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# Lively Times

Montana's statewide arts & entertainment calendar

## Sitemaps

- [XML Sitemap](https://livelytimes.com/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website.

## Posts

- [Bigfork Summer Playhouse Shines in Its 67th Season of Magic!](https://livelytimes.com/2026/07/bigfork-summer-playhouse-shines-in-its-67th-season-of-magic/) - Bigfork Summer Playhouse celebrates its 67th season with Newsies, Young Frankenstein, The Music Man, Mean Girls and shows live theater in Bigfork, Montana—live!
- [Annual Symphony Under the Stars Set for July 18 in Helena](https://livelytimes.com/2026/06/annual-symphony-under-the-stars-set-for-july-18-in-helena/) - Join 10,000+ attendees at Helena's Symphony Under the Stars on July 18 at Carroll College for live music, fireworks, and community celebration
- [Free Music in the Park Brings West Yellowstone Alive in 2026](https://livelytimes.com/2026/07/free-music-in-the-park-brings-west-yellowstone-alive-in-2026/) - Enjoy four free 2026 Music in the Park concerts in West Yellowstone, featuring funk, a Taylor Swift tribute, bluegrass and country at Pioneer Park this summer.
- [Swan Lake Huckleberry Festival Marks 44 Years of Summer Fun!](https://livelytimes.com/2026/07/swan-lake-huckleberry-festival-marks-44-years-of-summer-fun/) - Celebrate the 44th Swan Lake Huckleberry Festival Aug. 8 with berry treats, arts and crafts, live music, kids’ games and lakeside family fun.
- [HandMADE Montana Reflects on 2025, Gears Up for 2026](https://livelytimes.com/2026/01/handmade-montana-reflects-on-2025-gears-up-for-2026/) - HandMADE Montana celebrates a record-breaking 2025 and looks ahead to an ambitious 2026 season supporting artists, events, and Montana’s creative economy.
- [Glacier Symphony America 250 Concert at Rebecca Farm July 3](https://livelytimes.com/2026/06/glacier-symphony-america-250-concert-at-rebecca-farm-july-3/) - Celebrate America 250 with Glacier Symphony at Rebecca Farm on July 3. Enjoy patriotic music, veteran tributes, food trucks, and family fun.
- [Festival 2026: Polson's Sweetest Summer Event](https://livelytimes.com/2026/06/festival-2026-polsons-sweetest-summer-event/) - Celebrate the Flathead Cherry Festival July 25-26, 2026, on Main Street in downtown Polson, with everything cherry, handmade art, food, and family fun.
- [Don't Miss the Exciting Missoula Summer Made Fair 2026](https://livelytimes.com/2026/04/dont-miss-the-exciting-missoula-summer-made-fair-2026/) - Shop the Summer Made Fair in beautiful Caras Park, Missoula. Discover curated handmade goods, meet local artists, find unique gifts, food, and community fun
- [Bozeman Symphony Presents Appalachian Spring and a Thrilling Season Finale](https://livelytimes.com/2026/05/bozeman-symphony-presents-appalachian-spring-and-a-thrilling-season-finale/) - The Bozeman Symphony closes its 2025–26 season with Sounds of America III: Appalachian Spring, an inspiring program celebrating the spirit of American music
- [SpringFest Returns to Moss Mansion for Summer Fun](https://livelytimes.com/2026/05/springfest-returns-to-moss-mansion-for-summer-fun/) - Enjoy SpringFest at Moss Mansion June 6 with art, music, food, and family fun. Free admission, 50+ artists, live entertainment, kids' activities, food and more!
- [Garrison Keillor Brings Prairie Home Companion to Spokane](https://livelytimes.com/2026/05/garrison-keillor-brings-prairie-home-companion-to-spokane/) - Garrison Keillor’s America the Beautiful Tour comes to Spokane’s Fox Theater with music, stories, comedy, and beloved Prairie Home Companion charm
- [Where the Lake Meets the Music: Abayance Bay’s Summer Lineup](https://livelytimes.com/2026/06/where-the-lake-meets-the-music-abayance-bays-summer-lineup/) - Discover Abayance Bay Marina’s 2026 Summer Concert Series by the lake featuring Red Clay Strays Fan Fest, Gov’t Mule, Ole 60, tribute bands, and so much more.
- [Rhapsody in Blue, West Side Story Ignites Willson Auditorium](https://livelytimes.com/2026/04/rhapsody-in-blue-west-side-story-ignites-willson-auditorium/) - Experience Bozeman Symphony’s Sounds of America II featuring Michelle Cann, Gershwin, and Bernstein in a vibrant celebration of American music
- [CANCELLED- Callaway Players Perform in Mission Valley Live Concert](https://livelytimes.com/2026/05/the-callaway-players-perform-in-mission-valley-live-concert/) - Mission Valley Live series welcomes hometown boy, Ryan Dresen, and the Callaway Chamber Players to the Ronan Performing Arts Center for an unforgettable concert
- [Red Ants Pants Festival Celebrates 15 Years in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/2026/05/red-ants-pants-festival-celebrates-15-years-in-montana/) - Celebrate 15 years of music, camping, and Montana culture at the 2026 Red Ants Pants Music Festival, July 23–26 in White Sulphur Springs
- [Raven’s Feather Presents Absurdist Spring Theatre Hit Show](https://livelytimes.com/2026/04/ravens-feather-presents-absurdist-spring-theatre-hit-show/) - Raven’s Feather Productions presents Will Eno’s Tragedy: a tragedy, a witty absurdist play about a news team facing a fading world. April 17–May 3 in Helena
- [Montana Author Julia Shaw Releases "Grumpy Wumpus" Picture Book](https://livelytimes.com/2026/05/montana-author-julia-shaw-releases-grumpy-wumpus-picture-book/) - Author Julia Shaw launches a new picture book, the first of a series, for children called "Grumpy Wumpus"
- [Garden City BrewFest: Missoula’s Must-Visit Spring Event](https://livelytimes.com/2026/04/garden-city-brewfest-missoulas-must-visit-spring-event/) - Experience Garden City BrewFest in Missoula on May 2. Enjoy craft beer, cider, wine, live music, and food at Caras Park in a fun, vibrant, riverside setting
- [Moss Mansion Offers Summer Camps and Wine Tasting Event](https://livelytimes.com/2026/04/moss-mansion-offers-summer-camps-and-wine-tasting-event/) - Explore Moss Mansion summer camps for kids and an elegant annual wine tasting for adults. Book now for unique seasonal experiences in a historic setting.
- [Lyrical Landscapes: A Must-See Bozeman Symphony Event](https://livelytimes.com/2026/04/lyrical-landscapes-a-must-see-bozeman-symphony-event/) - Experience Mahler, Walton, and Debussy with baritone Lester Lynch in Bozeman Symphony’s Lyrical Landscapes, April 25–26 at Willson Auditorium.
- [Dolce Canto Marks 25 Years with “The Gift to Sing”](https://livelytimes.com/2026/04/dolce-canto-marks-25-years-with-the-gift-to-sing/) - A Capella choir, Dolce Canto celebrates its 25th anniversary with two concerts featuring the premiere of The Gift to Sing in Helena and Missoula this month
- [Wendy Woo’s Girl Crush Ignites Mission Valley Stage](https://livelytimes.com/2026/04/wendy-woos-girl-crush-ignites-mission-valley-stage/) - Wendy Woo’s Girl Crush brings energy, talent, and genre-spanning music to Mission Valley Live for an unforgettable night of connection and sound.
- [Biribá Union Brings Global Sound and Energy to the Myrna Loy](https://livelytimes.com/2026/04/biriba-union-brings-global-sound-and-energy-to-the-myrna-loy/) - Experience Biribá Union live in Helena April 16 at the Myrna Loy. Global music fusion, vibrant rhythms. Tickets now available for this unique concert.
- [Dancing With Arts Missoula Stars Returns April 11](https://livelytimes.com/2026/04/dancing-with-arts-missoula-stars-returns-april-11/) - Join Dancing With Arts Missoula Stars April 11 at The Wilma for live music, dance, cocktails, and fun—all supporting Missoula’s vibrant arts scene.
