Bozeman Bluegrass Fest returns to Emerson, more Filler Jam(s)
Following their midsummer ‘Music in the Mountains’ appearance, ChickenJam West will present the Southwest Montana return of Polyrhythmics on Thursday, November 1st at the Filling Station with local groove rockers Left on Tenth opening at 9pm. Tickets to this 21+ show are $13 in advance and $16 at the door. Doors at 8pm.
Rich with bold brass and hypnotic percussion, the Polyrhythmics’ 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. Seattle music publication The Stranger dubbed the band a group to watch, hailing their “sophisticated slinkiness and expressive brassiness,” WNCW praised their “modern afro-psycho-beat blend,” while the Seattle Times called them “funk maestros.”
Also at the Filler, Them Coulee Boys perform alongside The Two Tracks on Friday, November 2nd at 9pm. Tickets to this 21+ show are $9 in advance and $10 at the door. Doors at 8pm.
Wisconsin’s Them Coulee Boys craft a brand of Americana that blends punk, bluegrass, and rock n’ roll. Their live shows are energetic affairs, with a constant passion and sincerity evident in every song. Some are paired with an infectious stomp, inviting the listener to dance along. Driving banjo, guitar, mandolin, and bass provide a backdrop for fast-paced narratives about love and life, ordinary or incredible. Others leave room for space, with ambient electric banjo and finger picked instrumentation accompany songs dealing with the harsh realities of things we cannot control. Soren Staff, Beau Janke, Jens Staff, and Neil Krause work together as a well-oiled alt-folk machine to craft tunes and live shows that are impressing audiences nationwide. Their latest album, Dancing in the Dim Light, is available now.
Americana covers a broad spectrum of music these days, and it’s easy to get lost in trying to define its particular parameters. If one was to determine an overreaching definition as music that reverberates with heartfelt emotion, and songs that speak to the listener with honesty, conviction and integrity, then Wyoming’s Two Tracks clearly fit the bill. Their latest album, Postcard Town, further affirms the promise and determination shown on their eponymous debut, which No Depression described as “creating an instant connection… in truth there’s not a single offering here that doesn’t engage the listener practically from the get go,” and by The Alternate Root as “rural warmth… infusing their tunes with a feel for the open spaces of The West.”
TAUK are back at the Filler with help from Exmag on Wednesday, November 7th at 9pm. Tickets to this 21+ show are $15 in advance and $18 at the door. Doors at 8pm.
On their new album Shapeshifter II: Outbreak, the New York-bred band offers an unsettling but ultimately exhilarating look at artificial intelligence and its potential to upend our world. With its dynamic sense of tension and cinematic mastery of mood, TAUK’s all-instrumental blend of progressive rock, hip-hop, and jazz proves to be the perfect backdrop for such explorations, giving way to an album that’s both powerfully hypnotic and intensely thought-provoking. Equally inspired by classic sci-fi like Blade Runner and more recent films like Ex Machina, Shapeshifter II embeds that narrative into TAUK’s most sonically adventurous, emotionally expansive work to date.
The Jauntee follow with Something & The Anything at the Filling Station on Thursday, November 8th at 9pm. Tickets to this 21+ show are $7 in advance and $10 at the door. Doors at 8pm.
Drawing influence from a wide variety of bands, the New England-based band is known for its improvisational landscape spanning multiple genres, not limited to funk, rock, jazz, progressive, bluegrass, psychedelic and ambient music. The Jauntee’s willingness to explore genres, abandon all song structure, and dive into “the weird” sets them apart from your average jam band. They aim to push the boundaries of improvisation, embrace the moment and engage the audience. With an ever-expanding song catalog and an inclination for open-ended improvisation, every show promises to be a unique experience. The Jauntee’s new live album, Always Never Knowing, is available now.
In collaboration with Bridger Brewing and Lionheart Caregiving, the 12th Annual Bozeman Bluegrass Festival is set for Friday and Saturday, November 9th–10th. Returning to the Emerson Center for the Arts & Culture, this year’s event will feature an incredible slate of musicians including headlining performances by Peter Rowan with The Travelin’ McCourys and Hot Buttered Rum.
A Grammy Award-winner and six-time nominee, Rowan is a bluegrass singer/songwriter with a career spanning over five decades. From his early years playing under the tutelage of bluegrass patriarch Bill Monroe, and following his stint in Old & In the Way with Jerry Garcia and subsequent breakout as both a solo performer and bandleader, Rowan has built a devoted, international fan base through his continuous stream of original recordings, collaborative projects, and constant touring. His latest album, Carter Stanley’s Eyes, is available now.
Hot Buttered Rum, originally conceived on a backcountry trip of high school and college buddies as a way to re-imagine Appalachian string band music from the vantage point of the High Sierra, has since found its way into the hearts, minds, and bodies of thousands. The group has toured the nation more times than its members can count, and yet still holds true to its goal to make California’s own acoustic music, full of desert fire, glacial snowmelt and everything in between. The band’s latest album, Lonesome Panoramic, is available now.
Also included on the festival roster are Laney Lou & The Bird Dogs, Larry Keel Experience, Dead Horses, Rumpke Mountain Boys, Whitewater Ramble, Armchair Boogie, The Fresh Boys, Bridger Creek Boys, Lazy Owl String Band, and Benjamin Jaffe (of HONEYHONEY). Weekend passes, as well as single-day tickets, are available for purchase now. Take part in one of Bozeman’s favorite (new) traditions conceived by Bridger Creek Boys’ very own Matt Broughton!
Back at the Filling Station, South Carolina rock n’ roll missionaries The Artisanals team up with Bozeman groups The Salamanders and Mad Pattern on Saturday, November 17th at 9pm. Tickets to this 21+ show are $7 in advance and $10 at the door. Doors at 8pm.
With sonic influences ranging from the dream-pop work of George Harrison (“Angel 42”) and heartland rock of Tom Petty (“Grow With You”), to the stone-cold radio hits of bands like the Killers (“Roll With It”) and Ryan Adams (“First Time”), The Artisanals’ newly released self-titled LP showcases the group’s knack for writing hooks as well as their ear for quality production. The album utilizes everything from a gong, organ, piano, sitar, french horn, trombone, and koto, to a string section sourced from the University of Iowa. Mastered by Howie Weinberg, (Spoon, Ryan Adams, Nirvana), there’s no filler on The Artisanals. From start to finish, this record is a straight banger.
The Salamanders are a four-piece garage country band led by the heavy hand of the baritone guitar and a driving rhythm section. They put on seriously energizing live performances and throw down recordings laced with a creative edge.
Mad Pattern are a new band made up of patterns and parts… tight, hard-rocking, dynamic, and soulful groove-based original music for the masses.
Advance tickets for these and other shows are available in-store at Cactus Records and www.cactusrecords.net. For more information, visit www.chickenjamwest.com. •
