The Texas country-punk band Vandoliers will roll into Salt Lake City’s Urban Lounge on June 25, just two days before the release of their deeply personal and genre-pushing new album “Life Behind Bars.” It’s a significant stop, one of the first, on their world tour — not just for the band’s upcoming release, but because of what it now represents as a story of becoming yourself in a political climate that isn’t always welcoming.
The Vandoliers — comprised of Jenni Rose (frontwoman), Cory Graves (keys/trumpet), Mark Moncrieff (bass), Trey Alfaro (drums), Travis Curry (fiddle) and Dustin Fleming (electric guitar) — are no strangers to this reality. As Rose puts it, referring to Texas’ harsh anti-trans legislation, “I think I live in the number one state of [transphobic] people,” she said.
A tour, and a debut, like no other
For Rose, this tour is a milestone. It’s her first on the road after coming out as a trans woman — a journey catalyzed by a viral moment in 2023 when the band protested Tennessee’s drag ban by performing in dresses. Rose says that the viral moment changed everything for her. “I had never worn a dress before in public,” Rose said. Once seemingly the entire internet saw it, Rose said she wrote down in her journal, “‘Fuck, I think I’m trans.’”
Since then, she’s been navigating this new chapter, performing live as her true self for the first time. “This is my first tour out as a trans woman,” Rose said. “I’m experiencing this completely different than any tour I’ve ever experienced.”
Utah — and especially Salt Lake City — is a fitting place for that kind of reintroduction. Though the city is known for its vibrant and affirming queer community, it still sits in a state with some of the most aggressive anti-trans legislation in the country. Rose doesn’t take that lightly. “I know I’m nervous because of what the political climate feels like … what you read and hear on the news and stuff,” she said. “I don’t live in Salt Lake. I don’t know how much difference I can make, but I’m gonna show up. I’m gonna sing, and I’m gonna try to, you know, entertain — and we’ll see what happens.”
“Life Behind Bars”
Much of “Life Behind Bars” was written in the years that led to this moment, shaped by Rose’s journey through addiction, early sobriety and gender dysphoria. It’s a vulnerable, emotionally resonant album that doesn’t abandon the band’s usual ‘cowpunk’ punch, but gives it new depth. “We’ve been playing some of these songs live for a little bit now, and people have been singing along to a bunch of songs that aren’t out,” she said. “I’m excited to see how many more people are gonna be singing along.”
Rose says tracks like “Your Picture” and “You Can’t Party With the Lights On” are already resonating with fans. “With ‘Your Picture’ people listen intently and are emotionally invested by the end of the song,” she said. “And then with ‘You Can’t Party With the Lights On,’ people are singing the chorus and the song’s not even out.”
While “Life Behind Bars” reflects Vandolier’s natural growth, the band’s activist spirit is still fully intact. “It’s a stupid fucking law. It’s like, come get me, you know,” Rose said about the drag ban protest. “If you’re gonna do it to the least of us, do it to us too.” Rose and the band soon found out that making a statement on stage wasn’t only political but personal, too. “And then it shattered my shell and I was like ‘Oh my God — I think I might be trans.’”
Salt Lake, With Love
June 25 won’t be her first time performing since coming out, but the Salt Lake City stop holds particular significance. “Maybe by being there, that’s more of like what my use can be,” Rose said. “Maybe I can be like a positive counterpoint to a lot of the stuff.”
Booking the tour before she publicly came out, Rose said she wasn’t sure how venues or audiences would respond. “I was really interested to see what shows would cancel — and you know what? They didn’t.”
She’s met this new chapter with a mix of nerves about the political climate and cautious hope. “So far I’ve been met with nothing but acceptance and love, so I’m nervously optimistic,” she said. “Things are dire, yes, but humanity is still worth it.”
“Life Behind Bars” drops June 27 via Break Maiden Records and Thirty Tigers. Vandoliers perform June 25 at the Urban Lounge in Salt Lake City. For tickets and tour dates, visit vandoliers.com.
The post Vandoliers Bring New Era, and New Album, to Salt Lake City first appeared on The Daily Utah Chronicle.