City Weekly February 6, 2026

CITY WEEKLY salt lake

BY BENJAMIN WOOD

S AP

BOX

Powering the Mountain West

Energy demand across the Mountain West is rising rapidly. Population growth, expanding data centers and the accelerating electrification of homes, businesses and transportation are driving a sharp increase in electricity needs. In Utah and neighboring states, these pressures are colliding with an aging power grid, putting reliable and affordable energy at risk just as demand accelerates.

Meeting this moment requires two things: more energy production and a modernized, expanded transmission system to move electricity where it is needed. Unfortunately, the federal

permitting process has become a major bottleneck. Projects are routinely delayed for years, investor confidence is undermined and costs rise—ultimately borne by ratepayers and communities.

Today, federal agencies take an average of 4.5 years to complete environmental impact statements for major energy projects. These reviews are essential, but they should not take nearly half a decade. Delays of this magnitude stall clean-energy deployment, discourage private investment and slow job creation throughout the Mountain West.

Uncertainty has been compounded by inconsistent federal policy. Successive administrations of both parties have selectively obstructed certain energy projects, contributing to delays and unpredictability. As energy concerns grow more urgent, pressure mounts for unilateral action—often leaving communities without affordable power, economic development or reliable infrastructure.

A coordinated national approach to permitting reform benefits everyone. Predictable, timely permitting is essential for all energy developers, regardless of technology. That is why the bipartisan permitting reform framework endorsement by the

Congressional Problem Solvers Caucus is an encouraging step forward.

Utah is positioned to benefit from reform. Rep. Celeste Maloy has introduced the Free Act to streamline geothermal permitting, an important step as Utah emerges as a leader in geothermal. The bill is co-sponsored by Utah Representatives Kennedy, Owens and Moore. Today, it is often easier and cheaper to permit fossil-fuel projects on federal land than geothermal plants—an imbalance that discourages innovation.

Comprehensive reform is needed to level the playing field so energy sources can compete based on economics, not regulatory friction.

Transmission is an equally urgent challenge. Nationwide, transmission infrastructure has expanded by only about 1% per year over the past decade, largely because new lines can take more than 10 years to permit and build. Yet electricity demand is projected to grow 35% to 50% over the next 16 years.

The TransWest Express transmission line illustrates the problem. After a more than 15-year permitting effort, construction finally began in 2023. When completed, the 3,000-MW line will deliver

w ind power from Wyoming to customers in California, Arizona and Nevada—but not until 2028.

Fragmented regional grids compound these delays. Limited interconnection makes it harder to balance supply and demand across states. Improved connectivity would allow Utah and its neighbors to import power during shortages and export excess energy when supplies are abundant.

The path forward is clear: more energy, expanded and modernized transmission, and faster, more predictable permitting—paired with meaningful community engagement.

Permitting reform isn’t a partisan issue—it’s an American one. Please join us in asking all of our Senators and Congressional Representatives to support comprehensive permitting reform now.

RON DICKSON, MADELINE DALRYMPLE, ALEXANDRA AMONETTE AND KAREN JACKSON

Citizens’ Climate Lobby

Care to sound off on a feature in our pages or about a local concern? Write to comments@ cityweekly.net or post your thoughts on our social media. We want to hear from you!

THE WATER COOLER

What’s one thing you are unbeatable at?

Katharine Biele

Positive attitude. Otherwise what’s the point?

Carolyn Campbell

A friend once told me I’m really good at dithering, but I’ll say I make a mean batch of Rice Krispie treats.

Scott Renshaw

Parallel parking. I watched some poor sap today try to do it and paralyze the entire lane of traffic behind him, and it just made me sad.

Zach Abend

Getting lost in the desert and calling it reporting.

Doug Kruithof Amish Pong

Kayla Dreher

Handstands or headstand contests, unless I am at the SLC Circus Center.

Mike Ptaschinski

You couldn’t get me to cut the lawn as a kid, but the last three decades of my 76 years I’ve grown a pretty damn good garden. I specialize in tomatoes and cukes, growing them a la bush or trellis, and that shade-cloth I put up a while back was a game changer.

PRIVATE EYE

BY JOHN SALTAS

Alfalfa Wars

Last week, I decided to see if Gov. Spencer Cox praying for rain or snow actually works. That was the X test. I compared that to my own prayers for the ice cubes used in my daily cocktails. The Y test.

I’m not sure if I’m happy about this, I’m not sure if I should brag and I’m certainly not reading into the test results that I possess supranatural abilities of greater impact than the wondrous Mr. Cox himself. However, facts are facts—I used more frozen water in the ice cubes for my thrice-daily whiskey cocktails than was contained in the snowpack waters that fell statewide this past week.

Had Cox prayed for snow and rain in order to produce a useful outcome—like ice cubes for my cocktails and for the cocktails of my fellow Utah imbibers—I believe we would have had rains and snows sufficient to rise the Great Salt Lake nearly back to the levels I first remember it being, back in the days of swimming at the old Black Rock Resort just before I-80 cuts into Tooele County. Halcyon days for the lake, most certainly.

Alas, as pointed out last week, civilization-altering droughts have befallen this Utah region (plus ancient Greece, Rome, Egypt and all the rest around the globe) since recorded time began. No point in bringing the great dinosaur ages into this, but it is indeed a certainty that global climates rise and fall.

Civilizations also rise and fall. The only notable exceptions are the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, where nothing has changed in thousands of years and where people still wear animal clothing and fashion metal weapons.

In every land—except those chronicled in Game of Thrones—changing climates caused rivers and wells to dry up. Crops failed. Roaming animals roamed elsewhere and the tribes followed them.

Some civilizations were buried by sands or vegetation. Some fell to sickness. Some disappeared. Some restructured to greater heights, evidenced by our transition from the Dark Ages to the modern era that begat the cocktail ice cube maker, the apex of human ingenuity.

To be fair, our globe also experienced long periods of iciness, eras that produced enough ice to shape into the ice cubes that would fill cocktail glasses for millions and millions of years. The logical fallacy is, of course, that with the lands covered in ice, there would be no grains growing from which to make the delicious hooch currently in my 9:30 a.m. wake-me-up Bloody Mary. Thus, no need for ice cubes in an Ice Age.

I’ve given up on the climate-change-denying intelligentsia (often politicians, doomsday preachers and Red Hat Republicans) who believe humans have nothing to do with rising global temperatures and that there’s nothing humans can do about it, except to pray.

That’s what Gov. Cox has implored Utahns to do numerous times since taking office, to pray for the rains to fill the Great Salt Lake, while allotting forgiveness points to those who overconsume and waste Utah’s water long before it ever reaches the shores of the Great Salt Lake, wherever that is.

Such folks point to cold weather in Florida this past week, or a freak snowfall in Boston in July, as evidence that there is no such thing as “global warming,” the endearment term they use for climate change, which requires more thought than donning a pair of gloves.

Case in point this week was the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeanine Pirro—former accused drunken judge and former alleged drunken FOX News host—slurring into a selfie that her Long Beach-bound airliner (an invention that owes its existence to warm-

weather civilizations) was heading to colder-than-normal Florida, and all the hoopla about global warming is a bunch of hooey.

Hmm. I suddenly realize that what I wrote above is wrong. No, there was not enough ice created in past ice eras to make enough cocktail ice cubes to last forever and ever. The ice cube needs of Jeanine Pirro alone bends the ice cube allocation meter.

If she keeps it up, we’ll be forced to drink all of our whiskeys “neat,” just like the Scottish monks did when they invented the stuff. That, Gov. Cox, is worthy of a thankful prayer.

But who, besides me, would want to count ice cubes in the first place? Well, the Utah Legislature for one. If you’ve ordered a wine, spirit or beer at any restaurant or club since the first of the year, you’ve been asked to produce a valid, scannable ID.

Never mind that the ID checker is your 25-year-old niece. Don’t expect a single pity tear (or prayer) from the governor and his legislative boobs for those clubs and restaurants that have all lost some measure of revenue as a result. If the birthday boy or girl has no ID, then whole groups of patrons just turn tail and leave.

For decades, Utah’s cynical liquor critics have believed that scanning ID (or membership cards) is not a means to validate age, but rather a method to see and “control” who is doing the drinking. No exceptions—not even for granny or Uncle Ed, who bled for his right to adulthood in Korea when he was only 18.

But that’s not it, is it? Because if it was, Gov. Cox and his pals would pray for drinkers to switch to seltzer. They are watching. They aren’t going to slow the water flows to the alfalfa fields. They aren’t going to promote controlled growth. Truth is, if we all quit our ice cubes, the lake would rise.

But take a stand, Utah. Don’t give up your frozen margarita until the governor gives up his alfalfa. CW

Send comments to john@cityweekly.net

HITS & MISSES

BY BENJAMIN WOOD BY CONNOR SANDERS

HIT: Let Them Build

SLC Mayor Erin Mendenhall delivered her annual State of the City address. And while the suburban media was giddy over Mendenhall’s abandonment of the Green Loop—which would have brought safe streets and eventually park spaces to Downtown—Building Salt Lake made a point to scrutinize the mayor’s comments on housing and the emerging data on affordability. In short: loosening the zoning codes and allowing the construction of new, higher-density housing is working, with rents at older buildings dropping by as much as 5%. This dynamic is known as “filtering” and functions something like reverse musical chairs, with each additional unit on the market—including the much-derided “luxury” builds that light up the comment sections— making it easier for everyone to find a seat. Expect the work to continue this year, BSL reports, as the administration tees up long-delayed updates to the residential areas that exclusively allow single-family living, where NIMBY opposition to anything smaller than a 5-bedroom house with a 3-car garage is at its fiercest.

