City Weekly January 22, 2026

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Sundance Memories

In my nearly 10 years volunteering for and attending Sundance, special memories include spending late nights at the Egyptian, cutting my losses on a midnight film with far too little description, talking my way into a Black Keys concert, and a lucky Eccles entrance timing that placed me in Elizabeth Olsen’s entourage.

I will miss the artistic spirit and magical inclusion that Sundance brought to Park City and beyond.

KATIE BARBER

Salt Lake City

It was Searching for Sugar Man at Peery’s Egyptian Theater in Ogden. That was my first Sundance film, and that was when I knew I was hooked.

I went on to study film and media arts at the University of Utah, and looked forward to my 21st birthday so that I could start my volunteering journey at the Festival.

Here we are now, 2026 and Sundance’s final ride in Utah after close to 50 years. I got to volunteer for the last 10 of them. Thank you forever, Sundance, for igniting some passion in my heart.

SYDNEY JO GOODWILL

Salt Lake City

Been going to Sundance since 2000. It has been the backdrop of my life attending this great film festival with my music gang from ASCAP and Park City residents.

One of my fond memories was meeting Russell Crowe downstairs at my friend’s restaurant called Cicero’s and having a chin wag about music.

I’m heading up the mountain one last time in a week. I won’t lie, I will be having a bit of a cry when I leave Sundance

for the last time. Over the years, we have made amazing friends in Park City that live there year round and who have opened their hearts and homes to us. It’s moving to Boulder, but for this person it won’t be the same.

Some places I will never forget: the Morning Ray breakfast hang; Harry O’s; Butcher’s Bar and Grill for sure—this place was our go-to bar—and No Name Saloon; High West. Loved the people we would meet on the way to Eccles Theatre and the library. Park City, thank you for the love and the memories.

And lastly—Mr. Redford, thank you for allowing us to share your vision and your film festival. It was a grand ride.

ANDREW MORRIS Via Facebook

This is my ninth and final year volunteering at the Broadway Centre Cinemas for the Sundance Film Festival.

There were several reasons that I began to volunteer—the SLC doldrums of January, helping others makes me feel good and, of course, the films. However, I really

enjoy making contributions to organizations that I believe in.

Robert Redford made me a believer. I’m going to miss it—the socialization, the moviegoers and all of my fellow Broadway volunteers and staff.

MARK DAGO

Salt Lake City

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

Who’s a writer everyone loves that you just don’t get?

Katharine Biele

Barbara Kingsolver.

Mike Ptaschinski

John Saltas. Just kidding—but I do believe he could do a piece on turfgrass science and somehow link it to the Greek history of Bingham Canyon.

Zach Abend

Charles Dickens.

Aimee Cook

Colleen Hoover.

Carolyn Campbell

I usually really like to read author Scott Turow, but his most recent book, “Presumed Guilty,” got long and tedious right away. I think he should have titled it, “Presumed Boring.”

Pete Saltas

Anything by the Brontë Sisters.

Benjamin Wood

I don’t want to give him the satisfaction of seeing his name in Salt Lake City Weekly, but let’s just say he writes for The Salt Lake Tribune and his name rhymes with “Randy Carson.”

OPINION

BY CHRISTOPHER SMART

Wagging the Dog

Hey Wilson, do you remember something called the “Epstein Files?” You know, all that stuff Attorney General Pam Bondi said was on her desk regarding the FBI investigation of the late Jeffrey Epstein, man about town and convicted pedophile?

It was all anyone could talk about. The furor resulted in Congress passing the Epstein Files Transparency Act on Nov. 19, demanding the Department of Justice make public within 30 days all unclassified information related to the investigation.

The DOJ is clearly in violation of the law. But then, the U.S. military began blowing boats out of Caribbean waters, seizing oil tankers traveling to and from Venezuela and capturing Nicolás Maduro, the country’s president. Holy smokes! Chaos, anyone?

The dust had no time to settle before Trump announced the forthcoming takeover of Greenland. In the meantime, Trump et al. dispatched some 2,500 ICE agents to Minneapolis after one of its goons killed 37-year-old Renée Nicole Good. The DOJ is not investigating the shooting, but is going after the mayor of Minneapolis and the governor of Minnesota. WTF?

Another day, another slap in the face to our vision of justice, international law and foreign policy, not to mention diplomacy with our allies. Who has time to think about the Epstein Files? Funny how that works, isn’t it, Wilson?

It Can Always Get Worse—Utah Legislature Convenes

Here we go again, Wilson, the GOP-dominated Utah Legislature gaveled open its annual shit show, which promises to demonstrate once again that self-righteous piety, tunnel vision and pretzel logic—try as it might—can’t completely

destroy society. But our conservative Republican lawmakers are dedicated to doing their utmost.

A preview of coming attractions includes lawmakers seeking new ways to neuter the courts. Taking a page from Donald Trump’s thesis on fear and loathing and retribution, Utah’s House Speaker, Mike Schultz—along with other GOP brethren—is looking for payback after not getting their way on such things as abortion, transgender athletes and voting districts.

In one for the ages, Schultz said the courts aren’t transparent. This from the leader of a caucus that seeks to do its bidding behind closed doors, like priesthood meetings.

And the hits just keep coming: Republican Rep. Trevor Lee of Layton is sponsoring legislation that would rename Harvey Milk Blvd (900 South) in Salt Lake City for the late white nationalist Charlie Kirk.

Last year, Lee pushed a bill that banned Pride flags from government buildings. The 2026 session, of course, will again take aim at trans folks to make sure they don’t have rights. Grab your goggles, Wilson, the brown stuff is about to hit the blades.

Plato Falls Victim to MAGA Gender Ideology

Plato is causing all kinds of problems and headaches in Texas. Yep, the ancient Greek philosopher is making heads explode at Texas A&M, because folks down there can’t get anywhere near discussions of gender without ... OMG, don’t even say the word.

Last fall, the university fired a lecturer and removed two administrators after a student complained that a children’s literature course recognized more than two genders. Get thee behind me, Satan!

Now, Plato is getting scrubbed from some A&M courses due to his “Ladder of Love” concept, as well as the notion of a “soulmate.”

Through his character Aristophanes, Plato maintained that humans are searching for their half personage lost when separated by Greek gods. Holy smokes, that’s enough to make an Evangelical Christian run down to the river for an upgrade baptism.

According to Plato, who has been dead for 1,400 years, the highest form of love inspires virtue and wisdom. “Platonic love” means loving without desire, while seeking a deeper connection. Well, hell, no wonder those Texans don’t like it. Last fall, A&M regents decreed that no courses “will advocate race or gender ideology, or topics related to sexual orientation or gender identity.”

Sound familiar? It’s all part of MAGA’s war on transgender folks. It just happens to slop over into the First Amendment and freedom of speech, but what are you going to do?

Postscript—That’s a wrap for another shocking week here at Smart Bomb, where we keep track of Donald Trump’s middle finger so you don’t have to.

Yep, the president of the United States flipped the bird to a heckler at a Ford factory in Dearborn, Michigan, who had the audacity to bring up Trump’s connection to the late Jeffrey Epstein, convicted pedophile.

Oh well, what can you expect from a guy who would accept a second-hand Nobel Peace Prize? María Corina Machado—a leading Venezuelan opposition leader and critic of the Maduro regime—gave hers to Trump last week.

The president had bitched and moaned that the Nobel Foundation committee didn’t give it to him. Trump even sent a letter to the prime minister of Norway (who has nothing to do with the Nobel Prize), saying since he wasn’t awarded the Peace Prize, Trump is no longer interested in peace. What an embarrassment.

Trump also has named himself chairman of his “Board of Peace” that is rumored to be part of a plan to rebuild Gaza, although its charter doesn’t mention the territory. Countries can join for $1 billion. Among others, Trump forwarded invitations to Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko.

In early 2025, Trump said Gaza could be rebuilt as a luxury resort. Given his Midas touch, it’s bound to be something to behold. CW

Private Eye is off this week. Christopher Smart writes the weekly Smart Bomb column, available at cityweekly.net

HITS & MISSES

BY KATHARINE BIELE | @kathybiele BY ANDREA G. HARDEMAN

MISS: Make Me

Washington County—this is what you get when you have an administration that disdains and defies the law. The County Council recently raised their righteous voices in defiance of a judge’s ruling. To recap: The court struck down the Utah Legislature’s most recent attempt at drawing a fair voting map under Proposition 4, which—BTW—is the law of the land. The judge said theirs was yet another partisan gerrymander, which forced her to directly intervene and choose another. But the County Commissioners were having none of it. Against the advice of their legal counsel, the commission instead chose to be willfully out of compliance, adding accusations that judge had ruled against the will of the people. The people, however, voted for fair maps in 2018, and Washington County still favors Republicans, no matter how you draw the map. But none of this matters anymore in our hyper-partisan world. If you don’t like something, you just disobey or ignore it.

