City Weekly August 28, 2025

CITY WEEKLY

FREE

By Taylor Barnes

Faithful Opposition

GREEK FESTIVAL

S AP

BOX

American Evil

Here is an embarrassing fact about evil in the world today—evil resides as much in America and Israel as it does in Russia and China.

The United States is entirely complicit with Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu in a deliberate effort to starve and kill children and civilian adults in Gaza. What is being covered up by media and politicians alike is that the purpose of the starvation campaign is to make life so miserable that Gazans will finally want to leave more than they want to stay.

Netanyahu and Donald Trump have made it clear they want to own and develop Gaza for their own purposes. Killing tens of thousands of people is no impediment for them.

Only a highly humanitarian, welleducated and civically-active people will be able to stop this disaster. No such citizenry can be found in this country or in Israel today.

KIMBALL SHINKOSKEY Wood Cross

“Much Ado,” Aug. 21 Online

Maybe if there was comprehensive sex education in this state, we wouldn’t have an 18-year-old surprised that “sex with a 13-year-old” is actually rape and judges wouldn’t need to exercise “discretion.”

TANGERINE_WALLPAPER Via Instagram

[Gov. Spencer] Cox will do anything to get daddy Donald to notice him.

CURSE_MY_METAL_BODY Via Instagram

Gov. Cox is a troglodyte that needs to be replaced. He’s bought and paid for by his donors and blinded by his religious convictions. He has zero interest in doing what’s right.

MMACKENZIE72 Via Instagram

I heard [Cox’s] beta mad responses and disrespectful actions to the Trib reporter and the interviewer. So pathetic. He knew exactly what was asked and what went on but tried to get all huffy.

IDOBIDDO Via Instagram

Why is it these sick people are always more worried about the perpetrators than the victims? This will bring them down.

WEARETHEPEOPLEUTAH Via Instagram

Weird! It’s as if Stuart Adams isn’t the only story here.

BLUESHOES33 Via Instagram

Literally changed a law that only serves to protect sexual abuse contributors. 18-year-olds should not be with 13-yearolds. Your law doesn’t protect children, only calls abusers “minor” when they’re legal adults. State Legislature made this scenario easier to get away with.

DOPHOP Via Instagram

[Cox] also defended himself by saying he didn’t know what he was signing … PUTTRICKMARTIN

Via Instagram

Hey, allowing child rape is a small price to pay if you can own the Libs …

MIKE HABERMAN Via Facebook

Cox is a Trumpster. That says it all.

WENDY REED Via Facebook

Care to sound off on a feature or about a local concern? Write to comments@cityweekly.net or post your thoughts on our social media.

THE WATER COOLER

What is your “go to” karaoke song(s)?

Paula Saltas

Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers’ “Island in The Stream.” Backstreet Boys’ “I Want It That Way.” Prince’s “Purple Rain.”

Carolyn Campbell

I’ve always liked “Midnight Special.”

Krista Maggard

My go-to is definitely “Black Horse and the Cherry Tree” by KT Tunstall.

Bryan Bale

The last time I did karaoke was a few years ago. It was an ‘80s-themed party. I made a valiant attempt at “Crazy Train” by Ozzy Osbourne (R.I.P.), but I really struggled to reach those high notes.

Scott Renshaw

This question presumes that one is the kind of person who will stand up in public and pretend to be a singer. That is not me. But maybe “Sweet Caroline”?

Benjamin Wood

Either “It’s Not Unusual” by Tom Jones, Michael Buble’s version of “Save the Last Dance for Me” or “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” by Frankie Valli and The 4 Seasons. Bonus if there’s a live backing band.

Wes Long

I try to spare the innocent of my singing. If pressed, The Fray’s “Singing Low.”

PRIVATE EYE Wonder Women

TBY JOHN SALTAS

here’s a phrase in Greek that goes something like this:

That truism—“Only the educated are free”—was written by the stoic philosopher Epictetus nearly 2,000 years ago, in about 100 A.D. Epictetus would also leave the world such thoughts as: “It is not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters;” “It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows;” and “Freedom is the only worthy goal in life. It is won by disregarding things that lie beyond our control.”

At nearly the same time Epictetus was writing and teaching at his own philosophy school, the Roman Emperor—and Stoic philosopher—Marcus Aurelius was writing his own tome, Meditations, and is said to have been greatly influenced by Epictetus. History remembers him as the final of Rome’s “Good Emperors,” a group that included Trajan and Hadrian. Aurelius was the emperor who preceded all that befell the Roman Empire afterward.

That fall began with Aurelius naming his own son, Commodotus, as heir. The incompetent lad was known for his corruption, cruelty and decadence. Before he could live out his reign, Commodotus was assassinated, but not in time to save what had been more than 200 years of stable and peaceful Roman empire building.

It wasn’t always pretty, but the Romans had legs and endurance. Commodotus kneecapped his own republic.

On Monday night, our own little republic of Utah got some good news: Third District Court Judge Dianna Gibson ruled that the state’s badly gerrymandered congressional districts must be redrawn. When the Utah Legislature jacked its authority by ignoring the 2018 “Better Boundar-

ies” citizen ballot measure and cut Utah into four sinister districts that are harder to explain than the Nazca lines of Peru, the result assured that Utah would never send a Democrat to the United States Congress.

Come the next redistricting cycle, fully emboldened and with a potential fifth congressional seat at stake, the plan was to simply redraw the maps once again. This type of feral cat warring is not dissimilar to that which befell the Romans under Commodotus, as his own generals were constantly at odds no less so than are our own political parties.

It’s not an exact corollary, but the outcome is not dissimilar: Chaos led to power struggles and power struggles led to chaos—even plagues, in the case of ancient Rome (Hello? Bobby Kennedy, anyone?). The Roman Empire began its decline by rotting from within.

Our own Commodotus in the White House is not the son of a great leader, but he is equally incompetent, cruel and decadent. Heard him speak of windmills, watched his DOJ in action, or seen photos of the gold plated White House lately? Case closed.

The redistricting by the Utah Legislature in 2021 basically meant that the majority of Utahns who voted for Better Borders didn’t matter. Barely a week before the findings from an “independent” redistricting commission were released—and giving the Legislature its requisite wiggle room—former Republican Congressman Rob Bishop abruptly resigned his commission post.

He said the bipartisan commission’s maps were too heavily favored toward urban populations rather than rural areas, and that everyone was really, really good pals, but the group commission itself “sucked.” What came next was the pizza pie grid that especially Salt Lake County residents have reviled ever since.

Can you imagine the carving up that Bishop must have been advocating for? What could have been worse? Whatever it was, it was not enough for a man fully committed to making sure that his Republican Party would never lose its grip on Utah.

It was rich then, and remains rich of Bishop now, to hear that his complaining fell into the lines that urban populations—people—were less important in the process than the dirt of mostly federally-owned rural Utah.

The result is that Utah’s bright-blue Salt Lake City and nearly-as-blue Salt Lake County have no representation in Washington, D.C. Nameplates, yes. Representation, no.

I have never seen my residential congressman Burgess Owens in Murray at any public function. Neither have I seen my congresswoman Celeste Maloy at anything similar in my business district of Salt Lake City (same for her predecessor Chris Stewart). Neither speak to me or for me.

This is chaos. Utah’s move was among the seeds that led to the even more brazen moves in Texas to flip all of its seats “red” and for California to threaten its “blue”state move. There’s no point in going tit for tat, state by state. Gerrymandering has been ruinous. Simple as that.

Which is why remembering—or even first learning— the words of Epictetus remains important. If not for an educated and small army of fighters, Utah could well remain under control and at the snapping point of an allegorical, but no less sinister, Cracker and his Barrel of whips—the Utah Legislature.

That small army fighting back all these years was mostly, if not all, women: The League of Women Voters of Utah and the Mormon Women for Ethical Government. They took the fight to court. They took the fight to the Hill. They took the fight to their neighborhoods, ward houses and public squares.

They took the fight right to men who, paraphrasing, “would not learn what they already knew.” Those women never forgot that freedom is the only worthy goal. Those women “reacted” to the betterment of all of us—until the Utah legislature tries to undo it all, which they will.

Till then, thanks to all of them and especially to my friend for over 30 years, Katharine Biele, City Weekly contributor, League of Women Voters member and educated freedom fighter. Well done.

HITS & MISSES

BY KATHARINE BIELE | @kathybiele BY ARICA ROBERTS

MISS: Sex Ed

Let’s talk about sex—specifically, sex among the younger generations. No matter how hard you push the concept of abstinence, kids with hormones will always find a way to do it. The recent controversy involving Senate President Stuart Adams, RLayton, is a case in point. No, we’re not talking about the law that Adams spawned, nor the ethical questions it raised. There was a back-and-forth in the media about how to identify an 18-year-old perpetrator, which saw some stories calling the person a boy or a girl. In fact, the victim was a 13-year-old boy and Adams’ relative was an 18-year-old girl. Maybe that was enough to cause a judge to be more lenient, since that’s not how people usually see sexual misconduct. But this—and sexism—are really the issues the Legislature should deal with. When and under what circumstances should teenagers be expected to understand sex and its repercussions, especially when boys are not always the offenders?

MISS: Losing Count

It’s always fun (or interesting? appalling?) to hear politicians spout about what the Founders thought. It’s kind of like saying you know what God was thinking back in the day. Congressman Mike Kennedy said “Citizens are what the Founders intended,” for the decennial census count. Maybe he means to go back to the “three-fifths compromise,” where we only counted slaves as partial beings. Census.gov dares to differ: “The Founders of our fledgling nation had a bold and ambitious plan to empower the people over their new government. The plan was to count every person living in the newly created United States of America, and to use that count to determine representation in the Congress.” Gov. Spencer Cox appears nonplussed about the growing red-vs-blue gerrymander fight, saying we should “fully understand” why the census was created in the first place. Sadly, he did not elaborate.

