all day music stage
100% Free!
Entertainment will be the main draw for this event, especially as it grows and matures. With the Main Stage on West Main Street, music will begin on Saturday at 12:30pm and feature local artists with a headline performance from 8:30-10:30PM. Sunday's music runs from 11:15am-7:30pm.
Saturday: August 23, 2008
Emmitt-Nershi Band
myspace.com/emmittnershiband
(8:30-10:30PM)
DREW EMMITT
As the dynamic lead singer and mandolin player with the popular jamband Leftover Salmon and his own Drew Emmitt Band, Drew is a true renaissance man on musical instruments. Playing mandolin, acoustic and electric guitar, he's a string man to be reckoned with. He excels in unique energy driven mandolin licks and his influences include a pantheon of musical heroes including Lowell George, Steve Morse, Duane Allman, John Cowan, Bill Monroe, Sam Bush, Hot Rize and New Grass Revival.
BILL NERSHI
From the saloons of Telluride to the some of the most sought after venues in America, Bill Nershi has delighted countless fans as a guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and founding member of the String Cheese Incident. A seasoned veteran of flat-picking and a variety of acoustic styles, Nershi adds a unique, colorful perspective to virtually any musical situation he encounters, and his enthusiasm and playful spirit encourage an interactive, participatory experience for musicians and fans alike. His most recent forays into dobro, bass, and lap steel playing, as well as his accomplished songwriting contributions with the recently-formed Honkytonk Homeslice, prove that his musical horizons will only continue to expand.
Great American Taxi
greatamericantaxi.net
(6:30-8:00PM)
The electric-Americana groove of Great American Taxi is fronted by Vince Herman from Leftover Salmon, Taxi has ridden the highways and biways delivering high octane music for all to consume their 21st century Americana sound. From bars, clubs and theaters to the main stage of Wakarusa to the Telluride Bluegrass Festival, and the High Sierra Music Fest, TAXI is a brilliant, and rare gem on the club and festival circuit- that will turn it up!
South Austin Jug Band
southaustinjugband.com
myspace.com/southaustinjugband
(5:00-6:00PM)
Let’s just get it out of the way right now: There’s no jug-playing in the South Austin Jug Band. And the bluegrass connotation that name carries should be spilled down the drain along with any other moonshine-preconceived notions. Sure, there’s fiddle, mandolin, an upright bass … but there’s also drumming, occasional electric guitar and even digital looping. And Beck. The band’s latest album, Strange Invitation, gets its title from a lyric in Mr. Hansen’s 1997 charmer, “Jackass,” the only cover on this 11-song collection. Comparisons, if they must be made, might meander more toward a low-intensity Grateful Dead (which, it should be noted, started out as a real jug band) or something with an even more melodic and laid-back vibe. Lead singer/acoustic guitarist James Hyland, whose tenor redefines mellow, would be quite happy if you’d just go with “bitchin’ tunes.”
Reverend Slanky
myspace.com/reverendslanky
(3:30-4:30 pm)
Those who know the band certainly have felt their hyper-percussive beats reverberate through their feet in the last couple of years on the floor of the Top Hat, the Other Side, the Badlander and every outdoor venue where they have injected a litany of funk and soul, R&B and Afro-Cuban beats - Al Green to Stevie Wonder to Beck - into the Missoula music scene.
For nearly two years, ever since five of its original musicians gathered for a wedding gig in Big Sky in 2006, has Reverend Slanky been a prominent member of the scene as an eight-piece horn band that regularly has people of all ages - and by all ages, we mean 18 to 90 - whipped into a frenzy of everything from Motown classics to the Grateful Dead. Show up wherever Slanky is playing, and you’ll see 20-somethings bodily enthralled next to dancers twice their age. Slanky’s performances have more an air of a Southern tent revival than a bar gig. o know the band certainly have felt their hyper-percussive beats reverberate through their feet in the last couple of years on the floor of the Top Hat, the Other Side, the Badlander and every outdoor venue where they have injected a litany of funk and soul, R&B and Afro-Cuban beats - Al Green to Stevie Wonder to Beck - into the Missoula music scene.
For nearly two years, ever since five of its original musicians gathered for a wedding gig in Big Sky in 2006, has Reverend Slanky been a prominent member of the scene as an eight-piece horn band that regularly has people of all ages - and by all ages, we mean 18 to 90 - whipped into a frenzy of everything from Motown classics to the Grateful Dead.
Those who know the band certainly have felt their hyper-percussive beats reverberate through their feet in the last couple of years on the floor of the Top Hat, the Other Side, the Badlander and every outdoor venue where they have injected a litany of funk and soul, R&B and Afro-Cuban beats - Al Green to Stevie Wonder to Beck - into the Missoula music scene.
For nearly two years, ever since five of its original musicians gathered for a wedding gig in Big Sky in 2006, has Reverend Slanky been a prominent member of the scene as an eight-piece horn band that regularly has people of all ages - and by all ages, we mean 18 to 90 - whipped into a frenzy of everything from Motown classics to the Grateful Dead.
know the band certainly have felt their hyper-percussive beats reverberate through their feet in the last couple of years on the floor of the Top Hat, the Other Side, the Badlander and every outdoor venue where they have injected a litany of funk and soul, R&B and Afro-Cuban beats - Al Green to Stevie Wonder to Beck - into the Missoula music scene.
For nearly two years, ever since five of its original musicians gathered for a wedding gig in Big Sky in 2006, has Reverend Slanky been a prominent member of the scene as an eight-piece horn band that regularly has people of all ages - and by all ages, we mean 18 to 90 - whipped into a frenzy of everything from Motown classics to the Grateful Dead.
