Kilby Block Party has seen everything from past performers like Phoebe Bridgers to this year’s headliner Weezer, but with a good headliner is this year’s lineup worth it?
Kilby Block Party (KBP) started in 2019 to celebrate Kilby Court, a popular indie music venue’s 20th anniversary. KBP has become a staple in Utah teens’ kickoff to summer, being held in May and having warm 80-degree weather. This “indie utopia” is full of underground artists and your favorite indie stars. KBP has seen notable artists such as Steve Lacy, Mac DeMarco, Pavement, Clairo, The Strokes, and T.V Girl, while still giving opportunities for concert-goers to discover the next big hit. While fans have come to love the underground nature this festival once had, this year’s lineup faces backlash for lacking big headliners. Weezer, Beach House, New Order, and Justice will headline the now 4-day-long music festival this year.
Although fans were excited to start their KBP experience, the hype surrounding adding Thursday to the festival led fans into a frenzy to purchase “Early Bird” tickets. KBP promotes buying tickets with a discount before the lineup has been released known as “Early Bird”, this promotion is mainly used by veteran Kilby-goers who care more about the experience and community than who will be playing but in the past has led to frustration with the released lineup.
As ticket prices have increased worldwide for concerts and other events, KBP has also seen a recent spike in prices. With the heightened prices fans like Rourke Jensen wanted to purchase” Early Bird” tickets not only for the experience but as well as the lower prices. Rourke has been to KBP for the last three years and says that in that time he has seen a decline in the quality of the artists performing at the festival.
Rourke went to his first KBP in 2022 when the headliners were Phoebe Bridgers, Steve Lacy, Mac DeMarco, and Clairo. 2022 was the first and only year that KBP was held at Library Square, a much smaller venue when compared to the State Fair Park, but at the time was a large expansion of the festival. In 2022 the festival began to gain traction and since then has only grown. With the growth in popularity and prices KBP has acquired, Rourke believes that the acts should be growing with it. Although Rourke said he is excited to see big acts like Weezer, Beach House, and Montell Fish on this year’s lineup, he has found himself disappointed with the other performers.
When talking to another regular Amelia Espanet she said “It doesn’t feel relevant to what is popular at the moment” and she believes that this year is a downgrade when compared to the last two years of lineups. She said she would like to “see more variation in genre and shift from just underground indie”. Although the concert is rooted in being an indie music festival there is new emphasis from fans on opening the doors to more performers, in the past they have had acts like Pavement and Run the Jewels who don’t directly align with indie music but were a hit at the festival.
Mia Kuftinec, who will be attending her 4th KBP this year says that although she is excited for the festival, she thinks that the headliners aren’t as well known as they should be. Unlike Amelia, Mia sees a shift in the genres being shown this year. The addition of synth-pop and soul being added to the indie fest she says creates new dynamics within the festival. She got her “Early Bird” tickets and is ready to “not back out of this one” she says. She is especially excited this year for the vibes and to hang out with her friends at the concert in the newly expanded venue.
In conclusion, the Kilby Block Party is worth it if you are looking for a good time and new music. Even though the lineups appear to be shifting in their directions there is a lot of positivity going into this year’s festival, and what looks like a promising turnout from the Judge community.
