It’s all about the music at Live From The Divide. The intimate performance space celebrates the lineage and contemporary voice of the American Roots singer/songwriter, featuring talent from all over the country. Here’s a look at just a few of the upcoming acts.
Nashville country artist Ross Cooper is first up on Wednesday, October 3rd at 8pm. Tickets are $20 plus fees. Doors at 7pm.
Cooper is the rare country musician who has actually lived the life of a cowboy. The former professional bareback rider was still bustin’ broncs when his music career began. Though a knee injury sidelined his rodeo career, Cooper drives a band like he’s still wearing spurs and holding on for eight. His new album, I Rode the Wild Horses, pushes country music way past traditional territory just for the rush. It’s the new Nashville sound: glimmering pedal steel, rollicking and rocking telecaster riffs, soulful keys, and gorgeous harmonies. If you want to hear a story, there’s nothing like getting it straight from the source, and I Rode the Wild Horses is a refreshing take on cowboy music. It’s a showcase of this former bareback rider’s talents as a songwriter and musician.
Texas Americana artist Jamie Lin Wilson performs on Friday, October 12th at 8pm. Tickets are $25 plus fees. Doors at 7pm.
With a voice that slides in and out of notes with easy grace, a sly sense of humor, and lyrics that highlight the details most of us miss, Wilson creates stark vignettes: intimate conversations between friends who might be lovers and lovers who can’t be friends; kids hopping from stone to stone in a graveyard; the way rolling clouds can signal a new season. She lives and works in that sweet spot where folk and country meet – Guy Clark territory.
Wilson’s anticipated new record Jumping Over Rocks (out Oct. 26th) marks her second full-length solo album, but she’s not the new kid. She cut her teeth fronting and co-fronting beloved bands including the Gougers and the Trishas, winning over listeners and peers across the country. Now, her place as an acclaimed singer-songwriter on her own seems fated, imbued with a singular blend of freshness and road-earned wisdom.
Looking ahead, Colorado bluegrassers FY5 are set for Friday, October 26th at 8pm. Tickets are $20 plus fees. Doors at 7pm.
The quintet proudly swim in the deep currents of American music, playing new songs, well-informed of country and bluegrass traditions, but not bound to them. Featuring thoughtful arrangements, strong singing and musicianship, the group strives to connect to listeners with stories of common struggles and big ideas. While their sound evokes timelessness, it is decidedly contemporary, well-traveled 21st century sensibility that informs their songwriting. As they share the stories that drive the songs, FY5’s show leaves listeners certainly with tapping toes, but ranging thoughts as well. The band’s fourth full-length, The Way These Things Go, released at the top of the year and featured their trademark story songs, clever arranging, and catchy hooks. The band was also selected as official showcase artists for the 2017 International Bluegrass Music Association conference including a songwriter showcase with Mike Finders.
Local country artist and Live co-founder Jason Wickens performs a show of his own on Saturday, October 27th at 8pm. Tickets are $20 plus fees. Doors at 7pm.
Wickens grew up on his family’s ranch in rural north-central Montana where he taught himself to sing and play guitar. At an early age, he was introduced to Texas-based artists like Houston Marchman, Walt Wilkins, Charlie Robison and Jason Boland who inspired him to write music and tell stories in a way that felt truly authentic to him. He has taken that passion and focused his efforts on writing and sharing stories through song. His self-titled debut album released in July. In addition to writing and performing his music, Wickens has worked with artists like Sturgill Simpson, Chris Knight, Radney Foster, Hayes Carll, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Steve Earle, Dale Watson and many others during his Live tenure.
Tickets are sold at the door, but these small shows are known to sell out quickly – so get yours early! Tickets are available at Cactus Records or www.cactusrecords.net. Live is located at 627 E Peach St. in Bozeman. Visit www.livefromthedivide.com for a full lineup of performances and further information.