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Photo: Sam Milianta
VELOUR
By Ryan Hall dontsignanythingyet@gmail.com
Years ago,
traveling to Provo to
see a touring band would have
seemed unthinkable. When Corey Fox
opened Velour, however, that all began
to change. Fox began the all-ages venue
almost five years ago with little more than a
dream and some elbow grease. Fox’s hard
work has paid huge dividends for Provo’s
surprisingly diverse musical community by
providing a cultural hub deep in the heart of
Utah County, as well as helping to launch the
careers of Isaac Russell and Neon Trees.
Velour has slowly begun reaching premiere
status, siphoning off established SLC and
national acts from Salt Lake’s usual haunts to
play in Velour’s lush interior.
SLUG: Tell us about your first experience
with SLUG Magazine.
Fox: I think my first experience with SLUG
was probably in the very early ‘90s, when I
was so hungry for music and vintage clothing
that I would often take the trip up to SLC
from Provo to pick up whichever zine would
notify me of the next DV8 concert or cool new
store. My first official interaction with SLUG
came in the mid-’90s when I was managing
the SLC band Clover. They really took off
and were receiving a lot of press at the time,
and SLUG was always very cool and
supportive of the band.
SLUG: How
have you seen the
magazine change since then?
Fox: I think the biggest change I’ve noticed
is the visual quality. It obviously started as a
small, simple black-and-white zine and has
grown into a full-color, legitimate publication
with continually great cover art.
SLUG: What is one of the most memorable
SLUG articles that you have read?
Fox: My most memorable SLUG article was
probably the July 2008 story about Utah ska. I
was heavily involved with the ‘90s Utah Valley
ska scene when it exploded into the national
spotlight, and have fond memories of that time.
I was happy to read an article that revisited and
educated people about that exciting time in
Utah music history.
SLUG: What is your favorite SLUG cover?
Fox: This was a tough question. I can
appreciate a cover for a lot of different reasons.
Content-wise, I obviously like the July 2008
Utah ska cover (#235). I work with local
bands and always love to see them receive
the recognition they deserve, so I was happy
to see the May 2008 cover (#233) featuring
my friends Band of
Annuals. Artistically, the Sep. 2008 cover
(#237) was my favorite with The Vile Blue
Shades’ Blue Devil. If I can only pick one
though, I would have to choose issue #9
from 1989. This actually came out about five
years before I met my friend Patrick Young,
but I was happy to see him front and center
on the cover with his legendary local band
The Stench. The article inside talks about
him recently joining the band, and there is
also a great old ad from Grunts & Postures,
one of my favorite stores at that time.
SLUG: Tell us about the most memorable
SLUG event that you’ve attended.
Fox: I know this isn’t an exclusive SLUG
event, but I am a huge fan of the Twilight
[Concert] series each year. People that
know me know that I am a workaholic and
rarely escape Provo and Velour ... except for
Thursdays each July and August.
SLUG: How has SLUG affected your life?
Fox: I fell in love with the Utah music and art
world 20 years ago and it is still the driving
force of my life. I appreciate any publication
that obviously has that same love for this
strange culture and strives to enhance it.
SLUG: Why do you think SLUG has
continued to be relevant in Utah for the last
22 years?
Fox: I think where you find a very
conservative culture you also often find a
thriving subculture. I think that will always
be the case here in Utah, and why SLUG is
still relevant as a voice for that ever-growing
underground culture.
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