HIT: Crisis Care

As the Legislature considers refusing federal dollars to help kids, Utahns can take solace in the opening of a Taylorsville hospital. The facility will offer 24/7 behavioral health care to young people in crisis. Federal data from 2023 suggested that almost a quarter of Utah high school students have considered suicide. And hospitals have seen an uptick in children seeking services. The Legislature did kick in $25 million for the facility, but tens of millions more came from donations and fundraisers. Politicians are expecting the public to shoulder more of the costs of Medicaid and food stamps, too, so it must be good news that some in the public care enough to make up for the political lack of empathy. Utah really does care for its children. It just doesn’t want to pay for them. CW

Home Grown

Last year, SLC Neighbors for More Neighbors executive director

Turner Bitton spoke to City Weekly about the advocacy group’s plan for a campaign to promote data-driven solutions to the city’s housing crises.

SLC Neighbors had submitted a package of zoning reform proposals to the City Council for consideration— which it called “Starter Homes, SLC”— pitching ideas like smaller minimum lot sizes and expanded options for housing diversity in traditionally single-family neighborhoods.

Since then, the City Council has initiated its own effort to combat the shortage of attainable homes, under the umbrella of “expanding housing options.” And Bitton said that effort is similar enough to SLC Neighbor’s proposals that they’ve withdrawn their zoning amendments and intend to support the City Council’s work.

“By and large, both proposals still get us to the same place, which is creating new housing options in existing single-family neighborhoods and consolidating those districts down to really simplify the zoning code,” Bitton said.

Among the key differences between the two proposals are the minimum lot size for new homes—2,000 square feet, versus the 1,400-square-foot standard proposed by SLC Neighbors—and the lack of a minimum lot width requirement in the city’s proposal.

Single-family zoning makes up about 80% of the city’s residential land, so allowing new and smaller homes to be built in those areas will make a notable impact on the amount of new housing that can be built. These zones include areas like Central City, Ballpark, Glendale, Rose Park and Poplar Grove.

At a higher level, the proposal is impactful because it would allow for thousands of single-family lots to be divided. This would allow current property owners to split off a section of their excess land to build a new home, while preserving an existing home.

Rather than the separate housing being regulated as an accessory dwelling unit and legally tied to the existing property, it could exist as a freestanding and separate housing option for new families and residents within these neighborhoods.

“The reason that it’s so powerful is that those homes would be able to be sold or rented independently,” Bitton said. “They’d have their own lot—they would thus be an independent home.”

This also means that homeowners who are trying to get into the housing market and are looking for new options could build a small home in their backyard, sell their existing home and move into their own backyard. They wouldn’t have to leave their neighborhood, but could instead downsize without moving into an attached townhome.

The city’s proposal is expected to take another year to move through the planning and revision process before it can even be considered for a final Council vote.

Stay updated by checking out www. slcneighbors.org. CW

Let’s

Get Physical

DVDs, purchased music and more support the work you love and lets you actually own it.

BY BRYAN YOUNG comments@cityweekly.net

The mass-market idea of owning a movie to watch at home is a relatively new one compared to the art of films themselves. VCRs and videotapes didn’t hit the mainstream until 1980; prior to that, they were an expensive oddity. By the 1980s, rentals gave way to actually owning your own copies of movies.

For collectors, laserdiscs initially were the high-quality collectible of choice for superior sound and picture quality. They lasted until DVDs came out in the 1990s, and that soon gave way to the high-def format wars between Blu-ray and HDDVD in the 2000s. For a scant three decades, we collected our physical media films and gathered our collections. Each time we upgraded, we tossed out the inferior ver sion—well, some of us did. I can’t tell you how many copies of Star Wars or Jaws Seven Samurai I have across different me dia, but that’s a dif ferent story.

Then, with the advent of streaming media, many folks decided it was time to free up all of that space and get rid of their physical media entirely.

We had access to a smor gasbord of entertainment at our fingertips through Netflix and Amazon Prime, and that seemed to be all we would need. We could cut our cable bill, and even save money. It was the best.

of a series still to watch before I finish it; it could just vanish in a blink without warning, no matter what I’ve already paid for it. Sometimes it will get tossed down the memory hole for the most unethical reasons, too, like the studio no longer wanting to pay royalties to the actors.

It shouldn’t work this way. So, what do we do about it?

The best thing we can do is ignore the convenience of streaming and collect what we want on physical media, wherever and whenever we can. Everyone keeps saying physical media is dead, but it’s really not. Every time they put out a nice steelbook release of a movie, it sells out instantly. Take the new release of Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, originally released in 2003. The 4K steelbook that just came out is sold out at retail, and is getting scalped on Ebay already for as much as $100.

This isn’t just about movies, either. Do this for books, music and any other creative medium. Buy straight from the artists wherever possible—did you know listening to a musician on Spotify will yield them virtually nothing, but buying their album on vinyl at a show puts lots of money in their pocket?

For a while, anyway. Now, we know it was a huge mistake.

Unfortunately, all of the cable stations and movie studios decided they needed their own bespoke streaming services. And all of the services from which we bought our streaming movie copies decided we didn’t own those streaming copies after all. We owned a revokable license that they could take from us at any time. And with the streaming services, if we wanted access to the movies we wanted to watch, we had to pay for that monthly subscription fee.

Long gone were the days where we could buy a film or a season of a TV show once and then just have it forever, or even loan it to a friend. Now, we’re on the hook to pay these studios in perpetuity for their services. And if they decide they want to get rid of the content tomorrow, they can do that. It doesn’t matter if I have 10 episodes

Locally, if you want to buy movies, places to do it in person would be your local Graywhale Entertainment location. A favorite of mine when they’re having a 50% off sale on Criterion Collection discs is Barnes and Noble never pay full price for a giant chain like Barnes and Noble). If buying physical media isn’t something you can afford, the other best option for you is the Salt Lake City Library and Salt Lake County Library. They have copies of everything, and that means they buy the copies. The artists still get their royalties, the physical media still gets its due, and you don’t have to worry about some scummy studio executive just flushing a movie down the toilet a year from now for a tax writeoff. Plus, your ongoing library circulation helps make it clear that there’s still a market for physical media. Preserve your physical media. Keep what you love. Track it down no matter the format, and don’t let them jerk you around with their streaming games. It’s cheaper in the long run, and you can always buy it again if you need to get a better format, and still stream it if you want. Better to have that option than have no option at all. CW

theESSENTIALS ENTERTAINMENT PICKS, AUG 28-SEPT 3, 2025

Urban Arts Festival

Art is a fluid concept, so it shouldn’t be surprising that the Urban Arts Festival has been fluid in its presentation and location over the years. After several years as a September tradition, it moved to July for last year’s full-weekend event at The Gateway—and for 2025, it returns to The Gateway in August for one day only. Never let it be said they aren’t willing to experiment.

Otherwise, many of the things that visitors love about the state’s largest free arts festival remain intact for this 15th anniversary incarnation. Live music and performance—ranging from blues to drag to dance—comes to the two festival stages throughout the day, with participating artists lineup still TBD at press time. More than 20 muralists and graffiti artists will contribute to live mural painting, part of a celebration of visual art that also includes the annual Skate Deck Show at the Urban Arts Gallery and the artist marketplace featuring more than 90 vendors of unique creative work so you can support the work of local artists. And of course, you can once again check out the Lowriders Custom Car Exhibition, allowing guests to look under the hoods of custom vehicles. Says festival founder Derek Dyer, “This milestone year is a testament to the community’s passion for urban art, and we are honored to share this experience with audiences from across Utah and beyond.”

The 2025 Urban Arts Festival comes to The Gateway mall (400 W. 200 South) on Saturday, Aug. 30, noon – 10 p.m., free and open to the public. Visit urbanartsfest.org for a full schedule of events. (Scott Renshaw)

Wasatch

Theatre Company: The Shark Is Broken

The making of Steven Spielberg’s Jaws has become one of the most chronicled film shoots in history, with the delays, technical difficulties and production overruns—and Spielberg’s fears that he would be fired—becoming the stuff of legend on the way to the film becoming the biggest box-office hit of all time in 1975. Part of that behind-the-scenes story includes the tensions between the three lead actors: Robert Shaw as the grizzled seaman Quint; Richard Dreyfuss as oceanographer Matt Hooper; and Roy Scheider as Amity Island’s Sheriff Martin Brody. And that story became the fodder for the 2019 comedic play The Shark Is Broken, co-written by Shaw’s son Ian Shaw and British sketchcomedy writer Joseph Nixon.

The story opens several weeks deep into the troubled production, with frustrations mounting over the unreliable mechanical shark’s tendency to stall filming. The play follows Shaw, Dreyfuss and Scheider as they deal in their respective ways with the situation, including personal conflicts and the difficulties created by Shaw’s alcoholism as they prepare for key scenes. Help celebrate the 50th birthday of this landmark film with a light-hearted, fascinating look at the actors who helped make this blockbuster a human story.

Wasatch Theatre Company’s Utah premiere production of The Shark Is Broken comes to the Regent Street Black Box (144 Regent St.) for seven performances only, Aug. 29 – 30, Sept. 1, 3 and 5 – 6 at 7:30 p.m., and Aug. 31 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $18.50 - $25; visit saltlakecountyarts.org to purchase tickets and for additional event information. (SR)

Midway Swiss Days

The Wasatch Mountains aren’t exactly the Alps, but the vibe is right at a certain time of year. The giant snow-covered peaks and ample winter recreation make this little corner of the world feel like a little corner of that legendary range. That’s not the specific reason that Midway has become home to the annual Swiss Days festivities, but as summer days begin to dwindle and we look towards winter again, it’s a perfect time to get a little taste of Switzerland in our back yard.

Dating back to the “Harvest Days” festival in Midway more than 70 years ago, Midway Swiss Days attracts folks from all over the state. It has become so popular that the organizers were concerned a few years ago that it was getting too popular, with the executive committee chairman noting to Heber Valley Life, “We decided that we want to avoid making any changes that will make it grow. It’s about as big as it can get and we just want to keep it the same.” You’re still welcome to come and check out the vendor craft fair, plus plenty of authentic food and live entertainment. On Saturday morning, things kick off with the chuck wagon breakfast at 7 a.m.; at 10 a.m., downtown Midway hosts the annual parade, traditionally featuring more than 80 entries.

Most Swiss Days events take place at Midway Town Square (75 N. 100 West, Midway), on Aug. 29 - 30, approximately 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. daily. Events are mostly free and open to the public; go to midwayswissdays.org for additional info.

