City Weekly June 26, 2025

CITY WEEKLY

OUT OF THE (BLACK) BOX

UTAH AND ITS FLAGSHIP UNIVERSITY ARE DIVING HEADFIRST INTO ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, COME WHAT MAY.

BY WES LONG

S AP

BOX

Trump’s Wars

On June 21, U.S. president Donald Trump ordered airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. You may have heard. As I write this, we’re in the “boasting about how splendid it all is” phase of Trump’s cyclical foreign policy approach.

Phase One: Pretend to be “anti-war” and feverishly “negotiating” to avoid escalation of this or that long-term conflict.

Phase Two: Escalate.

Phase Three: Brag about what a genius he is.

Phase Four: Backtrack and maybe whine a little when it blows up in his face—or, rather, in the faces of the troops he puts in harm’s way.

It remains to be seen whether we’ll get the usual Phase Four (a la the ignominious but long overdue U.S. surrender in Afghanistan after his “surge,” the Iranian strikes on U.S. bases in Iraq after his operation to murder Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, etc.), or whether he’ll really screw the pooch and set the Middle East on fire this time when the Iranians retaliate.

In the meantime, let’s talk about the U.S. Constitution.

This morning, I received an email from Defending Rights and Dissent (DRAD), a civil liberties organization with a history stretching back to the era of McCarthyism. Subject line: “Trump shreds the Constitution. Bombs Iran. TAKE ACTION.”

DRAD wants you to write “your” U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators, urging them to support a “War Powers Resolution” requiring Trump to stand down, on the clear and irrefutable constitutional

claim that only Congress has the authority to declare war and that Trump’s actions are therefore illegal.

Okay, yeah, I did that.

But realistically, Congress isn’t any more likely to reassert its power over U.S. war-making this time around than it did with Korea, Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and numerous other belligerent actions/involvements.

We’ve been living in a “post-constitutional” era, featuring an “imperial” presidency, for at least 80 years, with Congress exercising about as much power as the Roman Senate under the Caesars.

How do we know that? The latest unimpeachable evidence for the claim is that Trump wasn’t impeached on the evening of June 21 and convicted and removed from office on the morning of June 22. The prosecution rests, and the defense has no case.

As Lysander Spooner noted in 1870, “whether the Constitution really be one thing, or another, this much is certain—that it has either authorized such a government as we have had, or has been

powerless to prevent it. In either case it is unfit to exist.”

Whether the Constitution was a good idea and whether it ever “worked” are interesting questions, but for all practical purposes, it ceased to exist as anything other than low-quality toilet paper decades ago, if not longer.

Self-help gurus agree: The first step toward solving your problem is admitting you have one.

Until we face the cold, hard fact that the “America” we learned about in high school civics classes is a myth—created by, and maintained for the benefit of, an imperial political class at humankind’s expense—we won’t be able to move on to anything better.

THOMAS L. KNAPP

The William Lloyd Garrison Center for Libertarian Advocacy Journalism

Care to sound off on a feature in our pages or about a local concern? Write to comments@ cityweekly.net or post your thoughts on our social media. We want to hear from you!

THE WATER COOLER

What’s the most unusual job you have ever had?

Mike Ptaschinski

Christiansen’s Jewelry, circa 1965, cleaning the bird shit out of cuckoo clocks.

Scott Renshaw

Some might argue it’s the one I have now. But if not that, then probably the one night (literally one night) I spent cleaning oil tankers. Let’s just say I learned early in life that I was not bluecollar material.

Wes Long

Probably the one I have now. And believe me, that’s in the most positive sense. I love what I do, writing stories, editing a paper, interviewing local people. Not many get that kind of opportunity.

Benjamin Wood

In junior high I worked part-time at the fish farm down the highway from my house. It was fun being outside and goofing off but all the fish guts were a chore.

Paula Saltas

Back in junior high, I worked in the kitchen of an assisted living center that also served an alcohol detox facility, and part of my job was delivering meals to the detox center. Seeing firsthand what some of those individuals went through may be why I never became much of a drinker myself. John likes to joke that’s the real reason he married me. I’ve always been an inexpensive date!

BY CHRISTOPHER SMART

Got Milk?

Time to erase all signs of Satan, including the street signs on 900 South in Salt Lake City imprinted with “Harvey Milk Blvd.” We know the late Harvey Milk was in league with Satan, because a Republican from Layton, Rep. Trevor Lee, told us so.

Well shucks, isn’t it nice that good old Trevor Lee would take time out of his busy life, way up there in Davis County—where his avocation is scaring the daylights out of them evil LGBTQ people—to come down here to Salt Lake City and erase any notion of a gay icon?

It seems Trevor got this brainstorm from Secretary of State Pete Hegseth, who ordered that “Harvey Milk” be stricken from the USNS Harvey Milk, a replenishment vessel that supports other U.S. Navy ships. Milk served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War on the USS Kittiwake, a submarine rescue ship. He was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977, the first openly gay elected official in the state of California.

Milk was killed a year later, along with San Francisco Mayor George Moscone, by Dan White, who quit his city supervisor position in a beef over Milk’s proposal to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation. Now, Trevor Lee is setting things right: “Utahns don’t want streets named after pedophiles.”

Earlier, Lee labeled Pride Month as Satanic and championed legislation that banned Pride flags from government buildings. Isn’t it great that we still have lawmakers willing to legislate morality—their morality—or whatever it is?

Top 10 Ways Mike Lee Tries to Be Like Trump

10. Wears long red ties that he frequently trips on.

9. Throws Big Macs at the wall when he gets upset.

8. Often lies about previous lies.

7. Likes to post on X that Democrats are sicko Marxists.

6. Scratches his butt in public.

5. Thinks America Can Be Great Again by giving tax breaks to the ultra rich.

4. Posts all kinds of weird crazy stuff to increase his online followers.

3. Thinks he’s brilliant and wants to be an “influencer.”

2. Posts jokes about people who were murdered in cold blood.

1. Like Trump, he loves to pour accolades on the president— who pours accolades on himself.

Note: In 2024 alone, Lee posted to X a total of 13,142 times—that’s nearly 1,100 posts a month, 36 posts a day, or one post roughly every 40 minutes, all year long. (Source: The Salt Lake Tribune)

What to Do When a Man Comes With an Assault Rifle

Well heck, Wilson, what would you do if someone came around with an AR-15 assault rifle—the weapon that was designed to kill a lot of people fast? Mass shootings are no anomaly in the United States. In 2024 alone, 711 people were killed and 2,375 wounded in 586 mass shootings (defined as when four or more people are injured or killed), according to the non-profit research group Gun Violence Archive.

So here comes this dude with an assault rifle. He could kill everyone around him in a couple of minutes. But in Utah—an open carry state—it’s perfectly legal to carry around an assault rifle or handgun like the guy at the “No Kings” march in downtown Salt Lake City.

Second Amendment proponents say freedom grows out of the barrel of a gun. Translation: If we want to be free, we should all carry guns.

You’re right, Wilson, that’s totally absurd pretzel logic. Making things worse is that almost every crackpot, weirdo, stupid kid or angry adult can buy any kind of firearm, anytime. Wilson, you and the guys in the band could go to the gun store and become a militia in no time flat. That’s be-

cause the powerful gun lobby, including the National Rifle Association (NRA), gives greenbacks and heat—the carrot and the stick—to weak-willed legislators who want to keep them happy.

So here’s this dude in a crowd with an assault rifle: Is he a mass killer or just a stupid punk? What do you do, wait for him to start shooting?

Postscript—That’s a wrap for another bizarre week here at Smart Bomb, where we keep track of the 400-pound gorillas in the room so you don’t have to. Well Wilson, we’ve got a lot of gorillas to keep track of—where to start. Maybe to keep our sanity, we shouldn’t enumerate all those hairy beasts hanging about.

It’s downright depressing—just when you think things can’t possibly get any worse, they get worse. We’re not blaming anybody (Donald Trump), but if the gold sneakers fit ...

You know, Wilson, that’s a good idea—let’s look around for some good news:

—“I Wasn’t Going Home Without Him”: Man Dives Into Pond To Save Dog From Alligator

—Police Officer Smashes Way Into Burning Car To Rescue 68-Year-Old Woman

—Teen Returns Lost Wallet, Gets Dream E-Bike From Grateful Stranger

—Blind Mother Of Five Graduates From Tennessee Tech With Honors

—A Stranger Performed CPR For 20 Minutes And Saved A Montreal Man’s Life

—Five-Year-Old Boy Draws 99 Animals For Sir David Attenborough’s 99th Birthday

Well, what do you know, there is some good news after all. You’re right Wilson, it would be cool if we could at least get some good news with our steady diet of horror. Or, what if we got 50% good news along with 50% bad news. Then, at least we’d feel half good.

Private Eye is off this week. Christopher Smart writes the weekly Smart Bomb column, available at cityweekly.net. Send feedback to comments@cityweekly.net.

HITS & MISSES

MISS: War and Peace

“Peacekeeper”—it’s such a comforting word. Don’t we all want to be peacekeepers? And yet, it’s a favorite nickname for guns, of any type. And now, it has morphed into a name for random people carrying firearms wherever they want because, of course, they want to keep the peace. Instead, at a “peaceful” rally of tens of thousands of people, one of those “peacekeepers” shot and killed an innocent bystander. It’s almost comical to hear 2nd Amendment proponents talk about how complicated this all is. It’s complicated because the Legislature has chosen to allow adults to carry firearms, openly or concealed, without a permit. That it’s confusing for the public goes without saying. The peacekeeper’s intended target, Arturo Gamboa, has been released from custody, because who knows what he intended? How’s that working for us now? We should all be very afraid—of everything.

