Cafe on First is a coffee roaster and cafe located in the Lower Avenues. Inside you’ll probably see groups of friends chatting or studying together, people from the neighborhood running in for a quick drink or a dog sitting next to their owner as they wait for their order.
You’ll probably also see a corkboard piled with business cards, promotional posters and local happenings on a wall right in the middle of the cafe. Here’s a look at some of the services, music and events displayed on this community board as of the end of Nov. 2023.
Services
Piano lessons by Max Plaza:
“In-person and online piano lessons,” advertises Max Plaza’s poster, taped on the side of Cafe On First’s coffee bar. Plaza runs lessons from his home in downtown Salt Lake, according to his Thumbtack page. Students of Plaza can learn jazz, pop, music theory, harmony and improvisation.
Tutoring:
One poster on the cafe’s community board promoted a group of tutors offering help in a range of subjects, including STEM, languages, humanities and even chess. “Our tutors are Ph.D. students, honor students, native speakers, and grads,” the company’s website says.
Music
Cafe on First’s community board hosts a fair share of concert advertisements. While several of these concerts already happened, these posters still provide an opportunity to discover new artists.
Wolf Ugly Worrystone Tour:
The alternative rock band Wolf Ugly performed at The Beehive on Nov. 24 as part of their Worrystone Tour. Wolf Ugly is a three-part band based out of Tulsa, Oklahoma. The show also featured the grunge, pop punk band A Weighted World, the folk rock band Droll Box and electronic artist Apollo is Lost.
Bone Throwers:
Salt Lake City pysch-punk band Bone Throwers had their first show at Quarters on Nov. 18. They were joined by the Salt Lake City-based bands Suppertime and Get Born.
SLUG Mag Localized:
Every month, SLUG Mag hosts a monthly show called Localized to give recognition to local musicians. Nov. 16, Localized hosted Roses on the Moon, Outset Bandits and Club Mungo at Kilby Court.
The next Localized event will take place in January.
TEX:
Another poster at Cafe on First promoted the release of local rock band TEX’s album “Goldstone.”
Events
Creative Writing Workshop:
“Everyone has a story to tell, what’s yours?” reads a poster promoting “What’s Your Story?” a creative nonfiction writing group organized by SLCC’s community writing center. The group meets on the first and third Tuesday of the month from 6:30-8 p.m at the Community Writing Center at the Salt Lake City Public Library.
Clubhouse Events:
Clubhouse is a 100-year-old venue in Salt Lake that hosts art and community centered events. Currently Clubhouse is holding weekly events in Ecstatic Dance, which takes place on Sundays, Figure Drawing, which takes place on Mondays, and Stage Presence Open Mic, which takes place on Tuesdays. They also offer the only public darkroom space in Salt Lake City, which is available by appointment.
Open Mic Night:
On the first Monday of every month, Carriage House Sessions hosts an open mic night. The night includes food pop-ups and starts at 7 p.m. Performances include poetry and song, and you can sign up upon arrival to perform yourself.
Utah Film Center:
Two series organized by the Utah Film Center, “Black, Bold & Brilliant” and “Through the Lens,” were featured on a poster displayed on Cafe on First’s community board.
“Black, Bold & Brilliant” focuses on “authentic and nuanced representation,” according to the series’ webpage, through discussions and film critiques led by Black Utahns. “Blurring the Color Line,” a project within this series, was shown on Dec. 6 at 7 p.m. in the City Library.
“Through the Lens” focuses on the intersection of sound and technology, art and the human psyche. The project “Subject,” that’s part of this series was shown on Dec. 13 at 7 p.m. in the City Library.
Bulletin boards are an incredible way to stay connected to your neighborhood. Be sure to check out Cafe on First for upcoming events.
