(L–R) Jeremy Spence and Katie “Gunner Bandura” Maloney created venue-bar hybrid Aces High Saloon.

Horns Up! Bottoms Up! Aces High! SLC’s Punk & Metal Bar

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Aces High Saloon

1588 S. State Street, SLC
M–Sa 11a – 1a, Su 12p–1a
801-906-8908 | aceshighsaloon.com

Aces High is a crucial destination in both the local scene and on bands’ tour rosters.
Photo: Chay Mosqueda

When you’ve been entrenched in Salt Lake’s underground musical community, you’ve seen plenty of venues go up and come down, no matter their prominence, cultural significance or the amount of history between their walls. Two years ago, Jeremy Spence and Katie Gunner Bandura Maloney bought a vacant building on State Street that was once a little café. They gutted and rebuilt it to the mold of venues past, creating Aces High Saloon, a venue-bar hybrid in the style of an “outlaw, biker bar” whose very name references two of metal’s biggest caveats, calling out to the metalheads, punk rockers and all other outlaws and burnouts.

“At the end of the day, we’re just punk rock and metal nerds to the point where it’s ingrained in our soul. It was just a place that needed to be.”

“When you meet another punk rocker or metalhead, it’s kind of an instant connection,” says Maloney. “When people come into the bar from anywhere else, it’s an immediate, ‘This is where I belong.’” You’ll know exactly what she means when you set foot inside Aces—the walls are plastered with stickers, posters and show flyers from as far back as 40 years ago. The windows are draped with band banners, and a mural of the artwork from Judas Priest’s Screaming for Vengeance takes up an entire wall near the bathrooms. “Sort of looks like the bedroom you had when you were 17,” says Spence. Maloney adds, “But nicer—all the posters are framed.”

Spence and Maloney’s push to open Aces High stems from their passion garnered through years of experience within the local, underground music scene. “It’s definitely part of the fabric of our existence,” says Maloney. “We get to meet the best people, not only in SLC but around the world.” What started as pillow talk between her and Spence turned into reality when they signed their lease in January 2020. Despite the pandemic jeopardizing their original plan, the duo pulled through and officially launched Aces in September of that year. “We ran out of our building funds, so we had to do it,” says Maloney. “2020 was pretty scary. We didn’t have a liquor license, and we couldn’t do shows, but by January 2021, we got our license and it’s been uphill from there,” she says.

“When people come into the bar from anywhere else, it’s an immediate, ‘This is where I belong.’”

Spence and Maloney modeled their order of operations after historic SLC venue Burt’s Tiki Lounge in that Aces is practically “open all day, every day.”
Photo: Chay Mosqueda

Spence and Maloney modeled their order of operations after historic SLC venue Burt’s Tiki Lounge in that Aces is practically “open all day, every day.” You can come in, order food, shoot pool, play pinball, hang out with the bartenders and listen to metal. Aces is, first and foremost, a venue for its local community—everyone knows everybody and anyone can book a show. Their patrons, as well as their staff, are somehow involved in the music scene and use their skills and connections to help solidify Aces High as a crucial destination in both the local scene and on bands’ tour rosters. Scott Wardle (Folk Hogan) used to do sound for Burt’s and now harnesses his skills for Aces’ soundboard, and Jake Rogers (Visigoth) invites his friends from international touring bands to come hang out when they are rolling through SLC (he even set up a meet-and-greet with Katatonia). “We have Ron Martinez from Crawlspace Booking sending us huge shows,” says Spence. “He knows what we’re doing. He gets feedback from bands that play here and love SLC because of it.”

Spence and Maloney’s passion is prominent. Until it fades, they’re going to take Aces as far as they can. “At the end of the day, we’re just punk rock and metal nerds to the point where it’s ingrained in our soul. It was just a place that needed to be,” says Spence. If the phrase “the sky’s the limit” reads true, then that is how high these aces are going to fly. Cheers!

Read about more Utah music venues and festivals: 
Velour Live Music Gallery: A Home, a Church and a Venue
Fort Desolation Fest: Southern Utah’s Premier Overland Music Festival