HIT: Cold Shoulder

Plans for a new immigration detention center in Utah got an … well, icy reception from city and county officials—and the public. Some 100 protesters turned up at the purported site, at 1197 N. 6880 West, but there were no ICE officers to be seen. The activity comes after a leaked document mentioning a 7,500-bed detention center in Salt Lake. The very thought of the site evoked visions of the Topaz Japanese internment camp of World War II. Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall said the proposed facility would be out of compliance with local zoning codes, and County Mayor Jenny Wilson issued a statement saying that “an opposition coalition is forming quickly, and it reflects widespread unease about ICE’s aggressive and unchecked conduct nationwide, and the instability detention facilities often bring to surrounding communities.” Meanwhile, a CNN poll shows that half of Americans think ICE is making U.S. cities less safe.

MISS: To Your Health

Money is always an issue for health care in the United States, the only developed country without some level of universal coverage. So it’s not a surprise that a third of Utahns are delaying care for fear of high costs. All this comes at a time when Congress refuses to extend subsidies for the insurance plans offered through the Affordable Care Act marketplace, or “ObamaCare.” And Republicans, despite decades of promises, have been unable to come up with a plan—any plan. The president proposes to send a couple thousand dollars to people, as though that will buy … anything. Policy experts are unsure if that would help. The One Utah Health Collaborative also reports that one-fourth of Utahns say they are incurring debt from medical bills. As we “Make America Healthy Again,” measles are on the uptick. But Utah has seen fit to employ AI to prescribe medications, thinking that might save money and time. Maybe so, but will it save lives?

Alter Egos

Have you ever pictured yourself as a superhero, or wondered what your superpower would be? If you had a secret identity—like Ororo Munroe/ Storm from X-Men—how would the two personas differ? Jessica McCombs, Ph.D., is a pharmaceutical chemist selling high-end microscopes by day and a rock star by night. Her superpower is connection. McCombs transforms from a quirky introvert into a lioness prowling and owning the stage.

I first met McCombs in 2023 as part of the Sankofa: Go Back and Get It cast at Salt Lake Acting Company. My initial impressions were that she was excitable but quiet around new people. I was captivated by the emotion that bled through her song “White and Gold Versus Black and Blue.” She sang about being racially profiled in a way that plucked every heartstring. Watching her night after night, with our performances feeding off one another, left me wishing that I could perform like her one day. It replanted the seed of a long-forgotten childhood dream.

McCombs is the child of artists who pushed her toward science. She started performing to overcome stage fright; being in front of audiences made her “shake like a leaf.” The pivotal moment in deciding to tame this fear came after she “choked” during her oral qualifying exam at MIT. She described it as attempting to “summit the chemistry Mount Everest”—and failing. Her Ph.D. candidacy at MIT was terminated. It was “the worst thing that could possibly happen,” she said. She felt ostracized by her peers and dejected. A five-person committee of scientists among the best in their fields told her she wasn’t good enough, so she walked away from MIT and came home to Salt Lake City. The experience led McCombs to examine and question who gets to decide whether another person is good enough. McCombs reclaimed her power by determining her own value, which no one can take away. From the ashes of her MIT studies, Pepper Rose (McCombs’ stage name) was born. Singing and playing guitar had been hobbies that she had tinkered with, and they became the tools to process her grief and rediscover parts of herself. She found community in The Buenos Avenue String Band, where it was safe to make mistakes and a supportive learning environment.

McCombs emerged stronger from the MIT experience and finished her Ph.D. at the U. of U. She became lead singer and a founding member of multiple bands, including Pepper Rose and The Thorns (@pepper.rose.slc), Cecret Souls (@cecretsouls) and Spirit Machines. As Pepper, she commands the audience’s attention merely with her presence and energy. After feeling minimized for so long, she realized that Jess and Pepper are one and the same. Pepper is the loving embodiment and embrace of those parts of herself that received messages to tone it down, or to be seen and not heard. Through Pepper, McCombs has learned to roar. Circling back: Have you ever wondered what your superpower is? It’s the new year and a time to explore. CW

Big Shiny Robot

Sundance Dreams

Remember Robert Rodgriguez and how the departing film festival inspired DIY creators.

BY BRYAN YOUNG comments@cityweekly.net

As the Sundance Film Festival takes its final bow in Park City, it’s hard to not look back at what it’s done for those sitting around the creative campfires in Utah and lament its loss, even though we sometimes shook a fist at the commercialized Hollywood tool it could sometimes appear to be. When I first moved to Utah, Sundance was on the cusp of having one of its best years ever. The 1993 festival saw Robert Rodriguez bring home the Audience Award for El Mariachi, an action film put together on a shoestring budget where the funding came from Rodriguez literally donating his body to science.

It was an inspirational story, and discovering that he got the recognition he deserved for it just a short drive from where I lived was awe-inspiring. The 1990s were the heyday of do-it-yourself filmmaking at Sundance, launching careers for folks like Kevin Smith and Wes Anderson. Sundance was the place to be.

As a wannabe filmmaker, I devoured everything I could about these guys, and Rodriguez in particular captured my attention. His book, Rebel Without A Crew, was taken as gospel. He documented his time in a medical study, writing El Mariachi’s

script even as clinicians poked and prodded him. They even cut out a chunk of his arm, leaving behind scars he still bears. In the book, Rodriguez walked through his thinking regarding how to keep his budget down and how he’d shoot the movie. It was an instruction manual and rallying cry for a bunch of kids in the middle of Utah. Sundance embodied that DIY spirit. Going up there and seeing films was magical. You attended knowing you were seeing something special, whether from established filmmakers (like Alex Proyas) or those on the verge of being established. That’s how I got to see a film called Maelström, and ask questions of a young Canadian filmmaker you might have heard of. His name was Denis Villeneuve (Dune). Rodriguez’s teachings about how to limit your shooting and the sacrifices required to make a film were part of what inspired my friends and I to build a spaceship in my mom’s back yard. At around the same time, George Lucas was throwing money at Sony and Panavision to build digital cameras that could shoot just as well as film. When

it finally happened, Rodriguez was one of the filmmakers sold on the limitless possibilities of the technology; he bought one of these cameras from Lucas and got on the cutting edge. He built a studio in his Austin, Texas garage—much better than the spaceship we were building. And he filmed Sin City inside that garage.

Alongside my then-co-writer/director Elias Pate, we filmed a movie inside this handbuilt spaceship and screened it at the NoDance film festival (back before Park City shut down all the copycat festivals that sprouted up around Sundance’s prestige). With this feather in our cap, we carried on with our own DIY journeys and continued to be inspired by the filmmakers Sundance churned out. Working on all kinds of local films of dubious quality, even side-by-side with Jared Hess at times, I was delighted to see him take that DIY spirit to Sundance with Napoleon Dynamite

Rodriguez went further, launching to a galaxy far, far away, which has been one of my favorite things. If you’ve read this column for any length of time, you know

I’m unapologetic in my love of Star Wars, so seeing him go from the streets of Park City with a $7,000 film to directing some of the coolest episodes of The Mandalorian and producing The Book of Boba Fett is nothing short of incredible. If I told that little kid who’d just moved here about it back in 1993, I don’t think he’d have believed me. Sundance has made many dreams come true for many people. It made me feel connected to that spirit in ways this article can barely scratch the surface of. It’s a shame we’re losing it, but they can’t take that shared history from me, or us. Nor can they take away any of the mischief I got up to while I’d attended the festival in years past. For now, if you haven’t already, I’d recommend reading Rebel Without a Crew. It’s worth it. You might find some of that DIY spirit in yourself, too. In the meantime, I think I’m going to get back to prepping my next short film. Who knows, maybe I’ll find a sympathetic judge at the Colorado iteration of the Sundance Festival and see you all there at some point in the future. If not, we’ll always have Park City. CW

theESSENTIALS

Alice Feeney: My Husband’s Wife

The thrillers of British writer Alice Feeney are known for their shocking content and surprising twists—which according to her, is born out of her pre-fiction career as a journalist. During her time with the BBC, her work included covering violent crimes, things that she found hard to process at times. “When people ask me why I write about such dark things, I always think, ‘I could never write anything that is more horrific than the things people do to each other in real life,’” Feeney said in a 2025 interview with Publishers Weekly. “The writing of these stories is my way of trying to make sense of a world that increasingly doesn’t make any sense to me.” Following up on best-sellers like Sometimes I Lie, His & Hers and Rock Paper Scissors—all of which are in development for filmed adaptations—Feeney kicks off 2026 with My Husband’s Wife, another twisty-turny ride. In part it involves Eden, a visual artist on the verge of her big break solo exhibition. When she returns to her recently-purchased house after a run, her key doesn’t fit—and the woman who answers the door is someone Eden’s husband insists is his actual wife.

Alice Feeney visits Salt Lake City’s First Baptist Church (777 S. 1300 East) on Friday, Jan. 23 at 7 p.m. The event is ticketed through Eventbrite for $35.24, which includes the talk, a place in the signing line and a copy of My Husband’s Wife; ticketed guests may also get up to two additional items signed. Visit kingsenglish. com for ticket link and additional event information.