MISS: Measles and Mumps

Here we go. Utah just had its first verified case of measles and if you’ve been to Utah County lately, you may be at risk. But it’s all good, right? RFK, Jr. warns us about vaccines. One commenter on the Deseret News site says this: “RFK is here to protect us from fluoride and food coloring, not diseases like measles.” More like, he’s here to make sure kids get lots of natural cavities—and maybe measles, too. If you follow anyone on Instagram, it should be Dr. Noc (Morgan McSweeney), an actual scientist who says he was wrong to say RFK, Jr. was unqualified. No—Noc underestimated just how unqualified RFK, Jr. is. There have been 1,214 confirmed measles cases nationally as of June 19. So buckle up.

HIT: The People’s Choice

Finally, we have the “official” answer. Utah’s lieutenant governor has confirmed that the referendum campaign against the Legislature’s antiunion bill garnered 140,000 verified signatures statewide. That’s more than enough to meet the ballot qualifications. But don’t expect anything to happen this year. First, opponents have 45 days to “persuade” voters to take their names off the petition. And Gov. Spencer Cox has declined to call a special election, so Utahns will have to wait until 2026 to decide whether they want to outlaw unions. Because the Legislature knows best, they passed HB267 to prohibit public sector collective bargaining. Of course, no one knows how the Republican electorate would vote, especially since the GOP seems to like to restrict power to those who have been elected. CW

BY ELLE CROSSLEY

Market Forces

This summer marks the ninth year

Salsa Del Diablo has set up shop at Salt Lake’s Downtown Farmers Market. Daniel Benites—owner of the Utah-based brand—said their fresh salsa “kills it” at the market, and patrons keep them busy. The Downtown Farmers Market has become a staple since it was first established in 1992.

According to Visit Utah, it now draws between 10,000 and 15,000 shoppers to its home in Pioneer Park each week.

This season kicked off following big news for the market’s future. Last month, the Downtown Alliance proposed a permanent facility in the park, allowing the market to operate yearround. Development and construction are projected to start as early as 2026.

With notable transformations on the horizon, local vendors say they’re optimistic, while they consider what an ongoing market could mean for business. Benites said it will create a core headquarters for sellers, making the downtown operation more viable.

“It’s about time,” he said. “It’s a long time coming.”

The permanent market is an important feature that has been missing, according to Benites. He’s watched the seasonal market grow and get busier in his time as a vendor. From what he’s seen at other Utah markets, he said he thinks 2025 will see more foot traffic than any previous year.

This year’s newcomers come from across the state, like Grumpy Dough, The Grey Rabbit Bakery, Heat Street, Higbee Honey Farm and Spring Brook Dairy. Italian street food restaurant Marcato Kitchen is another first-time participant. It opened a year and a half ago, and owner/chef Kyle Williams said the opportunity to sell offerings across all seasons will increase exposure for local businesses like his.

“It’s everything when you’re small and you have to create trust with the community,” he said. “To meet face to face, where the owner, the chef, the creator, can talk with the consumer.”

Benites echoed the sentiment. He said the market is a place for young businesses to get their start and hear feedback from customers. “It really gives you that kind of stepping stone to be able to hit that next level,” he adds.

The option to sell products through the whole year could prompt growth for long-time vendors, too. Tagge’s Famous Fruit has offered locally grown produce at the market for 30 years.

Manager Laci Tagge said peak harvest spans from June to October. During other months, they offer jams, salsas and preserves. “It would definitely maybe stretch us to find out other ways to grow in the off-season,” she said.

Keeping the market in one place all year long would help to establish consistency for buyers looking for fresh, clean products, according to Tagge.

“I think it would also give the opportunity to have a one-stop-shop,” she added. “Come get everything they need that’s local, and then go home.”

For Tagge, that potential is exciting. She said that Tagge’s Famous Fruit is eager to grow and offer more to the Salt Lake City community. CW

Comic Release

Salt Lake Acting Company’s summer show threads the needle of creating satirical comedy in an anxious time.

BY SCOTT RENSHAW scottr@cityweekly.net @scottrenshaw

Despite what some “cancelled” alarmists would have you believe, comedy has always been about understanding where the lines are, when to cross them, and when not to. After decades of satirizing the local and national socio-political landscape in its summer shows, Salt Lake Acting Company seems to understand how to navigate that tricky terrain.

The 2025 incarnation of the SLAC summer show—The Secret Lives of the Real Wives of the Salt Lake Hive—takes as its foundation the popular Utah-set reality shows The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City and The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. But according to the show’s head writer, Austin Archer, that doesn’t mean a shooting-fish-in-abarrel approach to mocking its subjects.

“The thing we want to be careful about as a writing team is always, you never want to be punching down,” Archer says. “I think it could be really easy for me, as a straight, white cisgender man, being like, ‘Aren’t all these ladies on these reality TV shows just so much?’ … I do think that the shots we wind up taking at the culture around the women in these circles is mostly in good fun, and I think we also wind up being pretty respectful regarding what they’ve built—the fact that they are entrepreneurs, and they run businesses.”

Cynthia Fleming—Salt Lake Acting Company’s artistic director, who also directed this production—adds, “I was very mindful of, ‘how do you portray something that’s

TV watcher, but for research, I was paid to watch The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. The first three episodes it was kind of tough to get into, but then towards the end, I am into these women. I understand them. I relate to them. And we are portraying them as real, because they are real women; they’re not a parody of themselves.”

Archer—a popular social-media content creator raised in Utah but currently based in Los Angeles—also believes that he has gotten a unique perspective on how to approach the quirky absurdities of Utah culture by virtue of being the token Utahn in his social circles.

“The whole time I was living in New York City, I had friends from all over the world,” Archer says. “Every time I would tell people I was from Salt Lake City, people would be, ‘What’s that like?’ There was this curiosity about this really weird place; out of all the places in the United States, that state was fascinating to so many of my friends. So I got really used to trying to explain my home state and my home city to people from the outside.”

There are always complicated choices to be made regarding what to include in the script, and how to include it—especially as news is always breaking while the show is in the works. Archer describes it as “like writing Saturday Night Live, where they have a show that they’re building on Wednesday, and it’s a completely different show by Saturday, because something happens Saturday morning that they’ve got to work into Weekend Update.” Fleming compliments Archer, for example, not just for being able to include the late-breaking “break-up” between Donald Trump and Elon Musk in the script, but doing so in a way that runs throughout the show.

When it came to Sen. Mike Lee’s tasteless social-media posts regarding political assassinations in Minnesota, on the other hand—well, there are things that just aren’t meant to be made funny.

The musical parody format of the show—written by Archer, previous SLAC Summer Show head writer Olivia Custo-

dio and lyricist Penelope Caywood—does, however, allow for a lot of latitude in finding release valves for the frustrations of the show’s likely-mostly-progressive audience. In 2025, according to Archer, finding ways to provide that catharsis is both tricky and necessary.

“Cabaret came up while we were writing this,” he says. “It feels very much right now in the arts like we’re living out that show: There are these performers just trying to put on a fun, escapist cabaret for people, in a situation where outside, nothing is normal. … And they’re trying to walk that line of, ‘Is it ethical for us to be trying to present this escapism, or should we just be saying, everybody, we need to be sounding the alarms and doing more?’

“In the first 100 days of this second administration,” Archer adds, “it was really

obvious that, you know, a lighter satirical touch doesn’t really get the job done now. With some of this stuff, you need to hit a little harder, because people are feeling it harder. So there’s some swings we took with this script, that I went to Cynthia and she said, ‘Yeah, I think that we need to be able to go there, as the company that does this show.’ We take a few swings that I think are necessary in this moment to drive home that we’re aware of what’s happening outside of the theater.” CW

THE SECRET LIVES OF THE REAL WIVES OF THE SALT LAKE HIVE Salt Lake Acting Company 168 W. 500 North June 25 – Aug. 17 saltlakeactingcompany.org

Tori Kenton, Rachel Johnson, Robert Scott Smith, Noelani Brown and Mikki Reeve in The Secret Lives of the Real Wives of the Salt Lake Hive

Utah Symphony: Star Wars: A New Hope in Concert

Over the past nearly 50 years, Star Wars has become a cultural phenomenon, inspiring multiple films, animated and live-action series, spinoff books, games, theme-park attractions and more. So it may be hard for those who weren’t there at the time to get a sense for what it was like to be in a theater in 1977 when Star Wars was fresh and new. For a grade-schooler watching the saga unfold, it felt monumental—and that was in no small part thanks to the blast of adrenaline you got when the title appeared on the screen accompanied by the blasting fanfare of John Williams’ iconic score.

“Play to screen” performances have become a standard part of symphonic repertoire around the country, and Utah Symphony has been no exception. But there are some such occasions when the presentation feels like an event, especially for those who have never had a chance to see the original Star Wars—the one onto which we old heads only grudgingly allow Episode IV: A New Hope to be tagged—on a big screen. This week, Utah Symphony plays along with the entirety of the film, allowing the soaring crescendos and Darth Vader marches to ring through the glorious acoustics of Abravanel Hall. It’s a Force that will always be with you.

Utah Symphony presents Star Wars: A New Hope in Concert at Abravanel Hall (123 W. South Temple) for three performances, June 26 – 28 at 7 p.m. nightly. Tickets are $38 - $112; visit utahsymphony.org to purchase tickets and for additional event information. (Scott Renshaw)

theESSENTIALS ENTERTAINMENT

Complete listings online at cityweekly.net

JUNE 26-JULY 3, 2025

Amplify

Utah: In Their Words Exhibition

The issue of homelessness is complicated, sometimes made even more complicated by the way it’s covered journalistically—either in news stories focused on controversies, or through a superficial “parachute” approach to interviews. While the non-profit Amplify Utah has focused its mission on community-based journalism, executive director and University of Utah journalism faculty member Marcie Young Cancio sought an approach that would allow the voices of people experiencing homelessness to be heard.

The result is In Their Words, an 18-month project launched in early 2023 in which photographers Stephen Speckman and Kelly Hannah got to know multiple individuals representing a spectrum of life experiences, earning their trust before taking photos and recording their stories. And those stories are often touching and heartbreaking, sharing moments of profound grief and struggles with substance abuse and mental illness.

