Another Buckwild Friday

A quick shoutout to my long time friend Irma Cisneros. She's just been approved t get her citizenship!!! She is being sworn in as a citizen of the greatest country in the world on August 14. Join me in congratulating her and all of her peers that have EARNED their place here. Congratulations Irma!

There are two great parties to tell you about this week...Details Below:

The Loft Grand Opening TONIGHT
177 W Center Street, Provo
9:00 PM--FREE (before 10:30) 18+

Spark Lounge Late-Night Dance Party--click link to RSVP
86 N University Ave
Sat. 08.01
10:30 PM--$11 w/ rsvp ($16 w/o) 18+

The Loft is a new non-alcoholic dance club in downtown Provo. Not sure what kind of music they play or anything of that nature, just know it's where Omni used to be and I would almost guarantee it's going to be a heavy dose of hip hop. Like I mentioned, it's an 18+ club so no kids :)

Spark Lounge is a hipster restaurant in downtown Provo that occasionally throw huge parties. At last check, 640 people have RSVP'd on Facebook...that's crazy nuts. At the party there will be free drinks and appetizers (by free, I mean the $11 cover includes them) and a DJ spinning until 1 AM.

These two parties could make for a mean one-two punch this weekend, and with them no one should be complaining they had nothing to do...

Before the dancing pops off, partake in some live music tonight at...

Sammy's Cafe
John Allred
27 N 100 W, Provo
8:00 PM--Free (and free ice cream cones)

Muse has no shows this weekend so Velour wins!!!

Speaking of Velour, check out heir awesome show tonight:

Velour
Matt Hopper and the Roman Candles
135 N University Ave
8:00 PM--$6

Matt Hopper comes to us from Alaska with all of his rocking glory. His next show: the Lollapalooza after party in Chicago. These guys are awesome.

About the Song Du Jour: "Bounce That" Girl Talk

It's time to let your hair down and do regrettable things this weekend and any time that's the case, Girl Talk is the ONLY OPTION for your soundtrack to acting irresponsible. Girl Talk aka Greg Gillis, is a mix mater that intertwines songs from every corner of he pop spectrum. This is only one of his many songs that can act as the official tune four awesome weekend.

UV's Finest gave you so much for your weekend...only because of love. Have a classic one!

Major League Cheaters

So it's just come across the wire that David Ortiz is on the infamous list that names 100+ baseball players that tested positive for performance enhancing substances. Surprise, surprise. Dang near all of these home run belting freaks have been included in these lists. I love baseball and I'm willing to forgive and move on, as long as these up and comers see what these shamed former heroes have done to the sport and think twice before putting anything in their body.

Ready to have a migraine? There is a hardcore show at The Edgemont tonight. Details Below:

Edgemont
Featuring Sea Swallowed Us Whole
661 N Main St, Orem
7:00 PM--$8

Some quick notes: 1) These dudes just scream and play really hard, and so do the rest of the groups playing with them 2) WTF is the Edgemont? What kind of Utah County entertainment blogger am I? I don't even know about a venue down the road from me.

For those of you who don't have enough ibuprofen for the hardcore show, Twilight returns tonight with Sonic Youth. The iconic 90's group will be playing the free show at the Gallivan Center, downtown Salt Lake City. As always, the show starts at 7:00.

Velour VS Muse--Battle of the Ave Venues

So there are to pretty good acts headlining both venues shows. It really all comes down to mood/preference. Velour is presenting Alex Bateman and the Buds, a poppy little rock group from Mapleton. Muse has an acoustic night featuring Pure of Reason, a down tempo duo. They both are pretty new groups and, although they have a lot of work still ahead, they both have some promise. I'm giving the edge to Muse's show this evening, purely because of the hilarity of Pure of Reason's MySpace. The singer, Esai Gonzalez, says he started singing around age 4 because of depression...nothing sadder than a depressed toddler :)

About the Song Du Jour: "Bad Case of Loving You" Robert Freaking Palmer

May he rest in peace. With his memorable music videos and poppy rock tunes, Robert Palmer was the man in the 80s. Just look at all those pale ladies he rolled with...oddly hot!? Anyway, this is such a fun little novelty of a song. It rocks hard and does very little to save the world, just how Mr. Palmer liked it.

And kablam...I'm done for the time being...see y'all tomorrow.

UV's Finest MLS All Star Edition

So it's finally arrived...the MLS All Star Game and it's all happening just up the road at Rio Tinto Stadium. The match will features (a lot) of the top players in the MLS matching up against English Premier League powerhouse Everton FC. Major League Soccer has done a good job with all of the events and activities leading up to today--I was at Harry O's until 1 AM gettin my groove on at the Nothing But Nets (a great charity, check it out) benefit--and today they will be opening the festivities up at about 4 PM with a big carnival in front of Rio Tinto. If you don't have tickets to the game, watch on ESPN2 @ 7:30...it should be great.

If you wanna get all sorts of Folky tonight, head on over to the Coffee Pod, Cody Taylor and Paper Crocidiles will be playing a free show there at 6:00 PM. The Coffee Pod is at 426 W 1230 N in Provo. Both of these acts are good ol' fashion acoustic guitar pickin' fools.

Velour VS Muse

Velour is presenting a singer songwriter by the name of Asher Seevinck while Muse has a pop act (?) called the High Life. I cant's find anything on them though. TO ALL BANDS THAT ARE GOING TO PERFORM...PUT A SONG ONLINE!!! Not that hard. Edge to Velour...both shows are at 8. $5 cover.

About the Song Du Jour: "Song 2" Blur

I don't know why, but this, more than any other tune, screams soccer to me. Maybe it's the britishness, or the rockingness or simply the fact that it was the opening jam of my fave soccer video game of all time, FIFA 98 (complete with indoor mode, they need to bring that back). Whatever the case, UV's Finest suggests that you just turn this song to 11 and put it on repeat for the entirety of the All Star Game tonight. I promise, you won't get sick of it after 180 listens straight :)

We're done here people...move along-*-

High Speed Blogging

Gotta knock this one out of the park fast because I'm leaving for MLS All Star festivities, and won't be near a computer all day.