Paw Patrol Live: A Mighty Adventure @ Maverik Center

The world of popular shows for kids is fairly fickle, as the audience has a curious habit of aging out of its favorites and moving on to new things. Yet Nickelodeon’s Nick Jr. series Paw Patrol has been going strong now for more than a decade since its 2013 premiere, satisfying kids with the adventures of a boy named Ryder and his crew of search-and-rescue dogs—police pup Chase, fire/paramedic pup Marshall, air rescue pup Skye, recycling pup Rocky, construction pup Rubble and aquatic rescue pup Zuma—protecting their town of Adventure Bay. The franchise has expanded into two feature films (Paw Patrol: The Movie in 2021 and Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie in 2023), plus a number of touring shows that bring the animated canines and their stories to puppeteered life.

Among those shows is A Mighty Adventure, which begins with a celebration by Ryder and the gang for their latest successful mission of saving Adventure Bay. But a supervillain scientist simply sees the party as an opportunity to make some mischief, requiring the powered-up pups to try to save the day again. It’s a lively, interactive spectacle full of music and action, sure to be a hit with the show’s latest generation of young fans.

Paw Patrol Live: A Mighty Adventure comes to the Maverik Center (3200 S. Decker Lake Dr., West Valley City) for three performances on Saturday, Jan. 24 (10 a.m. and 2 p.m.) and Sunday, Jan. 25 (11 a.m.). Tickets are $45 - $115; visit pawpatrollive.com for tickets and additional event information. (SR)

Patti LuPone: Matters of the Heart

It is perhaps a bit of an understatement that Patti LuPone is a prickly individual. She has famously demonstrated no patience with disruptive audience members— including those improperly wearing masks during peak COVID time—and has gotten into feuds with other performers over stuff like the bleed-over volume of a show at a neighboring theater (making comments for which she subsequently apologized). Yet it’s also impossible to ignore that LuPone is a bona fide legend of musical theater, a three-time Tony Award winner who originated the role of Eva Perón in Evita and was Fantine in the original London cast of Les Misérables. And that’s saying nothing of her acting roles in other media, including on the television series Life Goes On, 30 Rock and American Horror Story, and multiple film roles.

She has also spent 25 years touring the world with Matters of the Heart, a musical revue that touches on many aspects of the complexities of love through some of the greatest love songs of musical theater, including “Not a Day Goes By” (from Merrily We Roll Along), “A Cockeyed Optimist” (from South Pacific), “Back to Before” (from Ragtime) and more. Throw in numbers from great songwriters like Randy Newman and Beth Nielsen Chapman, and you’ve got a classic evening by a classic performer. Patti LuPone: Matters of the Heart plays at Abravanel Hall (123 W. South Temple) for one night only on Monday, Jan. 26 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $29.50 - $110; visit saltlakecountyarts.org to purchase tickets and for additional event information. (SR)

VOTING ENDS SUNDAY!

CITY WEEKLY

DRIVER WANTED

Sundance Memories

Personal reflections on more than 25 years of the film festival ahead of its departure from Utah.

BY SCOTT RENSHAW scottr@cityweekly.net @scottrenshaw

When my wife and I moved from California to Utah in 1997, part of what made the relocation easier was the realization that the Sundance Film Festival was here. I attended my first Sundance (as a civilian) in 1998, and have spent the past 26 years as credentialed press—and every year, it has been one of the year’s exciting, exhausting highlights.

With the festival’s planned departure for Colorado after this installment, 2026 will likely mark my final Sundance. And it’s hard not to reflect on the memories that I will return to for why it was such a singular experience, both professionally and personally. Here are the top ten I settled on.

My dinner with Roger (1999): I probably owe my professional career to Roger Ebert, who mentioned me in his 1998 Movie Yearbook among online-based critics he enjoyed reading. I got a chance to thank him personally at the 1999 festival, when a mutual acquaintance arranged for us to have dinner together at Park City’s Grub Steak restaurant. He proved to be a gracious and witty guy, and he never failed to greet me over subsequent years at the festival before his illness and eventual passing in 2013.

The Blair Witch Project (1999): My first personal experience with the Sundance “hype machine” came when everyone was talking about this innovative “found-footage” horror movie, before I got a chance to catch it at a midnight screening late in the festival at the Tower Theatre. For me, every bit of that hype was warranted, as I was immersed in bone-deep dread. And when during the walk back to my car after the screening, a branch on the ground snagged the cuff of my pants, I nearly jumped out of my skin in terror.

Little Miss Sunshine world premiere screening (2006): On the flip-side of the hype cycle, I was at the first ever screening for a film that would eventually become an Oscar-winning darling. The audience went absolutely nuts for it, and I knew that it would become the bidding-war story of the festival—despite the fact that I personally didn’t really like it all that much. It was a valuable lesson in realizing that even the most obvious “crowd-pleaser” doesn’t please every crowd.

City Weekly ’s daily update issues (2006-2007): For two years, City Weekly tried a little experiment cribbed from the Austin Chronicle’s coverage of its own local South X Southwest festival, producing tight-turnaround, print-issue festival updates during the first four days of Sundance. It was a rare taste of working on daily-deadline pressure, as our little team working out of a condo—including fellow critics Eric D. Snider and Mike D’Angelo—provided pre-social-mediaera coverage of the hottest movies, hot off the presses.

The death of Heath Ledger (2008): On Jan. 22, 2008, I and many of my colleagues were emerging from a press screening of Morgan Spurlock’s new documentary Where in the World is Osama bin Laden? when phones started blowing up with the unbelievable news that the talented young actor had passed away.

SUNDANCE

It was one of those rare occasions—see also: the 2017 Main Street march and rally on the first Donald Trump inauguration day—when the real world couldn’t help but intrude on the Park City bubble.

Before Midnight premiere screening (2013): The way other people might have anticipated a new Star Wars or Marvel movie, that’s how I was for the third (and apparently final) installment in director Richard Linklater’s series following the relationship of Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Céline (Julie Delpy). I was the first person in the line for ticketed patrons, spent two hours waiting when I could have been seeing another movie—and it was all worth it.

The saga of AbracaDeborah (2016): At a mid-festival party for a bunch of film press, writer Mike Ryan had the goofy notion of tweeting about—and raving about—a movie he loved called AbracaDeborah, starring Kristen Wiig. The thing is, the movie didn’t exist. And by the time a dozen or more critics had added to the online commentary—including yours truly—it had become one of the festival’s most talked-about movies, to the point where confused Sundance staffers were getting calls for ticket availability.

The Go-Go’s (2020): I’ve crossed paths/ sat behind/stood at urinals next to many celebrities at Sundance over the years, but my little Gen-X heart was particularly tickled by being in the presence of the popular 1980s all-woman band at the premiere for their documentary. And sitting in the front row meant breathing the same air as Belinda, Jane, Charlotte, Kathy and Gina when they came up for their Q&A. COVID years (2021 – 2022): Yes, that time was weird for everything and everyone, but definitely weird when the festival moved online exclusively for two years. That included experiments like rooms where people could enter with avatars to talk about movies, and the buzz certainly was different, but still could turn a festival discovery like CODA into a Best Picture winner.

The Sundance movie press community: For a few days every year, I’ve been able to visit IRL with the people I’ve known virtually since we were all USENET movie-board nerds in the early 1990s, and make many other new friends (like the wonderful late writer James Rocchi). It’s been a blast sharing movies and memories with all of you. As much as I’ll miss the movies, I’ll miss the people even more. CW

SUNDANCE

Getting With the Program

Two Sundance programmers talk about departing Park City, the passing of Robert Redford and more.

BY SCOTT RENSHAW scottr@cityweekly.net @scottrenshaw

Sundance Film Festival programmers Basil Tsiokos and Heidi Zwicker spoke to City Weekly in December after the announcement of the festival program about departing Park City, continuing the festival’s legacy, and honoring the passing of Robert Redford. This interview has been edited for length and for clarity.

CW: On a personal level, how do you think you will feel when you turn out the lights on your final festival screening in Park City?

HZ: I think it’s going to be very emotional, it’s fair to say. I, like so many of us, have so much affection for Park City. Sundance is the first film festival I ever worked for, so all of my best festival memories are in Park City. So I expect the entirety of my time in Park City to be extremely emotional. But we’re so honored to be able to honor our legacy of all of the great memories that I and all of my colleagues have of Park City. And that’s really the mindset we’re going into this year with.

BT: I have to say that part of my role is to deal with Utah community programming, so there is going to be a pres-

ence here of some sort. Obviously, the Sundance Institute remains in Utah, so there’s still that element of it. The festival, yes, will be moving, and that will be very emotional, I think, for all of us— walking down Main Street, that historic view of the festival that last time, will have some resonance for us, for sure. But we have designed this year’s festival with that in mind, that this is going to be emotional, and celebratory at the same time, really honoring that legacy. … To experience that culmination in Park City is going to be very special.

Do each of you have a personal favorite Park City memory that will always stick with you?

HZ: I was a screener for the festival for several years before I actually came to the festival as an employee in 2011 for the first time. So I remember arriving, and one of my colleagues driving me around Park City. And you know, it’s just an idea until you’re there. So actually seeing “Sundance Film Festival” all over this town, and the energy exploded over the whole of the city, it was like, “Oh my gosh!” It made it real and made it huge in my brain in a way I never could have imagined from afar.

