The great US of A has awesome states. Some are known for food (Texas BBQ, New York bagels). Some are known for history (Washington DC’s memorials, Pennsylvania’s Civil War battlefields). Some are known for music (Tennessee’s country scene, Utah’s….. wait what??)
Yes, Utah. Not only is the state enshrined in the fantastic musical production Book of Mormon which everyone* should see, it is the home state of 2 of the 3 awesome bands who rocked the sold out 9:30 club in Washington DC last night.
First up last night was Fictionist hailing from Provo, Utah. The band was awarded Salt Lake City Weekly’s Band of the Year Award in 2015 and their award-winning talents shone through last night. The group is really notable for the variety of their sound. Their tracks range from party-anthem-pop-esque (“Give it Up”) to piano-heavy-rock-opera-lyrical (“Statue in the Stone”). The group delighted the sold-out crowd in a big way.
While Coin and headliner Neon Trees were great, Fictionist was honestly my favorite. Coin, hailing from Nashville, served up a more subdued yet still very catchy sound and Neon Trees made the audience explode with hits such as “Animal” and “Everybody Talks.” It was a great, indie-pop-way to spend a Monday night. The trio is on tour through July 26th on the East Coast – check them out if you can!
*Everyone, in this case, meaning every youngish-politically-liberal-socially-open-minded-yuppie-with-enough-money-to-blow-on-irreverent-and-highly-produced-theater-productions