City Weekly September 9, 2021 by Copperfield Publishing

CITY WEEKLY C I T Y W E E K LY. N E T S E P T E M B E R 9, 2 0 2 1 — VO L . 3 8 N 0 . 1 5

THE

ISSUE

ARTS

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SALT LAKE

U TA H A R T S G R O U P S R E V U P T O F I N D A N E W N O R M A L . BY SCOTT RENSHAW AND BENJAMIN WOOD

CONTENTS COVER STORY

THE ARTS ISSUE Utah arts groups rev up to find a new normal.

By Scott Renshaw and Benjamin Wood

Cover photograph by Gentri Heidelbrook

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OPINION A&E DINE MUSIC CINEMA COMMUNITY

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OPINION

Check out weekly columns Smart Bomb and Taking a Gander at cityweekly.net facebook.com/slcweekly

DINE

Go to cityweekly.net for local restaurants serving you.

Twitter: @cityweekly • Deals at cityweeklystore.com

STAY INFORMED! Want to know the latest on coronavirus? Get off Facebook and check out these three online resources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov World Health Organization: who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019 State of Utah Coronavirus Updates: coronavirus.utah.gov

STAFF Publisher PETE SALTAS Associate Publisher MICHAEL SALTAS Executive Editor JOHN SALTAS News Editor BENJAMIN WOOD Arts & Entertainment Editor SCOTT RENSHAW Contributing Editor JERRE WROBLE Music Editor ERIN MOORE Listings Desk KARA RHODES

Editorial Contributors KATHARINE BIELE ROB BREZSNY TOM GOLDSMITH MIKE RIEDEL ALEX SPRINGER Production Art Director DEREK CARLISLE Graphic Artists SOFIA CIFUENTES, CHELSEA NEIDER Circulation Manager ERIC GRANATO

Associate Businesse Manager: PAULA SALTAS Technical Director BRYAN MANNOS Developer BRYAN BALE Sales Executives: KELLY BOYCE DOUG KRUITHOF KATHY MUELLER Display Advertising 801-716-1777 National Advertising VMG Advertising | 888-278-9866

Salt Lake City Weekly is published every Thursday by Copperfield Publishing Inc. We are an independent publication dedicated to alternative news and news sources, that also serves as a comprehensive entertainment guide. 15,000 copies of Salt Lake City Weekly are available free of charge at more than 1,800 locations along the Wasatch Front. Limit one copy per reader. Additional copies of the paper can be purchased for $1 (Best of Utah and other special issues, $5) payable to Salt Lake City Weekly in advance. No person, without expressed permission of Copperfield Publishing Inc., may take more than one copy of any Salt Lake City Weekly issue. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in whole or part by any means, including electronic retrieval systems, without the written permission of the publisher. Third-class postage paid at Midvale, UT. Delivery might take up to one full week. All rights reserved.

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SOAP BOX High and Dry

Climate change seems to have made the climate much less predictable. If precipitation in the Western United States over the next three years is 60% of normal, what will the consequences be? How about 40%, or 15%, of normal? Can’t happen? We don’t know that. Why are people moving to St George and Las Vegas (or Salt Lake!) when there is no water? If you turn the tap and nothing comes out, you might be compelled to tie a mattress atop your car and head back east, abandoning your now-worthless house. What if 40 million people do this? Is anyone examining these possibilities? If not, why not? JOHN BURTON

Magna

Sham Government?

Linguist Noam Chomsky is known for mincing no words about the corruptions of political power. Yet when asked whether “government of the people, by the people, for the people is just a sham” at the end of an interview by John Roberts for CounterPunch (Aug. 27), Chomsky insists that it is only “if we let it be,” and that Americans could instead “choose to exercise” their ability to turn their nation into a “cooperative commonwealth.” This is at odds with Chomsky’s preceding replies, which detail how the United States wages war in ways that not only contradict popular opinion but violate its own laws. Chomsky’s 1973 book For Reasons of State took its title from a passage by Russian anarchist Mikhail Bakunin about how “the State is the organized authority,

@SLCWEEKLY domination and power of the possessing classes over the masses.” Chomsky holding out hope in 2021 that the people can and should “take the reins of government into their own hands” likewise ignores Bakunin’s observation that the state’s use of force necessarily “shatters the universal solidarity of all men on the earth, and brings some of them into association only for the purpose of destroying, conquering and enslaving all the rest.” Chomsky himself documented in Objectivity and Liberal Scholarship how the “organs of power and administration remained separate from the central Republican government” in the social movements fighting the fascist seizure of power during the Spanish Civil War, yet he reinforces what Larry Gambone calls “the myth of socialism as statism,” the very

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conflation of popular and political power for which Chomsky famously took mainstream historians to task. Modern-day popular movements seeking an end to social warfare could do well to rediscover the forms of voluntary socialist organization noted by Chomsky and Gambone. They should also revive Bakunin’s vigilance against the “bold plunder” and “shabby betrayal that [is] daily being perpetrated by the representatives of the states.” JOEL SCHLOSBERG

The William Lloyd Garrison Center for Libertarian Advocacy Journalism Care to sound off on a feature in our pages or about a local concern? Write to comments@ cityweekly.net or post your thoughts on our social media. We want to hear from you!

THE BOX

If you could choose the next POTUS, who would it be? Pete Saltas

I think America needs to take a cycle off from presidents and chill out for four years to find itself once again.

Tom Metos

John McClane from the Die Hard movie series. Bruce Willis kicks ass.

Aspen Perry

Elizabeth Warren. She is a boss bitch in the absolute best way, and would give our government the smack down it needs to thrive.

Benjamin Wood

Literally anyone who is not an old, straight, white man.

Chelsea Neider Michelle Obama.

Deno Roumpos

John Saltas. Bringing back “Sex Sundays”!

Bryan Bale

I think Stacey Abrams (former member of the Georgia House of Representatives) would be near the top of my list of people to consider.

Mike Ptaschinski

Pete Buttegieg—intelligent, composed, open-minded, energetic ... I could keep going.

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OPINION

Surreal in America W

hen René Magritte painted an exact replica of a pipe in 1929 with the inscription “Ceci n’est pas une pipe (This is not a pipe),” he may have been prescient. Ninety-two years later, America’s political right-wing base has taken this surreal premise to its extreme, claiming that “Joe Biden is not the President.” The deconstruction of reality also applies to the Jan. 6 insurrection. With hundreds of miles worth of videotape as evidence, Republican senators who ran for their lives that day added a surreal flavor by claiming “This is not an insurrection.” Surrealism turns 100 this year if we count Max Ernst’s painting “The Elephant Celebes” as its auspicious beginning. Ernst radically transformed perceptions of standard images, in this case elephants. He also added a nude headless woman to the canvas and fish swimming in the sky. Surrealism’s objective was to play with perceptions of reality and appearances while also questioning assumptions about what we believe to be true or false. We might as well be describing America today. Today, the surrealist imprint on America

B Y T H E R E V. T O M G O L D S M I T H pushes the boundaries of reality to its exhausting limits. Is America even comprehensible anymore, as truth is unmoored like a kite torn loose by a shoreline breeze? Globs of misinformation are applied to the national conversation as quirky and selfserving opinions are merited equal status with science. America has become surreal. It’s as though reality has a trap door through which we have unwittingly fallen. We are left to figure out an entirely new gestalt. We must wrestle with images that have no connection with what we have always assumed to be true. The popular surreal artist, Salvador Dali, introduced a different set of norms altogether. He depicted a liquefied watch, a lobster as the receiver on a telephone, giraffes on fire and a still life with food floating above the table. This surreal vibe infects our nation today with conspiracy theories rendering images of Italian satellites turning votes for Trump into votes for Biden. Democratic leaders allegedly run a pedophile ring in the basement of a Washington pizzeria. Reality takes a huge hit, and recovery remains elusive. We commonly use the term “surreal” to mean an alternative reality. It can be applied to objects or concepts. Suddenly there are no rules to tether us to a once-familiar world. It’s as though reality is overrated. When religious fundamentalists, in

all their pietistic tones, endorse a president whose moral repugnance is beyond the pale, it feels like gravity has quit working. Nothing makes sense, a surreal objective. The writer André Breton, author of the Surrealist Manifesto and considered the father of surrealism, summed up the movement perfectly as liberation from “the reign of logic.” Influenced by Freud, he exclaimed: “Can’t the dream be used in solving the fundamentals of life?” The quest to reject a rational vision of life not only marks the revolutionary beginning of surrealism, but also captures the mindset of half the American population today. The idea that what you see is not necessarily real provides ample justification to dismiss actual events as “fake news.” Freed from logic, subconscious impulses gain free reign. With Freud’s blessing, the dream state evolves into a “super-reality” more commonly referred to simply as surreal. Contemporary America feels shamelessly surreal. Logic no longer applies. Everyone is handed a clean canvas to inscribe their own reality. A century ago, surrealists juxtaposed jarring images, and now we too must contend with disturbing mismatches. The unsettling manner by which the American flag is wrapped around voter suppression brings the veracity of American freedom into question. An image of the Statue of Liberty might as well proclaim: “Ceci n’est pas la liberté.”

Will our nation’s mimicry of surrealism ever end? This is not easy to envisage. Surrealism itself never actually ended. Some argue that surrealism ceased when André Breton died in 1966, extending hope to those who assume our current cognitive disruption will end with the demise of Donald Trump. Surrealism, however, continues to flourish with many new artists pursuing the same old agenda of a superreality. Museums never tire of surrealism as they repeatedly present new exhibits of those 100-year-old artists. And the surreal writer, Franz Kafka, has made an entrée into video games these days with Kafkaesque backdrops for players who cannot distinguish what is real on the screen. In trying to figure out our nation, many of us simply shrug our shoulders and say: “How surreal!” Our psyches are torqued like having a crustacean as a telephone receiver. Whether surrealism describes an art movement or our current political morass, the prospects of it disappearing are slim. Not until we can provide an image of our nation with the caption: “Ceci n’est pas l’Amérique,” will we be able to step out from under the shadows of American surrealism. CW Private Eye is off this week. Send feedback to Tom Goldsmith, minister emeritus at Salt Lake City’s First Unitarian Church, to comments@cityweekly.net.

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HITS&MISSES BY KATHARINE BIELE @kathybiele

HIT: Designing a Living Space

Well, there has to be something to celebrate in the apocalypse, and maybe it’s the environment—or what’s left of it. Amid the frantic rush to build for the oncoming urban masses, there is happily one architectural firm trying to address the end of humanity as we know it. Arch Nexus spent the pandemic thinking up ways to construct a living building. “The idea is to demonstrate and to set an example that architecture can … be resilient, it can be inspiring for sure. It can provide all of its own electricity on an annual basis. It can recycle and reuse water. It can incorporate agriculture,” Arch Nexus spokesman Brian Cassil told the Deseret News. The News ran its story in May, months before The Salt Lake Tribune decided that it was worth a Sunday spread in the paper. Why is it so important? The Salt Lake area was ranked eighth for the nation’s worst air quality— and the air quality is only getting worse. Good on you, Arch Nexus. Now convince the city council to require builders to walk this talk.

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MISS: Until Morale Improves

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Utah is way ahead of some other red states in forcing slackers back to work. More than 7 million Americans just lost their “massive” $300-a-week bump in unemployment insurance and certainly will be persuaded to return to employment. Never mind that the pandemic is worsening day-by-day, that child care is out of reach for many and that many of these low-paying jobs offer no benefits. Oh, and many are facing eviction, which a minimum-wage job will not address. For Utahns, the enhanced benefits disappeared in June because Republicans “believe in the value of work.” A KUTV-2 report found only a slight increase in hiring and quite a bit of weakened spending. Economists Peter McCrory and Daniel Silver of J.P. Morgan warned that the loss of income could result in more job losses. And in keeping with the Republican war on women, the pandemic and joblessness have most significantly impacted females.

MISS: Canyon Traffic Jam

Getting up the Cottonwood canyons isn’t about to get any easier, and the ideas being tossed around are something of an environmental nightmare—gondola or bus. Those are the choices, and they are both bad choices, the Salt Lake County mayor told KUTV-2 News. The gondola ride would no doubt be expensive, long, and hard on the mountain. But some people think it looks fun. An enhanced bus lane isn’t much better. You’ve still got traffic and a road that would need to be widened. Parking, parking, parking is a problem, too, whether at the mouth of the canyon or at the top. There are other alternatives, but none have been considered. Taking reservations or making the roads one-way during certain hours are both non-starters. Some skiers have just given up or headed for different resorts. Ultimately, if you believe in the free market, discouraged customers may just solve the problem.

