Sound Script

Red Butte Garden Amphitheater – Salt Lake City, Utah | August 3, 2026

Review by Sam Howard

Photos by Jaye Short

Every summer there are plenty of concert series going on all around the state of Utah. Among them, taking place at one of the prettier looking venues in Salt Lake, is the Red Butte Garden Outdoor Concert Series. On August 3rd, 2026, Andy Grammer would be putting on a show at this garden amphitheater for his Big Stupid Heart Tour, promoting his upcoming album of the same name. With tickets being sold out, and the crowd filing in for the show, this was a fun treat to be able to review an exciting night of uplifting music. 

Starting off the show was our opener, Walk off the Earth. This Ontario, Canada-based band took the stage in matching bright red jumpsuits to the beat of a driving drumline. The fun theatrics of the band created such an exciting atmosphere right off the bat that grabbed the attention of every single person who showed up early to see them perform. Kicking it off with their song “Red Hands,” the band had a great energy that caused those in the crowd to rush to the barricade to dance to the music being played. They knew just how to get this crowd moving. 

Throughout this set, Walk off the Earth not only had melodies that were such an earworm, but also brought powerful messages of the importance of family and being able to ignore the haters in life. At one point, a second band took the stage by the name of Luminati Suns to play a song mid-set. The band is made up of the three sons of the singer and guitarist of Walk of the Earth, Sarah Blackwood and Gianni Luminati. Luminati Suns created such a fun little surprise and sounds absolutely terrific on stage. 

As Walk off the Earth came back out on stage, making their way through their set, the band was filled with so many more surprises. From opening up their set with each member of the band playing a floor tom drum, to playing whacky instruments that they invented themselves, Walk off the Earth’s set felt like an ADHD-filled celebration of music. There were whole sections of their set where they played a medley of covers which included songs from bands and artists like Outkast, Ed Sheeran, Chappell Roan, Taylor Swift, Gorillaz, and so much more. Walk off the Earth is a band that has a gigantic bag of tricks, and has something for everyone. They would be the perfect band to bring the whole family to the next time they return to Utah, hopefully on a headlining tour of their own. 

Finally the sun was starting to set on a toasty Monday, and it was about time for Andy Grammer to take the stage. This show was highly anticipated by the fans, as it was one that was meant to take place back in 2023. That show was unfortunately canceled due to weather complications, so instead he was seen playing a short impromptu acoustic set in the parking lot to a small group of fans that waited outside to meet him. Now that he had made his return to Red Butte Garden, with nothing but clear blue skies on a hot summer night, it was time for a sort of redemption concert, and it did not disappoint. 

Coming out to the stage to the melody of “Bitter Sweet Symphony” by The Verve, Andy Grammer opened up with the title track of his upcoming album, “Big Stupid Heart,” immediately followed by his hit song “Good To Be Alive (Hallelujah).” It was a very strong start to the night and you couldn’t help but smile and dance with the best feelings in the entire world. When it comes to defining the music of Andy Grammer, the only word you need is “hopecore.” Overall, it was just such a happy time being at this concert. 

Throughout the night, Andy would often address the crowd to talk about his life with his family, what the songs were about, and his past experiences visiting Utah. He went on to say that Utah “might be my favorite place to play music.” A very flattering comment that Utah fans will wear as a badge of honor. The crowd interaction was absolutely amazing. At one point, he had a fan tell the story of how someone saved their life, and at another point he had someone “lion king” their baby. All this going on while playing extremely joyful music with such powerful and hopeful messages. 

Making his way through the setlist, Andy Grammer took a section of the show to play a medley of covers from bands and artists such as Noah Kahan, Olivia Dean, Plain White T’s, Dua Lipa and so much more, to which he went into playing his song “Fresh Eyes.” Nearing the end of his main set, he would also go on to play a cover of “You’ve Got a Friend in Me,” followed by his song “Joy.” Grammer ended his set with his hit song “Honey, I’m Good” before going into his encore. 

Leaving the stage, the crowd made it known that they weren’t ready for him to be done yet with their loud cheers and applause. After a little bit, Andy would take the stage again to play a two song encore. First it was his song “Don’t Give Up on Me” to which he brought up on stage a fan to sing with him. He would go on to explain that this little girl would be undergoing surgery in the coming days after the concert. It was a very sweet and emotional moment on stage that perfectly captured the magic of Andy Grammer’s music. Once the song was over, the last song began to play, and it was his hit song “Keep Your Head Up,” which was the perfect send off to end the night. At last, we got our Andy Grammer concert at Red Butte Garden, three years in the making. It was very clear that the next time he tours, Grammer will have no issues selling out another show here in Utah.