festival Highlight: kilby block party
Kilby Block Party is a standout festival. It’s in Salt Lake City, where the weather is perfect in May. It’s got a backdrop to die for—mountains as far as the eye can see. It’s conveniently located, in the middle of the city, accessible by light rail (yes, SLC has trains!), which was free for festival-goers on the last day. And most importantly: the 2024 lineup was unbeatable. With New Order, Devo, and Justice, though, 2025’s lineup gives 2024 a run for its money.
I’ve been to a lot of festivals in my day. But none stuck in my brain quite like Kilby. It was large enough to attract a wide-reaching range of artists and festival-goers, but small enough that the earlier sets felt intimate. The sound was great, without that overdone messiness that sometimes happens at big festivals; the food options were diverse; the relaxed, friendly-without-being-in-your-face vibe was ideal. This festival stuck in my brain for the rest of the year, and if you can swing it, you should go.
Standout performances were LCD Soundsystem (which, I argue, was the show of the year), Vampire Weekend, Current Joys, Dinosaur Jr, and Horse Jumper of Love.