MISS: Much Ado

Reading and consuming local news coverage, one might be forgiven for thinking that Layton Republican Trevor Lee matters at all. The far-right freshman from Davis County has been all over the headlines lately, with bills attacking everything from transgender health care to the driver privilege cards of undocumented immigrants, not to mention his cockamamie scheme to rename Harvey Milk Blvd for Charlie Kirk and insert the state ever further into local street decisionmaking. But a quick look at Lee’s list of bills shows that not a single one of them—as of press time—has a Senate co-sponsor, and the two that have so far made it out of Rules immediately ran into brick walls during their standing committee hearings. People like Lee are worth keeping tabs on, but it’s equally important to remember that in the legislative branch, there are workhorses and there are showhorses. The show isn’t always worth watching.

MISS: Quick Work

The city of Sandy and its mayor, Monica Zoltanski, are patting themselves on the back after the recent installation of flashing stop signs at a deadly intersection near Alta High School, where a man was struck and killed by a driver last month. Residents organized demanding change, which catalyzed the city’s prompt response. But a slightly deeper dig into the reporting shows how Sandy had been studying the problems at this exact intersection since 2022. The incident demonstrates how “traffic studies” are bogus, intended to justify inaction rather than identify solutions, and how cities are able to move quite quickly to improve their built environments once they bother to try. Sandy and “Mayor Z” might consider fixing the next intersection before someone gets run over, rather than waiting until another resident is dead on the ground.

Running Free

In the land of the beehive, there once was a real-life unicorn. He was born Richard Simon Leafty. But he chose to be known as Unicorn. And once you met him, there was no denying that a unicorn was exactly what he was.

Mr. Unicorn worked as a crossing guard at Bonneville Elementary, turning the poles and signs at the corner of 2000 East and Princeton Ave into a wonderland each holiday. He hung flowers all over for Mother’s Day. For Easter, he adorned the sign post with a massive bunny and donned long pointy ears. On many occasions, he enlisted the help of neighbors (and their ladders, plural) to bring his vision to life.

Mr. Unicorn would drive up and down the Wasatch Front for weeks looking for decorations and props at thrift stores. As his crossing guard partner, Mr. Unicorn often brought me a jacket to wear, a treat, or some other trinket he’d come across in his travels. Every kid that crossed the street left with a toy, a piece of candy and a smile. Mr. Unicorn’s signature greeting— “You made it!”—rang out through the neighborhood each morning.

To top it all off, at the end of the morning crossing, Mr. Unicorn would often stay after to take in the neighbors’ trash cans. Sometimes, he wouldn’t leave, taking a nap in his car to be ready at the crossing before the kids were let out in the afternoon.

His fashion was unmatched, starting with his silly hats. He rocked octopuses, panda bears and, of course, a sparkly unicorn on his head. Anything to make the kids smile, he’d say.

But Mr. Unicorn’s life was hard. His hearing and memory were fading. It seemed like he was always zipping to or coming from a doctor’s appointment. He had axes to grind, and I listened intently amid the sparks. Lagoon was far too expensive, he said, and only stayed in business because there’s no Six Flags here. He argued for weeks with JCPenney customer service after someone stole the information for his card. And he hated going to the doctor. Even for unicorns, life isn’t all sweet.

Yet through it all, when the sun came up, you could count on Mr. Unicorn standing on that corner with a toothless smile across his face. Mr. Unicorn passed away on Jan. 7, right before classes started back up after the New Year. So many people were touched by the small acts of kindness that he did.

His memorial service was packed. Friends and family recalled stories of him putting on an unconventional gymnastics recital for kids at Liberty Park back in the ‘70s (Mr. Unicorn rented a trampoline and parents watched the kids bounce around for a while). Many noted that Mr. Unicorn taught the neighborhood kids to drive (even some who hadn’t even turned 12 yet) when they were growing up.

To say Mr. Unicorn was special doesn’t do him justice. He opened his heart to everyone and put his soul into everything he did. I’m lucky to have known him. I hope that he has inspired a future generation of Unicorns who will unapologetically embrace their own identities the way he did. CW

Peacock’s Primo Picks

Maybe

you subscribed for the sports, but there are killer (if little-seen) comedies and dramas to stream

on Peacock, too.

BY BILL FROST comments@cityweekly.net

February 2026 is a big month for streaming service Peacock, with monumental NBC-shared events like the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, Super Bowl LX and my own birthday (coverage of which has been preempted by NCAA basketball). If the servers hold, this is Peacock’s time to shine.

But, there’ll be some sports downtime when you’ll want to get the most out of the Peacock subscription you’ve paid for, a must in the bigly booming economy of the Hottest Country in the World™. Here are 10 underseen Peacock originals that’ll add some quality bang for your buck.

Ponies (2026): Bea (Emilia Clarke, Game of Thrones) and Twila (Haley Lu Richardson, The White Lotus) are American embassy secretaries in 1977 Moscow with little in common—except for the mysterious deaths of their CIA agent husbands. Since they’re essentially invisible as women in ’70s Russia (or persons of no interest: “PONIes”), Bea and Twila agree to go undercover for the CIA to spy on the KGB. Clarke and Richardson make a hilariously warm duo in a Cold War espionage dramedy already among 2026’s early best.

The Copenhagen Test (2025): It’s another spy series, but The Copenhagen Test is waaay more complicated. Alexander (Simu Liu) is a military vet and American intelligence agent whose brain has been hacked with nanobots, allowing an unknown enemy access to everything he sees and hears—oh, there’s more. Upon learning this, Alexander’s agency creates a false world around him as they track the hack, including

machinations even he doesn’t suspect. It’s a lot, but in an engaging, make-a-plotspreadsheet kind of way.

Long Bright River (2025): One of Amanda Seyfried’s best performances is also one of her most overlooked, possibly due to HBO’s Task stealing last year’s gritty-crime-drama spotlight from the equally compelling Long Bright River. As Philadelphia patrol cop Mickey, Seyfried is troubled, icy and determined to find her missing drug-addict sister and the killer of three women in the city’s most crime-ridden and depressed neighborhoods. It’s a bleak scenario, but Long Bright River hints at some hope in the darkness.

Laid (2025): The title that can be read two ways, one being “laid to rest.” Unlucky-inlove single woman Ruby (Stephanie Hsu, Everything Everywhere All at Once) learns that all of her past boyfriends and one-night stands have died (in order, no less), and the only common thread is her. Laid works as a black comedy, a rom-com and a mystery, with Zosia Mamet nailing the fizzy, manic BFF role even better than she did in The Flight Attendant. Caveat: Laid, sadly, ends on an unresolved cliffhanger.

Hysteria! (2024): The “Satanic Panic” around heavy metal music in the ’80s was real—and real stupid, as portrayed perfectly in Hysteria! Suburban Detroit rock band Dethkrunch (love it; no notes) rebrand themselves as satanic metal to capitalize on local demonic fear/fascination, which works until supernatural phenomena and deaths start occurring. Devilish fun points go to Bruce Campbell as the local sheriff, and to Anna Camp (pre-Hunting Wives) as the consummate hair-helmeted ’80s morality cop.

Based on a True Story (2023): When truecrime-obsessed realtor Ava (Kaley Cuoco) deduces the identity of a serial killer terrorizing Los Angeles, she invites him to do a murder podcast with her and her husband, tennis instructor Nathan (Chris Messina). Hey, there’s no sponsorship money in calling the police. Based on a True Story goes wrong in all the expected (and unexpected) ways, resulting in one of the few podcast-related shows to get that medium right, with just the lightest touch of bloody, black comedy.

Teacup (2024): As in the sci-fi novel it’s based on, Robert McCammon’s 1988 Stinger, Teacup begins with a malevolent alien presence sealing off a town in rural Georgia,

A&E

sparking an unrelenting air of confusion and quiet terror. This adaptation was cocreated by James Wan (Saw, The Conjuring), so psychological horror also factors into the eight-episode series, carried by leads Yvonne Strahovski and Scott Speedman (sans his Underworld mullet). Teacup is about the ride, not the resolution.

Twisted Metal (2023): While it isn’t on the same level as Fallout and The Last of Us on the video-game-to-TV scale, Twisted Metal is a fast, furious and funny blast of cartoonish violence that doesn’t take itself nearly as seriously. It’s also one of Peacock’s most-viewed series, and one of the very few to survive past two seasons on the streamer (a third is coming in 2026). John (Anthony Mackie), Quiet (Stephanie Beatriz) and Sweet Tooth (voiced by Will Arnett) are miles-better wasteland company than The Ghoul and Joel.

Angelyne (2022): Before Jeremy Allen White and The Bear, most Gallagher family

fans thought Emmy Rossum would be the Shameless star to break out big, and Angelyne should have done it for her. Rossum stars as Angelyne, the blonde bombshell who created her own small corner of fame in the preinternet ’80s by plastering herself all over Los Angeles billboards. How much of this story is actually true is purposefully hazy, but Angelyne is a wild and frenetic Hollywood fable worthy of America’s lost realityfame pioneer.

The Resort (2022): You’d think a series created by Palm Springs and Lodge 49 writer Andy Siara would have made more of a splash, but few mystery-comedy nerds checked into The Resort. Lukewarm married couple Emma (Cristin Milioti) and Noah (William Jackson Harper) are barely tolerating a Yucatan vacation when a 15-year-old unsolved mystery drops into their laps. The Resort’s twists will satisfy puzzle-solvers, and the characters are an easier hang than the guests of The White Lotus CW

theESSENTIALS

SLAC: Sunny in the Dark Life is complicated, and nothing seems to make sense. That feels like the default reality of our time, but probably even more so if you’re a 15-year-old girl like Sunny, the protagonist of local playwright Elaine Jarvik’s new work, Sunny in the Dark She’s wondering about the nature of the universe, and her place in it— especially when her world is turned upside down by a DNA test that complicates her own origin story. In the midst of her mother running for a local school board election, Sunny is trying to understand how God fits into everything, from politics to cosmology to her own little life.

