Music
Stumbling the Walk
Independent Music—Totally
Missoula hosts the premier independent music festival in the Northwest. I’m talking, or course, about Total Fest, which just saw its 7th incarnation go off as a resounding success this past weekend. This is a huge event to wrangle; lots of bands from all over (all of whom needed places to stay, things to eat, gear to protect, etc.) to manage, three nights in a row of rock, and all the promotion and hustling to make it a success. From what I saw Saturday night, it all seemed to go off with less fuss and confusion than most single night shows I’ve had to suffer through with only 3 or 4 bands involved! Just a fantastic effort all around.
"a celebration of the missoula experiece"
River City Roots Festival Lineup Set
The Emmitt-Nershi Band and The Clumsy Lovers will headline this summer's River City Roots Festival in Missoula, its organizers and sponsors announced Tuesday.
The free downtown festival, in its third year, will take place Saturday and Sunday, August 23-24, the weekend before fall classes begin at the University of Montana. Linda McCarthy, director of the Missoula Downtown Association, called the festival "Missoula's signature event."
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Introducing...
A New Magazine: The New West
The best way to check out The New West magazine is to subscribe. We want to know who’s interested in The New West, so we have made the magazine available free to qualified subscribers who answer a short questionnaire.
In the Spring Issue and online here:
- Montana’s Cash Cowboy
- Real Ranch Living: Not Everyone is Selling Out
- Essay: The Family Farm, Version 2.0
- Essay: Tracks Across A Landscape
- Have Your Ranch & Develop It, Too
- Design Showcase: The Big and Little of Western Building
- Stuff It: Can Wolf Hunting Help Conserve the Species?
- Traffic Perplexes New Western Communities
- Boise in Its Own Little Bubble
- Revenge of the Resource Economy
- Spotlight North Idaho: On the Agenda: Youth, Growth & Silver
- Spotlight North Idaho: Players of the Panhandle
- Spotlight North Idaho: Coeur d’Alene Tribe Rides the Idaho Boom
Saving Snow, Saving Lives
Avalaunch Launches in Salt Lake City This WeekSam Porter is on to something; if you want a skier’s attention, talk about snow. Porter (Porterhouse Productions) is about to take this attention-grabber to a whole new level.
Avalaunch – Porter’s latest “medium for change” through the arts and environment– begins this week at the Salt Lake City Outdoor Retailer Show at The Depot, January 24, 25 and 26. The hybrid event is the launching pad for what Porter hopes will be a nation-wide tour through 21 major North American ski communities bringing entertainment, education and sustainability together in an effort to save lives and snow.
“There are 200 million skiers all over the world,” Porter says. “I know skiers that almost love snow more than their kids. Snow reaches a demographic of this planet that is incredibly passionate about this world because they love it.”
The focus of Avalaunch is two-fold: raising avalanche awareness and reducing global warming contributions from the many, many people who rely on snow for fun and survival.
The Time of Their Lives (Again)
The 6th Annual Bozeman Adult PromHowever perfect or awful one’s prom may have been, the Bozeman Adult Prom proves that with enough willing, nostalgic partners, it’s never too late to experience the big night all over again. For those who never graced the dimly lit gymnasium floor in high school, the Adult Prom provides a perfect chance to unleash those pent up dance moves and ultra-cool attitudes buried deep inside for so long.
The original adult prom went down at a Bozeman house party. The event soon got so big that founder Phil Baribeau had to move the dance to its present home, the Eagles Lodge in downtown Bozeman. After Baribeau moved, current organizers Caitlin Magbee and Julianne Scuman happily took the helm of the prom committee.
The 2007 Adult Prom was unforgettable. There were corsages, crimped hairdos and hairsprayed bangs. There were flasks, frilled shirts, Max Headroom sunglasses and mascara-smeared faces. Glittery bodies grooved to synthesizer beats, and best of all, there was plenty of making out and no chaperones to stop it.
Click here or on the image to view photos from this very special night.
Two Bozeman Shows Saturday
Band of Horses Find Their StrideYou have to love the indie music community and the speed at which unassuming but talented, dedicated musicians can rise through its ranks. Take, for example, Band of Horses: Ben Bridwell moves from South Carolina to Seattle where he at one point becomes happily homeless, works at the legendary Crocodile Café, plays in an obscure band for awhile, forms a new band with fellow southerners, joins longtime friend Sam Beam of Iron & Wine at a Subpop Records dinner and within months has a record deal. And not only has a record deal, but also goes on to produce a really, really good album that everybody loves.
Such is the life now of Ben Bridwell and Band of Horses. The band just released another great album—Cease to Begin—and are in the first stages of a tour that will take them to Bozeman this Saturday and then across the U.S. and Europe.
Bridwell’s Southern sentiment and love of straightforward rock and roll render a decidedly simple, gritty, guitar-driven sound, and his echoing, sheer voice cuts to the chase of his words. On Cease to Begin, Bridwell fully takes the sound formed in Seattle back to his Southern roots.
Rawk and Roll Musical
Captured By Robots Go PoliticalJ-Bot from the San Francisco band Captured By Robots has played Missoula over ten times in the last eight years. And every time J-Bot and his band of renegade robots come to town there is a new show theme. There was one time when they acted out the movie The Ten Commandments. One of my favorites was the "Get Fit with Captured By Robots" tour.
Well J-Bot is back and his new tour is aimed at the Bush administration. J-Bot will play our fearless leader George W and his robots will play various administration members. All of the songs will tell the story of the last seven years. So if you ever wanted to see a political robot musical, here’s your chance, probably your last.
Captured By Robots, Bacon and Egg @ The Badlander. Saturday Oct 13th. Tickets are $10. Click here for more information.
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.
cd release party saturday
Sixteen Questions with David BooneDavid Boone is releasing his new CD A Tale of Gold this Saturday at the Wilma Theater. Not too many local musicians have what it takes to put on a show at the Wilma. What makes David Boone so special? Well, he's a damn good songwriter for one and an amazing self promoter. For the rest of the answers, I sat down with David via the interweb to find out what makes him tick.
NewWest.Net: Who were your biggest musical influences growing up?
David Boone: I grew up in a somewhat "sheltered" environment early on, but my dad would occasionally sneak me out to his '79 Ford and play me Jimi Hendrix's Are You Experienced, Janis Joplin and Elvis Presley. Aside from that, I would have to say church hymns. I learned a good bit about melody, harmony, emotion and dynamics from the old hymns, so I guess technically, Fanny Crosby was my biggest influence. Later in life, I got into Dylan, Prine, Hank Williams Sr., Patsy Cline and then the grunge era hit, and I was pleasantly intrigued with that throughout my teenage years.
Rawk and roll train wreck!
Sixteen Questions with the Riverboat GamblersThe Riverboat Gamblers are easily the most exciting live rawk and roll band I've ever seen. Their live show is like watching a planned train wreck. Their music is super high energy punk rawk, and they're bringing it to Salt Lake City, Boise, and Spokane next week. I sat down with lead singer Mike Wiebe via the interweb and asked him some questions.
