The Rise in Provo offers unforgettable night of meaningful music

The Rise in Provo, nestled in between shops and cafes along Provo’s Center Street downtown district, hosted an unforgettable night of music on Saturday, April 26, 2025. Converging on the space were three great artists – Giles Griffin, Kyle Maag, and Open Door Policy.

The show was originally slated to include Sons of Carlisle, however an unexpected medical emergency forced them to cancel (I send my heartfelt well-wishes out to all who need it). Luckily, Kyle Maag (of local Utah band BoomDrops) was ready and willing to fill the gap on short notice!

Chapters

Building community and sharing a message

One thing that every artist amplified throughout the night was the need for community and solidarity. On and off stage, themes of helping, caring, and understanding permeated the words and lyrics that flowed not only from the artists’ lips, but also the lips of those in attendance.

And, even more, it showed in their actions. That people came out on a Saturday night to see three local acts was inspiring to see. Even more so was the dancing on the floor and the loud, enthusiastic cheers after each song. The crowd that was in attendance was great!

The Rise in Provo offers accessibility, professionalism

Additionally, it goes without saying that The Rise has contributed to this culture of caring, as well. They not only provided an extremely accessible space for bands based in Provo and bands based hours away, but their staff was top notch. From both a band and patron viewpoint, the sound was fantastically mixed and the accompanying light show was well executed.

Kyle Maag of the BoomDrops

Kyle Maag took the stage with a heartfelt acoustic set replete with several covers that took me back to the 90s and 2000s. His personality was extremely friendly and affable. He had an easy charm about him that I think would put anyone at ease. He sang with conviction and strength – and it was clear he is a very talented singer and guitarist!

Kyle is part of local Utah band BoomDrops – and I lament that I have not yet caught this band in its full glory yet. If you happen to be in Provo on May 15, do yourself a favor and go check them out at Velour Live Music Gallery alongside Wilde + Reckless. Additionally, you can catch Kyle solo with the Wilde + Reckless on May 3 at RoHa Brewing in Salt Lake City.

Open Door Policy

The next band up to play was Open Door Policy! (Hey, that’s us!) Instead of writing a bunch of self-serving compliments, I’m just going to breakdown our setlist – which is based on our upcoming album, The Left Turned Away While The Right Came Undone. Watch out for this to drop in mid-2025!

Last Night

Last Night is a song about relationships. Specifically ending relationships. It focuses on finding hope and holding onto love – even as things get messy, emotions rage, and people move different directions in life. In a broader sense, it also speaks to the way we must navigate this world through difficulties and conflict. Keep sharing, keep caring, keep going.

Heading Out

Heading Out is about accepting that we just can’t know everything in life. Because of this, we should simply remain curious and excited about the world around us. Instead of trying to control everything, we should seek growth through learning. And we should keep an open and caring attitude toward everyone we meet.

We Know

In some ways similar to the themes of Heading Out, We Know is a song about the hidden truth that all we know is that we don’t know anything. It’s “big band” inspired sound is meant to evoke a bygone era. Because, even as things change, we should do it with open arms and bleeding hearts.

Sunday Morn

This song is about trying to put out fires in a world that’s burning to the ground – literally and figuratively. Amid climate change, fascism, wealth inequality, resource hoarding, and worker exploitation, it can feel like we’re all burning out and burning up. It’s exhausting, but the fight must go on – and that means stoking the fire within.

Glitch

This song is about searching for meaning and walking down many different roads in life to discover yourself. It also speaks about the strange paradigm we find ourselves in – wasting so much of our lives working for others’ pocketbooks. Life’s too short to be a slave to the wage. And as our collective quality of life deteriorates before our eyes, the desire to escape it all grows increasingly strong. But we must keep on keeping on.

Ego & Mania

Ego & Mania is a song about narcissists who maliciously seek to control everything – and the people who fall into their webs. Too many people try to appease egomaniacs. Too many people don’t even realize when they’re feeding the beast. This is a rebuke to those who try to oppress others – as well as a call to action for those under their thrall to wake up and fight.

Power Through

Originally titled If We Can’t Go Back, We’ll Just Have To Go Through. However, we decided we are not Panic at the Disco or Fall Out Boy (and it just got tiring to always say it at practice). So it was shortened to Power Through. This song is essentially about dealing with opening Pandora’s Box – whether in personal relationships or the macro sociopolitical climate. The damage is done. We can’t go back. The only thing left to do is power through what’s happening, mend the damage done, and make sure it doesn’t happen again.

Not My Population

Written in 2016. Can you guess why? This song attempts to get into the mindset of those who would blindly, even gleefully, follow fascists into their authoritarianism and holocausts. It then strongly rebukes the mindset of these kind of people and offers the necessary beliefs to fight back against it. We must care. We must adhere to facts. We must listen to true experts. We must protect others. And we must fight for freedom and prosperity for all.

Giles Griffin

The main attraction at The Rise in Provo on Saturday did not disappoint. It’s clear that Giles Griffin is a man of conviction. His songs look both inward and outward. They boldly critique societal norms and our place within them. A perfect example of this is a song he performed closer to the end of his set. The song focused on toxic masculinity in our culture – and the way it has impacted his own growth and behavior.

But throughout the often heavy lyrical material – which often also acted as a rallying cry – was an energetic beat. The melodies and harmonies of the music are infectious. Giles’ voice is soft-spoken and kind, yet full of energy and strength. The drums and bass bop. The guitar is bright and shiny. Truly, the sound works symbiotically with the lyrics to shine hope amid despair.

Many thanks to The Rise in Provo, Giles Griffin, Kyle Maag, Sons of Carlisle, and attendees

Our sincere thanks go out to Giles Griffin for adding us to his show and to The Rise in Provo for hosting such a fantastic event. Thanks as well for Kyle Maag’s quick response to our need, and the Sons of Carlisle for promoting the event beforehand. Most of all, thanks to everyone who came out and attended the event! You’re the reason we do this and we’re pleased as punch with your reception to our music and banter!