“The initial spark for  Sunny in the Dark,” playwright Jarvik shared, “was a question I’ve wondered about for a while: does a presidential candidate need to be religious (even if that candidate seemed to be faking it) in order to win. And that got me thinking about not just belief, but about the cosmos, which got me thinking about the origin of, well, everything.”

“I started during the pandemic,” she added in an interview with KRCL’s RadioActive. “It just sort of lounged in my computer for a couple of years. Then I went to a lecture about dark matter at the Museum of Natural History, then all of the sudden I started thinking about it in a completely different way.”

Salt Lake Acting Company (168 W. 500 North) presents the world premiere of Sunny in the Dark Feb. 4 – March 1, with performances 7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays –Saturdays, and 1 p.m. & 6 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets are $45 at saltlakeactingcompany.org. (Scott Renshaw)

Pygmalion

Productions: Becky Nurse of Salem

“You’ve come a long way, baby,” went an infamous woman-targeted advertising slogan of the 1970s— but even 50 years after that point, how far have they come? And how far since the 17th-century Salem “witch trials,” which seemed to literally demonize the idea of being a woman? That’s part of what lies at the core of Becky Nurse of Salem, Sarah Ruhl’s 2019 play about a descendant of one of the accused witches still living in Salem, and trying to figure out whether her difficulties in life are somehow the result of a lingering curse.

“I was inspired to write the play after Trump won the election in 2016,” Ruhl shared in a video interview for Lincoln Center Theatre, “and meanwhile I went to see a production of The Crucible. There’s a lot of historical reality in it, but the white-hot center of it is completely fabricated, and in a way puts the whole blame for the Salem Witch Trial onto 11-year-old Abigail, who wants to have sex with an older man. That was sort of the stew that started the play: a rage about hordes of people crying ‘lock her up’ in public squares, and meanwhile wondering if our cultural understanding of Salem was bizarrely influenced by theater in this country.”

Pygmalion Productions presents the local premiere of Becky Nurse of Salem at the Rose Wagner Center (138 W. 300 South) Feb. 6 – 21, with performances Thursdays – Sundays. Tickets are $21.50 - $29; visit saltlakecountyarts.org for tickets, showtimes, and additional event information. (SR)

theESSENTIALS

To the Moon Theatre/Wasatch Theatre Company: Friendly Universe

Audiences for all creative forms aren’t born; they’re made. It takes reading with children to turn them into readers, playing music for children to turn them into lovers of music—and, yes, taking them to the theater to teach them what theater is. And why not start them young, in a scenario built for toddlers’ need to play, experience and be active? According to the website for To the Moon Theatre Collective, “Theatre for the Very Young is a form of live theatre performance created specifically for children ages 2–5 … emphasizing sensory play, interaction, and music rather than traditional storytelling. … Every aspect of our shows (sound, lighting, movement, and interaction) is tailored to meet the developmental needs of this age group.”

For its inaugural production, To the Moon (in conjunction with Wasatch Theatre Company) presents Friendly Universe, a 15-minute play about a meeting between an astronaut and an alien on a distant world. Each performance is followed by 15 minutes of structured play, allowing audience members to interact with cast members and production elements from the show. And for the experience to be most effective for these young audience members, seating is limited to 20 guests per show. “We want audiences to feel a part of the show, vocally and physically interacting with the play’s elements as they happen in real time,” says To the Moon’s Lauren Carn.

Friendly Universe plays at the Regent Street Black Box of the Eccles Theater (144 Regent St.) for four performances only, Feb. 7 – 8 at 10 a.m. & 11 a.m. Tickets are $13.25; visit saltlakecountyarts.org for tickets. (SR)

Sun-down

Immersing in the movies to fend off the reality of Sundance’s farewell to Utah.

BY SCOTT RENSHAW scottr@cityweekly.net @scottrenshaw

The grieving would come later. As it often happens in life, when something threatens to be emotionally overwhelming, day-to-day responsibilities can provide a welcome distraction. Yes, this would be the last Sundance Film Festival in Utah, and probably the last Sundance Film Festival I’d ever attend. Before that happened, though, I would need to immerse myself in the movies—51 features when all was said and done.

Sundance itself was grieving, too, as evidenced before every screening by a brief dedication to Robert Redford. His passing coinciding with the festival’s move—along with the absence of screenings at the celebrated Egyptian Theatre on Park City’s Main Street—almost seemed like too cosmically perfect a combination of transitional indicators.

So people tried to get lost in the movies themselves—and while 2026 was almost destined to feel like a comedown after the banner year of 2025’s festival, there were certainly great movies to enjoy. That list begins with Josephine, which won both the Audience Award and the Grand Jury Prize, an achievement usually reserved for overt crowd-pleasers. That designation certainly couldn’t be applied to Beth de Araújo’s parental horror story about an 8-year-old girl (the remarkable Mason Reeves) who witnesses a sexual assault. As skilled as the filmmaking is, it’s perhaps even more powerful at understanding how the two parents respond in such very different ways, based on what Josephine has already experienced, and what they fear she might experience in the future.

Josephine wasn’t alone in offering up heavy subjects for audiences to wrestle with, as documentaries dealt with issues like medical testing on animals (Sentient), vanishing glaciers (Time and Water), artificial intelligence (Ghost in the Machine) and the one with the greatest local interest, the fate of Great Salt Lake in Abby Ellis’ The Lake. The latter offered an interesting approach to an advocacy documentary, as Ellis frequently showed the protagonists watching TV news coverage of the issue and understanding what is and isn’t conveyed in those 90-second snippets, making

it an advocacy documentary that grapples with how the issue will be presented to the many, many more people who will never see it.

The Lake was also a story of people compelled to take action in the face of a subject they feel morally compelled to confront—and in the context of January 2026, it was impossible for that notion not to feel particularly resonant. It was certainly true in Everyone to Kenmure Street, which chronicled a 2021 incident in an ethnically-diverse Glasgow neighborhood where residents came together to prevent the removal of Pakistani immigrants; while it felt like a short-film’s worth of material stretched to feature length, it still showcased a kind of collective heroism in refusing to stand by and watch others be harmed. You could also see that spirit in Jane Elliott Against the World, Judd Ehrlich’s terrific profile of the retired Iowa teacher’s nearly 60-year mission to showcase how institutional bigotry works.

But perhaps because of [gestures to the world], this was a year where the comedies felt like a particularly welcome escape. A bunch of genuinely hilarious movies emerged from this Sundance: The Invite, the bracing farce about an unhappily married couple having an awkward dinner party with their upstairs neighbors; Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass, director David Wain’s goofy spin on The Wizard of Oz in Hollywood; Extra Geography, a charming U.K. tale of BFFs at a girls’ boarding school who turn falling in love into a school project; and best of all, The Incomer, a debut feature from writer/director Louis Paxton about siblings on an otherwise-uninhabited Scottish isle whose lives are thrown into turmoil by the arrival of a government functionary announcing their eviction. Even the documentaries occasionally found great comedy, like John Wilson’s delightful The History of Concrete, or a profile of the funniest woman currently walking planet earth, Paralyzed by Hope: The Maria Bamford Story

It was another documentary, however, that proved to be the 2026 festival’s most remarkable achievement: Once Upon a Time in Harlem, a chronicle of a 1972 party attended by most of the surviving luminaries of the 1920s “Harlem Renaissance,” originally captured by the late director William Greaves and finally compiled by his son, David. This remarkable document finds people who lived a historical moment talking and arguing over the way it was already being remembered, and misremembered, and occasionally forgotten. It was a magnificent portrait of people coming together to celebrate the value of art and the elevation of marginalized voices. With Utah Sundance now behind us, that is the way I will choose to remember it. CW

Jam Session

The 10 Commandments for understanding the Utah Legislature.

BY BENJAMIN WOOD BWOOD@CITYWEEKLY.NET

I’ve spent 16 years covering the Utah Legislature, and it’s awful. Whatever glamour the state Capitol once held in my innocent eyes faded away long ago, replaced by bone-deep cynicism that is best ameliorated by a long drag and a stiff drink.

But the hardest part of session isn’t what happens on the floor of the House and Senate. It’s the gulf between how the public believes the Legislature operates and how it actually operates.

Many people picture something like the movies, or textbooks; hallowed halls steeped in history where great minds gather on the one hand, or a snakepit of lies and corruption choked by palace intrigue and backstabbing on the other.

The truth is both less pleasant and more mundane than either of those scenarios—a bizarre hybrid of performance art and workday routine with the ceremony of church and the social dynamics of a suburban middle school.

Over the years, I’ve developed a set of truisms that help to keep things in perspective.

1. Thou shalt remember the rules don’t matter.

To create law, identical versions of the same bill must receive “yes” votes from 38 people in the House and 15 people in the Senate. That is the one, truly unbreakable rule constraining the legislative branch, with everything else—the parliamentary procedure, the committee hearings, the press conferences—just temporary scaffolding that holds up the facade of representative democracy.

Government is fundamentally the division of power in society. When voters elect someone, they hand their individual share of power to that person, who then uses the combined power of their constituency in whatever manner they choose. As much as voters hope for and expect their electeds to represent collective interests, there’s no real obligation to do so.

Campaign promises and party platforms don’t matter. Surveys, town halls, stump speeches and fireside chats don’t matter. Spicy debate on the House and Senate floor and clever quips on the evening news don’t matter.

Talk is talk, votes are votes. And whatever an elected official’s stated motivations might be, the only thing that matters is whether 15 people in one room and 38 people in another room agree to vote “yes.”