- [The McDades Bring Fiery Folk to Mission Valley Live Concert](https://livelytimes.com/2026/02/the-mcdades-bring-fiery-folk-to-mission-valley-live-concert/) - Join Canadian group, The McDades, in Polson on March 20 for an electrifying night of Celtic roots, jazz fusion, and global rhythms that will stir your soul
- [NYC Ballet Stars Join Montana Ballet in Sleeping Beauty](https://livelytimes.com/2026/02/nyc-ballet-stars-join-montana-ballet-in-sleeping-beauty/) - Montana Ballet Company’s Sleeping Beauty collaboration with Bozeman Symphony and NYC Ballet promises to be a dazzling highlight of Bozeman's 2026 arts season
- [Bozeman Symphony Plays Romantic Splendor: Schumann, Schubert](https://livelytimes.com/2026/02/bozeman-symphony-plays-romantic-splendor-schumann-schubert/) - Revel in sweeping melodies and heartfelt expression with the Bozeman Symphony, featuring acclaimed cello virtuoso, Jonathan Swensen at the Willson Auditorium
- [Masters of Melody: Mozart, Copland, Haydn Shine](https://livelytimes.com/2025/12/masters-of-melody-mozart-copland-haydn-shine/) - Experience Masters of Melody with the Bozeman Symphony featuring Mozart, Copland, and Haydn in an inspiring January concert at the Willson Auditorium.
- [Experience Quarteto Nuevo Live in Mission Valley Feb 6 Concert](https://livelytimes.com/2026/01/experience-quarteto-nuevo-live-in-mission-valley-feb-6-concert/) - Join us in Ronan for the Mission Valley Live concert, Quarteto Nuevo. Enjoy world-class jazz, folk, and classical fusion music suitable for the whole family.
- [Redefining the Impossible on Six & Four Strings in February](https://livelytimes.com/2026/01/redefining-the-impossible-on-six-four-strings-in-february/) - The players in International Guitar Night 2026 upend the potential of acoustic guitar and ukulele, fusing diverse cultures and styles.
- [Cinematic Legends: Iconic Film Scores Live in Bozeman](https://livelytimes.com/2026/01/cinematic-legends-iconic-film-scores-live-in-bozeman/) - Experience the Bozeman Symphony’s Cinematic Legends concert, celebrating iconic film music by Hans Zimmer and Ennio Morricone on Valentine's Weekend.
- [Sterling Drake Brings Roots Music to Polson High Auditorium](https://livelytimes.com/2025/12/sterling-drake-brings-roots-music-to-polson-high-auditorium/) - Sterling Drake and His Band bring heartfelt country and roots music to Polson High School. Join Mission Valley Live for an intimate, unforgettable concert night
- [Montana Ballet Company Announces its Upcoming 2025-26 Season](https://livelytimes.com/2025/08/montana-ballet-company-announces-its-upcoming-2025-26-season/) - Unique collaborations, guest dancers and old favorites are in store for ballet lovers in addition to excellent ballet instruction throughout the year
- [Pipeline Vocal Project Brings A Cappella Magic to Ronan](https://livelytimes.com/2025/09/pipeline-vocal-project-brings-a-cappella-magic-to-ronan/) - Experience Pipeline Vocal Project in Ronan, Oct. 24 — Alaska’s acclaimed a cappella trio delivers powerful harmonies, rhythm, and energy at Mission Valley Live.
- [Haunted Elegance at Moss Mansion Offers Two Spooky Soirées](https://livelytimes.com/2025/09/haunted-elegance-at-moss-mansion-offers-two-spooky-soirees/) - Celebrate Halloween at Moss Mansion with two spooky events. Solve mysteries, sip cocktails, and dance in costume, while exploring the historic Billings mansion.
- [Conor Whalen Leads Bozeman Choir into a Bright Future](https://livelytimes.com/2025/10/conor-whalen-leads-bozeman-choir-into-a-bright-future/) - Discover Conor Whalen’s inspiring debut with the Bozeman Symphonic Choir at Night & Light: Music of Lauridsen & Shaw, November 13 to 15 at Hope Lutheran Church
- [The Magic Returns: Queen City Ballet’s Nutcracker 2025](https://livelytimes.com/2025/10/the-magic-returns-queen-city-ballets-nutcracker-2025/) - Experience the wonder of The Nutcracker with Queen City Ballet at Helena Civic Center, Nov 22–23, 2025. A beloved holiday tradition perfect for all ages.
- [The Rope Trick: A New Ghost Story Premieres in Anaconda](https://livelytimes.com/2025/11/the-rope-trick-a-new-ghost-story-premieres-in-anaconda/) - Anaconda Ensemble Theatre presents the world premiere of The Rope Trick by Steven San Luis — a thrilling séance-themed play running November 14–23 in Anaconda
- [Broadway in Love Brings Broadway Romance to Ronan Stage](https://livelytimes.com/2025/10/broadway-in-love-brings-broadway-romance-to-ronan-stage/) - Experience Broadway in Love in Ronan: a night of romance, humor, and Broadway hits performed by stellar, real-life Broadway singing couple Libby and Stephan
- [Celebrate Livingston’s 20th Annual Wine & Beer Tasting Event](https://livelytimes.com/2025/10/celebrate-livingstons-20th-annual-wine-beer-tasting-event/) - Livingston Depot Foundation hosts an evening of fine wines, craft beers, hors d’oeuvres, and live jazz in support of one of Livingston’s most iconic landmarks.
- [Invoke at The Myrna Loy: Strings Unbound by Genre](https://livelytimes.com/2025/10/invoke-at-the-myrna-loy-strings-unbound-by-genre/) - Invoke, a boundary-breaking string quartet, creates a sound that is both timeless and fresh, blending classical music with sounds of bluegrass and Americana.
- [Bluegrass Virtuoso Jacob Jolliff Band Lights Up The Myrna Loy](https://livelytimes.com/2025/10/bluegrass-mandolin-virtuoso-jacob-jolliff-band-lights-up-the-stage/) - Experience the incomparable Jacob Jolliff Band at The Myrna Loy: a thrilling night of bluegrass mastery, dazzling improvisation, and unstoppable musical energy.
- [Bozeman Symphony Presents World Premiere October 11 and 12](https://livelytimes.com/2025/09/bozeman-symphony-presents-world-premiere-october-11-and-12/) - The Bozeman Symphony will unveil the world premiere of Carnival of the Nearly Extinct Animals by composer Stephanie Ann Boyd during its upcoming concert.
- [Germanfest Returns to Caras Park October 4](https://livelytimes.com/2025/09/germanfest-returns-to-caras-park-october-4/) - Germanfest 2025 brings German culture to downtown Missoula with food, music, games, and family fun at Caras Park on October 4th.
- [Christine Tassan Brings World-Class Gypsy Jazz to Polson](https://livelytimes.com/2025/09/christine-tassan-brings-world-class-gypsy-jazz-to-polson/) - Join Mission Valley LIVE for Christine Tassan’s dazzling gypsy jazz guitar Sept. 26 at Polson High School. A joyful kickoff to the 2025-26 performing arts season.
- [Guitar Virtuoso, Luca Stricagnoli, performs in Whitefish and Bozeman](https://livelytimes.com/2025/04/guitar-virtuoso-luca-stricagnoli-performs-in-whitefish-and-bozeman/) - Luca Stricagnoli will perform at the Whitefish Theatre company on April 25 and at the Ellen Theatre in Bozeman on April 27.
- [The Helena Symphony closes Season 70 with Mussorgsky and Beethoven](https://livelytimes.com/2025/04/the-helena-symphony-closes-season-70-with-mussorgsky-and-beethoven/) - The Helena Symphony will close their 70th Season with two immortal works of symphonic music, Beethoven’s Emperor and Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition.
- [Jim Messina and his band, Road Runner, on tour](https://livelytimes.com/2025/03/jim-messina-and-his-band-road-runner-on-tour/) - An undisputed expert in the fine art of making hit music, Jim Messina’s legacy of musical genius spans five decades, three super groups, a vibrant solo career and scores of producing and engineering credits. While acting as producer/audio engineer for Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Buffalo Springfield, Messina ultimately joined the band as its bass
- [Festival of the Arts: “The best mix ever”](https://livelytimes.com/2024/06/festival-of-the-arts-the-best-mix-ever/) - The Livingston Depot will host its 36th annual Festival of the Arts on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, July 2-4. Festival hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday at Depot Rotary Park. The juried fair showcases more than 100 fine artists and crafters from Montana and the western region. Past
- [Montana’s ORIGINAL BrewFest Celebrates 30th Anniversary!](https://livelytimes.com/2024/04/garden-city-brewfest-30th-anniversary/) - Often imitated but never replicated, Garden City Brewfest - Montana’s ORIGINAL BrewFest - celebrates its 30th Anniversary May 4, 2024, in downtown Missoula, MT!
- [Crossland shares "dark, yet highly humorous interpretation of the American Experience"](https://livelytimes.com/2024/04/crossland-shares-dark-yet-highly-humorous-interpretation-of-the-american-experience/) - Jalan Crossland, brings unforgettable voice and storytelling to Montana stages.
