Somewhat later than before...

Dodgy Mountain Men Open Roots

It was a tough assignment to fill, opening the prestigious Roots Fest, especially with a new bass player just a few rehearsals into the job. The Dodgy Mountain Men came through and provided the annual event with a sensational lift off. 

Their music elevated people.

Disclaimer: The above photo does not have my name in the corner, because it was taken by my partner, Melissa, pictured below with an instant friend from Pennsylvania, appropriately named Joy.

Miller Creek

A great day of music was continued later by Miller Creek. These cats have been out of sight too long, after a time of almost weekly local gigs. They've been somewhere working hard on their chops, as they blew the jams out and the crowd away.

Out in the hot sun of stage left, was a local keyboardist of some note. Once upon a time there were Secret Powers...

It would be understatement to say folks had a good time.

My favorite art was the Home Resource set up for the kids on Main between the music and the art vendors.

A walk through the food court followed by a left turn up the alley at the Rhino brought me to a jam session under the stairs in back of the Top Hat.

Big Medicine

Speaking of the Top Hat, that place resembled a revival meeting when Medicine for the People poured out the medicine and the spirit on their congregation Saturday evening. Footnote: Ecstatic dance is an ancient mystic tradition. 

This was the first time Melissa and I have been out late in months. We just celebrated the anniversary of our first date. We looked like this a year ago,

and now this is how our garden grows.

It is almost September, and this is my first post of the year on this old blog. Should I revive it, or begin a new one? Am I capable of doing either?

Click to find a set with more photos of each band featured in this post on flickr. 

Roots with Epilog

Roots Fest in Missoula was a stop on the Leftover Salmon reunion tour, Saturday, August 27, 2011. They proved the biggest draw of the weekend, and the packed crowd in front of the stage resembled a mosh pit at times. It was dangerous in there, as bodies bumped and banged, elbows flew, and beer showered.

There's plenty of bluegrass around Zootown, while zydeco is an occasional treat. Bennie and the Swamp Gators provided a romping finale to the festival on Sunday afternoon.

Bennie's daughter plays washboard with the band, and his grand daughter is being groomed to follow the tradition.

Shooting into the sunlight was almost a complete waste of time. I wished I had left my camera home, and arrived ready to dance, because this was fun dance music.

Epilog: Serendipity and Synchronicity

The guitar player above, Gene Williams, appeared at Sean Kelly's weekly open mike the next night. He stumbled onto the Monday night affair, and arrived without an instrument. Beau loaned his, and Gene filled the last spot with a mix of original tunes and a few covers. He nailed Long Black Veil, and that is an easy one to mess up.

 Gene Williams

Beau offers up the guitar

On the flickr archive, you will find a set for Leftover Salmon, another for Bennie, and one for the open mike at Sean Kellys.

Butter and Fiancee, who performed at the Palace and Top Hat respectively late on First Friday, also have new sets. 

Roots Sunday

The second day of the River City Roots Festival opened with Andrea Harsell and her band on stage. I was not the only photographer present.

I was surprised by the number of women who ran the mini-marathon, while pushing babies.

Hot Buttered Rum capped the music Sunday evening.

This life-like piece of sculpture startled many folks, and some had to touch it to make sure it wasn't a holy man seated in the center of the festival.

The weather threatened, during the day, but never interfered, and the Roots Fest was another major success for downtown Missoula.

River Fest Opens with Cash for Junkers, and the Reverend Doubles Up

I am one tired old man, because I have been going since noon Saturday, when I set out for downtown to see Cash for Junkers open the River City Roots Festival.

Soon everyone and their dogs were there.

Reverend Slanky always produces a crowd.

And Slanky fans love to dance.

The Reverend performed double duties with a late night show at the Palace. There is a set on the flickr archive, which contains images of both shows.

I tied myself in knots and met myself coming back, while trying to cover all the music in Zootown. In addition to the five bands which played Roots on Saturday, and a double dose of Slanky, there was Mike Bader Blues Band at the Top Hat, Workers at the Union Club and the metal extravaganza upstairs in the Union Hall. That one featured Blessiddoom and Walking Corpse Syndrome.

Sunday night, after Roots, there was Jazz Martini Night at the Badlander and a bang up show at the Top Hat, featuring Andrea Harsell and Cottonwood Draw. The latter returned to the Top Hat, after opening for Elephant Revival, and set the place on fire with a scintillating performance. It was another one of those hipnhot-gotta-dance events.

Good news about Jazz Martini Night: in two weeks it expands to a larger time slot and begins to feature two bands again.

Monday night, Butter, whom I recently covered at MAM during Artini, opened a big show at the Badlander. Mini Mansions and Low Red Land were the visiting bands featured.

The Kitchenpoet has it all digitalized, and must get it all sorted before First Friday. Yes, this is First Friday, September 4, coming up in two days, and there will be music, gallery shows and special events everywhere. Check Missoula Events for times and places. The Labor Temple will be a hipnhot spot with an all-ages early show upstairs in the Union Hall and Zeppo downstairs, in the Union Club, at 9:30.

Clumsy Lovers Headline Roots Fest

I was delighted to see another of my favorite bands, as Clumsy Lovers headlined the Roots Festival. All the technical difficulties from Saturday night were left behind, and the sound system sizzled.



It was a triumphant performance.

Vince Herman Drives Taxi to Zoo City

A seemingly small thing, a transformer, but when it went, the stage became quiet. Vince Herman grabbed his mandolin and headed into the crowd with guitar and fiddle back up for some old-fashioned, unplugged, good-time music.
Leftover Salmon was one of my favorite bands, which doesn't mean I liked everything they did, but bonus points for originality and high spirits. I saw Vince MC the First Annual Mulberry Mountain Music Festival up on the pig tail in the Ozarks, near Fayetteville. After the Salmon break up, I followed Great American Taxi, and saw them at the Badlander earlier this year.