Sound Script

Live at Church & State – Salt Lake City, Utah

Review and Photos by Sam Howard

July 17th, 2026

Church & State is one of the most unique venues in the state of Utah. The venue is actually a marketplace built inside of an old church building in Salt Lake City, and has some of the most beautiful aesthetics and decor inside. When concerts are put on there, the stage setup becomes the most intimate setting with all the equipment just being set up on the floor. There is no barricade, no security, nothing separating the fans and the bands. So when a band like Fiddlehead comes to town to play at Church & State, the night is bound to be an exciting one. 

Starting off the night, Colorado based band, Destiny Bond, took the stage. With people still filing into the venue, the band had such a killer sound and high energy. Destiny Bond’s sound is very hardcore and fast paced, creating such a chaotic and exciting energy to Church & State. From the very start, the small yet mighty crowd had a consistent mosh pit going. This entire set felt as if it were taking place on a big stage at Warped Tour. The way the band played and moved during their set created such an amazing energy, and there wasn’t a single person who wasn’t bouncing or moving while the music was playing. With the end of their set, Destiny Bond had absolutely killed it, and was the perfect opener to get the crowd moving. I would love to see them back here in Utah playing a venue like Kilby Court or even Soundwell. 

Next up was a band based out of California called Knumears. They have a little bit more of a slower shoegaze sound with a lot harder breakdowns and grittier guitars. The band consisted of three members: a bass player, drummer and vocalist/guitarist. With only three members, Knumears created such a big sound. At some points, the singer would just use the acoustics of the venue to scream the lyrics away from the microphone. Though the tempo of the music was slower, it didn’t stop the crowd from moshing and moving to the music. They even sang the lyrics back to the band. The band had really cool looking instruments as well, with a see-through guitar and clear drums with some lights on the inside. Finishing out their set, it was clear that the crowd couldn’t get enough of Knumears. I would love to see them come back and play Kilby Court. 

Making our way through the night, the last opener of the night was a band called Narrow Head. Based out of Dallas, Texas, Narrow Head brought a more hard rock vibe with notes of shoegaze in their sound. For this set, the crowd was locked in on the performance the whole time  There was a lot less moshing and pushing going on, and a lot more screaming and singing lyrics. Throughout the whole set, the crowd was also bouncing a lot more with the rhythm of the music. Narrow Head also had such a powerful sound and stage presence, it felt as though they were playing an amphitheater full of people rather than just a small venue inside an old church. I wouldn’t be surprised if they came back and played a venue like the Complex or Soundwell.

Last up of the night was Fiddlehead, on tour for the release of their newest EP, “Baby I’ll Change.” With the show being sold out, and our headliner about to take the stage, Church & State was packed. The instant the music started playing, there were people in the crowd diving on top of each other and moshing so hard, they were knocking over monitors and microphone stands on the stage. The chaos was met with just as much passion from the band, as they were basically a part of the crowd as well. Opening up their set, they played their song “ Grief Motif” and transitioned into “The Years.” It was such a powerful start to the set, and set the precedence for the night to come. 

The ambiance of Church & State mixed with the hardcore punch of Fiddlehead’s sound created such a special feeling while the music was being played. There wasn’t a second of the set where the crowd wasn’t screaming lyrics back into the microphone while moshing with each other. The energy was unmatched. Whether you were watching from the floor or the balcony, at the very front of the back of the crowd, the energy remained the same

Making their way through their set, Fiddlehead didn’t falter or slow down. The energy of the night only went up and by the end of it, nobody wanted to leave. Once they played the last chords of their song “Million Time,” the crowd just couldn’t get enough of the music. If you ever get the opportunity to hear Fiddlehead live, it is a concert that you will never forget, especially if it’s inside a venue like Church & State. Though I would love to see Fiddlehead play the big venues we have here in Salt Lake, the Boston-based band playing at Church & State made for an almost perfect and unforgettable show, and I would absolutely love to see them play there again.