Stars in summer nights: Utah concert venues gear up for season of musical delights

When the Northern Hemisphere tilts toward the sun, it means summer is on its way. Although the weather the past few weeks has been a study of elemental confusion, summer will be here before we know it.

In addition to open plunges, ice cream and picnics, summer means concerts. And venues throughout Utah are gearing up for one of the most ambitious summer concert seasons in the past few years.

The USANA Amphitheatre will welcome the reunited Police and Motley Crue's inaugural Crue Fest, as well as Sheryl Crow, Dave Matthews Band and Jack Johnson, to name a few.

USANA is also expanding its transition toward becoming environmentally green, which started last year, by adding a car-pool lot. More announcements will be posted on www.uconcerts.com or www.usana-amp.com in the next few days.

Kingsbury Hall will host the long-awaited reunion of seminal fusion band Return to Forever featuring Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, Al DiMeola and Lenny White. And the Red Butte Garden, which has reconstructed its amphitheatre for the new season, will welcome Live at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis.

Also, the Intermountain Acoustic Music Association will present its 20th Founders Title Folk & Bluegrass Festival with Tim O'Brien and the Sam Bush Band at Snowbird in July. And Dwight Yoakam will return to Utah for a show at Deer Valley.

At any rate, the Summer Concert Season will be filled with great music and fun times.

Fans of the free Twilight Concert Series at the Gallivan Utah Center will be happy to know that De La Soul, Keller Williams and the Yonder Mountain String Band are some of the artists who will perform this year.

Here is a list of major nonclassical music summer concerts happening throughout the Salt Lake area. Make note that the schedule is subject to change without notice.

The Brown Bag Concert series will be announced later.

MAY

2 — Stormy Mountain Boys, South Valley Unitarian Universalist Society

2 — The Osmond Brothers, Tuacahn Amphitheatre, Ivins

3 — Bucklebusters, Vieve Gore Concert Hall, Westminster College

3 — Cinco de Mayo Custom Car Show with Pitbull, Baby Bash, Big Gemini, Mr. Capone-e, Mr. Criminal, Brown Boy and Glassess Malone, USANA Amphitheatre

3 — Tiempo Libre, Peery's Egyptian Theater, Ogden