- [Missoula Symphony Orchestra: Moving Toward the Light](https://livelytimes.com/2024/04/missoula-symphony-orchestra-moving-toward-the-light/) - The Missoula Symphony Orchestra and Chorale present the fourth and final Masterworks presentation of the season, Moving Toward the Light, April 20-21 at the Dennison Theatre at the University of Montana. Rabihah Davis Dunn is guest soloist. This spellbinding spring concert offers an introspective journey through the realms of spirituality and human emotion, through the
- [Catchy contagious: Locarno delivers Latin fusion](https://livelytimes.com/2024/04/catchy-contagious-locarno-delivers-latin-fusion/) - Founder of the Juno-award winning band The Paperboys, Tom Landa, brings his newest band Locarno to The Myrna Loy stage in Helena at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 4. Prepare for a lively evening of Latin folk fusion music, or what Landa likes to describe as an “amped up Mexican/Latin folk band.” “We’re a Latin folk
- [Musikanten Montana celebrates 20th season](https://livelytimes.com/2024/03/musikanten-montana-celebrates-20th-season/) - To celebrate Musikanten Montana’s 20th Season, artistic director Kerry Krebill chose two compositions by Henry Purcell for the choir to perform at concerts March 7-9 in Bozeman, Butte and Helena. The first, “Hail! Bright Cecilia” honors St. Cecilia, the patron saint of musicians, with a text by the Irishman Nicholas Brady and was written in To celebrate Musikanten Montana’s 20th Season, artistic director Kerry Krebill chose two compositions by Henry Purcell for the choir to perform at concerts March 7-9 in Bozeman, Butte and Helena.
- [Bozeman native stars in Yellowstone Ballet Nutcracker](https://livelytimes.com/2023/12/bozeman-native-stars-in-yellowstone-ballet-nutcracker/) - Lucas Segovia and Molly Groeschi star in Yellowstone Ballet Company’s 32nd annual production of The Nutcracker, Sunday, Dec. 10. Performances are at 1 and 4:30 p.m. at the Willson Auditorium in Bozeman. Segovia, a native of Argentina, will perform the roles of the Nutcracker Prince and the Cavalier. He’s performed with Ballet Argentina and the Joffrey Ballet Lucas Segovia and Molly Groeschi star in Yellowstone Ballet Company’s 32nd annual production of The Nutcracker, Sunday, Dec. 10. Performances are at 1 and 4:30 p.m. at the Willson Auditorium in Bozeman
- [Nutcracker on the Rocks roars back](https://livelytimes.com/2023/11/nutcracker-on-the-rocks-roars-back/) - Get ready to rock this Thanksgiving weekend as Cohesion Dance Project presents Shira Greenberg’s Nutcracker on the Rocks, Saturday, Nov. 25, and Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023 at the Helena Civic Center. This is Helena’s ninth opportunity to see the innovative version of the holiday favorite. Featuring iconic tunes from James Brown, Aretha Franklin, The Rolling
- [Queen City Ballet enchants with Nutcracker](https://livelytimes.com/2023/11/queen-city-ballet-enchants-with-nutcracker/) - The enchantment of the holiday season comes alive as Queen City Ballet Company presents its 22nd annual production of The Nutcracker. This timeless classic, beloved by audiences of all ages, will grace the stage at the Helena Civic Center at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 18 and 2 p.m. Nov. 19. The Nutcracker is a cherished tradition
- [Vision Spirit Land honors Indigenous heritage](https://livelytimes.com/2023/11/vision-spirit-land-honors-indigenous-heritage/) - For a concert experience unlike any other, Glacier Symphony offers Vision Spirit Land, Nov. 18-19 at the Wachholz Center in Kalispell. This powerful concert combines classical orchestral performance, choreographed visual displays, poetry, and original compositions that honor and celebrate Native American Heritage Month, tribal artistry and culture and the landscapes of Montana and beyond. In
- [Last Chance New Play Fest: Identity Crisis](https://livelytimes.com/2023/11/last-chance-new-play-fest-identity-crisis/) - Helena’s 10th annual Last Chance New Play Fest, the longest running festival of its kind in Montana, will run Nov. 3-12 at Helena Avenue Theatre (aka HAT). This grassroots theatre event celebrates new works by local and regional playwrights. Montana Short Cuts, a program of 10-minute plays, returns to the fest with different authors across
- [Western Montana Musicians Co-op](https://livelytimes.com/2023/11/western-montana-musicians-co-op/) - The Western Montana Musicians Co-op in Ronan is gearing up to celebrate its fourth anniversary on Saturday, Nov. 11, and at the same time launch a major fundraising initiative. Music will begin at 3 p.m. and continue until midnight. Several bands from the area will take turns on stage. The roster includes The Late Bloomers,
- [Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas: Striking Spontaneity](https://livelytimes.com/2023/11/alasdair-fraser-natalie-haas-striking-spontaneity/) - Alasdair Fraser, the “Michael Jordan of fiddling,” and renowned cellist Natalie Haas play at The Myrna Loy at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 8. Come experience cutting-edge fiddle and cello explorations in a night of music that spans time and place. The duo's dazzling teamwork, driving rhythms, and shared passion for improvising on Scottish tunes has
- [Modern Rock Orchestra: Power & Beauty](https://livelytimes.com/2023/10/modern-rock-orchestra-power-beauty/) - Guitar One Records recording and touring artist Grant Ferguson returns with a third season of Modern Rock Orchestra (MRO) which premiered to sold-out Montana venues in 2021. This year’s MRO performance, titled "Power and Beauty" is coming exclusively to Billings, with a show at 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4, at the Babcock Theatre. Ferguson, who
- [Symphonic Variations: An immersive journey](https://livelytimes.com/2023/11/symphonic-variations-an-immersive-journey/) - Indulge in a captivating evening of music Nov. 3 and 5 at the UM Dennison Theatre when the Missoula Symphony Orchestra presents Symphonic Variations, described as “a musical journey unlike any other.” Guest artist is Icelandic-American cellist Saeunn Thorsteinsdóttir. During these two weekend concerts, the Missoula Symphony challenges the audience to ignore any preconceptions about
- [The Big Read focuses on The Bear](https://livelytimes.com/2023/10/the-big-read-focuses-on-the-bear/) - As part of the Big Read, the Lewis & Clark Library in Helena is celebrating Andrew Krivak’s The Bear through a series of discussions, lectures, films, programs and events. The library was one of 62 recipients nationwide of a NEA Big Read Grant – the 16th in the library’s history. The series began with the new moon in
- [Pamyua brings Inuit soul to Montana](https://livelytimes.com/2023/10/pamyua-brings-inuit-soul-to-montana/) - Pamyua brings their unique, infectious fusion of Inuit soul music to The Myrna Loy stage in Helena Oct. 26, the O’Shaughnessy Center in Whitefish Oct. 27, and the Polson High School Auditorium Oct. 28. Prepare to be swept up in their driving rhythms, melodic songs and joy. The Alaska-based group creates an exciting blend of
- [The Margins sets the stage for Halloween](https://livelytimes.com/2023/10/the-margins-sets-the-stage-for-halloween/) - Anaconda Ensemble Theatre offers a creepy opening to the Halloween season with its production of The Margins, 7 p.m. Oct. 13-15 and 20-22 at The Tammany Ballroom in the Old Montana Hotel. The Margins, written by David Skeele, is loosely based on the true story of The Philip Experiment in Toronto in the 1970s, where
- [Rastrelli Cello Quartet makes two Montana stops](https://livelytimes.com/2023/10/rastrelli-cello-quartet-makes-two-montana-stops/) - The long-awaited Rastrelli Cello Quartet takes to The Myrna Loy stage in Helena, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 12, and appears at The Ellen Theatre in Bozeman, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 13. The foursome will perform everything from classical music by Gluck, Tchaikovsky and Grieg, to film music, their own compositions and classic rock, says quartet founder
- [Allen Morris Jones: Mumblecusser](https://livelytimes.com/2023/10/allen-morris-jones-mumblecusser/) - Montana novelist, editor, and poet Allen Morris Jones will be offering a rare reading from his new work, Mumblecusser, at 7:30 pm on Wednesday, Oct. 11 at The Myrna Loy. The author of three novels, including the Montana Book Award honor book A Bloom of Bones, a highly regarded consideration of the ethics of hunting
- [Missoula Symphony opener: Struggle & Triumph](https://livelytimes.com/2023/09/missoula-symphony-opener-struggle-triumph/) - Join the Missoula Symphony Sept. 23-24 for the opening concert of the 2023-24 season: Struggle & Triumph, a celebration of resilience and true expressions of the human spirit through a collection of inspiring music. The soundtrack to Rachmaninoff’s journey out of depression and darkness and ascension into true joy, Piano Concerto No. 2, op. 18, C minor
- [Natalie Padilla + The Growling Old Men](https://livelytimes.com/2023/07/natalie-padilla-the-growling-old-men/) - Two-time national fiddle champion Natalie Padilla returns to The Myrna Loy in Helena for a rare Montana concert with longtime friends, John Lowell and Ben Winship of The Growling Old Men, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 3. The trio also performs at 7 p.m. Aug. 4 at Longstaff House in Missoula as Growling Old Men and
