Our Favorite Moments From Kilby Block Party 2025

Our experience at Salt Lake City, Utah's four-day festival had plenty of highlights, including a long-awaited performance by Rilo Kiley, a surprise appearance by TV Girl during George Clanton's set, and more.

Our Favorite Moments From Kilby Block Party 2025
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For the past five years or so, I’ve felt frustrated with music festivals. Maybe it’s part of getting older—still “young” but no longer part of the TikTok-obsessed demographic that fests now target—but there hadn’t been a lineup that beckoned me to make the trek out of the East Coast to see bands play. That is, except Kilby Block Party. While other festivals tend to have cookie-cutter headliners and blindly follow what’s trending, the four-day Salt Lake City-based music festival focuses on offering a variety of quality artists, ranging from up-and-comers to legendary acts.

When I saw Rilo Kiley, my all-time favorite band, was added to this year’s lineup after announcing a reunion tour, I knew I had to make it out to Utah. I was anticipating seeing Rilo Kiley live for the first time to be the highlight, but I was not expecting Kilby Block Party to overall become the best festival experience I’ve ever had, and one that will likely ruin going to others for me because it’ll be hard to top. Here are my favorite moments from this year’s Kilby Block Party.

Seeing Future Islands Soundcheck

Photographer Emilio Herce and I arrived at the Utah State Fairpark in the afternoon on Thursday to get our credentials. We were there four hours before doors opened to the crowd, but this downtime allowed us to explore Kilby Block Party’s festival grounds. It was a joy to catch Future Islands‘ soundcheck, with frontman Samuel T. Herring doing his signature growls and dance moves to an audience of just us and festival staff. It was sweet to see Herring commemorate his day at Kilby with a soundcheck selfie, showing that no matter how long he’s been performing, there’s still joy in playing these kinds of sets.

The Kids Whipping It Good to Devo

With a limited lineup for its first day skewed toward an older demographic, I was concerned that Gen Z audiences would be put off by it. Thankfully, I learned that the kids are all right. Many young audience members shelled out on the iconic Devo hats and danced throughout the set, which included the hits and various changes.

Kilby Block Party

Watching New Order Cover Joy Division

I was a massive Joy Division fan in high school and lamented never getting to hear their songs live. Thankfully, seeing Bernard Sumner perform his former band’s songs is close enough. When New Order opened their set with “Transmission,” I was overwhelmed with emotion seeing Ian Curtis’ bandmates pay tribute to him (just a few days before the 45th anniversary of his passing) this way and acknowledge that without Joy Division, there wouldn’t be New Order. While I didn’t quite latch on to New Order as a teen as much as I did to Joy Division, seeing the band perform made me appreciate their music more as well. Hearing “Age of Consent” live gave me goosebumps. Herce and I made the mistake of heading out right before Brandon Flowers made a surprise appearance for “Bizarre Love Triangle” and will never forgive ourselves for missing out on it.

Car Seat Headrest Brings Out the Furries

This was Car Seat Headrest‘s first time playing songs off their new album, The Scholars, since their secret, intimate show in New York City back in February, which had marked the live debut of the material. I wondered how the songs from the LP would translate in this kind of setting, as it’s a record that contains three songs back to back that are among the longest in the band’s discography. Would they just cut those songs altogether, or sacrifice songs that were previous festival staples in favor of the fresh tracks? To my surprise, the limiting time slot didn’t deter Car Seat Headrest from performing “Gethsemane” and “Planet Desperation,” each clocking in at over 10 minutes. While this meant that we would only get one classic (“Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales”), fans seemed more than satisfied with a 6-song set, which also included the debut of a new song called “The Colossus.” I knew Car Seat Headrest had amassed a dedicated fanbase, but their Kilby set was proof that they are a lot bigger than when I’d last seen them play a festival set, which was at Boston Calling in 2017. There was a fan standing at the barricades wearing a skirt patterned with the Twin Fantasy artwork. Others proudly displayed their CSH tees; some matched them with furry ears, too. And speaking of furries, while Will Toledo didn’t sport his Mortis the Jackrabbit fursuit, the band had a friend dressed as Leo (a shorter version of Mortis), who danced through the VIP+ area, interacting with fans, before hitting the stage with a duck named PartyFowl.

Rilo Kiley’s Awaited Return

Rilo Kiley became my favorite band at 16 years old and still remains immensely important to me. Unfortunately, I also got into Rilo Kiley after they stopped touring together, and while I had caught Jenny Lewis performing some of the band’s songs during her solo sets, it didn’t quite hit the same without Blake Sennett and the rest. While it’s almost unforgivable to schedule Slowdive (another band I love) to perform right before Rilo Kiley across the venue, it was a blessing that most Car Seat Headrest fans seemed to not care much about the Lewis-led band, as they cleared out from the barricades in the Lake Stage and allowed superfans like me to nab the perfect spot. I’m used to bad behavior at festivals by crowds eager to fight their way to the front, but Rilo Kiley had the most well-behaved fans I’ve encountered. Everyone happily made space for other fans eager to get a good spot to see the band perform one of their first comeback sets. Fans exchanged stories of how they first came across the band and looked out for each other, trading spots while going on bathroom breaks during the nearly two-hour wait between the sets. Some performing bands were excited to catch Rilo Kiley, too. Momma moved their soundcheck earlier to be able to see some of the legendary California band’s set before heading to The Urban Lounge for their afterparty show.

