Bon Voyage, Angie

Angie Biehl has left Missoula for Kalamazoo, Michigan, to work on a master's degree in musical therapy. As a farewell party, several of the bands she plays in appeared at the Top Hat, on Monday, August 15, 2011.  The symphony probably wouldn't fit, but she had just played with them the night before down in Caras Park. Did you hear her play the glockenspiel?

Tom Catmull, John Sporman

The one band not featuring Angie was Tom Catmull and the Clerics. Bands which included Angie were Stellarondo, the Tulis, New Hijackers, Slowly but Shirley and Broken Valley Roadshow.

New Hijackers: Caroline Keys, Angie Biehl and Travis Yost

 Angie and brother, Nate Biehl

Angie with Broken Valley Roadshow

Prowling Zootown Music Again

My heart had taken flight, during the days in wilderness, on the coast and by the rivers. Reconnecting to my home town took some time. I tiptoed into the Sunrise Saloon to hear Cash for Junkers, and they hooked me right up.

I love people happy in their work, and I love good music. Nailed the twofer on this night, Thursday, August 26, 2010.

It was great to return to the Saturday markets, and find Hot House Tomatoes performing under the bridge at the Clark Fork Market.

The final weekend of August belonged to the Roots Fest, although only the headliner, Robert Earl Keen, could lure me back downtown Saturday.

Broken Valley Roadshow inspired me to spend more time at Roots, as they opened the second day.

Tom Catmull and the Clerics were up second on Sunday.

Susan, 7X a grandmother, now homeless, busking on Higgins

And then came Hempfest on Saturday, September 11, 2010 

with Not Quite Punk

Secret Powers

and Voodoo Horseshoes highlighting a strong line up. 

The big event was followed by the Hempfest After Party at the Top Hat, where Miller Creek performed.

Headliners, Lubriphonic, produced an extravagant sound, deep, strong and tight. 

Hundreds of photos have gone on the Flickr archive in recent days, as I work to catch up from vacation hang over. There's new stuff coming soon. I want to cover more jazz like the Indulge Jazz Quintet, which has a Flickr set of their recent Missoula Winery appearance. 

LYME Fest--Day Three

High lighted and starred on my Sunday schedule was Secret Powers with Shmed, one of my local heroes, up front. After doing some of their original material, easily purchased on their CDs, they launched into their famous full-coverage of Abbey Road. This is no simplified to three chord rock anthem version. This has the subtle, complex depth of the original, or as close as you can get live on stage. 

Ryan Farley and John Fleming

I fell in love about 30 times over the weekend at the Love Your Mother Earth Festival, and here are three of my new loves on stage with Broken Valley Road Show. None meet my minimum age requirement, and I think all are spoken for, but, sweet mother of god, they are beautiful, smart, talented and funny. Who could ask for more? See Cash 4 Junkers in the previous post, where Grace fiddles with another band.

Nate Biehl, Angie Biehl, Caroline Keys

A surprise delight was the Anonymous String Association, whose sound side tracked me from a rush to the main stageand pulled me to the Ramble Stage.  

I was out of steam early Sunday, heading back to the Campground Stage to see Clyde drumming with the Dodgy Mountain Men, and making them my final act of the day. 

I can't end my coverage of Day 3, without showing the accordion player above, and another of my beautiful friends below. There are a total of 127 (I think) images in three sets titled by day over on the flickr archive. Soon there will be follow ups of Sister Monk (Day 1) and Elephant Revival (Day 2), when they played the Top Hat this week Equaleyes played too late at LYME, but I caught them at the Hat with Sister Monk.