A Two Day Glimpse Into Kilby Block Party 4

Come rain, come wind, come shine – Kilby Block Party 4 brought it all and more! Along with the thunderstorm of a lifetime, fans gathered to see iconic names in the alternative music scene, including headliners Yeah Yeah Yeah’s, The Strokes, Pixies and Pavement to name a few. This year’s Kilby Block Party was bigger and badder than ever, making an impactful mark in Utah’s namesake. 

Sunshine cascaded the open land of Utah State Fairpark for KBP’s opening day. As gates opened, thousands of attendees eagerly flowed in. The first set I attended was Alice Phoebe Lou, who I had been a fan of for a couple years now (her hit song, Only When I, topped my Spotify Wrapped last year, single-handedly getting me through my breakup). Alice’s performance was softly intimate and soothing, acting as a warm invitation into my weekend. I enjoyed a buffalo burger from one of the several food vendors present, and headed towards the Kilby Stage to catch Japanese Breakfast. While I’m not entirely well-versed in Japanese Breakfast’s discography, I was thoroughly pleased with her performance paired with the good energy of the crowd. Not to mention, her outfit was top-notch. Unfortunately, the sun along with my poor shoe choice ushered me out of the festival-grounds early, and I didn’t get a chance to see Friday’s headliner, Yeah Yeah Yeah’s.

Photo: Alice Phoebe Lou via Facebook

Caroline Polachek! Caroline Polachek! Caroline Polachek! Wow. I’d been following Caroline’s musical journey for a while, but seeing her live rocked my world. Not only is she angelic in form, but her execution and stage presence went far beyond my expectations. The visuals were stunning, her vocals echoed effortlessly and she carried herself in a genuinely powerful and passionate manner. I’m still buzzing with enthusiasm from this set. “It’s gonna be hard for an act to top this,” I thought to myself. Then came the rain, baby! As a devotee of The Strokes, I loyally waited in place at the main Kilby Stage for about an hour,  hyping myself up for Julian Casablancas’ presence. He hit the stage in true rockstar fashion – quite buzzed, shades on, ready to rumble. Dancing in a spring rainstorm to one of my favorite bands closed out my Kilby Block Party experience on the highest of high notes! Even Julian Casablancas’ humorously drunken commentary on stage elevated my weekend, and I made it out unscathed! 

Okay, maybe I got one mysterious scratch, but hey, it isn’t a festival if you didn’t get a little unhinged. ‘Til next year!

Photo: Caroline Polachek via Facebook