Young Cancio emphasizes why she considers this a “storytelling” effort rather than a work of journalism: “The very heart of this story was to provide a platform for people whose voices are underheard to be heard and seen. They would often hear thank you, and people would often say, ‘We appreciate you listening.’ And I just think that’s something we don’t do often enough. … We don’t want it to be a do-gooder kind of project; that’s not the goal. We’re offering people a platform.”

Amplify Utah’s In Their Words exhibition runs through July 18 at the Salt Lake City Main Library (210 E. 400 South), free and open to the public during regular library operating hours. Visit amplifyutah.org/in-their-words for additional information. (SR)

SLC Pride

America ca. 2025 has turned into a place where being labeled an “outlaw” might be a badge of honor. That makes the “OUTlaws” theme for the 2025 incarnation of the SLC Pride festival—paying homage to the rebellious spirit that has always characterized the LGBTQ+ rights movement—particularly fitting. “This year’s theme invites our community to embrace their authentic selves with boldness and courage,” said Tami Mandarino, Media Director of SLC Pride. “Being an ‘OUTlaw’ means standing proudly in your identity, even when society tries to push you to the margins.”

As a counterpoint to that idea of exclusion, SLC Pride welcomes everyone in, including the availability of a neurodivergent zone for those who might need a bit of a break from the high-energy environment of a festival and free admission so nobody will ever be priced out of the ability to attend. Over the course of two days, SLC Pride will host multiple stages of entertainment—including performances by Die Shiny and Venus Death Trap, in addition to the Drag King Brunch—as well as food vendors, community booths and tables and all-ages-friendly activities. As Pride Month comes to a close, take one more opportunity for a welcoming celebration of inclusivity and listening to the voices of the local community.

SLC Pride runs at The Gateway (400 W. 200 South) between June 28-29, noon – 10 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. Sunday. The event is free and open to the public both days. Visit slc-pride.org for additional information, including up-to-the-minute schedules of performances. (SR)

It All Dads Up

F1 delivers a high-energy, stardriven paradigm for the “dad movie” subgenre.

BY SCOTT RENSHAW scottr@cityweekly.net @scottrenshaw

The four-quadrant-ification of studio theatrical distribution—that sense that everything needs to be a billion-dollar blockbuster—has become so prevalent that many genres ideal for specific demographics have become endangered species. And that notion is not only true of smaller films like romantic comedies; there are other kinds that you only realize are rare when you spot them in the wild. In the case of F1, that type is the “dad movie.” It’s tempting to think of “dad movies” as synonymous with “action movies,” but you would be mistaken. True, they have a certain energy to them, but they are not so much action movies as movies about men of action—sometimes (but not always) military, sometimes (but not always) covert operatives, sometimes (but not always) athletes. These are the tales that will show up on TNT cable movie slots from now until the end of time, movies like director Joseph Kosinski’s Top Gun: Maverick that tick all the boxes for the “dad movie”: a sense of danger, a fast pace, present-butusually-discreet sexuality and a movie star with the charisma to hold it all together. Kosinski’s latest entry into that genre is F1, and it’s such a quintessential dad movie that it feels like an act of corporate malpractice on Warner Bros.’ part that it wasn’t in theaters by Father’s Day. The supercharged world of auto racing makes for the perfect milieu as we meet Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt), an aging driver whose once-promising career was derailed years earlier by a serious accident, leaving him an itinerant

wheelman-for-hire finding work wherever he can. He’s approached by Ruben (Javier Bardem), a one-time racing peer who now owns a floundering Formula 1 racing team. That team will be sold out from under Ruben unless the team can win one of the nine remaining races in the F1 season, meaning Ruben needs Sonny and his savvy, both behind the wheel and serving as mentor to promising rookie driver Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris).

Ehren Kruger’s script has an almost ideal structure in the ticking-clock countdown of the remaining races in various exotic locations, plus the kind of sparring-theoreticalteammates dynamic between Sonny and Joshua that owes a debt to Bull Durham F1 could have stood a little more of the humor that Ron Shelton brought to Bull Durham rather than just having the two men periodically shove one another against walls in frustration, but the stakes are always clear— indeed, clear to a fault, as this is one of those sports movies where the non-stop yammering of the play-by-play announcers assumes

not just that you have no prior knowledge of the sport’s rules, but that you have no ability to understand the basic information unfolding on the screen in front of you.

Still, it’s the kind of sturdy contraption that understands how to put all the pieces together in a way that satisfies on the necessary visceral levels. Kerry Condon—as the racing team’s chief engineer, Kate—provides the romantic interest, and she brings enough heft in her performance that she doesn’t feel like a token character, plus with enough maturity that pairing her with Pitt doesn’t feel icky. There’s not an obvious villain per se for most of the running time, making the competition effective as more of a “man against himself” variety. As for the actual race sequences, Kosinski and editor Stephen Mirrione find a sweet spot of conveying the thrill both for a spectator and for the drivers of 200+ MPH racing, and the drama that can emerge during a simple pit stop.

Then there’s Brad Pitt, who remains a movie star in a post-movie star world. Just

Kosinski did with Tom

in Maverick, he gives Pitt the opportunity to show a sense of history weighing on a guy who still has plenty of fight left in him. And there’s a similar success at allowing his star to bounce that energy off of the rest of the cast, playing the man who always has a strategic plan just a step ahead of everyone else. Even the many quirks F1 gives Sonny—like his propensity for wearing mismatched socks, or his ever-present deck of playing cards—feel like the authentic “don’t mess with his routine” stuff of a superstitious veteran athlete. Pitt is always fun to watch, and F1 remains fun to watch along with him. Your dad will approve. CW

Bardem

PG-13 Available June 27 in theaters

as

Cruise

Brad Pitt and Damson

Idris in F1.

City Weekly’s Best Of Utah Top 10!

Looking to perfect your moves on the dance floor? Maybe you want to learn some for the first time. Or perhaps you’d prefer to enjoy what the professionals can do instead? Whatever you’re looking for, the following dance companies have shown particular finesse in these areas. Give these groups a look and see where it takes you!

City Weekly’s Best Of Utah Top 10!

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OUT OF THE (BLACK) BOX

UTAH AND ITS FLAGSHIP UNIVERSITY ARE DIVING HEADFIRST INTO ARTIFICIAL I NTELLIGENCE, COME WHAT MAY.

BY WES LONG comments@cityweekly.net

Patrick Abbott loves cinema and would very much like to be a filmmaker. As a University of Utah student, he initially studied screenwriting before turning to editing, with the pioneering editor and sound designer Walter Murch (The Godfather, Return to Oz) as his inspiration.

“There’s a lot of creativity left to the editor to make things their own,” said Abbott, who asked to be identified by a pseudonym. “It highlights the ability to so drastically change something.”

Looking for upper division credits to complete his degree, Abbott was intrigued by an experimental course listed in the U’s catalog for spring 2024: “AI Filmmaking.”

“I took it initially thinking it would broaden my horizons in terms of the subject,” he recalled. “I figured that since it was from the university that it would have more research and thought put into it. I was left unimpressed.”

The stated goal of the class—according to its syllabus—was to familiarize students with generative AI tools in a workshop atmosphere as they produced “synthetic media” projects, and to “give them a competitive advantage as contemporary artists in the 21st century.” Other listed objectives included understanding the role AI “will” play in future filmmaking, identifying “disruptive innovations” allegedly wrought by the technology, and reflecting on the changing role of the artist “in a world where AI can generate new art.” AI generators—such as China’s Kling and San Francisco’s ChatGPT—are introduced to students in the first few weeks, leaving the rest of the semester for them to develop their synthetic media. While an AI photo program is available with the Adobe package provided through their tuition, students are advised by their instructor to use as many other platforms as possible, necessitating paid subscriptions. And multiple AI prompts are typically required to produce a desired shot, adding to the out-of-pocket costs.

But expenses aside, Abbott said he was bothered by the central features of the course: the premise that AI was “creat-

ing” art at all and that AI’s many costs and drawbacks were going unmentioned.

“I think it’s harmful to the students to introduce AI and treat it as if it’s on equal ground with traditional filmmaking,” Abbott remarked. “To act like prompting something is equal to art is irresponsible. I can’t think of a worse thing to tell young creatives than that anything they get right is because of the machine and anything that comes out poorly is due to user error.”

Kenneth Collins, the course instructor, takes such criticisms in stride. An affable man in his second year of teaching at the U, Collins is a professional artist with a background in live performance.

“I’ve always integrated technology in my work,” Collins explained. “Over the years, I’ve always tried to plug in the next new thing.”

Jumping the Gun

It wasn’t until the social distancing of COVID that Collins developed an interest in incorporating AI into his work. His subsequent graduate studies at the University of Iowa advanced that interest even further.

Today, with the technology supposedly improving from week to week—or so he insists—Collins believes that AI will be used either to produce entire films or augment traditional ones.

“I think it’s becoming more user friendly and accessible as a technology,” he said. “It’s going to become increasingly incorporated into people’s workflows.”

He acknowledged how little even he perceives about AI. “Most of us don’t understand how any of these programs really work,” Collins said. “There’s a little bit of a black box phenomenon happening.”

Collins noted that students who take his course hold different perspectives regarding AI, some of whom eventually warm to it, while others are quite the reverse. But he emphasized that demand for the course has been “consistently strong.” Consequently, he has organized campus events like the Deepfake Festival and Live/Wired to showcase his students’ synthetic work.

Art, to Collins, is more of an “intellectual exercise” than one of ability. As to public concerns about AI—as a devourer of copyrighted material to train its models or its enormous use of power—such issues are not his “sandbox.”

“I don’t know that it’s entirely clear to me what it means to make something original aside from AI,” he says. “These are issues that are worthy to be addressed and there are numerous people in the world doing their best to solve them.”

He also asserts that the power demands of AI data centers will decline over time.

“I think its environmental impact will hopefully be mitigated by its ability to figure out solutions to its environmental impact,” Collins contended.

