‘Music in the Mountains’ features Mandolin Orange, Sister Sparrow & more
Another amazing summer of Music in the Mountains is well underway at Center Stage in Town Center Park. Running through August, numerous events will be featured, including the popular Thursday night concerts, 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.
Coming up, “Fireworks & Funk” features a special performance by The Tiny Band on the Fourth of July, 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.
Mandolin Orange follows with help from acclaimed singer/songwriter Joe Pug on Thursday, July 5th. While staying true to their Americana sound, Mandolin Orange’s latest album, Blindfaller, tackles modern day themes seen in our daily headlines. The North Carolina duo – comprised of Emily Frantz (fiddle) and Andrew Marlin (mandolin) – recorded the album in a one-week break from touring at Rubber Room Studio in Chapel Hill, NC. Take a listen and you’ll pick up on the power and devastation lurking in its quietude, the doom hiding beneath its unvarnished beauty. You’ll hear the way it magnifies the intimacy at the heart of the North Carolina duo’s music, as if they created their own musical language as they recorded it.
Sister Sparrow & the Dirty Birds are set for Thursday, July 12th. “They may be from Brooklyn, but the fiery brass and gospel-infused funk emanating from Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds is rooted in Memphis soul,” writes the LA Times. “Their rhythmic wheelhouse combines big-city grit and down-home sweetness with a little bit of Americana twang.” The band has shared the stage with Gov’t Mule, Dr. John, Trombone Shorty, the Avett Brothers, and Galactic and has turned audiences into believers through appearances on the festival circuit at Bonnaroo, Firefly, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, Bottle Rock, Forecastle and others. Sister Sparrow’s most recent release, Fowl Play, is available now.
Looking ahead, Polyrhythmics will entertain on Thursday, July 19th. Rich with bold brass and hypnotic percussion, the group’s latest album, Caldera, showcases the instrumental eight-piece’s impossibly tight grooves and virtuosic musicianship as they tear through a singular blend of funk, soul, psychedelic rock, R&B, progressive jazz, and Afrobeat. Calling to mind everything from Antibalas and the Dap-Kings to The Meters and Fela Kuti, it’s without a doubt their strongest work to date, merging the infectious power of their live show with a sleek and nuanced studio sophistication.
Other weekly concerts throughout the summer include 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, with 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. •
