More Top Notch Zootown Music

Where did all the musical talent in Zootown come from? For a small burg like this, it's a large, diverse and deep pool. The previous two posts high lighted a couple of upper echelon local bands. There are so many quality groups performing around Missoula, it would be impossible to name them all. You can read back through this blog to find others I praise. Here are some others I want to mention again.

Secret Powers

Downtown Tonight's weekly event on Thursday, July 7, 2011, featured the Independent's Best Of winners. Secret Powers and Reverend Slanky played, after being announced as finalists in the Best Band category. 

I must insert a photographer's note here: the light really sucks at most of these daytime events in Caras Park. I am not good at shooting sky, and my camera weighs me down in the hot weather. I'm going to quit carrying my camera and just dig the music, the crowd and the smell of food. Indoor events are more my cup of tea, anyway.  

Here are a few shots taken in the Top Hat on Friday, February 11, 2011. 

Secret Powers rates bonus points with me for producing so much original material. Shmed simply cannot rest on his laurels and charges into the next project almost immediately after the last one is done. 

Fans know these guys can handle covers, too, as their amazingly textured Beatles' work has shown. Let them practice a bit, and they can do most anything. 

$4J = Cash for Junkers 

$4J the ads say, as this group appears all over the map, including a monthly gig at the Union Club. These practiced musicians know their stuff and quickly fill any dance floor. Their crowd-pleasing allure has to place them among Missoula's best bands.

Cash for Junkers is intertwined with Broken Valley Roadshow, as Nate Biehl is in both bands, and other members trade off and fill in.

Nate Biehl with Caroline Keys, BVR at the Top Hat, Thursday, July 14, 2011

Nate Biehl and John Rosett/$4J @Union Club 

Tom Catmull and the Clerics

 When top bands are discussed, Tom Catmull and the Clerics have to be mentioned. They appeared in Caras Park at the Downtown Tonight event a week after winning Best Band for the fifth consecutive year. Tom was again a double winner as Best Musician.

Mudslide Charley

Mudslide Charley @Bernice's Bakery July 7, 2011

This being the first Thursday of August, Mudslide Charley will be playing their monthly "Blues and Bread" event at Bernice's.  It's a benefit for the Missoula Food Bank with fresh hot rolls on sale inside, and hot blues outside. This is smack you in the face authentic style blues with classics any blues fan will recognize, and a growing number of original tunes. 

 Mudslide Charley @Old Post July 15, 2011

Mudslide recently had a CD release party at the Old Post, and for that event back-up singers were added.

As usual, there are sets of images on flickr of all the bands mentioned here.

Russ Nasset and the Revelators

Russ Nasset and the Revelators just played Downtown Tonight in Caras Park. Russ will be playing solo, starting about 10p tonight, at the Old Post. And tomorrow night for First Friday, July 1, this whole group will be playing at the Union Club, starting at 9:30.

If you aren't getting down to Caras Park for the great, free and family friendly events there such as this one on Thursday evenings and Out to Lunch on Wednesdays at noon, shame on you.

And if you haven't seen this band, check them out at the club, Friday, July 1.

Ho, ho, ho, maybe I'm not so old and slow after all. They quit playing at 8:30 and I have this up less than 90 minutes later. There are a few more images from this event on the flickr archive, along with approximately 8000 others of this and other Missoula bands.

One Zootown Week--June 12-18, 2011

Summer Carnival

The carnival kicked off the week with jugglers, kids' games and other family entertainment early,

moving on to more adult themes in the evening, including my favorite fire eater

with a soundtrack by Voodoo Horseshoes.

Meanwhile, at the Missoula Winery

The Ed Norton Big Band,

under the direction of this man,

was swinging away in front of a happy crowd.

Jazz Martini

Later, Margi Cates joined the Front Street Jazz Band on stage at the Badlander, during Jazz Martini Night. For those who don't know, Jazz Martini is a weekly, Sunday night event at the Badlander. Bands alternate weeks, and Front Street will be back tonight, Sunday, June 26.

This night was fun for all.

