Following the busy weekend of events surrounding the launch of Salt Lake City’s Hear Utah Music (HUM) collection, Rabble had a chance to chat with one of the driving forces behind events, Librarian Jason Rabb.
Having decided to host two shows for the launch, the library turned over creative control to the artists themselves. Local artist Travis Bone, who has done promotional art for both touring and local acts, designed the striking poster for the event. Design in-hand, the bands playing the launch began promotion on social media, within the community, and with support from the library.
The HUM launch itself came at a busy time for Salt Lake City. The library’s summer reading program served as a perfect companion, with its own musical “strike a chord” theme. The launch also coincided with a weekend full of events in downtown Salt Lake City for Pride.
Candid photo of the library's table outside Diabolical Records
Excitement palpable in the air, the first night’s show kicked off at local record store and popular music venue Diabolical Records. The library set up a table out front, advertising the collection and concerts. They also had plenty of swag to share, including coasters and guitar picks. Inside, the show saw a near capacity turn out, with a great atmosphere and energy for all the performances.
HUM promotional coasters and guitar picks
The following night, festivities moved to Urban Lounge. Typically hosting shows for touring acts on Saturday nights, they featured an all-local bill in support of the HUM launch. Though further from downtown and the crowds of the weekend’s Pride events, the show still saw an even larger turnout than the previous night. By all accounts the show was a fun time, with great music from all the bands.
Strong Words performing at Urban Lounge
All told, Jason was excited with the weekend’s events and the HUM launch in general. This summer will continue to be a busy one for Salt Lake City libraries and HUM. Several projects are in the works, and both central and branch libraries in the city will have concerts featuring local music artists. They will also open another round of submissions in August, growing the excellent collection of Salt Lake City albums. We’re excited to hear what comes next and continue this fantastic partnership with the Salt Lake City Public Library!