2. Thou shalt not treat a bill as real until it clears a standing committee.

The closest thing to a second rule constraining the Legislature is the expectation of at least one committee hearing before a majority-supported bill heads to the governor’s desk. There are ways around this—

It takes 38 votes in the House for a bill to pass, no matter the reasons behind that “yes.”

including the wholesale cutting and pasting of defeated language into unrelated legislation—but even late-arriving proposals tend to get a kangaroo-court hearing in a broom closet to satisfy the knit-pickers.

Each year, about twice as many bills are sponsored as end up passing (pro tip: google “Adam Brown Utah Legislature”). That means there’s 50/50 odds the stupid idea on the radio will either become law or will end up in the garbage can. The reason the Legislature feels like a firehose is because people—and particularly the news media—keep trying to drink it all.

A good filter is to remember the first true test is a standing committee, where bills are assigned based on subject—Transportation, Education, Natural Resources, etc. Until it clears that initial step, a bill is just words on paper and, unless you’re directly involved in activism and advocacy, unworthy of your time and attention.

3. Thou shalt accept the press knows nothing.

The news is at its worst when reporters predict the future. Aside from meteorologists, no one in journalism should be forecasting anything.

But every year, as December flips to January, the various editors and station managers assign their beat reporters to find “this year’s bills to watch,” often based on little more than a vague title or the social media boasting of a freshman Representative. Inevitably, this approach leads the press corps to focus on and elevate proposals dealing with the most predictably controversial subjects.

It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy—the bills to watch slip into a feedback loop of “critical coverage” and reactionary commentary, rife with perverse incentives for bad actors to sponsor the most virulently partisan slop they can think of, book a few gigs on the weekend news programs and see their name and face on the front page for a day or two. If they really get under the public’s skin, the media circus essentially guarantees a committee hearing, if not a floor vote. And leadership is more than happy to play along, answering what’s asked of them and keeping the at-

tention on these “kitchen table” proposals while they work unnoticed on their true legislative agendas. Politicians feed on attention. Be careful how you give it to them.

4. Thou shalt kill a bill by slowing it down. Utah’s part-time Legislature operates under a tight, 45-day timeline. At midnight on March 6, any bill that hasn’t passed both chambers in identical form disappears into a puff of fairy dust.

This is where the procedural minutiae will sink or save a piece of legislation. Questions raised during a committee hearing can stall a bill’s approval until a second meeting, delaying recommendation to the chamber floor by several days. That might bump the bill’s transfer between chambers into the next calendar week, where it typically faces a fresh round of rules assignment, standing committee recommendation and floor debate.

Each link in that chain is vulnerable to amendments and motions that reduce the chance that a bad idea will reach the finish line in time. Meanwhile, every lawmaker is facing the same ticking clock for the bills they support and have personally sponsored.

During the final days of session, every minute—if not second—counts. With lawmakers reluctant to be on record casting a “no” vote against anything, delay tactics cloaked in the language of responsible government provide a relatively bloodless way to thin the competition while avoiding the wrath of colleagues and constituents.

5. Thou shalt debate for show and deal for dough.

The biggest mistake the public makes is assuming that a robust, good-faith dialogue among government leaders will result in the best ideas gaining ground and the worst ideas falling behind. That’s the social studies version of the legislative branch, and it bears little resemblance to reality.

Very few minds are ever changed inside the Capitol, at least not anywhere a member of the public is al-

lowed to hang out. Good or bad, wrong or right, legislation is dealmaking and the true backs-and-forth that shape government occur behind closed doors.

Lawmakers spend the bulk of their session buried under an avalanche of stakeholder and lobbyist meetings, where concessions are traded for support, calculated neutrality or to avoid active opposition. And the House and Senate’s Republican leadership have many ways to apply pressure on their caucus members, plus the general practice of only bringing bills to the floor that already have support from a majority of the majority.

Fired-up citizens filling the galleries and committee rooms send a strong message, but it won’t stop a bill that’s going to pass.

6. Thou shalt rally, but rallies are for the rallying. The right to peacefully assemble is a beautiful thing, and Americans should feel pride and patriotism when taking part in a rally, protest or demonstration. That said, it is highly unlikely that any lawmaker will change their position after seeing a clever protest sign on the south lawn or hearing a spirited chant in the rotunda.

Political science folks will tell you that civil demonstrations are most effective at boosting voter enthusiasm, with those who participate in today’s rallies virtually guaranteed to cast a ballot in November. Some persuasion can occur among the participants— particularly when the more committed invite along their swing-voter friends and family—but the blindly partisan lawmakers inside the marble walls aren’t likely to recognize the error of their ways until they suddenly find themselves out of office after losing reelection (and even then … ).

7. Thou shalt downplay the governor, who has little power.

As the chief executive of Utah, Gov. Spencer Cox holds significant powers of state and a bully pulpit to influ-

ence public conversation. But in terms of checks on the legislative branch, he’s carrying an empty quiver.

The Republican caucuses in both the House and Senate already exceed the two-thirds majority required to override a gubernatorial veto. This renders most of the new laws each year as “veto proof,” though the phrase is somewhat misleading. Cox can veto any bill, even those that pass unanimously.

If the Republican supermajority were broken, the GOP would continue to control the legislative process with a simple majority. But the dynamics of a veto would be very different, as Republicans would have to make deals with the otherwise inconsequential Democratic caucus in order to pull off an override, or the governor could make deals with the Democrats to ensure that a veto sticks.

Until such a day arrives, Gov. Cox has largely opted to sheath his veto pen and … disagree better.

8. Thou shalt not expect the chambers to be friends. There’s an apocryphal tale of a U.S. Congressman, a Democrat, explaining to a less experienced colleague that “The House Republicans are not the enemy. They’re the opposition. The Senate is the enemy.”

The parties are often swapped in the retelling but the point remains—the members within a chamber may disagree with each other, but their counterparts in the other chamber are the real problem.

Few things irritate the members of House and Senate leadership more than being asked about individual bills from the other body. As explained above, many of those bills will never even see the light of day, let alone make it across chambers for bicameral debate. In fact, there’s a routine culling of bills midway through the session as ideas that might have whipped the House into a frenzy are simply dead on arrival in the Senate, and vice versa.

9. Thou shalt wash your hands.

The 2020 legislative session was one of Utah’s early superspreader events before COVID shutdowns were

implemented. But even when there’s not a global pandemic breaking loose, the annual conclave is notorious for generating a “Capitol Plague” that wipes folks out during and for several weeks after the session.

Unfortunately, the Legislature offers the ideal conditions for a petri dish of winter viruses and bacteria. Thousands of people visit every day—snotty schoolchildren on elementary field trips, brides-tobe posing for photo shoots, boy scout troops on tour, etc.—all cramming into poorly ventilated spaces for hours at a time, shaking hands and running their germy fingers along the railings and doorknobs.

10. Thou shalt take the bus.

No seriously—take the f--king bus. Traffic congestion and parking during the legislative session are notoriously horrible and despite the hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars recently spent on a larger underground garage—wearing an ugly new building as a hat—the net gain of 300 vehicle stalls won’t help and could, in fact, make things worse (pro tip: google “induced demand”).

A legitimately better option for locals is the 200 bus, which runs a direct, high-frequency route along State Street and North Temple, with a clockwise loop around the Capitol campus on weekdays. The service is free between 500 South and the North Temple Frontrunner Station, meaning that anyone in and around downtown (or riding in on the train) can simply step aboard and catch a ride to the Legislature every 15 minutes, courtesy of the Utah Transportation Authority, and be dropped off closer to the entrance than most of the people driving in from the suburbs. Obviously, this option is most convenient for local Salt Lake City residents and daily downtown workers. That’s why the state government doesn’t promote it, and why local media barely knows it exists.

Real people don’t live in the city, and they sure as shit don’t ride transit, right?

Prove them wrong, damn the man and ride the f--king bus. CW

Local Healthy Hotspots

You’re

not giving up on your diet on my watch.

BY ALEX SPRINGER comments@cityweekly.net @captainspringer

January has come and gone, which means those of us who have decided to eat a bit healthier in the new year are struggling. We’ve done okay through January, but a month of discipline is usually all we have in us before we start to fall back into our old habits.

As someone who counts myself among the ranks of the New Year resolutionists, I’ve altered my usual restaurant search parameters to fit those places that are serving options that don’t come with a generous helping of guilt. They’re local, they’re tasty and they’re a bit more balanced than the carb-on-carb action that I usually go for.

With this list, you can eat healthy for every meal of the day, and I’ve also got some considerations for both casual and fine dining spots; I know how hard it can be to stay true to a diet when trying to impress a date. So, without further delay, here are some healthy local spots to keep your resolutions on track.

Rusty Birds Café (2435 S. State Street, 385-770-6071, rustybirdscafe.com): Located inside the Square Kitchen food hall right off of I-80, Rusty Birds completely took me by surprise. Its menu hinges upon house-made rotisserie chicken, which is used in a variety of wraps and salads or served up whole, halved or

DINE

quartered. I grew up on family meals from Kentucky Fried Chicken, and Rusty Birds is perfect for those looking for the same quick-service convenience without all the heavy deep-frying.

The restaurant’s side dishes pair nicely with the chicken meals—the roasted potatoes and broccoli pasta are way better than their side-dish designation would have you expect. The potatoes are roasted in the flavorful drippings from the rotisserie, and the broccoli pasta has some parmesan and ranch dressing mixed in for some extra kick.

The wraps and salads here are enormous and can easily be shared between two people. In my experience, wraps are kind of a non-cuisine and I’ve never really been impressed with them. The shredded rotisserie chicken, super-fresh veggies and the wrap’s sheer enormity have officially broken that stigma for me. As far as getting one’s daily dose of lean protein and crisp veggies, you could do a lot worse than Rusty Birds Cafe.