Check out the Playlist Concert Series at Tahitian Noni tonight, featuring Pop/ Rock act Truman. These two brothers (Ben and Chad...Truman) play some nice tunes and should make for a wonderful Tuesday night. The show is at 7:30 PM and costs $5.

About the Song Du Jour: "She's Gone" Hall and Oates

This song is classic 80s heartbreak. These guys were one of the five best acts from the era, based on the amount of hits they had...all just as big as this iconic jam.

Done and done....longer tomorrow, I swear. LUVZZZ--:)

Holding Your Tongue

I don't like to talk too much about politics on this blogness, but last week a certain President of the United States tiptoed into territory he had no business in. When his Harvard friend was arrested for disorderly conduct, President Obama said that the arresting officers had "acted stupidly." Here's the deal Mr. President, I'm with you 100%. The police, in this (and a lot of cases) overreacted. You shouldn't be able to arrest people for being too loud...that's ridiculous. But the President of the United States should not be so brash in commenting on these incidents, especially when he wants to parlay it into a racial issue. Every time one of our leaders suggests that there is a huge race issue in this problem, it fuels the racism in this country. It's that simple...besides, the fact that we elected a black president should put to rest that nonsensical talk. Get it together President Obama, you have bigger problems on your hands than a mix-up in Massachusetts.

Okay, now to the goings-on up in the UC, which, of course, is limited on Mondays.

Velour has a nice little show this evening, Details Below:

Velour
Ivory Line, This Is Anfield
135 N University Ave
8:00 PM--$5

You can also go see movies for 50 cents every Monday night at Movies 8 as long as you have at least 3 people in you party...click here for listings and show times.

About the Song Du Jour: "Lay All Your Love on Me" Amanda Seyfried and Dominic West (From Mamma Mia)

I want to dedicate this song to my wife and her friend, who fell asleep ten minutes into Mamma Mia, leaving me watching it alone at 2 AM. It is easily one of the most questionable moments of my life and one I will not be bringing up many more times...but it's cool, I'm comfortable with me and, truth is, I love that movie!

Thanks again for clicking on to UV's Finest...I love you guys and will be back tomorrow.

This is (almost) the Place

You know...if that Brigham guy would have just continued traveling a little farther West, to say, SoCal, then he would've hit the nail on the head with the whole "This is the place line." He would've seen beaches and Disneyland and Tom Cruise. It would've been clearer, instead of the desert/ swampland that I'm sure the Salt Lake Valley was when those crazy pioneers crossed the mountains. Regardless, Utah is here now and it isn't that bad. I talk big but in the end I really do like this place and I'm glad to live here (for now). Happy faux-holiday everyone!!!

Julie and Julia is a wonderful, sweet little film. It's two main players, Amy Adams and Meryl Streep are great in the title roles, but the people around them are just as good. The movie about parallelled lives and how they can affect each other is funny and quirky and even poignant at times. UV's Finest gives Julie and Julia the rating of A-. It is rated PG13 for some language.

The Battle of the Avenue Venues

Velour is closed today so we can't hardly judge them....

But Saturday they are both opened. Muse is featuring a indie act, Chance Lewis and Velour is featuring an emoish rock group called Ivoryline. I'm not really into either of the so much but if I had to choose I'd give the advantage to Velour and Ivoryline. Velour wins the week 2-1.

Both shows start at 8 PM with $5 covers.

About the Song Du Jour: "Microphone Fiend" Rakim

For Pioneer Day, a pioneer of hip hop. If there was no Rakim, there would be no Jay Z, Nas, Eminem, Dr. Dre, TuPac, etc. Basically, there would be no good rap. He started the rap as art trend, rather than so sort of chanting novelty. Unfortunately, most artists in the genre have backtracked to chanting but Rakim got it right. Microphone Fiend is a prime example of Rakim at his finest.

That is all for today kids...have a great Pioneer Day and I'll see you Monday!

The Summer...So Hot Right Now

Man there are a lot of excellent (?) movies coming out in the next couple of weeks, aren't there? Next week we have Funny People (Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen), August 7 has Julie and Julia (Meryl Streep, Amy Adams)--going to a preview of that tonight, full review tomorrow--On August 14 you know I'll be in the theater for District 9 (Sci-Fi flick with cool looking aliens...I love me some aliens!) and then on August 21, QT (Quentin Tarantino for the less cultured of us) comes back to the big screen with a bang with his WWII flick Inglorious Basterds...oh man, I'm boiling over with excitement.

It's been a pretty good summer for movies thus far...my top 5 of the summer are:

5. Drag Me To Hell (fear the demonic goat)
4. Public Enemies (Johnny Depp=John Dillinger, they even have the same initials)
3. Star Trek (this movie made me a trekkie, if just for one night)
2. (500) Days of Summer (this should be an example to ALL romance movies)
1. The Hangover (hey guys, when's the next Haley's comet?)

The Battle of the Univ Ave Venues

Velour is featuring a very moody Orem act tonight by the name of Elemental. They are actually pretty good and seem to have a solid following. They have sort of a goth-rock feel, somewhat like The Cure or Love and Rockets.

Muse is coming with Nate Baldwin, a starry eyed pop man in the tradition of Dashboard Confessional or Utah's very own, John Allred. Nate's music is also very good, though he doesn't quite have the following of Elemental.

Overall, it's a fantastic Thursday night with two very good acts facing off. A lot of people are going to go see Elemental and the music is good but somewhat depressing. I think I could only be into their act for about 15 minutes, whereas I think I could bob my head and whistle along to carefree pop jams all night. The upset tonight goes to the Muse and Nate Baldwin. That evens the score at one a piece this week.

