Urban Lounge is under ambitious new ownership and will play host Oct. 9 to a band synonymous with equally ambitious musicality.
Known for a consistently eclectic lineup of mostly underground and independent artists, Urban Lounge, which is quickly establishing itself as a premier resource for live music, will showcase Dr. Dog as part of its efforts to secure more national acts.
A downtown fixture for nearly 10 years, the venue was nearing closure toward the end of last year when local musician and entrepreneur Will Sartain took over as co-owner. Already a co-owner of Salt Lake City’s Kilby Court and founder of Kilby Records, Sartain said he recognized the importance of maintaining Urban Lounge’s place in the local music arena.
“Urban Lounge has always been a big part of the local music scene, and from about 2005 on, there have been more and more national acts,” Sartain said. “The business was about to go under, and we took over.”
Since 2005, the venue has hosted national acts such as Sunny Day Real Estate front man Jeremy Enigk, The Brian Jonestown Massacre and hip-hop artist and Wu-Tang Clan member GZA. Although expanding the venue’s roster and charting a new direction for Urban Lounge wasn’t necessarily what Sartain set out to do, efforts to do so have made it a cool place to see a show, as well as increase the amount of shows, he said.
“We have shows every night, compared to five nights a week in the past,” Sartain said. “I’m also more interested in bringing in different acts that normally skip Salt Lake City. We have really tried diversifying the monthly lineup as much as possible, trying to offer more kinds of music.”
Efforts have paid off when it comes to showcasing bands such as Dr. Dog. Known for their lo-fi ’60s sound reminiscent of The Beatles and The Band, Philadelphia’s Dr. Dog enjoyed positive crowd response in their first visit to Urban Lounge in September 2008. Since then, growing awareness of the band, thanks to further touring and a solid follow-up release, makes Dr. Dog’s return to Salt Lake City one of the most anticipated fall concerts of the year.
With the 2007 release of We All Belong, which Daytrotter Music crowned as one of top 15 albums of the year, and the 2008 release of their critically-acclaimed second full-length album, Fate, Dr. Dog seems to be quietly solidifying their place among up-and-coming musicians8212;precisely the type of band Sartain wants to feature.
“To me, Dr. Dog is one of the greatest bands of the modern age,” he said. “I am proud to be associated with the band. I wish they were selling out arenas. They certainly deserve that kind of success.”
