Blake Mills
Spotlight show • Blake Mills will open for Fiona Apple at the singer's much-anticipated concert at Kingsbury Hall, but he won't get to relax after the warm-up — he plays guitar in Apple's band. "There's no guitar on the record, which is confusing," Mills said of being asked to join her tour. But he's inspired by being onstage with Apple. "She's on fire these days," he said. "It's shocking. She's mesmerizing." Mills, 25, is formerly of the folk-rock band Dawes, Lucinda Williams' touring band, and met Apple through mutual friend Sara Watkins (formerly of Nickel Creek). He still remembers the first time he visited Utah; he and his young bandmates showed up at Burts Tiki Lounge but were turned away when the club learned the band members were underage. "Touring is something I've been doing since I was 16," Mills said.
When • Saturday, July 21, at 7:30 p.m.
Where • Kingsbury Hall, University of Utah, 1395 E. Presidents Circle, Salt Lake City
Tickets • $45-$65 at kingsburyhall.utah.edu
Anna Wilson
Spotlight show • There are two special events at Snowbasin Resort this Saturday. First of all, it will be the resort's first Jazz in July concert, which officials hope will become an annual event. Second, featured jazz singer Anna Wilson will be filming a concert DVD at the show. In a phone interview, Wilson said the show will be an encapsulation of her jazz career so far, including selections from her award-winning "Countrypolitan Duets" album, which blended jazz, country and pop on her duets with country acts such as Keith Urban, Rascal Flatts and Lady Antebellum. Wilson and her husband, Monty Powell, live half of the year near Snowbasin and half of the year in Nashville, where both are chart-topping songwriters. Powell is working with Urban on the latter's forthcoming album, and both are writing for Sugarland and Thompson Square's upcoming albums. The evening will be a "win-win," says Steve Andrus, director of sales and mountain events at Snowbasin, with the resort trying to increase its musical offerings and Wilson filming a concert, which should be out for the holidays.
When • Saturday, July 21, at 6 p.m.
Where • Snowbasin Resort, 3925 E. Snowbasin Road, Huntsville
Tickets • $20 per car
Brad Stock
Spotlight show • U2 and Led Zeppelin have their own light shows at the Clark Planetarium, but for the first time a Utah musician will have a light show specifically designed for him and his debut, "The Atomic Clock." Brad Stock is a Salt Lake City resident and traveling nurse who has worked eight-to-12-hour days over the past 2 1/2 years to finish his psychedelic rock album, which exhibits Pink Floyd and Steely Dan influences. In a phone interview, Stock said the album is the culmination of a dream for him, with much of it coming to him as he surfed in Kauai. The album is entirety self-financed, and one of the ways he saved money was turning to skateboarding for transportation, rather than the expense of driving a car. The idea for a laser show came from listeners who told him they were having visions listening to it. "People will walk away [from the planetarium] saying, 'There are unlucky people who weren't there to see it.' " He hopes turnout for this debut performance is so large that the Clark Planetarium, and other planetariums around the country, will be persuaded to host the project more often.
When • Sunday, July 22, at 7 p.m.
Where • Clark Planetarium, 110 S. 400 West. Salt Lake City
Tickets • $12 at door
Mary Chapin Carpenter
Spotlight show • One of the biggest mysteries in the music world revolves around the use of "Chapin" in the name of acclaimed singer-songwriter Mary Chapin Carpenter. Should "Chapin" and "Carpenter" be hyphenated? Was it her middle name? Did she randomly add "Chapin" to avoid confusion with the 19th-century educational and social reformer Mary Carpenter? In a phone interview, the singer said "Chapin" is in fact part of her first name, much like Mary Anne. So, when addressing her, call her Mary Chapin — not Mary, as she politely corrected me. She's touring to promote her most personal album yet, this year's "Ashes & Roses," which details the toughest five years if her life, when she dealt with a the death of a parent, a debilitating illness that prevented her from touring for three years, and a painful divorce (detailed in the poignant "What to Keep and What to Throw Away"). "I've always found songwriting to be how I connect to the world," she said. "I'm speaking to life's transitions."
When • Thursday, July 26, at 7:30 p.m.
Where • Ed Kenley Centennial Amphitheater, 405 N. Wasatch Drive, Layton
Tickets • $26 to $49 at www/tickets.davisarts.org
MewithoutYou
Philadelphia-based indie-rock band MewithoutYou will perform with Kevin Devine and Buried Beds.
