It's easy to forget that seeing live music doesn't always have to involve standing for hours on end, pretending your feet don't hurt, while sipping a beer that definitely won't take away the pain. Low-key jams can be found at bars around the valley, where music lovers can tuck in and dine on anything from comforting bar fare to fancy fine plates. Here are four great places—among many, many more—where you can enjoy dinner, a show and a seat.
Funk 'n' Dive
Don't think we forget that people outside SLC go to shows too. Ogden's Funk 'n' Dive is the truly funky downstairs sister to the pub Harp and Hound. Both establishments are known for their killer menus, which offer up standard bar fare like quesadillas, burgers, wings and sammies—but with the twist that they offer all that on a fully-stocked vegan menu as well as their omnivorous one. Funk 'n' Dive also plays host to nights of music, karaoke and trivia—real dive bar behavior, if you ask me. Cool down from the Fourth of July festivities in this underground haven with the groovy offerings of Logan's psychedelic, folky, funky Panthermilk, who are joined by Neil-Young styled The Painted Roses and local duo Josh & Gary. Order some vegan Buffalo Tender Tigers, wash it down with a few beers and let the alcohol and good food fuel you for a night of stomping along to these spirited local musicians.
Panthermilk, The Painted Roses, Josh & Gary
Friday, July 5
2550 Washington Blvd., Ogden
9 p.m., 21+
facebook.com/funkndive
Silver Star Café
If you ever find yourself in Park City wishing to enjoy the mountainous scenery, the fresh air and a menu to die for, The Silver Star Café is the place to go. With ample outdoor seating and a dedicated outdoor music presence in the summer, plus a menu that earned them a spot on Food Network (the part of me that is most related to my mother is very impressed by that), this is a spot for when you want to treat yourself to both really good food and really good entertainment. The restaurant hosts acoustic music dinner shows, known as Park City Limits, every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night, on the patio in the summer. It's an intimate affair that features singer-songwriters and is open for all diners to enjoy. Saturday finds the harmonious tunes of the Mister Sister Trio—a group made up of sisters Brady Chavez, Nina Oyler and their "mister," seasoned guitarist Dan Hall—there to delight the diners.
Mister Sister Trio
Saturday, July 6
1825 Three Kings Drive
Times vary, all ages
thesilverstarcafe.com
Hog Wallow Pub
Who says nightlife has to happen in the city? It doesn't, especially when places like Hog Wallow Pub exist a short 20-or-so minutes from downtown Salt Lake, on the edge of Big Cottonwood Canyon. Covered in ivy, this squat little bar is the perfect getaway if you want an easy bar to relax at to hear some music and enjoy a bite in the fresh open air of the canyon. The historic spot—open since 1947—feels like the perfect neighborhood bar, where you can reliably enjoy bar food classics (burgers, loaded fries, wings and ribs) alongside live music most nights. The music one can find there matches the vibe of the homey mountain location—Americana, reggae, blues, funk, soul and jazz all find an easy home at Hog Wallow. Locals of these genres play here often, so it's a great place to get in touch with the local scene. Get there at dusk, order dinner, camp out on the back porch and head back inside once the sun sets to listen to some tunes. Utah's own four-piece band Triggers & Slips plays a show that touches on almost all of Hog Wallow's welcomed genres on Saturday. Their music—assisted by lap steel and electric guitars, along with harmonicas, drums and bass—dabbles in everything from psychedelia to bluegrass, shot through with rock, folk and a touch of country. Sounds like a good sampler for the sort of thing Hog Wallow always has to offer.
Triggers & Slips
Saturday, July 6
3200 E. Big Cottonwood Canyon Road
9:30 p.m., 21+
thehogwallow.com
Lake Effect
There's a rustic, easy-to-miss sign outside of Lake Effect that says something about a Rabbit Hole—and this SLC bar is just that. The inside is like a fever dream, with a back bar featuring towering shelves of liquor so high that the bartenders have to swing up on ladders to grab them. There are gray booths with ridiculously high chair backs, and fairy-light-like chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. It would be easy to feel swallowed up at this bar, but luckily good music and food pull everyone back down (up?) to earth. With an inventive menu weighted with tacos, BBQ and small plates (which extends itself to an equally delicious late-night menu for night owls), diners can eat a full meal and enjoy one of Lake Effect's lounge-y evening shows, which often feature local DJs, folk, jazz and blues artists. Tennessee-to-Utah duo Sauce It headlines on Tuesday, with opener Tony Oros spicing things up to start the evening.
Sauce It, Tony Oros
Tuesday, July 9
155 W. 200 South
6 p.m., 21+
lakeeffectslc.com