Both shows are $5 and both start at 8:00 PM.

Two more acts of interest tonight below:

Cory Mon and the Starlight Gospel (and others)
420 S 1000 E, Orem
7:00 PM--$10

Atchafalaya's
Na Drua
210 W Center St, Provo
8:00 PM--$5 (21+)

The Cory Mon show has two other acts similar acts (blues, roots music) and I'm not exactly sure where it's at...although I think it might be a park or something.

Atchafalaya is going to start doing shows on Thursdays nights now, starting with Reggae act Na Drua. This is a 21+ club.

About the Song Du Jour: "15 Step" Radiohead

You can just see Thom Yorke getting his little groove on when this song kicks in. And when that shiny, somewhat uneasy riff , comes in from Jonny Greenwood, the song hooks you in. It really is cliche to say, but Radiohead is genius. They've traveled through the entire universe of Rock N Roll, and conquered everything. They're edgy, experimental, poppy, revolutionary and everything else in between. A monumental band for our or any time.

That's the word for Thursday...yes I will be back tomorrow. Have a great day kids...lovezzzz!?*)

Dining Room Voodoo

Consulting a pencil and string for answers concerning how many kids one will have. That's what was going on in my apartment last night...and no it wasn't a bunch of shrunken head toting witch doctors doing it. It was my wife and her friends. What a world we live in when four giggly dancers resort to dark magic.

There's a respectable amount of activity today. The first show I want to talk about is from a indie musician from Colorado. Details below:

Graywhale Music
Jeremy Ashida
575 E University Pkwy (East Mall Entrance), Orem
7:00 PM--Free

Another mall show will be taking place inside Hot Topic at the Provo Towne Centre. Details Below:

Hot Topic Provo
The Rainman Suite
1200 Towne Centre Blvd, Provo
5:00 PM--Free

These two acts are very different. Ashida is a indie singer songwriter. Musically, he seems to be a bit more adept than The Rainman Suite, but the Suite is a fun (if not generic sounding) Pop Punk band. It really all lies with your personal tastes.

VELOUR VS MUSE

Velour is coming with the K.I.C. (Keeping it Clean) comedy tour. The only thing I could find on this was on Velour's website. It said it was various local comedians (red flag).

Muse is presenting jazz night featuring The Hepcats. Props to Muse for thinking outside the box with some jazz tunes but I can't find anything on these Hepcats...so I can't hardly pimp it. Right? Right?

Due to lack of information from both venues I give the edge to no one and award 0 points. So this weeks score remains Velour 1, Muse 0.

If you're not feeling live music tonight check out the Hale Center Theater. They have a production of Singin in the Rain running until August. The show starts at 7:30 PM and tickets range from $15.50-$17.50. Hale Theater is located at 225 W 400 N in Orem.

About the Song Du Jour: "Cold Shoulder" Adele

I saw this girl perform earlier this year and this was the song she opened with. The energy and jealousy and love and pain and soul packed into this track is absolutely breathtaking. Adele is just one of the many great musicians Britain has produced in the last few years. They get it over there and we so obviously don't. It's like they are just trying harder. Adele rocks...it's that simple.

That's the whole shebang today folks. Another busy day up for tomorrow...see you then!

Must Get Out of Utah County

I have never been more itchy to go on vacation in my entire life. Every time I click online, there is another cruise ad or Disney character or Las Vegas hotel staring me in the face. We all need to get out of this place every once and a while to stay sane. We live in a strange community, much different than the rest of the world, and it is good to take in the real world from time to time. If you're feeling like me and want to get out of town, check out this discount travel site--->click here.

Now that Velour is open again, I want to introduce a new section called VELOUR vs MUSE. Everyday (Tuesday-Saturday) UV's Finest will look at the two venues shows and pick a winner. The venue with the most wins during the week will get a point and we will keep track on the main page of who has the better acts. I have yet to go and check out the renovations Velour has made but Muse has made great strides over the last year and is a nice place to hang out anymore. So now, without further ado...VELOUR VS MUSE.

Velour has a few acoustic acts tonight, highlighted by Texan Aaron Robert. Robert is a blues man with some gospel undertones. It's hard to find acts like him locally, so it might be worth checking out just for the novelty factor. Things will get poppin' there at about 8:00 and the cover charge is $3.

Muse is presenting an Indie night featuring a Phoenix-based band called hi my name is ryan. This band plays incredibly silly music. They call it "Comfort Punk" but I find nothing comfortable about it. They remind me of that guy at the party that gets a laugh and then starts to take the joke too far to the point that they look sad. Doors open at 8:00 there and the cover is $5.

The advantage goes to VELOUR here. Acts like hi my name is ryan are just annoying and shouldn't be encouraged. Velour leads this week 1-0.

Honestly, though, the best show tonight comes to us via the LIVE Playlist Concert Series at Tahtian Noni Gardens. This hidden gem at the gardens keeps on impressing with excellent acts. Tonight they feature Nicole Sheahan. Details Below:

LIVE Playlist Concert Series--Tahitian Noni Gardens
Nicole Sheahan
333 Riverpark Way, Provo
7:30 PM--$5

Nicole is a Christian singer with the voice of an angel. On a quick listen, she seems to be a pretty good songwriter with sweet, inspirational songs. If you don't want to deal with the grind at either of the University Ave venues, this is a delightful alternative.

About the Song Du Jour: "Til' It's Gone" Janet Jackson f/ Q-Tip

One of the best example of sampling gone so right, Janet Jackson's "Til' It's Gone" perfectly borrows from Joni Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi" and creates one of the most soulful songs of her career. The first single from her Velvet Rope album (the best of Jackson's career) this song was Janet at her moody, melancholy best and Q-Tip's throwback rhymes are the frosting on this sweet track.