- [Art in the Beartooths celebrates 50 years](https://livelytimes.com/2023/06/art-in-the-beartooths-celebrates-50-years/) - Art in the Beartooths celebrates its 50-year anniversary of bringing people together through involvement in the arts on July 8 with a Quick Finish and Live Auction in Red Lodge. “Art in the Beartooths is a milestone event for us and we are honored to showcase the works and talents of our local and regional
- [ZINNIA delivers solo show in hometown of Helena](https://livelytimes.com/2023/07/zinnia/) - Prepare for a rare treat. ZINNIA is back at The Myrna Loy – this time as a solo show, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 13. The last time, ZINNIA played here as a five-piece band. This time, it’s a one-woman band in the form of talented singer/songwriter Rachael Cardiello. Though a slight twang sometimes reveals her
- [Wachholz College Center hosts Open House](https://livelytimes.com/2023/05/wachholz-college-center-hosts-open-house/) - Visit the Wachholz College Center on the campus of Flathead Valley Community College in Kalispell from noon-4 p.m. June 3 and enjoy a wealth of live music, indoors and out, during the Community Open House and 2023-2024 Season Preview. The day ends with a concert by Big Sky City Lights at 8 p.m. “We were
- [Revel in Red Lodge at Montana Renaissance Festival](https://livelytimes.com/2023/05/revel-in-red-lodge-at-montana-renaissance-festival/) - Take in two days of medieval merriment and mayhem at the Home of Champions rodeo grounds in Red Lodge during the annual Montana Renaissance Festival June 3-4. Step back in time to 16th century England, visit with Queen Abbey and King Jayme, and see knights and warriors battling across the grounds. Organizer Ken Haak (aka
- [Sam Platts & The Plainsmen: Montana-style swing](https://livelytimes.com/2023/04/sam-platts-the-plainsmen-montana-style-swing/) - If there's any one thing Western music seems to require as a barrier to entry, it's authenticity, and Sam Platts & The Plainsmen have it in droves. Having spent the last decade honing their craft on the live circuit and quite literally living the oft-romanticized "Western lifestyle" prior to that, this Montana-based outfit's commitment to
- [Barbara Van Cleve | Through Her Lens](https://livelytimes.com/2023/04/barbara-van-cleve-through-her-lens/) - Through Her Lens: The Photographs of Barbara Van Cleve opened in April at the Yellowstone Art Museum in Billings. The exhibition showcases a selection of 50 photographs from Van Cleve’s collection in the Montana Gallery through June 25. The Big Timber artist’s aesthetic and documentary black and white images of ranch life offer a sharp contrast
- [Missoula Symphony: War and Peace](https://livelytimes.com/2023/04/missoula-symphony-war-and-peace/) - The Missoula Symphony Orchestra and Symphony Chorale join forces April 15-16 in the last masterworks concert of the season, War and Peace, featuring special guest vocalists José Rubio and Melanie Henley Heyn. Hailed as a “young dramatic soprano to watch,” Heyn is known for her rich voice and arresting performances. Rubio is noted by Opera
- [CelloBop: Marrying Cinema to Sound](https://livelytimes.com/2023/04/cellobop-marrying-cinema-to-sound/) - The perfect marriage of cinema and live music – Cinema to Sound – comes to The Myrna Loy screen and stage 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 6. Viewers will “get to see Buster Keaton’s film, ‘The General,’ as it was made and see it in a theater – as it was meant to be seen,” says
- [Joshua Redman 3x3 comes to Billings](https://livelytimes.com/2023/03/joshua-redman-3x3-comes-to-billings/) - Jazz comes back to Billings in a big way when saxophone great Joshua Redman steps on stage at the Alberta Bair Theater at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, April 2. Redman is one of the most acclaimed and charismatic jazz artists to have emerged in the 1990s. Born in Berkeley, California, he is the son of legendary
- [Emma Donovan & The Putbacks: Aboriginal soul](https://livelytimes.com/2023/03/emma-donovan-the-putbacks-aboriginal-soul/) - Emma Donovan & The Putbacks have been hailed as being “at the forefront of the Indigenous renaissance” movement in Australia. They’ll be bringing their unique blend of country, soul and funk to The Myrna Loy in Helena at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 30. The band also performs a one-hour family concert of children's stories and
- [The Bridges of Madison County](https://livelytimes.com/2023/03/the-bridges-of-madison-county/) - “The Bridges of Madison County,” based on the 1992 novel by Robert James Waller, comes to the MCT Center for the Performing Arts in Missoula, March 9-19. The Missoula Community Theatre stages the poignant play, brought to the stage by the Tony Award-winning Duo of Marsha Norman (book) and Jason Robert Brown (music score and
- [Irish and wannabes among us honor St. Patrick](https://livelytimes.com/2023/03/irish-and-wannabes-among-us-honor-st-patrick/) - The Irish have had no small influence on Montana, and several towns celebrate its patron saint this month – most notably Butte and the Friends of Irish Studies in Missoula. Among the offerings: The Friends of Irish Studies host a corned beef feast from 5:30-7:30 p.m. March 17 at St. Anthony Parish Hall in Missoula;
- [Missoula Symphony delivers Dynamic Trio](https://livelytimes.com/2023/03/missoula-symphony-delivers-dynamic-trio/) - The Missoula Symphony presents Dynamic Trio for their next masterworks concert of the season March 4-5. Special guest artists perform Concerto for Violin, Percussion Duo and Orchestra – an innovative piece written by the symphony’s very first composer-in-residence, Pascal Le Boeuf. Le Boeuf is a Grammy-nominated jazz pianist and electronic artist, known for his groundbreaking
- [The Suffers deliver Gulf Coast soul](https://livelytimes.com/2023/02/the-suffers-deliver-gulf-coast-soul/) - Potent Houston band The Suffers delivers their own brand of Gulf Coast soul to the Wachholz Center in Kalispell March 3 and the Hamilton Performing Arts Center March 4. Founded in 2011, The Suffers built a devoted local following before breaking out internationally in 2015 on the strength of their extraordinary debut EP, Make Some Room,
- [Ballet Beyond Borders: Dance as diplomacy](https://livelytimes.com/2023/01/ballet-beyond-borders-dance-as-diplomacy/) - Ballet Beyond Borders Dance Challenge and Global Diplomacy Conference is coming to Missoula Jan. 11-14. Rocky Mountain Ballet Theatre’s event attracts dancers from more than 20 countries who are working together to change the world. Ballet Beyond Borders (BBB) includes an international dance challenge, a book signing by international ballet star and Syrian refugee Ahmad
- [First Night becomes Missoula on Main](https://livelytimes.com/2022/12/first-night-becomes-missoula-on-main/) - Arts Missoula celebrates its 29th year of First Night on Saturday, Dec. 31, as Missoula on Main with 30 free and ticketed events. In the past, this event was held at multiple venues across Missoula. To create a more unified experience, the majority of events will happen downtown on or near Main Street. “Main Street
- [ABT spreads cheer with A Christmas Carol](https://livelytimes.com/2022/12/abt-spreads-cheer-with-a-christmas-carol/) - Alberta Bair Theater spreads an ample helping of holiday cheer with two productions of A Christmas Carol, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 20, and Wednesday, Dec. 21. A powerful story of redemption, Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” has enchanted audiences the world over with its simple message of holiday joy. Ebenezer Scrooge, that most unrepentant and
- [Cuban defector stars in Yellowstone Ballet Nutcracker](https://livelytimes.com/2022/12/cuban-defector-stars-in-yellowstone-ballet-nutcracker/) - Luis Victor Santana Gonzales, formerly of the National Ballet of Cuba stars in Yellowstone Ballet Company’s 31st annual production of Tchaikovsky’s holiday classic The Nutcracker. He will perform the roles of the Nutcracker Prince and the Cavalier at 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 18, at the Willson Auditorium in Bozeman. Gonzales joined the Ballet Nacional de
- [Lights Under the Big Sky illuminates Ronan](https://livelytimes.com/2022/12/lights-under-the-big-sky-illuminates-ronan/) - Ronan’s epic Lights Under the Big Sky, an event that draws hundreds of visitors from the Mission Valley and beyond to the fairgrounds, kicked off with the Parade of Lights Dec. 9 in downtown Ronan, which delivered Santa to his cozy cabin at the fairgrounds where he and Mrs. Claus preside over festivities from 5-9
- [Holiday Pops! A Christmas spectacular](https://livelytimes.com/2022/11/holiday-pops-a-christmas-spectacular/) - The Missoula Symphony Association is gearing up for one of Missoula’s favorite annual traditions – the Holiday Pops! Concert, Dec. 2-4 at the UM Dennison Theatre. People are encouraged to bring the whole family for this holiday spectacular, featuring the Missoula Symphony Chorale singing alongside the orchestra. To accommodate the popularity of this concert, the