Such was the optimistic tone of Manish Parashar and James Agutter, representatives of the university’s One-U Responsible AI Initiative (RAI) and the Center for Teaching Excellence, respectively, with whom Abbott met to discuss his experience in Collins’ class.

“AI has gone from zero to 100 very, very quickly,” Parashar told Abbott during a video call (which City Weekly also attended), admitting that AI has ethical, environmental and security issues as well as bias.

Parashar said that he and his colleagues at RAI seek to build the “right guardrails” for AI’s responsible use by students, faculty and administrators.

“We’re going to come up with new concepts—formulations that are more energy-efficient, that use less data,” Parashar said. “I think the technology itself is going to evolve and our ability to use it as a tool is going to evolve.”

Launched last year, RAI proposes to build a cyberinfrastructure of “computational resources, data, testbeds, algorithms, software, services, networks and user training and expertise” across university fields, per a 2023 press release.

As for raising awareness of AI’s risks, materials and workshops are available to instructors—but whether they actually use these resources is another matter.

“I think we might have jumped the gun a bit. All of those AI programs have immense costs and are not vetted,” Abbott said. “Over the whole semester, I didn’t even know that the Responsible AI Initiative existed at the U. What is there really to teach if not preparing students for the ramifications and risks of AI?”

Agutter responded that individual course reviews were available to students, but conceded that RAI’s literacy efforts to faculty could use some work.

“Can we do a better job? Yes,” he said during the video call.

But like Collins, RAI asserts that its mission is on behalf of students who are, in the words of Parashar, “best prepared for a future where AI is going to be part of it.” And they’re among many who are

“I’ve always tried to plug in the next new thing.”

—Kenneth Collins

well-positioned to get the machinery in place to create such a future, whether one wants it or not.

RAI’s external advisory board includes strategists, academics and industrialists as well as Margaret Busse of the Utah Department of Commerce.

Busse leads the state’s Office of Artificial Intelligence Policy, whose primary existence, according to its website, is to mitigate regulations upon AI-using companies (which the department deems “unnecessary restrictions”) and offer exemptions, cap penalties for violations and tailor mitigation agreements.

Machine Learning

Audrey Watters is a New York-based writer with extensive study in the field of education technologies and a consistent critic of the proliferation of AI into classroom settings.

“Much of what gets sold to schools as ‘AI Literacy’ is really ‘tool training,’” Watters told City Weekly via email. “There’s little space for resistance, for critical thinking about this technology.”

Watters noted that AI studies have existed for roughly 70 years. And in that time period, the field has gone through high-profile “winters” when seeminglypromising breakthroughs ran into dead ends.

She said generative AI and large-language models may be headed for its own winter after an explosion in public use. “I’m not sure one can really make the argument that AI is getting better every day—not with a straight face,” Watters said.

But even if these models did continue to improve (rather than merely upgrade), Watters asserted that people should still question what “improvement” actually means and whether it is desirable. AI, after all, is wrong a not-insignificant amount of the time and has been trained off a “massive corpus” of stolen work that also encompasses social media posts, web pages, court proceedings and so on, in order to generate statistically likely images and sentences.

It is not an innovation, “disruptive” or otherwise, Watters stressed, but a management tool that fuels “growing economic inequality.”

Other studies lend further depth to the problem. Adam Zewe, reporting for MIT News in January, found that the immense power required to train generative AI models “demand a staggering amount of electricity,

“Our ability to use [AI] as a tool is going to evolve.”

—Manish

Parashar

“There’s little space for resistance, for critical thinking, about this technology.”

—Audrey Watters

which leads to increased carbon dioxide emissions and pressures on the electric grid.”

That doesn’t even account for the power expended by individual users of these platforms once the shortlived models are trained, the millions of gallons of water continually required to cool the hardware, and the toxic chemicals used to fabricate processors that can handle generative AI workloads.

Data centers across the globe, by themselves, Zewe continued, are currently “the 11th largest electricity consumer in the world, between the nations of Saudi Arabia (371 terawatts) and France (463 terawatts).” AI power consumption is expected to raise data centers to a combined fifth-place ranking worldwide by 2026.

With every synthetic film generation, internet meme, email summary and coerced AI addition to one’s device, a lot of energy is expended, and at great cost to ourselves as human beings, as this and other lines of research suggest.

In another January study, Prof. Dr. Michael Gerlich found a “significant negative correlation between frequent AI tool usage and critical thinking abilities, mediated by increased cognitive offloading.” And with the proliferation of AI into education, as one teacher told reporter James Walsh for the May 2025 Intelligencer, the learning process has been compromised, no longer prioritizing effort or creativity but rather proper input commands, producing students who are “essentially illiterate.”

“The ideal of college as a place of intellectual growth, where students engage with deep, profound ideas, was gone long before ChatGPT,” Walsh added. “The combination of high costs and a winner-take-all economy had already made it feel transactional, a means to an end. … In a way, the speed and ease with which AI proved itself able to do college-level work simply exposed the rot at the core.”

Indeed, as Watters asked in a 2014 publication, “when we see signs of thinking or teaching in machines, what does that really signal? Is it that our machines are becoming more ‘intelligent,’ more human? Or is it that humans are becoming more mechanical?”

Reworking the Narrative

AI is not “intelligent” at all, but rather something designed to simulate knowledge according to mathematical algorithms, observed Theodore Roszak in The Cult of Information. “The mind thinks, not with data, but with

ideas whose creation and elaboration cannot be reduced to a set of predictable rules,” he wrote.

The mysterious moment of inspiration, the dream or flash of intuition cannot be replicated artificially, he added, and any institution or industry that foists mechanical substitutes upon the young are stifling them before they have a chance to truly develop.

“What do we gain from any point of view by convincing children that their minds are inferior to a machine that dumbly mimics a mere fraction of their native talents?” Roszak asked.

For students like Abbott, the answer to that question, whether from a sociological, ethical, environmental or creative standpoint, is resoundingly less than zero.

“People are entitled to their opinions, and it’s ok if they’re excited about AI,” Abbott remarked, “But as someone who doesn’t like AI, I wish it wasn’t being adopted by the U and the state. I think people are getting ahead of themselves.”

He stressed the importance of getting laws and regulations in place and to address the problems of AI before it is fully adopted.

“We just don’t know enough about it as a public—where the money’s going, how our information is being used, and how much AI already ‘knows’ about its users,” Abbott said.

Despite the confidence of its many boosters and technicians, AI remains a dubious and corrosive force. So why is it being embedded so strenuously?

“As with climate change,” James Bradley wrote for The Guardian in 2024, “we have been tricked into thinking there are no alternatives, and that the economic systems we inhabit are natural, and arguing with them makes about as much sense as arguing with the wind. In fact the opposite is true. Companies like Meta and Alphabet and, more recently, OpenAI, have only achieved their extraordinary wealth and power because of very specific regulatory and economic conditions. These arrangements can be altered.”

We can expect this familiar tale to play out until enough people decide to drastically change. Such a course correction, critics and scholars suggest, requires many long hours of revising and, in many cases, complete restructuring to the systems in which we operate and live.

It’s not unlike the artful adjustments that any skilled editor can lend to a particularly troubled film production. The real question, at this point, is whether the tech industry and its powerful allies will allow such a reworked narrative to play. CW

Vertical Diner’s New Vegan Venture

Vertical Deli has opened its doors and a menu of meatless comfort food awaits.

BY ALEX SPRINGER comments@cityweekly.net @captainspringer

I’ve always been an equal-opportunity diner, which means I let myself enjoy Utah’s plant-based dining options whenever the mood strikes me. This was how I discovered Central Ninth’s Vertical Diner when it was still over on West Temple, and it was also how I discovered how great plant-based dining can be in Utah.

After becoming one of Salt Lake’s pioneers in the field of plant-based cuisine, Vertical Diner has opened Vertical Deli, a second location with a brand-new concept. As Vertical Diner has demonstrated some profound skills with its meatless comfort food menu, seeing it branch out into a quick-eats style deli concept is pretty exciting.

Vertical Deli set up shop in the space next to the Century 16 Theaters on 3300 South and State Street; I remember it once belonged to the short-lived Dolly’s Donuts. The interior has adopted the Vertical brand’s welcoming aesthetic, and the deli display case is now home to some of the familiar side dishes and desserts that Vertical Diner made popular. The menu has a few favorites that Vertical Diner fans will recognize—glad to see the Mac and Cheese burger ($8.75) and Tender Tigers ($10-$25) again—but there’s plenty

of new stuff here as well.

DINE

I kicked off my visit by exploring a few classics of the deli and burger scene. It seemed appropriate to pay homage to the Reuben sandwich, as it’s the undisputed ruler of deli culture. Vertical’s Rueben ($8.25) has all the parts necessary to make this classic happen. We’ve got some thick slices of toasted marble rye, plantbased corned beef, house-made kraut and slices of Vertical’s white cheese. In my eyes, a good Reuben is all about the fatty protein and the acidic sauerkraut, and honestly, this meatless version hits all the flavor bases, even though its protein is decidedly free of fat.

It’s a sandwich that packs all the familiarity of the classic, mainly because of that tasty rye bread and that sharp kraut. I think it could do with a few more slices of the corned beef, but its presence is strong enough to adequately communicate that nice, cured meat flavor to your taste buds. One revelation here was the white cheese. I’m a tough sell on plantbased cheese, but this stuff melted everso-nicely on the sandwich, and did some heavy lifting on the richness front. This is where the sandwich really came together, so I have to throw some serious praise on the Vertical Deli cheese game. Moving over to the burger side of the menu, I went with the mushroom and Swiss ($8.75). Much like the burgers at Vertical Diner, the deli burgers are generously portioned and packed full of hearty flavors. The default patty on Vertical Deli’s menu is a house-made lentil burger, and it’s a great stand-in for a ground beef burger. It’s got lettuce, tomato and onion, but it’s the heap of grilled mushrooms that really make this burger stand out. Mushrooms are magical when it comes to going meatless and still wanting to feel satisfied. This burger is very mushroomforward, and I mean that in the best way. With all the veggies and more of that

great, creamy cheese, this is always a win on the deli’s burger menu. You also can’t beat the feeling of eating a good burger and then still having post-lunch energy left over to get you through your day.

