pictured at right), who appeared as a musician on the CW's bizarre drama "One Tree Hill," will play tonight at In the Venue, 579 W. 200 South, Salt Lake City. Doors open at 6. Tickets are $15, at SmithsTix or 24Tix. (Voegele is also giving a free live performance, being taped by her record label, tonight at 6 at the Graywhale, 390 N. 500 West, Bountiful.)

- The Utah Symphony finishes conductor Keith Lockhart's 10-year Mahler project with a performance of Mahler's Symphony No. 9, tonight and Saturday at 8 p.m. at Abravanel Hall, 123 W. South Temple, Salt Lake City. Tickets, from $16 to $51, available at ArtTix.

- WiseGuys comedy club opens its new location in Trolley Square - within the new restaurant Poundcakes, at the site of the former Hard Rock Cafe, on 500 South between 600 and 700 East, Salt Lake City - with shows by Marcus (the "Last Comic Standing" runner-up) tonight and Saturday, at 8 and 10 p.m. Tickets are $15, at SmithsTix.

- New York alt-rock band Making April plays (in April - what are the odds?) Saturday at the Avalon, 3605 S. State St., Salt Lake City. Opening acts are The Record Life and Jimmy Robbins. Show starts at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $10, at SmithsTix or at the door.

- The Utah Jazz try to even up the score against the Los Angeles Lakers, Saturday at 7 p.m., at EnergySolutions Arena, 301 W. South Temple, Salt Lake City. Tickets available at TicketMaster.

- Real Salt Lake faces the New England Revolution, Saturday at 7 p.m. at Rio Tinto Stadium, 9256 S. State St., Sandy. Tickets available at the Real web site.

- Rocker Chris Cornell, (pictured at left), the Soundgarden and Audioslave lead singer whose latest album "Scream" found him collaborating with hip-hop producer Timbaland, performs Saturday at 8 p.m. at The Depot at 400 W. South Temple, Salt Lake City. Tickets are $35, at SmithsTix.

- Heavy-metal champions Queensryche returns to one of their favorite haunts, The Depot at 400 W. South Temple, Salt Lake City, Sunday at 8 p.m. Tickets are $35, at SmithsTix.

Labels: Marcus, Real Salt Lake, Utah Jazz, weekend schedule

Unlike other sports, soccer doesn't provide enough breaks to let people go to the concession stand.

At a baseball game, there are breaks every half-inning. In football and basketball, you can go between quarters - or, frankly, during the game - without missing much.

But at a soccer match, when there may be only a single goal scored during an entire game, there's always the chance that goal will happen while you're in line ordering nachos.

A service debuting Saturday night at Rio Tinto Stadium, during Real Salt Lake's match against the New England Revolution, aims to answer that conundrum.

RSLExpress will allow fans to order food via text message - and have it delivered to their seats in the stadium. (You have to create an account online first, so the service can bill your credit card.)

The company behind the service, Mangia, is based in Salt Lake City, and was founded in 2007 by two Brigham Young University grads, Nate Checketts and Blake Ferguson. (Yes, Nate's dad, Dave Checketts, owns Real Salt Lake.)

If they can solve the problem of having to leave to use the restroom, they'll become billionaires.

Labels: Real Salt Lake, Rio Tinto Stadium

- Real Salt Lake, Utah's Major League Soccer franchise, plays its fifth-season home opener against the defending MLS champs, the Columbus Crew, at 7 at Rio Tinto Stadium, 9256 S. State St., Sandy. Tickets, from $18 to $60, are available on the Real web site.

- Utah artist Amy Caron unveils her performance-art piece "Waves of Mu" - billed as a "two-room show offers an experiential understanding of mirror neurons" - for a three-night run, starting at 8 at the Rose Wagner Black Box Theatre, 138 W. 300 South, Salt Lake City. Tickets are $20, or $15 for students, available at ArtTix. (The show continues Friday and Saturday.)

- Dark Star Orchestra - who don't like being called a Grateful Dead "tribute band," but folks who are "keeping the vibe alive" - will re-create a Dead show, starting at 8 at The Depot, 400 W. South Temple, Salt Lake City. Tickets are $25, at the door.

Labels: Real Salt Lake, Tonight's schedule

So how did Rio Tinto Stadium fare on its first night hosting Real Salt Lake? The early reviews in the blogosphere are positive:

• Michael Cardillo, AOL's FanHouse: "Watching the game on ESPN2 the new digs came across pretty well. Then again, it's always nice to be able to watch an MLS game that isn't dominated by NFL gridiron lines or artificial turf. ... Perhaps the oddest sight of the night came in the form of multiple, shall we say, MILFs flashing devil horns to the cameras. Not sure what that says about the state of Utah, but it probably bodes well for RSL."
• Dave Martinez, The Offside (blog of the New York Red Bulls): "Let me give credit where it is due - Rio Tinto Stadium is absolutely gorgeous. And the RSL fans were electric, as would be expected for the debut of their home stadium."
• Ridge Mahoney, Soccer America Daily: "The 20,008 fans, most bundled up in rather chilly weather of 47 degrees, put on their own show for a national ESPN2 audience. A bagpiper wailed in tribute to, presumably, RSL's resident Scots, defender Ian Joy and striker Kenny Deuchar. Fans in several sections sported king's crowns ('real' translates to 'royal'). Drumming and buzz reverberated throughout the facility for most of the match yet the excitement dissipated as RSL's efforts to score the winning goal fell short."
• Randy Davis, Goal.com: "Thursday begins a new era for soccer in Utah. This will be an era of soccer played on a spectacular pitch in a dazzling new stadium. There will be no odd bounces as a result of the unpredictable turf, and no unsightly football lines."

Perhaps the only people who didn't like the new stadium are those who left Thursday's match only to find their cars - parked at an abandoned Lowe's hardware store nearby - had been towed. According to KSL, car owners could get their cars back from Speedy Towing for $227, cash.

(Photo: Leah Hogsten/The Salt Lake Tribune)

Labels: Real Salt Lake, Rio Tinto Stadium