Kilby Block Party: Welcome to A True Indie Fest

Yeah Yeah Yeahs performing at Kilby Block Party 4, UT by Jacob Alvarez

INCREDIBLE LINEUP BOASTED PERFORMANCES BY THE STROKES, YEAH YEAH YEAHS, AND MORE!

Salt Lake City, Utah. This is where I found myself at for a weekend in May, working out of a less than perfect but precisely located motel down the street from Utah State Fairpark. The flight was great and quick, although flying is never something to look forward to in my humble opinion. However, this weekend in particular was not to be missed, for it was the fourth annual Kilby Block Party!

The independent festival run by a small team of dedicated music lovers over at SNS Presents first came on my radar last year when the lineup for the third iteration of Kilby Block Party was announced. Huge names like Mac DeMarco, Phoebe Bridgers, Clairo, Steve Lacy, and more headlined but it was more than the larger names that left an impression. The price for the two day fest was incredibly affordable; in other words, you would never get as stacked a lineup here in LA. It looked as though a bunch of people put their minds together and some funds to create what they dreamed up in notebook scribbles in college. Exactly what I aspire to do. Needless to say, after I was unable to attend the last year’s event, I had to come the very next chance I got. But that chance became a hunger once the 2023 lineup dropped.

Kilby Block Party 4, UT by Jacob Alvarez

The fest had expanded to three days with headliners The Strokes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Pavement; indie icons in their respective right. The rest of the bill included both older and newer indie darlings such as Pixies, Japanese Breakfast, The Walkmen, Alex G, Weyes Blood, Faye Webster, and Ethel Cain. The top billing alone warranted the price of admission, and again, the prices were affordable, considering the event spanned three days with many of the featured artists costing at least half of what Kilby was requesting. Once locked in, I booked my flight and hotel and made my trek to Utah.

Japanese Breakfast performing at Kilby Block Party 4, UT by Jacob Alvarez

As mentioned before, the flight was quick but the motel was a bit of a stressor. Check in was stretched and there wasn’t much to eat around the park. I fought through this and once checked in, I made my short walk to the fest. Remi Wolf was giving it her all as a huge line of fans waited outside to exchange their tickets for wristbands needed to enter daily. There seemed to be a wristband shortage, but luckily the team was able to solve the issue in a hasty manner. The grounds were compact, with four stages spaced out semi-equally, with the main stage and second main stage having the most room in between one another. Everything was walkable and the food options resembled that of a carnival with corn dogs, burgers, ice cream and so on although there was a dedicated area full of vegan options which I’m sure were small businesses. I quickly figured out where to enter the photo pit at the main stage and got in a few minutes before Japanese Breakfast arrived. Her clouded orange sky backdrop allowed her white and red dress to pop as she banged on her gong during “Paprika.” Fans held copies of Soft Sounds From Another Planet on the barricade with the hopes of getting Michelle Zauner’s attention for an autograph. The stage was heavily crowded, so I couldn’t image what it would look like for the headliners. Once this set ended, I made my way to the opposite end of the park where Dominic Fike as scheduled to perform. All stages featured giant screens that showcased upcoming artists and their start times which was appreciated. Fike came on in true Kurt Cobain fashion, seemingly not giving a fuck while actually really giving lots of fucks. He strapped his guitar on a torn shirt that featured a maroon cross and ran through “Mama’s Boy” and fan favorite “3 Nights.”

Dominic Fike performing at Kilby Block Party 4, UT by Jacob Alvarez

I was having a blast already, but the night held a deeper meaning that was yet to come: taking photos of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, one of my favorite acts of all time. I hung around the main stage while the workers prepared for the finale of night one. At this time, over 20 photographers were sharing a rather spacious pit, and the band walked out. Singer Karen O was of course last to arrive in her extravagant sparkly outfit. Something special about the band is that O and co. always look genuinely happy to be playing music as if they are fully aware they have the greatest careers in the world. O stood in silence, tapping her foot and raising one arm to the the sky as the band went into latest album cut “Spitting Off the Edge of the World.” From there, O went into full Elvis mode, chopping it up like the King, running around and performing her signature mic lasso. During “Zero,” the band tossed out huge inflatable balls looking like eyes and the crowd went crazy. Usually, bands get annoyed at the sight of fans hitting beach balls around, but the Yeah Yeah Yeahs welcomed the enthusiasm. The band ended strong with “Maps,” “Y Control,” and “Date With the Night,” but I was just happy to finally hear “Gold Lion” live after seeing them for the third time. The exit was smooth afterward and I enjoyed a burrito on my walk back to the motel. Day one was a dream!