Mike Bader Blues Band
mikebaderblues.com
(2:00-3:00 pm)
Mike Bader has gained national recognition as a powerful blues artist. His
unique mix of R & B, funk, reggae and low-down boogie gives his music a
deeply rootsy, signature sound, conducive to dancing! His debut album,
Clearcut Case of the Blues, was listed amongst the Top U.S. Blues Releases
of 2004 in the international 11th Annual Real Blues Awards. He's shared
stages with Curtis Salgado, Tommy Castro, James Harman, Big Jack Johnson and
many others. Backed by Larry Hirshberg on bass, Brandon "BZ" Zimmer on drums
and Vance Walstra on keys, the Mike Bader Blues Band brings a good time.
Tom Catmull & the Clerics
tomcatmull.com
(12:30-1:30PM)
Tom Catmull has been writing, recording, performing, eating and breathing music for about 12 years. His performances are split between intimate solo acoustic venues and dancehalls where he plays with his 5-piece Americana-style band The Clerics. All along this merry road he has had the good fortune to share stages with the likes of Greg Brown, Robbie Fulks, Kelly Joe Phelps, Charlie Musselwhite and Asleep at the Wheel. The style of their music usually lands somewhere between the blurred lines of country, country swing, pop and folk. Its predictably tough to pin the music to one neat genre, but it is definitely an American roots driven sound.
Sunday: August 24, 2008
The Clumsy Lovers
clumsylovers.com
(5:30-7:30PM)
The Clumsy Lovers are an eclectic Celticjam band based in Vancouver, British Columbia, with more than 1500 live performances in a decade to its credit. The current line-up consists of Jason Homey on banjo and mandolin, Chris Jonat on bass guitar and vocals, Rebecca Smith and Trent Freeman on fiddles, Tyler Thompson on drums, and Trevor Rogers on vocals, guitar, harmonica and percussion. Their seventh and most recent album, Smart Kid, is their second on Nettwerk Records.
Martha Scanlan & the Stewart Brothers
marthascanlan.com
(3:30-5:00PM)
The haunting quality of Martha Scanlan's voice, unique perspective and poetic imagery of her songs helped to gain national acclaim for the innovative old-time string band, Reeltime Travelers. In their six years of touring they played some of America's most prestigious venues and festivals from the Grand Old Opry to the Telluride Bluegrass Festival. After catching the attention of Grammy-winning producers T-Bone Burnett and Bob Neuwirth the group recorded a cut for the soundtrack to Cold Mountain and were featured on the Great High Mountain Tour along with Alison Krauss, Ralph Stanley, and other artists from the “Oh Brother Where Art Thou” and “ Cold Mountain” soundtracks. When not on the road she divides her time between the mountains of East Tennessee and those of Western Montana.
Wylie & the Wild West (Washington)
wylieww.com
(1:45-3:15PM)
Wylie and the Wild West will present a tribute to the Snake River Outlaws in the launch of a new CD of rare re-mastered live radio broadcasts from early Montana radio. Members of the original band from the 50's will join Wylie for a few numbers along with Wild West lead guitar player Scot Wilburn whose father and uncle were original members of the Outlaws. Barring ill-health, Jimmy Widner of Darby will be there with his fiddle and Orval Fochtman, the original lead singer for the group will travel to Missoula from Weiser, Idaho.
The Outlaws were hottest cowboy band within reach of KXLL over those clear Missoula airwaves of 1953, live every Saturday night from the Sunshine Bar on the corner of Woody and Alder. These digitally re- mastered recordings create a sound capsule of a time when cowboys, railroaders, college students, society ladies and vagabonds all hoisted mugs of beer to fine music and western sociability.
This presentation is sponsored by the Western Folklife Center's Deep West Records in conjunction with the River City Roots Festival and the Missoula Arts Museum and is supported generously by the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation.
Wylie’s blend of Western swing, classic country, cowboy and folk – served up with a healthy helping of his infectious energy–gets the crowd moving every time. No less authority than Billboard Magazine declared, "When Wylie & The Wild West play, folks get up and dance!" From festivals to state fairs, bars to barn dances, it rings true. Keeping his home base near Dusty, Washington (population 11), Wylie’s dynamic stage presence keeps getting him invited back to venues year after year. He has appeared on the Grand Ol Opry more than 50 times. The band has performed at such prestigious venues as Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center, the National Folk Festival, Merlefest, A Prairie Home Companion, the Bumbershoot Festival and the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, Nevada.
Broken Valley Road Show
brokenvalley.com
(12:30-1:30PM)
Since BVR's first packed Missoula gig, they have been winning audiences at clubs, theaters, and festivals around the Rockies, the Pacific Northwest, and South. The energy of their show smacks of Jimmy Martin, their ingenuity recalls Hank Williams. Like contemporary groups Open Road and The Wilders, BVR seeks not nostalgia for days gone by, but a bona fide connection with the relevance of yesterday's music in today's complicated world. Broken Valley Roadshow's sibling harmony, smoking instrumentals, and gospel numbers create an atmosphere that'll inspire you to bring along your Bible, your whiskey, and your Grandma.
David Boone
davidboone.net
(11:15AM-12:15PM)
For over six years now, David Boone has been entertaining the cafes, coffeehouses & bars of the hip college town of Missoula, Montana, and the surrounding Northwest region. With a solid foot in the folk tradition of storytelling, Boone effortlessly straddles the fence between pop, rock & blues without ever compromising originality or authenticity. His melodic phrasing- delivered with an easy voice- begs listeners to follow along on a journey of personal highs & lows. Seeing Boone live is like stepping right into his personal diary where he openly explores doubts, beliefs, spirituality & romance with the weight that each deserves. Touring nationally with Seattle percussionist James Wasem, the duo joins to create a sound of intricate, yet balanced, rhythm and melody – striking a chord with the roots of folk rock.
*Times are subject to change
2008 main stage sponsors