I was prepared to be emotional while having a moment I had been waiting 15 years for, but as soon as Rilo Kiley hit the stage and launched into “The Execution of All Things,” I found myself bawling; I cried even more hearing my favorite song of theirs, “Portions for Foxes.” The band made sure to feature at least one track off each record, with the exception of their beloved debut EP, The Initial Friend. At the end of their set, Sennett asked if the band had time for one more song. Sadly, they only had 2 minutes and he decided that instead of doing a speedy version of a classic that’d been left off the setlist—like “Glendora,” which was requested by various crowdgoers—it’d be best to cut their performance short. While heading to the catering area, a friend and I caught Rilo Kiley leaving the stage in a golf cart. Lewis, like the indie queen she is, regally waved to us.

Sloppy Jane’s Performance Taking New Heights

I’ve seen Sloppy Jane live since 2017, so this is far from my first time watching a set by the art rock band—but it was my first time seeing what a Sloppy Jane festival set looks like. Bandleader Haley Dahl has always been committed to taking her performance to new heights. In this case, it was literal, with Dahl climbing a rig during “Where’s My Wife” moments after doing a shoey out of her heel. Following the performance, Dahl’s knees were bruised and bloodied from her stunts, and she hurt a tooth in the process, causing slight concerns over whether she had chipped it, but it was business as usual. The crowd, which was mostly teens and college-aged kids, had an intense response to the set. Tour manager Nicolette Miller (who has played with Sloppy Jane in the past) remarked that it was difficult to know who to hand over the setlist to following the performance, as there were multiple fans crying.

Kilby Block Party

Animal Collective Supporting Bandmate Panda Bear

I wasn’t expecting anything throughout the rest of the weekend to top seeing Rilo Kiley for the first time, but watching Panda Bear perform while surrounded by his Animal Collective bandmates came close. I joined my friends from Sloppy Jane to see Panda Bear’s set side stage and spotted Avey Tare and Geologist bopping their heads to their bandmate’s music. It was a special moment for me, as someone who has been a massive Animal Collective fan for over a decade. I then learned that besides being there to support his longtime friend, Geologist was attending Kilby Block Party to represent the nonprofit organization This Must Be The Place, as he is part of its board of directors. This Must Be The Place provides free naloxone, a life-saving medication that reverses opioid overdoses, at music festivals and educates on the dangers of fentanyl. It makes me so proud that Geologist is using his platform to help save lives.

Black Country, New Road Thriving With a New Beginning

When lead vocalist and guitarist Isaac Wood left Black Country, New Road, many wondered how the band would continue. The Cambridge-based band found a clever solution: the rest of the band would trade vocals, writing the new music and retiring the songs Wood wrote. Hearing this iteration of the band live for the first time, I wondered why they hadn’t thought about this sooner. Co-lead vocalists Tyler Hyde, Georgia Ellery, May Kershaw, and Lewis Evans’ voices are angelic. Their star power is shared evenly; they’re an enthralling group to watch, especially now that their new album, Forever Howlong, skews more theatrical than the band’s previous work. Seeing Hyde and Georgia Ellery play their respective guitars with bows as if they’re string instruments was a good touch of whimsy to follow Sloppy Jane’s performance.

George Clanton Being the Ultimate Showman

This was my first time seeing George Clanton perform live, so I went in not knowing what to expect. I was already excited to see my friend Anya Good play drums for him, as it was also my first time seeing her behind the kit. Good, whose primary gig is as a bassist for Grumpy, is an excellent, energetic drummer who added more dimension to Clanton’s songs, which typically use a drum machine. As a duo, they didn’t need anyone else onstage; Clanton’s stage presence is the show. Seeing Clanton perform, I immediately understood why he’s amassed a large fanbase over the past decade. He’s the ultimate showman, one who knows exactly what his audience wants and delivers. Early in the set, Clanton ripped his shirt off, inspiring two fans at the front of the barricades to follow suit during “I Been Young.” They got his attention, as Clanton shouted, “Take it off! Take it off!” He also sprinkled them with his water bottle and jumped off the stage to sing to them. Clanton’s set had another surprise: a guest appearance by TV Girl to perform “Summer 2000 Baby” off their 2024 collaborative LP Fauxllennium, accompanied by an inflatable sexy bunny, which was thrown into the crowd. And in case you were wondering, yes, Brad Petering also joined the no-shirt club.

Kilby Block Party

Hanging Out at the Artist Lounge

I didn’t check out the artist lounge until my third day at Kilby. It had everything you could need for the day: a barber, massages, acupuncture, a nail salon, tooth gems, and tattoos. Marcus Brown (aka Nourished by Time) got a tattoo of dice, while members of Sloppy Jane had tintype portraits done. But this wasn’t the main place where artists fraternized. In the catering room, which was in a building across from the artist lounge, bands could also enjoy pinball games, play cornhole, and get polaroids taken. In her Instagram post looking back at Kilby, Good wrote in the caption that Kilby was “summer camp for real,” which feels very accurate. It was so wholesome to see musicians and industry folks befriend each other over meal breaks and gush over each other’s work.

A Wet ‘n Wild Crowd for Nourished by Time

The fourth and final day of Kilby went off to a rough start. It was pouring that day, making the venue muddy and gross to walk around in, and the festival was not as crowded as during previous days. But the crowd there to see Marcus Brown, who performs as Nourished by Time, didn’t seem to care about the less-than-favorable weather. They danced while drenched with rain during the Baltimore-based artist’s set, going wild when he performed “Daddy” off his 2023 LP, Erotic Probiotic 2.

Real Estate’s Picturesque Set

I’ve seen Real Estate a few times now, but their Kilby set was by far my favorite. It was the perfect choice to have the band perform on the Lake Stage, which had a stunning view of the snowy mountains surrounding it. Days is a record that always reminds me of nature and listening to it during family drives to my aunt’s countryside home in the mountains of Cayey, so seeing Real Estate perform those old songs in this setting, with seagulls flying above the crowd just as the rain cleared, felt profoundly beautiful.

Kilby Block Party

Stay tuned for our full galleries from Kilby Block Party 2025.

 
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