A little Music with your Mountains in Big Sky
The Arts Council of Big Sky’s Music in the Mountains free summer concert series continues on Tuesday, July 4th at Center Stage in Town Center Park with “Fireworks & Funk.” The evening begins with a performance by The Tiny Band at 7pm, followed by a spectacular fireworks display around 10:15pm.
With a lineup of local luminaries, the Bozeman-based group’s repertoire is a blend of Motown, rock, soul, and pop standards that keep the dance floor pulsing. With hits ranging from Stevie Wonder to The Beatles, Michael Jackson to Adele, they’ll get you out of your seat and onto the dance floor. The Tiny Band brings big vocals, high energy, and anything but a tiny sound. Band members include Ryan Matzinger, Jeni Fleming, Krista Barnett, Jake Fleming, Chris Cundy, Sean Lehmann, John Sanders, and Drew Fleming.
Following on Thursday, July 6th, check out Texas-based The Quebe Sisters at 7pm. When the group take a stage, and the triple-threat fiddle champions start playing and singing in multi-part close harmony, audiences are usually transfixed, then blown away. It’s partly because the trio’s vocal and instrumental performances are authentic all-Americana, all the time, respectful of the artists that inspired them the most. But The Quebes’ evolution from whiz-kid Western swing fiddlers to the smokin’-hot young adult Americana band they are today is a remarkable story by any measure.
After more than a decade of travelling the U.S. and the world, and recording three acclaimed albums, Grace, Sophia and Hulda Quebe are pros in a variety of genres, and count many famous musicians among their biggest boosters. The Quebes’ unbridled passion for American music, along with their talent, skills and a lot of hard work, have taken them far beyond their wildest early aspirations.
Get ready for a great night of American music when Assembly of Dust performs on Thursday, July 13th at 7pm. Over the last ten years, the New York-based quintet has crafted a unique sound that recalls the likes of The Band, Traffic and Neil Young. They have taken that early ‘70s Americana swagger, put their own funky spin on it, and earned comparisons to the next generation of Americana heroes including Ryan Adams, Mumford & Sons, and Wilco. Hooky melodies, poetic lyrics, and a profound depth of musicianship prompted USA Today to say Assembly of Dust has what it takes to “dazzle the Alt-Country universe.”
Other weekly concerts throughout the summer include Dirty Revival on July 20th, Turnpike Troubadours July 27th, The Last Revel August 3rd, DeadPhish Orchestra August 10th, Andy Frasco & The U.N. August 17th, Ghost of Paul Revere August 24th, and Con Brio to close out the concert season on August 31st.
The seventh annual Big Sky Classical Music Festival, with special guests Mambo Kings, will take place August 11th–13th. A free performance of Macbeth by Montana Shakespeare in the Parks will unfold on September 1st.
For more information about this summer’s events, contact the Arts Council of Big Sky at (406) 995-2742 or visit www.bigskyarts.org. •