BT: The thing I always think of is, it may not have been my very first but within the first couple of festivals I attended—not working for Sundance, but just attending as an industry person for another festival—I just remember going to some random party, not even one of the big parties necessarily, and Robert Redford is right there next to me. And I was like, “This is what it means. This is his baby, he’s not covered with an entourage or security or whatever. He’s just interacting with filmmakers and with industry and talking to them, like the

regular person that he was.” And I think that spirit, that intimacy and connection is something that Mr. Redford was all about, but also so much about what the event is: You’re all in this one place together, watching these films, talking about them, and having that sort of shared communal experience.

What were some of the key factors in deciding which films were featured in the Park City Legacy program?

HZ: It was incredibly hard, as you’d already know. Other than certain things like anniversaries, we were thinking about, much like when we’re programming the festival, as varied a selection of films as we can, so hopefully the people who’ve come to the festival and loved the festival for many years, even though their tastes are very different, there’s one that each person is like, “Oh, that’s the movie that I remember.” So it’s really about trying to reach a bunch of the different types of audiences that converge at our festival every year, different genres of films. … In a world with endless screening space, we would include 101, probably.

BT: I think it’s also important that, as this program was being put together for the legacy screenings in particular, it’s funny to think about projects that have kind of developed their own sort of mythology, like Saw for example, that have had nine million sequels or whatever, but it’s a reminder, that film debuted with us. Or something like House Party, which if you asked a random person who was a fan of that film, would they know it was a Sundance film? Probably not. So it’s sort of a look back at these films that did pop at the festival and have gone on to do other things as well. It’s a hard one for sure. I think if you hit [programmer] John Nein on a different day, he may have come up with seven or eight different films that could have been included.

How did the passing of Robert Redford impact the plan for the programming?

BT: I do think Mr. Redford’s passing certainly was something that impacted all of us at the Institute and at the Festival. It was built in already that we were doing this [Park City] legacy program, so regardless, even if Mr. Redford hadn’t passed, that program would still have existed.

But I think that it helped underline the importance of legacy, the importance not only of Park City, but the legacy of Mr. Redford himself. … [His] passing took place in the midst of our review of films for this coming festival, and while it didn’t have a direct impact in the sense that “we’re going to pick this or that specific film,” I think it did help to put him and his mission, and his idea that everyone has a story, really front and center as we were talking about these films, making the hard decisions of what to include and what we were not able to include.

HZ: The truest way to honor his legacy of what he wanted this festival to be is to see what artists are saying on their own terms, be really receptive to what is on people’s minds in this moment, and be the best place to launch those voices into the world. We didn’t have to reach for anything in the programming, it was just “What is the core of what we do?”

Are there any particular films of local interest to focus on?

BT: The Lake is the big Utah film for us this year—a Utah director, Utah film team, Utah subject matter, a very, very urgent, topical film around Utah and especially Salt Lake residents. This film really looks at potential environmental catastrophe that is waiting to happen if the lake dies. And it tells the story from a very human perspective, from various perspectives—scientific, governmental, farmers, different constituents that are impacted by this. And it does so in a way that looks for solutions, that looks for a common ground, a way for these constituents to come together and find solutions. We do expect it to be of great interest to Utahns.

In the current distribution climate, many of these movies will never show in a theater after the festival. How important do you think it for films destined for some other, non-theatrical platform to be seen in a room with other people, experiencing them together?

HZ: I think it is such an irreplaceable moment for filmmakers. And you’re right, the festival may be the sole place where they get this experience, where 10 years ago that isn’t necessarily what we thought would be the case, and now it’s a more realistic possibility. Which I think just makes us treasure it even more. I think every single programmer on the team could tell a dozen stories of being in the back of the theater with the filmmaker, and they saw the audience of people they don’t know responding to the film for the first time—and laughing where they didn’t expect them to laugh, or crying where they didn’t expect them to cry.

Even as a person who didn’t make the film, it’s overwhelming to me; these memories are just in my heart. So that’s what the collective viewing experience brings, and it’s so, so special.

BT: I can think of a few titles off the top of my head that we know already might have a home on PBS, let’s say. As you said, some of these films may not get distribution, but they will do a festival circuit, and that is how they will get their screens, that is how they will get their viewing experiences. And that’s why we’re here in many ways. We do function in some ways for the marketplace, in getting those films out there so hopefully some of them get acquired. But we’re part of a larger [group of] hundreds and hundreds of festivals out there, that provide that experience for these artists to get their work seen by collectives of people. CW

SUNDANCE

Sundance Short Film Preview: Together Forever

BYU grad Gregory Barnes marks his second Sundance entry, but his first festival in Park City.

BY SCOTT RENSHAW scottr@cityweekly.net @scottrenshaw

Gregory Barnes is no stranger to Utah, nor to being part of the Sundance Film Festival program. Yet there will be something unique about putting those two things together this year for his new short film, Together Forever. Appearing in the program as part of the Shorts Program 2, Together Forever finds a newlywed Mormon couple, Sydney (Lindsey Normington) and Caleb (Samuel Sylvester), dealing with the expected awkwardness of their wedding night, accompanied by the added awkwardness of Caleb perhaps having different sorts of attractions. For Barnes—who graduated from BYU and grew up in the LDS Church in Illinois—it follows the 2021 short film The Touch of the Master’s Hand, which played as part of the 2021 Sundance Film Festival program—but because that was the first of the festival’s two all-virtual COVID years, he never got a chance to see it play in Park City.

For Barnes, however, that experience was not in his eyes diminished by those limitations. “Back in 2021, I was over the moon,” he recalls. “I was in school at the time, the film was basically a homework assignment; I’d submitted it, and kind of forgot about it. It was kind of cool that it was online, because it was the first time that the shorts were available for such a broad amount of people. And cool to be able to premiere in Utah, even just virtually in Utah.”

Barnes’ filmmaking journey started when he was just a kid, as he recalls that

the first movie he made was a “knockoff of Independence Day” he recorded on videotape for his dad’s birthday. “It went from there to stupid [digital video] movies with my friends,” he adds. “[I’m a filmmaker because] for one, it’s the best thing to do with your friends. And because I’ve got some stuff to get off my chest.”

It’s clear from both The Touch of the Master’s Hand (which deals with a Mormon missionary struggling with a pornography addiction) and Together Forever that some of that stuff he’s getting off his chest has to do with his experience growing up in the LDS Church, and its intersection with his queer identity. Shame is definitely a unifying notion in these movies, but so is a particularly quirky sense of humor. “I like comedies that are dry, so dry you’re trying to grab the lube.”

In Together Forever, he applies that idea to introducing audiences to “roping,” one of those odd pseudo-sex practices like “soaking” that one sometimes hears about among unmarried Mormons. “My friend’s cousin told me about this thing called ‘roping,’” said Barnes. “What I find intriguing about these sexual ‘loopholes’ is what you do in the pursuit of staying pure ends up being even kinkier.”

Still, there’s an earnest and heartbreaking component to Together Forever as it chronicles the beginning of a marriage that’s already facing a major obstacle. “I think it’s really beautiful that these characters want to make each other happy,” Barnes says. “But that becomes kind of toxic when you make the other person more important than yourself.”

Now, he’s thrilled to bring that story to an in-person Sundance. And while you might expect that no longer being a rookie would have made him more confident about Together Forever getting in—especially when it was part of a grant that included participation by Neon Films and Oscar-winning Anora filmmaker Sean Baker—that wasn’t necessarily the case. “I try to lower my expectations, but I think I put some pressures on myself that weren’t there before,” he says. “[But Sundance short film programmer] Adam Piron called me the first time as well, so it was kind of a full-circle moment.” CW

Coffee, COVID and Comradery

Java Jo’s owners Ryan and Chad Corbin celebrate 30 years of keeping Utah caffeinated.

BY ALEX SPRINGER comments@cityweekly.net @captainspringer

Salt Lake City has always had a funny proclivity for being about 10 to 15 years behind its more cosmopolitan cousins like Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and Seattle. Thirty years ago, for example, a drive-up coffee concept like Java Jo’s was considered an innovation on the Wasatch Front. While larger brands like Starbucks were scoffing at the Utah market and its high concentration of non-coffee drinkers back in the late 1990s, brothers and young entrepreneurs Ryan and Chad Corbin went all in on their first coffee shop. Thirty years later, Java Jo’s has five locations in the Salt Lake area and its brand continues to thrive among local coffee enthusiasts.

Thirty years is a long time for any hospitality business to stay afloat, and the brothers Corbin have had their share of ups and downs. I recently met with Ryan and Chad at the shop’s 1300 East location for a few cups of coffee and a trip down memory lane to commemorate Java Jo’s anniversary. It’s a cozy place for a quick caffeine spot, and its proximity to East High School is one of the milestones in the brand’s journey. “We closed here in December of 2012,” Ryan says. “At that point, I was married and my wife was pregnant so getting this location was totally do-or-die for us.”