- [Holiday MADE Fairs headed for Helena and Missoula](https://livelytimes.com/2022/11/holiday-made-fairs-headed-for-helena-and-missoula/) - With holidays fast approaching handMADE Montana is preparing for two artisan fairs: the Helena Holiday MADE fair Dec. 2-3 at the Lewis and Clark County Fairgrounds, and the original Missoula MADE fair, Dec. 11 at the Adams Center. The MADE fairs, held in Missoula, Helena and Bozeman each fall and early winter, are among the
- [Shira Greenberg’s Nutcracker on the Rocks](https://livelytimes.com/2022/11/shira-greenbergs-nutcracker-on-the-rocks/) - Cohesion Dance Project presents Helena’s eighth Shira Greenberg’s Nutcracker on the Rocks, Saturday, Nov. 26, and Sunday, Nov. 27, at the Helena Civic Center. Featuring the music of James Brown, Aretha Franklin, The Rolling Stones, Janis Joplin and more, this community based, rock-n-roll rendition of the holiday classic showcases a unique and energetic fusion of
- [Cirque Mechanics celebrates the power of wind](https://livelytimes.com/2022/10/cirque-mechanics-celebrates-the-power-of-wind/) - The ever-astonishing troupe, Cirque Mechanics, performs their new show, Zephyr - A Whirlwind of Circus, Oct. 18 at the Helena Civic Center and Oct. 20 at the Alberta Bair Theater in Billings. Cirque Mechanics’ remarkable performance tells an emotive and exhilarating tale about the choices humans have made regarding our planet and its resources. In
- [The Addams Family: Macabre fun at MCT](https://livelytimes.com/2022/10/the-addams-family-macabre-fun-at-mct/) - The Missoula Community Theatre kicks off the 2022-2023 season with a deliciously creepy version of “The Addams Family,” Oct. 20-30 at the MCT Center for the Performing Arts. This ghoulish musical comedy is reminiscent of the 1960s television series, featuring the iconic characters Gomez, Morticia, Wednesday and Pugsley Addams, along with their extended family (including
- [Montana’s own Modern Rock Orchestra tours state](https://livelytimes.com/2022/10/montanas-own-modern-rock-orchestra-tours-state/) - Guitar One Records recording and touring artist Grant Ferguson tours Montana with his Modern Rock Orchestra (MRO), which premiered to sold-out venues in 2021. Performances this year are at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22, at the Dennison Theatre in Missoula, 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 28,, at the Babcock Theatre in Billings and 7 p.m Saturday,
- [Bluegrass Blitz: John Reischman & the Jaybirds](https://livelytimes.com/2022/10/bluegrass-blitz-john-reischman-the-jaybirds/) - Master of the mandolin John Reischman returns to intimate environs of The Myrna Loy in Helena with his talented bluegrass band, the Jaybirds, at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 27. The band’s Montana tour also takes them to Bozeman, Billings and Missoula. Reischman, often called the "mandolin master," has been lauded by reviewers for his “exquisite
- [Jarabe Mexicano: Dia de los Muertos](https://livelytimes.com/2022/10/jarabe-mexicano-dia-de-los-muertos/) - Celebrate the vibrant Mexican holiday, Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), with Jarabe Mexicano, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 2 at the Alberta Bair Theater in Billings. The Mexican-American border band is back on the road with their blended songbook of Mexican folk music, rock & roll, Norteño/Tex-Mex, Latin rock, and reggae-cumbia. Performing on stringed
- [Kings Return delivers spine-shivering music](https://livelytimes.com/2022/10/kings-return-delivers-spine-shivering-music/) - Kings Return, a Dallas-based a cappella quartet famous for singing in stairwells, performs Oct. 13 at The Myrna Loy in Helena and Oct. 14 at the Warren Miller Performing Arts Center in Big Sky. First forming in 2016 to sing for Gabe Kunda’s graduation recital, the enthusiastic response propelled Kunda and his friends to start
- [Kenny James Miller Band aims for Memphis](https://livelytimes.com/2022/06/kenny-james-miller-band-aims-for-memphis/) - The Kenny James Miller Band recently won the Spokane Semi-Final Competition in the 2023 International Blues Challenge, one of the world’s largest band, solo/duo contests with participants from around the world. With the win on June 5, Kenny James Miller Band will compete as a finalist Aug. 27 at Magnuson Park in Seattle during a
- [Montana’s Visionary Mayor, Willard E. Fraser](https://livelytimes.com/2022/09/montanas-visionary-mayor-willard-e-fraser/) - Join the Montana Historical Society Press in Billings on Sept. 29 and Helena Oct. 6 for the book launch of Montana’s Visionary Mayor, Willard E. Fraser, by Lou Mandler. Willard Fraser, who was known for his moxie and pizzazz, was the progressive and often controversial four-term mayor of Billings during the turbulent 1960s. A true
- [Shayna Steele: Singing from the soul](https://livelytimes.com/2022/09/shayna-steele-singing-from-the-soul/) - It’s been said of Shayna Steele that she “unleashes enough voltage to light up the West End” of London. Find out Thursday, Sept. 22, as she lets loose on The Myrna Loy stage beginning at 7:30 p.m., making her Montana debut and launching The Myrna Loy's 2022-23 season. Her Montana tour also takes her to
- [Missoula Symphony: Brothers and Sisters](https://livelytimes.com/2022/09/missoula-symphony-brothers-and-sisters/) - The Missoula Symphony’s 2022-2023 season opener, “Brothers and Sisters,” brings internationally renowned violinist, Robert McDuffie, and his sister, pianist Margery McDuffie Whatley, to the UM Dennison Theatre Sept. 17-18. Robert McDuffie’s guest performance is a highly anticipated event in Missoula’s arts and culture community, as concertgoers get ready to experience a violinist described by the
- [Peace Festival: A Celebration of Perseverance](https://livelytimes.com/2022/09/peace-festival-a-celebration-of-perseverance/) - In a divisive world, the 16th annual Ewam Peace Festival offers an opportunity to cultivate kindness and celebrate our shared humanity from 10 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 10, at the Garden of One Thousand Buddhas, north of Arlee. This interfaith gathering aims to honor and highlight diverse cultures and music that integrate themes of love,
- [River City Roots Festival blends music, art, fun](https://livelytimes.com/2022/08/river-city-roots-festival-blends-music-art-fun/) - Music, art, food, community: All the ingredients that make up the River City Roots Festival return to the downtown streets Friday and Saturday, Aug. 26-27. The Missoula Downtown Association’s Signature event is admission-free and features live music, an art show, the Family Roots Fest, the 4-mile Roots Run, and local food vendors. “Roots Fest is
- [Broadway in Love captivates in Bigfork](https://livelytimes.com/2022/08/broadway-in-love-captivates-in-bigfork/) - Bigfork Summer Playhouse alumnus and Broadway actor Stephan Stubbins and wife, Libby Servais bring their two-person show, “Broadway in Love,” to the Bigfork Summer Playhouse on Sunday, Aug. 28. “Broadway in Love” is a musical concert celebrating Broadway’s most touching, hilarious and captivating love songs. As a young actor, Stubbins performed at the Bigfork Summer
- [Labor Day Arts Fair: An artful convergence](https://livelytimes.com/2022/08/labor-day-arts-fair-an-artful-convergence/) - Dozens of artists converge on Lions Park in Red Lodge Sept. 5 for the 43rd annual Labor Day Arts Fair, organized by the Carbon County Arts Guild & Depot Gallery. Booths are open from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 5, at the park adjacent to the historic train depot – home to the gallery
- [Lee Brice brings rockin’ country to Montana](https://livelytimes.com/2022/07/lee-brice-brings-rockin-country-to-montana/) - When country rocker Lee Brice opens the Northwest Montana Fair in Kalispell Aug. 17 and headlines the Headwaters Country Jam in Three Forks Aug. 20, fans are sure to be hollering for his hit, “One of Them Girls.” The tune, written overnight with songwriting buddies Ashley Gorley, Dallas Davidson and Ben Johnson, took an unprecedented
- [Joel Ross brings Good Vibes to Helena](https://livelytimes.com/2022/08/joel-ross-brings-good-vibes-to-helena/) - A limited NEA-supported tour brings jazz vibrophone great Joel Ross and his band, Good Vibes, to Montana for one concert only, Wednesday, Aug. 17 at The Myrna Loy in Helena. DownBeat wrote of him: “Ross’s playing erupts through the layers of lush arrangements like consistent currents of electricity, high-powered and full of luminous energy.” Love
- [St. Timothy's Summer Music Festival revisits fan faves](https://livelytimes.com/2022/06/st-timothys-summer-music-festival-revisits-fan-faves/) - Fan-favorite country western band from 2019, Wylie & The Wild West, opens this year’s St. Timothy's Summer Music Festival on Sunday, June 26. Every two weeks, from June through August, the five-concert series draws music lovers from across southwestern Montana and beyond to St. Timothy's Memorial Chapel, perched high above Georgetown Lake. This year’s festival
- [Missoula Symphony kicks off soulful season](https://livelytimes.com/2022/07/missoula-symphony-kicks-off-soulful-season/) - The Missoula Symphony kicks off the 2022-’23 season with their annual outdoor concert, Symphony in the Park, 7 p.m. Aug. 14 at Caras Park, under the direction of Music Director Julia Tai. Missoulians have set aside the second Sunday of August for this local favorite for 17 years now, and the free event always draws