CITIZEN REV LT IN A WEEK, YOU CAN CHANGE THE WORLD

Local Media Now

Utahns have been trying to “save” local newspapers—most prominently The Salt Lake Tribune—for years. As the arc of local news changes, you may wonder what’s happened to your favorite rag. Even the Deseret News, with all of its church funding, has struggled and no longer prints a daily paper. “Local news fosters civic engagement, holds public officials accountable and is broadly seen as more trustworthy than national news,” writes the Hinckley Institute of Politics, which will present The Role of Local Media. Panelists from the Tribune, the Deseret News, and the University of Utah political science department will examine how different ownership and funding models affect news coverage, and what is at stake when we lose local news outlets. Has all of the change had an impact on the public? Hinckley Institute of Politics, 260 S. Central Campus Drive, Room 2018 or Virtual, Monday, Sept. 13, 12 p.m., free. https://bit.ly/3BFTEwa

Clean the Weber River

People are trashy. If you live or play by the Weber River, you’ll see the signs of human waste and degradation. The conservation group Fish for Garbage invites you to “remove garbage from the waterway to restore a healthy riparian ecosystem, enjoy the outdoors, make some friends and win prizes” at its annual Weber River Cleanup. Debris that accumulates in rivers, lakes or oceans can smother natural habitats, alter the amount of light entering underlying waters and deplete oxygen levels in the water. Humans can turn this around and save aquatic organisms as well as this natural riverway. Lunch will be offered. Weber River Float parking lot off Interstate 84 in Croydon, Saturday, Sept. 11, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Free/ register at https://bit.ly/3DIkmWD

Watch the Gerrymander

This is your time to watch and attend public meetings of the Legislature as they take part in the decennial effort of redrawing the state’s political boundaries. While voters approved Proposition 4 to create an independent redistricting commission, that commission is only advisory. The ultimate decision on boundaries will be up to the Republican-dominated state House and Senate. However, public pressure and eyes on the process could persuade lawmakers to be fair. Check out each public meeting of the Utah Legislative Redistricting Committee in Ogden, Logan, Orem and Salt Lake City. Thursday, Sept. 9: 2 p.m.— Ogden Station Browning Theater, 501 Wall Ave., Ogden; 7 p.m.—Mount Logan Middle School, 857 N. 200 East, Logan. Monday, Sept. 13: 6 p.m.—Grand Ballroom, Utah Valley University, 800 W. University Pkwy, Orem. Tuesday, Sept. 14: 7 p.m.—North Star Elementary, 1545 Morton Drive, SLC. Free/ hybrid. https://bit.ly/2WLdffC

What About The Commission?

Not to be confusing, but the gerrymandering project includes both the Legislature and the voter-supported Utah Independent Redistricting Commission. Come hear a panel that includes Gordon Haight, the commission’s executive director, former Democratic Rep. Karen Hale and Republican Sen. Lyle Hillyard. At Redistricting Utah, they will discuss the progress, hopes and work of the commission. Virtual, Wednesday, Sept. 15, 7 p.m., free. https://bit.ly/3BGdWpe

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ENTERTAINMENT PICKS, SEPTEMBER 9-15, 2021

Complete listings online at cityweekly.net

Your fall planting headquarters

No composer deserves more credit for providing that stirring combination of sound and spectacle than John Williams. His riveting orchestrated soundtracks grace an extraordinary array of big screen blockbusters, among them, the Star Wars saga, Jaws, E.T. The Extraterrestrial, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jurassic Park and the first three Harry Potter films. Indeed, with five Academy Awards, 52 Oscar nominations, four Golden Globes, five Emmys and 25 Grammys, Williams remains one of the most celebrated artists in film history, one who sets a cinema standard. The Utah Symphony’s upcoming performance of Williams’ complete musical score for 1983’s Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi will provide virtual live mutual accompaniment for a special screening of the film classic. Conducted by Conner Gray Covington, the music will elevate the onscreen action as Luke Skywalker and his friends desperately try to rescue Han Solo from the clutches of Jabba the Hut, even as the evil Darth Vader plots to destroy the Rebel Alliance. Expect

LUCASFILM SLASH DISNEY

Utah Symphony: Return of the Jedi in Concert

a stunning sensory experience, one designed to entice serious music lovers as well as those forever enthralled by this sci-fi classic. After all, who better than the Utah Symphony to deliver the soaring sounds this epic entails. We tip our lightsabers in a celebratory salute. Return of the Jedi will be performed on Sept. 9-10, 7 p.m. at Abravanel Hall (123 W. South Temple). Tickets are priced from $30 $95, available via the USUO mobile app, online at utahsymphony.org, calling 801-533-NOTE (6683) or through all ArtTix outlets. (Lee Zimmerman)

Pioneer Theatre Company: Ain’t Misbehavin’ Some people speculate that when COVID finally subsides, the country’s gonna go crazy, ushering in a prolonged period of revelry and rejoicing reminiscent of the so-called “Roaring Twenties” a century ago. It was a time that found folks shedding their inhibitions, breaking with tradition and dancing along to the jazz, jump, jive and swing echoing from speakeasies, saloons and practically every place where the upper crust of society gathered. Whether you believe that prediction or simply want to bask in some nostalgia, Pioneer Theatre Company’s production of Ain’t Misbehavin’ offers an ideal opportunity to recall the joy and jubilation that emerged from an earlier era of peace and prosperity. Taking its cue from the ragtime rhythms and stride piano stylings of musician, composer and entertainer Thomas “Fats” Waller, it’s a rowdy, rollicking and often raucous revue, an ideal antidote for these tumultuous times. It boasts several timeless standards—“Honeysuckle Rose,” “Black and Blue,” “This Joint is Jumpin’,” “I’ve Got a Feeling I’m Falling” and, of course, the title tune—along

BW PRODUCTIONS FOR PIONEER THEATRE COMPANY

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ESSENTIALS

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with a talented cast that gives each numbers the sass and charm they deserve. Given the fact that PTC was forced to cancel its entire 2020-2021 season due to the pandemic, consider this a comeback as well. Ain’t Misbehavin’ will be presented at Simmons Pioneer Memorial Theatre, 300 South 1400 East, Sept. 10-25. Showtimes are 7 p.m., Monday – Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. with Saturday matinees at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $33 - $50. Visit pioneertheatre.org for additional info. (LZ)

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SEPTEMBER 9, 2021 | 11

ENTERTAINMENT PICKS, SEPTEMBER 9-15, 2021

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The Sting & Honey Company: Waiting for Godot According to The Sting & Honey Company’s creative director Javen Tanner, it had long been part of the plan to restage the company’s very first show, Waiting for Godot, as part of the company’s 10th anniversary. As it turns out, the fact that this anniversary falls in the midst of the COVID pandemic might add an additional layer of significance to the play. “After what the last year and a half has been,” Tanner says, “it’s very existential, such a surreal existential experience to go through this pandemic.” Samuel Beckett’s 1953 play—focusing on two characters interacting as they wait for the arrival of the titular Godot—has become something of a paradigm for surrealist theater, but for Tanner, it’s important to think about it in terms beyond its academic presentation. “Sometimes the way people were taught this play in high school or college, was that it was this existentialist tract,” Tanner says.

LAURA D’AGOSTINO

Inspire - Awaken - Transform

Complete listings online at cityweekly.net

“But it’s a funny play, and a beautiful play. I’m trained as a clown, and it’s a clown play. We’re hitting the jokes and having fun with it. As I work on Shakespeare, Chekhov and Beckett, the way you get at the depth of the tragedy is through the comedy.” Waiting for Godot plays Sept. 10-25 at the Regent Street Black Box of the Eccles Theater (131 S. Main St.). Performances are Thursdays – Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., with 2 p.m. Saturday matinees; tickets are $12-$25. Masks are strongly recommended for all patrons; visit arttix.org to purchase tickets and for additional event information. (Scott Renshaw)

Doctor Finnegan’s Circus featuring “Le Carnivale Toxique” The circus sideshow has always carried a hint of the forbidden, with its history of barkers summoning curious passersby to witness the strange sights within a tent or storefront. That tradition of craziness continues with Doctor Finnegan’s Circus, visiting Utah this week. The Louisiana-based traveling troupe—headlined by Doctor Finnegan, Chip Rascal and the Reverend Sean Theroux (pictured)—has spent more than a decade bringing American sideshow-style entertainment around the country. Their show offers a theatrical spin on familiar offerings like sword swallowing and the bed of nails, and their work has earned them honors like a Top Performance award at the 2019 Southern Sideshow Hootenanny in New Orleans. Their Sunday show this week will featuring an opening act from Salt Lake’s own Puppets in the City presenting “Le Carnivale Toxique,” a tale of would-be thieves discovering a carnival in the alley where they’re hiding out; scheduled performers include the Acrobats of O’possum Imposdiboe, the Fantastique Fishman, Madame Le Roche and the Giant

COURTESY PHOTO

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ESSENTIALS

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Indestructible Tardigrade. Kenshin Taiko drumming rounds out the wide-ranging experience. The show visits Salt Lake City’s Alliance Theater in Trolley Square (602 E. 500 South, Suite 101) for one show only, a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday, Sept. 12, with tickets $15 general admission. There will also be a livestream option for watching the performance at home, with tickets $10. Additional local events are scheduled Sept. 10 at Mark of the Beastro, and Sept. 11 at Prohibition in Murray. Visit showclix. com/event/dr-finnegan-s-circus-at-alliancetheater for tickets and, finneganscircus.com for additional information. (SR)

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THE

ARTS ISSUE

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Scott Renshaw Arts & Entertainment Editor

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s was the case for a lot of things in 2020, our annual City Weekly Arts Issue didn’t happen. It proved pretty impossible for us to preview what would be taking place in the Utah arts scene when there was no way to be sure what could be taking place—where it could be happening, how people could be watching, etc. And if it was impossible for us, imagine what it was like for the organizations and creators in the arts community themselves. Nobody is operating under the delusion that we’re back to “normal,” but the 2021 City Weekly Arts Issue is in some ways all about how the local arts community managed to survive 18 months of complete chaos and what that community looks like from where we stand now. We talked to local arts leaders about how organizations adapted and the tools they were able to use to allow them to even consider a 2021-2022 arts season. The King’s English Bookshop founder Betsy Burton talks about how the pandemic shaped her decision to retire. We offer some “must-see” items to remind you of the unique parts of the Utah art scene that you should experience now and that you shouldn’t take for granted that they’ll always be there. For those ready to support the community however they can, we’ve included a calendar of upcoming performing arts productions. (A directory to local art galleries and museums is available online at cityweekly.net.) We’re still not sure what the rest of 2021 will bring, but we know that 2020 taught us how much we should value the arts community we have in Utah. Here’s to them, and to the creative spirit that lets us believe they’re never leaving us.

