Cordovas, The Elders next up for Big Sky’s Music in the Mountains
Another amazing summer of Music in the Mountains continues at Center Stage in Town Center Park. Running through the end of August, numerous events will be featured, including the popular Thursday night concerts and eighth annual Big Sky Classical Music Festival. And best of all, all of these events are FREE.
The Elders return to Center Stage with some great Celtic music on Thursday, August 9th. Founded in 1998 by six individuals with a passion for music rooted in Americana and Celtic folk rock, The Elders seemed to be channeling something ancient and enduring from the beginning – something unaffected by fads, trends and the giant maw of mind-numbing commercialism. Their ability to bring together the art of storytelling with elements both musically progressive and rooted in tradition, has won them a broad international fan base, as well as critical acclaim in numerous publications such as Paste Magazine, Folk & Acoustic Music Exchange, Goldmine Magazine, TRAD Magazine (France), Chicago Sun-Times, Kansas City Star and more. “Thrilling, propulsive, fantastic Celtic-pop. The Elders are a band to shout from the rooftops about,” wrote Robert Oermann of Music Row Magazine. Their latest album, True, is available now.
Following on Thursday, August 16th is the Jeff Austin Band with help from special guests Two Bit Franks.
The career of the Colorado-based Jeff Austin – celebrated for his fleet fingers and penchant for improvisation on stage – has seen him break through jam and bluegrass scenes (as a co-founder of the legendary Yonder Mountain String Band), play stages from The Fillmore Auditorium to Red Rocks Amphitheater, and events like Telluride Bluegrass Festival and Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, among many others. But with the launch of his solo career in 2014, Austin is now building on the foundations of previous ventures while honing his own sound and charting new courses.
Featuring some of the finest Bluegrass musicians in Montana, Two Bit Franks are John Lowell, Tom Murphy, Russ Smith, Jeff Shouse and Kevin Fabozzi. Creative solos, driving rhythm, hot vocals and interesting arrangements have pleased listeners at the Grand Targhee Bluegrass Festival, Big Sky’s Big Grass Bluegrass Festival, Missoula’s River City Roots Festival, and the Livingston Summerfest, among many more.
Additional weekly concerts will include 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. The third annual Mountainfilm in Big Sky event caps the summer September 14th–16th.
Town Center park opens at 6pm for each Music in the Mountains 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. •
