This show was the first time that I had been to the Sandy Amphitheater. From this experience, I am happy to say that this venue is one that I would not mind attending again, in comparison to the other venues within a 30 mile radius. Amphitheaters are great at withholding the sound of each performance which I really enjoyed and the seating arrangement seems to make people happier for a longer period of time. The only people that were frustrated with other patrons in the venue were those right in front of the stage; people who bought seats in the front row were allowed to stand in front of the stage, hands up and able to touch the artist if possible. Security guards and people who bought these tickets were intercepted by people who were seated further up in the audience, trying to get as close to the artist as they could. Because of the tiered pricing of this venue, people were much less competitive in comparison to shows where there is a general admission area.

Onto the show itself: Thomas Day started his music career upon auditioning for Americas Got Talent with Break My Heart Again by FINNEAS. The High School football player was immediately loved and adopted by America and he has come a long way since then. Thomas Day, what a smiley guy. This artist has some beautiful lyrics that not only does he feel, but he can easily return to in order to connect with his audience and perform most effectively. It is easy for us as fans to assign songs to our own memories and experiences, being distracted with our own emotions, it is just as easy to forget that our favorite artists are people who wrote the song on specific feelings that are brought to the surface just like us. While on the phone with my mother after the show, she said something that I have not been able to put into better words: everyone has their own emotions tied to these songs that can make them feel alone sometimes, but at the show they're alone together. This show really made me reflect on the concept of being alone together.

Our boy Joshua Bassett started his career as a teen actor, most known for his roles on Disney Channel. After singing in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, he rose in fame on social media. You can hear his speaking voice more in his singing voice than artists like Tate McRae. This made me connect with his music a lot more because instead of sounding like we are all singing the lyrics to each other, it felt more like we were all talking to each other, agreeing, sympathizing, and helping each other through our memories tied to the music. Not to say either style is better than the other, but each style of singing has a different effect on the concert goer. The support from everyone in the venue during Joshua's talking breaks was beautiful. There was no pressure or frustration from anyone in the audience who did not get to hear a song live that they were hoping for – which is usually very vocal after a show.

The most memorable part of the evening was when Joshua, being the lively and active performer that he is, was dancing on the stage when he caught himself falling backwards a bit. Trying to catch himself, he ended up falling, recovering through a graceful backwards somersault back to his feet. “Nothing like falling on your a** in front of a couple thousand people”. Apparently any time he comes to Utah he falls in some way. He seems like such a funny and real person simply based on these little actions in his show. During a time where there were technical difficulties, he ran off stage to fix his audio box, and we could hear him the whole time saying “Technical difficulties. Please hold” and other little things to ensure all of us that the song would continue soon.

The most interesting interaction that I had at this show was at the front of the stage before Joshua Bassett came to the stage. A mother and her daughter were taking pictures and asking me questions about when he will go on, and more about the show. She told me that earlier in the evening, she had paid a couple girls $20 to pretend that they knew the mother and let her cut in the merch line with them. Faking their interaction and taking a picture to show their imaginary mutual friends, the two girls being bribed seemed to feel uncomfortable but “ twenty bucks is twenty bucks” right?

I enjoyed the experience at a new venue, the staff that I interacted with were all very kind and wanted to learn more about the people attending the show. There are very few venues in Utah that I have been to that employ people like this. When I came back to the stage for each act of the show, the security guard who was there was happy to see me again, which I really appreciated. Being kind goes such a long way in this industry, this show reminded me how much a little interaction can change someone's experience so much.

Review & Photos by: Miriam Wasden

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Joshua Bassett Serves Up a Transcendent Performance at SLC's Sandy Amphitheater