Alternative rock band Weathers rocked Kilby Court on Sunday, Oct. 17 with their 2021 album release “Pillows & Therapy,” reminding the poser community to party post-early COVID-19 restrictions.

Kilby Intimacy

Kilby Court is the epitome of the Salt Lake City concert scene, made famous by Utah-based group The Backseat Lovers with their quintessential anthem “Kilby Girl.” 

The sticker-covered cave welcomed the Weathers quartet, comprised of vocalist Cameron Boyer, bassist Brennen Bates, drummer Cole Carson and guitarist Cameron Olsen, matching their iconic 80s-synth-meets-2000s-emo sound harmoniously.

Openers Aaron Taos with his impressive alternative reverb and Kenzo Cregan with his postclassic rock sound prepped the crowds for the Weathers’ set.

Kregan performed hit track “Ginger Ale,” co-written with Boyer and Olsen from Weathers, and shocked listeners with an unreleased song entitled “Fake Flowers.” Brooklyn-based artist Taos struck listeners with deep lyricism: “This is a nice little room.”

Mental Health and Melodies

Weathers is no stranger to mental health discourse, and fittingly enough the set opened with a fake therapy session recording with the effervescent phrase, “How does that make you feel?” repeating over and over.

As soon as the opening chords to hit track “C’est La Vie” were struck, the crowd’s voices rose in tune to the thick bassline. “We don’t get what we need,” sings Boyer in “C’est La Vie.” “Wish I could press restart, I don’t mean to get dark but I guess that’s just life.”

Although the lyrics deal with heavy topics, listeners emotionally ebbed and flowed to the band’s upbeat rhythms. “This one goes out to anyone who also experiences anxiety,” Boyer said before performing, furthering the band’s notion that music can heal.

Poser anthem tracks “Rehab” and “I’m Not Ok” caused an uproar, and when the heat from dancing bodies became too much to bear, the only salvation was the venue’s open door that flooded the crowd with cool October air. 

In with the Crowd

Weathers’ performance set the bar for intoxicating stage presence. Boyer is no stranger to theatrics, as he danced feverishly around the stage and lunged onto amps. At one point, Boyer split the audience into two sections that competed for the loudest singing and later made the audience crouch to the floor before exploding to a classic Weathers chorus drop.

The band is intimate with their crowd to the point where the audience’s energy fuels the band’s performance, almost as if we were in it together.

Midway, a small child no older than four waddled his way to the front of the stage with his crouching father and a fist pumping to the beat, propelling the passionate audience environment.

Lighting effects strobed with the band’s beat, illuminating Weathers, Kilby’s walls and even the audience. Kilby Court shone red during track “American Dream,” and faded as the band switched into a cover of “We Will Rock You” by rock music legends Queen. 

Weathers’ stage presence and audience engagement propelled a wonderful and flashy evening in Salt Lake City. And, for those who couldn’t make the event, Weathers’ new album “Pillows & Therapy” is streaming now.

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