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Two shows worth checking out tonight:
Originally from New Zealand, singer, guitarist and songwriter Ruban Nielson is the leader of psychedelic rock band Unknown Mortal Orchestra. He is joined by bassist Jake Portrait and drummer Riley Geare. The trio released its second album, "II," in February on the respected Jagjaguwar label, home of Bon Iver and Dinosaur Jr. New Zealand and the States are much different, said Nielson in an email interview. "It's very small and isolated," he said of New Zealand. "The States are like a big open space to me. One thing that people don't really know about Americans is how warm they are. Warmer than New Zealanders in a lot of ways." Nielson said he finds Portland, where the band calls home, "such a comfortable place for me. The pace, climate and natural beauty remind me of New Zealand in some ways, but there's a whole other element of music, bars, restaurants and strip clubs that isn't really found anywhere else." UMO's success has surprised Nielson. "It exceeded my expectations from the very start," he said. "We're just working really hard and having a lot of fun and riding a wave of good luck. … I'm really proud of what we do live. Some nights I feel like the best band in the world." Foxygen and Wampire are also on the bill.When • Tuesday, 9 p.m.Where • Urban Lounge, 241 S. 500 East, Salt Lake CityTickets • $10 in advance, $12 day of, at 24TixDon't Stop Please, an Arkansas-based dance-pop band, will stop in Salt Lake City for a one-night show. Then it will travel to Boise for the Treefort Music Festival. It's the group's first performance in Utah, said multi-instrumentalist Anna Horton, who has driven across the state to get to Burning Man, the annual event in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada. Born in Eureka Springs, Horton said people from all over the world come to her hometown to drink and soak in the springs, which are said to have a healing power. Don't Stop Please is based nearby in Conway, in the Ozark mountains. Despite stereotypes about Arkansas, "There are normal people there," said Horton. After this tour, the ensemble will finish recording its first full-length album for release later this year. The band doesn't plan on visiting Black Rock Desert any time soon. "Guitars and amps don't take too well to the desert," Horton said.When • Tuesday, 9 p.m.Where • Bar Deluxe, 666 S. State St., Salt Lake CityTickets • $5 at door