What a great day...plenty for you kids to do! If that's not enough, remember it's $1 all day at Movies 8. See y'all tomorrow, have a fabulous Tuesday!

Not a Thing to do Monday

Man Mondays are awesome, aren't they? Nothing to do, most people go back to work, a whole week until the weekend. Wow...awesome day! That's right...as far as I can see, there is nothing to do today. Luckily, a number of local businesses recognize the lack of activity on Monday's and they have discounts...or at least they used to. I searched high and low, bowling, mini golf, movie theaters...all of that stuff. Couldn't find a single Monday deal...

Visited an Italian joint called Gloria's Little Italy on Friday and I have to say, overall, I wasn't impressed. The food was good, I will give them that...but the customer service was lacking. After we sat down, it took our waitress fifteen minutes to come and take our order. And then, we never saw her again...instead they paraded three different people to our table. And of course when the food came, one of the dishes was incorrect. When we pointed this out, the server argued with us and the dish was never fixed. Food is really in 25% of the battle in the restaurant business Gloria's, if you want people to come back you've got to put out more effort than that. Overall Gloria's gets a rating of C.

About the Song Du Jour: "Lay Lady Lay" Bob Dylan

This song is comfort food for my soul. Bob Dylan is one of my favorite artists ever and I literally love every song he's ever made. But this sweet country ballad is so beautiful, it holds a special place in my heart. The vulnerable yet frank nature of the song will disarm the most prickly of characters.

Sadly that is all for today, hopefully more is going down tomorrow. Until then...happy Monday!

If I Were To Go On Tour...

...I'd have Human Highway open for me and play like a 15 minute set. They would make your band look so good. I love the Black Keys. After Human Highway played last night, I felt like the Keys were the best band of all time. At one point, the lead singer of Highway said, "Were going to play a Japanese folk song" and I thought to myself, "Of course you are." Human Highway=suck Black Keys=pure unadulterated blues/rock at it's finest.

After weeks of being closed for renovation, Velour is finally opening her doors back up. Tonight the Provo venue will be featuring an indie artist from Chicago. Details below:

Velour
Cameron McGill
135 N University Ave, Provo
8:00 PM--$7

If you're not feeling Cameron McGill, who is very good on a quick listen, you can shoot over next door to Muse. I love these two venues being open again.

Tomorrow it's all about the I Heart Utah Festival at Thanksgiving Point...Details Below:

Thanksgiving Point, Electric Park
1st Annual I Heart Utah Festival
3003 Thanksgiving Way, Lehi
Saturday, 10 AM-7 PM--FREE!

Check out all the amazing vendors at the place and celebrate our beautiful state at the I Heart Utah Festival this weekend.

That's it for me...off to the zoo!!! Have a great weekend...see you Monday

Ladies and Gentlemen...The Blues

The first time I watched the Twilight movie, at midnight, opening day (not my choice) I had the knee jerk reaction of hating it. I mean, I'm a dude and I'm too hardcore for non-human-eating vampires, right? So I watched it last night, totally open-minded and objectively...and I've come to a conclusion. It's not a very good movie...at all. When Edward Roadrunner's Bella to the top of the mountain to show her his sparkliness...frankly, it makes me want to puke. The only bright spots are the bubbly/empty headed friend Jessica, the mysteriously cute Alice and Mike Dexter (aka Peter Facinelli) as Carlisle. Otherwise, the rest of the cast fails miserably...and the Director Catherine Hardwicke missed the mark by a mile. What's with the glitter?

Sammy's is the best burger place in Provo...hands down. This little hole in the wall, just off 100 W and Center has fresh food, great service and an awesome vibe. It's a little pricey for a burger joint ($6 for most specialty burgers) but it's worth every penny. I went with the Sammy's Masterpiece, a brilliant quarter pound concoction with bacon, grilled onions, sauteed mushrooms, provolone, sweet bbq sauce and guacamole!!! It is a mess, but it is fantastic. Sammy's gets the rating of UV's Finest.

Twilight returns tonight with the Black Keys (featured with the Song Du Jour). This amazing two piece blues band is worth the drive to Salt Lake tonight. The festivities and booths will open at 5:00 PM at the Gallivan, and the opening act Human Highway, will hit the stage around 7.

About the Song Du Jour: "Thickfreakness" The Black Keys

Gritty, gritty, gritty...that's the only way I can possibly explain this jam from the Ohio based blues duo. They are the real deal and every time I hear, them I become more hooked. Come hear this and many more songs from this sick group tonight, for free, at the Gallivan Center (239 S Main) in Salt Lake.

Okey dokey y'all. I'm out for the day...have a good one and I'll see you tomorrow.

500 Days of Positivity

My wife informed me that the blog has been awfully negative the last couple of days...and she's 100% right. So I promise this posting is going to be all happy, no griping. Besides, what's not to be happy about? The sun is shining, the birds are singing, the markets have been kicking butt these last couple of days and I'm feeling good!

(500) Days of Summer was one of the best movies I've seen in a VERY long time. In fact, I'm going to go ahead and say that it was the 2nd best movie I've seen this summer (The Hangover is still tops). As expected, Zooey Deschanel was amazing as the enigmatically captivating Summer and Joseph Gordon-Levitt was perfect as head-over-heels in love Tom. Don't get it twisted though, as the tag line says: This isn't a Love Story; This is a Story About Love. It's a story that examines and breaks down the silly cliches of the normal romance movies. It's a funny, artful, whimsical and at times poignant look at the obstacle course that is relationships. Overall, this film does what so many "romantic comedies" fail to do, which is grasp real life love and relationships. That's why this film deserves the perfect rating of A. I suggest everyone sees it, you won't be disappointed. (500) Days of Summer is rated PG13 for Language and a bit of Sexual Content.