Before securing a spot that has promptly caffeinated nearly 15 years of East High School students–16 years before, to be exact–Ryan and Chad went into business together. “We’re from Idaho originally, and I had moved to Salt Lake straight out of college,” Ryan says. “I was just dicking around being a ski bum. My parents are from the Northwest and we knew about drivethrough coffee, and I randomly mentioned to my dad that there were no drive-through coffee shops in this town.” This led to Ryan securing some startup cash from his father and the first Java Jo’s was born. “I was dating a girl from here, so it wasn’t a hard sell for me to stay in Utah,” Ryan says.

One of the key tenets of opening a business is to start small, and that’s exactly how the Corbins describe the first Java Jo’s. “We built this little eight by eight box–it was a fucking sweatbox and I cannot tell you how much that place sucked,” Ryan recalls. “We would sit in there all summer and we had a little wall unit, but an espresso machine is a heater, so you’d just sit there and sweat.”

Those who have been visiting Java Jo’s since the early days–or what the Corbins would call their “adoptive family”–likely

DINE

remember the tiny shack in the parking lot of the long-gone Kmart on 4680 South and 900 East. From there, the team secured a second location in the Avenues, which is still in operation today. Facing a bit of static for their drive-through concept, the approval for this second location took a bit of massaging. “There was a drive-through bank just up the street and we just made the argument,” Ryan says. “The city council at the time was very friendly to coffee and they wanted something quaint and cool in the Avenues.”

With two locations to operate, Ryan and Chad split managerial duties between the sweatbox on 900 East and the new 1st Avenue store. “One of us was going 12 hours at one location and 12 hours at the second location and still had second jobs,” Chad says. “I remember I was dating a girl at the time and she was a gynecology resident and I had worse hours than she did,” Ryan says.

Like most of the stalwarts in Utah’s hospitality industry, Ryan and Chad guided Java Jo’s through the pandemic’s choppy waters of supply shortages and market uncertainty. The Corbins opened

the fifth and final Java Jo’s in Millcreek in 2019, just before the COVID-19 pandemic reared its ugly head. “I’ll never forget putting our whole staff on unemployment,” Ryan remarks. “I remember thinking in May or March that we’d be out of money, like bone dry by August.” Thanks to Java Jo’s drive-through service model, paycheck protection loans and no shortage of quick thinking from the Corbins and their staff, the Java Jo’s team soldiered on.

Any time a business–let alone a locallyowned coffee shop–endures for 30 years, I wonder if there has been some unseen magic formula at play. It doesn’t take me long to see that the secret to Java Jo’s success comes from the Corbins’ relationship with their staff. As we’ve been chatting, the 1300 South location has been open for business, and it’s clear that the employees and the owners have a great relationship.

“I love to hear that people love our coffee, but coffee is so subjective,” Ryan says. “Why I still love this concept more than anything is when people tell me that they love our staff–that to me is doing it right.”

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

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: Powder Panic 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!

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: Heber’s Hazy - New England Style Hazy IPA 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 Tap: Nectaron Hazy IPA, Ube Fonio

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

On Tap: Nectaron Hazy IPA, Ube Fonio

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

On Tap: Dark Helmet Schwarzbier Lager

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

On Tap: Peach Inversion IPA

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 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

On Tap: Bamberg Rauch Bier

RoHa Brewing Project 30 Kensington Ave, SLC RoHaBrewing.com On

BEER NERD

The Resin & Richness

Do you prefer silky and malty, or caramel and hoppy?

BY MIKE RIEDEL comments@cityweekly.net @utahbeer

Proper - The Knights Who Say WEE: You can almost always count on Proper Brewing to nail not just the beer, but the name—and this one is no exception, borrowed from characters in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, The Knights Who Say “NEE.” The name and artwork sets an amusing tone before you ever take a sip. Fortunately, what’s in the glass lives up to the clever branding.

This Scottish-style, Wee Heavy, pours a rich, inviting amber-to-copper color with a soft glow that hints at the maltforward experience to come. The aroma is gently toffee-tinged, but not loud or sticky-sweet. Instead of overwhelming caramel or burnt sugar, the malt presence is restrained and elegant, allowing room for nuance and balance.

The first sip confirms that this is a malt-driven beer—but not an overbearing one. There’s an initial wave of sweetness and rich malt character, but it quickly becomes clear that this is not a syrupy or cloying Wee Heavy. The toffee notes are definitely there, just as advertised, but they’re tucked neatly into the background rather than dominating the palate.

What really elevates this beer is the floral hop presence that follows close behind. Those gentle, flowery hop notes cut into the malt just enough to keep things from feeling heavy or fatiguing, creating a surprisingly drinkable and balanced profile. That interplay between soft sweetness and floral bitterness is what makes this beer so satisfying. It’s malty, yes, but it’s also structured and clean, offering complexity without demanding effort from the drinker.

Verdict: At 8.0 percent, this Wee Heavy carries some real weight, yet the alcohol remains smooth and well-integrated. One small note: It’s served a “wee” bit

cold. Letting it warm up slightly unlocks more of the malt depth, softens the edges and allows the subtle toffee and hop aromatics to shine.

Helper - Looped In: This West Coast Imperial Pale Ale is a love letter to the classic West Coast IPA—the kind that doesn’t apologize for being bold, bitter and unapologetically old-school. From the moment it’s poured, it sets expectations high. The beer shines with a deep golden hue and impressive clarity for an unfiltered IPA, catching the light in a way that feels almost nostalgic. It looks exactly how a West Coast should look: bright, clean and inviting.

The aroma wastes no time announcing its intentions. Big notes of orange peel and fresh pine jump out of the glass, evoking citrus groves and evergreen forests in equal measure. There’s no haze-driven fruit smoothie here, just sharp, classic hop character that leans firmly into the citrus-resin spectrum.

The first sip confirms what the nose promises. Orange peel and pine dominate the front of the palate, delivering that crisp, biting hop punch that made the style famous. Supporting those hops is a solid backbone of caramel malt that adds depth and balance without pushing things into sweetness. It’s just enough to round the edges and keep the beer from feeling thin or harsh, while still letting the hops take center stage. As the beer finishes, a firm, lingering bitterness settles in—not abrasive, but persistent enough to remind you of what you’re drinking. It’s the kind of finish that invites another sip, especially if you’re a fan of the classic West Coast profile.

Verdict: At 9.2% ABV, this is no lightweight, but the alcohol is well-hidden behind all that hop and malt character. Still, it’s a beer to approach with a bit of respect. Bold, balanced and beautifully old-school, this IPA hits all the right notes for lovers of the classic West Coast style—and then sticks the landing with remarkable authority.

Looped In is of course available at Helper Beer as well as at some of the better beer pubs in SLC. The Knights Who Say WEE is available at all Proper Brewing locations.

As always, cheers!

BURNER

BY ALEX SPRINGER | @captainspringer

Ritual Chocolate Chocolate Tasting

The team at Ritual Chocolate (ritualchocolate.com) recently unveiled some exciting new winter programming, and it starts pretty much right now. On Jan. 22 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., the Heber-based chocolatiers will be hosting a chocolate-tasting class that will change the way you think about chocolate. The Ritual Chocolate team will guide attendees through a curated tasting that will feature a selection of Ritual’s signature bean-to-bar items, along with some complementary snacks to enhance the experience. While it’s customary to avoid chocolates right after New Year’s, just remember that all those well-intentioned resolutions will be shattered eventually—so why not learn a thing or two while wielding that particular sledgehammer?

The Brick Opens

A cozy little breakfast and brunch spot called The Brick (@thebrickslc) just set up shop in the space that formerly belonged to Cafe Niche at 779 E. 300 South. The menu features all kinds of tasty items like omelets, benedicts, breakfast burritos and skillets, and I’m sensing a stolid focus on toasts— the menu features four types of bread along with a signature avocado toast option. The brunch menu is more sandwich-heavy, and there’s nothing wrong with that. I’ve got my eye on the sirloin tips & eggs or the pesto chicken, but honestly, this sounds like the kind of quaint brunch spot that would do quite well in the neighborhood.

Veneto Gears Up for Quick Service

The team at Veneto Ristorante Italiano (venetoslc.com) is expanding with a quickservice concept called Via Veneto, which is scheduled to take over the spot previously occupied by Beltex Meats (511 E. 900 South). Fans of Veneto know that it specializes in traditional Italian dishes served up in a swanky atmosphere, so getting that same quality of old-world flavor in a quick-service setup sounds like a total win for downtown SLC. The details on this development are sparse—a sign outside the old Beltex space is all I’ve really seen—but it sounds like Via Veneto will be opening its doors this spring.

Another Local Tunes Showcase

Opening the new year with new music from NADEZHDA, floatingaround and Joshua’s Opera.

BY EMILEE ATKINSON eatkinson@cityweekly.net @emileelovesvinyl

We’re only a few weeks into 2026, and it’s already hard keeping up with all of the excellent releases by our local artists. Here are a few more to add to your listening lists.