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State of the Arts

The Living Traditions festival adopted a multi-venue format for its 2021 event

A look from the top at 18 tumultuous months of adaptation and survival. BY SCOTT RENSHAW scottr@cityweekly.net @scottrenshaw

Memories of March

In March 2020, after weeks of uncertainty, the world as we knew it took a radical turn as the lockdown period commenced, and most Utah businesses—including artistic and cultural venues—closed their doors. Throw in an earthquake just a few days later, and the sense of instability only became more pronounced. “We started, and we stopped, and we started, and we stopped, and we started again,” recalls Felicia Baca, director of the Salt Lake City Arts Council. “When we left the office, we put some voicemail reminders on and said, ‘We’ll be back in two weeks,’ and none of us really knew what was coming.” Like a lot of people, Vicki Bourns—director of the Utah Division of Arts & Museums—also thought that the shutdown period would be short-lived. “Early on, I was optimistic, thinking this would be over by fall of 2020,” she says. “Things shifted, and we realized that wasn’t going to happen. We made some strategic decisions about not meeting in person, so we wouldn’t be spinning our wheels planning something, then having to pull back.” Bourns adds that the earthquake delivered a double whammy to the tremendous challenges involving the

TRISTAN SADLER

t already feels like an eternity ago, but there was a moment there—in the late spring of this year—when it felt like a corner had been turned. Events calendars that had been empty or filled with virtual events suddenly started to promise festivals, performances and other ways to appreciate the arts live and in person again. After more than a year, we saw a light at the end of the tunnel. And then that light turned out to be the lamp on a runaway train called the Delta variant. The ongoing uncertainty about what to expect a few months or even a few weeks down the road now feels like a part of life for all of us, and the Utah arts community has faced unique challenges in figuring out how to invite patrons back safely in the face of rising case counts and confusing, counterproductive or unenforceable rule-making at various levels of government. But through it all, these organizations keep moving forward, surviving on a combination of crucial funding support and creative thinking. As we reach a milestone 18 months into the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders of local arts organizations and government arts entities are able to reflect on a time of ever-evolving plans and rapid pivots to remain vital and relevant. Where the state of the arts in Utah might have seemed precarious not too long ago, these voices now paint a picture of cautious optimism for a community that has always shown a passion for supporting the arts.

state’s own art collection, including damage to storage facilities. “It was a tense and stressful time,” Bourns says. “We have a way of storing the art, and they all collapsed. Paintings were like dominos against the wall. It took us a while to get in and figure out what was going on.” All organizations faced the uncertainty of the new disease, including lack of definitive information about what activities and behaviors were most dangerous, and what it would take to return to “normal.” But at the governmental level, groups began working together on solutions in a way that the participants describe as immediate and nearly unprecedented. “We immediately joined in with our partners around the state,” Bourns says, “and for a while did a weekly call to try to share information, whatever resources we knew.” “What really stands out for me,” Baca says, “is that probably more than any time I’ve experienced in my career, a number of organizations and governments and individuals came together in a really collaborative way to solve these challenges. Despite physical distance and working from home, I’ve seen my peers and colleagues more than I ever have.”

tural community groups that they serve. “A lot of those communities may not have digital or promotional assets for their food truck or their community nonprofit or dance group,” she says, “so it became not only documentation for future generations, but an important tool for, essentially, promoting the small businesses that artists are.” Derek Dyer, director of the Utah Arts Alliance, also believes that the pandemic provided an opportunity for new creative thinking, even though different kinds of organizations faced different kinds of challenges with such adaptation. “It may be easier for smaller or mid-size organizations to pivot a little more,” Dyer says. “If you’ve been doing the same thing for half a century, it might be a little harder to change direction. … But figuring out new ways to be able to connect with the community is only going to be good for the community going forward. Like thinking of alternative venues—we’re going to use a parking lot, or a drive-in, or whatever. That doesn’t need to end when COVID ends. A theater group can think, ‘We don’t necessarily need to spend $10,000 on a venue for this play; let’s go to a park.’”

Thinking Differently

Staying Alive

If the earliest days of the pandemic were spent focusing on what people shouldn’t do, the ensuing weeks for arts organizations became a test of figuring out what they could do. If they couldn’t gather audiences in a theater, could they do it virtually? If they couldn’t perform inside, could they do it outside? And could arts organization employees apply their skills to different notions, like Pioneer Theatre Co.’s costume shop creating masks from archived costumes? “I was so impressed with all of the groups we worked with,” Bourns says. “They all did such an incredible job. … All of the dance companies—Ballet West, Ririe-Woodbury, Tanner Dance and more—started to stream performances, but also dance classes and interactive activities. We actually learned that sometimes performing virtually allowed more access. As much as we love to meet in person, our state is so large. Having some trainings and classes and workshops allowed us to have more people participate.” Baca notes that the long-running Living Traditions Festival adapted by moving its typical annual event—held in a single location at the Salt Lake City & County Building—to multiple venues around the valley, in addition to creating the “Living Legacy” series of online videos. Like many of the innovations necessitated by the pandemic, Baca believes this can have an ongoing positive impact on the cul-

As much as organizations and individuals were able to come up with some innovative ways to keep creating, they still faced tremendous financial pressures from the inability to operate normally. Those pressures took varying forms, from the loss of admissions revenue during closures to the additional costs that some venues incurred once they began operations again. “Zoological organizations and botanical gardens were among the first allowed to open,” Bourns says, “and even though they had to reduce their capacity, it actually took more people to safely sanitize and ensure proper distancing. Even though they were allowed to open, they lost so much money, because they needed so much stuff to get people through their facilities.” Among the keys to keeping organizations solvent was the funding at the federal level through the 2020 CARES Act and 2021 American Rescue Plan (ARP), which was administered through the state. According to Laurel Cannon Alder, grants manager for the Utah Division of Arts & Museums, more than $26 million was disbursed at the state level to roughly 150 organizations and 800 individual artists. And that funding was able to get into the right hands with surprising efficiency. “We were one of the first state agencies to have alloca-

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Public funding through Zoo, Arts & Parks helped keep doors open

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All the world was a stage for scaledback performances

tions from the state Legislature to fund impacted organizations,” Alder says. “It usually takes us months to plan for and open a grant, but we were able to work exceptionally quickly to get money where it was needed.” “We had this large wave of emergency funding,” Baca says, “and we thought, ‘We’re going to develop rubric and criteria, make the application process easy so that people can access what they need.’ … At a time when swiftness was important, we were really able to expedite payments, and we were able to do it as teams that might really never have worked together before.” “We did see in the early days that the need outweighed the demand,” Baca adds, “and that’s still the case. … While we know that demand exceeded what there was, we’re all seasoned grant-makers. That’s something we’ve done before. But it’s still hard, still instances where there wasn’t enough to go around.” In addition to the emergency funds provided by the federal and state governments, many local arts organizations also benefited from the stable source of revenue provided by the Salt Lake County Zoo, Arts & Parks (ZAP) program. ZAP director Kirsten Darrington says that in 2020, nearly $19 million was provided to 220 recipients. “We were holding our breath at the beginning of 2020, [expecting] we’d see a big hit to the revenue stream,” Darrington says. “But our program did much better than others; we were pretty flat, which was a huge sigh of relief for our grantees.” Darrington says that while the ZAP program is not completely unique nationwide—similar funding structures exist in cities like Denver, and in communities in Pennsylvania and Ohio, for example—it’s a relatively uncommon type of public funding source for local arts organizations. And its importance to the recipients is something that Darrington was extremely aware of over the past year. “What has been most surprising to me,” she says, “is hearing from different sizes of organizations—whether it’s a multimillion-dollar organization or one that’s all volunteer. It was, ‘We could keep our doors open because of ZAP, we didn’t have to lay anyone off.’ … I kept thinking, ‘Oh, we’re going to see people close their doors.’ But I haven’t been hearing that.”

“Plan A, B, C and D”

Surviving financially has been challenging enough over the past 18 months. A different kind of challenge emerged, however, from the inability to make plans that would make sense a few weeks down the road. Whether it was from the earliest realizations that this wouldn’t just be a shutdown of a few weeks, to the troubling COVID-19 spike resulting from the Delta variant, to shifting public health guidelines, the idea of “long-range planning” has begun to seem almost comical. “For us, having to already go through 2020 with COVID and having to pivot,” Dyer says, “we’ve had to have plan A, B, C and D, wherever we are in the moment. Everyone postponed events until the fall, so now everyone’s competing for the same events for the same audience. It’s frustrating for everyone. You’re having your 20,000 person festival the same weekend as another one? Maybe you only get 10,000. “One of the things that was frustrating to me was, come the spring, we went from like zero to 100 [percent] overnight, rather than kind of babystep towards recovery,” Dyer adds. “The flood waters were released in the spring. For our organization, we still kind of tried to pull back and keep some precautions in place.” “Planning is much more difficult, because we are still living in uncertain times,” Bourns says. “What we’re planning for is, it’s easier to plan for smaller events. I think what I’m hearing or seeing is that masks are starting to be required in theaters again. We’re planning to continue to do things either in a hybrid or virtual model as we move forward.” “It’s, of course, challenging,” Baca notes, “but I feel like we have acclimated in a way, where our expectations for a week-to-week period are very real. … The name of the game is responsiveness. If you feel that you’re helping, or making someone safe or making sure someone gets paid, you’re driven to do that.”

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Film fans attend an outdoor screening from the Utah Film Center

Prognosis Positive

In the midst of such uncertainty and pain—both physical and fiscal—it’s understandable that emotions can fluctuate almost as much as the conditions of the pandemic itself. There have been periods of optimism that seem to be followed almost immediately by shifts to greater concern. So where does the Utah arts community find itself not just after this particular 18-month leg of the COVID journey, but looking toward the future? It’s certainly true that organizations and individual artists have felt the impact of the pandemic, in ways as varied as their fields—and that the cancellation of arts events impacts parts of the community beyond the artists themselves. “There are different parts of the arts community that may be struggling more than others,” Baca says. “An art gallery for a visual artist is very different from a promoter of a concert. As a state, and by the numbers, we did better than other states. But we still have artists who are struggling. And there is a trickledown. People who go to a Twilight Concert spend on dinner, a babysitter, public transit—so there’s an economic ripple effect.” For most of the local leaders however, including Baca, the picture is relatively optimistic, in large part due to the way arts organizations have almost always had to deal with big challenges to their existence. “Most of us struggle with something or another constantly, whether it’s funding or locking down permits,” Dyer says. “We’re always running into impossible obstacles and hurdles. It’s just part of the job. A lot of us in the arts are artists, too, so using that creative problem-solving process has helped a lot in this sector.” Bourns adds, “What’s really incredible is our resilience. It’s been hard. There have been times it’s been really hard. But we have pulled ourselves together, we’ve done what we’ve needed to do. We’ve pushed through. It shows the discipline in our fields. It’s really helped us to be resilient—rehearsing every day, even if you don’t feel like rehearsing. We’ve internalized that ethic.” Darrington offers a similar sentiment, one that underlines the notion of artists not just as creative problem-solvers, but as survivors: “One of the amazing things to me is that there never was a sense of, ‘We’re giving up.’ It was, ‘Let’s find a way through this.’ That sense of resilience is so baked into the arts and nonprofit community, that if anyone could make it through, it would be them.” CW

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Betsy Burton on running The King’s English through the pandemic and her decision to retire. BY SCOTT RENSHAW scottr@cityweekly.net @scottrenshaw This summer, Betsy Burton retired from and sold The King’s English Bookshop after more than 40 years in operation. She was generous enough to respond via email about the store’s history, and her future plans.

City Weekly: Did the challenges of the past 18 months ultimately convince you that now was the right time to retire?

Betsy Burton: I was already thinking of retiring—was well past 70 and looking for someone to buy in—when COVID raged into our lives and suddenly all we could think of at TKE was survival. Many of us chose to stay home because they or family members were at high risk, and we closed our doors to the public. Those of us who felt safe going in with masks found ourselves working in a new environment—a book warehouse. We took orders by internet and phone, our customers were amazingly steadfast, and we scraped by for several months. But business slowly dwindled, and survival became a real issue. In August, things were desperate enough that we sent out a plea to our customers—at which point we received so many internet orders, we were completely inundated. Our customers’ loyalty literally saved us. (Al-

Betsy Burton welcomes a new generation of booksellers

How did you get into bookselling in the first place?

A friend and I were renting the two rooms which are now the fiction and poetry rooms and working on bad novels. To put off the work at hand, we started dreaming about opening a bookstore with chairs and little rooms where we would serve tea and encourage browsing and talking about books. It seemed like such a good idea, we did it.

Best TKE memories you’ll take with you?

One of the early ones was buying the building. Our landlord kept asking me out—I didn’t want to go, but by then, my partner and I were so in love with the store that I didn’t know what to do. So, I mortgaged my house and bought the building. Extreme, but it turned out to be a good business decision. In the ’90s when the chains came and gobbled everything up so that rents skyrocketed, ours didn’t. And to think I did it to get out of a date! Chief among my memories are the years spent talking about books with customers, colleagues and fellow booksellers. And, of course, the events: midnight Harry Potter parties, writers from E.L. Doctorow to Margaret Atwood, Ivan Doig to Kent Haruf, Abraham Verghese to Isabel Allende, Anthony Doerr to Richard Powers. Just writing their names is an incantation of magic.

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English Lesson

though, the sheer volume of their orders nearly killed us, too. Not that we’re complaining!) We’re open again, thank God, and business is nearly back to normal. Oh, we still wear masks, we keep the doors open and the fans going, our events are mostly virtual, but The King’s English Bookshop feels much like its old self again. And to (finally) answer your question, this experience, as bracing as it was, signaled to me that it was truly time to retire. However necessary, I didn’t like life as a warehouse worker. And the digital world is one I’ve entered only unwillingly. A new generation can do the work of the book business far more gracefully than I. So, the decision was a relief.

The online era has radically changed the marketplace for books. Why do independent bookstores remain important?

We’ve learned to participate in the online marketplace, and after a rocky start, we’re up and running effectively. I believe any business needs to do both to be successful in today’s world. But it’s the physical bookshop and the books and booksellers inside it that matter. The carefully selected inventory and the staff—all passionate about books, knowledgeable, in love with our customers and each other—make TKE what it is. We are a community, and very much a part of our greater community. On 9/11, we were swarmed—not with people in search of books but with people who needed a place to find others to talk to. To find solace. Community.

