John Floridis and Tom Catmull: An Evening of Shared Songs, A Chance to Listen Not Just Hear

Over two and a half decades ago, two musicians from very different parts of the country arrived in Missoula around the same general time. Tom Catmull, a transplanted Texan from Klein and John Floridis, rolling in off of interstate 90 via a long drive from Cleveland, Ohio. Two guitarist, singer songwriters with very different musical backgrounds yet connected by a passion for “the song.”
Over those same two and a half decades, both musicians have consistently traveled similar paths in Montana with plenty of variety between their journeys to keep things fresh. Tom with several hugely popular bands including The Clerics, Radio Static and Last Resort and John with The Big Ensemble, Burning River and the John Floridis Trio and many other musical collaborations.
Both were consistently among the top vote finalists and winners in the Missoula Independent “Best Musician” poll. Both have been featured on Montana PBS’s 11th and Grant, Live From The Divide on Bozeman’s KGLT, and Tom has been a frequent guest on Montana Public Radio’s "Musician’s Spotlight", a program that John hosts. Tom was also featured on "Live From Home" a pandemic era project John hosted for Montana PBS.
Over those same two and a half decades both Tom and John have appeared with each other on shared bills many times as solo artists including the yearly Montana Songwriter Showcase events with fellow songwriters.
Festivals, concert halls, brewery tap rooms, house concerts, bars, coffee houses, pubs . Rarely could you find a venue one had played that the other hadn’t played as well, and not too infrequently played together. But with all of that history, they had never played a listening room, just the two of them, in their hometown until 2019.
These two well known Missoula musicians will present an intimate evening of shared songs for only the second time ever in the town that has been the venue for most of their respective musical journeys. Songs they have written for the eighteen recordings between them, new songs and maybe some surprises as well.
Two similar paths for two Missoula music veterans converge for a first time in a warm, intimate setting in the heart of their adopted city’s backyard.