Tour Diary – Salt Lake City, UT (June 24, 2010)

Jason looked at the map and decided that maybe he should miss the 15 hour drive to Salt Lake City. So I am reclaiming the Tour Diary for Salt Lake City. Jason will return for the end of the road in Denver.

We started coming here twenty years ago. At that time it was pretty obvious there wasn’t a reason for the city to be here except that God had said it was to be so, and, unfortunately, God is not a very good urban planner. It was a dull, uninspiring town. But over the past couple of decades (and the Olympics probably helped a lot) this city has evolved into an energetic, if still homogonous, city. It’s still dominated by God, but there are enough outside influences kicking against the pricks, to give it a bit of a spark. There seems to be quite a few young street punks ambling about, which means that there is rebellion brewing in the suburbs, which is a sign of good things to come. It’s now an interesting place to visit and it should get even more interesting in the coming years.

Whenever we are in Salt Lake I always take the time to stroll around Temple Square, the Mormon Church’s power center. I find it to be one of the most peaceful pieces of public real estate in the urban USA (I guess its technically private real estate, but it’s always a very welcoming and open space which gives it a very public feel). It has a very focussed energy. The gardens and the buildings are absurdly tidy and clean but there is something inspiring about the place, maybe it’s all of those choice pieces of scripture carved in granite and set throughout the square.

It was an outdoor gig tonight, part of the Arts Festival, with a very enthusiastic audience. RocknRolla.  It was a very fun night.