(Scott Renshaw)

City Weekly’s Best Of Utah Top 10!

Need a breather? A holiday? Well, fortunately for you, the Beehive State possesses many locales in which to get away. From tranquil woodlands and mountainous escapes to otherworldly deserts and well-appointed human spaces, Utah might surprise the uninitiated by what it offers. When considering someplace restorative for your next leave of absence, why not give the following a look?

SKI SHOP

You want to be prepared for your sojourn down the slopes. Whether that means new gear, extra layers or whatever else, it’s important to go to someplace on which you can rely. Our readers have been particularly enamored with the following outlets, so before you head down another mountain, why not head up to one of these shops first?

September to Remember

Special screenings include Tower of Terror, City on Fire, Spider-Man trilogy, Orem Film Festival and more.

BY SCOTT RENSHAW scottr@cityweekly.net

@scottrenshaw

SEPTEMBER 2025 SPECIAL SCREENINGS

Tower of Terror @ Salt Lake Film Society: Utah loves its Halloween, so much so that it seems to start earlier every year. Not that it’s a bad thing, when it means kicking off the Salt Lake Film Society’s annual “Tower of Terror” screenings of horror classics in September at the Broadway Centre Cinemas (111 E. 300 South). Each weekend will feature two scary, slimy, spooky, scream-y repertory films, all leading up to the Halloween weekend screenings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. This year’s lineup: Tremors and Green Room (Sept. 12 – 13); Terror Vision and They Live (Sept. 19 – 20); Rosemary’s Baby and Jennifer’s Body (Sept. 26 – 27); The Thing (1982) and The Fly (1986) (Oct. 3 – 4); The Cabin in the Woods and The Evil Dead (1981) (Oct. 10 –11); The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) and Mandy (Oct. 17 – 18); The Exorcist and Halloween (1978) (Oct. 24 – 25); and The Rocky Horror Picture Show (Oct. 30 – Nov. 1).

Hard Boiled Cinema @ Brewvies: City on Fire: Celebrate the moment in history when Chow Yun-fat was simply one of the baddest mofos in movies (assuming that moment is not still with us). Ringo Lam’s 1987 cop thriller casts Chow as Ko Chow, an undercover cop trying to infiltrate a gang of

jewel thieves. The screening at Brewvies (677 S. 200 West) on Wednesday, Sept. 10 at 8 p.m. is part of the venue’s ongoing “Hard Boiled Cinema” film series of Hong Kong classics, and is free to the public with no reservation required. brewvies.com

Hamilton turns 10: Composer Lin-Manuel Miranda’s smash hit musical about the founding of the United States has been selling out theaters for a decade now. In honor of that auspicious anniversary, the recorded version of the original Broadway cast production—including Miranda, Leslie Odom, Jr., Phillipa Soo, Daveed Diggs, Jonathan Groff and Reneé Elise Goldsberry—comes to movie theaters for the first time beginning Friday, Sept. 5. Also this month, the documentary Satisfied—focusing on Goldsberry, including her struggles balancing family and career—comes to select theater locations for a limited time. megaplextheatres.com

Spider-Man: The Original Trilogy: Before there was the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there was director Sam Raimi’s terrific trio of films bringing Marvel Comics’ webslinging super-hero to the screen, learn-

ing about great power and great responsibility while trying to live an ordinary teenage life. Fathom Events brings the hit movies back to the big screen over two consecutive weekends, with Spider-Man (2002) Friday, Sept. 26 & Friday, Oct. 3; Spider-Man 2 (2004) Saturday, Sept. 27 and Saturday, Oct. 4; and Spider-Man 3 (2007) Sunday, Sept. 28 and Sunday, Oct. 5. Tickets are available at individual theaters, including megaplextheatres.com.

Orem Film Festival: Sundance, Schmundance. One Utah-based film festival may be on its way out, but another is on its way in with this inaugural Utah County event. Touted as an opportunity for local filmmaking artists to connect and show their work, the Orem Film Festival will showcase 10 short films at the Megaplex Vineyard (600 Mill Road, Vineyard) on Wednesday, Sept. 24 at 7 p.m., featuring live filmmaker Q&A and awards. Tickets are just $5. oremfilmfestival.com

Muppets Treasure Island Sing-Along @ Peery’s Egyptian Theater: The charming, Muppet-ational 1996 adaptation of the classic Robert Louis Stevenson novel—

with Tim Curry chewing up the scenery as Long John Silver—is a slept-on part of the Muppet canon, featuring original songs by the legendary Brill Building songwriting team of Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. You and the whole family can enjoy the film in a sing-along presentation at Peery’s Egyptian Theater (2415 Washington Blvd., Ogden) on Saturday, Sept. 13 at 10 a.m. Tickets are just $8, and funds help support Ogden’s Christmas Village. ogdenpet.com

Twilight in Concert: It’s hard to believe it’s been 20 years since Stephenie Meyer’s supernatural romance series—about a teenager and the vampire she falls in love with—became a sensation, inspiring a successful film series adaptation. The 2008 first film in the series, starring Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson, comes to the Eccles Theater (131 S. Main St.) for a special presentation with Carter Burwell’s original score performed by a 12-piece ensemble, on a stage illuminated by more than a thousand candles. The one-night-only show takes place Sunday, Sept. 28 at 7 p.m.; tickets start at $45, with VIP packages also available. live-at-the-eccles.com CW

FAITHFUL OPPOSITION

GAZA GENOCIDE PROVOKES ANTI-WAR DISSENT AMONG MORMONS.

BY TAYLOR BARNES comments@cityweekly.net

The following report was originally published by Inkstick, a nonprofit news platform. It is reprinted here with permission.

In March, after Israel violated its internationally brokered ceasefire with the Palestinian armed group Hamas and resumed its war on Gaza, Nathan McLaughlin, a young Mormon in Salt Lake City, gathered with dozens of like-minded Latter-day Saints to denounce the genocide.

They organized a sit-in at the Utah State Capitol and a flyering campaign to lobby their co-religionists, calling for a Mormonism that foregrounds “the inherent nature of every human being as children of Heavenly Parents,” McLaughlin told Inkstick.

When, as a teenager, he had set off to perform missionary service in Atlanta for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, fellow Mormons had told McLaughlin to prepare to be persecuted for his faith. (In reality, the experience in Georgia was “nice and chill,” he said.) But he recently recalled those warnings when he described the “beautiful and very disturbing” reactions he received when he approached people to distribute flyers as they left the church-owned Deseret Book store and strolled around Salt Lake City’s Temple Square.

“Our God tells us to ‘renounce war and proclaim peace’! The United States is funding this genocide,” McLaughlin told the passers-by. “Children are being slaughtered, and men and women. This is something we should be standing against.”

Over and over, McLaughlin heard “I don’t care,” or “I’m not interested.”

Others, he said, were “ecstatic” to see Mormons taking a stand, including a Palestinian Latter-day Saint who expressed her gratitude on social media.

At the same time, another anti-war Mormon collective centered around the college town of Provo—home to Brigham Young University—was planning a first-of-itskind divestment campaign targeting the church’s secretive investment manager, Ensign Peak Advisors.

With clipboards in hand, the LDS Committee of the Olive Tree Solidarity Coalition approached people in and around BYU’s campus and nearby Utah Valley University.

By July, they got 250 of them to send “letters of lamentation” to Ensign Peak. The letters, written on postcards, call on the fund to divest from weapons manufacturers Lockheed Martin, Boeing and other companies that supply the Israeli military.

Demonstrators, including many practicing Latter-day Saints, gathered at the Utah Capitol in March to protest American support for the Israeli military’s ongoing destruction in Gaza.

The campaigns target the hearts, minds and flush investment fund of the 17 million-strong, Utah-based religion—a high-impact target since the church is believed to have the largest investment portfolio of any religious organization in the country. Just its publicly reported stockholdings available on SEC filings are worth more than $52 billion.

It’s also a church that, in contrast to other Christian denominations, has not publicly stated its “sin screen” regarding investments in weapons manufacturers, as an Inkstick Media story in City Weekly detailed last year. That exposé dove into the fund’s outlier status among peer churches as a stockholder in the world’s largest nuclear weapons manufacturer, Northrop Grumman.

“As a person who has paid thousands of dollars to tithing over the course of the last two decades, I am struggling with frustration around how that $$$ is being used,” one of the postcards reads. “After months of prayer, I have decided to give my 10% to the [Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund] until the church divests from divisive companies like Boeing and Lockheed.”

Speak No Evil

Church leadership has said little about the U.S.-backed atrocities committed by the Israeli military in Gaza over the past 22 months. In 2023, the church governing body, the First Presidency, called the “eruption of violence” in the Middle East “abhorrent to us and … not in harmony with the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

But the anti-war campaigners fear that the church’s desire to maintain a satellite BYU campus in occupied East Jerusalem necessitates collaboration with a government widely accused of apartheid and genocide. The church has also never publicly addressed its investments in weapons manufacturers that supply the Israeli military and did not respond to questions from Inkstick Media about the Mormon-led campaigns targeting Ensign Peak and denouncing the genocide.

For McLaughlin and the growing number of people joining the Mormons with Hope for a Better World collective, the experience of protesting at the capitol and flyering was part of their call for bottom-up moral revival among their co-faithful.

Taking inspiration from the likes of Jewish Voice for Peace and Catholic liberation theology, they identify as a leftist and socialist movement that uplifts immigrants, the Indigenous and queer people, while also calling for nuclear disarmament and substantive investments in education and housing rather than endless war, colonialism and imperialism.

After launching in January, the group quickly gained dozens of members. “I would not be surprised if we’re one of the fastest growing, left-wing organizations in the state of Utah,” McLaughlin said.

They’re organizing in a state that is home to key manufacturing facilities for the U.S. military-industrial complex, producing missiles for nuclear warheads, parts for missile interceptors and materials for the F-35 fighter jet that the Israeli military has used to bomb Gaza.

Past Postures

Utah has hosted missile manufacturing plants since the early days of the Cold War, when a scout for the Thiokol Chemical Corporation set out to find “cheap, unproductive land” where it could conduct “explosive” operations to produce missiles for the Air Force. Utah’s West Desert fit the bill.

