CARDINAL BLOOM - SHOW REVIEW
Who doesn’t love the start of a new year? It means new starts, new challenges, new memories, but most importantly, it means new music and new shows. Utah band Cardinal Bloom kicked off the new year with a bang, releasing their new single Waste Your Time followed by a phenomenal, two night, sold out weekend at Utah’s beloved Kilby Court. Purple Haze had the honor and pleasure of attending night two on January 13, 2024.
Night two of the sold out weekend opened with two spectacular performances by Los Angeles band Comfort Club and fellow Utah locals Sunhills. When they came on stage, Comfort Club brought a fun energy that could be felt throughout the venue. With catchy lyrics and melodies that the audience was able to learn quickly, the LA indie pop artist is sure to be welcomed back to Salt Lake anytime. After Comfort Club’s lively performance warming up the crowd, Utah based Sunhills took the stage. The band’s sound feels very unique, with a mix of synths, guitars and beautiful rhythms that put the audience in a trance. Sunhills’ transcendent performance and crowd work was the perfect final push to get the audience bursting with excitement and ready for the headliners to take the stage.
Finally, the moment fans had been anxiously awaiting, Josh Thomas takes the stage, alone, playing a hauntingly beautiful instrumental on his guitar. Truly an incredible stunning and captivating way to start a show. The audience begins to settle, awestruck, and then the rest of the band emerges and takes the stage. There are no words to properly express the overwhelming feeling of adrenaline and excitement that overtook Kilby Court in that moment. After the band’s intro, they went into their song Nothing Stays the Same, a song released last summer and one of their most popular releases. The band also played a few unreleased songs from their next album, a release that I’m positive will be absolutely phenomenal. We were also graced with a spectacular live performance of their latest single, Waste Your Time. The entire night was filled with insane energy and passion, not only from the performers, but from the audience as well. I can’t say that I’ve ever felt so connected to a room full of strangers in my life. As the crowd sang To Love Someone, the whole venue felt in sync. The band was incredible the entire night, and never once failed to make their fans, new and old, feel so welcomed; you could feel the band’s gratitude for each individual in the room.
Cardinal Bloom consists of Joey St. John (vocals and guitar), Jacob Silvester (bass), Josh Thomas (guitar), and Nate Adair (drums). Their indie rock sound touches the hearts of anyone who listens, with heartfelt and personal lyrics that make the listener feel understood and connected to the artist. The band has made big strides recently headlining the Provo halloween music festival Buzzards and Bees as well as Salt Lake City’s Last Hurrah New Years Eve celebration at The Gateway in downtown Salt Lake. Cardinal Bloom has some insane talent and there’s no question as to why they have become as successful as they have. Personally, I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for this band and we here at Purple Haze Magazine will be keeping a close eye on Cardinal Bloom.
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