Following weeks of holiday festivities, family gatherings, and even a little too much time spent at home, we’re ready to get out of the house! New Year’s is upon us, bringing with it a perfect excuse to hit the town and keep the celebrations going. Here’s a look at some of the area’s fantastic live music ready to ring in what’s sure to be an excellent 2019 in Southwest Montana.Vibe Quartet will give an early celebratory performance at Red Tractor Pizza beginning at 6:30pm. The improv group fuses a variety of instrumental music ranging from jazz standards to original funk tunes to instrumental popular tunes. Grab a slice and a seat!
Catch powerhouse electro jam band MOTH and rockin’ soul-shakers DASH during the Zebra Cocktail Lounge’s ‘New Year’s Blacklight Party’ at 8pm. MOTH brings to mind a mixture of Daft Punk and Umphrey’s McGee, while DASH is sure to entertain with a wild blend of funk, soul, rock, and pop. These bands will be sure to get everyone on the dance floor!
At the Rialto, immerse in ‘An Evening of New Beginnings’ featuring Satsang with help from Wes Urbaniak and DJ AJ at 8:30pm. Creating a unique blend of soul, folk-rock and hip-hop, the conscious music collective known as Satsang 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.
Over the Bozeman Pass, Exit 288 takes the stage at Chico Hot Springs Saloon at 9pm. The high-energy group performs everything from classic and contemporary rock, to blues, country, and all that’s in between. Exit 288 connects with the audience and creates a fun and exciting atmosphere. The band’s music is carefully selected to get people involved in the party and to keep the dance floor hopping!
On the other side of the Valley, The MAX will entertain at Three Forks’ Sacajawea Bar beginning at 9pm. The popular band has entertained and delighted audiences nationwide since the mid-80s, calling Montana home since 1993. The MAX plays spot-on renditions of a wide variety of choice danceable rock n’ roll covers and has two original albums, Shadows in the Shade and Vinyl Valentine. The MAX has opened for Styx, REO Speedwagon, and The Fabulous Thunderbirds.
Back in the big city, Daniel Kosel and band bring the party to the Eagles Bar in Downtown Bozeman at 9pm. Kosel is a Montana-based singer/songwriter and guitarist who performs originals from his albums Beartooth Stage and The Rain, plus a delicious bevy of covers. His emotionally intelligent poetry, soulful vocals, and pretty guitar stylings make a delightful listening experience best described as “Crues Music,” a self-styled blend of country, rock, and blues.
In Livingston, ring in the New Year with a rockin’ night of foot-stomping bluegrass at The Attic with Laney Lou & the Bird Dogs and the Lazy Owl String Band at 9pm.
The Bird Dogs’ live shows are highlighted by unbridled energy, punctuated by songs performed with fervor and swagger. Fusing old time folk songs with a rock n’ roll attitude, the group push the envelope of what a string band would generally be described as. Having shared stages with Corb Lund, Hayes Carll, Hurray for the Riff Raff, The Mavericks, Wynonna Judd, Mark Chesnutt, and The Lil’ Smokies, their eponymous debut and last year’s The Vigilante Session are available now.
A diverse group of musicians, the Lazy Owls’ influences range from jazz and blues to punk rock. However varied their influences, they’re undeniably steeped in an old-timey traditional style. The group encapsulates an ethic of hard driving, whiskey drinking, boot-stomping music with infectious energy that’s sure to get you moving. The band’s repertoire is heavily rooted in original material that pays homage to the tradition from which it was begotten.
Finally, spend New Year’s with That 1 Guy at the Filling Station at 10pm. Imagine the brainchild of Dr. Seuss, Captain Beefheart, Frank Zappa, Stanley Kubrick and Rube Goldberg, and you begin to understand the spectacle of a That 1 Guy performance by Berkeley, California-based and classically trained musician Mike Silverman. Combining elements of classical music with electronica, he puts his classical training to good use creating music that is ethereal, gothic and heart-pounding. His one-man concert performance is equal parts music, technology, science, art and spectacle, as he uses his hands and feet to create an industrial tribal rhythm that must be seen and heard to be believed.
Ticketing and further information about these festivities and other upcoming events can be found throughout this issue of The BoZone. Cheers to a prosperous 2019 – Happy New Year, Bozeman! •