Sweet Hazel & Co. (1000 S. Main Street, Ste. 100, 801-889-1466, sweethazelandco. com): I’ve noticed that when I try to stick to a diet that eschews sugary sweets and fast-food empty calories, a primal craving begins to take shape in my psyche. It waits like a coiled rattlesnake until I see something I know I shouldn’t eat, and then it strikes. While I had long disabused myself of the idea that plant-based desserts don’t have any calories, Sweet Hazel’s cinnamon rolls and mini cakes make me feel a bit less guilty about indulging my sweet tooth.

In addition to craving my sweet treats, I sometimes get a hankering for greasy burgers and fries. This is where Sweet Hazel’s menu of cheeseburgers and spicy chick’n sandwiches is a life saver. They’re even better than the fast-food classics from which they take inspiration—and

Sweet Hazel’s even has a value menu.

Goat Head (702 S. 300 East, 385-4902898, slcgoathead.com): For me, breakfast is the hardest meal to keep healthy— there are just so many delightfully sinful options one can enjoy during the first meal of the day. Perhaps this is why Goat Head is the GOAT when it comes to sensible breakfasts.

The Doyle, for example, is a vegan scramble that doesn’t skimp on the veggies. Tomatoes, onions, red peppers and potatoes are all here to party with the restaurant’s signature vegan scramble and vegan bakon. Its plant-based proteins are hearty enough to keep your engine running throughout the day, and its veggie-forward composition keeps that mid-afternoon slump at bay.

Even if you’re not looking for something completely vegan, The Forbidden One and its grilled chicken with bacon has all the same benefits as The Doyle, and the chicken/bacon combo works nicely with the avocado and blue cheese.

Central By Saffron Valley (454 E. 300 South, 385-267-1949, centralbysaffronvalley.com): One of the biggest obstacles to eating healthy while eating out is the fine-dining restaurant. These are the places where chefs are going out of their way to wow guests with all kinds of wonders, and keeping things diet-friendly is not one of their priorities. Central By Saffron Valley is a rare exception to this rule.

As one would expect from a Saffron Valley restaurant, Central specializes in vibrant Indian cuisine. Vegetarian options are plentiful, and proteins like chicken and lamb are lean and light.

With the gorgeous train car aesthetic and some truly creative takes on classic Indian flavors, Central is a great place to live large while living healthy. CW

2 Row Brewing

73 West 7200 South, Midvale 2RowBrewing.com

On Tap: “Juicequake” Juicy Style IPA

Avenues Proper

376 8th Ave, SLC avenuesproper.com

On Tap: Paradise - Green Tea Rice Lager

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

Craft by Proper 1053 E. 2100 So., SLC properbrewingco.com

On Tap: Paradise Lost - dry hopped rice lager

Grid City Beer Works

333 W. 2100 South, SLC GridCityBeerWorks.com

On Tap: Barrel-aged Imperial Brown Ale

Heber Valley Brewing

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

On Tap: Freshly kegged - Czech Pilsner 5% ABV

Helper Beer

159 N Main Street, Helper, UT  helperbeer.com

Hopkins Brewing Co. 1048 E. 2100 South, SLC HopkinsBrewingCompany.com

On Tap: Hopkins Lager

Kiitos Brewing

608 W. 700 South, SLC KiitosBrewing.com

On Draft: Japanese Style Rice Lager

Kiitos Brewing Sugar House Bar 1533 S. 1100 East, SLC KiitosBrewing.com

On Draft: Japanese Style Rice Lager

Level Crossing Brewing Co. 2496 S. West Temple, South Salt Lake LevelCrossingBrewing.com

On Tap: Vienna Lager

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

Freshly canned: The Last Dance Lager

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: Orange you Glad (Hazy pale ale)

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

On Tap: Orange you Glad (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 Redstone Center Redrockbrewing.com

Desert Edge Brewery

273 Trolley Square, SLC DesertEdgeBrewery.com

On Tap: Edge’s Special Bitter ESB

Epic Brewing Co.

825 S. State, SLC EpicBrewing.com

On Tap: Tropical Chasing Ghosts IPA

Etta Place Cidery

700 W Main St, Torrey EttaPlaceCider.com

On Tap: All-American Blend Cider, MangoHabanero Session Mead

Fisher Brewing Co.

320 W. 800 South, SLC FisherBeer.com

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

Level Crossing Brewing Co., POST 550 South 300 West, Suite 100, SLC LevelCrossingBrewing.com

On Tap: El Santo Mexican Lager

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: Juice Shot (carrot ginger 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

On Tap: Bamberg Rauch Bier

RoHa Brewing Project 30 Kensington Ave, SLC RoHaBrewing.com

On Tap: Bramble Brown

Roosters Brewing Multiple Locations RoostersBrewingCo.com

On Tap: Red Headed Stepchild Irish Red Ale

SaltFire Brewing 2199 S. West Temple, South Salt Lake SaltFireBrewing.com On Draft: Oenobeer

Salt Flats Brewing 2020 Industrial Circle, SLC SaltFlatsBeer.com

On Tap:

BEER NERD

Hoppy Happiness

No bitter beer here, just hops driven to make you smile.

BY MIKE RIEDEL comments@cityweekly.net @utahbeer

Epic - Tropical Chasing Ghosts: This triple IPA wastes no time announcing its intentions. In the glass, it shows off that familiar straw-to-amber glow, with a hazy, almost turbid body that signals a smoothness before you even lift it to your nose. The aroma hits first and hard—bright lime zest and juicy pineapple leap out immediately, setting the stage for what’s to come.

The first sip follows suit, but then things really open up. This beer is unapologetically tropical, bursting with layers of guava, ripe pineapple, fresh lime and soft melon. It feels like someone dropped a full fruit salad into a hop field and somehow made it drinkable. The hop oils and added terpenes clearly play a big role here, intensifying the aroma and flavor to the point where it lingers long after each sip. In fact, even the after-effects—yes, the burps—are comically saturated with tropical fruit character, which only reinforces how dialed-in and expressive this beer is.

Despite the massive flavor, this 10.0 percent ale doesn’t come across as sloppy or unbalanced. There’s enough malt backbone to keep the whole thing grounded, giving the hops something to stand on rather than letting them run wild. The mouthfeel is full and plush, coating the palate with juicy intensity, while the bitterness stays just firm enough to remind you this is still very much a beer and not a smoothie.

Verdict: This is not a subtle triple IPA, and it’s definitely not for the meek. It’s loud, bold and proudly excessive in the best way possible. If you’re looking for a delicate, easy sipper, look elsewhere. But if you want a full-throttle “TrIPA” that

celebrates hops, terpenes and tropical chaos, this one delivers in spades.

RoHa - Salt Lake Whalefishers: This New England–style IPA is named for a local SLC band of the same name. It pours with a soft, hazy straw color that immediately sets expectations for something juicy and approachable. The body looks inviting and plush in the glass, with that familiar cloudiness that signals a hopforward beer designed more for aroma and flavor than clarity.

On the nose, it leans into a pithy citrus character right away; think freshsqueezed orange and grapefruit, but with more of the rind than the juice. There’s a brightness here that feels clean and lively, rather than overly sweet or candied. It’s the kind of aroma that makes you want to take a sip before you’ve even finished smelling it.

The first swig stays true to the promise. Citrus dominates the palate, again with that distinct pithy edge, giving the beer a slightly zesty, almost mouthwatering quality. As it opens up, subtle layers of pine begin to show, adding a gentle resinous note that keeps things from drifting too far into fruit juice territory. There’s also a surprisingly nice hint of strawberry tucked into the background—soft, slightly sweet and just noticeable enough to add depth without stealing the spotlight. Toward the finish, lemon peel emerges, bringing a crisp, almost refreshing snap that cleans up the palate. The bitterness is light but present, just enough to remind you that this is still very much an IPA. It doesn’t linger aggressively, instead fading out smoothly and inviting another sip.

Verdict: At 7.4 percent ABV, this is a very well-executed example of the New England IPA style. It’s hazy, citrusforward and expressive without being heavy or overdone. The balance between fruit, pith and restrained bitterness makes it highly drinkable, whether you’re a dedicated hop-head or just someone looking for a solid, modern IPA that hits all the right notes.

All this hoppy happiness is available in 16-ounce cans at their respective breweries. We’d love to get your feedback and which type of NEIPA you prefer. As always, cheers! CW

BY ALEX SPRINGER | @captainspringer

Caracas Dog Opens Riverton Location

One of my favorite new additions to Woodbine Food Hall just opened a second location in Riverton, and I couldn’t be more thrilled. Caracas Dog, the Venezuelan hot dog powerhouse, recently expanded its influence to a space on 13299 S. Teal Ridge Way. I’m happy to see more spots like this open up in Mountain View Village, and even happier that there’s yet another gourmet hot dog place on the Wasatch Front. In addition to the locked and loaded hot dogs—have you seen the perro con todo up close?—Caracas Dog is a great place to snag traditional Venezuelan street food like arepitas, yucca fries and choripan.

Super Bowl Watch Party At Nacho Daddy

The only thing I really enjoy about the Super Bowl is the excuse to eat a wide variety of finger foods and drink a little too much. Given the state of my priorities when it comes to the big game, I think Nacho Daddy (nachodaddy.com) might just be the perfect place for a watch party. The restaurant’s menu of gourmet nachos and huge variety of margaritas feels like exactly the right complement to everyone’s favorite annual sporting event. On Feb. 8, Nacho Daddy will be offering all-inclusive game day packages that include all-you-can-eat mini nachos pulled from the restaurant’s menu of signature flavors and $5 margaritas. Go, sports ball!

