Kitchen Dwellers, Josh Hoyer open Big Sky’s Music in the Mountains
The Arts Council of Big Sky recently announced another amazing summer of Music in the Mountains at Center Stage in Town Center Park. Starting on June 21st and running through August 30th, a total of 15 events will be featured, including 11 Thursday night concerts, the eighth annual Big Sky Classical Music Festival and a performance from Montana Shakespeare in the Parks. And best of all, all of these events are FREE.
Bozeman’s Kitchen Dwellers kick off the summer events on Thursday, June 21st. The Montana-bred bluegrass outfit are captivating fans across the country with their high energy live performances and unique approach to traditional music fans have dubbed “Galaxy Grass.” The band has shared the stage with acts such as Railroad Earth, Greensky Bluegrass, The Infamous Stringdusters, and Twiddle. Comprised of Joe Funk (bass), Shawn Swain (mandolin), Torrin Daniels (banjo), and Max Davies (guitar), Kitchen Dwellers released their eponymous debut in 2013, followed by Ghost In the Bottle, last spring.
Big Sky’s own The Well will open the kickoff concert, which will also be part of the second annual Big Sky Soul Shine event put on in conjunction with the Hungry Moose Market & Deli.
The series continues on Thursday, June 28th when Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal bring their funky brand of rhythm and blues to Center Stage. The band’s combination of soul, funk and R&B is in a word, electric. Best displayed in their high-energy live show, the blend of Hoyer’s (a former contestant on The Voice) honest lyrics and his soulful vocals merge with his top-notch band to create an undeniable chemistry. According to No Depression, “If James Brown and Otis Redding had a love child, it would be Josh Hoyer. The Lincoln, Nebraska, soul shouter, and his band of merry soulsters, Soul Colossal, deliver a sound so big, so funky, so wring-the-sweat-out-of-you energetic that it reaches through the speakers and shakes you until you start moving to its groove.”
Other weekly concerts throughout the summer include The Tiny Band on July 4th; Mandolin Orange with special guest Joe Pug on July 5th; Sister Sparrow & the Dirty Birds on July 12th; Polyrhythmics on July 19th; Shovels & Rope on July 26th; Cordovas on August 2nd; The Elders on August 9th; Jeff Austin Band with special guests Two Bit Franks on August 16th; Dustbowl Revival on August 23rd; and Pinky & the Floyd on August 30th. In addition, the eighth annual Big Sky Classical Music Festival with special guests Angella Ahn, Bella Hristova and Time for Three, will take place August 10th–12th. A free performance of Montana Shakespeare in the Parks will be at the park on July 31st, and the third annual Mountainfilm in Big Sky event caps the summer September 14th–16th.
Town Center park opens at 6pm for each concert, the music starting at 7:15pm. There will be a variety of food and beverage vendors, as well as an arts activity tent for kids. Please be aware that NO dogs are allowed into the concert area. Please check the Arts Council of Big Sky website for additional details.
For more information about this summer’s events, contact the Arts Council at (406) 995-2742 or visit www.bigskyarts.org for further details. •