Rob Quist & Great Northern, The Waiting headline Summer SLAM Fest
Like every year since its inception, the lineup of musicians at this year’s Summer SLAM (Support Local Artists & Musicians) Festival is an outstanding showcase of the incredible musical talents that exist under the vast skies of our big beautiful home state that is Montana.
This year’s featured artists, not in order of appearance, include Rob Quist & Great Northern with Halladay Quist, The Waiting, The Jason Wickens Band, Andrew Gromiller & the Organically Grown, Russell Chapman, Permafunk, The Hayes Collective, Marcedes Carroll, Brigid Reedy with brother Johnny Reedy, and more!
Of course, between music performances, the Main Stage will be graced with community yoga classes, as well as international dance and hula-hooping performances.
Rob Quist provides lead vocals, banjo and guitar, and is lead singer and songwriter of such seminal Montana groups as Mission Mountain Wood Band, The Montana Band, and Rob Quist & Great Northern. Rob was recently inducted into the University of Montana School of Fine Arts Hall of Honors, recognizing him as “one of its greats.”
Halladay Quist, who is Rob’s daughter, also sings lead vocals, and plays bass, banjo and guitar. She recently released her first self-titled album to rave reviews, drawing strong interest from major labels.
Great Northern, in addition to Rob and Halladay, features Leif Christian on lead guitar and Valley Lopez rock solid on drums. Their music glides effortlessly over the boundaries of country, bluegrass, folk, pop, jazz and blues. When performing live, they bring the easy camaraderie of well-seasoned road warriors to the stage.
The Waiting is a roadhouse rock n’ roll band from Bozeman that celebrates the music of Tom Petty. Not exactly a “cover” or “tribute” band, The Waiting is – in the spirit of The Heartbreakers – first and foremost a BAND: a motley mix of musicians and friends interpreting the songs of one of rock’s greatest legends. The band’s motto is “We bring the Petty to your town,” and since 2018 they have been doing that all across the Treasure State.
Whether it’s one of Tom Petty’s smash hits with the Heartbreakers, a sampling from his solo albums, or even a collaboration with the Traveling Wilburys, The Waiting runs the gamut, performing each tune with undeniable, fiery live energy and a devotion to showing each person in the crowd a damn good time. “We think Tom would approve!” The Waiting is: Levi Main (guitar/vocals), Doc Wiley (bass), David Dyas (guitar/vocals), Rick Winking (lead guitar), and Pete Christensen (keyboards).
The Jason Wickens Band, fronted by Wickens, a fourth-generation Montanan, grew up on his family’s ranch in North Central Montana, where he – at an early age – began playing guitar and developed his passion for songwriting. He is the co-owner/producer of the local live radio program Live From The Divide, an intimate music venue located in Bozeman that records live performances in front of an audience, then later broadcasts them on public radio stations around The Northwest and beyond. His self-titled debut album of Folk, Americana, and Roots-Rock is scheduled to be released on July 27th on Hand Drawn Records out of Dallas, TX.
Andrew Gromiller & The Organically Grown is a Funk/Soul/R&B/Motown Band. The band’s namesake, Andrew, has been touring and performing in live bands since the young age of 13 and has amassed 28 years of experience in music. A few highlights of his long career since have included performing on stage with Etta James and her band, Billy Preston, and Maceo Parker, and his Berklee College of Music friend and classmate Susan Tedeschi, as well as opening for Taj Mahal and other acts with international acclaim. In addition to the lead vocals that he is known for, Andrew is also a songwriter, and plays guitar, bass, keyboard, and organ.
The 2017 winner of the Telluride’s Emerging Blues artist award, Russell Chapman stomps and sings an entertaining blend of New Orleans-infused folk blues. With a sharp lyrical wit, a down-home guitar style and an uncanny mouth trumpet, Mr. Chapman delivers songs that make you feel better about the world.
The Hayes Collective, comprised of “Bozeman-based musicians enjoying the process,” is an eclectic group of musicians with a soulful but edgy sound that blends the sounds of Soul, Funk, Rock, and Blues. The Hayes Collective band members include: Josh Heins (lead guitar & vocals), Garrett Stevens (guitar, backing vocals), Bill Tom Scott (bass), Aaron Rasmussen (drums), and Julie Nelson (vocals).
Marcedes Carroll is a southwestern Montana singer-songwriter. With a guitar in tow, she blends Americana melodies to her stylistic storytelling.
PermaFunk is a Bozeman-based band making music to keep bodies moving and souls grooving with shows that display their passion for the 1970s, playing funky, soulful, psychedelic, latin-infused grooves. Members are Jelani Mahiri (percussion, composer, coordinator), Aaron Banfield (electric guitar, composer), Jordan Rodenbiker (electric bass, composer), Andy Gavin (drumset, composer), David Kaltenbach (tenor, baritone sax; composer, horn arrangements), Dan Wood (trumpet, composer, horn arrangements), Matt Sloan (tenor sax, composer), and Cal Treadway (Rhodes, keyboard, composer).
The Eddie T Jazz Quartet is an eclectic, funky, Ethno-Jazz Band. Like their leader Eddie T, a Bozeman-based music teacher, each of the members in this Jazz Quartet are currently very active in the Montana music community as educators and performers. Band members are Eddie T (Bass), Alex Robilotta (Guitar), Silas Stewart (Vibes), and Garrett Stanard (Drums).
Brigid Reedy is a young singer, songwriter, and fiddle player from Southwest Montana. She has been performing since the age of 2 and has traveled from coast to coast sharing her love of American music. An accomplished singer and fiddler, Brigid’s musical repertoire runs the full gamut of the American West, from the most traditional cowboy tunes to new and original songs. She’ll be performing alongside her brother, Johnny Reedy.
SLAM is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the arts and art education in the state in a manner that enriches and involves the community. SLAM hosts events, including but not limited to the annual SLAM Summer Festival, to showcase the artistic talent of Montana residents. SLAM also funds scholarships to community members seeking education in the arts, and spearheads community art installations.
We look forward to seeing you at the festival in support of our local community of artists and musicians at SLAM (Support Local Artists & Musicians), Saturday and Sunday, August 4th–5th in Bozeman’s Bogert Park. Learn more about the 2018 event at www.slamfestivals.org. •