Sugar House Aubergine Relocates

Fans of the Aubergine Kitchen restaurant in Sugar House will be happy to know that it has finally completed its relocation. Now located at 1010 E. 2100 South, the Sugar House Aubergine is officially open for business. This relocation is part of a larger restructuring and rebranding effort that the restaurant’s leadership has been spearheading, so we’ll keep an eye out for any other relocations. The new space is a net positive for the healthy fast-casual restaurant, as it comes with more square footage and a more modern building. Since the restaurant first launched in 2014, Aubergine has quickly become a local institution, with 12 locations across the Wasatch Front.

Quote of the Week: “Noblest of all dogs is the hot dog; it feeds the hand that bites it.”

—Laurence Johnston Peter

Dancing or Grieving

New releases by The Snarlin’ Yarns and Sammy Brue take you to opposite ends of the emotional spectrum.

BY EMILEE ATKINSON eatkinson@cityweekly.net

@emileelovesvinyl

The Snarlin’ Yarns, The Remedy: “The Remedy is a collection of songs by a group of songwriters that is guaranteed to make you dance, jump, and sing,” guitarist/vocalist William Pollett said of their album . “In the spirit of Beat Grass and Freak Folk, the Yarns weave tales from the water and the land and braid them with the lion and the lamb. The melodies will not cure warts or boils but will get your blood bubbling in rhythm and mayhem.”

The Snarlin’ Yarns are a staple of the Ogden scene, and they’ve mastered the ability to make some of the best music to move to and enjoy, especially when getting the chance to see them live. Their acoustic/ folk/bluegrass sound is always beautifully done, but The Remedy feels extra special. Perhaps the title is a heavy influence on this feeling, but the sound of this album is calming, joyful, light and healing. With the state of the world, everyone can use a little more joy in their lives.

“Mixed with the gospel of hope and joy and the gravel of the road and the grave, The Remedy makes the doldrums twist into ghosts and tornadoes,” Pollett added. “It’ll get in yer guts and make ya want to grin. It’s good for all ages and eons while homespun with home-runs and dark meanderings. It was written and recorded

with family and friends in mind and pure pleasure in the process. Listen often and dance as directed.” Each member of the Yarns is a talent in their own right, but when they come together, they’re able to create something truly special.

The combo of guitar, fiddle, banjo, mouth harp and many other instruments create beautiful depth in The Remedy that makes a re-listen not only a breeze, but also offers several opportunities to pick out subtleties that one might not have caught the first time around. It’s hard to pick out standout tracks on this album, as each offers an alluring sound and amusing lyrics. That said, “Riverdale Road” and the title track are ones listeners may be drawn to. The former starts with spoken word, mentioning landmarks and details of the city that locals will pick up on immediately; it’s always fun to hear parts of one’s hometown mentioned in song. The title track, meanwhile, features those aforementioned beautiful layers that create a depth akin to diving into the most perfect pool imaginable.

Experience The Remedy wherever you get your music, but as always, consider supporting The Snarlin’ Yarns on BandCamp.

Sammy Brue, The Journals: Tennessee singer/songwriter Justin Townes Earle was a major influence on musicians everywhere with his honest, thoughtful and impactful music in the late aughts and early ’10s. Son of country/folk star Steve Earle, Justin made a name for himself pouring his heart out for listeners in his tracks. “Earle wrote songs that explored the dark frailties and vulnerabilities of the human condition with an unrivaled honesty,” his website describes.

It’s no wonder, then, that Ogden-based singer/songwriter Sammy Brue came to look up to Earle a great deal. Eventually the two met and got to know each other, and Earle became a mentor to Brue. Unfortunately, Earle passed away in 2020 from

MUSIC

The Snarlin’ Yarns’ The Remedy

an accidental overdose, leaving behind a dedicated fanbase—as well as a dedicated mentee in Brue.

“A couple of years after Justin died, I wrote a song called ‘For Justin’ and sent it to Jenn, Justin’s wife, and told her the song was written by a Justin fan for Justin’s fans,” Brue shared in a press release. After ending up with Earle’s journals, he decided that many of the entries and unfinished songs written down needed to be heard, leading to his newest album The Journals. “I never got to write a song with Justin. Maybe I could co-write with him, and it turned into a whole record of that,” Brue added.

Brue is already well-known for his Americana/folk sound, so he and Earle were a perfect pairing. No one could have taken Earle’s journal entries and done a better job at turning them into a full album than Brue. He’s made a name for himself with his authentic style and vibrant sound,

and those qualities shine through brightly on The Journals.

He also has become a master at lyricism, often sounding like a poet and creating stunning visuals with his words. The album offers themes of loneliness, sadness, love and longing, all captured beautifully from the minds of Brue and Earle. “For Justin” makes an appearance on the album as well, and will surely bring mist to the eyes of many with lyrics like “I’d like a hug from you for pointing me a little closer to the truth you let me follow and sing my tunes,” and “I wish I could ask you why you’re in pain inside so far from just hollow.”

The Journals is a deeply meaningful and gorgeous work, especially knowing of the special relationship between Brue and Earle. It’s streaming wherever you get your music, including BandCamp. CW

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MUSIC PICK S

Local Kin, Mallory Everton, Stomping Cactus @ Kilby Court 2/5

Anyone up for some stomp ‘n holler? Stompin’ and hollerin’ come naturally with live music, but stomp ‘n holler is a genre/sound in music that blends elements of folk, pop and rock elements. SLC band Local Kin have mastered the sound, building up a great library over the past few years. One of their recent singles with this stomp ‘n holler vibe is “Mountain Girl,” which features a fast rhythm on string instruments, including the folk classic mandolin, and energetic vocals. The lyrics also tell an interesting story and paint a vivid picture: “Well I was hiking up the mountain / When I saw the little girl / She was chasing down a buck and on her shoulder was a squirrel / I lost her in the brush but in the distance I could hear / Yippie kai / Kippie oh / Yippie aye,” they sing. Joining Local Kin is country/bluegrass duo Stomping Cactus, who also know a thing or two about stomp ‘n holler. Their 2025 album Stomping Cactus, Vol. 1 is full of exciting tracks that exemplify the genre—and their name. The multi-talented Mallory Everton rounds out the bill for this exciting show. Come hang out on Thursday, Feb. 5 at 6 p.m. Tickets for the all-ages show are $13 in advance and $15 at the door. Grab tickets at 24tix.com. (Emilee Atkinson)

MUSIC PICK S

Brian Wilson Tribute Night @ Urban Lounge 2/6

The passing of the Beach Boys’ mastermind and resident genius this past June at age 82 marked the loss of one of the most influential artists in the history of popular music—the architect not only of the surf sound, but the man who brought soaring harmonies, precise arrangements and heartfelt emotion into the whole of rock and roll. His influence was felt by no less than the Beatles, and his legacy will continue to live on with scores of those who have followed in Wilson’s footsteps. It’s fitting, then, that several of our own homegrown artists will gather to pay tribute to Wilson in the most fitting way possible—that is, by sharing his songs. The Mellons have expressed their gratitude to Wilson courtesy of a ’60s psych sound that draws from the Beach Boys’ game-changing classic Pet Sounds . Singer/songwriter Nicole Canaan finds a common thread courtesy of an altpop approach that combines synths, expressive lyricism and a penchant for sweet story songs. For their part, Tomper adds their own signature style to the musical mix. Naturally, DJ Robin Banks will put his own spin on the proceedings as well. The evening promises to provide a stirring sonic salute worthy of Wilson himself. The Brian Wilson Tribute Night starring The Mellons, Nicole Canaan, Tomper and DJ Robin Banks will take place at Urban Lounge at 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 6. Tickets cost $13.35 in advance and $15.63 day of show. Grab yours at 24tix.com. (Lee Zimmerman)

MUSIC PICK S

Level Up & Zingara @ The Complex 2/6

What happens when the two biggest electronic music promotion companies in Salt Lake City team up? V2 and Mutiny Presents are co-hosting the Level Up Parallel Spirits Tour 2026 this weekend! Level Up (Sonya Broner) is known for her dark and spooky aesthetic, and it comes alive on tracks like “Satan Works Alone” and “Scared of the Dark.” Broner knows how to create an exciting, unique blend of darkness and energy with heavy bass. For every emo-kid turned basshead, Broner’s music is bound to speak to you. This tour also includes newer DJ and producer Zingara (Gabrielle Mirabile). Her vibe also incorporates the spirit world, such as her EP “Mind & Body” and her standout single “Astra.” Broner’s track “Ascension” from the EP Coven, which features fellow bass music producer Chassi, transports you straight to the front of the rail whilst “Vision Mixer” continues the chaos by weaving in deep wubs with haunting synths. These songs show how perfectly the vision of Broner and Mirabile to combine bass/trap with otherworldly, witchy vibes meld together. Both artists have let their painful experiences in life turn into opportunities for connection, evident when listening to their music. This show also includes direct support from the up-and-coming bass artist Steller (Angelica Bafitis). Come support this all-female, bass-heavy line-up. This is an 18+ event. Doors open at 9 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 6, with general admission costing $44.70. Go to thecomplexslc.com for tickets and event information. (Arica Roberts)

Dark Star Orchestra @ Rockwell at The Complex 2/10

With the 1995 death of guitarist and founding member Jerry Garcia, the Grateful Dead officially ceased operations. While various offshoots would continue well into the present era, the unique and special experience that was a Dead concert was largely out of reach for concertgoers. Into that void came Dark Star Orchestra. Launched within two years of the Dead’s demise, the Chicago-based group sought from its beginnings to do more than merely cover the Bay Area legends’ music; their aim was—and continues to be—to provide audiences with as faithful a re-creation

as possible of a Grateful Dead concert. The group often focuses on a specific legendary show and endeavors to relive it by using the same set list, gear and arrangements heard on the original date. More than two dozen musicians have been part of Dark Star Orchestra at one time or another, and several Dead alumni (including Tom Constanten, Donna Godchaux, Bill Kreutzmann, Phil Lesh and Vince Welnick) have guested, giving Dark Star Orchestra an extra layer of authenticity and gravitas. DSO comes to Rockwell at The Complex on Tuesday, Feb. 10, with doors at 6 p.m. Tickets for this all-ages show are $51.58 at thecomplexslc.com. (Bill Kopp)