- [Welcome to Indian Country blends songs, stories](https://livelytimes.com/2022/08/welcome-to-indian-country-blends-songs-stories/) - Spend an evening in celebration of Native culture through contemporary music and storytelling Aug. 13 during Welcome to Indian Country, presented by the Billings Symphony. This event kicks off the symphony’s robust 2022-2023 season, featuring 30 events at 13 venues throughout Billings. Welcome to Indian Country is a five-piece Indigenous music ensemble joined by Washington
- [Festivals Welcome Huckleberry Season](https://livelytimes.com/2022/08/festivals-welcome-huckleberry-season/) - August means huckleberry season in Montana – the month when humans and bears alike scour the woods for these tasty purple morsels. For more than 40 years, the second Saturday of August has meant art, food and fun on the shores of Swan Lake, courtesy of the original Swan Lake Huckleberry Festival, held Aug. 13
- [Nancy Erickson: Artist Studio Sale Aug. 13](https://livelytimes.com/2022/08/nancy-erickson-artist-studio-sale-aug-13/) - A one-day sale of the entire contents of the art studio of late Missoula artist Nancy Erickson offers a rare opportunity to collect unframed works by the renowned artist and quiltmaker, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 13, at 3350 Pattee Canyon Drive. Erickson, who died in February, worked in her home studio for more than
- [Montana Clean Energy Fair returns to Butte](https://livelytimes.com/2022/08/montana-clean-energy-fair-returns-to-butte/) - Heat waves, rain events and drought: Curious about how clean energy can help the environment and your pocketbook? Head for the 11th annual Montana Clean Energy Fair, Saturday, Aug. 13, at the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) in Butte. The fair, organized by the Montana Renewable Energy Association, is the premier event of the
- [Tedeschi Trucks: Up close at the Armory](https://livelytimes.com/2022/07/tedeschi-trucks-up-close-at-the-armory/) - A stripped-down version of the Tedeschi Trucks Band rocks the Kimpton Armory Music Hall in Bozeman Aug. 2 in a benefit for Haven in what bandmates and husband and wife Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi call a Fireside Live concert. The full band returns to Montana Sept. 1 for a sold-out show at Kettlehouse Amphitheatre
- [Artist Álvaro Enciso: Where dreams die](https://livelytimes.com/2022/07/artist-alvaro-enciso-where-dreams-die/) - Visiting artist Álvaro Enciso will discuss his work that reflects the tragedy and broken dreams that he sees while walking the Sonoran Desert during a gathering at 7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 1 at the Missoula Art Museum. His visit coincides with the exhibition of his friend, Brian Maguire, titled In the Light of Conscience. Enciso is an
- [Art in the Beartooths returns to Red Lodge](https://livelytimes.com/2022/07/art-in-the-beartooths-returns-to-red-lodge/) - The 49th annual Art in the Beartooths fundraiser for the Carbon County Arts Guild & Depot Gallery returns July 1-26 with an exhibition and online auction. All proceeds help support the Arts Guild’s artists, ongoing exhibitions, scholarship program, and educational programming. An exciting array of artwork by nearly 50 artists from around the region is
- [Speaking Irish: Fáilte Montana Festival](https://livelytimes.com/2022/07/speaking-irish-failte-montana-festival/) - The Friends of Irish Studies in the West is taking over Missoula’s popular Celtic Festival and rebranding it as Fáilte Montana Festival. The festival, noon-10 p.m. Saturday, July 30, at Caras Park, will feature Irish and Irish/Americana fusion music, dancers, games, local food vendors, beer/hard seltzer/wine, and Irish/Celtic-themed goods. The rollicking Irish band JigJam headlines
- [JigJam hailed best Irish group in bluegrass](https://livelytimes.com/2022/07/jigjam-hailed-best-irish-group-in-bluegrass/) - JigJam, the multi-award winning Irish band, returns to The Myrna Loy in Helena by popular demand at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 28. They also headline the Failte Montana Festival at Caras Park July 30. Expect to hear “plenty of Irish tunes and plenty of reels and jigs and bluegrass as well,” says Gavin Strappe, the
- [Butte swings again with Montana Folk Festival](https://livelytimes.com/2022/06/butte-swings-again-with-montana-folk-festival/) - As the Montana Folk Festival gears up for its return to Uptown Butte July 8-10, director George Everett says, “It’s wonderful to be moving forward again after more than two years of pandemic limbo.” The giant free festival is the offspring of the National Folk Festival, which came to Butte from 2008-2010. For the past
- [Blues festivals amp up in Idaho and Montana](https://livelytimes.com/2022/06/blues-festivals-amp-up-in-idaho-and-montana/) - After a pandemic lapse, blues festivals are back in July and August, beginning with the Historic Wallace Blues Festival, July 8-10. Also on tap are festivals in Noxon, Hot Springs, Libby and Billings. Wallace, the historic mining town just over Lookout Pass in Idaho, offers a great venue for the blues, with its gritty history
- [Symphony Under the Stars celebrates icons](https://livelytimes.com/2022/07/symphony-under-the-stars-celebrates-icons/) - The 18th annual Symphony Under the Stars, considered the largest summer event in Montana, returns to the campus of Carroll College July 16 to celebrate the music of iconic performers Billy Joel and Elton John. The Helena Symphony continues its collaboration Carroll College and its major sponsor Intrepid Credit Union, continuing a multi-year commitment to
- [Sarah Lane to grace Yellowstone Ballet Gala](https://livelytimes.com/2022/06/sarah-lane-to-grace-yellowstone-ballet-gala/) - Sarah Lane, who was Natalie Portman’s double in the acclaimed film, “Black Swan,” headlines Yellowstone Ballet Company’s gala, 7 p.m. Saturday, June 25, at the Emerson’s Crawford Theater in Bozeman. The evening concludes with a lightly-catered “Meet & Greet” featuring photo opportunities and an interactive artists’ panel with members of the national and international cast.
- [Maclean Festival celebrates Public Lands](https://livelytimes.com/2022/06/maclean-festival-celebrates-public-lands/) - In the Footsteps of Norman Maclean Literary Festival, held June 24-26 at The Wilma in Missoula, has attracted around 1,000 registrants and will feature the auction of an original Kevin Red Star painting produced just for the event. The biennial gathering, the fourth to be hosted by the Maclean Literary Festival, is called Public Land
- [Symphony in the Park celebrates half century](https://livelytimes.com/2022/06/symphony-in-the-park-celebrates-a-half-century/) - The Billings Symphony returns to Pioneer Park for the 50th annual Symphony in the Park on Sunday, June 26. Guests are invited to bring their blankets, lawn chairs, and picnics for an evening of world-class entertainment in Billings’ backyard. This annual free concert is part of the Billings Symphony’s Explore Music! program and is the
- [Prickly Pear Land Trust returns to in-person run](https://livelytimes.com/2022/04/prickly-pear-land-trust-returns-to-in-person-run/) - The Helena-grown Prickly Pear Land Trust offers the perfect antidote to that “fenced in” feeling that’s plagued most Montanans during the past two years with its annual Don’t Fence Me In trail run. As with all things COVID-19, the Land Trust had to host the race virtually the last couple of years. But now –
- [Kick off summer with Moss Mansion’s SpringFest](https://livelytimes.com/2022/05/kick-off-summer-with-moss-mansions-springfest/) - Moss Mansion in Billings welcomes the greenest of seasons June 4 for the 33rd annual SpringFest – a spectacular art and craft festival, all beautifully presented on the museum’s lawn. SpringFest delivers a day of shopping, live music, delicious food and fun activities for kids of all ages. Featuring over 50 juried artists and thousands
- [Missoula Symphony wraps season with My Fair Broadway](https://livelytimes.com/2022/05/missoula-symphony-wraps-season-with-my-fair-broadway/) - The Missoula Symphony Orchestra, led by Music Director Julia Tai, presents “My Fair Broadway, Broadway’s Best Hits in Concert” June 4-5 for their final performance of the 2021-2022 season. This celebratory concert is brought to Missoula in partnership with Black Tie Broadway Presentations and features some of Broadway's most treasured music from “Oklahoma!,” “Ragtime,” “Sound
- [Montana Renaissance Festival moves to Red Lodge](https://livelytimes.com/2022/05/montana-renaissance-festival-moves-to-red-lodge/) - Take in two days of medieval merriment and mayhem at the Home of Champions rodeo grounds when the annual Montana Renaissance Festival moves to Red Lodge June 4-5. Step back in time to 16th century England, visit with Queen Abbey and King Jayme, and see knights and warriors battling across the grounds. Organizer Ken Haak
- [Stars of American Ballet | CONNECTIONS 2022](https://livelytimes.com/2022/05/stars-of-american-ballet-connections-2022/) - Ready for an evening of elegant, world-class ballet? Montana Ballet Company (MBC) brings Stars of American Ballet to Bozeman for one night only in a performance titled CONNECTIONS 2022. Dancers from the world-renowned New York City Ballet, Ballet West, Ballet Hispánico and other companies take the stage at 7 p.m. June 3 at Willson Auditorium.
