Taste of Salt Lake

Most Sundays are pretty uneventful days for me. Will and I lounge around the house until he goes back to his dads and then I come home and do some more lounging. The last two weeks I have gone to a movie on my way home but that is the extent of interesting for me.

Yesterday I got a call from my high school buddy Becky and we decided to go out to eat after I dropped off Will. I love mexican food and have never been to a local favorite, Red Iguana. Their specialty is a wide range of mole sauces, which I also have never tried. So we got a sampler plate to try all the sauces. Can't say I'm much of a fan of the more chocolaty mole but the poblano and almond ones were delish!

The lovely Becky and lots of mole


While looking for places to eat in a local paper Becky had found a cheap concert at a local bar and asked if I wanted to go. I knew it would be a late night with early work in the morning, but it sounded fun so we decided to head off to the Urban Lounge. Becky couldn't remember if she'd been there before so we googled the place and found a review site.

Here are some gems from the reviews:
"Pretend you hate life and don't smile, you'll fit in."
"hipster scumfest, but worth it."
"Biggest gathering of dirt bags ever"
"Pros: it's close to other good bars"

After the laughs the reviews gave us we decided there were also enough good reviews to at least give it a try. I'm glad we did. We ended up being early enough to get great parking, although it never did get crowded. The opening band was La Farsa a local band and they actually ended up being my favorite band. Very varied band with three members switching between the drums, three between lead vocals, two between guitars, and they were all great. This might be my favorite.



Or maybe this one



But the one that gives me chills is Laurel Tree which is new and I couldn't find it anywhere online. LOVE it! And it has a tree so of course its good. They said that a friend of theirs got married and they wrote it as a "baby making" song and she got pregnant a week later, so be warned. Luckily I bought the cd so I can listen to it over and over again. (not to make babies) The last time I bought a cd I lived in the Ogden area. Its been awhile.

The second band was 5 guys and they weren't really my thing but at the end of the night I felt bad for them so I'm not gonna dis their name. Their stuff was mainly instrumental and I like lyrics in my songs. It was kinda like all those great songs from the 70's, like Magic Carpet Ride, where there is this long ass instrumental part in the middle and you just want to fast forward and get back to the verses. Becky summed them up greatly, "These guys are better musicians, but the other group had soul." My music needs some soul.

The one interesting thing about their group was the guy playing the organ. And it folded up and looked like a big suitcase. And he kept pulling out random instruments and from my view it looked like they were coming out of the large suitcase, like a magic show. Some less random, triangle, harmonica, trumpet. Then this weird keyboard thing that you blow in? And then a saw. Played with a bow. Anywho.

The main act was The Mynabirds who are from Omaha. Not to be confused with the Mynah Birds from the 60's (although they did get their name from them). And no I don't know enough about music to actually know who that is, some guy at work told me about them when I was talking about the concert. Apparently Neil Young and Rick James were involved. Might have to check that out.

Back to last night. Really enjoyed The Mynabirds. The lead singer Laura Burhenn wrote all their music and I loved her voice. Here is one of their songs. I also bought their cd and it will get a lot of play time.

The Mynabirds - Numbers Don't Lie from Saddle Creek on Vimeo.

There was a guy there that obviously came just for Mynabird and was front and center. He was at least 10 yrs older than anyone else there and not afraid to rock out in his new balance tennis shoes. It started out as amusing and then quickly became painfully awkward to watch. But man that guy was a fan! Sadly second painfully awkward moment of the night involved him too.

I was standing in line after their show to buy their cd. They just had one folding table mostly with their stuff on it and then on the end was Mr. Band, the lead singer of the guy band I won't name. He was selling their t-shirts. Super fan went over and was talking to Mynabird and grabbed one of Mr. Band' shirts, thinking it was Myna's. When corrected he quickly dropped and and asked for a Myna shirt. Mr. Band took his shirt back carefully folded it and put it back in its place. With all of his other shirts. That no one was buying. Or even looking at. Except for the three other people that tried to buy one until they realized it was the "other" band. I felt so bad. If I'd had another $12 I would have bought one just because I felt so bad. Poor guys.

Now I can't say as I've spent much time in clubs. Or bars with bands. Or you know public places. But lets say there are a row of tables. The one on the far right is empty. To the left of that table there are other tables. Maybe with two awesome girls sitting at it. On the right of the end table, is nothing. Space. Would you A) stand so close to the table to your left that you are touching it, or B) scoot the hell over to the right where there is nothing but space!

I don't fit in, in the Utah County scene. But I also don't fit in, in the Salt Lake club/bar scene. I need to find a new scene. But loved the music and the company. Must have more of both. And just a shout out that it was like a mini Marty/Gidget night. A bar and cool music :)