Kilby Block Party was the most anticipated indie music festival in Utah this year and thousands of fans gathered to watch their favorite artists and bands perform. It was held from Friday May 12th-Sunday May 14th at the Utah State Fairpark. The festival was started in 2019 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the venue Kilby Court. And it’s grown from actual block parties to the larger-scale 3-day festival it was this year. Kilby brings people together in celebration of music, art, food, and culture, and fans can all agree that it’s an amazing experience.

Friday

The energy was high on Friday as everyone gathered for day one of the festival. The weather was warm and people were either making their way to one of the more low key concerts, the merch building, or checking out the local vendor booths. Some of the artists and bands performing on Friday were Cuco, Japanese Breakfast, Ritt Momney, Dominic Fike, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. As the sun set, you could feel the good vibes emanating from the crowd and the promise of two more days of the festival meant everyone was leaving with smiles on their faces. Chloe Labrum, a senior at Bingham, stated, “One of the most memorable moments from the festival was all of the amazing people that gathered there. Most of the festival goers were amazingly nice, giving, and always starting up conversations.”

Saturday

Saturday brought more good music and even more people. It was organized chaos with fans running to and from stages to catch their favorites like the moss, Alex G, Goth Babe, Hippo Campus, Osees, and The Strokes. Everyone was able to have a good time and enjoy themselves at the festival since it was put together so well. Chloe went on to say, “I think that the festival was very well organized, they even had an app to update people on what was going on, when certain events were happening, etc. It was also very clear that they had taken the time to ensure proper safety measures.” 

Sunday

The sun was shining on Sunday and the lineup was incredible. Crumb, spill tab, Faye Webster, Duster, Ethel Cain, The Backseat Lovers, Surf Curse, Pixies, Pavement, and so many more. Faye Webster was a favorite from Bingham as three students, Chloe, Bella Norr, and Esther Kang, all remarked on how much they loved her show. The Backseat Lovers also had a huge crowd as they are from Utah and make incredible music. Some people preferred to lounge on the grass and enjoy the music while other die-hards would wait for hours at the barricade in order to get front row to their favorite shows. As the day was coming to an end, fans were either gathered at Surf Curse or Pixies when raindrops started to fall. At first, it was refreshing after a long day of heat, but then the looming storm clouds in the distance had everyone on their toes. Both shows were canceled early and everyone was advised to seek shelter. Many people decided to leave and brave the pouring rain with the sun setting and a beautiful rainbow in the background. Esther Kang, a junior at Bingham, described her experience at the festival as being, “A good mix of twists and turns and positive experiences.”