The kilby girl: Utah’s local music persona
I overheard she was 19/ She’s got a fake ID and a nose ring/Those kinds of girls tend to know things better than I do.
The lyrics to local hit song “Kilby Girl” by The Backseat Lovers paint a narrative for the lesser-known music-based subculture born within the conservative landscape of Utah.
What does it mean to be a Kilby Girl? Mainly an Instagramable title, Utah Kilby Girls and Kilby Boys, or any genderless title to the Utah version of a hipster, refers to a sublet of indie, punk and alternative fans that have dived deeper into local music. They are not simply satisfied with the world-wide hits of The 1975 and Phoebe Bridgers. Kilby Girls also spend the majority of their energy actively supporting a surprisingly large number of local bands like Ritt Momney, Adult Prom and Cinders, all of whom are based out of Salt Lake City, Ogden, Logan and yes, even Provo.
“Kilby” refers to Kilby Court, the iconic Utah venue located in outer Salt Lake City. The venue is owned by the local music entrepreneurs of S&S Presents and has quite the personality of its own.
Brandon Ellis Other venues, like the Red Rock Amphitheater, which is undoubtedly the most iconic venue in Utah’s neighboring state of Colorado, feature fantastic sound technology, large seating areas and match markets that attract the biggest artists in the industry. Kilby Court however, is simply a roughly maintained, sticker-tattered garage with a small yard area featuring large trees and a strange Styrofoam gargoyle statue. To outsiders, it is underwhelming and lack-luster compared to the usual glamour within the concert landscape. To locals however, this venue is the safe-haven of expression, subculture and backgrounds that don’t always fit within Utah’s majority.
People go to Kilby Court to enjoy raw versions of concerts in an intimate stripped-back setting. The experience is preferred by Utah enthusiasts over the high-production concerts the world anticipates. As Salt Lake City’s longest-running all-ages venue, Kilby Court represents the roots of many Utah-based artists, like I Don’t Know How But They Found Me and The Aces. Fans have also enjoyed the likes of Death Cab for Cutie, Macklemore, St. Vincent, Walk the Moon and many others who sought Kilby as their “springboard stage,” according to Kilby themselves, “for beginning local & touring artists alike.”
Utah music culture does not stop at Kilby Court. It has inspired similar venues across Utah, namely WhySound in Logan and Velour Live Music Gallery in Provo, to fulfill the needs of Kilby Girls in college towns, where music is used as an escape from world issues, angst and life in general. These venues act as common grounds for art and creativity, being the primary locations of Utah subculture formation.
The subculture of Utah matches the grungy style of these classic venues. Fans of local music in Utah don’t need much more than good music and genuine performers.
In an interview for Utah State University’s Aggie Radio, Dallon Weekes, frontman of I Don’t Know How But They Found Me, spoke about the Utah music scene.
“I think why it’s such a good scene here is because the people who make music here do it because they love to do it and they have to do it,” Weekes said. “There are no ulterior motives like becoming famous and a millionaire and drugs and, you know, perpetuating some lifestyle like partying and groupies and stuff. That’s less common here. People make music and they make art because they want to.”
Initially gaining his fame as the bass player of the pop-punk band Panic! At the Disco, Weekes said Kilby Court and Velour are still his favorite venues to play at, even after performing around the world.
Another insight into the Utah music scene comes from Scott Knutson, drummer for Drusky, who is a new player amidst dozens of other Provo-based indie bands.
“Something cool going on in the scene right now is there’s this garage-rock, almost emo, punk-fueled stuff, which is what I love,” Knutson said. “One of my favorite things is people getting out there and just saying ‘Screw you, I’m gonna play loud and do my thing and go crazy.’
Brandon Ellis KILBY COURT, 741 SOUTH KILBY COURT, SALT LAKE CITY, UT 84101
“I feel like people are into that now and I love that, but there are still some people stuck in the old ways,” Knutson continued, “But we’re tearing it down. Make way for the usurpers! We will ‘usurp’ you!”
These “usurpers” who say “screw you” characterize the Utah music scene and mark the attitude of its Kilby fans. Despite living in a state with many stereotypes, some true and some exaggerated, local music fans don’t wish to be defined by one stereotype, one mindset, one political-view or one religion. Music for Kilby Girls is a form of pure expression, stripped of expectations, just like its iconic venue.
Utah’s Local Music Spotify Playlist:
*This article was originally published to musicorigins.org for a Music Industry Class at NYU.
Brandon Ellis is a marketing graduate of Utah State University from Castle Rock, Colorado. With years of experience organizing concerts, doing venue marketing, and managing 92.3 FM Aggie Radio, Brandon has become quite the Utah music enthusiast!
—brandontellis95@gmail.com