Big Music Night

I usually start Friday mornings with KBGA listening to Swim Lesson with the Mermaid. This morning's show featured an interview with 10yoGF (10 year old Girl Friend), who will appear tonight at the Badlander as part of the Total Fest program. This may be one of your last opportunities to see this band,

because the drummer is leaving town. 

What these other creative folks will do without him, only the future will tell.

These images came from their Endathon performance on February 18, 2011.

Total Fest is the biggest event of this weekend, and expands beyond the Badlander/Palace complex to fill some other venues with the multi-faceted music its famous for. The complex will be jamming tonight from top to bottom, the Palace, the Badlander, Central, Golden Rose, the Savoy Casino, music, food and alcohol.

Japanther returns to Missoula, tonight, and will be over at Zoo City Apparel with four other bands, including Goddammitboyhowdy.  This, too, is Total Fest.

Goddammitboyhowdy is another local (or are they back in Browning again?) band I've enjoyed listening to and photographing.

Zoo City Apparel, in addition to iconic t-shirts, is making a name as an underground music venue. They are providing space lost with the closing of the BSMT and other shifts in the local scene.

This is one of those days when there is too much available in Zootown, and hard choices must be made.

Tom Catmull will be on the Union Club Stage tonight, beginning at 9:30.

Mudslide Charley will be at the Top Hat, along with the Frederico Brothers and Full Grown Men.

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.

Back in Zootown

And so glad to be here.

My road trip lasted six weeks, and by the end I was mighty homesick for Zootown. I drove back into Missoula Thursday, and the next day was First Friday, featuring art and music everywhere. Next day--Saturday Markets. Sunday, in addition to the market by the carousel, Higgins was closed from the Hip Strip to the Xs for all kinds of family activities.

I don't know the young man, but that is Bethany playing the saw and Caroline on the banjo.

Kate Davis with a red-tailed hawk from the Raptor Refuge appeared at Fact and Fiction on Saturday.

Jav performed second in a music show at Zoo City Apparel with art by Abe Coley on the wall. Pyro Spyders opened, and Goddammitboyhowdy finished that show.

Abe Coley hands on hips. Abe had art up in six venues around town for First Friday. He also has some pieces in a window at the old Macy's store. That must be some kind of record.

Meanwhile, Zeppo was playing over at the Union Club.

This batch of rascals are known as the Dodgy Mountain Men, and they produced their usual fun show at the Palace on Friday night. See the previous post for coverage of their appearance at the Top Hat with Hillstomp.

Not to be outdone, the Skurfs introduced a new look, as they capped the action at the Palace on First Friday, June 3, 2011.

Oh yes, there have been some additions over on the flickr archive. Check it out.

It's summertime in Zootown, and it doesn't get any better than this. I'll see you in the streets, at the markets and in the music venues.

$4Junkers @the Club

These shots of Cash for Junkers were taken at the Union Club on Friday, November 19, 2010. There are more images from this show on flickr. More importantly--

Cash for Junkers plays at the Union Club again tonight!

Today is Saturday, December 11, 2010. The music will start on time at 9:30, or heads will roll.

The Turtle trudges onward, hoping to catch up...

Halloween--2010

Party at the Broadway Inn

My hipnhot award for best Halloween party goes out to the Demonlily production at the Broadway Inn on October 30, 2010. These folks are into costuming and make up 100%. 

Finalists in the Scariest Costume category above, and the winner below.

Blessiddoom

High Voltage

Meanwhile at the Union Club

Russ Nassett and the Revelators were on stage, 

Disney characters were in attendance, 

and everyone was having a terrific time. 

Next stop--the Top Hat

Lil Smokies were providing the music, 

and another favorite character was seen. 

Other sightings:

Yes, this old man is way behind again. Can you imagine, just getting to Halloween, as the world rushes to Christmas? Well, there was this computer crash, as I was putting together my Top Hat show, and I have a bunch of other excuses for being slow. Instead of speeding up, in some cases I slow down. For example: being offline was terribly frustrating at first, then mildly annoying, and then I was reluctant to return to the Internet. 

Several sets have been uploaded to flickr, since I rejoined the digital web. This might be the blog introduction of High Voltage, but they have other images in the archive. Blesseddoom and Russ Nassett have several sets on flickr. Lil Smokies were recently at MAM in addition to their regular performances at the Hat. I'm working on several new images of them. 

Of course, there are also more images of all the venues and events covered here on flickr.