NADEZHDA, “Busy Being Bored”: “‘Busy’ started with a swingy, punchy riff that instantly conveyed such attitude, like how it feels to realize you’ll never get a summer vacation again, halfway through the last one you’ll ever have,” NADEZHDA vocalist Brighton Ballard said. “It was written out of a sort of stunted nostalgia, and is a thin critique of the way we waste time in small intervals of thinking we have enough of it.” This new single from the grunge group is equal parts nostalgia fuel and gritty angst. As Ballard stated, the song yanks you into this feeling of not knowing where the time has gone and of contemplating whether or not the way you’ve spent your life has been a bit of a waste. Accompanying the new track is a music video depicting these feelings to a T. “When we first met with our director, Rylee Syme, to discuss video ideas, the image of a sort of delinquent, degenerate kid came to mind, like T2’s John Connor in the modern world,” Ballard added. “We were very lucky that Rylee’s younger brother al-

ready fit this role, and was willing to star in the video in exchange for getting his car out of the impound lot.” “Busy Being Bored” and its video are streaming everywhere now, but consider purchasing the track on NADEZHDA’s BandCamp page.

floatinground, “Tea”: Indie/alt band floatinground have been on a roll with their releases, having dropped an album back in November, and now with their latest single, titled “Tea.” Floatinground offers a charming sound that’s present in all of their releases and “Tea” is no different. This one also offers a bit of edge with lyrics like “I find myself in everything / I find myself in everyone / Recently I’ve been fucking up just to get the edge off.” Most of the time floatinground play with a more stripped-back sound, utilizing acoustic guitar or light effects on electric guitar. “Tea” on the other hand has a heavier, crunchy sound, taking a page out of the punk playbook. This single feels like a cathartic release that was written during a time of strong emotion, which is always tough, but which also makes for the best music. “I am the Etch A Sketch and the aluminum powder / I am the delete button and the do-over / I am the ending / And all that comes after / Every breath I take is the fucking rapture,” the lyrics continue. If you’re looking for some hard-hitting words and pumping guitars, check out “Tea.” The single is streaming everywhere now.

Joshua’s Opera, Act 1: Prodigal: SLC and the surrounding area boasts incredible musicians who stick around and continue to make music and play the local shows. Some, however, move to other cities to spread their talent and gain a bigger audience. Such is the

case with Americana group Joshua’s Opera. Fronted by singer/songwriter Joshua Claflin, the project has grown and flourished, leading to this latest release. This fourtrack EP marks the first significant release in Joshua’s Opera’s many years of touring and performing. “Every night in Nashville, I would come home to these songs with new ideas sparked by my friends in town,” Claflin remarked. “I feel extremely blessed by the wisdom they shared during Prodigal’s development, and even more so to have them join me on some tracks.” Nashville is definitely a place to gain inspiration for Americana tunes, but this EP also infuses emo elements throughout—with its sound as well as lyrics. Both Americana and emo music lean heavily on storytelling, even though the genres might seem antithetical to each other.

“Prodigal focuses on character introduction and world-building; characters and a world that reflect a world intimately familiar to the listeners’ own. Exaggera-

tive phrases, comedic quips, and recognizable interpolation welcomes listeners to the edge of a world that has gone too far,” the band explained. Seeing as this EP seems to be setting the stage for a larger story, it’ll be exciting to see what happens next. Check out Act 1: Prodigal wherever you listen to music.

As we creep further into 2026, the great releases will keep on coming, so be sure to keep an eye out to see if your favorite locals have something new. As a caveat, because many artists post their music on platforms like BandCamp, consider purchasing the releases from there. If you do so on BandCamp Friday, all of the funds go directly to artists and labels. There is a BandCamp Friday each month, the next one falling on Feb. 6. Mark your calendars, then, and be sure to grab your favorite tunes while supporting local music! CW

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MUSIC PICK S

Girl From the Interstate, Kipper Snack, Nicole Canaan @ Urban Lounge 1/22

Normally Northern Utah is a winter wonderland by now—but this year, not so much. We can, however, picture the snow in our minds and pretend that the temperature being so high above average isn’t terrifying. Winter Lady marks the debut EP of singer/songwriter Alexis Clark, aka Girl From the Interstate. The EP brings an enchanting feel, much like that of a quiet snowfall. The tracks have an alluring indie/folk/rock sound that makes them calming and exciting at the same time, as contradictory as that sounds. The instrumentation is mellow and satisfying, while lyrically the songs are charming and sweet, and will definitely bring a smile to your face. One stand-out song on the EP is “I lassoed the moon in Arizona,” about which BandCamp user Justin Tyme commented: “There are treasures for those who look.” Supporting Girl From the Interstate are singer/songwriters Kipper Snack and Nicole Canaan. Both groups have equally delightful indie vibes for showgoers to enjoy. Come hang out on Thursday, Jan. 22 at 7 p.m. Tickets to the show are 21+ with a reservation, which you can complete at 24tix.com. (Emilee Atkinson)

MUSIC PICK S

Tony Holiday @ The Monarch 1/24

The blues are the proverbial broad church, ever-changing according to the times. It slithers up to you, gets under your skin, into your fingers, your feet, your body and brain; it makes you move. Singer/songwriter and harmonica player Tony Holiday is an artist in the true sense of the word, an artist in blue. Originally from Salt Lake City, Holiday relocated to Memphis and got involved in the city’s soul/blues resurgence. “The advice I got (in Memphis) was maybe don’t let people know who you are by seeing your shows on the marquee, but go to shows for a few months after coming to town,” Holiday told American Blues Scene. “You start going to shows and meeting people as a listener and supporter. So, that’s what I did, and no, it wasn’t hard for me. I was playing five or six nights a week on Beale St. as soon as I wanted to play.” Aiming for a show-stopper, Mittendurch Productions for Resilience and Mental Health suggests beating the January Blues by strengthening each other and stocking up a food bank. Tony Holiday agreed to do a VIP Photo Session for $10 at this gig, with 100 percent of those proceeds going to the Utah Food Bank. Carrie Scott and Sun Tiger open. Catch these acts on the A Little Hope - A Lot Of Blues performance at The Monarch (455 25th Street in Ogden) on Saturday, Jan. 24. Doors open at 3:30 p.m., and tickets for the all-ages show are $27.14 at eventbrite.com. (Mark Dago)

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MUSIC PICK

Yonder Mountain String Band @ The Complex 1/24

Like their contemporaries Nickel Creek, Billy Strings, Trampled By Turtles, Molly Tuttle and the Infamous Stringdusters, Yonder Mountain String Band has effectively bridged the divide between past and present, maintaining a reverence for tradition while staying contemporary. It’s a sound that’s as rousing and riveting as that of their storied forebears, even as they pursue an approach that’s singularly dynamic and distinct. Given that progressive posture, Yonder manages to push the parameters by employing imagination and inspiration to transform what was once considered a vintage sound into an outsized approach that’s clearly worthy of wider recognition. Their initiation into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame and Grammy nomination in the Best Bluegrass Album category for their 2022 album Get Yourself Outside testify to both their innovation and inspiration. “Yonder has always had one foot in the bluegrass world and one in the jam band scene,” singer/guitarist Adam Aijala said. “We have a deep love and respect for both genres. We’re now considered the ideal jam band for the bluegrass crowd and a very cool bluegrass band for the jam band devotees.” Indeed, it’s clear that after a career spanning more than 25 years, Yonder Mountain String Band continues to scale even higher heights. Yonder Mountain String Band with special guests Kyle Tuttle, Bronwyn Keith-Hynes and North Fork Crossing perform at The Complex on Saturday, Jan. 24 at 7:00 p.m. Tickets cost $44.30 at thecomplexslc.com.

(Lee Zimmerman)

Three Dog Night @ Kingsbury Hall 1/24

During their 1970s heyday, Three Dog Night was a juggernaut in the pop music world. Three lead vocalists—Cory Wells, Chuck Negron and Danny Hutton—took turns in delivering the group’s seemingly nonstop barrage of hit songs. The differing ranges and timbres of the three singers gave Three Dog Night a powerful versatility, allowing the group to tackle most any kind of song they wished. Almost always, they were catchy pop songs. And backed by a superb group of musicians,

the formula worked brilliantly. Between 1968 and 1975, the band landed a staggering 21 consecutive singles on the U.S. Top 40 chart.

The highly tuneful ensemble scored three number-one singles with Randy Newman’s “Mama Told Me Not to Come,” Hoyt Axton’s “Joy to the World” and a remake of a paean for racial harmony first cut by Pete Seeger, “Black and White.” Today just one of the original three singers—founding member Danny Hutton— remains, faithfully bringing the timeless hits to modern-day audiences. Three Dog Night comes to Kingsbury Hall on Saturday, Jan. 24 at 7 p.m., with openers Ambrosia and John Ford Coley. Tickets are $59.97 and up from artstickets.utah.edu. (Bill Kopp)

Ape Drums @ Sky SLC 1/24

Houston producer Eric Alberto-Lopez—aka Ape Drums—is bringing his fusion of electronic music and Caribbean sounds he calls “thump” to Salt Lake City this weekend. To Vice magazine, Alberto-Lopez described his music as “modern dancehall,” saying, “The first tapes I bought were a Chemical Brothers tape and another one called 41, which was basically an old-school reggaeton and dancehall mixtape. It was a bunch of beats with Latin rapping over it. Whenever I researched the songs, dancehall came up, and I started to find more riddims. I got hooked.” Alberto-Lopez is a core member of the trio Major Lazer (along with founding members Diplo and Walshy Fire), so he has a massive influence on the direction of global electronic dance music as a whole. His song “No Reason”—featuring Afrobeats producer Simon Said, released last year—is a banger that has brought dancehall to mainstream electronic music stages. And he keeps the songs coming with “111” (featuring singer JAMIIE), “Into My Ocean,” “For Your Love,” “Anything (Ya Ya)” and “FFM” (featuring singer Luch). For fans of reggae, moombahton, reggaeton, baile funk or dembow, Ape Drums is likely your style. Check out his set “Boiler Room Austin: Perreo Club” to get a taste of his incredible mixing talent of classic tracks with a modern edge. Ape Drums performs at Sky SLC on Saturday, Jan. 24. Doors open at 9 p.m. General admission is $17.03 at tixr.com.

