For Sally Yoo, restarting her band Chalk after a five-year hiatus required serious self-reflection as to why she loved music in the first place. The band broke up not because of bad blood, but drifting interests and other band members exploring new projects. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she couldn’t bring herself to listen to any music because it was simply too powerful.
“Thank goodness Skyler [Bush] said let’s get the band back together, it really brings purpose to my day-to-day,” said Yoo.
On May 15, Chalk released its third album titled, “Be A Part,” and the next day performed an opening set at their hometown’s biggest music festival, Kilby Block Party. From the recording, mixing, album artwork, t-shirts and website, the band did virtually everything themselves.
Characterized by a wave of distortion and the dreamy rotating vocals of Yoo, Bush and guitarist Jeremy Devine, Chalk’s new album captures the equally sun-dazed and bitterly cold aesthetic of their home in Utah. Songs like “Penny Century” were written by the band over a decade ago but have finally earned the attention they deserve.
“The name [Be A Part] is cool because it’s both “be included”, or “be apart,” be away from each other. It’s sort of the balance between the two things,” said Bush.
Drummer Bret Meisenbach says it would be easy for Kilby to exclude locals and still have a very successful festival, but thankfully the community’s presence is at the foundation for the weekend.
“It’s cool talking to all the crew members and realizing most of them are Salt Lake locals… I met a dude working on our stage crew who lives down the street from me and also plays the drums. He was talking about the drums I was setting up and I was like, ‘dude, we gotta hang out,’” said Meisenbach.
A festival they’ve performed at several times means the members of Chalk feel more comfortable than ever at Kilby. Now in its seventh year, and third at the Utah State Fairpark, Kilby Block Party brought over 90,000 different visitors to experience bands like Turnstile, The XX and Lorde over three nights of music.
The city of Salt Lake has evolved into a destination for concert enjoyers traveling near and far. With Pitchfork Music Fest shutting down in 2024, there’s been an influx of festival goers who crave a thoughtfully curated lineup. This is where Kilby shines, bringing big names to Salt Lake while pairing them with a smorgasbord of indie artists both rising in popularity and whose most famous albums were released on CD.
The festival’s maturation has aged well with attendees.
Park City local Jeff Crocket has attended Kilby the last five years and anticipates coming back time and time again. “What stands out is bands that we’ve seen and things that we discovered. I think the best thing coming down here gives us is this opportunity to hear and see new bands,” he said of the festival.
Much like a walkman soundtrack, Kilby Block Party keeps attendees engaged with multiple stages, carnival food, dirty sodas, local vendors with vinyl and vintage clothing, a skate park, and more all within a manageable walking distance. There’s even a venue with seats.
How do they manage to pull this off? Because the promoters at S&S understand their guests and come from the same background, one based on the understanding of the power of live music. Their vision is to create a sanctuary for outsiders in Utah and offer space for visitors to be themselves.
Crockett said he’s seen the culture in Salt Lake shift into a more approachable direction. “I moved to Salt Lake in 1989 when I was 23 years old, now I’m 59 years old. The whole culture was very homogenous. It’s changed a lot,” he said.
Now attendees visiting the Beehive State can feel comfortable knowing that they’ll be in for an inclusive experience with a consistently strong mix of names at any music festival around.
“I’d come here every year just because it’s so much fun. The people are great. It’s just my favorite weekend in the world,” said an attendee from Idaho Falls.
Walking around Kilby, it’s possible to discern the reunions and as time draws to a close, echoes of “Same time next year?”
Listen above for KHOL’s full conversation with Skyler Bush, Jeremy Devine, Sally Yoo and Bret Meisenbach from Chalk.
Support for this arts and cultural coverage comes from the Wyoming Arts Council.
