No matter who you were hoping to see in the Kilby Block Party lineup for 2025, you were bound to find some terrific bands along with a few headscratchers. It’s the nature of booking music. Kilby isn’t curating a personal playlist for you. They’re trying to draw 30,000 people to the Utah State Fairgrounds next May 15-18. They’re also trying to turn a profit in the process.
Some of the down ballot candidates here are going to be the big hits for me. Headliners tend to have a Dad Rock appeal. Let’s have a look at the music planned for Kilby’s 2025 event and possibly a few of the bands you may have overlooked but shouldn’t! Let’s have a look.
If you’re a Kilby Block Party fan, you’ll love this list of amazing 2024 records!
Kilby Block Party lineup for 2025: Competent headliners
Let’s just state the obvious: On no planet was Kilby going to match the appeal of last year’s top-billing LCD Soundsystem. The headline acts in 2024 made a festival for the ages. This year, Thursday night’s final act is New Order and Friday is Beach House. Saturday features Weezer and Sunday’s climactic show is Justice.
Who should you see and who should you skip? Read on.
Deconstructing the 2025 headliners
Headliner to see. No doubt my favorite of the top Kilby bands for 2025 is Friday night’s Beach House. Their 2022 masterpiece Once Twice Melody will top many Best Of lists for the decade. The dream pop duo/trio have toured indefatigably in every corner of the world, including here in Ogden at the Twilight Concert Series. This might be the only knock on the booking: Kilby following Twilight. I have never gotten to see them and am immensely excited. Or am I indefatigably excited?
Headliner to skip. In some corners, New Order on Thursday night will be the festival’s highlight. Look, I enjoy New Order as much as the next guy (okay maybe not). But there are only so many times I return to “Confusion” or “Regret.” I mean lets be honest they haven’t aged particularly well. New Order are also a notoriously dull live act. So aging hipsters, bring your 5 Hour Energy drink.
Headliner to see. Saturday night concludes with Weezer and as much as I might not like to admit it, I will probably sing along to not a few of the hits from The Blue Album. I’ll try not to but I will anyway. This doesn’t compare with hearing The Postal Service play Give Up front to back but it will be a rollicking, carefree show.
Headliner to see. That brings us to Sunday night and French electronic masters Justice. I’ve never been drawn to the entirety of their discography. But I’m pretty sure I have a CD of Cross somewhere (speaking of aging hipsters…a compact disc!). I need to drag it back out. These guys will rock the place.
Kilby Block Party lineup for 2025: Near headliners in my book
I’m leaving silly sub-headers like Devo from this list and focusing on some of the known and lesser-known acts that deserve your attention.
- Yo La Tengo. I may not have been wild about 2023’s This Stupid World but Hoboken’s finest are legends of American independent music. YLT Classics like 1997’s I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One are essential to any serious collection of alternative music
- Slowdive. As fervent a fan as I am of Ride and MBV, I feel I should be more versed in Slowdive. Oddly enough I have a Neil Halstead solo album but no Slowdive. Join me as I belatedly order a copy of Just For a day before May 2025
- Black Country, New Road. Part of me wants to find BCNR a little too clever but DANG Ants From Up There was so good. Between Black Country and 2022’s performance by Wednesday, this is as close as Kilby gets to alternative country which is baffling to me
- Panda Bear. There aren’t a lot of albums that knock me on my heels like Person Pitch did. Super looking forward to Noah Lennox. However I’ll say I don’t know that Panda Bear ever reached the same galactic heights since that first solo album
- Gang of Four. Post punk trailblazers Gang of Four changed the world with 1979’s Entertainment! This is in my Top 3 or 4 acts to see at Kilby, even without Andy Gill RIP
- TV on the Radio. I’m not going to pretend I have extensive TVotR knowledge, just a recognition that they have had a ton of influence the last 20-odd years.
- The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. I do have a extensive Pains of Being Pure at Heart knowledge. I was early on this bandwagon in the 00’s and ribald songs like “Young Adult Friction”
Kilby Block Party lineup for 2025
A lot more to come about Kilby, including a couple of mystery groups to get penciled into the lineup on Friday and Sunday, bands still denoted with mysterious question marks. They may or may not include Rilo Kiley.
This list also begs the question: Is there enough demand in Salt Lake City for a 4-day music festival, to justify extending the festival to the Thursday night start? I bought my tickets this morning and have some evidence comparing ticket demand today to 2022 and 2023 that brings this to mind.
For now I hope you’re excited to get your tickets. So much music to enjoy!