Brick Slopes LEGO Fan Event
Over the past few years, LEGO has grown into a monolithic multimedia brand, comprising blockbuster feature films, direct-to-market and streaming shows, merchandise and outlets devoted exclusively to this one product. It’s hard to believe it all started with a Danish inventor nearly a century ago, whose gift for putting things together eventually combined with the commercial availability of plastics to bring the world’s children – and adults alike. that look like children – a product of unlimited creativity. imagination.
That spirit of creativity is at the center of Brick Slopes, a LEGO fan event returning to Utah this week. The 24,000 feet of exhibit space includes incredible custom creations depicting a wide array of familiar characters and properties, with builders offering displays of their work. Guests will have the opportunity to explore the “build and play” brick pit with over a million bricks, and even create their own LEGO creations for a chance to display them or even win prizes. There’s a chance to build – and race – a custom car on the event race track, buy and trade minifigures, or even risk the soles of your feet with the “LEGO fire walk” on 40 feet of bricks (parents, you know what I’m talking about).
Brick Slopes takes place at the Mountain America Expo Center (9575 S. State, Sandy) on August 26 (noon – 7 p.m.) and August 27 (10 a.m. – 6 p.m.). As of press time, general admission tickets are available at the door only for $15, with VIB (Very Important Builder) upgrades available. Visit blog.brickslopes.com for tickets and additional event information. (Scott Renshaw)
The exposed rose
It’s hard to believe it’s already been 25 years since the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center opened its doors, providing downtown Salt Lake City with a must-have multi-space venue that would host theater, dance, comedy , music, the Sundance Film Festival and even, during the 2002 Winter Olympics, recordings of The Tonight Show Starring Jay Leno. Currently, in addition to the à la carte offerings hosted by the Rose throughout the year, it is home to six resident arts organizations – and each year you can get a taste of all six of them in one performance.
This year, The Rose Exposed takes the 25th anniversary as the benchmark for its theme, “Birthday Suit(e)”, which informs each company’s offerings. Plan-B Theater Company presents the one-act play Repel by Mary Beth Jarvis Clark; dance companies Repertory Dance Theater (pictured), Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company and SB Dance feature choreography by Marilyn Barrett, Daniel Charon and Stephen Brown, respectively. Providing short interstitials between these four companies is a work written for Pygmalion Productions written by Barb Gandy. And for all performances, piano accompaniment will be provided by Koji Attwood, representing the Gina Bachauer International Piano Foundation.
The Rose Exposed takes place one night only at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center (138 W. 300 South) on Saturday, August 27 at 8 p.m., with ASL performance. Tickets are $15; A properly fitted N95 or KN95 is required for all participants and will be provided for those who do not have one.
Visit roseexposed.org for tickets and additional event information. (SR)
Utah Allies of Equality Gala
It’s been a tough year for the LGBTQIA+ community in America, with everything from transgender athletes to storytelling drag queens coming under fire from conservative organizations. But as this year’s Utah Pride parade and festival showed, the local queer community isn’t going anywhere and continues to fight. One of the most determined pugilists in this fight is Equality Utah, who has spent more than 20 years in the battle to secure a future of fairness and equality for LGBTQIA+ Utahns and their families.
The annual Equality Utah Allies Gala remains one of the most crucial sources of fundraising for the organization, and the 2022 installment promises a fabulous evening themed “Gorgeous Planet,” with “cosmic vogue” attire recommended. In addition to a variety of local speakers, the program gets an incredible headliner in legendary actor/comedian Eddie Izzard, whose gender-focused, multilingual and thought-provoking performances have delighted audiences for 35 years, including the winner of a Emmy Award Special Comedy Breakout 2000 Dress to kill. The gender-fluid Izzard has taken on many personas over the years, but recently chose to describe herself as being in “girl mode” going forward – and she continues to be as funny as ever.
The Equality Utah Allies Gala takes place at the George S. & Dolores Doré Eccles Theater (131 S. Main St.) at 7 p.m., with taping beginning at 6 p.m. Individual tickets are $295, with dinner and drinks included as standard. ticket price; there is an optional $100 VIP add-on to access the after-party. Visit equalutah.org for tickets and additional event information. (SR)
G. Brown: Checked in @ Sound & Vision Vinyl
When you’ve been covering popular music for over 40 years, you learn a few things. For 26 years, G. Brown covered the local music scene for the Denver Post. More recently, he created an internet archive called Colorado Music Experience dedicated to the history and ephemera of this scene. This sense of music history permeates Brown’s latest project, Checked ina three-volume set drawing on photos, personal insights, and over 2,500 artist interviews to describe three very distinct eras of American pop music.
Volume 1, “1978”, explores the era of “classic rock” that spawned artists ranging from Bruce Springsteen to Journey, but also the nascent punk and new wave scenes. Volume 2, “1984”, delves into the era that was defined by the rise of MTV and its popular bands like Madonna, Cyndi Lauper and “Weird Al” Yankovic, in addition to superstars like Prince and Van Halen. Volume 3, “1991”, includes Seattle’s “grunge” scene, as “hair metal” gave way to Nirvana and Pearl Jam, and the monoculture of hit music began to change with the rise of rap and hip-hop pioneers like Public Enemy. Brown’s archive of rare promotional photos, and his access to the words and perspectives of music makers of the day, offer a surprisingly comprehensive portrait of the soundtrack that spanned three generations.
This week, Brown visits Sound & Vision Vinyl (3444 S. Main St.) on Saturday, August 27 at 4 p.m. to chat Checked in. The in-store event is free and open to the public. Visit soundandvisionvinyl.com for more information. (SR)
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