Review: Kilby Block Party and its Intricately Curated Celebration of the Indie Scene
KILBY BLOCK PARTY RETURNED to the Utah State Fairgrounds this year for its 5th Anniversary with an stacked indie lineup. This year also commemorates the 25th year of the festival’s namesake, Kilby Court, a unique, DIY garage-style venue nationally known for nurturing some of the most popular acts in music today. Several artists, such as Death Cab for Cutie, who have left significant marks on the Kilby Court history books and returned to Salt Lake City to celebrate the occasion.
Among indie fans worldwide, Kilby Block Party is known for featuring one of the most intimately curated indie lineups in the game. The festival was not backing down this year with bands throughout the wide range niche indie genres forcing fans to once again make the trip to Salt Lake City for the weekend. The lineup featured everything with indie rock artists like Annie DiRusso, indie punk artists like The Garden, and even indie folk artists like Odie Leigh. Whoever books for Kilby surely knows the true path to an indie fan’s heart. With such a diverse lineup, I had the pleasure of witnessing every type of fan behavior from mosh pits to teary eyes.
Salt Lake City is also widely regarded for its lively music scene and I was blessed by the many local bands that made the lineup and blew me away. Starting off the weekend strong were SLC locals; Drusky, an indie rock band that has been growing in the Salt Lake scene for the last couple of years. The quartet stunned the festival’s second-largest stage with their lively energy and warmed up fans for a full weekend of over 70 artists. Another great artist that I was introduced to over the weekend was Abby Sage. Abby’s hauntingly beautiful voice and stage presence left an imprint on my mind all weekend and I immediately had to add her to my summer playlist for the plane ride home. I was also fortunate enough to catch Abby and her band backstage for a quick portrait session where I learned just how incredibly sweet they all are. I will definitely be going out of my way to see them again.
My personal highlight from day one was another indie rock band, though this time Vancouver-based, Peach Pit. I have been a dedicated fan of theirs for several years now, and it is always a pleasure to catch one of their sets. For a 3:25 start time, fans showed up and packed festival grounds to listen to some of modern indie rock’s most classic tunes such as “Shampoo Bottles” and “Alrighty Aphrodite”. Finishing out the first night was another amazing act, Vampire Weekend. Vampire Weekend recently returned to the scene with the announcement and release of their fifth studio album Only God Was Above Us. The album features a new spin on Vampire Weekend’s widely regarded indie sound and coincidentally is one of my favorite releases of theirs, although I must say, listening to “A Punk” live among tens of thousands of people was a near spiritual experience.
Not only was Kilby Block Party worth the trip for its lineup, but it also featured a large variety of delicious food and talented vendors. Throughout the weekend, I sampled everything from smoothies to thai food, pizza to ice cream. Every fan, myself included, left with full stomachs and happy thoughts. Aside from feeding fans’ appetites, Kilby Block Party also knew how to feed every other craving an indie fan might have with tattoo booths, skateboarding, record shops, and even my personal favorite, a camera and film store. Salt Lake-based Essential Photo Supply kept my camera stocked all weekend long and satiated my film addiction.
Day two featured another great list of artists, but high up on my list of priorities for the day was indie punk band, The Garden. The pair of brothers has been growing significantly in popularity over the last two years and the electric energy at their shows is just a small hint as to why. Fans adorned with The Garden’s signature black and white clown fair paint lined the barricade immediately after opening to wait for their Kilby debut later that afternoon. Something about the afternoon Lake Stage slots just meant that we were in for a good show. Immediately as the clock struck 3:25 the duo rushed the stage, whipping around their mics, kicking speakers, and screaming lyrics, signifying to the crowd that it was time for the mosh pit to open, which is exactly what happened. Some of my favorite shots from the weekend featured dedicated fans crowd surfing on top of one of the fastest-moving mosh pits I have ever seen. Though I had intended to make it over to catch another one of my favorites, Slow Pulp, on another stage during the same time slot, I was glued to The Garden’s addictive energy and sound.
After a short rain delay later that day, Death Cab for Cutie took the stage to close out Saturday night. This was the second time Death Cab for Cutie has been featured on the Kilby Block Party lineup, with the first being the festival’s debut back in 2019. As such, their performance paid homage to both their 2002 Kilby Court set and the fifth anniversary of their Kilby Block Party headline. Lead singer, Ben Gibbard, took the stage for an extended set as his popular side project, The Postal Service, also made an appearance in the same 130-minute time slot. Both bands put on spectacular performances and made day two all the more memorable.
Sunday was the last day of the festival and the weather made sure that it was one for the books. Under the scorching sun, fans rallied for a packed day of both local acts and internationally acclaimed artists. I began my day with Little Moon, a Salt Lake City band that I can only describe as angelic. Soaring falsettos and harmonies accompanied by ethereal harp chords made for an out-of-body experience within the seemingly hypnotized crowd. Once again on the Lake Stage, I finally caught one of my favorite indie acts, Dayglow. I have been trying to see one of his shows for years now, and I was ecstatic when I saw that he made this year’s lineup. Dayglow released a new single titled “Every Little Thing I Say I Do” on May 3rd and it has been on repeat for me since it came out. Witnessing it live was stellar, especially when paired with a few of my other favorites from Dayglow such as “Can I Call You Tonight” and “Hot Rod”. After a long day under the sun, it was finally time for one of the most highly anticipated acts of the weekend, LCD Soundsystem. The band came back from the dead in 2017 to release their fourth album American Dream and has been growing ever since. Accompanied by the largest disco ball I have ever seen, their new wave electronic sound and beautiful visuals made for the perfect end to a spectacular weekend.
Kilby Block Party once again proved that it does not play around when it comes to curating niche indie lineups. Throughout the weekend I talked to fans who had traveled thousands of miles, and some who had traveled just two, cementing just how lively the Salt Lake music scene can be. Though recovering from a sunburn and several blisters, I am already making plans to find my way back to the Utah State Fairpark for next year's lineup. See you there!