There is actually a few things to do today!!! Yay!!! The Muse has a show tonight at 8 featuring Adam and Darcie, a wonderful indie duo from Provo. The cover for that show is $3. You can also check out this week's Celeb Vocal Competition, where locals compete for an opening spot for Lonestar. That starts tonight at 8 PM and the cover is $4. After the competition they will be playing the movie Twilight. There is also a free show at Graywhale in Orem tonight. Details Below:

Graywhale Local Artist Series
Corey Mon and the Starlight Gospel
575 East University Pkwy, Orem (East Side of the Mall)
6:00 PM--Free

About the Song Du Jour: "Stand Out" The Goofy Movie

We can all connect with Max's dilemma in this classic movie from Disney. He's crushin on this girl, who doesn't even know he's alive and he will do anything for her to notice him. We've all been there before. So if there's someone special out there, remember Powerline's infamous mantra from Stand Out, "Til mine is the only face you see I'm gonna stand out, til you notice me!"

Much love Utah County, be happy, be positive and come back tomorrow for more blogalicious sunshine! Peace.

Pottering at Midnight

Well Hogwart's fans everywhere...the time has come. The time has come for your beloved Harry to geek his way around the screen again, with his lame wand and stupid lightning bolt scar. I'm not a fan of the film or the book series (obviously) but I want to give props to JK Rowling. She single-handily brought reading for kids and teens back to life. Without Potter there's no Cullen. The series opened the door for these teen forward fantasy books. Props to you Ms. Rowling and thank you.

We find ourselves with nothing going on in the UC again! Why do we live here again??? I'm sure a good chunk of you will be at the megaplex tonight anyway. I will be attending a screening of (500) Days of Summer. It's a comedy about a girl named Summer (played by Zooey Deschanel, love her!) who doesn't believe love exists and the guy who falls in love with her. The movie is already playing in most cities but, as with anything quality, we get it late. (500) Days opens Friday...UV's Finest will have a full review tomorrow.

About the Song Du Jour: "Fight The Power" Public Enemy

Chuck D and, to some extent, Flava Flav are mad, boyee! Fight The Power comes in harder than in hip hop song before it and has more quality than almost any after. So many radical lyrics and audacious claims, especially for 1989! The 4:42 song claims Elvis was a racist and so was John Wayne. It says none of their heroes will ever appear on a postage stamp (sorry MLK JR., apparently you didn't make the cut) and that Chuck D apparently doesn't like the song Don't Worry, Be Happy. Despite all of the outrageous lyrics, this is the best Hip Hop song ever...and compared to the chanting that passes for Hip Hop these days, it is pure brilliance.

That is it today kids...enjoy your midnight screenings of Harry Potter. See you tomorrow!

Pushing The Reset Button

It has come to my attention that American politicians are lacking many qualities that you would hope for. Among them are intelligence, leadership ability, our best interest, character and many more. So it is my opinion that at next year's midterm elections, there should be a reset button at the polls. An option that we can choose to completely get rid of every person in the federal (and even local) government. A nonviolent revolution of sorts.

Dang near nothing going on in Utah County today. Muse has an open mic thing and, of course, the SCERA has West Side Story tonight. No shows or events of interest that I could find though. Also, you can always go to the Owlz game at Brent Brown Ball Park (at UVU). Every Monday home game is Family Night at the ball park. For $36, you can get six tickets, six hot dogs and six drinks. Details below:

Orem Owlz vs Great Falls Voyagers
Brent Brown Ball Park
7:05 PM--$4-$10

About the Song Du Jour: "Frontier Psychiatrist" The Avalanches

This strange little ditty popped up about eight years ago. Combining a number of random voice clips from a John Robert Dobson writing by the same name and strange, old fashioned horns and beats. It's a big silly mess that you can't help but listen to.

Have a good Monday everyone. Hopefully there's more to report tomorrow.

Filthy/Gorgeous Friday

My my my, what a beautiful day! Well first off, HAPPY FRIDAY! It's time to get buck wild indeed. Twilight did not disappoint last night. I was unable to stay for Bon Iver's set but Jenny Lewis, as expected, was supreme. There were some good food vendors there but I couldn't find a single hot dog when I wanted one...weird. For some reason, I found myself around some pretty lame concert-goers. There was a group of guys who seemed like they were more interested with playing with each other than watching the show...they should've just stayed home. All that aside though, it was a lot of fun and I look forward to next week and the Black Keys.

So there aren't as many shows as you would think this weekend. The one that's kinda caught my eye this evening is at East Bay Studios in Provo. It's an indie show featuring four bands. Here's the details:

East Bay Studios
Acts: Formerly So, Side Dish, J. Wride and Throwing Randy
85 Eastbay Blvd, Provo
7:00 PM--$5

This show actually looks pretty promising. Formerly So, on their Myspace, said they are going to throw in a free EP for anyone who comes. That's a bonus. Of course, Muse will be putting on two shows this weekend, both starting at 8:00 PM and both with $5 covers.

There a couple of movies opening this week--Bruno and I Love You Beth Cooper. Neither of them seem like they are worth going to the theater for. My suggestion for both, wait for the DVD...and even then.

OR you could always do what I'm doing tonight...camping. We are lucky to live in one of the camping capitals of the world, and tonight, we will be taking advantage of that.

THE GET OUT OF UTAH COUNTY DEAL OF THE WEEK!

Salt Lake City to Las Vegas--Airfare from $120 (taxes and fees incl) round trip! For this deal and many more click here.

About the Song Du Jour: "Filthy/Gorgeous" The Scissor Sisters

It's Friday, so it's time to get freaky. This song is the freaky anthem. One of my favorite songs from one of my fave bands, "Filthy/Gorgeous" is a dance groove that screams irresponsibility. It is the perfect song to start off a wild weekend.

