Music in the Mountains
Big Sky Concert Season Continues Through July
The Arts Council of Big Sky is pleased to announce another amazing summer of Music in the Mountains at Center Stage in Town Center Park. Starting in June and ending on September 1, there will be 15 events, including 11 Thursday night concerts, the sixth 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!
The month of July will bring some of the hottest music of the summer to Big Sky. On July 7 the legendary Band of Heathens will be in Big Sky. Having launched their musical career in Austin with 2006’s Live From Momo’s and 2007’s CD/DVD Live at Antone’s, as well as being honored as “Best New Band” at the Austin Music Awards (2007), 2008 saw the release of their eponymous first studio effort in a self-titled, produced by iconic Texas troubadour Ray Wylie Hubbard. That album won widespread fan approval and copious critical acclaim, as did 2009’s One Foot in the Ether, which, like its predecessor, reached the #1 slot on the national Americana radio charts. The Band of Heathens were nominated for “New Emerging Artist” at the Americana Music Association’s Awards in 2009 and “Best Duo or Group” in 2010. In 2011, they released their third studio album Top Hat Crown and the Clapmaster’s Son, followed in 2012 by the two-CD/two-DVD set The Double Down: Live in Denver, which once again spotlighted the band’s mastery as a live unit. Keep an eye on the band’s website and social networks for more about their first full-length album since to 2013’s Sunday Morning Record, due out in the fall of 2016.
On July 14 the ACBS welcomes the Jamie McLean Band back to Big Sky. This hard-driving band has shared the stage with the likes of Gregg Allman, Drive By Truckers, Derek Trucks, Susan Tedeschi, Blues Traveler, North Mississippi Allstars, Joan Armatrading, Jackie Greene, and Gov’t Mule. The band has appeared at festivals such as Mountain Jam, Gathering of the Vibes, Bele Chere, Sweetwater Festival, Warren Haynes’ Christmas Jam and Great Woods Music to name a few. McLean also released a video documentary “From The Bottom Up,” and has enjoyed the sponsorship of Gibson Guitars, Blue Microphones, John Varvatos and Esquire Magazine.
The second half of July continues with the world music sounds of Todo Mundo on July 21; and then Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real will close out the month on July 28—only days removed from a European tour backing rock legend Neil Young. Other weekly concerts through out the summer include: the Iguanas on August 4; Amy Helm and the Handsome Strangers on August 11; the DeadPhish Orchestra on August 18; Fruition on August 25; and Cure for the Common to close out the concert season on September 1.
All concerts are free and take place at Center Stage at Town Center Park in Big Sky. The concerts are family friendly and feature local food and beverage vendors. For you safety, please do not bring dogs or glass containers into the park. For more information about this summer’s events, contact the Arts Council of Big Sky at (406) 995-2742 or visit www.bigskyarts.org for more information. The ACBS is a non-profit organization that was founded in 1989.
