Utah
Joanna Newsom Pays Tribute to 'Hilarious, Loving, Loyal Friend' Steve Albini at Utah Fest
Joanna Newsom paid tribute to Steve Albini — the engineer on her acclaimed 2006 album Ys — during the singer’s set Friday at Utah’s Kilby Block Party.
Stereogum reports that prior to Newsom’s performance of “Cosmia,” one of the Ys tracks she recorded with Albini, the singer gave an emotional speech about how much the noise-rock pioneer meant to her.
“So the last few days have been pretty sad because of the loss of Steve Albini, who I love very, very much and admire in every possible way you can admire a person,” Newsom said.
“I was saying to my friend this morning that like on the list of all the reasons why he’s my hero, music and music-related stuff doesn’t even crack the top ten. He’s been so enormously important in my life musically for so many years, but still just as a human, as a person, as a hilarious, loving, loyal friend to so many people. I miss him. I’m gonna miss him so much. I haven’t accepted it yet.”
In addition to Ys — one of Albini’s essential recordings — Newsom, who previously called Albini “pretty much the best producer in the world,” also enlisted Albini to engineer her 2015 LP Divers.
“I was in this small room with Steve Albini and nobody else, and I was playing the songs exactly as they are, and it was a pretty intense time,” Newsom said in an interview shortly after Ys’ release. “I had it candlelit, in the dark with just candles and conjuring up these pretty insane moments that I had been experiencing…. There’s something about the way Steve recorded me and the environment in which it was done. There was a sense of closeness and spontaneity, and I felt extremely emotionally on edge, and I went through these vocal takes. I was just wrecked afterwards because it was such an emotional experience.”
Newsom concluded Friday’s tribute by adding, “He recorded the album that this next song is on, as well as so much other stuff that I’ve done. I can’t believe I don’t get to record with him again, but I love Steve. I love you, Steve. This one’s for you.”
Following Albini’s death earlier this week at the age of 61, many of the artists he collaborated with — like Dave Grohl, Jimmy Page, PJ Harvey, Superchunk, his Big Black bandmate Santiago Durango, and more — have shared tributes and remembrances of the legendary musician, producer, and writer.
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LEHI, Utah (Amazing America) — Featuring over one million blooming flowers, including about 400,000 tulips imported from Holland, the Thanksgiving Point Tulip Festival is one of the largest, most popular springtime events in the U.S., held each year at Ashton Gardens in Lehi, Utah.
The festival runs for about six weeks, usually from early April until mid-May. This year’s celebration concludes on May 16, so there’s still time to see the beautiful blooms.
Throughout the course of the festival, new flowers are always blossoming — and not just tulips. Visitors can admire daffodils, poppies, hyacinths and more.
Each year, tens of thousands of people flock to the festival from all over. What really sets Thanksgiving Point apart is that every October, the team redesigns bloom patterns and plants new bulbs, making for a completely fresh experience for visitors each year.
The Thanksgiving Point Tulip Festival is filled to the brim with the sights, scents and sounds of spring. It’s a must-visit for all flower enthusiasts, but there’s really something for everyone to enjoy, including sweet and savory treats, live music on select days, interactive classes and tours, and plenty of unique photo opportunities.
Timed entry tickets are required, and prices range from $17 to $29. Children two and under enter for free. The festival is typically open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and closed on Sunday. For more information, click here.
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SALT LAKE CITY — Insurance fraud costs Americans over $300 billion every year — and it’s growing.
In Utah, state investigators said half of their insurance fraud cases involve automobiles. These scams not only slow down legitimate claims, but they also jack up the premiums we pay for insurance.
“We’ve seen a steady increase over the years,” said Armand Glick, who oversees the Utah Insurance Department’s Fraud Division. “Since 2022, we’ve had an 80% increase in our referrals to our division for investigation.”
While staged accidents where criminals crash into unsuspecting drivers to make false claims do happen in Utah, Glick said most of the fraud is staged on paper in the form of false reports.
“They swerved to avoid a deer or an animal and struck a guard rail, or a hit and run in a grocery store parking lot,” Glick said of two common schemes his investigators hear.
But the biggest scheme they see, he says, is “crash and buy.” That’s where uninsured drivers buy a policy just after a crash.
“They’ll file the claim and they’ll represent that they were involved in the accident after they were insured,” said Glick.
Another common scheme involves drivers trying to lower their rates by lying about where the car is located, whether it’s used for ridesharing, or who regularly drives it. And one of the biggest increases they’ve seen lately is windshield fraud. That’s where people get insurance to cover a windshield that was already broken.
“Windshields no longer cost $300,” he said, “but they’re closer to $1,200 to $1,500.”
Whether it’s windshield fraud, a “crash and buy” or a staged collision, gaming the system causes everyone’s rates to go up.
“We pay $700 to $1,000 a year due to insurance fraud,” said Glick.
While staged accidents aren’t as common in Utah as others, it’s still possible to get caught up in one. Glick says if the other driver doesn’t want police called and insists on settling in cash that is a huge red flag.
Call police, take pics of everything. That includes photos of passengers of the car. Fraudsters like to add passengers in their claim.
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