Well folks, that's it for today. I'll be back Monday! Whether you're going to 7 Peaks, a show or a club, enjoy the weekend like it's your last one. Much love Happy Val!!! Peace.

Ooo Girl, Shock Me Like An Electric Eel

The Celebrity Vocal Competition last night at the SCERA was fantastic. What a great family event for the SCERA to put on every week. I thought the two ladies that made it through to the next round were deserving of it. The guy that made it through was a bit questionable but at least his extremely twangy rendition of Elvis' "Can't Help Falling In Love" was memorable. Shout out to my good friend, Miss Emily Noxon, who helped judge the competition. Bar none, Em has one of the most soulful voices I've ever heard. Following the competition, there was a screening of Neil Simon's silly murder mystery comedy Murder By Death. I'd never seen this film but it was well worth waiting after the singing competition. With a cast of ridiculous characters, led by Peter Sellers (the most ridiculous of them all) Murder is a movie that's perfect to watch with a bunch of people who enjoy comedy. Some of the one-liners are classic.

In conclusion, next Wednesday should be just as fun as last, as far as the Celeb Vocal Competition goes. And for the tween-set that love pacifist vampires, Twilight will be screened afterward...OMG EDWARD (swoon-*-).

The ONLY thing, as far as I'm concerned, that's going on tonight is The Twilight Concert Series Opening, 7:00 PM at the Gallivan Center (239 S Main, Salt Lake City). Bon Iver and Jenny Lewis (both nationally recognized acts) will be performing for free! And not only that, but some of the best restaurants in Salt Lake (I'm lookin at you Stoneground) will have booths there! The Twilight Concert Series is one of the best events in Utah every year and if you're able to get downtown, I promise, you won't be disappointed.

However, if you're not allowed to go past the point of the mountain, there is an alternative for you tonight. A rock show at Muse Music featuring The Recovery, I Am The Ocean, Mary May I and In Words of Mute. Details Below:

Muse Music
Rock Show (Bands Above)
151 N University Ave, Provo
8:00 PM--$5

If nothing else, these four bands have very umm...well thought out names. This sounds like it's going to be a night of Angst Rock at the Muse. Trust me, make the trip to Salt Lake.

About the Song Du Jour: "Electric Feel" MGMT

This is the instant party jam of the decade. Put this on anywhere--club, concert, church, wedding, funeral, wherever--and folks will start grooving. The beat and the slammin guitar riff are more contagious than swine flu. I have probably listened to this song a gazillion times and still rock my big head to it every time it comes on. Not much more to say...an all time classic!

See you at the Gallivan Center tonight everyone! Much love to y'all, till tomorrow...keep survivin the UC grind. Peace

This One Goes Out To The Sandwich I Love

So much on my mind today: The Tour De France (Go Lance!), Misbehaved Children (somewhat of a redundant phrase) and Sex and the City (So much better on TBS) just to name a few. But at the top of my mind is my poor monitor. It actually came back to life for a minute yesterday but now it just blinks. So here I am poolside, once again, to bring you the various happenings and goings on in this somewhat bland place we call Happy Valley.

Stepped into Sensuous Sandwich (Orem) for the first time in a while yesterday and was reminded why it is the SINGLE BEST SANDWICH SHOP IN UTAH COUNTY. As always, the bread was fresh, the fillings were amazing, the service was unparalleled and the ambiance was perfect. Sensuous Sandwich receives the rating of UV's Finest Sandwich Shop. I love you Sensuous!

Somewhat of a busy day in the UC music scene. Well...busier than most Wednesdays. Muse is coming with a promising indie-folk show this evening and the SCERA is presenting the 4th annual Celebrity Vocal Competition. Details below:

Muse Music
Acts: You Me and Apollo, Cody Taylor and Courtney Marie Andrews
151 N University Ave, Provo
7:00 PM--$5

SCERA Cultural Arts Center
Celebrity Vocal Competition
745 S State Street, Orem
8:00 PM--$4

These two shows both look amazing and I definitely will be attending one tonight...The show at Muse features two incredible traveling acts from Phoenix (Apollo and Andrews) as well as Taylor, who's jam "Don't Go" is one of the best songs I've ever heard from a local artist.

On the other hand, the Celeb Vocal, which goes down every Wednesday at the SCERA, features some talented Utah singers performing some classic songs for a chance to move on to the semis and finals. The finalists will perform before Lonestar on August 28. After the performances, the SCERA will also be screening a movie under the stars. Tonight it's Neil Simon's Murder By Death.

About the Song Du Jour: "Never Gonna Come Back Down" BT

The break beats and hard edged vocals should put this classic on the top of anyone's workout playlist. It works itself into a frenzy on a number of occasions and has a driving beat that pushes it along the 5:30 minute epic road.

That's gonna be all for today...check back tomorrow for my review of whatever show I go to??? Twilight tomorrow!!! So excited! Much love kids...see you (probably poolside) tomorrow...

Give Me Summer

All apologies for being so late on this one...my monitor on my PC went kabluey so I'm forced to improvise (chillin by the pool, stealing some wirelessness). I don't love swimming but sitting by the pool, especially on a beautiful day like this one, is somewhat therapeutic. My wife always wants to just lay by the thing and I never understand why, but sitting here now makes me remember how calming it really can be.

The Michael Jackson Memorial came and went today and it was really gripping. It was a great tribute to the man and his legacy. A few highlights for me were Magic Johnson talking about eating KFC with Michael, Al Sharpton's powerful speech about him and Usher and Jennifer Hudson's performances. When Jackson's daughter, Paris, spoke a few words about her dad it was heartbreaking. Overall it was a very somber and fitting tribute to him.

Speaking of Michael, there's going to be some sort of tribute for him tonight in Orem. I don't know too much about it but here's the details I do know:

Michael Jackson Tribute
Applebee's Orem
Multiple Artists
9:00 PM--Free

Again, I don't know too much more about this.