Fans of Vertical Diner’s breakfast menu will be pleased to know that the tofu scramble is well-represented on Vertical Deli’s breakfast burrito ($8), and breakfast is served all day. The deli’s version is a more hand-held version of Vertical Diner’s Sunrise Burrito, but it still has all the black beans, yellow cheese and country potatoes that make the original a classic. If you’re after more of a sit-down situation, both the Kings Peak ($9) and the Smokey Mountain ($9) are considerable breakfast food piles that will require a dine-in visit to polish off.

Essentially, Vertical Deli is packing the same welcoming vibes and soulful meatless comfort food that made Vertical Diner such a local institution. The grab-and-go concept really works here, and it’s cool to see some of Vertical Diner’s classic menu items get a quick-eats revamp. There are some great deli sides like curried potato salad, and desserts like brownies and shoofly pie are easy to add to your meal. I’m also crossing my fingers that the deli decides to make that drive-through lane operational.

It’s still early on in Vertical Deli’s journey, but thus far it’s off to a good start— and there’s still a lot of the menu that I’d like to check out. The deli concept really works for the Vertical brand, and having another local spot that caters to those on plant-based or gluten-free diets is always welcome. Utah’s meatless menus keep getting better, and it’s great to have more of Vertical’s recipes to go around. CW

2 Row Brewing

73 West 7200 South, Midvale

2RowBrewing.com

On Tap: “Czech One-Two” Czech Pilsner

Avenues Proper

376 8th Ave, SLC avenuesproper.com

On Tap: Steamy Wonder Rye Steam Ale

Bewilder Brewing

445 S. 400 West, SLC BewilderBrewing.com

On Tap: Pink Boots - Pink Pony Pilz

Bohemian Brewery

94 E. Fort Union Blvd, Midvale BohemianBrewery.com

NEW Releases: Kölsch, Dusseldorfer “Alt” Bier

Bonneville Brewery 1641 N. Main, Tooele BonnevilleBrewery.com

On Tap: Peaches and Cream Ale

chappell.beer

On Tap: Playground #13 - Hazy Pale with Lemondrop and Sultana

Corner Brew Pub Sugar House

2110 S. Highland Drive, SLC saltlakebrewingco.com/ wasatch

On Tap:  Top of Main Mother Urban’s Parlor Blonde Ale

Craft by Proper 1053 E. 2100 So., SLC properbrewingco.com

On Tap: Steamy Wonder Rye Steam Ale

Desert Edge Brewery

273 Trolley Square, SLC DesertEdgeBrewery.com

On Tap:  Centennial Steamer, California Common Lager

Epic Brewing Co.

825 S. State, SLC EpicBrewing.com

On Tap: Matsumoto Japanese Rice Lager

www.ettaplacecider.com

On Tap: Wassail Cider, Pineapple Passion Fruit Session Mead

Fisher Brewing Co.

320 W. 800 South, SLC FisherBeer.com

On Tap: A rotation of up to 17 Fresh Beers!

Grid City Beer Works

333 W. 2100 South, SLC GridCityBeerWorks.com

On Tap: Cask Nitro CO2

Helper Beer

159 N Main Street, Helper, UT  helperbeer.com

Hopkins Brewing Co. 1048 E. 2100 South, SLC HopkinsBrewingCompany.com

On Tap: Krispy The Kid - Rice Lager

Kiitos Brewing

608 W. 700 South, SLC KiitosBrewing.com

Now with a full bar license & draft beer cocktails!

On Tap: Sake Rice Lager (collab with Tsuki Sake); Tropical Haze

Level Crossing Brewing Co.

2496 S. West Temple, South Salt Lake

LevelCrossingBrewing.com

On Tap: El Santo Mexican Lager

Level Crossing Brewing Co.,

550 South 300 West, Suite

LevelCrossingBrewing.com

On Tap: Fruit Bat Sour Ale

Moab Brewing

686 S. Main, Moab TheMoabBrewery.com

On Tap:  Arnie (Co-Lab with 2 Row brewing): cream ale base with Lychee black tea and fresh pasteurized lemon juice.

Mountain West Cider

425 N. 400 West, SLC MountainWestCider.com

On Tap: Berry Me in ThymeRaspberry Thyme Hard Cider

Offset Bier Co

1755 Bonanza Dr Unit C, Park City offsetbier.com/

On Tap: DOPO IPA

Ogden Beer Company

358 Park Blvd, Ogden OgdenBeerCompany.com

On Tap: 11 rotating taps as well as high point cans and guest beers

Park City Brewing 1764 Uinta Way C1 ParkCityBrewing.com

On Tap: Park City PalmerHard Iced Tea

Policy Kings Brewery

79 W. 900 South, Salt Lake City PolicyKingsBrewery.com

Prodigy Brewing 25 W Center St. Logan Prodigy-brewing.com

On Tap: 302 Czech Pilsner

Proper Brewing/Proper Burger 857 So. Main & 865 So. Main properbrewingco.com  On Tap: Steamy Wonder Rye Steam Ale

Proper Brewing Moab 1393 US-191, Moab properbrewingco.com  On Tap: Blizzard Wizard Hazy Pale Ale

Red Rock Brewing 254 So. 200 West RedRockBrewing.com On Tap: Gypsy Scratch

Red Rock Fashion Place 6227 So. State Redrockbrewing.com

On Tap: Grand Bavaria

Red Rock Kimball Junction 1640 Redstone Center Redrockbrewing.com

On Tap: Bamberg Rauch Bier

RoHa Brewing Project 30 Kensington Ave, SLC RoHaBrewing.com

On Tap: Shambo Juicy IPA

Roosters Brewing Multiple Locations

RoostersBrewingCo.com

On Tap: Cranberry Lime Seltzer

SaltFire Brewing 2199 S. West Temple, South Salt Lake SaltFireBrewing.com On Tap: Everyone’s Welcome Fruited Saison - Pride Month Beer in can

Salt Flats Brewing 2020 Industrial Circle, SLC SaltFlatsBeer.com On Tap: OPEN ROAD SERIES #3 - Barrel Aged Grand Cru

Scion Cider Bar 916 Jefferson St W, SLC Scionciderbar.com On Tap: Scion Cider PieCycle - 6.4% ABV

Second Summit Cider 4010 So. Main, Millcreek https://secondsummitcider. com On Tap: Blackberry Lime 6.5%

Shades Brewing 1388 S. 300 West, Salt Lake City

ShadesBrewing.beer New Batch: Coyote Ugli (New England Style Double IPA)

Shades On State 366 S. State Street, Salt Lake City

Shadesonstate.com On Tap: Six Wheat Under Hefeweizen

Silver Reef 4391 S. Enterprise Drive, St. George SGBev.com

Squatters Corner Pub –Valley Fair

3555 Constitution Blvd, West Valley City squatterscornerpub.com On Tap: Salt Lake Brewing Co. Acapulco Gold Mexican Lager

Squatters Pub Brewery / Salt Lake Brewing Co. 147 W. Broadway, SLC saltlakebrewingco.com/ squatters On Tap: Salt Lake Brewing Co. Go Easy Session IPA 2.9%

Strap Tank Brewery, Lehi 3661 Outlet Pkwy, Lehi, UT StrapTankBrewery.com

On Tap: “Blood For Ra” American Sour with Tart Cherry and Vanilla; “Pineapple Haze” Hazy IPA with Pineapple

Strap Tank Brewery, Springville

596 S 1750 W, Springville, UT StrapTankBrewery.com

On Tap: “Orange Hopsicle” Hazy Pale;

BEER NERD

A Series of Fortunate Events

Small-batch or limited-series beers promise innovation with a dash of exclusivity.

BY MIKE RIEDEL comments@cityweekly.net @utahbeer

The “small batch” series in a brewery’s portfolio can take on different designations from brewery to brewery, but they’re vital in driving innovation, while also keeping beer nerds happy, as we’re constantly screaming, “What have you done for me lately?” Here are two of the “small batches” available this week.

Epic - Small Batch Series (Rad Dad): Brewed for Father’s Day, this is a beer that makes its intentions known from the moment it’s poured. A beautiful, non-filtered, mostly-clear burnished copper fills the glass, crowned by a thin, ivory-colored head that leaves intricate lacing with every sip. The aroma is a powerful and unapologetic homage to the West Coast style, bursting forth with an intense wave of zesty, bitter orange peel and a hint of sticky pine resin and tropical fruits. It’s the scent of a classic, amplified. On the palate, this Triple IPA is a masterclass in balance and power. That initial orange peel character dominates the first taste, sharp and invigorating. But it doesn’t stand alone. A formidable malt profile immediately steps up to the plate, providing a sturdy backbone of toasted bread and deep caramel sweetness. This malt structure is crucial, expertly supporting the colossal hop load and the weighty 10.0 percent ABV. Just as you settle into that classic citrusand-caramel dynamic, the flavor profile makes a brilliant tropical shift. The orange gracefully transitions into notes of juicy pineapple and the unique sweettart character of guava, adding a modern, exotic twist.

Verdict: Perhaps its most impressive achievement is its sheer drinkability. The

alcohol is so well-hidden, it’s almost deceptive; there’s a pleasant, deep warmth, but with none of the boozy heat one might expect. The finish is long, resinous and satisfyingly bitter, drying the palate and demanding another taste. This is a powerhouse of a beer, a true “TrIPA” that celebrates its style with complexity and immense flavor, proving that big can still be beautiful and balanced.

RoHa - Brewer Select (Mustache Mercury): Pouring an unfiltered, deep gold into the glass with a sturdy, offwhite head, this double IPA immediately signals its hoppy intentions. The aroma is an intriguing departure from the usual tropical fruit bomb. Instead, it leads with a pronounced herbal quality, like fresh-cut grass and a sprig of mint, mingling with a zesty, pithy citrus character reminiscent of grapefruit peel and lime. Underlying this is a distinct vegetal note—not unpleasant, but a green, garden-like snap that adds a unique layer of complexity.

