PENELOPE ROAD AT THE SOUNDWELL IN SALT LAKE CITY
SOUNDWELL — SALT LAKE CITY, UT
Penelope Road brought their self-titled tour to the Soundwell, kicking off Pioneer Day weekend for Salt Lake City. Opening for them was the Oregon-based band The Takes. They gave the crowd a laugh when their bassist, Phoebe, asked what day it was, and someone yelled out “Tuesday!” Vocalist Sumner then responded, saying it wasn’t Tuesday, but also not knowing what day it was. Someone else yelled out that it was Sunday, and it was never clarified that it was Friday all along. They set the mood for the night with their indie-rock sound, encouraging the crowd to dance. Penelope Road carried that energy and kept it going through the rest of the night.
The setlist was full of fan favorites, along with covers and new unreleased songs. The first song played, “My Way”, was one of the unreleased songs. Despite these songs not being released, fans seemed to know them anyway from seeing videos of other performances online. It was hard to tell if someone didn’t know the unreleased songs, as the crowd was enjoying them just as much anyway. Following that was “Tired of Love” from their 2024 debut self-titled EP, exciting fans who have been following them since the beginning.
Along with their original songs, Penelope Road brought Salt Lake a cover of “Human Nature” by Michael Jackson. They mentioned that this was a newer cover for them and hoped that the crowd would like it. They played it beautifully, owning the song with elements of their own style while respecting what it originally was.
The five-piece group continued the night with each member showcasing their talents and blending in with each other harmoniously. Max Moore played guitar and Charles Eastman the keyboard while both of them shared the lead vocals. Koan Roy-Meighoo played guitar, and James Kopp played bass while they both provided backing vocals. On the drums was Anthony Smith, who kept the beat alive all night long. In between songs, Charles talked about how, while this was the first time they played a show in Utah, he had been there before to ski and that it was a “pretty cool place”.
They ended the night with “Out Tonight” from their recently released EP The Diamond Street Sessions. While it was Penelope Road’s first time in Salt Lake City, it won’t be their last. Salt Lake loved them and will wait for them to come back.