(Arica Roberts)

free will ASTROLOGY

BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (March 21-April 19)

Astrologer Steven Forrest understands Aries people well. He says the riskiest strategy you can pursue is to constantly seek safety. It’s crucial to always be on the lookout for adventure. One of your chief assignments is to cultivate courage—especially the kind of brave boldness that arises as you explore unknown territory. To rouse the magic that really matters, you must face your fears regularly. The coming months will be an ideal time for you to dive in and celebrate this approach to life.

TAURUS

(April 20-May 20)

You are an ambassador from the material world to the realm of spirit—and vice versa. One of your prime assignments is the opposite of what the transcendence-obsessed gurus preach. You’re here to prove that the flesh is holy, pleasure is a form of prayer, and the senses are portals to the divine. When you revel in earthy delights, when you luxuriate in rich textures and tastes and scents, you’re not being “attached” or “unspiritual.” You’re enacting a radical, sacred stance. Being exuberantly immersed in the material world isn’t a mistake to overcome but a blessing to savor. May you redouble your subversive work of treating your body as a cathedral and sensual enjoyments as sacraments.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20)

Everything that’s meant for you is trying to find its way to you. Here’s the problem: It can’t deliver the goods if you’re in constant motion. The boons trying to reach you are circling, waiting for a stable landing spot. If you keep up the restless roaming, life might have to slow you down, even stop you, so you’ll be still enough to embody receptivity. Don’t wait for that. Pause now. Set aside whatever’s feeding your restlessness and tune into the quiet signal of your own center. The moment you do, bounties will start arriving.

CANCER (June 21-July 22)

Artist Louise Bourgeois said, “I am what I do with my hands.” I will adapt this declaration for your use. You are what you do with your feelings. You are the structures, sanctuaries and nourishment you create from the raw material of sensitivity. It’s one of your superpowers! I understand some people mistake emotional depth for passive vulnerability. They assume feeling everything means doing nothing. You prove that bias wrong. You are potentially a master builder. You convert the flood waters of emotion into resources that hold, protect and feed. I hope you do this lavishly in the coming weeks.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)

Admiring writers often say the Balinese people have no traditional word for “art.” Making things beautiful is woven into everyday life, as if everything should be done as beautifully as possible. I aspire to carry out this approach: infusing ordinary actions with the same care I’d bring to writing a story or song. Washing dishes, answering emails, walking to the store—all are eligible for beauty. I highly recommend this practice to you in the coming weeks, Leo. It’s true that you’re renowned for your dramatic gestures, but I believe you also have an underutilized talent for teasing out glory from mundane situations. Please do that a lot in the coming weeks. For starters, make your grocery list a poem.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

Some American Indigenous cultures have “potlatch” ceremonies. These are elaborate gift-giving rituals where hosts gain prestige by generously and freely bestowing their riches on others. Circulating wealth, instead of hoarding it, is honored and celebrated. Is that economically irrational? Only if you believe that the point of resources is individual accumulation rather than community vitality. Potlatch operates on a different logic: The purpose of having stuff is to make having stuff possible for others. I invite you to make that your

specialty in the coming months. Assume that your own thriving depends on the flourishing of those around you.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

Sufi poet Rumi wrote about a “treasure in ruins.” He meant what we’re searching for may be hidden in places we would rather not look. Your life isn’t in ruins, but I suspect you have been exploring exciting locations while shunning mundane ones that hold your answers. Is that possible? Just for fun, investigate the neglected, ignored and boring places. Try out the hypothesis that a golden discovery awaits you in some unfinished business or a situation you feel an aversion to.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

Your capacity for intensity is your superpower. I love it, celebrate it and hope to keep nurturing it for as long as we’re both here. But not everything deserves the full force of your passionate engagement. Some things are meant to be touched lightly, held loosely and released easily. The question isn’t whether to feel deeply—that’s who you authentically are—but whether to act on every deep feeling as if it were sacred revelation. Some emotions are weather passing through, not permanent truths requiring upheaval. These are key understandings for you to act on during the coming days.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

As I have promised a million times, I will never exaggerate. Though you may wonder if the statements I make are excessive and overblown, I assure you they are not. The fact is, dear Sagittarius, that everything you have always wanted to enhance and upgrade about togetherness is now possible to accomplish, and will continue to be for months to come. If you dare to dismantle your outmoded beliefs about love and deep friendship—every comforting myth, every conditioned response, every inherited instinct—you will discover new dimensions of intimacy that could inspire you forever.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

In Renaissance painting, chiaroscuro refers to strong contrasts between light and dark. It’s a technique that enhances the sense of depth. I believe your life may be in an intense chiaroscuro phase. As your joys grow bright, your doubts appear darker. As your understanding deepens, your perplexity mounts. Is this a problem? I prefer to understand it as an opportunity. For best results, study it closely. Maybe your anxiety is showing you what you care about. Perhaps your sadness is a sign of your growing emotional power. So find a way to benefit from the contrasts, dear Capricorn. Let shadows teach you how to fully appreciate the illumination.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

You are a spy from the future. Thank you for your service! I love to see your boldness as you smuggle ideas into a present that may or may not be ready for them. Your feelings of alienation are sometimes uncomfortable, but they are crucial to the treasure you offer us. You see patterns others miss because you refuse to be hypnotized by consensus reality. Keep up the excellent work, please. May you honor your need to tinker with impossibilities and imagine alternatives to what everyone else imagines is inevitable. You are proof that we don’t have to accept inherited structures as inevitable.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)

Your unconscious is extra communicative. Take advantage! Pay attention to images in dreams and songs that linger in your head. Be alert for random thoughts as they surface. Bypassing logic, your psyche is trying to show you secrets and provocative hints. Be receptive. Keep a journal or recorder by your bed. Notice which memories rise up out of nowhere. Be grateful for striking coincidences. These are invitations to tune in to meaningful feelings and truths you’ve been missing.

urban LIVING

Urban Utah Homes & Estates, urbanutah.com

Hoarders

Having sold thousands of homes here in Utah over almost 42 years, oh, the things I’ve seen! Many of my clients have parents who are moving to assisted living, or who have passed. Before their properties can go to market, they often have to be cleaned out.

Folks who lived through WWII were encouraged to recycle. Goods like food (sugar, meat, butter, coffee) were being culled to send to troops around the world, and items like pots, razor blades and even bobby pins and paper clips were donated to the war cause for the purposes of melting down for bullets, guns, helmets, tanks, etc.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

ACROSS

1. “Jeopardy!” creator Griffin

5. A-list notable

10. Cellar, in apt. ads

14. Summer camp setting

15. Grande’s costar in 2024 and 2025 films

16. “Fine by me”

17. Dow Jones Industrial Average, e.g.

19. 2007 NBA MVP Nowitzki

20. ___ contendere (no contest plea)

21. Half of the green Trivial Pursuit category

23. Hot green paste

26. Forever ___ day

27. Dramatic division

28. Puts under a spell

32. Ballpark figure?

35. Rage ___ (2025’s Oxford Word of the Year)

37. Suffix dropped from 22-Down’s full name

The mentality for many Americans was that it was patriotic to support the troops in any way possible. But the downside was that many people turned into hoarders. I have helped families clean out basements that were full of 30- to 40-year-old food storage bins (full of wheat and worms); full boxes of old toothpaste tubes (they used to be metal); empty lipstick containers; massive piles of National Geographic, Look and Life magazines, and unopened packets of nylon pantyhose (silk and nylon were needed for parachutes, so civilian use was restricted).

What I have learned about hoarders is that they have extreme attachments to things and get stressed at the thought of donating or throwing out items. Hoarding can also be a sign of intense depression and is a diagnosable medical disorder. My friend Linda Hilton has a company called Sorting Through, and during January of every year she sends out a daily nudge to throw out or donate items in the house. It’s a really gentle email. For example, on January first, she encouraged us to “find an empty cardboard box.”

Hell, that’s not hard. I’ll admit I save boxes, and sure, I can recycle a few.

Here is today’s instruction: “Look through your spices. Find the one you haven’t used for years and toss it out. Don’t like Cajun seasoning? Toss it too! Bonus: Throw away a recipe you cut out from a magazine (10 years ago?) and never made.”