The six-mile-long plant—nowadays owned by Thiokol successor Northrop Grumman—will churn out more than 600 new intercontinental ballistic missiles for nuclear warfare in the coming years.

Deep economic entrenchment aside, a remarkable upheaval in Utah’s long history with the defense industry occurred in 1981. A colorful coalition of Utah civil society members, from homebuilders to cattlemen to hippies— and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—

One of roughly 250 “Letters of Lamentation” sent to financial advisors for the LDS church.

Participants at a Captiol sit-in appealed to their co-religionists in denoucing the war in Gaza.

came together to oppose an Air Force proposal to base a mobile nuclear weapon, known as the MX missile, in Utah and Nevada.

The church wired a statement of dissent directly to the Reagan administration, calling the project a “denial of the very essence of that gospel” that brought Mormons into the area.

Back in those days, disarmament activists had a foot in the door with Latter-day Saint leadership, including progressive Mormon attorney Ed Firmage.

Firmage had a unique LDS pedigree. A descendent of Brigham Young, his grandfather had been in the church’s governing First Presidency; current church president Russell M. Nelson was the heart surgeon who operated on Firmage’s father.

Firmage spent years in meetings with the First Presidency and their advisors, convincing them that the MX missile went against church values and that the Soviets would see the basing area, and the 2.1 million Mormons living in it, as a prime target for a nuclear strike.

“Even though I’m sure that they could be as bureaucratic as any organization, there was a willingness to act personally and to trust the person,” Ed Firmage Jr. told Inkstick. “And that provided Dad with this really unprecedented opportunity to educate them, to bring them along and, ultimately, to get them to make a series of increasingly important statements.”

One key ingredient in his father’s rhetoric was pointing to anti-war precedent in the church and, in particular, bone-chilling remarks that J. Reuben Clark—an American ambassador and a former member of the LDS First Presidency—delivered to the church’s general conference a year after the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Clark excoriated everyday Americans for their “general approval of this fiendish butchery.”

The church door remained open for peace and disarmament activists in the years after the MX battle. Steve Erickson, a longtime progressive activist in Utah, told

Observers watch a test firing at Northrop Grumman’s Promontory plant.

Inkstick that he met with the church’s then-lobbyist, Bill Evans, and other members of Mormon leadership—such as Dallin H. Oaks (who is in line to become the church’s next president)—to discuss issues such as high cancer rates among “downwinders.” The term refers to people exposed to radiation from nuclear weapons testing, including Utahns downwind from the Nevada Test Site.

But the modern-day Gaza campaigners have not yet had that access, according to a BYU student organizer with the LDS committee of Olive Tree Solidarity, who asked Inkstick to not use his name out of fear of reprisal.

Despite numerous attempts to speak with Ensign Peak, including sending Facebook messages to employees and following up on leads from friends of friends, the student said the only conversation the campaigners have had with the church-owned fund was a “brief phone interaction” with the investment manager’s secretary. “We really tried for probably six months to meet with somebody and just have a conversation,” the student said.

When that effort went nowhere, they began the letterwriting campaign, copies of which they post on their website. “Obviously, we want them to divest,” the student added. “But if this could even just start the conversation, if this could just bring them to the table, that would be a win.”

Inside Jobs

Mormons with Hope is a countercultural movement in a faith community that, at least when it comes to its American members, has been deeply Republican for more than half a century.

At the same time, they’re only so maverick in a church whose leaders in the last century warned of the “creation of a great war machine” as the military-industrial complex took root in the early Cold War.

And the collective has peers in modern-day Mormonism, too. In the post-9/11 era, a group called Mormons for Equality and Social Justice protested the Iraq war.

While many disillusioned Millennials became disaffiliated with the church, McLaughlin said, Gen Z Mormons often “are staying at an increasingly nuanced kind of place.”

Camille Perkins, a member of the collective from Magna, said she’s seen a similar dynamic with queer Latter-day Saints.

“There’s just been a lot more of a feeling of, ‘wait, why should we be pushed out?’,” she said. “This is ours too. We’re going to keep it and we’re going to make it our own.”

While officially based in Utah, the Mormon church is quickly becoming a global and diverse faith. The majority of its members nowadays live in fast-growing convert communities abroad in places like Mexico, Brazil, the Philippines and Nigeria.

That diversification may not be reflected in the church’s leadership any time soon, Perkins explained. But she said it could eventually move the church’s cultural center of gravity away from an America-first one, since “ultimately, it’s the members who actually make up the church.”

Jeff Young, another activist with Mormons with Hope, recalled a story from 2015, when the church’s thenspokesman, Michael Otterson, addressed that global shift and the political affiliations that come along with it. Latter-day Saints had asked him, “Can a member be a Democrat and a good Mormon?”

He answered: “That one makes me smile, because if the members who ask it could travel to some countries of the world and meet faithful members of the Church who belong to their national communist parties, I fear their blood pressure might be permanently damaged.”

Church leadership also follows the changing tides of popular culture, organizers with Mormons with Hope told Inkstick.

After facing blowback for telling California-based members to vote in favor of Prop 8—which sought to ban same-sex marriage—in 2008, the church switched positions and by 2022 publicly supported the LGBTQaffirming Respect for Marriage Act.

Mormons with Hope also see micro-shifts in everyday Mormon culture, such as tolerance for female missionaries having multiple piercings, despite church rules to the contrary.

Regarding Palestinian human rights, McLaughlin said the collective is not asking the church to take a particular partisan or ideological stance.

“I just want the church to look at the material facts on the ground and have a preferential option for the poor, to speak out for the oppressed,” he said.

Hitting a Nerve

The student campaigner in Provo told Inkstick that the scores of people they have approached on the street have varying opinions about geopolitics—but only one ever defended the church’s investments in the likes of Lockheed Martin and Boeing.

“Everyone else, even if they believe in this whole defense thing, they’re still like: ‘Why is the church invested in that?’” the student said, adding that people hold religious organizations to high ethical bars.

Mormons with Hope isn’t McLaughlin’s first foray into leftist organizing, but he says the antagonism they have faced at public events about Gaza is a new level for him and suggests their movement is hitting a nerve.

“Something worries them about Mormons speaking out because of Mormonism and actually potentially shaking up the status in the state of Utah,” he said. CW

Playing Chicken

Utah

has welcomed several fried chicken franchises;

here are some of the best.

BY ALEX SPRINGER comments@cityweekly.net @captainspringer

It seems like the cayenne pepper-scented dust has finally settled on the rapid expansion of hot chicken joints in Utah. With the exception of Savory Fund’s decision to replace all Crack Shack locations with Houston TX Hot Chicken, the local franchises of most of these poultry purveyors have largely done well in the Utah market. At this point, I’ve tried all of Utah’s hot chicken imports and found them all to be a decent place for fried chicken fans to test the limits of their capsaicin tolerance.

To get a proper bead on this conquest, my true north has always been Pretty Bird (prettybirdchicken.com). Chef Viet Pham’s successful fast-casual spot not only predated the hot chicken boom, but it has yet to be bested by any out-of-state franchise. That said, here’s how our local franchises stack up with one another.

Houston TX Hot Chicken (hhc.ooo): Having tried both Crack Shack and Houston TX Hot Chicken, I can definitely say that Savory Fund made the correct choice with their investment. Houston TX Hot Chicken opts for a seasoned batter to its fried chicken, which I think is far superior to a fried chicken sandwich slathered in sauce. Hot chicken should rely on a dry heat to set your tongue ablaze; if it’s not doing that, you may as well call it a buffa-

DINE

lo wing. Though the restaurant does add a generous helping of sauce to the fried chicken, its primary function is to add a bit of moisture to the sandwich so you’re not totally parched.

I think Houston TX Hot Chicken is overall the best of the out-of-state chicken franchises. It’s a restaurant that really sticks to the hot chicken concept—diners are only allowed to try the hottest chicken variation if they sign a waiver. On top of that, the chicken is well-seasoned, juicy and packs plenty of heat in its crispy breading. This place also has the best supplementary slaw and pickles that I think are crucial elements to a hot chicken sandwich, so as far as out-ofstate chicken franchises go, Houston TX Hot Chicken earns top marks.

Crazy D’s Hot Chicken (crazydshotchicken.com): A new arrival on the hot chicken scene, Crazy D’s Hot Chicken is a bit like a scrappier version of Dave’s Hot Chicken. Both restaurants focus on making good-sized tenders and either serving them up on their own with some fries or making them into sliders. While these two restaurants boast similar menus, I think Crazy D’s just barely has the drop on Dave’s.

In general, the chicken tenders at Crazy D’s have a more robust spicy flavor profile—even when you’re after something on the milder side, the chicken here is great. The chicken at Crazy D’s can hold its own, but its presence on the restaurant’s supplementary menu is what gives this place an edge. Both the Crazy Fries and the Crazy Mac go unapologetically hard with the cheese sauce, which tastes really good with the restaurant’s fried chicken. Bonus points here for creating something that is so trashy it’s brilliant.

Dave’s Hot Chicken (daveshotchicken. com): You’ve got to give some props to Dave’s Hot Chicken for opening its first

location within full view of the Post Malone-inspired Raising Cane’s. It’s also not a bad spot for fans of hot chicken sandwiches and tenders, and its menu of Dave’s Not Chicken features spicy breaded cauliflower for a plant-based alternative. Dave’s Hot Chicken is good, but it’s slightly inferior to the above restaurants as far as execution goes.

If Dave’s Hot Chicken were the only joint in town, it would likely be a different story. However, when it arrived alongside all the other chicken restaurants, it didn’t do a whole lot to differentiate itself. I could see how fans of a plant-based experience would rate this place a bit higher on the list, but in my book, Dave’s is the bronze medalist of this particular ranking.

Super Chix (superchix.com): Super Chix has a good variety of chicken sandwiches on its menu, but that has resulted in a jack-of-all-trades situation. When you just want a chicken sandwich, this place will have you covered. When you’re after something in the realm of hot chicken, however, Super Chix falls a bit short of the other aforementioned restaurants. The restaurant gets its versatility from creating one type of breaded filet and then hitting it with sauce or other toppings to round out its menu.