When • Friday, July 20, at 7 p.m.
Where • In The Venue, 219 S. 600 West, Salt Lake City
Tickets • $12.50 at www.SmithsTix
Grace Potter and The Nocturnals
In support of their fourth studio album, "The Lion The Beast The Beat," Grace Potter and The Nocturnals will perform. While she achieved fame for her duet with Kenny Chesney on "You & Tequila," Potter and her band draw mostly from rootsier and funkier influences.
When • Friday, July 20, at 7:30 p.m.
Where • Red Butte Garden and Arboretum, 300 Wakara Way, Salt Lake City
Tickets • $35 for garden members, $40 for others, at redbuttegarden.org
Ha: Breath of Life
The Utah Cultural Celebration Center will present the one-hour traveling version of the Polynesian Cultural Center's latest production, "Ha: Breath of Life." The production includes Samoan cultural specialist Kapp Te'o Tafiti, and original musical compositions and dance choreography from New Zealand, Hawaii, Fiji, Samoa, Tahiti and Tonga.
When • Friday, July 20, at 8 p.m.
Where • Utah Cultural Celebration Center, 1355 W. 3100 South, West Valley City
Tickets • $10 at door
Morgan Page
Two-time Grammy nominee Morgan Page brings his progressive house stylings to the Park City Live stage.
When • Friday, July 20, at 8 p.m.
Where • Park City Live, 427 Main St., Park City
Tickets • $15 at SmithsTix
Folk and Bluegrass Festival
This festival features local, regional and national folk and bluegrass artists, with musical influences ranging from old-school Western to rock.
When • Saturday, July 21, 3-10 p.m.
Where • Gallivan Center, 239 S. Main St., Salt Lake City
Tickets • Free
Kansas with Utah Symphony
Guest conductor Larry Baird will lead the Utah Symphony in a musical collaboration with rock band Kansas in hits such as "Dust in the Wind" and "Carry on Wayward Son," in this Deer Valley Music Festival concert.
When • Saturday, July 21, at 7:30 p.m.
Where • Snow Park Outdoor Amphitheater, 2250 Deer Valley Drive, Park City
Tickets • $32 general-admission lawn tickets, $15 for students, $90 for families (max of two adults and up to four children under 18); $60-$85 reserved seating tickets, at http://www.utahsymphony.org/tickets
Big K.R.I.T.
Mississippi-based rapper Big K.R.I.T. returns to Salt Lake after his 2011 crowd-pleasing performance with Lupe Fiasco that drew more than 50,000 people to Pioneer Park.
When • Saturday, July 21, at 9 p.m.
Where • Urban Lounge, 241 S. 500 East, Salt Lake City
Tickets • $18 in advance, $20 day of, at 24Tix
Riders in the Sky
The Layton City Recreation Department presents the annual Riders in the Sky Pioneer Day concert with the Grammy Award-winning band.
When • Tuesday, July 24, at 8 p.m.
Where • Ed Kenley Centennial Amphitheater, 405 N. Wasatch Drive, Layton
Tickets • Free
Daniel Day Trio
Brio Tuscan Grille will present the Daniel Day Trio on the west terrace on the west side of Fashion Place Mall in Murray.
When • Wednesday, July 25, at 5:30 p.m.
Where • Brio Tuscan Grille, 6173 S. State St., Murray
Tickets • Free with purchase of drink, food
Bouncing Souls
Pop-rock band the Bouncing Souls will perform, joined by The Menzingers and Luther.
When • Wednesday, July 25, at 7:30 p.m.
Where • In The Venue, 219 S. 600 West, Salt Lake City
Tickets • $18.50; $20 day of show;smithstix.com/events/item/root/the-bouncing-souls
Salt Lake City Mass Choir
Christian rock band the Salt Lake City Mass Choir will perform for three nights as a worship experience, and the performances will be recorded.
When • Thursday, July 26, at 7 p.m.
Where • Mountain View Christian Assembly, 300 E. 8000 South, Sandy
Tickets • $10 per night or $25 for all three nights at slcmasschoir.com
Band of Horses with Lower Dens
Rock band Band of Horses will perform at the fourth installment of the Twilight Concert Series.
When • Thursday, July 26, at 7 p.m.
Where • Pioneer Park, 300 S. 300 West, Salt Lake City
Tickets • $5 at gate