How did your customers and staff make it possible to keep going during COVID?

I already answered this question above, but I’d like to add my gratitude to our customers everywhere. I will never forget that out-

pouring of support, people offering money, emailing, calling, donating monthly until we were back on our feet! I knew people loved the store but had no idea of the depth of their feelings. When I talk about it, I start crying. And the staff. Tireless, dedicated in ways I couldn’t begin to describe. What became clear to me, if I hadn’t already known it, is that this isn’t my store at all. It is their store.

What’s next for you as you change gears?

The good news is, I’ve found someone wonderful to buy my share of the store. Calvin Crosby is experienced, kind, knowledgeable, literary, creative. What’s more, he’s a joy to be around! So, I can rest easy on that front. And I do enjoy putting words on a page, so I think I’ll write another book. Not about the bookstore this time, that I do know. But for now, that’s all I know. I’ll continue editing The Inkslinger (the store’s quarterly newsletter). That’s my baby, and I’m not ready to give it up. But otherwise, what I most want is time just to be. And to read, of course. CW

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Don’t wait too long to check these local art classics off your bucket list. BY BENJAMIN WOOD bwood@cityweekly.net

emember the beginning of summer, when it felt like everything we Salt Lakers love was coming back for good after a COVID-imposed shutdown? The Delta variant and the shrugging indifference to human suffering displayed by our elected leaders put an end to that kind of optimism, but hope—as they say— springs eternal. As we have all been newly reminded that life is fragile and time waits for no one, here’s a few of my suggestions for taking in the local arts scene while you still have the opportunity. Want to add to my list? Send your arts “must-sees” to comments@cityweekly.net.

Red Butte Garden Outdoor Concert Series

Sure, most of us who attend a concert at Red Butte are relegated to the cheap seats—if you can get a ticket at all—but it’s still hard to beat the venue’s bring-yourown-blanket lawn seating and bring-your-own-beer hospitality. With the Wasatch mountains on one side and the setting sun on the other, it’s no surprise that organizers regularly pull in big-name acts as they tour the country, as well as showcase the Utah Symphony orchestra (tip: those performances are often the least expensive on the Red Butte roster—and some of the last to sell out). redbuttegarden.org/concerts

South Salt Lake Mural Walks

The greater Salt Lake area is blessed with an abundance of excellent street art (tip: check out runner and mural-mapper Bryant Heath’s @slsees Instagram account), but South Salt Lake has taken things to another level with its annual Mural Fest. The event—its fourth was held last spring—sees 10 pieces commissioned by the city each year, all clustered in the vicinity of South Salt Lake’s burgeoning brewery row. The past years’ walking routes, or a full Google map of the city’s murals, are available at themuralfest.com. Grab a beer or two while you check it out. themuralfest.com

Mural stroll: “Sanacion A Madre Tierra” by RootsArtCollective located at Mr. Muffler 107 W. 2100 South

From Eric Biggart, who suggested this item: “There is no reason Anthony’s should exist in Salt Lake City, but it does, and we are all better for it. Anthony’s is three stories of world-class European, American, Utah and Asian art, furniture and decorative pieces. They are truly unparalleled in their mastery and knowledge, so every visit is a learning experience. If you are fortunate enough to purchase a piece for your home, congratulations!—you have a conversation starter for the rest of your life. There may only be a handful of galleries on this side of the pond that compare in quality, scale and just plain old awe.” More information at anthonysfineart.com.

Gilgal Sculpture Garden

No list of quintessential SLC art spaces is complete without mentioning Gilgal, the collection of bizarre Latter-day-Saint-themed sculptures tucked away off 500 South just east of Trolley Square. The infamous Joseph Smith sphinx is the marquee attraction, but there’s considerably more to see throughout the garden and plenty of quiet corners to take a break away from the bustle of Salt Lake City’s larger, more visible parks. (Tip: If you’ve already been to Gilgal, other sculptures noted by readers included the UFO missionaries on 300 South, the cats at Steenblik Park and the sugar beets in and around Hidden Hollow) gilgalgarden.org

Ballet West

There’s a reason Utah’s own Ballet West is among the most widely recognized and renowned dance companies in the country. After almost 60(!!) years in operation, Ballet West is as impeccable as ever, expanding its reach into film and television projects and maintaining a seemingly nonstop performance schedule. That the company performs in the historic Capitol Theatre—a bucket list venue in its own right—is just icing on the cake. (Tip: Salt Lake is home to a wealth of live dance performances. Among numerous regional and community dance companies, there are standouts like Ririe-Woodbury Dance Co., Repertory Dance Theatre, Odyssey Dance and the University of Utah’s Marriott School of Dance, which showcases the work of university students and faculty.) balletwest.org

THEMURALFEST.COM

My Must-Sees

Anthony’s Fine Art and Antiques

Late Nights at the Tower Theatre

COVID put the brakes on the Salt Lake Film Society’s annual Summer Late Nights series, a funky collection of cult classics, experimental horror and other genre fare that play to an equally funky crowd through the wee hours of the morning. But the Film Society’s brick-and-mortar venues—Broadway Centre Cinemas and Tower Theatre—are scheduled to reopen this fall, just in time for January’s Sundance Film Festival, which is planning to host in-person screenings again after an onlineonly event last year. Keep an eye out for special SLFS screenings after October, as well as the titles in Sundance’s grab-bag “Midnight” category, which fit the Tower like a glove. saltlakefilmsociety.org

Utah Museum of Fine Arts

Museums are often on the lists of places to visit when a person travels but are sometimes neglected by the folks at home. If you fit that category, then it’s high time you made a point to patronize the state’s flagship art space. Even if you’ve been before, Utah Museum of Fine Arts’ rotating collections mean there’s always something new to see, like the “Space Maker” exhibit on display from now through December. The collection—composed of work by University of Utah faculty—features a variety of media, and explores the myths and histories that shape our experiences of the world around us. (Tip: Looking for more things to do? Visit cityweekly.net for online listings of galleries and museums. Keep reading for local performance calendars.) umfa.utah.edu. CW

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The Show Must Go on!

Utah Performing Arts Calendar 2021-22 Schedules subject to change due to evolving pandemic conditions. Ballet West & Ballet West II balletwest.org Oct. 22-30: Dracula Nov. 5-6: The Little Mermaid Dec. 4-26: The Nutcracker Feb. 11-19: Romeo & Juliet April 1-9: Carmina Burana / Glass Pieces May 11-15: Choreographic Fest V Broadway at the Eccles saltlakecity.broadway.com Oct. 26 – Nov. 13: Disney’s Frozen Nov. 30 – Dec. 5: Mean Girls Dec. 28 – Jan. 23: Hamilton Feb. 15-20: Anastasia March 15-20: The Band’s Visit May 10-15: Jesus Christ Superstar June 14-19: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Aug. 2-7: Hadestown Sep. 6-11: To Kill a Mockingbird Egyptian Theatre Co., Park City egyptiantheatrecompany.org Sept. 10-19: 9 to 5—The Musical

Oct. 29-31: Evil Dead Film Fest with Bruce Campbell Nov. 12-27: Monty Python’s Spamalot May 19-29: Pump Boys and Dinettes Good Company Theatre goodcotheatre.com Sept. 16 – Oct. 3: Fremont Jr. High is NOT Doing Oklahoma! Nov. 4-21: Heartbreakers in Hell Jan. 13-30: Two Character Play March 24 – April 10: Man and Moon May 5-22: it’s not a trip, it’s a journey Hale Centre Theatre, Sandy hct.org Through Oct. 23: The Secret Garden Sept. 13 – Nov. 20: The Mousetrap Nov. 8 – Jan. 8: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Nov. 29 – Dec. 27: A Christmas Carol Jan. 10 – April 2: One for the Pot Jan. 29 – March 19: Treasure Island April 18 – June 18: The Light in the Piazza June 15 – Aug. 13: Singin’ in the Rain June 27 – Aug. 27: Silent Sky

Live at the Eccles live-at-the-eccles.com Sept. 12: Bill Maher Sept. 16: Armchaired & Dangerous Live Sept. 25: The Last Podcast on the Left Sept. 26: Bianca Del Rio Oct. 14: Tom Segura Nov. 17: David Sedaris Nov. 19: Hasan Minhaj Nov. 20: Alton Brown Nov. 21: Cirque Musica Holiday Spectacular —Continued on p. 28

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Live at the Eccles (continued from p. 26) Dec. 14: Mystery Science Theater 3000 Live Jan. 29: Fran Lebowitz Feb. 26: Jo Koy March 4-6: Riverdance March 7: Neil deGrasse Tyson March 22: Trixie and Katya Live March 28-29: Carol Burnett April 9: #IMomSoHard May 5: Whose Live Anyway Odyssey Dance odysseydance.com Sept. 20 – Oct. 30: Thriller Dec. 17-23: It’s a Wonderful Life Pioneer Theatre Co. pioneertheatre.org Sept. 10-25: Ain’t Misbehavin’ Oct. 22 – Nov. 6: Ass Dec. 3-18: Elf: The Musical Jan. 14-29: A Messenger Feb. 25-March 12: Something Rotten April 1-16: Fireflies May 13-28: Hello, Dolly!

Repertory Dance Theatre rdtutah.org Sept. 30 – Oct. 2: North Star Nov. 18-20: Compass Jan. 7-8: Emerge March 5: Regalia April 21-23: Six Songs from Ellis Ririe-Woodbury Dance Co. ririewoodbury.com Sept. 16-18: Total Ellipse Jan. 26-29: Fill in the Blank April 27-30: Lo and Behold Salt Lake Acting Co. saltlakeactingcompany.org Sept. 29 – Oct. 31: Four Women Talking About the Man Under the Sheet Dec. 3-30: Elephant & Piggie’s ‘We Are in a Play!’ Feb. 2 – March 6: Egress April 6 – May 15: Passing Strange July 13 – Aug. 21: SLC Cabaret 2022 Sting & Honey Theatre Co. stingandhoney.org Sept. 10-25: Waiting for Godot Dec. tbd: This Bird of Dawning

Plan-B Theatre Co. planbtheatre.org Oct. 29: Radio Hour: Sleepy Hollow Feb. 17-27: The Clean-Up Project April 7-17: Aftershock June 9-19: Mestiza, or Mixed

Tuacahn tuacahn.org Now – Oct. 21: The Count of Monte Cristo Now – Oct. 22: School of Rock Now – Oct. 23: Beauty and the Beast: The Musical Nov 26 – Dec. 22: A Christmas Story

Pygmalion Theatre Co. pygmalionproductions.org Oct. 8-23: Tragedy Averted Feb. 11-26: Bella Bella May 6-21: Body Awareness

Utah Opera utahopera.org Oct. 9-17 The Barber of Seville Jan. 15-23 Flight March 12-20 Tosca May 7-15 The Pirates of Penzance

—Continued on p. 30

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Betsy! Thank you for 40+ years of creating community and generations of book lovers.

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20% off a single title

We’re Open 24 /7 www.k ingseng at lish.c We sell audio a om nd ebooks too.

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Welcome Calvin to the helm, as we sail into the next 45+ years of loving books!