The first sip confirms the beer is unapologetically hop-forward. That bright citrus hits the palate first before giving way to the assertive herbal and green pepper core. Just as the profile verges on becoming sharp, a surprising wave of soft berry notes—think subtle raspberry and blackberry—emerges to provide balance and a touch of sweetness. The experience is backed by a pleasant, near-dank resinous quality that ties all the elements together, grounding the brighter notes.

Verdict: For a beer packing this much hop character, it’s remarkably wellintegrated. The mouthfeel is mediumbodied with a crisp, clean finish. It definitely “dials in” at DIPA strength, offering a satisfying 8.1 percent warmth without any harsh alcoholic bite. The finish is long, bitter and resinous, leaving a lingering echo of pine and citrus peel. This is a thinking person’s DIPA, a brew for those who appreciate a walk on the wild, green side of the style. It’s a bold and rewarding pint for the adventurous hop-head.

Of course, when you come across a small-batch or limited-release label, you should expect that these may be disappearing soon. If you want to ensure that you’re in the “cool kids club,” act now, not later. As always, cheers! CW

the BACK BURNER

BY AIMEE L. COOK

Outlaw Distillery Adds Arizona

The Midvale-based Outlaw Distillery, known for its grain-to-glass approach and commitment to community, is marking a bold new chapter with the acquisition and rebranding of Tempe’s Adventurous Stills. Why Arizona? With favorable liquor laws, a vibrant market for craft spirits and a community that truly appreciates artisanal beverages, Arizona offers the perfect environment for Outlaw Distillery’s continued growth. Through this expansion, the distillery is positioned to create strong local partnerships and connect with even more craft spirit enthusiasts across the Southwest.

“The business we took over was a very similar grain-to-glass facility,” said Tyler Halstead, CEO of Outlaw Distillery. “I had toured their facility four years ago as an industry partner, and we kept in touch. This allowed me to expand, open up another state, all while maintaining what is working in Utah.”

Outlaw Distillery will continue to craft its lineup of whiskey, rum, vodka and gin. With enhanced capacity and a broader distribution network, Outlaw’s mission to deliver exceptional craft spirits is stronger than ever.

Both the Utah and Arizona facilities will continue to uphold Outlaw Distillery’s commitment to small-batch, handcrafted spirits. The Utah location will maintain its production of 600-gallon batches, while the Arizona facility focuses on 200-gallon batches, a testament to their dedication to quality over quantity, ensuring that every bottle meets the high standards Outlaw is known for and allowing the team to preserve the intimate, hands-on processes that define their craft. By balancing production scales across both sites, Outlaw Distillery can serve a growing audience without compromising the character and authenticity of its spirits.

“We have officially rebranded [the former Adventurous Stills] to Outlaw Distillery, or Outlaw Distillery Arizona,” Halstead said. “In Arizona, we have a full tasting room and cocktail bar, so consumers can come in and have an old-fashioned or try the product by itself. We are not going anywhere; we will be increasing production. Currently, we are working on custom equipment. It is a great way to showcase what makes Utah special.”

Local Arizonans can find Outlaw products at Stockyard Steakhouse and the White Rabbit speakeasy in Gilbert. Additionally, 25 other accounts across the state stock or highlight Outlaw products, making it easier than ever for the community to savor these bold and authentic flavors. CW

Music Mailbag

June 2025

New releases from PIGDOG, Talia Keys and more.

BY EMILEE ATKINSON eatkinson@cityweekly.net @emileelovesvinyl

As we march steadily through the summer season, it’s important to have great playlists for your get-togethers, pool parties and road trips. Here are some recent releases from locals that you’ll want to check out and add to your summer soundtracks.

PIGDOG, “DEADWEIGHT”:

Many of you have probably seen Lucas Olivier rocking out on bass with beloved Provo band, Poolhouse. Last month, he released the debut single for his new solo project, PIGDOG, titled “DEADWEIGHT.” “PIGDOG makes music with no silver linings,” Olivier said of this new project. “‘DEADWEIGHT’ is an honest take on modern dating, mixing hard rock with indie guitar riffs.” PIGDOG holds nothing back on this debut—the song starts with heavy, crunchy guitar right out of the gate and progresses into an earnest and heartachingly poignant track that’s unfortunately very relatable to those struggling in the modern dating scene. I for one always need more songs that lament the state of the world, and there’s a lot to lament about right now. Hopefully we get more from PIGDOG soon, but “DEADWEIGHT” will more than hold you over until then.

Talia Keys, From the Ashes: I’m cheating a little with this one, giving you a whole album rather than just a song or two, but it’s been a while since Keys released a full

album, so you have to listen to the whole thing. What is there to say about Talia Keys that hasn’t been said already? She’s SLC’s resident rocking badass who has her hands in so many aspects of the local music scene. Every song on From the Ashes is heartfelt and obviously crafted with love. Overall, the album has a jazzy, rhythmic rock feel that’s warm, welcoming and smooth. Keys’ sound doesn’t fit squarely into one box, so you just have to listen to yourself to see what I mean. Any song on From the Ashes will perfectly complement your summer activities.

John Andrew McCool, “Eureka Rebecca”: John Andrew McCool is more than a singer and songwriter. In fact, his online bio describes him as “a musical chameleon that has been everywhere and done everything, and will do it all again.” If a “musical chameleon” doesn’t pique your interest, I don’t know what will. McCool is “a guitar player that identifies as a bass player, songwriter and producer and sometimes singer,” the bio continues. “Generally ignoring genre so as not to be stuck in a box, he is self-described as a psychedelic soul punk.” Past me would never have thought those three genres would work together, but dagnabbit, musicians like McCool have changed present me’s mind. “Eureka Rebecca” is a well-crafted track that’s obviously done by a dude who has done this for a long time. It’s fun, lighthearted and has a retro vibe that will fit in well on your playlists with classics like Cheap Trick and The Replacements. If I’ve ever heard a song perfect for a pool party, it’s this one.

Scott Lippitt, “Sorry I’m Late,” “Memory Grove”: Back with his first release in over a year, singer/songwriter Scott Lippitt is gifting listeners with two new superb

MUSIC

singles. Lippitt is doing this release as a “two-song single,” hearkening back to the good old days of 7” 45 RPM vinyl. “Record labels wouldn’t waste side ‘B’ of the vinyl, so they added another single,” Lippitt explained. “I chose to release these two songs together since they touch on two sides of depression—the unhopeful side and the hopeful side,” he said. Lippitt has always had a knack for taking subject matter on the more serious side and turning it into something cheerful and hopeful. He does that well on “Sorry I’m Late.” He describes this one as “anything but your typical sad song.” This track tackles depression headon with its upbeat sound and well-placed humor—because if you don’t laugh, you’ll cry, am I right? “Sorry I’m Late” is able to take something serious and tough, and turn it into something bright and loveable, which is very hard to do.

On the flip side (get it?), “Memory Grove,” Lippitt notes, “is a direct and rational response to the illusion that depression will last forever.” This stripped-back

track takes a more somber tone, relaying feelings of darkness and depression’s emotional weight, but more importantly, the song acts a hopeful lifeline, offering a sense of peace and renewal. “It’s a reminder that healing often begins not in grand gestures, but in quiet moments of connection and care,” Lippitt said. As an added bonus, “Sorry I’m Late” has an incredibly creative and unique music video to go along with it. Lippitt uses medications to spell out lyrics and charming props made out of paper. If you relate to this subject matter at all, you’ll feel right at home with these new singles. If not, you’ll still have a great time with these fun indie jams.

These are just a few suggestions for summer playlists, or for anytime playlists, really; the local scene is full of incredible artists to listen to year-round. Now hurry and go add these to your library. CW

BEST BAR IN UTAH!

GREAT FOOD

MUSIC PICK S

Jake Shimabukuro @ Egyptian Theatre 6/25-27

Ukulele probably isn’t the first instrument that comes to mind when one thinks of powerfully rocking music. But Honolulu-born Jake Shimabukuro is the sort of artist who can make that comparatively humble instrument work in a surprising variety of contexts. His 2016 album Nashville Sessions is something one rarely encounters: a ukulele-led (say that three times fast) power trio. It’s astoundingly good, and recommended for fans of Cream and Joe Satriani. He continued in a similar vein when guesting on Mick Fleetwood’s 2024 album Blues Experience. Tackling well-loved tunes from the likes of Jeff Beck, Procol Harum and the original Fleetwood Mac, they create a wonderful set of instrumentals that simmer and soar. Most listeners will have never heard uke like this; they likely won’t even recognize that what they’re hearing is a ukulele. And even when Shimabukuro explores other styles—funk, bluegrass, jazz, folk, flamenco and more—he always does it with style, creativity and wit. His supremely friendly, tuneful brand of music defies easy categorization, and his deep catalog features more than two dozen studio and live albums, including several created specifically for the Japanese market. Jake Shimabukuro comes to the Egyptian Theatre for three nights, June 25-27 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $33 and up, and are available from parkcityshows.com. (Bill Kopp)

THURSDAY,

FRIDAY,

SATURDAY,

MUSIC PICK S

Bonnie X Clyde @ Sky SLC 6/27

This weekend the electropop, synthpop, house and trap music duo Bonnie X Clyde will be in town. In simpler terms, expect what can be called “vocal bass.” The producers Paige Lopynski (Bonnie) and Daniel Litman (Clyde) are high-school buddies who have worked hard over the past decade to rise to the top of the electronic music world. Their earliest hits in 2016, “Rise Above” and “Bass Jam,” are still classics, while their more recent song “Love is Killing Me (Helion Remix)” is a crowd favorite. If you’ve ever experienced the feeling of being hurt by someone’s love, the lyrics, “You put a bullet in my heart / Every time you look at me / And it gets worse when we’re apart,” likely resonate. The Bonnie of the duo, Lopynski, graces nearly every track with her silky, smooth vocals. What’s most interesting is that they have juggled producing and touring together while dating, until the relationship came to an end the year before their 2023 album Tears in Paradise was released. They chose to stick through with Bonnie X Clyde, however, and released some truly emotional songs like “Another You” and “In Too Deep.” Tier 3 tickets are left for this 21+ show. General Admission costs $34.23 for Bonnie X Clyde at Sky SLC on Friday, June 27. Doors open at 9 p.m. with direct support from GĀLÖ b2b COLETTA. Go to tixr.com to purchase tickets and for more event information. (Arica Roberts)

