Local Looks: The Aces shine alongside other local acts at Fork Fest
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- Katie Henderson, guitarist for The Aces performs during Fork Fest at Art Dye Park in American Fork on Saturday, June 17, 2023. The Aces, an Orem-based indie pop band, headlined the festival.
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- Joshua James, co-founder of Fork Fest, performs during the festival at Art Dye Park in American Fork on Saturday, June 17, 2023.
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- Jane Beeson performs during Fork Fest at Art Dye Park in American Fork on Saturday, June 17, 2023.
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- Cristal Ramirez, lead singer for The Aces, performs during Fork Fest at Art Dye Park in American Fork on Saturday, June 17, 2023. The Aces, an Orem-based indie pop band, headlined the festival.
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- Josh Thomas, of Cardinal Bloom, performs during Fork Fest at Art Dye Park in American Fork on Saturday, June 17, 2023.
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- Little Moon performs during the Fork Fest Firelight Kickoff at Art Dye Park in American Fork on Friday, June 16, 2023.
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- Joey St. John, lead singer of Cardinal Bloom, performs during Fork Fest at Art Dye Park in American Fork on Saturday, June 17, 2023.
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- Fans watch Joshua James during Fork Fest at Art Dye Park in American Fork on Saturday, June 17, 2023.
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- Porter Smith, lead singer of Lantern By Sea, performs during Fork Fest at Art Dye Park in American Fork on Saturday, June 17, 2023.
Molly McCoy, Special to the Daily Herald
Katie Henderson, guitarist for The Aces performs during Fork Fest at Art Dye Park in American Fork on Saturday, June 17, 2023. The Aces, an Orem-based indie pop band, headlined the festival.
In 2010, Corey Fox and Joshua James created the first ever Fork Fest. Fox, owner of Velour Live Music in Provo, and James, a singer-songwriter envisioned a music festival highlighting local talents in Utah County.
After a brief hiatus, Fox and the Harrington Center for the Arts brought back the festival in 2019. It has been an annual event each summer since. The first ever Fork Fest featured artists like The Devil Whale, Desert Noises and Imagine Dragons. Highlighting local artists, this year’s headliner was the highly-acclaimed, Orem-based indie pop band, The Aces.
Saturday brought 27 bands and songwriters covering various genres. Some of the crowd favorites include Beeson (winner of December’s Battle of the Bands), Cardinal Bloom, Lantern By Sea and James, Fork Fest’s founder himself.
As the afternoon progressed, indie rock band Lantern By Sea took the stage after fans waited patiently all afternoon at the barricade. Guitarist Josh Alvey said they have played at almost every Fork Fest since its revival — and for good reason. Lantern By Sea tells powerful stories through their songwriting with lead singer Porter Smith’s vocals conveying striking emotion for an almost cinematic concert experience.
Beeson was up next. Since winning Battle of the Bands in December, Jane Beeson and her band have released two new songs, “Everybody’s Baby” and “I Haven’t Seen You Since The Summer.” She is also working on making a new EP and will be opening for Noah Cyrus at the Ogden Twilight Concert Series later this year.
Molly McCoy, Special to the Daily Herald
Joshua James, co-founder of Fork Fest, performs during the festival at Art Dye Park in American Fork on Saturday, June 17, 2023.
Cardinal Bloom are also fan favorites as their ability to capture the crowd’s attention will always promise a good show. Their fans shook the barricade, jumping up and down belting along each song. Each band member compliments each other, playing nicely to make for a cohesive and skilled performance.
James was the last to perform before the headliner. His performance against the setting sun was a picturesque backdrop for a beautiful summer evening. As James performed, fans swayed to the music and his gritty vocals. Beyond his immense value to Fork Fest, James is vital to the music world in Utah.
As much as fans loved every opener and basked in the sun, a feeling was palpable in the crowd. People wanted The Aces. Winners of Velour’s summer 2012 Battle of the Bands, the group has since released multiple albums, gone on national tour and were featured in Billboard magazine.
The Aces reminisced with the crowd about their start here in Utah and how growing up in Orem influenced their songwriting. They mentioned repeatedly how good it was to be home and fans cheered louder and louder in agreement.
They played a great mix of their newer songs and some throwback favorites, ultimately being the perfect ending to a day full of music and fun. The Aces will be back in Salt Lake on Oct. 21 and — without a doubt — will be greeted with another warm welcome.
Molly McCoy, Special to the Daily Herald
Jane Beeson performs during Fork Fest at Art Dye Park in American Fork on Saturday, June 17, 2023.
Fork Fest is held at Art Dye Park in American Fork and consists of three stages; two stages side by side and, a little further away, the Forest Stage. Fork Fest is a perfect family-friendly event with lots of food trucks, vendors, a foam pit and murals spread across the festival grounds. While Fork Fest brings lots of patrons to the event it never feels crowded, which adds to the enjoyment for families and individuals that attend.
This year included a Firelight Kickoff on Friday, a new and special addition to the festivities. The kickoff event took place at the Forest Stage, created by BoxCar Studios, and features more intimate performances from singer songwriter artists while the two main stages feature larger bands.
The artists highlighted at the kickoff event this year included; Stephanie Maybe, Stewart Wheeler, Kyle Henderson, Book on Tape Worm and Little Moon, winner of NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest.
Cristal Ramirez, lead singer for The Aces, performs during Fork Fest at Art Dye Park in American Fork on Saturday, June 17, 2023. The Aces, an Orem-based indie pop band, headlined the festival.
Josh Thomas, of Cardinal Bloom, performs during Fork Fest at Art Dye Park in American Fork on Saturday, June 17, 2023.
Little Moon performs during the Fork Fest Firelight Kickoff at Art Dye Park in American Fork on Friday, June 16, 2023.
Joey St. John, lead singer of Cardinal Bloom, performs during Fork Fest at Art Dye Park in American Fork on Saturday, June 17, 2023.
Fans watch Joshua James during Fork Fest at Art Dye Park in American Fork on Saturday, June 17, 2023.
Porter Smith, lead singer of Lantern By Sea, performs during Fork Fest at Art Dye Park in American Fork on Saturday, June 17, 2023.