MUSIC PICKS JUN 20 - 26 

• Neil Krug
• Cage The Elephant

Cage The Elephant @ Utah First Credit Union Amphitheater 6/20
Let the metal bars rattle and rumble: Cage The Elephant is making a break for it right here in Salt Lake City on June 20 at the Utah First Credit Union Amphitheater. Known most predominantly for their tour de force on the indie/alternative scene in the 2010s with the release of Thank You, Happy Birthday and Melophobia, Cage The Elephant is one of the rare bands of that era that boasts a still consistent and euphonious discography. Even up to their most recent May 2024 release, Neon Pill, the band has stayed true to the sound that made them famous, although not without some sonic innovation to keep them palpable for an ever-changing audience. Formed—perhaps surprisingly—in Kentucky sans the country twang, the band is characterized by their garage-esque guitar sound, slightly beach-punk inspired bass, and the easily distinguishable vocals of frontman Matt Shultz, Cage The Elephant is a show not to be missed for nostalgic and modern music aficionados alike. See Cage the Elephant on Thursday, June 20 at 6:30 p.m. Tickets for the all-ages show can be purchased at livenation.com for various prices, beginning around $40. (Sophie Caligiuri)

• Grant Gilmore EDM Identity
• Get Funky

Get Funky @ The Great Saltair 6/21-/22
This week, Salt Lake City is Funkytown! The Great Saltair will host two nights of House music, featuring electronic music powerhouses Kaskade and Wax Motif on Friday, and a special back-to-back from Tchami and Malaa on Saturday. The lyrics of DJ and producer Wax Motif (Danny Chien), "Yeah, it's a vibe up in here," sum it all up! Get Funky is the vibe. Kaskade is a Utah favorite and will woo us over with progressive house and melodic techno grooves. Tchami and Malaa will bring the bass house energy with their No Redemption project. Come early to catch all the fun sets from Kyle Watson, XIE, Dave Summer. You can also support local DJ Branden Estrada on Friday and Chris Lorenzo, Wuki, Anabel Englund, Gudfella and Nosay on Saturday. Dance along in the warm summer air to some groovy beats! Get Funky is put on by V2 Presents and takes place at The Great Saltair on Friday, June 21 and Saturday, June 22. GA for one-day passes cost $70 and two-day passes cost $125. For tickets, go to v2presents.com (Arica Roberts)

• Press photo
• Chali 2na

Chali 2na with House of Vibe @ Granary Live 6/22
Street art trustfully and intimately invites us to sit down and feel our own emotions and soul. Hip hop is the voice of the unheard, the marginalized and the oppressed. These elements of the culture go hand in hand, and Charles Stuart (AKA Chali 2na) gets busy with both. You see, he's a painter who can rap, not the other way around. He's one of the founding members of L.A.-based rap collective Jurassic 5, who created the group's logo (the circle with the J and 5 on the inside). "When I was introduced to graph writing, I thought, 'Oh man, this is what I'm supposed to do. This is me,'" 2na told KEXP.org. "Later, writing poetry and lyrics mirrored graffiti-writing to me, the attention to detail and patience you need to paint the picture just right." His music is much more than a paint-by-numbers retro affection, however. With several solo EPs in addition to a couple long-plays, he boasts previous work with J5 and other fresh collaborations and guest appearances (see Ozomatli, Breakestra, etc.). Chali 2na's old-school ethos pushes the envelope in any medium. Seriously, check out the tune "Comin Thru." It's on the streamers, so there's no excuse for not giving it a spin. KBong & Johnny Cosmic, AURORAWAVE and the top-billed The Movement perform as well. Catch these acts on the Ways Of The World 5th Anniversary Tour at Granary Live on Saturday, June 22, with doors at 5:30 p.m. Tickets for the all-ages show are $35 can be found at tixr.com (Mark Dago)

• George Mays
• Chicano Batman

Chicano Batman @ The Depot 6/24
The style of music known as "psychedelic soul" enjoyed an all-too-brief heyday in the late 1960s. Deftly fusing elements of Black American soul and the dreamier end of psychedelic rock, the genre was exemplified by music from artists including Sly & the Family Stone and The Chambers Brothers. In the 21st century, Southern California-based Chicano Batman has developed its own distinctive, modern and original musical personality, based in large part on the influence of psychedelic soul. Their sound borrows timeless elements from music's past; songs like "Friendship (Is a Small Boat in a Storm)"—a standout track on the group's third album (2017's Freedom is Free)—draw upon the music that the group members' parents and grandparents loved. And while Chicano Batman is not explicitly politically-focused, there's no mistaking some of the lyrical messages in the group's music. The group takes an upbeat and positive approach to addressing social issues, with a goal of encouraging togetherness and driving away fear. Onstage, Chicano Batman cuts a memorable and striking visual image, with members often attired in matching ruffled-shirt tuxedos. But at its core, the band remains primarily focused on the music. Their fifth and latest album Notebook Fantasy was released in March. Chicano Batman plays June 24 at The Depot; tickets are $45 and up at livenation.com (Bill Kopp)

• Leah Puttkammer
• James McMurtry

James McMurtry @ Commonwealth Room 6/25
Populism has always thrived within the realms of popular music, beginning with such esteemed folk laureates as Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger and their guitar-strumming brethren. In more recent times, the mantle's been carried by another breed of folk hero—musicians like Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp and John Fogerty, each one an artist-as-Everyman who was able to sum up the feelings and frustrations of ordinary individuals and turn them into anthems that anyone, regardless of social standing, could appreciate and enjoy. James McMurtry is only the latest to follow in that tradition. In a sense, he comes by that ability naturally, being the son of the legendary western novelist Larry McMurtry (Lonesome Dove). His storytelling skills are clearly in his genes—or jeans, if you will—as evidenced by the niche he's carved out over the course of his career. The music is uniquely his own: impassioned, anecdotal and flush with iconic imagery. His songs offer tales of hard-luck heroes and ne'er-do-wells forced by fate to find their own way in a world where the odds are clearly stacked against them. McMurtry's most recent album, The Horses and the Hounds, offers yet another striking example of that time-tested template, an edgy, overcast set of songs as affecting as they are enticing—a clear combination of honesty and insight. Irascible to a degree, but proficient and profound, James McMurtry is an artist to be reckoned with. McMurtry performs a 21+ show at the Commonwealth Room at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, June 25. Tickets cost $45 GA at thestateroompresents.com (Lee Zimmerman)