We’re T minus a couple hours from the the opening concert of the 2017 Twilight Concert Series! The hustle and bustle making sure the last minute details and final touches are in place is exciting (though a bit exhausting). Twilight is Salt Lake City’s signature music series and experience that just about everyone can afford and cannot afford to miss.
The series opens tonight with a bang as we welcome Little Dragon to the stage in Pioneer Park. Little Dragon is a four-piece electronic dance music band from Gothenburg, Sweden, named for diminutive lead singer Yukimi Nagano’s in studio tantrums. Although, calling Little Dragon’s music electronic or dance really doesn’t do it justice as they offer something for almost all musical tastes and count a number of different artists like De La Sol, A Tribe Called Quest, Alice Coltrane, and Janet Jackson as band influences. Their music has been described as psych-pop, synthpop, soul, jazz, downtempo, chill-out, electronica, trip hop, dream pop, alternative R&B, indietronica and many more I am sure. I do think the name Little Dragon is apt, as it foreshadows the surprising musical power and stage presence of the band and especially Nagano who was described by thestranger.com as a cosmic siren due to her big, yet, ethereal voice.
The Guardian wrote, “Little Dragon, who make artful and clever digital soul music, have an impeccably self-deprecating sense of humour.” Pitchfork had this to say about Little Dragon, “Nagano and her electronic-pop band have become the go-to collaborators for any artist looking to make a statement about how eclectic their tastes are.” And that is not hyperbole as Nagano and Little Dragon have collaborated with the likes of the aforementioned De La Sol, Flume, Mac Miller, Kaytranada, The Gorillaz, Raphael Saadiq, and Big Boi. If you haven’t knowingly heard Little Dragon you will probably hear some familiar songs tonight as their music has been featured in films like Magic Magic and I Will Follow as well as television shows like Being Mary Jane, The Vampire Diaries, 90210, Grey’s Anatomy and Revenge.
It promises to be an amazing show and a fitting opener to the 30th Twilight Concert Series. I hope to see everyone in Pioneer Park tonight, coming together to experience music, experience culture, experience the fire breathing, stage rocking, crowd shaking, emotive power of Little Dragon and experience Twilight! See you there!
*Blog post contributed by William Wright
Salt Lake City Department of Economic Development 