The Nashville sandwich is spicy enough to hang with the other chicken joints on the list, but all the heat and flavor is supplied by the sauce. It’s a decent fried chicken breast, but it’s clear that the proteins at Super Chix don’t go through the same seasoning regimen that is present at the other chicken spots on the list.

Pretty Bird will always be my go-to spot when I’m craving something top notch, but honestly, these fried chicken franchises are all interesting in their own ways—especially when they get crazy with the cheese sauce. CW

2 Row Brewing

73 West 7200 South, Midvale 2RowBrewing.com

On Tap: “Czech One-Two” Czech Pilsner

Avenues Proper

376 8th Ave, SLC avenuesproper.com

On Tap: Steamy Wonder Rye Steam Ale

Bewilder Brewing

445 S. 400 West, SLC BewilderBrewing.com

On Tap: Pink Boots - Pink Pony Pilz

Bohemian Brewery

94 E. Fort Union Blvd, Midvale BohemianBrewery.com

NEW Releases: Kölsch, Dusseldorfer “Alt” Bier

Bonneville Brewery 1641 N. Main, Tooele BonnevilleBrewery.com

On Tap: Peaches and Cream Ale

Chappell Brewing

2285 S Main Street

Salt Lake City, UT 84115 chappell.beer

On Tap: Pie Hole - Strawberry Rhubarb Tart Ale

Corner Brew Pub Sugar House 2110 S. Highland Drive, SLC saltlakebrewingco.com/wasatch

On Tap:  Top of Main Coalition Hellfire Chili Pepper Ale

Craft by Proper

1053 E. 2100 So., SLC properbrewingco.com

On Tap: Steamy Wonder Rye Steam Ale

Desert Edge Brewery

273 Trolley Square, SLC DesertEdgeBrewery.com

On Tap:  Centennial Steamer, California Common Lager

Epic Brewing Co.

825 S. State, SLC EpicBrewing.com

On Tap: Chasing Ghosts IPA

Etta Place Cidery

700 W Main St, Torrey www.ettaplacecider.com

On Tap: Imperial Cider, Fig-Tamarind Session Mead

Fisher Brewing Co.

320 W. 800 South, SLC FisherBeer.com

On Tap: A rotation of up to 17 Fresh Beers!

Grid City Beer Works

333 W. 2100 South, SLC GridCityBeerWorks.com

NEW: Cyotee Elvis Kolsh

Heber Valley Brewing

501 N. Main Street, Heber City, UT hebervalleybrewing.com

On Tap: 8 rotating beers

New Release: Beer Thief - Imperial IPA 9.6% ABV

Helper Beer

159 N Main Street, Helper, UT  helperbeer.com

Hopkins Brewing Co.

1048 E. 2100 South, SLC HopkinsBrewingCompany.com

On Tap: Pray For Rain - Summer Ale

Kiitos Brewing

608 W. 700 South, SLC KiitosBrewing.com

On Tap: Sake Rice Lager (collab with Tsuki Sake); Tropical Haze IPA

New Launch: Fonio Fusion - 6.6%

Level Crossing Brewing Co.

2496 S. West Temple, South Salt Lake LevelCrossingBrewing.com

On Tap: Helles Munich Style Lager

Level Crossing Brewing Co., POST

550 South 300 West, Suite 100, SLC LevelCrossingBrewing.com

On Tap: Look Up! Amber Ale on Nitro Moab Brewing

686 S. Main, Moab TheMoabBrewery.com

On Tap:  “Big Drop” West Coast Pilsner

Mountain West Cider 425 N. 400 West, SLC MountainWestCider.com

On Tap: Sage Advice (Peach and Sage Hard Cider)

Offset Bier Co 1755 Bonanza Dr Unit C, Park City offsetbier.com/ On Tap: DOPO IPA

Ogden Beer Company 358 Park Blvd, Ogden OgdenBeerCompany.com

On Tap: 11 rotating taps as well as high point cans and guest beers

Park City Brewing 1764 Uinta Way C1 ParkCityBrewing.com

On Tap: Canadian Pub Water - Lager

Policy Kings Brewery

79 W. 900 South, Salt Lake City

PolicyKingsBrewery.com

On Tap: Kings Proper Kolsch

Prodigy Brewing 25 W Center St. Logan

Prodigy-brewing.com

On Tap: 302 Czech Pilsner

Proper Brewing/Proper Burger 857 So. Main & 865 So. Main properbrewingco.com

On Tap: Steamy Wonder Rye Steam Ale

Proper Brewing Moab 1393 US-191, Moab properbrewingco.com

On Tap: Blizzard Wizard Hazy Pale Ale

Red Rock Brewing 254 So. 200 West

RedRockBrewing.com

On Tap: Gypsy Scratch

Red Rock Fashion Place 6227 So. State

Redrockbrewing.com

On Tap: Grand Bavaria

Red Rock Kimball Junction 1640

BEER NERD

Hazy, Hoppy, and Heavenly

A walk along the diverging paths of hops.

BY MIKE RIEDEL comments@cityweekly.net @utahbeer

Uinta - Test Phaze Lab Sequence 003: Uinta’s line of New England-style Test Phaze IPAs began way back in 2019. Test Phaze 002 hit cans a year later in 2020; now here we are in 2025, thinking Uinta completely forgot about all of us Test Phaze fans as they quietly released Test Phaze Lab Sequence 003 last week.

The third iteration has the typical peach-hued hazy body with a solid amount of foam on top. It makes a bold, aromatic statement from the moment you crack the can. This IPA announces its presence with a damn juicy aroma that is simply explosive and super fruity, with a perfume that promises a vibrant and hop-saturated experience before the first drop even hits the tongue.

That promise is delivered in full on the first swig. The palate is immediately enveloped in a complex, hoppy fruit salad that is both refreshing and intricate. Prominent notes of sweet cantaloupe and fresh strawberry lead the charge, creating a lush, tropical foundation. This sweetness is quickly followed by a zesty counterpoint of bright orange peel, while a subtle hint of soft peach emerges in the background, adding a sophisticated layer of stone fruit complexity. It’s a testament to a well-executed hop schedule, where each flavor feels distinct yet harmonious. What truly elevates Test Phaze v3 is its structure. Just as the fruitiness threatens to take over, a slightly bitter finish emerges, cutting through the sweetness and keeping the entire profile balanced and impressively tight. This isn’t an aggressive bitterness, but rather a firm, grounding note that makes the beer incredibly drinkable. The 8.9% ABV makes a gentle appearance in a slight boozy warmth on the finish, a pleasant re-

minder of the brew’s potency.

Verdict: This is a dangerously smooth Double NEIPA that showcases how to be intensely fruity without sacrificing balance and refinement.

RoHa - Kensington Street Festival IPA: Brewed for SLC’s Kensington Street Festival in the city’s Ballpark neighborhood, this celebratory IPA presents itself as a study in distinct, sequential flavors rather than a seamless blend. The experience begins with a firm, toasty malt character right up front. It’s a pleasant, bready opening that suggests a more traditional backbone before the hops make their inevitable entrance.

Once that initial malty note subsides, the profile pivots sharply. From there, it’s all citrus hops, a straightforward and assertive expression of orange and tangerine. The character is less like sweet juice and more akin to the zesty, slightly pithy quality of the peel. This middle phase is bright and clean, showcasing a classic and familiar hop profile that is both accessible and direct.

As you delve deeper, more subtle complexities begin to emerge. Faint hints of soft peach appear in the background, offering a fleeting moment of stone fruit sweetness that attempts to round out the sharp citrus. These notes are quickly overshadowed by the beer’s defining feature on the finish: a significant herbal smack, characteristic of the Idaho 7 hop. This dank, slightly resinous quality cuts through everything, leaving a lingering, almost grassy hippiness on the palate.

Verdict: Ultimately, this 7.4 percent IPA is a well-constructed beer, though its components feel somewhat compartmentalized. The journey from toasty malt to bright citrus and finally to a commanding herbal finish is clear, but the transitions can feel abrupt. It’s a solid offering that will certainly appeal to drinkers who appreciate a bold, hopdriven experience with a distinctly bitter, herbal conclusion.

The craft-beer market is dominated by 16-ounce cans, and there are no changes here. Limited in production, these IPAs are not long for this world, so hurry the hell up, will ya?

As always, cheers! CW

the BACK BURNER

BY ALEX SPRINGER | @captainspringer

Arthur’s Last Call

I first met Kevin and Alexa Finch when they debuted Arthur, their pop-up dinner concept, back in 2022. Since then, they have hosted a wide range of excellent dinner parties, and I’m sad to say that Arthur’s last hurrah will take place this week. On Aug. 31, Arthur will take over Bar Nohm (barnohm.com) to present a tasting menu with a seating at 5:30 p.m. and one at 8:30 p.m. On Sept. 1, Bar Nohm will host an a la carte event from Arthur where diners can come by and order up some of Chef Finch’s favorite bites. Ticketing info is available via Arthur’s Instagram page (@eatwitharthur).

Utah Night Market

Some of Utah’s finest Asian restaurants will be on hand for the Utah Night Market, which is a nod to the latenight street food culture that is present across Asia. The primary vendors will be small, local businesses that are whipping up everything from steamed bao to noodles to dumplings. It’s shaping up to have a street food vibe, so after paying the $8 admission fee, attendees can purchase food from each vendor to see what they’ve got cooking. The event takes place at Jordan Park (1000 South 900 West) on Aug. 29 - 30 from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday and on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; tickets can be pre-purchased via nowplayingutah.com.

Crazy Croffles Opens

The Gateway (atthegateway.com) recently welcomed a new bakery called Crazy Croffles to its ranks, and it’s looking pretty tasty. Riffing on the dessert-centric fusion of making traditional pastries like doughnuts with croissant dough, Crazy Croffles applies the buttery formula to its waffles. Made with fresh croissant dough and then pressed into crispy perfection, the croffle then gets topped with everything from cream cheese to matcha glaze. Crazy Croffles also does savory croffles like crispy chicken avocado or bacon benedict. The bakery will also serve ice cream, coffee and other treats to intrigue your sweet tooth. I hear their matcha latte is quite the lovely pick-me-up.

Quote of the Week: “Why would anyone ever eat anything besides breakfast food?”