- [Thomas Meagher revisited in No Coward’s Epitaph](https://livelytimes.com/2022/05/thomas-meagher-revisited-in-no-cowards-epitaph/) - The Port Polson Players offer an encore of their original musical – a tribute to Thomas Francis Meagher titled "No Coward's Epitaph" – May 20-22 at the Theatre on the Lake in Polson. "To the end, I see the path I have been ordained to walk, and upon the grave which closes in on that
- [Contemporary Folk Animals grace Missoula Art Park](https://livelytimes.com/2022/05/contemporary-folk-animals-grace-missoula-art-park/) - The Missoula Art Museum presents Contemporary Folk Animals, a group show of artists from across the state. Four animal sculptures made from repurposed materials are on view in the Missoula Art Park through Oct. 8. The installation features artworks by Drummond artist Bill Ohrmann, Bozeman’s Kirsten Kainz, and Missoula artist George Ybarra. The animals depicted in this exhibition
- [Missoula’s Garden City BrewFest returns](https://livelytimes.com/2022/05/missoulas-garden-city-brewfest-returns/) - Following a three-year hiatus, Garden City BrewFest will take place Saturday, May 7, in the newly renovated environs of Caras Park in downtown Missoula. Montana’s original and largest beer festival features more than 70 beers, ciders, hard seltzers, and wines, served from noon-8 p.m. Local food trucks are on site, and Missoula-based bands supply live
- [The Curious Savage: A message for our times](https://livelytimes.com/2022/04/the-curious-savage-a-message-for-our-times/) - Port Polson Players in association with Mission Valley Friends of the Arts open their 47th year with John Patrick’s classic comedy, “The Curious Savage,” April 22-May 1 at the Theatre on the Lake in Polson. Originally written in the 1950s, this clever and timely play tells the story of Ethel P. Savage, an elderly woman whose
- [Bon Debarras | Good riddance to sorrow!](https://livelytimes.com/2022/04/bon-debarras-good-riddance-to-sorrow/) - Bon Debarras, an award-winning trio from Montreal, takes to The Myrna Loy stage in Helena Thursday, May 5, and performs Friday, May 6, at The Ellen in Bozeman. Expect a delightful, high-energy evening of traditional Quèbècois fiddle, step-dancing, banjo and harmonica fused with spoken-word, slam poetry, and body percussion. The group will play tunes from
- [Così fan tutte: Full of beauty and surprises](https://livelytimes.com/2022/04/cosi-fan-tutte-full-of-beauty-and-surprises/) - UM Opera Theater takes to the Dennison Theater stage in Missoula April 14-15 with Così fan tutte, Mozart’s lighthearted romantic romp. “Our fiercely talented singers and orchestra have prepared a beautiful comic romance, full of glorious music and shenanigans!” says University of Montana Music Professor Anne Basinski, director of UM Opera Theater. Translated as “Thus Do
- [Coeur d’Alene Blues Festival is back!](https://livelytimes.com/2022/03/coeur-dalene-blues-festival-is-back/) - After a two-year pandemic hiatus the Coeur d’Alene Blues Festival returns with its annual soul swingin’ weekend, March 25-27 at the Coeur d’Alene Resort in north Idaho. Hear the best of modern blues at events ranging from the popular Blues Cruise to Saturday’s Main Event, featuring music by five bands. Music kicks off at 3:30
- [Empire Trio serenades the Silver Screen](https://livelytimes.com/2022/03/empire-trio-serenades-the-silver-screen/) - The classically trained Empire Trio tours Montana April 1-12 with “Hooray for Hollywood,” a glamorous soundtrack to the silver screen. The trio presents the most beloved and famous songs from the world of film from the 1930s through the mid-1990s at rural communities across the state, including Polson, Belt, Libby, Paradise and Superior. Hear songs
- [Gypsy Theatre Guild gets “Cockeyed”](https://livelytimes.com/2022/03/gypsy-theatre-guild-gets-cockeyed/) - Gypsy Theatre Guild returns to live performance with a romantic comedy, “Cockeyed,” staged at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays, April 1-10 at the Gateway Center in Kalispell. The grassroots theatre company went dark in March of 2020 after the final production of “All Bark, No Bite” at the Kalispell Eagles, due
- [Vox Sambou: Bring your dance shoes!](https://livelytimes.com/2022/03/vox-sambou-bring-your-dance-shoes/) - “Just make sure people bring their sneakers to dance,” urges Vox Sambou when talking about his upcoming concert at The Myrna Loy in Helena. The band makes its only Montana appearance at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 7. “Wear something comfortable,” the musician advises. Sambou’s music is a joyous fusion of traditional Haitian rhythms, funk, reggae
- [Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives](https://livelytimes.com/2022/03/marty-stuart-his-fabulous-superlatives/) - Grammy-winning country legend Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives perform April 7 in Billings and April 8 in Missoula. Touring to support his 18th studio album Way Out West, the five-time Grammy-awarded Stuart continues to write, record, and release keenly relevant music that honors country’s rich legacy while advancing it in to the future. Produced by Mike
- [Celebrating The British Invasion of the 60s](https://livelytimes.com/2022/03/celebrating-the-british-invasion-of-the-60s/) - The internationally acclaimed jukebox musical, The British Invasion — Live on Stage, makes two stops in Montana: 7:30 p.m. March 19 at the Alberta Bair Theater in Billings and 7:30 p.m. March 20 at the Mother Lode Theatre in Butte. Tune in to the hottest music from the 1960s during this immersive multi-media show. From the
- [Out West Art Show Rides Again in Great Falls](https://livelytimes.com/2022/02/out-west-art-show-rides-again-in-great-falls/) - The Out West Art Show – the only non-profit show during Western Art Week – returns to the Heritage Inn in Great Falls March 17-19. Once again, the event showcases many of the nation’s top fine artists, including long-time participants DG House, Don Grant, Mimi Grant, Ken Mayernik, H. Steven Oistad, and Echo and Ron
- [Into the Woods returns to MCT stage](https://livelytimes.com/2022/02/into-the-woods-returns-to-mct-stage/) - The Missoula Community Theatre produces one of Stephen Sondheim’s most beloved shows, “Into the Woods,” March 10-20 at the MCT Center for the Performing Arts. “Into the Woods” is a musical compilation of Brothers Grimm fairy tales which take the audience on a fantasy ride of complex relationships, the unknown dangers ahead on any journey
- [St. Patrick's Day shenanigans, Montana style](https://livelytimes.com/2022/03/st-patricks-day-shenanigans-montana-style/) - Montana, with its healthy dose of Irish heritage, is no slouch when it comes to celebrating St. Patrick's Day. Among those paying homage are the Friends of Irish Studies at the University of Montana, who offer a rousing salute to Ireland's patron saint Saturday, March 12, and a free online concert March 17. In Butte,
- [Made in Montana Tradeshow returns to Helena](https://livelytimes.com/2022/03/made-in-montana-tradeshow-returns-to-helena-2/) - Discover authentic Montana-made products at the annual Made in Montana Tradeshow, March 11-12 at the Lewis & Clark County Fairgrounds in Helena. Wholesale buyers shop for new wares to stock their shelves on Friday, March 11. Typically 450-500 buyers represent up to 300 companies. On Saturday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. throngs of visitors shop for
- [Montana Heritage Center takes shape](https://livelytimes.com/2022/01/montana-heritage-center-takes-shape/) - The new Montana Heritage Center is taking shape in Helena’s Capitol Complex, thanks in part to sizeable donations from Montana Historical Society supporters. Recent substantial gifts totaling $525,000 are nudging the Montana Historical Society toward its $15 million private fundraising goal for construction of the new center and updates to the existing MHS building. When
- [GSC hosts Winter Gala with Masquerade flare](https://livelytimes.com/2021/12/gsc-hosts-winter-gala-with-masquerade-flare/) - The Glacier Symphony will once again launch a grand Winter Gala Jan. 15 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Kalispell, marking the welcome return of the Flathead Valley's touted social event of Winter 2019! The successful masquerade ball and auction, first launched in January of 2019, was canceled last year, due to the pandemic. “We
