​The Trash Moon Collective has its roots in an art project (more on that later). 

But really, our story isn’t just one story – it’s a lot of stories. 

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First there’s the music.  

Bluegrass, old time, songwriting, and folk music have built foundations for niche communities in American history for generations. Recently, people in Salt Lake City and across the country have turned to folk music traditions as a reprieve from social media ennui and lack of community. The accessible, shared musical language of these genres can be learned by a kid or an adult, and enjoyed by a beginner, professional, dancer, or listener. The simplicity of an acoustic guitar, a banjo, and a voice forms an easy way to connect, contrasting with the ever complicated and divisive world we live in.

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Then there are the players.

Salt Lake City folk has some pretty fierce protectors. Acoustic Music, today owned by scene mama Meg Peters, has been a cornerstone since the 70s. Today with Meg at the wheel, the shop is an old-school music hub – the place connecting and outfitting musicians with the best and coolest fretted stringed instruments; the place where many local players continue to meet; the place where lots of us will look back and say, “that’s where I got my start.”

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Along came Pixie and the Partygrass Boys. The ten-plus year-old band not only paved the way for a new generation of bluegrass in town, but showed musicians and audiences that it was possible to be a local band and reach for the stars. Gracie's Bluegrass Jam was started by Partygrass a decade ago, and it continues as a cornerstone of the bluegrass jam scene to this day -- the place where local bands like the Pickpockets, Pompe n Honey, David Burchfield & the Fire Guild, and Theoretical Blonde (and more!) met and played for the first time.

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Then came the idea…

As the energy around acoustic music grew, things started happening. Musicians began coming to the city, and instead of bolting the minute they got a taste of success, they wanted to stay. The Wasatch and Oquirrh were giving rise to a new kind of mountain music, with players arriving from all over – Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky, Boston -- to share in Salt Lake City’s unique music-meets-the-outdoors vibe. Hot House West looked to build up that scene, with the dream of music on every corner: the Trash Moon Collective came along in 2023 to help. The two joined forces with a shared mission: to expand the ways people could experience acoustic music, and put the Salt Lake City jazz, swing, and roots music scene on the map. It was a mission we all threw ourselves into with a 'f$ck yeah!' energy that can only be exerted from the sheer willpower of friendship.

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And today…

The folk scene (and the mission) continues to grow. Trash Moon achieved so much with our Hot House West friends, and after many accomplishments together as organizers, musicians, and community leaders, we decided the Collective was big and bright enough to march into the world on its own. Today, we welcome you to V2 of the Moon. There are so, so many community partners that we want to acknowledge including Acoustic Music, Fisher Brewing, Gracie's Bar, Woodbine Food Hall, the Neighborhood Hive, Wonderstone Films, Hot House West, and Mountain West Cider. Our community partners and organizations we love and lean on in the community include Orchard Studios, Man v Music, the State Room Presents, IAMA, TedFest (Vibrant America Inc), and so many more.

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This is where we are today – soooo much more ahead. Stay tuned.

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Now, about that trash moon…

Why Trash Moon? That dates back to a day in 2023 when a ragtag bunch of bluegrass, old time, and swing musicians (a pretty colorful lot of us -- you know who you are!) were out picking, laughing, and gallivanting in the San Rafael Swell, needing a prop for a Pompe n Honey music video. So we built one -- a light-up moon made completely out of found farm objects. That moon became a symbol – of just how special our Utah community and natural environment is to us, and how together, we could create something from nothing. We started the Trash Moon Collective as a hub for blossoming our favorite folk music traditions and playful antics in Utah.

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We know some people may find the name 'Trash Moon' odd – maybe even a little unappealing. But part of the intention in the name is to remind ourselves not to be too serious. Sure, take your art seriously, but be playful and curious with your community. The national bluegrass, singer-songwriter, and old-time scene may not see Salt Lake City as a mecca for music…yet. But what others discard, we shine, repurpose, and give new life. 'One woman's trash is another woman's treasure', right? And perhaps by reminding each other we're worthwhile, we make it so.

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About Trash Moon's 'Caretaker'

Trash Moon caretaker/organizer/owner Melissa Chilinski wears a lot of hats, but founder isn’t one of them. “I feel like a whole group of us are founders,” she says. The story of the Salt Lake community is also Melissa’s story. She arrived here via a meandering Boston-Saratoga Springs-Alaska-Salt Lake City-West Virginia-Salt Lake City route, settling in the city after that last detour away told her it was home. She began working, climbing, farming, earning a Master of soil science, defining “vacation” as eating dust on 250-mile bike rides across the Utah desert – all while picking, strumming, and singing on the side. Fate led her to Meg Peter’s Acoustic Music shop where she met local musicians; bought that first banjo from Hardin; picked up the IAMA printed newsletter; was given Roz' number from Brian; got connected with the Gracie's jam. It’s where the roots of Pompe n Honey were born; where her first album took root; where music moved from on-the-side to center stage; where Melissa began jamming and playing with the community. It’s that community of people that made Salt Lake City home – and that formed the heart of the Trash Moon Collective. “I hope it starts to become a magnet for musicians who can really bring more credibility to our scene,” Melissa told SLUG Magazine when asked about the collective not long ago, “and just more fun, more jams, more perspective.” 

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