Another Music Mailbag August 2025

New music from The Drought, Sindar and more.

BY EMILEE ATKINSON eatkinson@cityweekly.net @emileelovesvinyl

The summer is rapidly coming to a close, but the new releases keep on coming. Here’s some great tracks that will carry you through the rest of the season.

Pdubba-U, “Take Me Home”: This gang is back with their signature style of soaring, stylish rock that gets in your face in the best way. Whether they’re covering a beloved classic or rocking their original tracks, this trio continuously blows listeners away with their composed and complex sound. That’s not to say that they’re hard to understand, but you’ll find ripping guitar solos and shining vocals that make it apparent that these guys have tons of talent. “Take Me Home” showcases all the trademark elements listed above, but this track also has an upbeat, cheerful pop vibe that will put a smile on your face and invite many repeated listens. There are times when bands are too serious (not that there isn’t a place for that), but you can tell Pdubba-U is having tons of fun, and listeners get to reap the benefits.

Rachael Jenkins, “Will You Think of Me?”: Singer/ songwriter Rachael Jenkins has been steadily releasing singles from her upcoming debut album The Valley, which releases Sept. 4. The latest single, “Will You Think of Me?,” features the complex and intricate vocals the local scene has come to expect

from Jenkins, but with expanded elements, making the sound feel more complete. In the past you’d mostly hear Jenkins with nothing but her trusty acoustic guitar, but being backed by a full band suits her sound very well. “WYTM is a song for the crushers, the yearners, the lovers, and the ones willing to break themselves open to love bigger!!!,” Jenkins noted on Instagram. “The ending line, ‘I might think just for a second that maybe things are bending, but maybe that’s the nature of this’ keeps me going in life and love!! I am but a moldable human; someone who changes with every minute passed and every person met. And thank GOD FOR THAT!!!!!” Check out “Will You Think of Me?” and keep an eye out for The Valley in September.

Sindar, “Eclipse”: Inspired by the legendary J.R.R. Tolkien, progressive metal group Sindar brought their latest single “Eclipse” into the fray this month. The track comes complete with melodic electric guitar, towering keys and screaming vocals. Many listeners have likened Sindar’s sound to that of Opeth, so if that’s a vibe you enjoy, you’ll feel right at home here. This new single comes off of the band’s second album, which will make its way to listeners this fall. In the meantime, “Eclipse” warrants multiple replays—each time one will be able to pick up different elements that have been layered together and make the song sound epic. Sindar is never a bad choice if you have a hankering for some good old-fashioned metal.

Arsenic Addiction, Somer:

The world is in desperate need of more theatrical goth rock/metal, and SLC’s Arsenic Addiction is here to satisfy that need. Their dark and atmospheric sound is easy to sink into; allowing it to envelop you in its sound makes for a great listening experience. The early aughts were a prime time for

MUSIC

the genre, but it’s still perfectly suited for 2025, and Arsenic Addiction continuously proves that. The band is heavily influenced by the natural world, pulling in imagery of the seasons, plants, the elements, animals as well as more supernatural elements like spirits and death itself. This latest EP draws from the red rocks of Southern Utah, the summer season and spirituality. The title track is melodic and reminiscent of great goth acts like Within Temptation and Nightwish. “This song is very much what it feels like to be a part of a religion. You feel like the religion itself is your ship on the sea of an evil world,” they describe on BandCamp. “Falling in the water only because you dared to look over the edge of that ship.” Arsenic Addiction is always a great choice if you have a metal itch that needs to be scratched.

The Drought, CHROME: The great thing about musical genres is that they’re flexible, and bands never have to firmly place

themselves in one category or another. Indie rock features a wide array of sounds, but is unified by the feeling of earnestness and a connection to the local scene, making them oh-so-lovable. Five-piece alt/indie rock group The Drought place themselves somewhere between The Strokes, The Cranberries, Radiohead and Amy Winehouse. You really can’t go wrong with any of those groups, and you can’t go wrong with The Drought either. Their new EP CHROME is one of the best entries in the band’s library to date. It starts strong with “Desert Sleep,” heavy reverb greeting you like heat waves rippling off the hot desert sand. Vocalist Emmy Gilbert brings a voice that pulls you in like a siren and keeps you hanging on. You can hear the Winehouse inspiration in her singing style, but it’s not a copy by any means. Come spend a bit of time with some indie rock greatness through CHROME. CW

TUESDAYS

WEDNESDAYS

BEST BAR IN UTAH!

GREAT FOOD

MUSIC PICK S

Kayzo @ The Complex 8/30

Now a world-renowned DJ and producer, Kayzo (Hayden Capuozzo) was first introduced to electronic music here in Utah. The Houston, Tex. native was scouted for a Utah hockey team, and lived in Snowbird while attending Brighton High School. In a 2024 interview on the Utah-based The Puck Drop Podcast, Capuozzo said, “Sophomore year, we passed the aux cord around; the kids from Europe would get the aux cord and it was all Eurodance, dance music and techno.” Capuozzo’s trap, dubstep and hardstyle is a combination of punk and rock music like Underoath, Sum 4 and Story of the Year, along with Houston hip-hop like Chamillionaire and Mike Jones. Needless to say, it’s a very aggressive sound. You may know him from his collaboration with Riot, “Wake Up,” which received more than 200,000 plays in less than 24 hours. Earlier this year, the renowned label Monstercat released a new collaboration between Kayzo and MUST DIE! called “Back 2 The Rave,” so be sure to check it out. He’s previously headlined the V2 festival Get Freaky here in Utah, and is coming back to Salt Lake City for a show this Saturday, Aug. 30. The tour Kayzo: Unleashed XL 2025 also includes support by fellow DJs Hivemind, Samplifire, Beastboi and Machaki. This is an 18+ show at The Complex by V2 Presents. Doors open at 7 p.m. and tickets cost $48.38 at thecomplexslc.com. (Arica Roberts)

DARK WATCH AND TITVN ALEX NUNTAPREDA

NATHAN BUDGE AND THE DROPOUTS

SEAN BAKER’S RECYCLED STARDUST

MUSIC PICK S

Clint Black @ Canyons Village 8/30

Clint Black is a bona fide country superstar. Though he spent nearly a decade toiling as a songwriter and performer before landing a record deal in 1987, his career took off like a shot from there. Black has since won a Grammy, an American Music Award, three TNN Music Awards, five Academy of Country Music Awards and four CMA Awards. To date, he has placed more than 30 singles on Billboard ’s Country chart, including a staggering 13 songs taking the number one position. He’s made successful forays into film and television as well, but Black’s primary focus remains songwriting and making music. While he stepped away from the business for several years, Black returned in 2013. He released On Purpose in 2015, and followed it up in 2020 with his twelfth studio album, Out of Sane His current run of headlining dates—dubbed the Back on the Blacktop Tour—takes him all over the U.S., from the heartland to dates in major markets. Along with opener Brenn Hill, Clint Black comes to Canyons Village at Park City Mountain Resort on Saturday, Aug. 30 at 7 p.m. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Tickets start at $72.08 and are available from parkcityinstitute.org. (Bill Kopp)

MUSIC PICK S

KALEO @ Snow Park Outdoor Amphitheater at Deer Valley 9/1

KALEO is one of those bands where everything harks back to times gone by. However, credit has to be given to these musicians for doing what they do very well. Back in 2016, the Icelandic rock band broke through in a massive way with their hit “Way Down We Go.” The track became one of those rare anthems—dominating the charts and making its way into seemingly every corner of the earworm zeitgeist. Their latest release, Mixed Emotions, still channels all the right influences and reflects an evolution that reminds listeners just how good this band is. “Mixed emotions, you can have fun with that,” band member JJ Julius Son told Atwood Magazine. “The music is obviously emotions, and you’re mixing them in the studio, but it’s mixed emotions about today’s society, the music industry now and being an artist in today’s landscape.” They offer a refreshing change from the commonplace bluesy Americana and, judging by the impressive number of sold out venues, they have garnered quite an army of fans. Hopefully they’ll keep it going and not fall for too many Faustian pacts with the mainstream to dilute their artistic idiom. Also, a setlist staple for the band, “Vor í Vaglaskógi” is a haunting rendition of an Icelandic golden oldie— and this is where KALEO sets the precedent. Jazzy Olivo opens. Catch these musicians at the Snow Park Outdoor Amphitheater at Deer Valley on Monday, Sept. 1. Doors at 5:30 p.m. and tickets for the all-ages show range from $50-$100 and can be found at axs.com.

(Mark Dago)

Bright Eyes @ The Depot 9/2

In the world of popular music, age seems no deterrent. One need only look at the success attained by Michael Jackson, Billie Eilish, Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift or Stevie Wonder to understand that youth has its advantages. Consider Conor Oberst, who, after serving his apprenticeship with other groups in the budding Omaha, Nebraska music scene, put his hometown on the map by founding his own band at the age 15. In due time, Bright Eyes was signed to Saddle Creek Records, and went on to acquire international acclaim with a succession of albums that combined a vague folk-like approach with daring experimental sounds. That led Leonie Cooper of Britain’s highly respected journal NME to declare Bright

Eyes “a noughties update on Bob Dylan and Gram Parsons’ 1960s sound.” At the same time, Oberst made it a point to advocate for causes he found important, including standing up for marginalized immigrants, supporting then-candidate Barack Obama and railing against mega-giant broadcaster Clear Channel Media. Nevertheless, he’s a restless soul. “There was a time I wished I never made music,” he told the British tabloid The Guardian. Yet after a sevenyear hiatus, the band regrouped in 2020, ultimately releasing their latest LP, 2024’s Five Dice, All Threes. Consequently, at the relatively young age of 45, Oberst can look back on a fruitful and prolific career, while still imagining a vision for Bright Eyes that’s as clear-eyed as ever. Bright Eyes perform at The Depot on Tuesday, Sept. 2 at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $59-$77 at ticketmaster.com.

