Kilby Block Party: Day One Recap
Written and photographed by Mariel Wiley
While many cities have opened up, and events are slated to continue, we are still living through a pandemic. Sunstroke urges our readers to keep wearing masks, practice social distance and stay safe!
It was early afternoon on Friday, May 13th, when I stood in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City — a place I’ve driven seven hours from Colorado that very morning to be. The peaks of the Wasatch mountains in the distance were still blanketed in snow, but in the city, the late spring sun is warm on our shoulders. It was the perfect weather for the event we walked into: beloved local venue Kilby Court’s third annual Kilby Block Party music festival.
Just a few hours into the festival’s first day, Library Square is already packed with the city’s youth. Joy is palpable in the air; gathering and sharing in the celebration of music, in person, is one of the few blessings we can partake in after isolation. No one will dare take it for granted again. With my camera slung across my shoulder — as is my most natural state — I made my way to the first stage, determined to catch as many day one acts as possible.
I was met with the shimmering guitar and gentle vocals of Denver indie rock band The Still Tide, fronted by Anna Morsett. Befitting of the vocalist’s Pacific Northwest upbringing, the group’s sound brought the energy of a misty coastal forest to a desert mountain town.
The energy shifted as JW Francis took the stage, his curly auburn hair a perfect match to that of the image of the Magic School Bus teacher, Ms. Frizzle, emblazoned on his shirt. Before diving into song, he was quick to reassure an inquisitive fan that his favorite Pokémon was, in fact, Eevee (an opinion that I fully supported). Chock full of psychedelic nostalgia, Francis’ set sent smiles across the crowd with its bubbling, joyous contagion.
On another stage, New York cool kid Binki had the audience jumping with songs that could only be described as reminiscent of the summer of 2016, when you’d drive around with the windows down, and sing along to Frank Ocean and Mac Miller with your best friends from high school.
As evening set in, the promise of Clairo’s arrival drew the masses towards the South stage. Her appearance sparked a roar of adoration from the crowd, and the velvet light of dusk began to soften every edge as she spoke. The singer-songwriter’s set carried us all into nightfall. The echo of a thousand voices singing “Sofia” along with the artist carried a sense of sweetness that united the audience even further.
With the sky nearly dark, the crowd turned their attention to the North stage for the final show: eccentric indie favorite, Mac DeMarco. After taking the stage to the Star Wars theme, DeMarco opened his act with the eerie synth shimmer of “Chamber of Reflection.” Fans got their fill of their favorite DeMarco tracks before the first day of Kilby Block Party drew to a close. ♦
View more shots from Kilby Block Party’s first day below.