Bon Voyage,

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—Continued from p. 28 Utah Shakespeare Festival bard.org Through Oct. 9: Cymbeline Through Oct. 9: The Comedy of Terrors Through Oct. 9: Intimate Apparel Through Oct. 9: The Pirates of Penzance June 20 – Sept. 8: All’s Well That Ends Well June 21 – Sept 9: Sweeney Todd June 22 – Sept. 10: King Lear June 23 – Oct. 8: The Sound of Music June 24 – Sept. 9: Trouble in Mind June 25 – Oct. 8: Clue July 12 – Oct. 8: The Tempest Utah Symphony utahsymphony.org Sept. 9-10: Films in Concert: Star Wars: Return of the Jedi Sept. 16-18: Hilary Hahn plays Brahms Sept. 24-25: Stravinsky & Rachmaninoff Oct. 21-23: Brahms 4, Verdi & Rota Oct. 29-30: Films in Concert: Back to the Future Nov. 2: Salute to Youth Nov. 5-6: Brahms Piano Concerto No. 1 Nov. 12-13: Pink Martini Nov. 18-20: Tchaikovsky 4, Arlene Sierra & Prokofiev Nov. 27-28: Messiah Sing-In Dec. 3-4: Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto Dec. 10-11: Ingrid Fliter plays Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2 Dec. 16-18: Holiday Pops starring Jodi Benson Dec. 18: Here Comes Santa Claus Dec. 21-22: Films in Concert: Home Alone Jan. 7-8: Walker, Grieg & Stravinsky Jan. 27-29: Rachmaninoff, Honegger & Nathan Lincoln de Cusatis Feb. 3-5: Ravel, Liszt & John Adams

Feb. 11-12: Bravo Broadway! A Rodgers & Hammerstein Celebration Feb. 18-19: Daniel Lozakovich plays Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto Feb. 24-26: Films in Concert: Harry Potter and the HalfBlood Prince March 3-5: Louis Schwizgebel plays Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 12 March 17 & 19: Carnival of the Animals with Children’s Dance Theatre March 24-26: Beethoven 6, Sibelius & Buxtehude April 8-9: Hilary Hahn plays Ginastera and Serasate April 15-16: Haydn 11, Arlene Sierra, Nielsen & Elgar April 21-23: Cirque de la Symphonie April 28-30: Steven Osborne plays Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 May 20-21: Messiaen, Smetana & Sibelius 2 May 27-28: Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, Messiaen & Ravel Wiseguys Gateway wiseguyscomedy.com Sept. 10-11: Sean Patton Sept. 16: The Dollop Sept. 17-18: Roy Wood, Jr. Sept. 21: The Minimalists Sept. 23-25: Jon Lovitz Sept. 26: Aaron Woodall Oct. 1-2: Shayne Smith Oct. 8-9: David Spade Oct. 12: Jeff Allen Oct. 14: Cameron Esposito Oct. 21: Garrett Gunderson Oct. 22-23: Gary Gulman Nov. 13-14: Kristina Kuzmic Nov. 19-20: Felipe Esparza Nov. 26-28: Christina P

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SEPTEMBER 9, 2021 | 31

Sehr Gut ! Old world flavor in the heart of Salt Lake

20 W. 200 S. SLC | (801) 355-3891

32 | SEPTEMBER 9, 2021

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siegfriedsdelicatessen.com

...this Summer enjoy Fess Parker’s Riesling Chardonnay @the Utah State Wine, Liquor Stores; AS SEEN ON “ DINERS, DRIVEINS AND DIVES”

Serving American Comfort Food Since 1930 -91 YEARS AND GOING STRONG-BREAKFAST SERVED DAILY UNTIL 4PM-DELICIOUS MIMOSAS & BLOODY MARY’S-TAKEOUT AVAILABLE“In a perfect world, every town would have a diner just like Ruth’s”

“Like having dinner at Mom’s in the mountains” -Cincinnati Enquirer

-CityWeekly

4160 EMIGRATION CANYON ROAD | 801 582-5807 | WWW.RUTHSDINER.COM OPEN THURSDAY THRU MONDAY -CLOSED TUESDAY & WEDNESDAY

ALEX SPRINGER

Award Winning Donuts

The Local Greek’s reopening is a love letter to second chances.

D DIPPE

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AT A GLANCE

Open: Tues.-Thurs., 11 a.m.-8 p.m., Fri., 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Sat., 5 p.m.-9 p.m. Best bet: The classic gyro Can’t miss: Save room for the galaktoboureko

HAND

| CITY WEEKLY |

nyone who enjoys dining out in Utah has seen how badly the COVID-19 pandemic has ravaged our neighborhood eateries. Local institutions have ended decades-long runs, and we’ve seen hotshot upstarts burn out before they could even get their feet on the ground. Amid this catastrophe, however, we’re also starting to see formerly-closed restaurants rally their strength and reopen. It’s a thought-provoking lesson in persistence to walk into a restaurant like The Local Greek (1764 W. 5400 South, 801-996-3042, thelocalgreek.com), whose team recently reopened after closing doors on their Riverton location earlier this year. Like a gastronomic phoenix, this locally-owned fast-casual Greek and Mediterranean restaurant has reemerged—and it’s better than ever. Owned and operated by the Patmides family, The Local Greek quickly became a lunchtime favorite when its Riverton location opened a few years ago. Outside of the fact that this neighborhood joint was the only place you could get a decent gyro in the Riverton/Herriman area, it quickly became a place that welcomed regulars and newcomers alike. Its closure tells the tale of many neighborhood restaurants that provided the vital combo of good food and good company that our local communities

PLENTY OF PATIO SEATING

BY ALEX SPRINGER comments@cityweekly.net @captainspringer

or as a side in the souvlaki brings a welcome dose of citrus wherever it ends up on your plate. In addition to its main menu, The Local Greek also prides itself on its baking chops—diners can end their meals with sweet treats like baklava ($6), loukoumades ($7) or my new favorite to eat and say out loud, the galaktoboureko ($6). I respect the simplicity of traditional Greek desserts; there’s not much to them, but each ingredient has a chance to really knock your socks off if you let it happen. The crisp, caramelized envelope of phyllo dough surrounding chopped nuts soaked in syrup that makes baklava so beloved is front and center at The Local Greek—fans of this dessert won’t be disappointed. You also can’t go wrong with the spongy, doughnut-like balls of joy that are loukoumades. But as I devoured my generous portion of galaktoboureko, I became quickly enamored at the balance of textures between the laminated exterior and the custardy interior. Imagine a good bread pudding mixed with a Dutch baby pancake and you’re getting somewhere near the experience. This one is something special. With some new digs at its disposal and a new neighborhood to impress, The Local Greek seems to be making all the right moves thus far. Its menu remains packed with Greek favorites that can stack up to any other Mediterranean place in town, and its social media pages are abuzz with new events, menu items and other fun things to look forward to. Second chances are a rarity, but the team at The Local Greek seems to be savoring every moment of this reinvention—now is a great time for fans of Greek food to pay them a visit and do likewise. CW

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There Goes My Gyr

desperately need. Its new location in Taylorsville hopes to recreate that communal magic for its new audience and, based on my most recent visit, I’d say it’s off to a good start. Quite unintentionally, I visited The Local Greek on National Gyro Day; my internal food radar must have simply felt it in the air. I went with the lamb gyro ($10) and an order of galaktoboureko ($6), and found a spot to reflect on the restaurant’s new digs. I couldn’t help but feel like the Patmides family and their team used the closure as an opportunity to reinvent the place just a bit. It remains a casual eatery, but the recessed booths—bedazzled with framed photos of the Patmides clan on their many travels—and Mediterranean aesthetic do an admirable job of transporting diners to a coastal café. Gyros at The Local Greek definitely look the part—seasoned strips of lamb, fresh tomato, red onion and a healthy dollop of tzatziki stuffed inside warm pita bread— but it was the addition of fries that caught my attention. I’m not sure I’ve ever had a gyro stuffed with fries, but I had zero problems with this preparation. These are the kind of accidentally-perfect fries that you have likely had at some point in your life—browned to perfection with plenty of crunch around the edges. On this gyro, they completely come to life. The lamb and tzatziki are also near perfection—it’s as fine an example of this classic Greek dish that one can get in these parts. The foundational elements of The Local Greek’s gyro also make up the other items on the lunch menu. You can get these wellprepared items in a rice bowl ($10), a salad bowl ($10) or a souvlaki platter ($11). You can’t really go wrong since the available proteins—chicken, pork or lamb—are prepared with such delectable skill, but I have to say the salad bowl is an unexpected win. It’s prepared with crisp veggies, but the olives and thick cubes of feta cheese really make this stand out as an option for someone trying to cut down on their carbs. Also, the lemon rice that comes in the rice bowl

705 S. 700 E. | (801) 537-1433

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34 | SEPTEMBER 9, 2021

GRAPEFRUIT BACK PORCH Great Beer, No Compromise

30 E KENSINGTON AVE SLC, UT 84115

WWW.ROHABREWING.COM

onTAP

A list of what local craft breweries and cider houses have on tap this week

2 Row Brewing 6856 S. 300 West, Midvale 2RowBrewing.com On Tap: Feelin’ Hazy

Moab Brewing 686 S. Main, Moab TheMoabBrewery.com On Tap: Bougie Johnny’s Rose

Silver Reef 4391 S. Enterprise Drive, St. George StGeorgeBev.com

Bewilder Brewing 445 S. 400 West, SLC BewilderBrewing.com On Tap: Blueberry Pomegranate Sour

Mountain West Cider 425 N. 400 West, SLC MountainWestCider.com On Tap: Elliot Gold Hard Cider

Squatters 147 W. Broadway, SLC Squatters.com

Bohemian Brewery 94 E. Fort Union Blvd, Midvale BohemianBrewery.com Bonneville Brewery 1641 N. Main, Tooele BonnevilleBrewery.com On Tap: Peaches & Cream Ale

Ogden River Brewing 358 Park Blvd, Ogden OgdenRiverBrewing.com On Tap: Injector Hazy IPA Policy Kings Brewery 223 N. 100 West, Cedar City PolicyKingsBrewery.com

Desert Edge Brewery 273 Trolley Square, SLC DesertEdgeBrewery.com On Tap: Fresh Brewed UPA

Proper Brewing 857 S. Main, SLC ProperBrewingCo.com On Tap: Whispers of the Primordial Seai

Epic Brewing Co. 825 S. State, SLC EpicBrewing.com On Tap: Imperial Pumpkin Porter

Red Rock Brewing Multiple Locations RedRockBrewing.com On Tap: Baked Pastry Stout

Fisher Brewing Co. 320 W. 800 South, SLC FisherBeer.com On Tap: Red Ale

RoHa Brewing Project 30 Kensington Ave, SLC RoHaBrewing.com On Tap: Arma-Chillo Amarillo DryHopped Pale Ale

Grid City Beer Works 333 W. 2100 South, SLC GridCityBeerWorks.com On Tap: Extra Pale Ale Hopkins Brewing Co. 1048 E. 2100 South, SLC HopkinsBrewingCompany.com On Tap: Chili Mangose Hoppers Grill and Brewing 890 E. Fort Union Blvd, Midvale HoppersBrewPub.com Kiitos Brewing 608 W. 700 South, SLC KiitosBrewing.com Level Crossing Brewing Co. 2496 S. West Temple, South Salt Lake LevelCrossingBrewing.com On Tap: You-tah Coffee Uncommon

Roosters Brewing Multiple Locations RoostersBrewingCo.com On Tap: Cosmic Autumn Rebellion SaltFire Brewing 2199 S. West Temple, South Salt Lake SaltFireBrewing.com On Tap: Mobius Trip on Plums Salt Flats Brewing 2020 Industrial Circle, SLC SaltFlatsBeer.com On Tap: Baja Mexicana Ale Shades Brewing 154 W. Utopia Ave, South Salt Lake ShadesBrewing.beer On Tap: Grapefuit Seltzer

Strap Tank Brewery Multiple Locations StrapTankBrewery.com Springville On Tap: PB Rider, Peanut Butter Stout Lehi On Tap: 2-Stroke, Vanilla Mocha Porter TF Brewing 936 S. 300 West, SLC TFBrewing.com On Tap: Edel Pils Talisman Brewing Co. 1258 Gibson Ave, Ogden TalismanBrewingCo.com On Tap: Japanese Rice Lager Toasted Barrel Brewery 412 W. 600 North, SLC ToastedBarrelBrewery.com Uinta Brewing 1722 S. Fremont Drive, SLC UintaBrewing.com On Tap: Was Angeles Craft Beer UTOG 2331 Grant Ave, Ogden UTOGBrewing.com On Tap: Mandarina Kolsch Vernal Brewing 55 S. 500 East, Vernal VernalBrewing.com Wasatch 2110 S. Highland Drive, SLC WasatchBeers.com Zion Brewery 95 Zion Park Blvd, Springdale ZionBrewery.com Zolupez 205 W. 29th Street #2, Ogden Zolupez.com

Two beers that rely on rice and oats for their flavor

MIKE RIEDEL

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1048 East 2100 South | (385) 528-3275 | HopkinsBrewingCompany.com

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UTOGBrewing.com 2331 Grant Ave, Ogden

Ogen’s Family-Friendly Brewery with the Largest Dog-Friendly Patio! Restaurant and Beer Store Now Open 7 Days a Week!

