Salt Lake City’s unique music scene wasn’t built on bars
Hey Seekers!
We’re starting to get our first real whiffs of spring weather around HQ, and we like it. Longer days, lighter jackets, tour calendars filling up. It’s a good time to start mapping out your next journey with our free Music Roadtrip app.
We’re adding new venues and hidden gems every week, and refining the spots already in the app. If you’ve found somewhere we should include, or noticed something that needs an update, send us a note at info@musicroadtrip.com.
SALT LAKE CITY, UT
Ready to explore Salt Lake City’s nightlife? Join the club.
Before 2009, that’s literally what you had to do.
For 40 years, Utah’s strict laws around alcohol prevented bars as we know them from existing in SLC. Instead, they called them “private clubs.” To join, you filled out a form, paid a small membership fee, and hoped that your spot didn’t also require a 24-hour waiting period to walk in.
Since that law was nixed 17 years ago, Utah has started to look a lot more like its 49 fellow states, with breweries, cocktail lounges and pubs continuing to sprout up through town.
But the decades of restrictions actually made SLC’s music scene uniquely strong and passionate. Bands don’t play for a crowd here. They play for an audience. It makes sense that the town’s most venerable venue is an all-ages one. It’s also the namesake of one of the best indie fests in the country, which returns this May.
Speaking of namesakes, you know what SLC has in common with Kokomo? The Beach Boys wrote entire songs about both. In 1965, Mike Love proclaimed SLC had “the grooviest kids.”
Is that still the case? Let’s find out together.
Kilby Court
Established in 1999, Kilby Court is Salt Lake City’s longest-running all-ages venue. It combines a cozy outdoor courtyard space with an indoor venue, described as having a “DIY, garage-style atmosphere.” That tracks, because it’s very much a garage.
At any rate, touring indie acts (and the listeners that love them) have been eager to sweat it out in this space. Doja Cat, Vampire Weekend and Mac Miller all played here first before moving on to bigger stages. And some of those famous alums end up coming back to Kilby in a different form.
In 2019, the venue launched its own festival to celebrate their 20th anniversary. Today, the Kilby Block Party is a massive annual fest that brings 25,000 per day to the Utah State Fairpark. Lorde, The xx, Turnstile, Hayley Williams and Modest Mouse top this year’s fest, taking place May 15-17.
The State Room
Quality over quantity is the name of the game at The State Room, a 299-capacity listening room that’s home to the most attentive audience in town. Looking at its calendar, you might ask why respected singer-songwriters like Josh Ritter and Brett Dennen would book two nights here rather than a larger venue in one. If you’re asking that, you haven’t seen a show at The State Room.
They do a variety of seating configurations, but if you’re seeing a bigger name here, expect a standing-room-only vibe (with some bench seating on risers in the back). Also worth noting: it’s a 21-and-up establishment with a full bar. Not something we typically point out, but hey, it’s Utah.
Other acts coming through this year include Paula Cole, Courtney Marie Andrews and Mike Doughty.
Randy’s Record Shop
Years before the late Randy Stinson opened Randy’s Record Shop in 1978, he was bringing people together over a turntable.
He’d call up local station KNAK and invite listeners over to his house to see his record collection. He lugged crates of vinyl to Bongo Lounge — a beloved dive that’s still around — to play “oldies” from the ‘50s and ‘60s. (Incredibly, there’s footage of it.)
A vinyl obsessive who wanted everyone else to share in his joy? That’s the kind of spirit that fueled what’s now Utah’s longest-running independent record store. Stinson passed in 2024, five years after he handed off the shop to his son, Sam.
It’s always a good time to pop into Randy’s, but it’s especially sweet when they’re holding their quarterly $2 record sale. We’re talking 10,000 LPs for two bucks apiece, plus $1 CDs and 50-cent 45s.
Soundwell
If you’re reading this (and you’ve downloaded our app), chances are you’re the sort of traveler who enjoys venturing off the beaten path to find hidden gems. But every now and then, a polished room like Soundwell makes the night easy — and isn’t that nice for a change?
First, the location: smack dab in the middle of downtown, with many of the city’s top hotels and the convention center just around the block. Second, if you want to grab a pre-show bite, they’ve got an in-house restaurant, The Studio, serving “elevated” pizzas named after 2000s R&B hits — including the “Blame It on the Alcohol” pie topped with red wine salami, cognac mushrooms and vodka sauce.
Third — and most important — the calendar. Soundwell books rising alternative and hip-hop names who are stacking followers and streams, including redveil, Em Beihold, Aries and The Nude Party. It’s a great spot to discover your next favorite artist, and you might only have to cross the street to do it.
The Depot
We’re not saying this is an “Only in Utah” thing, but we’ve yet to see it anywhere else: the “Bottomless Soda” ticket add-on. It’s available for every show at The Depot, which takes its name from the historic Union Pacific Depot.
For the past 20 years, the 1,200-capacity big-box venue has been the go-to stop for touring acts that have outgrown the clubs.
The booking leans loud this year: Sepultura, Hawthorne Heights, The Devil Wears Prada, Kittie and Helloween are all on the calendar. If you find yourself in the pit, you can always hydrate with cola between sets.
More Salt Lake Greats
KRCL 90.9 FM
Community-supported radio station known for eclectic programming and local music support.
Crown Burgers
Local fast-food chain famous for its pastrami burger and classic drive-in menu.
Tiny Porch
Intimate backyard concert series highlighting touring and local singer-songwriters.
Summerhays Music Center
Family-owned instrument store serving Utah musicians since 1936.
Diabolical Records
Independent record store with a strong focus on local releases.
Utah Blues Festival
Annual blues festival featuring national and regional artists in downtown Salt Lake City.
Raunch Records
Skate shop and record store specializing in punk, hardcore and local titles.
