MUSIC PICKS SEP 19 - 25 

• Mike Watkins
• Louis the Child

Louis the Child @ The Complex 9/20
For those of us who aren't quite ready for summer to be over, check out Louis the Child at this event over the weekend. Consisting of Robby Hauldren and Frederic J. Kennet, Louis the Child is an EDM duo known for feel-good music that the whole family can enjoy. If you're a fan of other producers like Flume, Porter Robinson or Odesza, you'll enjoy this "A Day in the Sun" tour. Check out songs like "Blow The Roof" featuring singers Kasbo and Evan Giia, "Cry" from their latest album, To Believe, or their latest single "Believe It" (featuring fellow producer Madeon) for a future house song, and some other good examples of their sound. Included on the tour is Jai Wolf, the Bangladeshi produacer born Sajeeb Saha, who won our hearts after his best-known single "Indian Summer" released in 2015. Even almost a decade later, it is still very much a euphoric happy place you are transported to through that song. The dance music duo MEMBA (Ishaan Chaudhary and Will Curry) and Texas-native Daniel Allan are all on Louis the Child's tour as well. This diverse line-up is one you don't want to miss. Here's hoping that we can all enjoy "A Day in the Sun" before the weather turns. The all-ages event takes place at The Complex on Friday, Sept. 20. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. General admission costs $45 at thecomplexslc.com. (Arica Roberts)

• Marcelo Krasilcic
• Soul Coughing

Soul Coughing @ The Depot, 9/20
Soul Coughing has long been ailed by a common sonic sickness—namely, being an alternative rock outfit, full of creativity and invention, that is widely critically-acclaimed and overall well-received, but never quite as popular as they should have been until streaming placed them gently back on the periphery of the scene's radar. In retrospect, their music has clearly inspired and mentored the now ever-popular likes of Parquet Courts, Viagra Boys, Black Midi (RIP) and even the edgier and larger sellers Idles—whether the mentees know it or not. Around for decades and boasting the 1994 standout album Ruby Vroom in their arsenal, Soul Coughing will reunite as the original lineup for the first time in 25 (!!) years, embarking on a U.S. tour and surprisingly making a pit stop in our own little 'ole Salt Lake City. With their unique blend of sound and lyricism into an overall exciting contagion, this is a once-in-a-quarter-lifetime show not to be bypassed. Tickets for the all-ages show can be found on concerts.livenation.com, and begin at $48 for general admission. Doors open at 8 p.m. (Sophie Caligiuri)

Bit Brigade @ Urban Lounge 9/21
I've always been a fan of video-game music, and to this day, I still personally hum the main theme in Super Mario World. I've finished this game a couple of times over the years, and it still holds up brilliantly. The levels with no floor—just an insta-death plummet—are beautifully pitched, just forgiving enough to avoid the need for pixel-accurate jumps, and easily hard enough to make every new section a leap into the unknown. But I digress. The Athens, Ga.-based four-piece (five if you count their "player one") Bit Brigade is a live gaming experience. You see, they perform rock covers of full NES game soundtracks, as their gamer speed-runs the game live on stage. For the uninitiated, speedrunning is a play-through of a video game performed with the intent of completing a goal as fast as possible. And look, if we really want to get in the weeds regarding music, SNES composers use a scripting language called MML (Music Macro Language) to write it. That's word to Koji Kondo! As a bonus (level), the band will also perform/play futuristic racer F-Zero in its entirety. This remains one of the greatest racing games ever made. Witnessing the Bit Brigade in a live setting is possibly mankind's greatest achievement. Super Guitar Bros open. Catch these musicians at the Urban Lounge on Saturday, Sept 21. Doors at 7 p.m. Tickets for the 21+ show are $17 and can be found at 24tix.com. (Mark Dago)

• Christopher Ferguson
• Hoodoo Gurus

Hoodoo Gurus @ The State Room 9/22
The Hoodoo Gurus have long been one of the best bands that seemingly only college students know about. Staking out a spot at the tuneful and hooky end of the '80s college rock vanguard, Sydney, Australia's Hoodoo Gurus roared out of the gate with a searing debut, 1984's Stoneage Romeos. With two instant classics ("My Girl" and "I Want You Back"), the group got off to a strong start. That record scraped the lower reaches of the mainstream U.S. album chart (#209) but soared all the way to the #1 place on the college radio chart. That latter feat would be duplicated on each of the band's subsequent three albums; their fifth LP (1991's Kinky) made it to number two. Guitarist, songwriter and lead singer Dave Faulkner soldiered on, creating critically-acclaimed albums that were full of great songs, humor and rock attitude, yet inexplicably the band has never quite broken through to the mainstream here; in Australia, every single one of their albums has charted. The Hoodoo Gurus' most recent album, 2022's Chariot of the Gods, displays the same winning garage-rock influenced tunefulness that has long defined the band. COVID-era tour dates were scrapped, but now the Hoodoo Gurus have scheduled a run of U.S. concerts. The band comes to The State Room Sunday, Sept. 22 at 8 p.m.; resale tickets for this sold-out 21+ show are $41 and up at ticketmaster.com. (Bill Kopp)

• Kristin Barlowe
• Wynonna Judd

Wynonna Judd @ Sandy Amphitheater 9/25
After starting her singing career with her mother Naomi in the duo known as The Judds, Wynonna carved out her solo success both during and after the family pair achieved stardom. Even as the Judds earned critical acclaim, Wynonna found high honors on her own, including several number-one singles and best-selling albums on the country music charts, recognition from the People's Choice Awards, four Grammy Awards, four Country Music Awards, a star on Nashville's Music Walk of Fame, membership in the Country Music Hall of Fame and numerous other accomplishments. Yet despite all her success, she's had to contend with problematic personal issues along the way, including Naomi's depression and subsequent death by suicide, eating disorders, a troubled first marriage, her daughter's brush with the law for drug issues and her husband Scott Moser's near-fatal motorcycle accident, which resulted in the amputation of his left leg just above the knee. Nevertheless, she prevailed and continues to be one of the most beloved performers in country music, as well as a popular presence on network TV and a champion for the USO and Habitat for Humanity. Clearly, her own humanity consistently comes to the fore, making her "Big Noise Band" appropriate branding for an artist who can claim larger-than-life accomplishments. Wynonna Judd's "Back to Wyoming" tour comes to Sandy Amphitheater on Wednesday, Sept. 25 at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $39 - $549.50 (for premium ticket packages) at ticketmaster.com. (Lee Zimmerman)