Rialto presents ‘A Cowboy Christmas,’ Cold Hard Cash, Satsang & more
The Rialto has plenty of entertainment for music-lovers this holiday season! The historic theater brings an exciting lineup of top-tier talent from around the country to its event space in Downtown Bozeman. Here’s a look at just a few of the upcoming happenings.
Enjoy A Cowboy Christmas with Ian Thomas & Band of Drifters alongside Cowboy Bob & Gypsy Dust on Friday, December 21st at 8pm. Tickets to this 18+ show are $12. Doors at 7pm.
Band of Drifters play modern American roots music and encourage their audiences to dance. Based mostly in Montana and Tennessee, the band also includes players from all over the country, keeping the music varied in arrangement, instrumentation, and regional influences. The Drifters’ sets draw from country, folk and blues traditions with an emphasis on original songs, done in the old style. The band’s latest release, the full-length Live in 2016, was recorded throughout Montana with 14 original songs deeply rooted in the classic country and American folk sounds.
Cowboy Bob & Gypsy Dust is a 5-piece Western Swing band. They play original songs mixed with country and Western hits from artists like Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys, Hank Williams Sr., Buck Owens and Merle Haggard. Cowboy Bob Benda is a singer/songwriter with a jazz-influenced Western swing style. He has performed at many of the Montana Cowboy Poetry and Western Music Gatherings, as well as at clubs, events and concerts all over Western United States.
Cold Hard Cash Show returns to Southwest Montana on Friday, December 28th at 8:30pm. Tickets to this 18+ show are $12. Doors at 7:30pm.
Cold Hard Cash is an original and innovative tribute to the music of Johnny Cash and The Tennessee Three! Fronted by guitarist and singer Merle Travis Peterson, the group brings to life classic Cash songs from the Sun and Columbia Records catalogs to the modern American recordings, performing with the energy of the Live at Folsom and San Quentin albums with a sound so accurate you’d think you’re listening to The Man in Black himself!
The Lil Smokies are back in Bozeman with back-to-back shows on Saturday and Sunday, December 29th–30th at 8:30pm each night. Tickets to these 18+ shows are $20. Doors at 7:30pm.
With their roots submerged in the thick buttery mud of traditional bluegrass, The Lil Smokies have sonically blossomed into a leading player in the progressive acoustic sphere, creating a new and wholly unique, melody driven sound of their own. The quintet – from Missoula – has been hard at work, writing, touring, and playing to an ever-growing fan base for nearly a decade. With a unique blend of traditional bluegrass, newgrass, innumerable unique originals, sheer raw energy, and exquisite musicianship, Lil’ Smokies weave seamlessly through genres, leaving behind melodies you’ll be singing to yourself for days and a jaw you’ll have to pick up off the floor. The Smokies’ latest bluegrass roots/rock album, Changing Shades, released last year.
Finally, immerse in An Evening of New Beginnings with Satsang on Monday, December 31st. The New Year’s Eve show will kick off with help from Wes Urbaniak and DJ AJ at 8:30pm. Tickets to this 18+ show range $22–$35. Doors at 7:30pm.
Creating a unique blend of soul, folk-rock and hip-hop, the conscious music collective delivers lyrics that come from and are rooted in change, growth, awareness, and imperfection. The live show is everything that the band name suggests: a gathering of people to assimilate and share their truths. The rhythms put forth by the band keep everyone on their feet, and the lyrics leave them craving active and positive change. Satsang has toured all over the country and has shared the stage with the likes of Michael Franti & Spearhead, Steel Pulse, Nahko and Medicine for the People, Trevor Hall, Chris Berry, Mike Love, Jon Wayne and the Pain, Tubby Love, and many more. Their latest EP, In Between Another Blink, as well as summer single “Free,” are available now.
The Rialto is located at 10 W Main St. in the center of historic Downtown Bozeman. Get further acquainted with Southwest Montana’s favorite new event space at www.rialtobozeman.com, where you can also peruse current happenings and buy advance tickets. Follow the Rialto on Facebook (@therialto) for the most up to date event announcements. •