S&S Presents

The Contortionist: Language & Exoplanet

Rivers of Nihil
Friday, September 23 2022
6:30 PM MDT
615 West 100 South
Salt Lake City UT, 84101
Promo Code

This show has no covid requirements. Please email nic@sartainandsaunders.com with any questions.


The Contortionist represents fearlessness in musical expression, designed to please artist as much as audience. This band makes progressive metal music, anchored in the heavy sounds that first drew the individual players to the stage, yet unmoored by convention or expectation.

The band’s first two records, Exoplanet (2010) and Intrinsic (2012), are monstrously heavy,though no less ambitious than their newer and more expansive creative declarations. The character of The Contortionist’s sound expanded greatly with Language, the 2014 monolithic album that introduced the band’s current lineup of vocalist Michael Lessard, keyboardist Eric Guenther, and bassist Jordan Eberhardt alongside co-founding members Cameron Maynard (guitar) and brothers Robby Baca (guitar) and Joey Baca (drums). In it’s 5/5 review, Substream praised the album as being akin to “a journey through a dream state.” Prog Metal Zone was similarly kind, awarding the album 10/10 and remarking on its propulsive drum rhythms, ambient keyboards, fusion, and “astonishingly inventive flight(s) of musicality.”

  • All valid tickets are sold via 24tix.com at the official ticketing link or 24tix Fan Marketplace. Any tickets resold through a third party platform such as StubHub, SeatGeek, Vivid Seats, and others are subject to being void without a refund.
  • No weapons of any kind.
  • No outside beverages.
  • No drugs or illicit substances.
  • No smoking inside the venue.
  • No unauthorized/unlicensed vending, soliciting, handbills, sampling, or giveaways.
  • All served beverages must remain inside the venue and back patio area.
  • No flash photography. Non-professional, point & shoot cameras are allowed (attached lenses must be smaller than 2 inches) unless otherwise stated. Professional cameras must be approved by venue and artist management before the show.
  • No moshing, crowd-surfing, or stage diving.
  • No pets allowed.
  • No backpacks or large bags. Small purses and fanny packs allowed but subject to search.
  • Security reserves the right to search bags, perform pat-down checks, and refuse/revoke entry at their discretion. These reasons include intoxication, disturbing hygiene, engaging in hate speech, belligerent or noncompliant behavior, acts or threats of violence, disturbing other guests, etc.