Events
E3 2015: Prepare to Party Hard with Dark Souls 3...
The best thing about E3 is that a mind-altering video game experience is always waiting just around the corner. Even when I think that I’ve seen every genre or game mechanic that there is to see, some crazy-ass developer comes up with something that makes me redefine what a video game is. On my second day of E3, I dug deep into the fertile loam of publishers tinyBuild and Bandai Namco to find a lineup of games that tested my boundaries in all the right ways. … read more
E3 2015: Old and New Loves – Starfox and Yarny...
I finally made my way out of the west hall today to do some exploring in the south hall. I couldn’t leave the West Hall without finishing up with Nintendo’s biggest games—Starfox Zero and Super Mario Maker. In the South Hall, I found one of the most beautiful platformers I’ve ever seen. … read more
E3 2015: Jesus Is My Co-Op Buddy – Day Two
It’s the second to last day here at E3 and I think that this will go down as one of the best times I’ve had in recent memory. I got to mingle with celebrities, play some of the hottest games, have ridiculous photos taken with models that flirted with me for my obvious good looks and definitely not because they were paid to, be a rock star in front of an adoring crowd with the new Guitar Hero game and, to top it all off, I was given free beer by the last people I would expect to be handing out beer. … read more
E3 2015: My First E3 – Day One
I’ve been paying attention to E3 for as long as I can remember. Being a spectator always made me happier than a pig in shit; it’s even led to tears at times. With stellar announcements during “day zero,” it was almost depressing knowing that I’d have to wait until release day to get my hands on any of these titles. Fast forward to the ripe age of 28, and I found myself here in Los Angeles, at the biggest video game convention in the world. … read more
E3 2015: Little Big Con – Day One
While the day zero press conferences make it easy to drool over the pantheon of new and exciting video games will be premiering this year, E3’s real power manifests itself on the exhibition floor. It’s a humbling experience to take control of a fledgling game as its developer looks on like a proud parent, but it’s these surreal moments that truly determine whether an upcoming title will be something special. … read more
E3 2015: West Hall Story with Nintendo – Day One
The one thing about E3 that still blows me away is the sheer size. The big names—Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo—take up almost the entire West hall of the convention center, with a few smaller developers filling in the corners. I ended up spending the entire day on just this side of the hall and I still didn’t see every game. … read more
E3 2015: The Nature of the Beast – Day One
E3 2015 is currently underway in sunny California and I’m extremely excited to attend this one-in-a-lifetime opportunity (for me, anyways). I’m no slouch to video games—I’ve been playing since the Atari days—I’m just not as up to snuff as everybody else here seems to be, which kind of made me feel like a filthy casual. … read more
Farmers Market Kickoff Fundraiser @ Squatters Pub Brewery 06.04
June 13 marks the day that many of us have all been waiting for, the official opening day of the Downtown Farmers Market. Squatters hosts the 24th anniversary kick-off fundraiser that showcases everything that makes the Farmers Market so great. … read more
The Wanderer’s Tradition: An Interview with Bombino
Omara Moctar, known internationally as the Nigerien psych-rock hero Bombino, is the local and living legend of a small tribe in the country of Niger. While on his international tour, Salt Lake will have the good fortune of seeing him at no charge at The Salt Lake County Building on May 15–17 for The 30th Annual Living Traditions Festival this summer. Recently, SLUG was able to interview Moctar about his music and his message.
Janet Mock: The Storyteller Who’s Writing History
Janet Mock’s 2014 memoir, Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love & So Much More, prompted a larger conversation about identity and how trans women can talk about their own experiences without fear. This June 4–7, Mock will be Grand Marshal at the Utah Pride Center’s 2015 Utah Pride Festival, where she will work with Utah’s LGBTQ community to further the conversation about inclusivity and authenticity.