Sudan Archives @ The Complex

2/11 Brittney Parks is an outstanding talent. Cincinnati-born, Los Angeles-rooted singer/ songwriter/rapper/violinist Sudan Archives (Parks’ professional moniker) learned to play the violin by ear as a child. Sure, the violin has vast appeal—played around the world, also a people’s instrument from Celtic traditions to early Jazz, Romani music and even Sudanese fiddling. “My passion is to make the connection between all these traditional violins and how [they] stem from Black roots,” Parks told NME. “It’s not just highbrow, white, classical music. It’s a very Black instrument. People danced to the fiddle long before house or techno existed. I’m reclaiming it as dance music.” Her latest LP that dropped in 2025, The BPM, is fantastic, as is everything else I’ve heard of her. The entire first half of the project moves at a breakneck speed, with songs like “A Bug’s Life” and “The Nature of Power.” On the back half, the RNB/Electronica rhythms and pacing make this record exquisite. The foundation of playing music, like so many other things, is pleasure and passion. Platitudinously, perhaps, one will play if one wants to play, and probably play well if one happens to develop passion through indefinable routes. Sudan Archives has the courage to trust her instincts. A sensational live performer, catch her while she is still in smallish venues. suhREEtah opens. Catch these acts on the BPM North American Tour 2026 at the Complex on Wednesday, Feb. 11. Doors at 7 p.m., show at 8 p.m. Tickets for the allages show are $41.70 at thecomplexslc.com.

(Mark Dago)

free will ASTROLOGY

BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (March 21-April 19)

I’m thrilled by your genius for initiating what others only dream about. I celebrate your holy impatience with fakery and your refusal to waste precious life-force on enterprises that have gone stale. I’m in awe of how you make fire your ally rather than your enemy, wielding it not to destroy but to forge new realities from the raw materials of possibility. Everything I just described will be in your wheelhouse during the coming weeks.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

How do I love you? Let me count the ways: 1. Your patience is masterful. You understand that some treasures can’t be rushed and that beautiful things require slow nurturing through your devoted attention; 2. You have a knack for inducing the mundane world to reveal its small miracles and spiritual secrets; 3. You practice lucid loyalty without being in bondage to the past. You honor history even as you make room for the future; 4. You know when to cling tightly to what needs to be protected and preserved, and you know when to gracefully loosen your grip to let everything breathe. In the coming weeks, all these superpowers of yours will be especially available to you and the people you care for.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20)

In carpentry, there’s a technique called “kerf bending.” It involves making a series of small cuts in wood so it can curve without breaking. The cuts weaken the material in one sense, but they make it flexible enough to create shapes that would otherwise be impossible. I suspect you’re being kerf-bent right now, Gemini. Life is making small nicks in your certainties, your plans and your self-image. It might feel like you’re being diminished, but you’re actually being made flexible enough to bend into a new form. Don’t interpret the nicks as damage. They’re preparation for adjustments you can’t see yet. Let yourself be shaped.

CANCER (June 21-July 22)

In Irish folklore, “thin places” are situations or areas where the material and spiritual worlds overlap. They aren’t always geographical. A thin place may be a moment: like the pre-dawn hour between sleeping and waking; or the silence after someone says “I love you” for the first time. I believe you’re living in a thin place right now, Cancer. The boundary between your inner world and outer circumstances is more porous than usual. This means your emotions may affect your environment more directly. Your intuitions will be even more accurate than usual, and your nightly dreams will provide you with practical clues. Be alert. Magic will be available if you notice it.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)

In traditional Korean jogakbo scraps of fabric too small to be useful alone are stitched together into a piece that’s both functional and beautiful. Every fragment contributes to the whole. I encourage you to treat your current life this way, Leo. Don’t dismiss iffy or unfinished experiences as “wasted time.” Instead, see if you can weave all the bits and scraps together into a valuable lesson or asset. Prediction: I foresee a lovely jogakbo in your future.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

The Maori people of New Zealand practice mirimiri, a form of healing that works not by fighting disease but by restoring flow. The technique involves removing blockages so life force can move freely again. I think you need the equivalent of mirimiri, Virgo. There’s a small but non-trivial obstruction in your life. The good news is that you now have the power to figure out where the flow got stuck and then gently coax it back into motion. Let the healing begin! Here’s a good way to begin: Vow that you won’t hold yourself back from enjoying your life to the max.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

I encourage you to prioritize mirth, revelry and gratification. You could invite kindred spirits to join you in pursuing experimental forms of pleasure. Have fun riffing and brainstorming about feeling good in ways you’ve never tried or imagined before. Seek out stories from explorers of bliss and delight who can inspire you to expand your sense of wonder. Then, with your mind as open as your heart, give yourself the freedom to enjoy as many playful adventures and evocative amusements as you dare.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

In the Inuktitut language, the word ajurnarmat is translated as “it can’t be helped.” It acknowledges forces at work beyond human control. Rather than resignation, it reflects an attitude of accepting what can’t be changed, which helps conserve energy and adapt to challenging circumstances. So for example, when hunters encounter impossible ice conditions, ajurnamat allows them to refrain from forcing the situation and notice what may actually be possible. I suspect you’re facing your own ajurnarmat, Scorpio. Your breakthrough will emerge as soon as you admit the truth of what’s happening and allow your perception to shift. What looks unnavigable from one angle may reveal a solution if you approach it from another direction. Practice strategic surrender.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

Your hunger for meaning is admirable! I never want you to mute your drive to discover what’s interesting and useful. But now and then, the hot intensity of your quest can make you feel that nothing is ever enough. You get into the habit of always looking past what’s actually here and being obsessed with what you imagine should be or could be there. In the coming days, dear Sagittarius, I invite you to avoid that tendency. Rather than compulsively pursuing high adventure and vast vistas, focus on the sweet, intimate details. The wisdom you yearn for might be embedded in ordinariness.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

In architecture, a “flying buttress” is an external support system that allows massive buildings like cathedrals to reach greater heights without collapsing. Because the buttress is partly open to the air rather than solidly built against the wall from top to bottom, it appears to “fly,” which is where the name comes from. In the coming weeks, I encourage you Capricorns to acquire your own equivalent of at least one new flying buttress. Who or what could this be? A collaborator who shares the load?

A new form of discipline that provides scaffolding? A truth you finally speak aloud that lets others help you?

To get the process started, shed any belief you have that strength means carrying everything all by yourself.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

The coming weeks will challenge you to think with tenderness and clarity. You’ll be called on to stay sharply alert even as you remain loose and at ease. Your good fortune will expand as you open your awareness, while also firming up the boundaries that keep people from bothering you. The really good news is that cosmic forces are lining up to guide you and coach you in exactly these skills. You are primed to explore intriguing paradoxes and contradictions that have valuable lessons.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)

In alchemy, solve et coagula is a Latin phrase translated as “dissolve and coagulate.” It means that transformation must begin with breaking down before any building begins. You can’t skip over the dissolving phase and jump straight into creating the new structure. I mention this because I believe you’re now in the dissolving phase. It might feel destabilizing, even a bit unnerving, but I urge you to stick with it. When the moment comes to construct the beautiful new forms, you will know. But that time isn’t yet. Keep dissolving a while longer.

Stained-Glass Craftsperson

Assemble and build art glass windows and related projects, cutting glass with minimal waste; soldering lead joints and copper foil lines neatly; cementing windows; cleaning glass of foreign substances; ensuring quality; following safety and health regulations; working safely; and assisting with training new stained-glass artisans on techniques, tools, and safety procedures. Requirements: follow instructions; work efficiently and safely as part of a team; Mon-Fri 40 Hrs/Wk. Req. 24 months of experience in the position or a closely related role. Mail resume to Holdman Studios LLC, 3001 N Thanksgiving Way, Lehi, UT 84043.

Event & Marketing Coordinator (Draper, UT) Plan and execute K-Culture themed events incorporating Korean traditional music, such as pop-up events, cultural food festivals, and live performances at restaurants and food trucks. Develop and produce promotional content for social media platforms (YouTube, Instagram, TikTok), integrating signature menu items with traditional instrument performances. Coordinate community-based marketing initiatives in collaboration with Korean cultural centers, local festivals, K-pop fan clubs, and university K-culture organizations. Collaborate with internal teams to manage schedules, logistics, and resources for events, ensuring smooth execution and alignment with overall brand strategy. 40hrs/wk, Offered wage: $31,242/yr, Bachelor’s degree in Music or related required. Resume to CUPBOP CO Attn: Yeiri KIM, 12184 S Business Park Dr, Draper, UT 84020

BOTOX Jeuveau and Xeomin $8 a unit

urban LIVING

Play Ball!

Ilove baseball. I love the Major and Minor Leagues and, one summer, I even became a softball umpire for Salt Lake County Recreation.

That was both fun and frightening. If I didn’t make the “right” calls, I might get followed back to the parking lot by angry fans.

I realized that I’d make a better fan than official, so one season was enough for me.

Like many, I’m not happy that our Bees have moved to Daybreak, since I’m a Downtown SLC person. But I hope that the projected vision for the old stadium will be a great addition to the neighborhood and for those of us who might visit.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

ACROSS

1. Race with batons

6. Fitting

9. More sagacious

14. GIF, e.g.

15. Old-timey cheering word

16. Really amazed

17. Degraded

19. Escorted from the outside

20. The “S” in RSVP

21. Scoundrel

23. 180 deg. from WSW

24. Study unfamiliar material, say

28. Place to go in England?

29. Stoop

30. Scarecrow’s desire

33. Inkling

36. Measure with a stopwatch

39. They may be laminated to protect against spills

42. Eight, to Einstein

43. Right behind in line

44. State of dread

In the meantime, I’m excited about the announcement that Salt Lake City has been chosen to be home for a new women’s professional softball team, the Utah Talons.

