Bozeman Magazine

The Arts Council of Big Sky (ACBS) is pleased to announce another amazing summer of Music in the Mountains at Center Stage in Town Center Park in Big Sky, Montana. Starting on June 21 and ending on August 30, there will be 15 events, including 11 Thursday night concerts, the eighth annual Big Sky Classical Music Festival and a performance from Montana Shakespeare in the Parks. And best of all, all of these events are free!

The ACBS kicks things off this summer by welcoming Bozeman’s own Kitchen Dwellers on Thursday, June 21. This energetic quartet is captivating fans across the country with its high- energy live performances and unique approach to traditional music that fans have dubbed Galaxy Grass. Formed while attending college at Montana State, the group has burst onto the bluegrass scene sharing the stage with acts such as Railroad Earth, Greensky Bluegrass, The Infamous Stringdusters and Twiddle. In recent years the band has begun to tour nationally, hitting notable venues and festivals around the country including The Brooklyn Bowl, The Fox Theatre, Delfest, Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Northwest String Summit, and The Frendly Gathering. 2017 has seen the band release their second studio album, Ghost In The Bottle, while continuing to push the boundaries of their genre. The Well hails from Big Sky and is quickly making a name for itself with energetic live shows that feature well-written original music and carefully chosen cover songs. This concert will also be part of the second annual Big Sky Soul Shine event, put on in conjunction with the Hungry Moose Market and Deli. The series continues on June 28 when Josh Hoyer and Soul Colossal bring their funky brand of rhythm and blues to Center Stage. The band’s combination of soul, funk and R&B is in a word, electric. Best displayed in their high-energy live show, the blend of Hoyer’s (a former contestant on the Voice) honest lyrics and his soulful vocals merge with his top-notch band to create an undeniable chemistry. According to No Depression, “If James Brown and Otis Redding had a love child, it would be Josh Hoyer. The Lincoln, Nebraska, soul shouter, and his band of merry soulsters, Soul Colossal, deliver a sound so big, so funky, so wring-the-sweat-out-of-you energetic that it reaches through the speakers and shakes you until you start moving to its groove.”

Other weekly concerts throughout the summer include the Tiny Band on July 4; Mandolin Orange with special guest Joe Pug on July 5; Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds on July 12; Polyrhythmics on July 19; Shovels and Rope on July 26; Cordovas on August 2; The Elders on August 9; Jeff Austin Band with special guests Two Bit Franks on August 16; The Dustbowl Revival on August 23; and Pinky and the Floyd on August 30. 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 10-12. A free performance of Montana Shakespeare in the Parks will be at the park on July 31, and the third annual Mountainfilm in Big Sky event caps the summer on September 14-16.

Town Center park opens at 6 p.m. for each concert, the music starting at 7:15. 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 ACBS web site for additional details. For more information about this summer’s events, contact the Arts Council of Big Sky at (406) 995-2742 or visit www.bigskyarts.org for more information. The ACBS is a non-profit organization that was founded in 1989.