By Abi Falin Horspool & Michael Luce
Cover photo by Syd White
As summer comes to a close and festival season along with it, there’s a lot to look back on. Summer in Utah always brings a ton of great music experiences, but few events stand out as much as the annual Kilby Block Party. Each year, this multi-day festival draws over 25,000 attendees daily from around the world to hear music from legends, up-and-comers, and the talented acts from right here in our backyard.
For us here at Provo Music Magazine, it’s that last category that makes us most excited for Kilby Block Party each year. Getting to see some of our favorite Utah bands take the same stages as Weezer or New Order? Absolutely incredible. What might be even more incredible is how many of them felt right at home.
Molotov Dress kicked the day off Sunday morning on the Lake Stage and had a blast with their performance. “I had thought that being on a stage that large – both literally and metaphorically – would make it feel like we were out of place,” said Jacob, trumpeter of the group. “But it felt more natural than expected.”
Bassist Sam agreed. “We’d never played a stage that big before, so there were some nerves as we got up there, but as soon as we started setting up, I was surprised by how comfortable it felt.”
That same energy was felt the previous day as well. Rhett and Sam of Hurtado played the opening slot on Saturday and shared similar sentiments. “Once we got into it, I just felt super good,” said Sam. “When I could fully swing around and kick my legs up, which is what I like to do, I was like, man, that’s awesome!”
“I had goosebumps the entire time we were playing. I was just like, damn, this sounds so sick!” laughed Rhett.
SLC-based indie rock band Cardinal Bloom kicked off Friday’s packed schedule as the first band to play the Lake Stage. For them, the moment was a milestone. “Since we started playing as the four of us we’ve dreamt about being on that stage, and to do it was an extremely cathartic experience,” the band said. “It felt like everything we’ve worked on up to that point was leading to that show.”
Watching band after band play across the four days, it became clear that the groups from the local scene were just as polished, prepared, and high-quality performers as many of the touring groups on the lineup. The local talent really shone through, and several of the artists said they felt it during their performances.
On Saturday at noon, SLC-based band Over Under lit up the Mountain Stage with an electric set. “It was a day we’ll always remember,” the band said. “Our experience was so incredible!” The highlight for them? Playing their new single “All in my Head.” “We had an extended solo section and both of the new guys we played with added so much to it!”
Elowyn, who opened the Desert Stage on Sunday, was ecstatic with how her performance went. “I was very proud of my band!” said the Salt Lake-based artist. “We all did the practice, and they really showed up. During rehearsal I would get re-inspired because of them.” She added. “I definitely believe that our music community in Utah has a lot to offer, and I love that [Kilby Block Party organizers] have local groups play.”
Sam from Molotov Dress agreed, commenting that the festival does a good job at supporting not just major acts, but building the local scene too. “I think the fact that they had almost a dozen local bands on the bill shows that they’re serious about supporting local acts. They treated us just as well as any of the touring bands, which, to be honest, I was expecting but was definitely appreciated.”
When they weren’t on stage rocking out, the musicians had the chance to check out the rest of the performers’ sets. Gang of Four came up multiple times as a favorite, as did Weezer, though interestingly the local groups often cited each other as highlights of their weekends. The Utah music community loves to support each other, and KBP was yet another example of that.
This sense of community was palpable to Cardinal Bloom. “A highlight for us was watching the crowd triple or quadruple from start to finish,” the band said. “We could see our fans running in to catch our set as the line outside funneled in.”
That’s the power of live music like Kilby Block Party. It’s immersive. It pulls you in, bringing the type of connection that bridges any separation. At Kilby Block Party, differences are forgotten as the crowd moves in sync, enjoying the same sound. Like Over Under said, “The festival itself was very alive.”
But performing at KBP was just the start of a busy summer for each of these musicians. Hurtado’s set was the beginning of a small summer tour supporting their newest release, Cavalier. “[The album’s] about the struggles with your friends as you get older, finding solace, the unknown, the 20s – both the decade and the age,” they explained. Elowyn and Molotov Dress also shared they had releases in the works that fans should be eagerly anticipating, and Cardinal Bloom is preparing for their November headliner show at the Complex.
We here at Provo Music Magazine had a great time seeing the local talent shine at KBP! Beyond these, the PMM staff had a few other performances that stood out:
Abi: The highlight of Kilby Block Party was, aside from the great local music, seeing Weezer live. My husband is a huge Weezer fan. It was so fun to see his reaction to every song. He was having the time of his life. And Weezer really lived up to the hype. You can tell they’ve been playing together for forever because their set was just seamless.
Michael: There were so many good performances – George Clanton, IDKHOW, Jay Som, New Order, etc. But Justice on Sunday night was possibly the best live music experience I’ve ever had. If you ever get the chance to see them, even if you’re only a casual fan of electronic music, you absolutely should.
Seeing local bands and legends play together on Kilby Block Party stages was incredible, and if you missed out this year, we hope you make it out in 2026. Be sure to follow Cardinal Bloom, Elowyn, Hurtado, Molotov Dress, and Over Under as well as Kilby Block Party itself on Instagram to keep up to date with all the awesome projects in the works!