Linda assists hoarders and those who are downsizing for a living, and has even more stories than I do. I remember one client I referred to her several years ago who had a beautiful mansion near Pepperwood—a large, newer and expensive home. The owner told me before arriving that the basement was unfinished. But when I got there, I had to catch my breath as the basement was full of clothing racks with massive amounts of dresses, coats, blouses and other items that had never been worn and still had their sales tags.

It took almost a month for Linda to help the owner patiently and carefully go through every item. Although it cost them a lot for the service (Linda probably spent 100 hours over there), their home was ready to sell and, of course, sold quickly.

If you think you’re a hoarder, Google “Swedish Death Cleaning” for suggestions on how to start your own process of cleaning out and cleaning up. CW

38. Add up to

40. Ghana’s capital

42. “Family” found in the four long theme answers

43. “America” singer in “West Side Story”

44. “Oliver Twist” burglar Bill

45. Short opening letter?

47. Distant lead-in

48. “Bali ___” (“South Pacific” tune)

49. Turntable part

52. Coffee dispenser

53. First-time gamer

55. They run the show

57. Dryer by the sink

60. “The Grapes of Wrath” itinerant

61. Follow

62. Japanese cat figurine with one paw raised

67. “That’s pretty cool”

68. Solo

69. Dually packaged candy bar

70. Ultrafast fliers, once

71. Really enjoy

72. Provocative

DOWN

1. Portland Timbers’ org.

2. Get takeout, perhaps

3. “Citizen Kane” film studio

4. D&D villain, or a “Stranger Things” antagonist

5. Top

6. Puzzle cube creator Rubik

7. Top

8. Nights before

9. Freight train unit

10. Foreshadowed

11. Boat brand designed for a certain water activity

12. “Double Dare” host Summers

13. Little kid

18. Japanese beef city

22. Pic-based social media site, for short

23. Illinois-Indiana border river

24. Small tree that’s a source of gum arabic

25. Long, thin bug that camouflages well with leaves

29. “Little Miss Sunshine”

Oscar winner Alan

30. L.L. Bean’s home state

31. “___ vincit amor”: Virgil

33. Past adolescence

34. Jimmy Carter’s Georgia hometown

36. Three, in Italian

39. Lowest roll on a D20

41. John Jacob on the Titanic

46. Fan of Capt. Kirk and crew, as some (including Leonard Nimoy) prefer

50. Late-2000s first family

51. Year of Super

“For sure!”

The part after the decimal point, sometimes

Puts on

Nile wading bird

Fundraising event

Prefix meaning “wine”

11th mo.

Flock mother

Cereal with a puffed ball shape

Acne-treating brand

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

NEWS of the WEIRD

Update

In the 1970s, the United States made a half-hearted effort to join the rest of the world in using the metric system. You know how that story ends. But one highway between Tucson, Arizona, and Nogales, New Mexico, is hanging on. Interstate 19 still displays mile markers and distances in kilometers, Central Oregon Daily News reported. “It’s just kind of a cool little quirky fact about us,” said Alejandro Aguilar, who lives in Tubac, Arizona. Now, the U.S. Department of Transportation has declared that “When you’re driving in the United States, it should be unmistakably American.” As a result, that stretch of interstate may get new signage, although the Arizona DOT has not received direction from the feds. Teacher Elaine Webber isn’t on board. “Show me the harm. How many accidents have happened? How many people have been harmed by this?”

Nope

The musical duo Bootleg Rascal kicked off their new tour in Brisbane, Australia, on Jan. 10 with a sweet-turnedawkward moment, Metro News reported. Carlos Lara said their manager had informed them that someone wanted to propose on stage during the third song, and sure enough, a man climbed up to take the microphone. He called his partner, Jamie, to the stage and told the crowd they had seen the band two years before and it was their favorite band. “And I thought today, why not, maybe today is the time,” the man said. Then he got down on one knee ... and that’s when it all went wrong. The woman started shaking her head and trying to pull him back up, then ran off the stage. Lara said, “I don’t think I’ve ever felt that awkward on stage in my life.” The spurned boyfriend stayed on his knee until someone in a Scooby-Doo costume ran up to help him get on his feet and hugged him. Lara said they checked in with him after the show, and he was “definitely searching for a few beers.” They gave him some free merch so he wouldn’t go away completely empty-handed.

Lucky!

Skip Cunningham, 70, was asleep on his couch on Jan. 13 when a car crashed into his home and landed on him, WWNY-TV reported. “I woke up and blood running down my head and a car laying on top of me,” Cunningham said. “The guy’s running around saying, ‘Sorry. Sorry. Sorry.’ I says, ‘Well, call 911.’” An ambulance took Cunningham to the hospital, where he got 13 staples in his head. But on the way, trying to play out his amazing “luck,” he asked the ambulance driver to stop so he could buy a lottery ticket. “But they wouldn’t stop,” he said. Cunningham has lived in the house for 50 years and said cars have run into his home five times.

Shop Till Ewe Drop

Shepherd Dieter Michler had no real answers for why 50 members of his flock split from the 500-sheep herd and made their way into a Penny supermarket in Burgsinn, Lower Franconia, Germany, on Jan. 5. Shoppers and employees quickly took to higher ground, climbing atop the conveyor belts of the checkout lanes to make way for the ovine interlopers, who left broken bottles, droppings and strewn products in their wake when they were eventually removed from the store. Michler told the Main-Post newspaper that he suspected the wandering sheep became distracted by acorns as he led the herd across the industrial area, and, after losing contact with the rest of the group, meandered into the store’s parking lot.

That’s Bananas!

Cargo vessels have been in the news lately, but this fruity mishap has folks in southern England on high alert. On Dec. 6, eight containers full of bananas went overboard from a cargo ship, Yahoo! News reported. In West Sussex, rotting fruit has been washing up on the pebbled beaches, the U.K. coast guard said, adding that the public should avoid the areas littered with debris. They also discouraged the public from eating the floating fruits.

Unconventional Weaponry

As Fort Walton Beach (Florida) Police officers responded to reports of a battery at the Palms of Emerald Coast Massage Parlor on Jan. 13, employee Fang Wang became hostile, WJHG-TV reported. When they tried to detain Wang, she began “defecating towards officers to evade arrest,” they said. She was arrested for battery and resisting arrest and was held in the Okaloosa County Jail without bond.

Bright Idea

In Duffel, Belgium, on Jan. 2, police were conducting a sobriety checkpoint when a car crept up to the officers, Oddity Central reported. The driver seemed unusually short and young, which follows because he was, in fact, the 12-year-old son of the front-seat passenger, his dad. “I had drunk too much and so I entrusted the car to my son to drive home,” Dad told the police. Mom and two siblings were in the back seat. The boy was fined for driving without a license; Dad was charged with entrusting the car to someone not fit to drive it. After the traffic stop, Mom drove the rest of the way home.

Don’t Try This at Home

Brazilian bodybuilder Arlindo de Souza, 55, passed away on Jan. 13, the Daily Mail reported. De Souza became known as the Brazilian Popeye after injecting mineral oil and alcohol into his biceps, resulting in huge, bulging muscles that measured 29 inches around. He had been hospitalized since December for renal failure. Ironically, the injections didn’t make him any stronger. De Souza said he had stopped the injections about 10 years ago, adding, “I advise no one to take this oil.”

Government in Action

As if there aren’t more pressing issues in New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul has taken on ... dancing in restaurants. The New York Post reported that in Hochul’s Jan. 13 State of the State address, she promised to direct the State Liquor Authority to create “a new hybrid restauranttavern license.” Under this license, bars and taverns would automatically have the right to showcase dancing, which has been prohibited under earlier licenses. “It creates new opportunity by cutting through red tape,” said Restaurant Association CEO Melissa Fleischut.

Petty Theft

Arianna Moss, 29, coveted a co-worker’s 40-ounce light blue Stanley insulated cup, The Smoking Gun reported— so much that she “was observed on video surveillance looking at a cup numerous times” before nicking it and hiding it in her lunchbox. Moss told a witness earlier in the day that the cup “would be great to hold my breast milk.” She quit her job three days after the incident in late December and was arrested on Jan. 11, charged with petit theft under $100. She was released on $150 bond. The Stanley cups retail for about $45.

Smooth Reaction

On Jan. 7 in Phoenix, a passenger in a Waymo selfdriving car had to make an unplanned exit, KPHO-TV reported. The car drove onto the tracks of the light-rail system and continued toward an oncoming train on the adjacent track, stopping just before the train got close to it. The passenger, shown on video from a bystander, ran away from the car. A Valley Metro spokesperson said, “Light rail operations staff responded to the scene and Waymo was contacted.” They said the scene was clear within 15 minutes.

Who Knew?

In Japan, millions of families will head to their local KFC on Christmas Day for chicken and fixins, Yahoo! News reported on Dec. 3. “Stores with the Colonel statue will dress him in Christmas attire,” said Takuma Kawamura, a KFC marketing manager. Fans will indulge in special “Party Barrels” with chicken, side dishes and ice cream or cheesecake. Not a terrible idea ...