WhySound concert venue and recording studio recently celebrated its 11th year since opening with WhyFest, a two-day fundraising festival. Complete with trivia, a silent auction, comedy sets and a plethora of live music, WhyFest was a weekend to remember. Running for a total of 25 hours over the course of two days, the event brought in patrons from all over Utah and hosted bands with roots from around the country.
The DIY venue located on Federal Ave did what it always does best; create an intimate environment to collectively experience live music in, what with its living room aesthetic. Throughout the day on Friday and Saturday an audience accumulated of people who mostly already knew each other, listening to bands they were familiar with, and in many instances, were friends with. People were lounging on the couches in the back, critiquing and admiring the local art that hangs on the walls, while creating their own watercolors with art supplies provided by the venue.
There was a variety in the genres of music presented, and truly something for everyone. Friday’s powerhouse local lineup included Harpers, Little Barefoot and Sorrymom, with Saturday bringing in the likes of Fox Running, Raspberry Protocol, Guava Tree and Good Call.
WhyFest is expected to return in coming years. It will become a staple in the community as a carnival and festival event. Owner Taylor Ross Wilson stated that unlike other shows at WhySound, “WhyFest is really about empowering the scene, [and] introducing new freshmen to the space.” With the funds raised at WhyFest, Wilson plans to revamp WhySound in the near future. He hopes to create a new green room above the stage, paint murals in the venue and around Logan and construct a cafe and patio seating area.
Night one of the festivities ended with local music supergroup Ugly Boys, starting their set close to 11 p.m. and riding off the energy built up throughout the day. Out of seemingly nowhere, the crowd tripled in size, filling the room to capacity. Everyone was dancing, lifted by the vibrant enthusiasm the band carried with them. Though many didn’t know the music by heart, they made do in singing along and interacting with the band. Before singing their 2019 hit “Mood Ring,” the band asked the audience for someone who still wore mood rings, and exclaimed “Alright, this song’s about her!” Although the audience had grown, the intimacy remained.
Information about upcoming shows and events can be found on WhySound’s Facebook orInstagram.