Like I mentioned yesterday, The Twilight Music Festival starts this week. For those of you who don't know what that is, Twilight is a free concert series that happens every Thursday during July and August. National acts (such as Bon Iver and Sonic Youth) play free shows at the Gallivan Center in Salt Lake. Along with the music their are a number of the best restaurants in SLC with booths there. If you are able to go, these shows are well worth the trip Downtown. This week Bon Iver and Jenny Lewis will be playing. Both acts are part of this neo-folk explosion that has happened in the indie world. The Gallivan Center opens up at 5:00 PM every Thursday and the shows start at 7:00 PM. Other notable artists that are coming are The Black Keys (7/16), Q Tip (8/6), Iron and Wine (8/20) and Robert Randolph (8/27). For more info click here.

About the Song Du Jour: "Waiting Line" Zero 7

There are just some songs that are made to chill with...and this might be one of the best. Appearing during the ultimate chill scene during GARDEN STATE, "Waiting Line" is the epidamy of cool. If you need a great song to kick it pool side to, any Zero 7 track will do, but this one really is extremely relaxing.

That's all for now everyone, I'll be back tomorrow with more fun events around the UC...much love everyone and see you tomorrow!

Patriotic Hangover

The parade on Saturday was somewhat disgraceful to our country. Few, if any, of the floats had a patriotic theme and the only two giant cartoon balloons I can remember are Madeline and Paddington Bear. This is ridiculous...Madeline is an idealistic french girl who probably hates America because of our foreign policies and all around brashness and Paddington Bear is a Brit that's STILL bitter about the Revolutionary War. Mix some Americans into the fold Provo Parade!!! Charlie Brown, Sponge Bob, Bugs Bunny! Flip, I would have been happy to see Doug...anything but Paddington Bear and Madeline! Dang! Oh and to the 40+ year old man across the street that was screaming at every parade participant to "spin"...get a life.

I'm okay...I promise. Not a whole lot going on here in Utah County today. I found no real shows of interest when scouring the intrawebz. Scera Theatre is putting on a production of West Side Story. Details:

SCERA Shell Outdoor Theatre
West Side Story
669 South State Street, Orem
8:00 PM--$10-$14 adults, $8-$12 children

This production is running every Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday night until July 20. SCERA Theatre always puts on quality and this, I'm sure, is no exception.

About the Song Du Jour: "Sleepyhead" Passion Pit

The song comes in like some weird dream. Written by Lead Singer and Keyboardist Michael Angelakos, the song was part of a Valentine's gift to his girlfriend. It clocks in at just under three minutes but manages to pack in great dance beats, break downs and weird sampling. This is one of my favorite underground songs of last year and I fully expect Passion Pit to blow up really soon.

That's all for today folks. Tune in tomorrow as I preview the Twilight Music Festival in Salt Lake and give you more entertainment love...til' then Au Revoir!

I Love This Freakin Country!!!

Tomorrow the United States of America turns 233. We have been through tough times and great. We have been through times of oppression and times of freedom. We have seen many wars, cried many tears and lost many brave people. Today I just want to say thank you America. Thank you for being a great example of freedom and perseverance against all odds. And for everyone celebrating our amazing country this weekend, remember to never take what we have for granted. Treat every day like Independence Day and always give thanks for this amazing land. Let's never forget the freedoms that our forefathers fought for and never let anyone take them away.

If you're hanging out in downtown Provo this weekend, you have a pretty good amount of choices for grub anymore. We went to Guru's this afternoon after spending most of the morning at the Colonial Day's celebration (worth checking out by the way). I got the West of Philly wrap and Sweet Potato Fries for about $10. The food was very good and very fresh. The fries are an experience on their own. My only problem was, it took a long time for our food to come out. No biggie though, it was quite busy at the time and it's understandable that we might have been a bit overlooked. Overall it was a good lunch at a fair price. UV'S Finest gives Gurus a solid B and suggests it for anyone looking for a good, light meal for your Fourth festivities.

There's a lot going on over the next couple of days. There will be a number of activities in downtown Provo for the Freedom Festival, including a lot of free concerts and stuff. UV'S Finest features event, however, has nothing to do with the Freedom Festival and everything to do with two low key bands playing at "Whitney's House". DETAILS:

Whitney's House--TODAY!!!
Acts: The Young Lords, Death and the Orange, The Eden Express and Agent Smith
3900 N 50 E, Provo
8:00 PM--Free

I am loving Death and the Orange's sound, on a quick listen and I think I could also get into Eden Express. The Young Lords seem to be going for an instrumental type thing, which is cool if that's what you're in to. On a quick search, I found nothing on Agent Smith...unless it's the guy from the Matrix. Plenty on him.

If you're not into (really) low key tunes just stay downtown...there's a vintage flea market happening at Velour today from "2 PM-Late".

There's so much to do tomorrow, it's ridiculous. Of course you got the parade downtown, it starts at 9 AM. And all the other hoopla surrounding Freedom Festival, including Stadium of Fire...which didn't sell out this year so you can still get tickets (check Craig's List first, when I looked there were a tone of them being dumped). MY featured event tomorrow is a big 4th of July house party w/ Allred and This Is Anfield. Poster below:





This show/ party looks like it's going to be a blast. 202 E 1800 S in Orem, open to the first 350 people, $5 cover. Allred and This Is Anfield will both put on good shows at what looks to be an epic party. Check it out!

About The Song Du Jour: "America the Beautiful" Ray Charles

Pretty obvious choice here...this is the single best "patriotic" song ever recorded by anyone. Ray nails everything about it. He was an American Treasure and we still miss him to this day. We were lucky to have such a talent and lucky that he recorded this fine tribute to his country.

Have a safe weekend, don't blow your faces off with bottle rockets and flowers. Much love to you kids, see you Monday!!!

