Local Looks: Book on Tape Worm brings sweet dreams to Slumber Party show at Velour Live Music Gallery
- Book on Tape Worm performs during a Slumber Party concert at Velour Live Music Gallery in Provo on Friday, Jan. 10, 2025.
- Scott Shepard of Book on Tape Worm performs during a Slumber Party concert at Velour Live Music Gallery in Provo on Friday, Jan. 10, 2025.
- Catherine Williams of Book on Tape Worm performs during a Slumber Party concert at Velour Live Music Gallery in Provo on Friday, Jan. 10, 2025.
- Book on Tape Worm performs during a Slumber Party concert at Velour Live Music Gallery in Provo on Friday, Jan. 10, 2025.
- Ciera Walker of Book on Tape Worm performs during a Slumber Party concert at Velour Live Music Gallery in Provo on Friday, Jan. 10, 2025.
Velour Live Music Gallery in Provo is known for being the starting place for some of the best local talent in Northern Utah. While the venue has concerts weekly, some of my favorite shows are the ones that happen annually like last weekend’s Slumber Party shows. These shows, which took place Friday and Saturday, were headlined by the local band Book on Tape Worm. For these shows specifically, fans are encouraged to come dressed in comfy clothes and bring their blankets and pillows for an immersive slumber party experience.
For those unfamiliar with them, the Velour Slumber Party shows are not the average concert experience. These shows are more cozy. Instead of standing, you’d be sitting on the floor, and the venue is decorated elaborately with a fireplace projection on the stage and a bed and fun decor behind the mic. I’ve been going to this event for three years and every year I am in awe of how Velour owner Corey Fox can transform the venue into something out of a storybook for these shows. Each year, the venue looks different from the last. It’s clear there is a lot of thought and effort to each year’s decor.
If you haven’t heard of Book on Tape Worm, I would recommend looking them up as soon as possible. They are a perfect fit for this new year show as their songs explore themes of time, nature, ghosts and loss — things that we all reflect on during the shift to a new year. The underlying feeling of hope comes through their music, which leaves concertgoers feeling uplifted as they leave the venue after the show. Lead singer Scott Shepard brings a refreshing and melodic voice to the stage. He has this ability to befriend everyone in the audience as he performs. As he talks about the songs they have written or tells a funny story, a camaraderie builds throughout the night, and by the end it truly feels as though you are sitting in a living room, listening to music and hanging out with your friends.
As the night progressed, the band — composed of Shepard, Catherine Williams and Ciera Walker — continued to play some of their classics as well as old favorites. As the night drew to a close and they played their last song, the crowd was treated to a surprise that hadn’t happened in previous years: an encore. This encore was especially special as Shepard asked the crowd which song they wanted to hear, with the result being one of their popular songs, “Pianocide.” After the song ended, the crowd stuck around for a while, talking and taking in the last moments of what was undoubtedly an unforgettable evening.
With a new year ahead, if you ever get a chance to visit Velour, whether it be a normal weekend or during one of their annual events, don’t skip it. Not only will you walk away with potentially some new music and artists to listen to but you will also walk away with a new sense of community as you take in the wonderful, sometimes unrealized art and music scene in Utah County.