Out to Lunch

Members of Zeppo also had a good time on the Caras Park stage for Out to Lunch on Wednesday, June 15, 2011. Anybody visiting Missoula should plan on Wednesday, for lunch, or Thursdays 5:30-8:30pm for dinner. Lots of vendors offer their foodstuffs, and the live music is free at both events. 

Hot Harleys

On Friday night, the annual Harley rally brought a bunch of hot bikes to Caras Park. 

Mudslide Charley was one of the bands providing the music,

and, of course, a good time was had by all.

Christian and the Sinners

Overlapping the excitement in Caras Park was a show at the Top Hat featuring a group new to me, Christian and the Sinners. That's Christian up front, and there are some marvelous musicians backing him up, including Bethany on the cello and Grace Decker on the fiddle. 

More images of every band and event in this post has a set on the flickr archive. Grace also performs with Cash for Junkers, while Bethany seems to be everywhere, but particularly with Wartime Blues and Butter in the archive. 

In the Streets

In Zootown, you can find music everywhere, and some of the travelers playing on the streets are very talented, not to mention varied and diverse in material and style.

Bob Wire, Slowly But Shirley, Star Anna, Red Elvises and Weather

Where does the time go? My last blog concerned the second weekend of July, and August has begun. I have some catching up to do. The last chapter ended with Amanda Cevallos and Bob Wire at Ryan Creek Meadows. Soon after that, Bob was sizzling at Caras Park.

It was the weekly Downtown Tonight event on Thursday, July 22, 2010, and Bob was really cooking on stage.

Listeners were enjoying a spectacular Montana day, in addition to the music. 

I want you to come to Fact and Fiction tonight (Friday, Aug 6) and buy my book. I might sign it if you do.

note:Bob Wire did not pay for this promo. I think his lyrics are some of the funniest around, and I expect his book to be amusing, too.

Ciara Keeton, Angie Biehl, Kristin Janis, Teri Llovet

Not one Shirley in the batch, but the band is Slowly But Shirley. They played a big part in producing and playing Zulapalooza at the Top Hat on Saturday, July 24.

Teri Llovett

One of the powers which helped create Zulapalooza was Teri Llovett. Teri was with Full Moon Prophets, who played their final gig on this same Top Hat Stage, last November. See Good-bye Prophets in a previous post here and in a set on Flickr. That was a whing-ding and a half, featuring many local musicians who wanted in on the fun. Zulapalooza produced more of the same infectious fun. One high light was Joe Half Cocked. Joe is an entity, who was being channeled by a local performer, but now busts out when he pleases.

Joe Half Cocked, Kristin Janis, Ciara Keeton

The Missoula Winery has a new stage. Performers and audience are protected from the hot afternoon sun, as this is on the east side of the building. Star Anna and the Laughing Dogs played there on Friday, July 30.

Star Anna and the Laughing Dogs

Mother Nature chose to bring special effects to the event. It wasn't so much fun for the band, as the temperature fluctuations began to mess up the tuning. The guitar player just knew he was going to die, electrocuted on stage in Missoula, Montana. 

A few drops fell on the assembly, but the body of the storm missed us and moved off to the north-west. Did I mention The Winery has an incredible view of the entire Missoula basin? I should also say this old photographer had a great time with the changing light, noted with approval the evolution of the Winery and tasted some fine Cabernet.

The Red Elvises have made the pilgrimage to Missoula an annual event. I saw them in Santa Monica many years ago (15?/more?). They had changed their name from Limpopo shortly before that, and I bought the Limpopo CD, and the first Red Elvis CD, and enjoyed every minute of their performance. I missed their previous visits here, but I was determined this time.

Igor has sandwiched himself with a pair of women, since I saw them.

A throng of Red Elvis fans packed the Badlander to see them again.

Every day I thank the powers that be I found Missoula before I died. Yes, I have said that before. Brace yourselves, because I will say it again. Life is sweet, and it gets better every day.

If you aren't enjoying yourself, as much as I, try turning off your television and getting out to some live music.

PS: See more of these events on Flickr. Don't hurt yourself by trying to view everything on my Flickr archive, because it is too much. It is best to approach the archive looking for a band you know, or want to know, because the search function will allow you to find the images you want (if I have key-worded properly).