By Ben Mueller
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, then you’ve heard about the Provo Rooftop Concert Series.
The Provo community puts up an event every first Friday of the month all throughout the summer. Extremely talented musicians come and play shows in front of hundreds of people – these musicians usually being locals themselves. It used to be on top of an actual rooftop, but so many people started coming that it got moved to Center Street, where it shuts down the road for the day.
Bands like Imagine Dragons, Neon Trees, The Aquabats, and many others have graced the stage in front of the NuSkin building. It truly is a fun event for everyone. It’s a great way to promote creativity, and it’s always great to see the local shops advertising at the event too!
This last show was definitely one for the books! Opening up was Pinguin Mofex, a band with a rather interesting stage presence. The lead singer sported a pink suit and a matching pink Hello Kitty guitar. They had a sound I would personally compare to Arcade Fire, and they had about as many band members as well!
The best moment was when a band member asked the crowd if they had heard the song “Every Rose Has Its Thorns” by Poison. The crowd responded by screaming about how much they hated it. The frontman joined in, singing his hate for it in the chorus of their next song.
Next up was Grey Glass, the winners of the 2016 Velour Winter Battle of the Bands. Grey Glass (in every sense of the word) rocked. If you haven’t listened to them yet, you should. They sound just as amazing as their recordings. Guitarist and lead singer Tal Haslam came onto the stage in a jumpsuit, and immediately got the crowd going with their head banger vibes. It was a proud moment for many Provo locals who have grown to love this band over the years
Last, but certainly not least, was Sego. They began their show with a huge newspaper wall, flashing lights, and cool guitar riffs. They crashed through the wall aggressively, and set the tone for their set to a catchy, unique rhythm. They handed out popsicle sticks with faces of each band member on them, and tossed balls covered in aluminum foil to the crowd. Sego’s shows are incredible. Not only do they sound great, but they also have incredible visual effects.
The show was a homecoming of sorts for them. They’ve been based out of Los Angeles for the last few years, but have deep roots here. The Provo show was nothing unfamiliar to them. In fact, for one song, Corey Fox (the owner of Velour Live Music Gallery) played a song with them. Again, another proud moment for all Provo music lovers.
All in all, this show was spectacular. If you have yet to attend a Rooftop Concert, be sure to go to the next one. It’s free, fun, and unifying. There’s something special about Provo caring so much about the creativity of others, and joining together to celebrate it.
Provo Music Magazine 