Bleacher Babe and The Lip are Sok Hop’s upcoming performers for today, Tuesday, March 24. Learn about the origins of the musicians, their music and where they plan to go.
Bleacher Babe
Bleacher Babe is an alternative rock band from Salt Lake City. The four-piece band includes lead guitarist JJ Conk, bassist Cooper Jensen, lead vocalist Ashton Lee and rhythm guitarist and drummer Jake Barber.
Conk and Barber were coworkers at a mall when they first met nearly three years ago. After finding out that they were both musicians, they decided to hold a jam session. Conk knew Jensen previously from school and sports and Lee worked at the mall’s pizza shop. The group joined forces and formed a quick connection after playing together.
“We got the leftovers,” Conk said.
The group combines their early indie pop influences with the heavier sounds they heard live to create the shoegaze sound they currently play.
“I think we accidentally went too heavy at a couple shows and were like, ‘that feels way too good,’” Lee said.
They’ve been inspired by their individual music tastes as well as the Northern Utah music scene and don’t plan to stop creating anytime soon.
“I don’t want to put time into anything else as much as music because I just know it’s always gonna be there, and it’s just what feels right,” Lee said. “I’ve tried other things, and I just always come back to music being my number one. I don’t imagine a future where that’s not what I’m doing for the rest of my life.”
Bleacher Babe strives to provide their audience with unforgettable experiences. They are performers who want to bring a connection to the people watching them and make them feel like they’re a part of something bigger.
The band recently released their EP, “Canine,” and is now planning to write more music to bring to the masses while performing throughout the spring. Expect a messy, energy-filled show tonight.
The Lip
The Lip is a reggae punk band from Salt Lake City formed in 2024. The group consists of Tanner Smolinski on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, drummer Wayne Aggen, bassist Anthony Richardson and Peyton Keene on lead guitar.
Aggen had been performing at open mic nights near Grand Junction, Colorado, when Smolinski first heard of him. When Aggen posted on social media about wanting to play music, Smolinski asked if he needed a singer, and shortly after, the two started jamming together. They then moved to Utah, where they met Keene and Richardson and decided to form a band with them
“We’re just trying to get people to feel something, because at some point when we were making this music, we were feeling something,” Smolinski said.
The name The Lip started as an inside joke between Smolinski and Aggen. Aggen used to make “a dumb little face” that the pair would call “the lip,” and when the pressure of creating a name for their band came, The Lip stuck.
The Lip plans to release an album in the near future. For tonight’s performance, expect a range of genres and songs; don’t leave your boogie shoes at home.
Bleacher Babe and The Lip will be playing at Sok Hop tonight at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the door.