Yeah Yeah Yeahs performing at Kilby Block Party 4, UT by Jacob Alvarez

The second day seemed quick even though the day was quite longer. I made the same walk back to the park where the weather was toying with fans’ emotions, specifically my own. Rain was not out of the realm of possibility, but taking photos during rainfall is never great. Alex G was on pretty early so I waited in the photo pit for his set but that’s when rain began to become a reality. Luckily, there was no need to halt the performance nor evacuate (that comes later). Alex G delivered a somewhat similar performance to that of his Coachella set which was heavily featuring tracks off his latest LP, and I wasn’t complaining. Caroline Polachek was at the same stage right after so many in the audience chose to camp for the hour. This proved tough as rainfall became harder to the point where Polachek’s set was delayed around 15 minutes. However, when her performance started, she gave it everything and even got to extend her set to the full 50 minute runtime. A very special sighting happened during Weyes Blood’s set at one of the middle stages; Strokes’ frontman Julian Casablancas watched from the sidelines with much enthusiasm, often shouting and whistling. It’s always great to see artists supporting other artists. Osees were starting mosh pits in between the food vendors while Run the Jewels were running through their lengthy discography, celebrating the pair’s time together. Then, it was time for Bernie Sanders’ favorite band.

Caroline Polachek performing at Kilby Block Party 4, UT by Jacob Alvarez

Weyes Blood performing at Kilby Block Party 4, UT by Jacob Alvarez

Alex G performing at Kilby Block Party 4, UT by Jacob Alvarez

As always, The Strokes played in darkness, and I’m not going to make a pun out of a song name. I definitely could have. This is a little frustrating, but it wasn’t my first rodeo with the band. I’m always excited to see what kind of set they bring, after seeing them play for a fourth time, they started with “What Ever Happened?” While in the pit, “Last Nite” and “The Adults Are Talking” were performed with the fans absolutely losing it. Casablancas and company even dusted off “Red Light” off First Impressions and had an impromptu jam. During a lot of the performance, rain was altering from hard to sprinkle, but it was manageable. This was foreshadowing the finale of Kilby.

The Strokes performing at Kilby Block Party 4, UT by Jacob Alvarez

Day three was for the true indie heads and the dad-rock types. Not only did you have Pavement headlining, but icons Pixies were slated to play as well as recently reunited The Walkmen! I started my day with The Walkmen actually, and the long hiatus was worth the wait. The band welcomed new and old fans, boasting how excited they were to return. Singer Hamilton Leithauser rocked some shades and and oozed confidence and gratuity. After their set, I caught new indie darlings Wednesday crush right before LA heroes Surf Curse did the same. Ethel Cain mystified with a unique set where she accepted many homemade bracelets and Calico Critters while also signing a few signs from the fans on the barricade. While I was photographing her, I watched as the closest fans shed tears, belting out lyrics in unison. Of course this led to a chant of “mother.”

The Walkmen performing at Kilby Block Party 4, UT by Jacob Alvarez

Ethel Cain performing at Kilby Block Party 4, UT by Jacob Alvarez

To conclude the night, Pixies were gearing up for their set as it began to drizzle. The shiny gray sky began to fill with darkness that only spelled trouble. The band came out with hits “Gouge Away” and “Wave of Mutilation” so what more could anyone ask for? Around the middle of the set during “Monkey Gone to Heaven,” rainfall was at a high but fans were not leaving and continued to jam to the music. This was something new to me, coming from LA where rain is rare and keeps people inside. Pixies got through about 13 songs possibly of 15 before their set was cut due to lightning strikes in the distance. This prompted all concert goers to seek shelter and wait out the weather. People began to take refuge under canopies and shaded areas while security personnel evacuated people in a hasty manner due to the deadly circumstances. The weather raged on for about an forty minutes, which ended Pixies and delayed Pavement. Many who left chose to venture home and to their hotels and as this happened, the fest announced via social media that the weather ban has lifted and fans could come back to see the headliner. Of course, anger met this sentiment but it was a tricky situation and was handled pretty timely given the amount of work that funds a festival. Pavement also worked directly with the fest, having members of their crew livestream a few songs of their set and from the looks of it, the crowd was still a hefty amount. I chose to leave after a few tracks.

Pixies performing at Kilby Block Party 4, UT by Jacob Alvarez

With the slight delays due to weather and the sometimes sketchy folks around my motel, the weekend was a success. Kilby Block Party is able to rival any music event at this point with a dramatic shift in scale for a fraction of the price of many saturated live shows. Some were calling KBP4 the greatest lineup of the year; they’re not wrong. Rain or shine, thunder and lighting, I will accept an invitation every time. It’s as if the festival heads watched the Meet Me in the Bathroom doc and based their lineup on it (featuring both prolific and up and coming indie acts). A recipe for greatness if you ask me.

PS: Check out our gallery of photos from the performance!

PS: Check out our gallery of photos from the performance!