Bob Wire Has a Point (It's Under His Cowboy Hat)

Well, my week started out on an incredibly shitty note. A musician friend of mine emailed me Monday morning: “Hey, did you hear Tim Ishler died?” I knew he wouldn’t kid about something like that, and I felt like I’d been punched in the chest. I called him right away, and he told me what he knew. Like everyone else who knew Tim, I was stunned.

I have been jammed up all week with trying to tie up loose ends with my work, and gathering equipment and supplies for my family’s impending road trip. I haven’t had more than five minutes to ruminate on Tim’s passing, and to deal with the grief.

But this morning when I looked at the front page of Missoulian, it became real. The story, by Jamie Kelly, was well written, sensitively done, and informative. Hell, just seeing the headline had me collapsing in tears. I sat on the front porch and dripped all over the page as I read the story. Heartbroken, I still had to get the yard mowed before we leave. So I pulled the lawnmower from the shed, put Led Zeppelin IV on my iPod, and proceeded to grieve. 

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album review

The eternal struggle for bands who thrive when stumbling around on stage is to capture the energy and vibe of the live show on tape, package it up and deliver it. I don’t know whether or not Bob Wire made an effort to do that, but intentionally or not he pulled it off. Sentimental Breakdown, Wire’s second release since going solo, is everything a kick-up-your-heels-and-yee-haw country roadhouse show is all about, minus the bad breath and beer stains. 

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Missoula's new old school

If my memory serves me right, the first time my band ever played with the Victory Smokes it was Nov 12th 2006. They were a bunch of young kids who talked the owners of the Raven Cafe to let us have shows. I remember enjoying their set but thinking to myself that they should play a little bit more. Soon after that show the Raven started having multiple shows a week and it seemed like the Victory Smokes played them all. Soon enough that young bunch of kids made a kickass rawk and roll band.

Two years later the men of the Victory Smokes are putting out a full length album entitled Walkie Trash Talkie. They recorded the album themselves at the University of Montana and mixed and mastered it at Habbilus Studios in Missoula. I’ve heard four songs off the ten song album and I was completely blown away. Not only are the Smokes putting out a new album but they are going on an insanely long tour of two and a half months. I’m been on a five week tour and I thought I was going to go crazy. I can only imagine what twice that long would do to a man. You have a couple chances to see these guys before they disappear for awhile. Check them out before they hit the big time and forget who all of us are.

Friday August 17th- CD Release show @ The Badlander
Saturday August 18th- All ages CD Release show @ Dauphines
Friday August 28th – Tour kickoff show w/ Get Set Go @ The Loft

Colin Hickey is New West’s Events Editor. Keep an eye out for his “MVP Events” or check here to find your own: www.MissoulaEvents.net. 

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Missoula's Hottest New Rawk Band

The Good Neighbor Policy is quickly becoming one of Missoula's hottest new bands. The band is: Thomas: Vocals, Guitar; James: Keyboard; Rob: Bass; Bethany: Cello; Abby: Violin; Pete: Drums. All members are extremely talented and Thomas is one hell of a songwriter. I sat down with Thomas via the interweb for a little Q&A.

Q: Who came up with the name of the band? Are one of you a big fan of FDR?

A: James came up with the name back in high school while leafing through an American history textbook. We had class together. love FDR, Polio can't stop him.
 

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the gourds to headline

The River City Roots Festival will be back for its second year, taking place September 15th and 16th, and this time it's looking to be much improved. Last year's one-day event brought in around 5,000 people to the city-wide event. This year the festival is two days and has something for everyone. For the art lovers there will be a juried art show in some of the downtown galleries. The more extreme festival goers can enjoy the inland surf invitational on Brennan's Wave or the skateboard demo at the Missoula Skate Park. All of that goes on before the music on Main Street with Corn Mash, Russ Nassett & The Revalators, Big Daddy the Blue Notes, Big Sky Mudflaps, The Mammals and Missoula's favorite band the Gourds all performing on Saturday the 15th. Sunday's music lineup will be The Shuffle Bums, Tom Catmull & The Clerics, Broken Valley Roadshow and Hot Buttered Rum. So mark your calendars cause this will be an event that you won't want to miss.

Colin Hickey is New West’s Events Editor. Keep an eye out for his “MVP Events” or check here to find your own: www.MissoulaEvents.net. 

Roll on Kentucky Moon.

I don’t remember the first Oblio Joes show I ever saw. I do know that I’ve probably seen them more than any other band on the planet (except for Volumen). I’ve cried watching the Oblio Joes. I’ve laughed so hard that I’ve cried watching the Oblio Joes. The Obes have been around for 14 years and they are calling it quits this Thursday at Caras Park. John Brownell, the main song writer for the Oblio Joes said he would give the band 14 years and if they hadn’t made it by then the band would throw in the towel.

I don’t know why the Oblio Joes aren’t as big as bands like Built to Spill, Modest Mouse, Pavement and others like them. Maybe it’s because they live in Missoula and the big shots in the industry don’t knock on our doors that often. 

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