SEPTEMBER 9, 2021 | 35

roper - Oat Face Killah: A play on the name for the lead member of the hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan, this new NEIPA comes in a 16-ounce can with a uniformly hazy (not murky) golden-orange body. A frothy white head rises to ultimately reach just over a finger high, with pretty good retention. Stick your nose into your preferred glassware and you’ll notice that the beer gives off a mostly equivalent mix of tropical and citrus fruity hops, with the slight edge going to the citrus, particularly grapefruit (top player here), tangerine and orange. Mango, passionfruit, berry/grape and floral tones fill things out, while a dusty oat smell quickly becomes apparent. This is definitely one of the more unique IPAs I have had in some time, as the opening is pure hop bliss and the finish is like a bowl of mush. The bright hops stay true to the aroma with grapefruit and tangerine blasting out the gate, moving onward to mango, passionfruit, peach, pine resin, berry and floral tones. Once the beer is gone and a few moments pass, the tsunami of oats (relative to other brews with oats, anyway) rushes onto the palate. Although this is the first IPA I can think of with real oat flavor, this is where oats traditionally do their magic, and it pays off as the silky pillow texture on the palate supports the hops. A touch creamy and chewy, and wonderfully smooth. Overall: The golden age of Utah “hazys”

OUTDOOR SEATING ON THE PATIO

BY MIKE RIEDEL comments@cityweekly.net @utahbeer

continues, and is arguably in its prime and/or peaking with IPAs like this. Waves of citrus crash onto a beach of oats—a really nice experience. It’s amazing how much the standards have shifted in the 20-plus years that I’ve been enjoying craft beer. Talisman - Japanese Rice Lager: As the name states, this new lager from Ogden’s Talisman Brewing Company is light golden in color due to the amounts of pilsner malts and the added rice. It’s capped with a nice amount of pilsner foam. The aroma adds to the standard Bohemian profile a surprising orange note. It is not actually that specific, but it is floral and citric, and to me it is closest to orange. A bit of toastiness emerges too, but that seems to transform into herbal notes after the first minute or so. Naturally, as the beer warms, the 5.0 percent alcohol starts to push through. The taste is smooth—the aforementioned floral citric notes, together with the initially assertive bitterness that one starts to get used to quite quickly. This comes across very much like Saaz hops, or possibly Sterling. The initial flavor has an almost lemony character that is dry with a hint of mild grassiness. This gives way to an assertive hoppy finish that is quite herbal, with more grassy and sweet herbal notes. The hop character is backed by toasted grains and biscuit malt, while the rice ensures a dry clean finish Overall: This adjunct lager manages to retain its crispness and drinkability, which is what I really love about the Japanese style. This one just adds a ton of hops, which makes it all the more tasty. Plus, the lack of alcohol allows the malt and rice to shine. It’s a really nice example of lager style that few breweries in the market have attempted. The Japanese Rice Lager is in limited production and is available on draft at Talisman’s brewery, off of 12th Street in Ogden. Oat Face Killah’s 7.5 percent ABV puts it out of draft range, but the boys and girls at Proper made plenty to go around in this limited, first time run. As always, cheers. CW

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Adjunct Professors

BEER NERD

the

BACK BURNER BY ALEX SPRINGER @captainspringer

Utah, meet your new favorite pizza!

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Full bar Family Friendly Your neighborhood spot for live sports & events 1465 S. 700 E. 801.953.0636 BRICKSCORNERSLC.COM

Oktoberfest Pizza

featuring smoked pork hock and mashed potatoes! Also, serving German Pilsners & appetizers

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It’s once again time for SLC VegFest, Salt Lake’s biggest celebration of all things plant based. Organized by the Utah Animal Rights Coalition, SLC VegFest focuses on the tasty possibilities that plant-based food has to offer. Attendees can expect a wide range of plant-based eats provided by local businesses along with opportunities to learn more about sustainability and connect with other like-minded organizations and resources within our community. In addition to a plethora of great food and onsite cooking demonstrations, attendees can enjoy live music and kid-friendly activities throughout the festival. SLC VegFest takes place on Sept. 11 from 12 p.m. - 8 p.m. at Library Square (200 East 400 South).

U TA H

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MON-THU 11a-11p FRI-SAT 11a-12a SUN 3p-10p

Vegan and Vegetarian Dishes at JINYA Ramen Bar

Speaking of tasty plant-based food, the team at JINYA Ramen Bar (multiple locations, jinyaramenbar.com) recently announced some new vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options. The Tsunami White Pearl, for example, is made with vegan broth, Impossible meat and a variety of veggies like spinach, broccoli, onions and crispy garlic along with their famous homemade noodles. Other plant-based entrees include the vegan crispy rice with guacamole and the sauteed broccolini. JINYA will also offer a build-your-own bowl that can be made with vegan broth and vegan protein along with a choice of gluten-free noodles. Plant-based ramen fans can definitely look forward to warming up with some tasty ramen just in time for the cold weather.

Celebrat i

36 | SEPTEMBER 9, 2021

SLC VegFest

THE ORIGINAL, LOCALLY OWNED DEEP-DISH PAN PIZZERIA

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Utahns of a certain age will no doubt remember latenight Sconecutter runs. This Utah original once had locations all across the valley, and their ability to make scones into colossal sandwiches or syrupy desserts was a boon to teenagers and college students for decades. Which is why seeing the last Sconecutter location officially close feels a bit like having a part of your adolescence shut down forever. My own personal nostalgia aside, Sconecutter was a quintessentially Utah business—everybody here loves a golden-brown scone, and it’s always sad to hear that such delightful pockets of deep-fried goodness are that much harder to come by. We’ll miss you, Sconecutter. Quote of the Week: “Veganism is not a sacrifice. It is a joy.” –Gary L. Francione

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As we mourn the loss of Jonah, we remember the moments that we were able to share with him. Whether you knew him only briefly, or for a long time, he left his mark and impacted so many lives. Please join us as we celebrate our friend with music, laughter, and a raised glass. The Jonah Glenn Memorial Coat Drive benefiting the students of Midvale Middle School will kickoff the night of our tribute. We will be accepting new or gently used coats and other cold weather gear through the fall. Jonny Gold, Jonah’s dear friend, will provide the night’s music, joined by other friends through the night.

FULLY STAFFED AND READY TO SERVE YOU! JOHNNY’S IS PROUD TO HAVE RETAINED 100% OF ITS STAFF THROUGH THIS CRAZY YEAR. THANK YOU SLC, FROM OUR BAR FAMILY!

| CITY WEEKLY |

38 | SEPTEMBER 9, 2021

165 E 200 S SLC | 801.746.3334

That Fairtime Feeling

MUSIC

The Utah State Fair offers a large, diverse calendar of music events. BY ERIN MOORE music@cityweekly.net @errrands_

he Utah State Fair kicks off this Thursday, Sept. 9, and among all the fuzzy farm animals, diverting carny attractions, rodeo-goin’ and fair food, there’s also a ton of music to catch while you’re there. Below is a round-up of acts slated for the 10 roaring days of the fair, so you can find just the act to suit your taste, among the dozens and dozens of great folks filling the Fairpark with music. All music at the fair is included with the cost of admission, unless otherwise noted. Kicking off With Country. While the first days of the fest are filled out by jazz and swing from folks like Arran “The Arrangement” Jones, the Jake Dreier Trio (Sept. 9) and some experimental electronic pop from Southernmost Gravy, the closing acts of the first few days of the fair are all rockin’ country. Blasted Past and Stephanie Dana set the tone for the West-wandering wild bunch Jana & The Rebels to close out the first day of the fair. On the following night of Sept. 10, classic rock originals and covers will be delivered by the BD Howes Band, followed by rising homegrown country star Whitney Lusk; local-famous bands Ginger & The Gents and Jagertown close out the night with their signature rollicking sounds. ’Billy Tunes and a Vintage Beat. As the festival settles into itself, festival-goers can look forward to a series of humble daytime acts of the country, folk and bluegrass varieties, or by way of the 50+ member community effort of the Murray Concert Band (Sept. 11). There’s the Utah Old Time Fiddlers that same day, plus the acoustics of Corner Street Band, followed by the rockabilly and hillbilly Western swing efforts of Lean Canteen and the 1940s-focused tunes of The Benson Sisters. The night will be closed by fellow vintage rock gals Mothers of Mayhem, whose riffs are as tight as their pin curls, and Riding Gravity, another mid-century rockabilly outfit. Sept. 12 will continue with much of the same: Picky Out the Stingers bring bluegrass, country and honky-tonk, as does closer Mars Highway, and Slim Chance & His Psycho-Billy Playboys live up to their name. Then on Sept. 13 and 14, Utah Slim & The Desert Poets bring their desert-minded ruminations to join in on the Western fun, alongside blues from Vintage Overdrive and Americana from Dead Cowboys. The Bullfrog Concert Series. In the middle of the usual fair happenings, there’s also the Bullfrog Concert Series, which kicks off on Tuesday, Sept. 14 with a performance by two legendary bands, Styx and REO Speedwagon. This Bullfrog Concert Series show and those that follow are not included in the cost of entrance to the fair, though, and tickets for the first one are $39 - $169. The

Steven Bosco at 2019 Utah State Fair

@STEVENBOSCOMUSIC

A life well-lived deserves to be celebrated.

| CITYWEEKLY.NET |

Jonah Glenn Memorial

Days of ‘47 Arena debut will be followed by a performance by Jon Pardi the next night, on Wednesday, Sept. 15, which is $39 - $59. The third musical performance rounding out the Bullfrog Concert Series is Nelly on Thursday, Sept. 16, and tickets for that range from $35 - $55. Tickets to the Bullfrog Concert Series, however, do include admission to the fair, making this one hell of a two-fer. Mixed Bag Middle Days. The next few days are a mixed bag of genres: There’s rock with mid-day performances by DeNovo (Sept. 15), Michael Barrow & The Tourists and Scarlet Rain (Sept. 17), pop from Lavi$h (Sept. 16) and EIXO (Sept. 17) and country from JD & the Brass Saddle Band, Pistol Rock (Sept. 15) and Columbia Jones & the Harpoons (Sept. 17). These three days are the days to visit if your attending group is also a mixed bag of interests and tastes. There’ll be something for everyone spread out between the South Plaza Stage and the Gazebo Stage, from the day ‘til the night. Farewell to the Fair Days. The fair concludes with just a few acts over its last two days, Sept. 18 - 19. On Saturday, Sept. 18, things start off late in the day with solo singer and songwriter Kristen Beckwith, who will open things up for the band Vann Moon, formerly known as The Tasty Snakes. Then comes a double header, with Intravenus and the Cosmonauts performing on the South Plaza Stage at 9:30 p.m., and local country singer Steven Bosco performing his originals on the Gazebo Stage at the same time. Sunday, Sept. 19 will feature a rousing set by the Scottish Festival Performers in the morning until the late afternoon, whose vigor will be tempered back down to a casual vibe by soloist Katie Angie. Closing out the fair will be the local country boys, The Fox Brothers Band, performing at the South Plaza Stage at 9 p.m. This is by no means a comprehensive list, and there are many, many acts filling out all of the hours of each day the fair goes on. Make sure to visit utahstatefair.com for a full list of performers with dates, times and stage locations. CW

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Big Freedia visits The Urban Lounge

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It could be argued that Big Freedia is indeed maybe too big for this mid-size venue; she is, after all, the queen of bounce, literally. Big Freedia has enjoyed a blossoming career over the years, riding a wave of success thanks to her distinctive, attitude-filled niche—that of the underground subgenre of New Orleans hip hop called bounce music. Active since the late ’90s, Freedia is credited with helping bring the genre to popularity on a wider scale, and at a time when super-aggro male rap was the order du jour, Freedia was like Lizzo before there was Lizzo, oozing confidence and tales of shit men for the women in early aughts audiences to both identify with and bounce along to. Those who aren’t familiar may recognize her distinctive low and sensual voice from a sample that was featured in Beyonce’s hit “Formation,” or from collaborations with the likes of Charli XCX. But whether you know her or not, Big Freedia is worth knowing well on her own terms—not least because her songs will make you shake your ass more

MUSIC PICKS BY ERIN MOORE

Big Freedia

than any other artists. She’ll be stopping in at The Urban Lounge on Tuesday, Sept. 14, and anyone who needs a midweek pickme-up will definitely get it if they go to this wild night of bounce, bounce, bounce. Local queer rap babe Icky Rogers and Why Kiki’s resident drag queen Sally-Cone Slopes will open. Doors are at 7 p.m., the show is $28 and 21+. Visit theurbanloungeslc.com for tickets and more info.