The Talons are part of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League, which has six teams in the U.S. Talon games will be hosted at the University of Utah’s Dumke Family Stadium, which opened in 2013 at 102 S. Wasatch Drive.

It has indoor and outdoor batting and pitching cages for home and away teams and dugouts with restrooms, too. It seats 1,410, with 910 bleacher seats (520 armchair seats) covered by a canopy, but they can add up to 500 more seats for big tournaments.

Don’t be confused, though, as there is another ball field at the U, the newly opened Charlie Monfort Field at America First Ballpark. You may know Monfort’s name as the owner of the Colorado Rockies, but he’s also a U alum.

The school has been waiting for decades to find a donor and build a stateof-the-art facility. And now the dream has come true. University players and teams had been using the old Smiths Ballpark stadium on 1300 South, which seated about 15,000 fans. But it’s always better to compete on a home field, for so many reasons.

The new stadium on campus has modern locker rooms with a lounge area, indoor batting and pitching cages, a weight room, bathrooms and showers. Surrounding the ballfield are 1,200 seats and plenty of grass that can seat up to 3,000 fans.

There’s a plan for food trucks surrounding the field, but there are also concessions. The MUSS (Mighty Utah Student Section) should be very happy with the new digs and officials hope they show at the debut game against Grand Canyon University on March 6.

Bees fans will see the team host the Sacramento River Cats on March 31 in South Jordan.

They finished their 2025 season with a 65-84 record, ranking fourth in the Pacific Coast League West Division.

Bees tickets average around $30 to $40, with four-ticket family packages for $100. Some premium seats go for $100 or more per seat. And look for Red Iguana 3 to open at—but not in—the stadium grounds in April as well! ■

45. “The Time Machine” leisure class

47. Pacers’ st.

48. Disco, early punk, funk, etc.

55. Foe of Frazier and Foreman

56. Place to pamper poodles, perhaps

57. ___ el hanout (North African spice mix)

59. “The Hobbit” hobbit Baggins

61. Like the circled letters in the long entries (or the clustered groups)

64. Actor’s parts

65. Barrett who cofounded Pink Floyd

66. Smart group

67. Bothered

68. Sweet suffix

69. Pamphlet

DOWN

1. Wheel edges

2. Message from a server

3. Soup server

4. Questionnaire topic

5. Archery bow wood

6. Scottish island with a namesake whisky brand

7. Outdated

8. Network with LeVar Burton hosting “Trivial Pursuit”

9. First half of a suspenseful decisionmaking phrase, maybe 10. Plastic follower?

11. A weepy movie often has one

12. “Dallas” surname

13. Descartes and Lacoste

18. “Deal ___ Deal”

22. Awaiting the pitch

25. Not much

26. Slangy term for COVID-19

27. Means (to)

30. Car grille protector

31. Suggestion, casually

32. North Carolina city home to the Biltmore Estate

33. Soreness

34. Actor Shepard of “Idiocracy”

35. Otitis doc

37. Greek consonants

38. Superlative suffix

40. Bring together

41. English Premier League club, to fans

46. Acting as sentry

47. Apple model since 1998

48. Hummus brand

49. “The Waste Land” poet

50. “___ great to see you!”

Last week’s answers

Complete the grid so that each row, column, diagonal and 3x3 square contain all of the numbers

NEWS of the WEIRD

BY

The Happiest Place on Earth

Kevin Westerhold, 51, was arrested on Jan. 27 at his home in Oviedo, Florida, ClickOrlando reported. Westerhold was sought after an incident on Jan. 22 at Windsor Hills Resort, near Disney World, in which “a male, partially clothed ... engaged in a sexual performance with a vacuum cleaner,” the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office said. Witnesses provided a cellphone recording of the act, but the suspect had left by the time officers arrived. Other residents of the area had reported similar occurrences to the HOA in December. Westerhold was charged with exposure of sexual organs.

The Tech Revolution

First, we had to be afraid that students would use AI to write papers and otherwise cheat their way through school. Now, NBC News reported on Jan. 28, AI is helping students “dumb down” their work so that it’s more believably original. New generative AI tools, some costing about $20 per month, “humanize” text so that it doesn’t seem to be created by AI. But there’s more! Other software will detect text that has been reviewed by a humanizer. “So where are we? We’re just in a spiral that will never end,” said Erin Ramirez, an associate professor of education at California State University. Aldan Creo, a graduate student from Spain, said he sometimes turns in his original work with a few misspelled words or using Spanish structures that aren’t proper English, just so he won’t be accused of using AI. “Long term, I think it’s going to be a big problem,” he said.

Awesome!

It’s the 40th anniversary of Super Bowl XX, when the Chicago Bears won their one and only Vince Lombardi Trophy. So, WGN-TV reported on Jan. 26, what better way to celebrate than with a piece of Bears memorabilia? Up for sale at Goldin Auctions is the iconic sweater vest that became a uniform for Bears coach Mike Ditka. It comes with a letter of provenance from Ditka. (Bring your piggy bank: As of this writing, the bidding was up to $82,000.)

“This wasn’t Nike or Reebok or someone telling a coach what to wear,” said Darren Rovell, founder of media site Collect Media. “He was going to wear it every time.” Fans of the team still wear replica vests at games; the size of the original is XXL.

People With Issues

After a romantic relationship ended, Eyvan Collins of Burnaby, British Columbia, “just needed to do something with it,” they said. Thus was born the Museum of Personal Failure at the Kingsgate Mall in Vancouver. United Press International reported that Collins posted signs around the region seeking exhibits, with the headline “Failures wanted.” The museum has a “wall of reject” with job application rejections and firing notices.

A knife maker with Lynn Valley Forge donated a knife he had made that was unable to be sharpened because of the chemical properties in an oil he used. Also on display are tie rods from a failed car repair, failed songs from a local music producer, and Collins’ mother’s wedding gown, which she named “Threads of Innocence.”

Awwwwww

On Jan. 24, a calf was born on a Mount Sterling, Kentucky, farm during single-digit temperatures, the Associated Press reported. When farmer Tanner Sorrell went out to check on the mother and baby, the calf was “just frozen. Her umbilical cord looked like a popsicle,” said Sorrell’s wife, Macey. The family made a quick decision to bring the calf into their home to warm up. “I took out the blow dryer and warmed her up, and got her all fluffed out,” Macey said. Soon the visitor was curled up on the couch with her young children, and 3-year-old Gregory named her Sally. The next morning, Sally was reunited with her mom, and all are doing well.

It’s Come to This

CNN reported on Jan. 23 that in advance of the large winter storm that is affecting much of the nation, FEMA was warned not to use the word “ice” in any of their messaging or signage because doing so could spark confusion or online mockery. The Department of Homeland Security allegedly delivered the directive on Jan. 22. However, a FEMA spokesperson said in a statement: “FEMA will use correct and accurate descriptors of weather conditions to communicate clearly to the American people.”

And So It Begins

A chain of pubs in Tokyo called Tori Yaro has drawn an uncommon line in the sand: No geezers are welcome at their Shibuya location, Japan Today reported on Jan. 25.

A posted sign at that location reads: “This is an izakaya (pub) for younger generations. Pub for under-40 only.”

The sign goes on to specify that as long as one person in the group is 39 or under, others will be admitted with them. “With older customers, they tend to make a lot of complaints about the restaurant being too noisy and such, so we decided to limit who’s coming in,” said Toshihiro Nagano, a PR spokesperson for the chain.

But here’s a secret: Tori Yaro will admit over-40s who are “OK with the noise level” and “have the spirit of a 20-something.” Whew.

Next Up: Cow Tools

Veronika, a Swiss brown cow who lives in Austria, has been documented using a tool, Live Science reported on Jan. 19. Witgar Wiegele, Veronika’s owner, had seen her picking up sticks with her mouth occasionally over about nine years, but then Alice Auersperg, a cognitive biologist at the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, raised the bar. Auersperg and a colleague visited Veronika and placed a broom near her. The cow used the broom to scratch her back, employing the brush end about 2.5 times more than the handle end. She learned to use the handle end to scratch more delicate areas, like her udder or navel. She would also readjust her grip on the broom for a better angle. “It showed the kind of a behavior I would expect from the stricter definitions of tool use,” Auersperg said.

Yeah, That’ll Work

The Independent reported on Jan. 29 that the Royal Navy is cracking down on boozy sailors. Under the new policy, crewmembers will be restricted to 14 “units” of alcohol (about 6 pints) per week, and ships will be dry on certain days. The change is in response to “significant concerns” about alcohol consumption. For their part, the sailors are reportedly worried that the move is a slippery slope toward eventually banning booze altogether. One retired rear admiral says that the rule could affect morale. “You can screw down a system too much,” Chris Parry said. “Sailors take great risks and make big sacrifices.”

News You Can Use

Having a Super Bowl party this year? You will need this: Heinz revealed on Jan. 27 the KegChup—a 19.5-inch-tall dispenser full of 114 ounces of that beloved sweet red condiment. KTLA-TV reported that Heinz is hoping to stave off the horror of running out of ketchup during football watch parties. Jamie Mack, associate director of brand communication for Heinz U.S., said that the KegChup is “the ultimate game-day companion that gives people the freedom to dip responsibly.” Some fans entered to win one of the KegChups; if you missed the contest, you can sign up for news and updates at heinzkegchup.com.