MUSIC PICK S

Esmé Patterson, Cactus Tree @ Kilby Court 6/28

Gaining popularity in the 2010s, singer/ songwriter Esmé Patterson had that folk/ indie rock sound that everyone was very into at that time; think of artists similar to Florence & The Machine and Weyes Blood. Patterson made steady releases through that decade, until her 2020 release There Will Come Soft Rains. It dropped right as lockdowns were happening that March—we all know how that time was, we don’t need to rehash it (lockdown is going to be a trigger word for a lot of people for a long time). Patterson then made her triumphant return in 2023 with her album Notes from Nowhere, which “return[ed] to the (super)natural world, evoking the chill of dead winter, parched-forest lightning, midday moons, and the cicada hum of summer swamps,” according to her website. The album certainly has ethereal and fairy-like qualities, transporting you to a world unknown. Patterson’s most recent release, “Dearly Departed,” features Shakey Graves, and has an energetic, eclectic Americana/ folk sound to it. Joining Patterson is SLC’s own Cactus Tree, solo indie/folk solo project of Tori Smith. These two will fit together very well musically, so don’t miss the chance to vibe with them on Saturday, June 28 at 7 p.m. Tickets for the all-ages show are $24.63 in advance and $29.06 at the door (oddly specific, I know). Grab tickets at 24tix.com. (Emilee Atkinson)

The Waldron Brothers, Aurhe, KŌMAS, Nick Johnson @ The DLC at Quarters 6/29

There have been plenty of noteworthy sibling team-ups in music, but SLC has its own epic musical sibling team-up with rock duo The Waldron Brothers. “Blood brother rock duo,” they specify on their Instagram—making it clear to listeners they’re real brothers, and not just “bros.” Hopping onto the scene in 2018 with their debut single “Side A, Side B,” the Brothers made a lasting and distinct impression with their beautiful and well-crafted sound.

One of their most popular tracks, 2021’s “Electric Love,” is exciting and atmospheric, a perfect song for dancing in the living room after a long day at work, or while hanging out with the bros (blood or otherwise). Also joining the party are fellow rockers Aurhe (pronounced Ah-ree). Their indie pop-punk sound is rooted in emo lyrics and hard-hitting riffs. Their latest single “Wannabe” is an elder emo’s dream—it draws inspiration from emo/pop-punk bands of yesteryear with modern sensibilities. It’ll be a treat to hear them play live. KŌMAS and Nick Johnson help complete the bill. Come rock out on Sunday, June 29 at 7 p.m. Tickets for the 21+ show are $12.76 and can be found at 24tix.com. (EA)

Debbie Gibson @ America First Square at Rio Tinto 6/30

Fame certainly can be tough, particularly when you become a symbol for an idealized persona. Debbie Gibson came on the scene during a time of musical evolution (circa 1987) that some saw as morally impure (see: Tipper Gore). I love a good moral panic about new and harmless things like “bubblegum pop.” I mean, who amongst us hasn’t listened to “Shake Your Love” and acted a fool? If I recall correctly, Gibson wrote and sang all of the songs on her debut LP, Out of the Blue at the age of 16. In 2025, It seems a little more mainstream now, but for a teenager to do that in the mid-’80s was/is remarkable. However, don’t expect a “best of” set at her Utah stop— just superior pop music in about every way.

“People get so into nostalgia and it’s funny to put myself in that category, because I don’t feel like an old person,” Debbie told Classic Pop Mag. “But it does feel like people are nostalgic for that kind of pure, feel-good music.” And look, Debbie Gibson performed backing vocals for the Circle Jerks with their version of “I Wanna Destroy You,” and for this reason alone she is on the “good person” list. Catch this artist on the Newstalgia Live: Greatest Hits & Beyond tour at America First Square (Downtown Daybreak in South Jordan) on Monday, June 30, at 8 p.m. Tickets for the allages show are free; VIP meet and greet are available for $150 and can be found at debbiegibsonofficial.com/newstalgia-live-in-utah. (Mark Dago)

Debbie Gibson

free will ASTROLOGY

BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES

(March 21-April 19)

The Hawaiian word pō refers to a primal darkness from which life flows. Not a fearsome void, but a fertile mystery, rich with possibilities and the ancestors’ hopes. In the coming weeks, treat your inner life as pō Be as calm and patient and watchful as an Aries can be as you monitor the inklings that rise out of deep shadows. Have faith that the uncertainty will ultimately evolve into clarity, revealing precise directions you need.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

In the 17th century, Taurus polymath Athanasius Kircher constructed a fantastical machine called the Aeolian harp. It wasn’t designed to be played by human fingers, but by wind. It conjured music with currents invisible to the eye. I nominate this contraption as your power object for the coming weeks, Taurus. The most beautiful and healing melodies may come from positioning yourself so that inspiration can blow through. How might you attune yourself to the arrival of unexpected help and gifts? Set aside any tendency you might have to try too hard. Instead, allow life to sing through you.

GEMINI

(May 21-June 20)

The painter Vincent van Gogh wrote, “Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.” That’s good advice for you. Your ambitions may feel daunting if you imagine them as monumental and monolithic. But if you focus on what needs to be done next—the daily efforts, the incremental improvements— you will be as relaxed as you need to be to accomplish wonders. Remember that masterpieces are rarely completed in a jiffy. The power of steady work is potentially your superpower. Here’s another crucial tip: Use your imagination to have fun as you attend to the details.

CANCER (June 21-July 22)

Welcome to a special edition of “What’s My Strongest Yearning?” I’m your host, Rob Brezsny, and I’m delighted you have decided to identify the single desire that motivates you more than any other. Yes, you have many wishes and hopes and dreams, but one is more crucial than all the rest! Right? To begin the exercise, take three deep breaths and allow every knot of tension to dissolve and exit your beautiful body. Then drop down into the primal depths of your miraculous soul and wander around until you detect the shimmering presence of the beloved reason you came here to this planet. Immerse yourself in this glory for as long as you need to. Exult in its mysterious power to give meaning to everything you do. Ask it to nurture you, console you, and inspire you.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)

In medieval maps, unexplored territories were marked with the phrase hic sunt dracones —“here be dragons.” It was a warning and dare, a declaration that no one knew what lay beyond. In the coming weeks, Leo, you may find yourself traveling one of those unlabeled regions. Rather than flinching or dodging, press forward with respectful curiosity. Some of the so-called dragons will be figments. Others are protectors of treasure and might be receptive to sharing with a bright light like you. Either way, productive adventures are awaiting you in that unmapped territory. Go carefully—but go.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

In traditional Japanese carpentry, joints are made so skillfully that they need no nails, screws or adhesives. Carpenters use intricate joinery techniques to connect pieces of wood so tightly that the structures are strong and durable. They often require a mallet for assembly and disassembly. In metaphorical terms, you are capable of that kind of craftsmanship these days, Virgo. I hope you will take advantage of this by building lasting beauty and truth that will serve you well into the future. Don’t rush the joinery. If it’s not working, don’t force it. Re-cut, re-measure, breathe deeply and try again.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

Here’s one of my unruly rules about human competence: In every professional field, from physicians to lawyers to psychics to teachers, about 15 percent of all the practitioners are downright mediocre, even deficient. Seventy-five percent are at least satisfactory and sometimes good. And 10 percent of the total are surpassingly excellent, providing an extraordinary service. With this in mind, I’m happy to say that you now have a knack for gravitating toward that exceptional 10 percent in every domain you are drawn to. I predict that your intuition will consistently guide you toward premium sources.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

The Japanese concept of shinrin-yoku means “forest bathing.” It invites people to immerse themselves in the natural world, drawing on its restorative power. In accordance with astrological portents, I urge you Scorpios to maximize your forest bathing. To amplify the enrichment further, gravitate toward other environments that nourish your soul’s need for solace and uplift. The naked fact is that you need places and influences that offer you comfort, safety and tender inspiration. Don’t apologize for making your life a bit less heroic as you tend to your inner world with gentle reverence.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

The camera obscura was a precursor to modern cameras. It projected the world upside down onto interior walls. Artists loved it because it helped them see reality from new angles. I proclaim that you will be like both the artist and the camera obscura in the coming weeks. Your perceptions may feel inverted, strange, even disorienting, but that’s a gift! So let unfamiliarity be your muse. Flip your assumptions. Sketch from shadow instead of light. Have faith that the truth isn’t vanishing or hiding; it’s simply appearing in unfamiliar guises. Don’t rush to turn things right-side-up. Relish and learn from the tilt.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

I’m sure you enjoy gazing into some mirrors more than others. It’s amazing how different you might look in your bathroom mirror and the mirror in the restroom at work. Some store windows may reflect an elegant, attractive version of you, while others distort your image. A similar principle is at work in the people with whom you associate. Some seem to accentuate your finest attributes, while others bring out less flattering aspects. I bring this to your attention, dear Capricorn, because I believe it will be extra important in the coming weeks for you to surround yourself with your favorite mirrors.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):

Leonardo da Vinci filled thousands of pages with sketches, notes and experiments. He never finished many of them. He called this his “codex of wonder.” It wasn’t a record of failures. It was an appreciation of his complex process and a way to honor his creative wellspring. Taking a cue from da Vinci’s marvelous enigmas, I invite you to be in love with the unfinished in the coming weeks. Make inquisitiveness your default position. Reconsider abandoned ideas. Be a steward of fertile fragments. Some of your best work may arise from revisiting composted dreams or incomplete sketches. Here’s your motto: Magic brews in the margins.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)

In the remote Atacama Desert of Chile, certain flowers lie dormant for years, awaiting the right conditions to blossom in a sudden explosion of color and vitality. Scientists call it a superbloom. Metaphorically speaking, Pisces, you are on the verge of such a threshold. I’m sure you can already feel the ripening as it gathers momentum. Any day now, your full flowering will erupt—softly but dramatically. You won’t need to push. You will simply open. To prepare yourself emotionally, start rehearsing lively shouts of “Hallelujah! Hooray! Whoopee!”

urban LIVING

Heat Wave

Naaa, there’s no global warming— right? Bah! Our planet is warming and from all predictions, this is going to be a summer of record-breaking heat in the state. Make yourself a checklist to prepare for summer:

—Reduce your air conditioning costs by keeping curtains/blinds closed during the day. Seal around windows with weather stripping where there are gaps and replace furnace filters.