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SEPTEMBER SHOWS 9/9

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SEPTEMBER 9, 2021 | 41

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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8TH THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 9TH JONAH GLENN TRIBUTE DAVID BURCHFIELD

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42 | SEPTEMBER 9, 2021

Pepe Aguilar

Blast to the Past with 9021YO

The Urban Lounge does know how to throw a doublefeature event, and they’ve got a fresh one coming up hot for y’all. With Y2K nostalgia in full swing for many millennials, but more-so for Zoomers who are quickly getting old enough to go to 21+ venues like Urban, this upcoming Friday night will feature all of the trappings of that golden era. Mainly, the hits will be present, and as it’s described on the event page, there will be nods to the “hip hop, R&B, pop-punk emo, Coldplay, super weird electronic crossovers, rap metal, Nickelback and Smash Mouth” that colored the beginning of the aughts. If you weren’t there and don’t know what to wear for the occasion, don’t listen to whatever is being said on TikTok about what was popular in the early 2000s—just google “TigerBeat 2002.” This two-pronged event will kick off at 7 p.m. as a backyard tribute show behind The Urban Lounge, which is $10 and gets you into the afterparty that starts at 9 p.m. inside the venue. If you can’t make it to the former event, the afterparty is only $5. Dubbed the 2000s Party, it will feature local DJs Flash & Flare and Bo York. Don’t call them old, but they were probably around during the turn of the millennium, which makes them experts on what to spin. Visit theurbanloungeslc.com for more tickets and info.

Pepe Aguilar at the Maverik Center

A household name in both Mexico and the States, the Texas-born, Mexico-raised Pepe Aguilar has long been a star in the world of Latin American music. While he came

JC OLIVERA

MUSIC PICKS

Sylvan Esso

up with singles of his own in the ’90s—most notably by way of songs like “Por Mujeres Como Tú—he’s also always been one to nod to his peers and those who came before him. A large chunk of his fame was earned, after all, after releasing first in 1999 his album Por El Amor De Siempre, which was full of songs from 1970s crooners who came before him like Camilo Sesto, Napoleon and José José. After that successfully-received release, in 2000 he’d tribute again, this time for Jorge Negrete, Pedro Infante, Javier Solis, Miguel Aceves Mejía and Vicente Fernandez. All of this not only earned him an honorable name in households across North America, but it also earned him fame in his own right. He’s stayed busy since, too, releasing albums steadily throughout the 2000s, with his most recent effort out in 2016, in No Lo Había Dicho. He’ll be bringing all this legacy to the Maverick Center on Friday, Sept. 10, touring with his two children, Leonardo and Angela Aguilar, just as he used to tour with his own musical parents. Tickets run from $46.50 - $220.50, and the show is all ages. Visit livenation.com for tickets and more info.

Charley Jenkins at Sandy Amphitheater

It’s not every country boy who can walk the walk when it comes to actually knowing about the things he sings about. But Charley Jenkins is a Utah-born and bred cowboy who grew up on a farm in Eastern Utah, and spent his youth working hard and playing hard at the rodeo. And that’s what his music has been about, since he started working on and releasing music in the early millennium, and during his time in 2008 on Nashville Star (the country version of American Idol).

Now he’s back in his home state for a show at the Sandy Amphitheater coming up on Friday, Sept. 10. The “Simply Charley” event will be a Charley-only night of entertainment, so come ready for all the true-blue country tunes Jenkins has to pull from his sizable discography. The show has tickets available for between $15 - $20, is all ages, and starts at 7:30 p.m.Visit sandyamp.com for tickets and more info.

Sylvan Esso at The Union Event Center

A staple of 20-teens indie pop, nobody does cool and smooth quite like Sylvan Esso. Most famous for songs like the 2014 track “Coffee,” (you are hearing the near-murmured lyrics “Wild winters / Warm coffee / Mom’s gone / Do you love me?” as you read that word). Their newest effort, the 2020-released Free Love comes at their rather deliberate pace—three years passed between their self-titled album and 2017’s What Now. And it has a few things in common with their 2020 live album, WITH, which accompanied a live streamed concert. Free Love was also debuted virtually, with a multimedia art project that went up on their website, which included a 20 minute modular set that pulled samples from the album, art pieces and interviews with collaborators. Free Love feels bolder in some ways, with heavier handed electronics that call to mind songs by the likes of LCD Soundsystem. It’s certainly just as danceable as their former releases, and you can see it live when they stop in at The Union Event Center on Monday, Sept. 13 for their aptly titled Shaking Out the Numb Tour. Tickets are $35 and the show is all-ages. Visit theunioneventcenter.com for tickets and more info.

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Stranger Than Fiction

Can documentaries like The Last Leonardo work simply as popcorn entertainment? BY SCOTT RENSHAW scottr@cityweekly.net @scottrenshaw

SONY PICTURES CLASSICS

f you recall the earliest days of the pandemic in spring 2020, one of the first pop-culture touchstones of that era became the Netflix documentary series Tiger King. It was a satisfyingly lurid profile of unusual characters in an unusual milieu, all wrapped up with a bit of true-crime mystery. It also felt like an interesting turning point in the public relationship with the wide-ranging genre we call “documentary filmmaking.” As true-crime podcasts captured the popular imagination, it felt like the idea that documentaries were somehow like medicine—good for you, but not easy to swallow—began to shift. And while compulsively-watchable non-fiction films about real-life crimes are hardly brand new, if you go back even as far as Errol Morris’s The Thin Blue Line more than 30 years ago, nonfiction filmmaking seems to be walking its own thin line between delivering information and delivering entertainment. There’s no actual violence involved in the story behind Andreas Koefoed’s The Lost Leonardo, and indeed there might not even actually be a crime. It’s the tale of how a painting appeared at an auction in 2005, identified as “After Leonardo” in mimicking the studies begun by Leonardo Da Vinci ca. 1500 for a portrait of Jesus Christ called the Salvator Mundi (savior of the world). As restoration expert Dianne Modestini began work on the painting, she became convinced that certain stylistic details indicated that

the Salvator Mundi was in fact painted by Leonardo himself. Not surprisingly, once the name of one of the world’s most famous artists was attached to a brand-new discovery, things started to go a little crazy. It’s always a blessing for a filmmaker to have a story that takes plenty of dramatic twists, and Koefoed leans into the controversy over the Salvator Mundi’s authenticity and the various ripple effects from that controversy. From the initial question of whether London’s National Gallery did or did not provide a de facto imprimatur of authenticity by virtue of a 2008 exhibition, to a Swiss middleman pulling a slick notexactly-con-job on a Russian oligarch when buying and re-selling Salvator Mundi, to the mystery over a buyer paying $450 million at auction, The Lost Leonardo keeps turning corners to find weird issues to explore. The question, at least in part, is whether it discovers too many issues to explore. Other 21st-century documentaries like My Kid Could Paint That and The Price of Everything previously explored the absurdities of the contemporary art marketplace and the question of what makes a work of art valuable, which is certainly part of what

Koefoed is addressing here. He also digs into the topic of “freeports”—holding facilities at airports that are used as a tax dodge—and the way stored works of art can be turned into equity for moving capital around. He pokes at the way auction houses attempt to manufacture drama around high-profile pieces. And he certainly casts just enough suspicion on several individual players to make The Lost Leonardo a mystery of intentional fraud vs. possible mistaken identity. Each of these topics proves individually interesting, but Koefoed seems most interested in making The Lost Leonardo the cinematic equivalent of a page-turner—and it’s hard to argue that he isn’t successful. His filmmaking includes a fair amount of dramatized re-creation, accentuating the words of his interview subjects with images of a leather case being transferred between hands like microfilm in a spy thriller, or a woman running through a gallery. Interviews take advantage of dramatic moments with the subjects looking directly into the camera, or someone calling the Louvre to find out why a publication seeming to authenticate Salvator Mundi has been pulled

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CINEMA

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Researchers study Salvator Mundi in The Last Leonardo

from distribution. Again, many of these techniques are Errol Morris hallmarks, but there’s just that slight niggling sense that Koefoed is more interested in putting on a good show than in finding any deep truths. Even if that’s true, should that be held against a movie just because it’s a documentary? Is there a place within non-fiction filmmaking for the equivalent of popcorn entertainment, something that’s fun to watch in the moment without offering you a website at the end where you’re implored to take action? As The Lost Leonardo itself suggests, there can be many different reasons we ascribe value to art—and even if it doesn’t hold up to intense scrutiny, that doesn’t mean someone’s trying to pull a fast one on you. CW

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ARIES (March 21-April 19) “We need to become more unreasonable but in an intelligent way,” says Aries politician Jerry Brown. Yes! I agree! And that’s especially true for you right now, Aries. To Brown’s advice, I will add this message from Aries fashion designer Vivienne Westwood: “Intelligence is composed mostly of imagination, insight—things that have nothing to do with reason.” Here’s one further suggestion to help you take maximum advantage of cosmic rhythms, courtesy of Aries historian Arnold J. Toynbee: “The supreme accomplishment is to blur the line between work and play.”

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LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) College student Amelia Hamrick studied the right panel of Hieronymus Bosch’s 15th-century painting “The Garden of Earthly Delights” that depicts a hellish scene. Cities are on fire. Weird beasts devour sinful humans. There are demons and torture chambers. Hamrick did what no one in the history of art had ever done: She transcribed the musical score that the artist had written on a man’s naked hindquarters. Her work inspired a composer to create a recording titled “500-Year-Old Butt Song From TAURUS (April 20-May 20) “I have become whole and complete, like a thundering cloud- Hell.” In the coming weeks, I invite you to perform feats compaburst in summer,” wrote Taurus poet Miklós Radnóti. I love that rable to Hamrick: 1. Explore the past for useful, overlooked clues; metaphor for fullness: not an immaculate icon of shiny, sterile 2. Find or create redemptive transformations out of stressful perfection, but rather a primal, vigorous force of nature in all situations; 3. Have fun telling stories about past misadventures. of its rumbling glory. I hope you like this symbol as much as I do, and I hope you use it to fuel your creative spirit in the com- SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) ing weeks. P.S.—Keep in mind that many indigenous people Born on one of the Galapagos Islands, the giant tortoise Diego has lived for more than 100 years. He’s a member of the Hood welcome rainstorms as a source of fertility and growth. Island species, which had dwindled to a population of 15 by 1977. That’s when he and his tortoise colleague, whose name is E5, GEMINI (May 21-June 20) “Pandiculation” is a word that refers to when you stretch and became part of a breeding program with 12 female tortoises. yawn at the same time. According to my understanding of the E5 was reserved in his behavior, but Diego was a showboat who astrological omens, you will benefit from doing a lot of pandicu- vocalized loudly as he enjoyed public mating rituals. Together lations in the coming days. I also recommend gazing lazily out the two males saved their species—producing over 2,000 the window and looking at the sky a lot. Keep your shoes off as offspring. According to my astrological analysis, you could be as much as possible, get a massage or three, and let yourself sleep metaphorically fertile as Diego and E5 in the coming months— more than you customarily do. Did you know that sighing deeply even if you prefer to adopt an approach more akin to E5’s. is good for your lungs’ health? Here’s your homework: Dream up all the things you can do to relax and renew yourself. It’s prime SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) “The meaning of my existence is that life has addressed a questime to indulge in generous acts of self-healing. tion to me,” wrote psychologist Carl Jung. “Or, conversely, I myself am a question that is addressed to the world, and I must CANCER (June 21-July 22) The ancient Roman author Pliny’s 10-volume Natural History, communicate my answer, for otherwise, I am dependent upon written in the first century, was a monumental encyclopedia the world’s answer.” These are superb meditations for you of the natural world, unprecedented in its own time and for Sagittarians during the coming weeks. Between now and Oct. 1, centuries afterward. It offered compilations of facts about I invite you to keep a journal where you write about two subjects: astronomy, geography, zoology, botany, mineralogy and many 1. What is the main question that life asks you? 2. What is the other subjects. There was one big problem with it, however. It main question that your life asks the world? contained a great deal of erroneous information. For example, Pliny described in detail many non-existent animals, including CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) dragons, flying horses and giant serpents that swallowed bulls North Korea’s Capricorn leader Kim Jong-un has an amazing and snatched birds out of the sky. My reason for telling you this résumé. Official reports say he learned to drive at age 3 and is to inspire you to be extra discerning in the coming weeks. Be was an accomplished sailor at 9. As an adult, he developed the especially skeptical of authorities, experts and other know-it- power to control the weather. He’s a skilled musician and artist, alls who are very confident despite being inaccurate or errone- as well as a scientist who developed a miracle drug to cure AIDs, ous. It’s time for you to increase your trust in your own authority. Ebola, cancer, heart disease and the common cold. Kim is also an archaeologist who discovered a lair where magical unicorns live. Could you have unexpressed powers like these, Capricorn? If so, LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) “There are those fortunate hours when the world consents to it will be a favorable time to start tapping into their potential in be made into a poem,” writes Leo poet Mark Doty. That’s great coming weeks. It’s time to develop your dormant talents. for a poet. But what about for everyone else? My variation on Doty’s comment is this: There are fortunate hours when the AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) world consents to be made into a holy revelation or a lyrical Aquarian author Toni Morrison testified, “I think of beauty as breakthrough or a marvelous feeling that changes our lives an absolute necessity. I don’t think it’s a privilege or an indulforever. I expect events like those to come your way at least twice gence. It’s almost like knowledge, which is to say, it’s what we were born for.” I urge you to adopt her perspective during the in the immediate future. next four weeks, Aquarius. In my astrological opinion, a devoted quest for beauty will heal exactly what most needs to be healed VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Between 37 and 41 B.C., Virgo-born Caligula served as third in you. It will teach you everything you most need to know. emperor of Rome. To do so, he had to disprove the prophecy of a renowned astrologer, Thrasyllus of Mendes. Years earlier, PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) Thrasyllus had predicted that Caligula, despite being well- Poet and translator Anne Carson periodically joins with her connected, “had no more chance of becoming emperor than of husband Robert Currie to teach a workshop called “EgoCircus.” riding a horse across the Bay of Baiae”—a distance of 2 miles. It’s an ironic title, because the subject they teach is the art of colOnce in power, Caligula arranged to have a series of pontoon laboration. To develop skills as a collaborator, of course, people boats arrayed across the bay, enabling him to ride his favorite must lay aside at least some of their egos’ needs and demands. horse Incitatus from one shore to the other across the Bay of I encourage you to stage your own version of EgoCircus in the Baiae. I foresee the possibility of a comparable turn of events for coming weeks. The time is ripe for you to hone your creative you, Virgo. Is there a curse you want to undo? A false prophecy togetherness and synergistic intimacy.