Depp The Enemy

Have you ever set off somewhere, thinking you knew where it was but having the slightest doubt that you may not be right? That was me yesterday, on my way out to Tooele. I was like "Well I know it's West and slightly North..." I took I-80 and just prayed I didn't end up in Wendover. Alas a sign confirming that Tooele was near came just as panic began to set in. I am terrible with direction boys and girls, that combined with my ridiculous stubborn streak...let's just say it's a combo that has gotten me lost many a time.

Public Enemies was off the proverbial hook. Let me tell you something, if ever I need a film made I am going to hire Michael Mann as the director. He's so deliberate and unique. He's an old school filmmaker with a nouveau flair(whatever that means). My favorite thing about Mann is his extremely realistic action scenes...the shootouts in this film will not disappoint. It also doesn't hurt when you have an all star cast either. Led by a superb performance from Johnny Depp (his best since Captain Jack Sparrow in the FIRST Pirates film), the players in Public Enemies were superb. My only gripe...and the only reason this movie isn't getting a perfect A, is at times the romantic scenes would linger. I don't mind love stories in action films but it needs to flow like the rest of the movie. The romance scenes seemed out of place sometimes because of the sheer difference in pacing. Overall though, I loved this film! UV'S Finest Grade: B+ Public Enemies runs for 140 minutes, it is rated R for some language and some graphic violence.

Now to the events of Thursday July 2, 2009:

Muse Music must be lovin' the fact that their arch rival, Velour, will be closed until mid-July. They have really been the only show in Provo lately and I'm sure that it's paying off. Tonight they have "Acoustic Night".

Muse Music
Acts: Follow The Earth, Mckenna Price and "Others"
151 North University Avenue, Provo
7:30 PM--$5

I couldn't find anything on Mckenna Price but Follow the Earth sounds pretty interesting. They listed Genesis and Tool among their seemingly millions of influences. If that's not your thing, check out the events that surround Freedom Fest in Provo, kicking off in earnest tomorrow.

FREEDOM FEST EVENTS:

Balloon Fest (Hot Air Balloons Going Up!)-6:30 AM-Bulldog Field (Provo High)

Colonial Days (Family activities that help relive the past)-10:00 AM-Crandall Historical Printing Museum (275 E Center)

Freedom Days (Like Colonial Days...with rides)-5:00 PM-10:00 PM-Provo Center Street.

All three of these events will be going on over the next three days, so if you happen to miss the balloon festival...fret not, it will be there tomorrow...at 6:30 in the morning.

About the Song Du Jour: "Will You Be There?" Michael Jackson

One week after Mikey's death, the world is still captivated by all of the stories and side stories swirling around his tragic and sudden passing. Regardless of what we thought of the man personally, we can not ignore all he accomplished professionally. He was the complete package and often people would overlook his songwriting abilities because he brought so much else to the table. Though "Will You Be There?" is not the best example of his writing prowess from beginning to end, I believe that a certain set of lyrics is the finest five lines the man ever penned:

But They Told Me
A Man Should Be Faithful
And Walk When Not Able
And Fight Till The End
But I'm Only Human

So powerful and you could tell that it was straight for his tortured and troubled heart. God bless you Michael and rest in the peace that you would never find here.

Have a great day Happy Valley!!! Love y'all and I'll be back tomorrow.

July, Fabulous July!

I watched a good chunk of Grease last night. What a fantastic movie. There's a lot of overacting in musicals, that's the norm but this one takes the cake. The award for most energy spent per scene's gotta go to Jeff Conaway playing Kenickie. The man is exhausting to watch every time he's on the screen. His excitement during the Greased Lightning number is mind blowing.

But I digress...it's the first day of July and there is no shortage of activity on this beautiful Wednesday. The ESPAVO CENTER is opening in Lehi tonight and putting on a four band concert/ dance party. Apparently The Espavo Center, from what I've gathered from a Craig's List posting about tonight, is some sort of Yoga/ Pilates joint by day and a rockin music venue by night. Here are the details:

Espavo Center Grand Opening!
Bands: Summer Lasts Forever, Against The Season, That Storyline and TraVisty
121 East State Street, Lehi
7:30 PM TONIGHT--$5
Dance Party from 10 PM-Midnight

It's always exciting to see something like this open in Utah County because, let's face it, we don't have a whole lot. A quick scan of the bands shows the evening will be one full of adolescent angst and guitars. Down in Provo it's Synth-Pop night at the Muse, as they bring four bands that would make the guy who scored Napoleon Dynamite proud. The details:

Muse Music
Bands: Forest World, Candy Apple Kids, Dust The Books and The Crylics
151 North University Avenue, Provo
7:30 PM TONIGHT--$5

Public Enemies, starring Johnny Depp and Christian Bale, opens today. It is a movie about John Dillinger, the infamous bank robber that terrorized/ captivated Chicago and the whole nation in the early 1930s. The movie is based on a non-fiction book written by Bryan Burrough's. The movie is directed by Michael Mann (Heat, Collateral, Ali). It also stars Channing Tatum, Marion Cotillard and Billy Crudup. Early reviews are positive, I'll have a full review tomorrow.

GET OUT OF UTAH COUNTY Deal of the Day

4 Night Baja Mexico Cruise from $164 per person--for this and more great travel deals click here.

About the Song Du Jour: "Breakin' Up" Rilo Kiley

It's the quintessential post break up empowerment song. Lead singer Jenny Lewis (who will be playing a free show with Bon Iver next week...more on that later) starts the track trying to convince herself that she doesn't need this dude over a chill melody. By the time the chorus rolls around she's wailing "Ooo it feels good to be free!" with dancy rhythms in the background. Fabulous track from a fabulous band.

That's it for today, check back tomorrow as we prepare for all of the fantastically patriotic events that will consume the remainder of the week as well as my take on Public Enemies. Have a great day Utah Valley!!!