(Lee Zimmerman)

ALSO THIS WEEK

Open mic nights @ Funk ‘n Dive bar, every Thursday and Sunday

Last night of New Band Showcase ft. J & The Outlaws, Route Setter, Drama Llama, Lukas Field @ Velour 8/28: Velour always has incredible showcases and band battles that do an amazing job at highlighting the scene. If you’re looking for new artists to listen to, it’s worth heading out to this last New Band Showcase. Rally @ Velour 8/29: Rally is a beloved SLC indie-rock band, and this show is in celebration of their 2020 EP Summer’s End, which was released five years ago this month. Can’t think of a better way to celebrate the end of summer.

Spaceface Lunar Manor album release show @ Kilby Court 8/29

Salt City United annual fundraiser ft. Blood Star, SLWBRN, Grace Maker, Hearts of Romaine @ Urban Lounge 8/29

o’summer vacation @ 3hive Record Lounge 8/29

Awakening Autumn @ Pearl on Main 8/29

Alex Nuntapreda @ DLC 8/29

Queer Latin Nights @ Metro Music Hall ft. DJ Rue and DJ Causita 8/29

Video Game Masterpieces ft. Dreamspire Symphony @ The Depot 8/30

High Wasted Drag Show @ Blue Gene’s 8/30

Nathan Budge and The Dropouts, Mel Soul and The Heartbeat, Zachary Williams Band @ DLC 8/30

Winners Only @ Kilby Court 8/31

Sean Baker’s Recycled Stardust @ DLC 8/31

Leetham @ Kilby Court 9/2

free will ASTROLOGY

BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES

(March 21-April 19)

In some Buddhist mandalas, the outer circle depicts a wall of fire. It marks the boundary between the chaotic external world and the sacred space within. For seekers and devotees, it’s a symbol of the transformation they must undergo to commune with deeper truths. I think you’re ready to bolster your own flame wall. What is non-negotiable for your peace, your creativity, your worth? Who or what belongs in your inner circle? And what must stay outside? Be clear about the boundaries you need to be your authentic self.

TAURUS

(April 20-May 20)

Centuries ago, builders in Venice, Italy, drove wooden pilings deep into the waterlogged mud of the lagoon to create a stable base for future structures. These timber foundations were essential because the soil was too weak to support stone buildings directly. Eventually, the wood absorbed minerals from the surrounding muddy water and became exceptionally hard and durable: capable of supporting heavy buildings. Taurus, you may soon glimpse how something you’ve built your life upon—a value, a relationship, or a daily ritual—is more enduring than you imagined. Its power is in its rootedness, its long conversation with the invisible. My advice: Trust what once seemed soft but has become solid. Thank life for blessing you with its secret alchemy.

GEMINI

(May 21-June 20)

In Inuit myth, Sedna is the goddess who lives at the bottom of the sea and oversees all marine life. If humans harm nature or neglect spiritual truths, Sedna may stop allowing them to catch sea creatures for food, leading to starvation. Then shamans from the world above must swim down to sing her songs and comb her long black hair. If they win her favor, she restores balance. I propose that you take direction from this myth, Gemini. Some neglected beauty and wisdom in your emotional depths is asking for your attention. What part of you needs reverence, tenderness and ceremonial care?

CANCER

(June 21-July 22)

In ancient Rome, the lararium was a home altar. It wasn’t used for momentous appeals to the heavyweight deities like Jupiter, Venus, Apollo, Juno and Mars. Instead, it was there that people performed daily rituals, seeking prosperity, protection and health from their ancestors and minor household gods. I think now is a fine time to create your own version of a lararium, Cancerian. How could you fortify your home base to make it more nurturing and uplifting? What rituals and playful ceremonies might you do to generate everyday blessings?

LEO

(July 23-Aug. 22)

In Persian miniature painting, entire epics are compressed into exquisite images the size of a hand. Each creation contains worlds within worlds, myths tucked into detail. I suggest you draw inspiration from this approach, Leo. Rather than imagining your life as a grand performance, play with the theme of sacred compression. Be alert for seemingly transitory moments that carry enormous weight. Proceed on the assumption that a brief phrase or lucky accident may spark sweet changes. What might it look like to condense your full glory into small gifts that people can readily use?

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

In Andean cosmology, the condor and the hummingbird are both sacred messengers. One soars majestically at high altitudes, a symbolic bridge between the earth and heaven. The other moves with supple efficiency and detailed precision, an icon of resilience and high energy. Let’s make these birds your spirit creatures for the coming months. Your challenging but feasible assignment is to both see the big picture and attend skillfully to the intimate details.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

In the ancient Greek myth of Psyche, one of her trials is to gather golden wool from violent rams. She succeeds by waiting until the torrid heat of midday passes and the

rams are resting in the cool shade. She safely collects the wool from bushes and branches without confronting the rams directly. Let this be a lesson, Libra. To succeed at your challenges, rely on strategy rather than confrontation. It’s true that what you want may feel blocked by difficult energies, like chaotic schedules, reactive people or tangled decisions. But don’t act impulsively. Wait. Listen. Watch. Openings will happen when the noise settles and others tire themselves out. You don’t need to overpower. You just need to time your grace. Golden wool is waiting, but it can’t be taken by force.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

In 1911, two teams tried to become the first humans to reach the South Pole. Roald Amundsen’s group succeeded, but Robert Falcon Scott’s did not. Why? Amundsen studied with Indigenous people who were familiar with frigid environments. He adopted their clothing choices (fur and layering), their travel techniques (dogsledding) and their measured, deliberate pacing, including lots of rest. Scott exhausted himself and his people with inconsistent bursts of intense effort and stubbornly inept British strategies. Take your cues from Amundsen, dear Scorpio. Get advice from real experts. Pace yourself; don’t sprint. Be consistent rather than melodramatic. Opt for discipline instead of heroics.

SAGITTARIUS

(Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

A lighthouse isn’t concerned with whether ships are watching it from a distance. It simply shines forth its strong beams, no questions asked. It rotates, pulses and moves through its cycles because that’s its natural task. Its purpose is steady illumination, not recognition. In the coming weeks, Sagittarius, I ask you and encourage you to be like a lighthouse. Be loyal to your own gleam. Do what you do best because it pleases you. The ones who need your signal will find you. You don’t have to chase them across the waves.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

In 1885, Sarah E. Goode became the fourth African American woman to be granted a U.S. patent. Her invention was ingenious: a folding cabinet bed that could be transformed into a roll-top desk. It appealed to people who lived in small apartments and needed to save space. I believe you’re primed and ready for a similar advance in practical resourcefulness, Capricorn. You may be able to combine two seemingly unrelated needs into one brilliant solution—turning space, time or resources into something more graceful and useful. Let your mind play with hybrid inventions and unlikely pairings.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

I expect you will be knowledgeable and smart during the coming weeks, Aquarius. But I hope you will also be wise and savvy. I hope you will wrestle vigorously with the truth so you can express it in practical and timely ways. You must be ingenious as you figure out the precise ways to translate your intelligence into specifically right actions. So for example: You may feel compelled to be authentic in a situation where you have been reticent, or to share a vision that has been growing quietly. Don’t stay silent, but also: Don’t blurt. Articulate your reality checks with elegance and discernment. The right message delivered at the wrong moment could make a mess, whereas that same message will be a blessing if offered at the exact turning point.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)

Liubai is a Chinese term that means “to leave blank.” In traditional ink painting, it referred to the portions of the canvas the artist chose not to fill in. Those unpainted areas were not considered empty. They carried emotional weight, inviting the eye to rest and the mind to wander. I believe your near future could benefit from this idea, Pisces. Don’t feel you have to spell everything out or tie up each thread. It may be important not to explain and reveal some things. What’s left unsaid, incomplete, or open-ended may bring you more gifts than constant effort. Let a little stillness accompany whatever you’re creating.

Business Information Analyst V (BIA-VB) in Midvale, UT. Telecommute permitted from anywhere in U.S. Integrate sfwr appls with backend service sys or business process. Plan, coord, analyze, design, doc & implement appl integration to meet current & future needs. BS fllwd by 8 yrs prog rltd exp. Send resumes to Zions Bancorporation at ZionsCareers@zionsbancorp. com. Must reference job title & code in subject line.

Senior Program Manager (inContact, Inc.; Sandy, UT): Collaborate with Product Management to disseminate market requirements and concepts into actionable work items. Position requires 10% domestic travel. Telecommuting permitted pursuant to company policy. Resumes: cilicia.holland@nice.com Ref#: 00070082.

Office Manager

(Draper, UT) Manage scheduling of staff meetings, interdepartmental communications, and executive calendars. Oversee inventory of office supplies, uniforms, packaging, & key operational inputs such as POS hardware, printed menus, and branded materials used across food trucks. Maintain minimum inventory thresholds for at least 20 food trucks operating across Utah and coordinate with vendors for timely replenishment. Serve as the primary liaison between the operations department & external vendors, negotiating pricing and ensuring delivery timelines. Ensure all documentation for employee onboarding, compliance, and operational reports are accurately maintained. Monitor facility operations, including equipment maintenance schedules & health/safety compliance in coordination with operations teams. 40hrs/wk, Offered wage: $123,032/yr, High school/GED diploma and 2 years of experience as Office manager or related required. Resume to CUPBOP CO Attn: Yeiri KIM, 12184 S Business Park Dr, Draper, UT 84020

urban LIVING

WITH BABS DELAY Broker, Urban Utah Homes & Estates, urbanutah.com

Choo Choo!

Many Boomers grew up with a toy train set at home. I had to laugh recently when I sold a home for a couple of hilarious senior citizens and discovered the entire basement housed a miniature train set and scenery that the owner built over the years with fake mountains, a town with a gas station, a bank, etc.

The owner found a guy in Denver who came over and bought/trucked the entire thing back to his home before we sold the house.