WOW

BY DAVID LEVINSON WILK

ACROSS

49. Less cooked 50. NYT rival 51. Resort town in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains 53. Dominates, in slang 54. Earth-turning tools 55. Big-eyed 57. Used to be 58. Swim-bike-run race, for short

Last week’s answers

No math is involved. The grid has numbers, but nothing has to add up to anything else. Solve the puzzle with reasoning and logic. Solving time is typically 10 to 30 minutes, depending on your skill and experience.

10. Direction at the start of a game of hideand-seek 11. Like a zero-star review 12. Classic concert halls 14. “... assuming there’s even one” 18. In shape 22. Hindu teacher 23. Reasons 24. “NBA on NBC” theme composer 25. Investment firm T. ____ Price 26. Animal also called a steinbock 27. Contracts a winter malady 30. Animator’s sheet 31. V-J Day pres. 32. Reactions to puppy videos 34. Supermodel Wek 35. Some Mattel toys 37. Egg producer DOWN 38. “See me after class,” 1. Life ____ know it for one 2. Fellow at Oxford? 39. “South Park” boy 3. “____ Land” (2016 Best Picture nominee) 44. “Hidden Figures” star 4. Cousin of a caribou Taraji P. ____ 5. Broccoli bit 45. Brexit exiter 6. “In what way?” 46. Some bygone service 7. Bye at the French Open? stations 8. “____ Explain Things to Me” (2014 47. Origin of the word Rebecca Solnit book) “flannel” 9. Spanish newspaper whose name means “The 48. Suffix meaning “science” Country”

Complete the grid so that each row, column, diagonal and 3x3 square contain all of the numbers 1 to 9.

1. Roman ____ (novel genre) 6. Denver omelet ingredient 9. Video call annoyance 13. “Would you like me to?” 15. Ben Jonson wrote one to himself 16. Laundry unit 17. Result of a home run in the bottom of the ninth, perhaps 19. 100% 20. Org. that awards the Safer Choice label 21. Up 22. Eldest Stark daughter on “Game of Thrones” 23. Dated 25. Southpaw’s opposite 28. 90° on a compass 29. Evil hypnotist’s directive 30. Wide divide 33. Squirrel’s favorite tree, maybe 36. Has a drink 40. “____ & Oh’s” (Elle King hit) 41. Units measured by multimeters 42. Learner’s permit holder, often 43. “Well, ____ was awkward ...” 45. “Much obliged!” 47. 1937 Rodgers and Hart tune 51. Itty-bitty 52. Cuts with a beam 53. “Well, what have we here?!” 56. “____ Hit Talk Show” (2004 show hosted by an ‘80s TV character) 57. Words from the speechless ... or a description of this puzzle’s theme 59. Site of the Munch Museum 60. Spend time in a cellar, perhaps 61. Bit of truth 62. Ostracize 63. Leb. neighbor 64. Actress Spacek

SUDOKU

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46 | SEPTEMBER 9, 2021

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

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It’s September, when the smell of a pencil eraser or a new pad of paper makes me sigh about school days gone by. And if you’re a commuter, you may sigh as well because school zones are in effect. I recently had a conversation with buyers who really liked a home I showed them but were not pleased about a school located across the street. Having lived across from an elementary school years ago, I gladly chimed in to say that there were great benefits to living near a school, like knowing when people would be there or not be there during the day and weekends and having a swell playground to throw a ball with my dog or shoot hoops with friends. Sure, there is traffic noise during certain hours when buses and parents drop off and pick up students. But there are also a lot of eyes on the grounds, which can help with security in the neighborhood. School locations actually add value to a property. According to two decades of research done by Duke University, housing prices increase when student scores are high. Economists at The New York Times have estimated that a 5% improvement in student test scores in suburban neighborhoods can raise home prices by 2.5%. After studying 100 of the largest metro areas in the United States, the Brookings Institution found that there was an average difference of $205,000 in home prices between areas with high student test scores versus neighborhoods low student test scores. A study by BiggerPockets.com found that properties near schools rated 4 or 5 stars (based upon factors such as enrollment, a low student-to-teacher ratio and high test scores) were “completely insulated from declining home values during a recession.” That means it would be easier for you to sell your home if the market went south and, conversely, get a great price when the market is strong. I often have parents or parents-to-be who are in the market for a home tell me they don’t care so much about the house and its condition, but they definitely want to be in a certain school district or be located by a certain school; they would sacrifice square footage, parking and such to live there. Is it just me, or have you noticed that the whiter the neighborhood, the higher the property values and the better the schools? There are a bazillion websites now that rate schools. Ones I recommend are greatschools.org, utahschoolgrades.schools. utah.gov and slcschools.org. It goes without saying, but I’ll say it any way: Do your research if you’re planning to buy or rent near a school, or if you want to be near a specific school itself. Your Realtor should be able to put you in touch with past clients who live near the school or have kids enrolled there who can give you a real take on the sitch. n Content is prepared expressly for Community and is not endorsed by City Weekly staff.

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We sell homes to all saints, sinners, sisterwives and...

WEIRD

Creme de la Weird It’s back-to-school time all across the country, and in Kentucky, one district has an unexpected challenge in one of its high schools. WLKY-TV reported that high school students in the Meade County school district are attending school dressed as and acting like ... cats. One grandmother is upset because her two grandchildren don’t want to go to school anymore. “Apparently, from what I understand, they’re called ‘furries,’” she said. “They identify with animals. These people will hiss at you or scratch at you if they don’t like something you’re doing. The students are told they can’t wear hats or Budweiser shirts in school, but they can wear cat ears, cat tails, masks, leashes. It doesn’t make sense.” Superintendent Mark Martin says the problem is being handled on an individual basis, which he can’t discuss.

Awesome! The Vatican in Rome is full of the spoils taken by or given to popes over the centuries, but Pope Francis has a new toy that’s delighting him: a foosball table. The Associated Press reported that a Tuscany-based table football association, Sport Toscana Calcio Balilla, presented the pope with the game on Aug. 18, and he immediately struck up a match with Natale Tonini, president of the club. Pope Francis is a big fan of soccer and of his home club, San Lorenzo, in Argentina.

Animal Attraction The Antwerp Zoo in Belgium has banned Adie Timmermans from visiting Chita, a 38-year-old male chimpanzee, after their

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Government in Action The city of Naples, Florida, has spent more than $340,000 over the last three years suing the owners of seawalls that officials say are in disrepair and pose a danger to citizens, WINK News reported. The city and property owners have gone around and around about who owns the seawalls, and the lawsuits continued even after an engineer hired by Naples determined that only one of the seawalls was actually failing. Finally, in May, an arbitrator declared that the seawalls are owned by the city of Naples. “Procrastination and wasting money of the taxpayers is complete,” announced the new mayor, Teresa Heitmann. Irony At Harvard University, the president of the organization of chaplains coordinates the campus’ assorted religious communities. The New York Times reported that the new president, 44-year-old Greg Epstein, is a bit of a trailblazer in the job: He’s an atheist. Harvard chaplains unanimously felt Epstein, who previously served as the university’s humanist chaplain, could relate to a growing group of young people who no longer identify with any religious tradition. Epstein grew up in a Jewish family and recognizes the “real need for conversation and support around what it means to be a good human and live an ethical life,” he said. “We don’t look to a god for answers. We are each other’s answers.” The chairperson of the nominating committee, the Rev. Kathleen Reed, explained: “We’re presenting to the university a vision of how the world could work when diverse traditions focus on how to be good humans and neighbors.” Extreme Reaction Soccer fans are known to be passionate about their sport, but at a game in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma, on Aug. 15, it was the referee who lost control. Davi Bathez issued a red card to a player during an adult league game, which ignited a scuffle amongst players. According to WKRC-TV, Bathez went to his truck and retrieved his firearm, which he fired toward the player and the crowd. Then he hopped in his vehicle and sped away, but police caught up with him quickly and confiscated his .38-caliber handgun. Remarkably, no one was injured in the incident. Bathez was charged with feloniously pointing a firearm. Send your weird news items to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com.

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Compelling Explanation Erick Minto, 49, walked into a convenience store in Wawa, Florida, on Aug. 17, and asked for free food, The Smoking Gun reported. When the clerk refused, Minto allegedly pulled out a knife and pointed it at the worker, uttering a quotable line: “Don’t make me do something stupid for a Snickers bar.” The clerk handed over the candy bar, but Minto left the store without it and later told Pinellas County Sheriff’s officer that he was “attempting to trade the knife for a Snickers bar.” He was charged with armed robbery.

Babs De Lay

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Crime Report Kristin Levine of Bristol, Connecticut, was the victim of a porch pirate on Aug. 23, but the thief was a little unusual: It was a black bear who walked across her driveway with an Amazon package in its mouth, NBC Connecticut reported. Fortunately, the bear wasn’t much interested in the contents (toilet paper) and dropped the item in her neighbor’s yard. “I knew nothing in there was going to be irreplaceable, so it was a fun afternoon for sure,” Levine said.

Creative Criminal Firearms are hard to come by in Japan, so criminals often resort to makeshift weapons to threaten their victims, including nose hair clippers and kitchen knives. On Aug. 21, Tomoharu Nakamura, 41, of Sapporo, was arrested after trying to rob a convenience store using a lighter, SoraNews24 reported. “Out with the money, or I’ll light you up!” Nakamura allegedly said to the store manager, who instead ran to the back room and called police. When officers arrived, Nakamura tried to turn his fierce weapon on them, but they quickly overwhelmed him and charged him with robbery and assault, along with other offenses.

ATHLETES!

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Bright Ideas n Two Polish companies are joining forces to make construction workers’ lives more pleasant, Reuters reported on Aug. 23. Budimex and Lotos have created a floral-scented asphalt with a mixture of natural and synthetic oils that neutralize the typical smell of asphalt. “At times one could smell the scent of flowers, which made working more pleasant,” said Slawomir Szpak, a foreman for Budimex. The company is planning to introduce the new compound on a wider scale. n In Canberra, Australia, farmer Ben Jackson recently lost his beloved aunt. He couldn’t attend her funeral because of COVID-19 restrictions, so he did the next best thing: He dropped his sheep’s food from a truck in the shape of a giant heart, then shot video from a drone as the ewes gathered to eat. “It took me a few goes to get it right ... and the final result is what you see,” Jackson told the Associated Press. “That was as close to a heart as I could get it.”

“relationship” has caused him to be ostracized by the other chimps, the Daily Mail reported. Timmermans has come to see Chita every week for the past four years, and the two blow kisses and wave to each other. “I love that animal, and he loves me,” Timmermans argued. “I haven’t got anything else. Why do they want to take that away?” Chita started his life as a pet, but came to the zoo 30 years ago and is known to be interactive with humans. However, when Timmermans isn’t there with him, he spends most of his time alone. “An animal that is too focused on people is less respected by its peers, and we want Chita to be a chimpanzee as much as possible,” explained zoo curator Sarah Lafaut.

GO UTES!

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48 | SEPTEMBER 9, 2021

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