—Work on installing eco-friendly landscaping with drought-resistant and native plants that don’t use as much water to keep your bill down. Lawns here generally need to be watered 2 to 3 times a week in summer, and it’s best to water deeply and less frequently rather than shallow and often. About 1 inch per session, and don’t water between 1 p.m. an 4 p.m.

—Use a smart thermostat to automate your cooling inside. Try to keep AC at 78 degrees to 80 degrees when you aren’t home.

—Before we all feel like we’re melting, schedule a tune-up to keep your AC running all summer to both avoid breakdowns and lower bills. One of the most common calls to AC contractors goes like this: “My AC stopped working and there is ice all over my furnace!”

That ice is there because you neglected to regularly change your furnace filter! It’s cheap to do the replacement and will save you money on an emergency call to get your furnace back up and running.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

ACROSS

1. Itinerary portion

4. Low-priced

9. Class reunion attendees

14. Prefix before skeleton

15. Throw with great effort

16. Burgundy grape

17. Windows 98 card game that as of 2005 was the most played game on Windows

PCs

20. Sub tracking device

21. Sources of feta cheese

22. Thing

23. Cocoa vessel

25. Determine

27. Colorful 1980s animated series with the villain Murky Dismal

33. Decent-sized lot

34. Introspective

35. Student stat

38. Crystal-bearing rock

40. Action suffix

41. Duplication is their name

43. ID on a 1040

44. Great song, in slang

47. Viewpoint

48. Conqueror of a mythical flying beast

50. Fireworks noise

53. Abbr. on a remote

54. Supercollider bit

55. Rainy weather wear

59. Artist Frida’s artist husband

63. 1965 hit co-written by the late Brian Wilson

66. Supreme Court justice Kagan

67. “It’s the Hard Knock Life” musical

68. Toothpaste variety

69. Words on some election signs

70. A bunch

71. Plastic ___ Band (Lennon group)

DOWN

1. Not as much

Salt Lake City has a lawn watering guide at slc.gov, which suggests that residents water lawns one-half-inch in a single interval every 3 to 4 days during the summer. But we all may need to water less or more, depending on whether Mother Nature is giving us more or less rain.

Trees need water and to properly hydrate them it’s best to focus on slow, deep watering at the base of the tree. New trees need more frequent watering and it’s good to put mulch around the base to help retain soil moisture. You can dig down with a trowel a few inches to see if the ground is dry (time to water!) and avoid midday watering for any outside plants to avoid evaporation and waste.

I heard on NPR recently that trees in drought conditions actually make a “crying out” noise that’s not heard by human ears. When trees face drought the water tension in the tubes that transport water increases. This can cause air bubbles to form, break and collapse in a process called cavitation. The breaking of water columns within the xylem (tissue) generates vibrations that can be detected as sounds.

According to utah.gov, severe drought covers 45% of the state, with 3% in extreme drought. About 75% of our water goes to agricultural use, yet we have extremely cheap water bills ($38 a month for the average household). We definitely need more water, for so many reasons. Let’s hope our plants, grasses and trees survive the predicted heat wave this summer! ■

12. Social conventions

13. Sunflower stalks

18. The ___ (“New Rose” punk band with guitarist Captain Sensible)

19. “To repeat ...”

24. Wad of gum

26. River to the underworld

27. Dish cleaners

28. Deck foursome

29. Element #26

30. Twist and squeeze

31. One of a pair of drums

32. “The Studio” star Seth

35. Slaty color

36. Prod with a stick

37. Callous boss, maybe

39. River through Spain

42. “And others,” in a citation

2. World’s fair

3. Enter

4. Angel

5. One possible H in HRH

6. Simplicity

7. Admit frankly

8. Former minister of sport of Brazil

9. Fitting

10. Serve as a go-between

11. Bring together

45. Chain whose ads featured a car horn honking twice

46. Vaccine recommended for older adults

48. Double-ended game piece

49. Rustic accommodations

50. Grammy-winning

64. Devotee

Last week’s answers

Complete the grid so that each row, column, diagonal and 3x3 square contain all of the numbers 1 to 9. No math is involved. The grid has numbers, but nothing has to add up to anything else. Solve the puzzle with reasoning and logic. Solving time is typically 10 to 30 minutes, depending on your skill and experience.

Musgraves with the album “Deeper Well”

51. “___ of Two Cities”

52. Tree trunks, botanically

56. Type of exam

57. A as in A.D.

58. Oldest of the “Bob’s Burgers” kids 60. Therefore

61. Country singer Campbell

62. Northerly capital city

NEWS of the WEIRD

Wait, What?

A 42-year-old man contacted Beverly Hills, Texas, Police Chief Kory Martin on June 13 about a package he had received from his ex-girlfriend, KWKT-TV reported. Inside was a copy of a marriage certificate, indicating that the man was married. But he told Martin that while he had been in a relationship with the woman, Kristin Marie Spearman, 36, of Waco, and even obtained a marriage license, they broke up before the wedding. After investigating, Martin determined that Spearman had convinced a pastor to certify the marriage without the groom present, and then filed the certificate at the county clerk’s office. Martin said he researched the law and found only one scenario that allows for an absentee spouse-to-be: “active military overseas, unable to make it.” And even then, “You still had to have a proxy to stand in ... so (in this case) the groom should have been there.” Spearman was arrested for third-degree felony stalking and taken to jail.

Saw That Coming

The Madison, Wisconsin Fire Department responded to a boozy blaze on June 15, WMTV reported. Someone reported an oven fire around 6 p.m.; the caller told firefighters they had been cooking a turkey for about eight minutes when the oven door blew open. First responders removed the oven from the apartment, and the fire went out. They later learned the turkey had been marinated in tequila, and they believe the accumulated vapors from the alcohol were not properly vented from the oven, which caused the fire. No one was hurt (except the turkey).

News You Can Use

The Blue Ash, Ohio Police Department is recommending that drivers in the area “keep the windows up for the next several weeks” after a cicada reportedly caused a crash on June 12. KKTV reported that no one was hurt when a driver veered into a pole after a cicada flew into their car; the car ended up on its side, and the cicada made a clean getaway. “These pesky cicadas don’t respect personal space,” police said. “A cicada attack can be dangerous.”

It’s Good To Have a Hobby

Samuel Lee Thomas, 72, of St. Petersburg, Florida, is a prolific 911 caller, The Smoking Gun reported on June 16. Just in the first five months of 2025, Thomas has called emergency services 3,400 times, bringing his five-year total to 16,000 calls. His latest call involved what he said was someone “shooting an AR-15 rifle in the roadway,” but when police arrived, they found a family having a barbecue and kids at play. Anqunette Peterson, 34, who lives in the targeted home, has been the victim of his calls 647 times and said Thomas “frequently stops in

front of their residence to yell obscenities at her and her family,” police said. Thomas was arrested for stalking and false report of a crime. He pleaded not guilty and was released on $1,500 bond.

Questionable Judgment

The York Catholic District School Board in Vaughan, Ontario, has relieved a bus driver of their duties after inappropriate behavior, CP24-TV reported on June 17. It all started with a video posted to social media of a parent confronting the driver, who had placed a sign in the bus’ front window that said “Lolita’s Line.” “Why do you call your bus ‘The Lolita Line’?” the parent asked the driver, who was dressed in a schoolgirl’s uniform. (“Lolita” is a 1955 novel about a professor who kidnaps a 12-year-old girl.) The bus driver responds that they “do this every week. And I don’t think there’s any problem.”

The school board, however, did perceive a problem and brought the incident to the bus company’s attention, assuring parents that “the driver will no longer provide busing to and from the school.”

Compelling Explanation

Jose Manuel Perez, 24, was charged with aggravated battery on June 14 in Salt Lake City after he attacked the person he was having lunch with, Fox13-TV reported. As the assault played out, the victim tried to escape numerous times, but Perez put them in a chokehold and produced a “wooden stake with a nail in it,” telling them that they were a werewolf and “he was going to pierce their heart.” Eventually, Perez ran off with the victim’s backpack, which was recovered when cops caught up with him. Police said Perez also had rocks in his pockets, which he carried out of fear the victim would attack him. He was held without bail.

Awesome!

When Gwyneth Griffiths of Swansea, Wales, turned 102 years old recently, she had just one wish for her birthday party: a stripper. Wales Online reported on June 16 that the Hawthorn Court Care Home where Griffiths lives was happy to oblige with a “butler in the buff.” Griffiths, who has dementia, has become feisty and fun in her advanced years, spewing swear words when, her son Peter said, “She wouldn’t say boo to a goose” as he was growing up. About the stripper, Griffiths told her son, “I hope I get a cheeky pinch of his bum!” The centenarian also has a weekly wedding to her imaginary friend “Dr. John,” for which she gets her hair done and dons a tiara. When Peter told her she’d be turning 102 soon, she argued: “No I am not. Look at my t--s, not a wrinkle!” Party on, Gwyneth!

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