Utah is famous for a big part of train history in the U.S. In 1869, the rails from the West Coast were connected to the rails of the East Coast at Promontory Summit, in what was then called Utah Territory. On May 10 of that year, a 17.6-karat golden spike was driven in as the last piece of the transcontinental railroad, changing transportation history forever.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

ACROSS

1. Pond fish

4. Baby cow

8. Went icy

13. Slot machine lever

14. Noisy fight

15. Moroccan capital

16. Tiny taste

17. Dejected area where the rugs go?

19. Animal’s back crossing the line first in a race?

21. Healing plant

22. Subject of the outdated joke “Why do they call it a ___ when you only get one?”

23. Really quiet, in sheet music

26. Area 51 locale

29. Vicks cold/flu brand

31. Green Wave school

35. Involved in

36. Kinda boring one-vegetable salad?

40. Fab Four name

41. Acid in vinegar

42. Call the shots

45. City southeast of Istanbul

49. “Happy Days” eatery

50. Put a stopwatch back to 0

54. Yale grads

Now, a luxury scenic train called the Canyon Spirit is going to be expanding its route next April to offer a three-day journey between Denver and Salt Lake City, with overnight stays in Moab and Glenwood Springs, Colorado. This new route will feature a train with customdesigned glass domed coaches so passengers can see the fabulous Utah and Colorado vistas, and will offer gourmet dining options and alcoholic drinks during the ride. It’s a “daylight” service that stops each night at a hotel destination rather than having sleeper cars onboard. The train will slow down at particularly scenic locations.

Basically, this is a unique way to see the sights, but not a fast way to travel, and tourists will love it.

They will allow a small number of children on the train each season, but they must be old enough to sit in their own seats, as the coaches are not equipped for car seats or lap-held infants. Service animals are allowed but must be applied for 60 days in advance of traveling.

This new Canyon Spirit is a variation of what was known as the Rocky Mountaineer, which offered a similar route and means of travel in 2021.

The Mountaineer will have its last “Rockies to the Red Rocks” tour this week before the new service takes over next spring. But the Rocky Mountaineer continues to offer scenic train offerings in Jasper, Kamloops, Lake Louise and Banff as well as Vancouver, Whistler and Quesnel.

The scenic train tour isn’t cheap—it costs between $2,100 and $2,500 per person. Don’t panic though, as you can also take Amtrak’s California Zephyr, which travels between Salt Lake City and Denver on its transcontinental route between San Francisco and Chicago. The trip to Denver takes 15 hours and costs between $55 and $190 for a one-way coach seat. The further in advance you book, the cheaper the ticket.

The Zephyr departs from Salt Lake City once a day, in both directions. It doesn’t take the same scenic route as the Canyon Spirit or have the glassdomed cars, but still provides an observation car with large windows that offer scenic vistas of the West. ■

23. Canine litter

55. Magic words to make an RV disappear?

58. Just under a Louisiana subdivision?

61. Poivre tablemate

62. Be of help

63. King with a labyrinth

64. Part of the work wk.

65. New beginnings

66. Ooze

67. “___ Kids 3-D: Game Over” (2003 film)

DOWN

1. “The Big Chill” director Lawrence

2. Maryland major leaguer

3. “Yes and” performance

4. Mobile

5. Airborne

6. Pope ten behind the current one?

7. Household plants

8. Wendy’s offering

9. Ninja Turtle in red, familiarly

10. Japanese kimono sash

11. Cheesy pies on a Scrabble board?

12. Suffix of most ordinal numbers

14. Advanced music or drama deg.

18. Demeanor

20. Kraken’s home

24. Helmet type

25. Arafat’s gp., once

27. “New Rules” singer ___ Lipa

28. One’s partner?

30. Name in financial software

32. “Blue Rondo ___ Turk” (Brubeck song)

33. JFK’s location

34. Before, to Byron

36. Manx’s lack

37. Yours and mine

38. ___ brisk pace

39. Noise

40. BlackBerry, e.g.

43. Moves slowly

44. Short-timer

46. Elite guest rosters

47. Rebel

48. One of the Olsen twins

51. Bombards with junk

52. Like ghost stories

53. Threefold

55. Penny, e.g.

Complete the grid so that each row, column, diagonal and 3x3 square contain all of the numbers 1 to 9. No math is involved. The grid has numbers, but nothing has to add up to anything else. Solve the puzzle with reasoning and logic. Solving time is typically 10 to 30 minutes, depending on your skill and experience.

NEWS of the WEIRD

The Passing Parade

Aug. 16 was just another happy Saturday at the Northeast Elementary School playground in Vernon, Connecticut—until it wasn’t. A 40-year-old man who became trapped in a tube slide had to be rescued by the Town of Vernon Fire Department, WKRC-TV reported. When first responders arrived, the unnamed man was stuck in the middle of the slide. He was provided oxygen, and ventilation was set up to cool the space. After about 30 minutes, which included taking the slide apart, the man was rescued and refused medical care or transport to a hospital.

Least Competent Criminal

■ Those pesky home surveillance videos. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department took a missing person report on Aug. 12 in regard to Sheylla Cabrera, age 33, KTLA-TV reported. But the next day, as detectives reviewed the video footage from a neighbor’s Ring doorbell, they spied Cabrera’s husband, 36-year-old Jossimar Cabrera, struggling to pull a heavy sack or sheet away from the home. Three days later, a sack containing Sheylla’s body was found in the Angeles National Forest. Jossimar allegedly fled to Peru, where local authorities picked him up and then released him pending charges. The couple’s three children were also found safe in Peru.

■ Only in Iowa could you be arrested for “simulated public intoxication.” KCRG-TV reported that on Aug. 18, Fayette County Sheriff’s deputies were called about individuals lying in a ditch around 5:30 a.m. Kalab Barker, 31, was the only one still around when officers arrived; he was arrested and charged with the dubious crime of pretending to be drunk.

■ In Hillsborough County (Florida), a drone crashed into a home around 1:30 a.m. on Aug. 19, Fox5-TV reported. The homeowners retrieved the drone from the backyard before the drone’s owner, Jason Brooks, 49, knocked on the front door, at which point they called police. Sheriff Chad Chronister said the homeowner found a cloth bag attached to the drone, with four other bags inside. “Three bags with fentanyl powder and one bag of methamphetamine,” Chronister said. “Each bag has a person’s name written on the bag.” When deputies arrived, they found Brooks outside. He told them he was flying his drone and “I believe it crashed in this area, and I’m going in the backyard trying to find my drone.” Brooks is a 15-time convicted felon; he was charged with possession with intent to sell or deliver, among other charges, and held without bond.

But Why?

■ As landscaper Brian Hanson mowed a lawn in St. Petersburg, Florida, on Aug. 14, he was interrupted by a man in full jester costume approaching him with a 12-inch dagger, The Smoking Gun reported. Hanson positioned his mower between himself and the threatening cosplayer, Anthony Marzola, 51, who lives nearby. Marzola was allegedly unhappy about the sound of the mower and yelled at Hanson that he “cannot be mowing.” Police believe Marzola’s get-up may have been related to his business, the Psychedelic Jester smoke shop; why he was in full costume at home was not explained. He was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

■ David Hampson, 54—known to locals as “Silent Man”—has been arrested again in Swansea, Wales, for standing in the middle of busy roads in the city, the Telegraph reported on Aug. 12. By “again,” we mean for the 12th time. Hampson, who has no fixed address, has been repeating his strange behavior since 2014, but he won’t explain himself to law enforcement or health officials and won’t even confirm his name in court. But he’s not mute, his brother said: “He never stops talking. He’s a spoilt brat. He just does it to have a comfy life inside prison.”

Well-Done

Firefighters with the Doolittle (Missouri) Rural Fire Protection District responded to a truck fire on Aug. 18, Fox5-TV reported. Inside the trailer was 40,000 pounds of rib-eye steaks—which, while a total loss, had to smell AMAZING! Probationary firefighter Jenna Ulrich, the only vegan in the department, fought her first fire that morning alongside her dad, Glenn Ulrich.

Suspicions Confirmed

■ The Wynn Encore resort in Las Vegas and nightclub DJ Gryffin got punked when Justin Bieber impersonator Dylan Desclos, 29, showed up at the venue, HuffPost reported on Aug. 19. The pseudo-Bieber danced and partied, allegedly racking up a $10,000 bar bill, before his “team” alerted Gryffin that he wanted to perform “Sorry,” one of his big hits. “Dark venue and loud music didn’t help here,” Gryffin posted after discovering he’d been had. A spokesperson for the Wynn Encore said Desclos had been granted access to the stage after an “elaborate and multistep ruse by him and his advance team.” The resort banned him for life after learning he wasn’t really Bieber.

■ When Fujiyoshi Shindo, 93, was found dead in his home in Daisen, Japan, on Aug. 18, police initially suspected he had been mauled by a bear, The Japan Times reported. Bear sightings have become more common in northern Japan; more than 200 people were attacked in the 12 months leading up to March 2024. But as investigators looked into the incident further, they found that the man’s wounds were more consistent with a knife attack. On Aug. 19, his son, Fujiyuki Shindo, 51, was arrested for allegedly murdering his elderly father. The younger man lived with his parents, and detectives seized several knives from the home in an effort to identify the murder weapon.

The Tech Revolution

Visitors to Judong No. 3 Park in Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea, may rub their eyes when they see a life-size, uniformed policeman, Oddity Central reported on Aug. 15. That’s because the officer is a 3D hologram that patrols between 7 and 10 p.m., assuring people that “in emergencies, the police will respond immediately” and “there are surveillance cameras everywhere.” The specterlike officers are intended to increase people’s perception of safety, and since their installation in October, data show they’ve had a significant impact on crime in the park, decreasing incidents by 22%.

Smooth Reaction

Last week, News of the Weird reported on a group of teenagers who were sought by police in East Greenbush, New York, for pulling ding-dong-ditch pranks on residents. So it was only a matter of time until things escalated. According to KDFW-TV, in Frisco, Texas, 58-year-old Damon Wolfe “ran out into the street, fired shots at a vehicle as it was coming his direction and as it had already passed him,” police said, after the three teenagers in the car had ding-dong-ditched Wolfe’s house in late July. Police discovered the car had three bullet holes in it, and the kids admitted the prank. Police Chief David Shilson called the incident “completely senseless and avoidable had better decisions been made by all involved.”

Inappropriate Behavior

Turkish authorities are searching for a “foreign tourist” who offended “the nation’s moral values” when she performed a pole dance on a Turkish flagpole, AFP reported on Aug. 21. The case was opened after a 12-second video was posted to social media showing a woman wearing leggings and a T-shirt while dancing. “The governor’s office is closely monitoring this heinous incident,” the governorate said in a statement. The offenses carry jail terms of at least two years.