- [Raven’s Feather Productions debuts with Grounded](https://livelytimes.com/2022/01/ravens-feather-productions-debuts-with-grounded/) - Raven’s Feather Productions, Helena’s newest theatre company, launches its inaugural season Feb. 17-March 5 with “Grounded” by George Brant. Katy Wright stars in the one-woman show, directed by Ross Peter Nelson. “Grounded” tells the story of a female fighter jet pilot who is transferred to drone reconnaissance duty after giving birth and explores the toll
- [Great Gobstoppers! Charlie and the Chocolate Factory](https://livelytimes.com/2022/02/great-gobstoppers-charlie-and-the-chocolate-factory/) - The Broadway tour of the everlasting showstopper, Roald Dahl’s Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, makes its only Montana stop at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 2, at the Alberta Bair Theater in Billings. The Chicago Sun-Times calls it “mesmerizing … a romp of an adventure.” Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory tells the story of Willy Wonka, world famous
- [Big Sky Documentary Film Festival goes hybrid](https://livelytimes.com/2022/02/big-sky-documentary-film-festival-goes-hybrid/) - The 19th annual Big Sky Documentary Film Festival (BSDFF), hosted by the nonprofit Big Sky Film Institute, returns with a full lineup of official selections, available in person Feb. 18-27 in theaters across Missoula and online Feb. 21-March 3 in Big Sky’s virtual cinema. The film lineup includes 50 features and 95 short documentary films
- [Missoula Symphony’s Our American Voices](https://livelytimes.com/2022/03/missoula-symphonys-our-american-voices/) - The Missoula Symphony continues the 2021-2022 season with “Our American Voices,” an all-American concert that mixes classic work and new voices March 5 and 6 at the UM Dennison Theatre. “The Missoula Symphony is eager to bring ‘Our American Voices’ to Missoula audiences,” says Music Director Julia Tai said. “This performance showcases composers and pieces
- [International Guitar Night returns to Montana](https://livelytimes.com/2022/02/international-guitar-night-returns-to-montana/) - The 22nd edition of International Guitar Night returns to four Montana towns Feb. 24-27 with stops in Helena, Bozeman, Billings and Big Sky. After taking a hiatus in 2021 (much like the rest of the world), IGN is back with a brand-new lineup, featuring acoustic rock sensation Luca Stricagnoli (Italy), progressive classical guitarist Thu Le
- [Montana Ballet Company stages Snow White](https://livelytimes.com/2022/02/montana-ballet-company-stages-snow-white/) - Back by popular demand, Montana Ballet Company (MBC) announces the return of Winthrop Corey’s original Snow White on Saturday, Feb. 19, and Sunday, Feb. 20, at the Willson Auditorium in Bozeman. Corey, a world-renowned master choreographer and teacher and former principal dancer with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and National Ballet of Canada, choreographed this version
- [Enigma | Glacier Symphony presents world premiere](https://livelytimes.com/2022/02/enigma-glacier-symphony-presents-world-premiere/) - The 39th season of the Glacier Symphony and Chorale continues Feb. 19-20 with Enigma, featuring a world-premiere performance of an exciting piece for piano and orchestra by contemporary composer, Matthew Mason. Titled “Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini,” the work will be performed by Los Angeles-based concert pianist Roger Wright. The ongoing celebration of Maestro
- [The Choir of Man pays homage to the pub](https://livelytimes.com/2022/01/the-choir-of-man-pays-homage-to-the-pub/) - Cheers! The Choir of Man makes two stops in the Montana in February as part of the North American tour of “the ultimate-feel good show.” The hit show plays the Alberta Bair Theater in Billings Feb. 18 and the Mother Lode Theatre in Butte Feb. 20. It’s a party. It’s a concert. It’s the best
- [Acoustic Eidolon tours Montana in February](https://livelytimes.com/2022/02/acoustic-eidolon-tours-montana-in-february/) - Joe Scott and Hannah Alkire, the instrumental duo known as Acoustic Eidolon, bring their “sumptuous instrumental feast” (Dirty Linen) to four Montana towns in February. The couple first joined forces as a duo in 1998, after discovering they were next-door neighbors. The pairing of double-necked guitjo, a unique banjo/guitar combination created by Scott, with cello
- [John Lowell | She’s Leaving Cheyenne](https://livelytimes.com/2022/01/john-lowell-shes-leaving-cheyenne/) - John Lowell is not only a fine songwriter (his tune “Richmond” recently won the 2021 Hazel Dickens Songwriting Contest), he’s also a consummate guitarist and a gifted singer, with an easy-on-the-ears baritone. His new recording, She’s Leaving Cheyenne, showcases all those qualities in a heartfelt tribute to the West – its landscape, romance and music.
- [Astronaut Terry Virts | The View From Above](https://livelytimes.com/2022/01/astronaut-terry-virts-the-view-from-above/) - Terry Virts, a celebrated NASA astronaut and National Geographic author, presents “View from Above” at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 28 at the Alberta Bair Theater in Billings. Virts will share his unique stories and stunning photographs taken from a place most of us will never visit – space. As a NASA astronaut, pilot of the
- [Jay Gilday: Electrifying, soulful, resonant](https://livelytimes.com/2022/01/jay-gilday-electrifying-soulful-resonant/) - Canadian singer/songwriter Jay Gilday makes his Montana debut 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 27, at The Myrna Loy in Helena. This is a voice you don’t want to miss: Electrifying. Soulful. Resonant. Gilday, a self-described “vagabond turned mailman,” has searched for himself in the depths of folk, blues, traditional, rock and most recently piano pop and
- [Historian revisits Cold War in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/2022/01/historian-revisits-cold-war-in-montana/) - “From Stolen Secrets to the Ace in the Hole” could be the unofficial subtitle of Cold War Montana, the latest book by Great Falls author Ken Robison, published by the History Press. While Robison’s previous books often read as if he’d lived through the events he describes, (especially Historic Tales of Whoop-Up Country), here Captain
- [Jessica Kay Ruhle takes YAM helm](https://livelytimes.com/2021/12/jessica-kay-ruhle-takes-yam-helm/) - Jessica Kay Ruhle, education director at the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University in North Carolina, is headed to Montana in January to take the helm at the Yellowstone Art Museum in Billings. The YAM Search Committee selected Ruhle (pronounced ruh-lee) to serve as executive director based on her innovation and leadership skills. Ruhle
- [You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown revives inner child](https://livelytimes.com/2021/11/youre-a-good-man-charlie-brown-revives-inner-child/) - Missoula Community Theatre continues its 2021-2022 à la carte season with “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” Dec. 9-19 at the MCT Center for the Performing Arts. Just in time for the holidays, this timeless story of a boy and his dog is set to charming and lively music. The family-friendly show “comforts your nostalgic
- [Big Bad Voodoo Daddy swings in New Year](https://livelytimes.com/2021/12/big-bad-voodoo-daddy-swings-in-new-year/) - Alberta Bair Theater in Billings welcomes back Big Bad Voodoo Daddy for a New Year’s Eve show at 8 p.m. on Dec. 31. With a signature drink mixed by 406 Kitchen & Taproom, ticket holders are invited to linger after the show before heading to an after party or home to watch the ball drop.
- [First Night Missoula returns to downtown](https://livelytimes.com/2021/12/first-night-missoula-returns-to-downtown/) - When First Night returns to Missoula’s downtown from 3 p.m. to midnight Friday, Dec. 31, it marks the 28th annual New Year’s Eve celebration of the arts in Missoula. "A year ago, we were all sequestered in our homes on New Year’s Eve, and while we were able to watch the annual Spotlight High School
- [Dawn: Dolce Canto celebrates return of light](https://livelytimes.com/2021/12/dawn-dolce-canto-celebrates-return-of-light/) - Dolce Canto – Missoula’s premier vocal ensemble – returns to the stage Dec. 12 with their first formal concert since the beginning of the pandemic. The performance begins at 7 p.m. in the University of Montana’s Music Recital Hall. For 20 years, Dolce Canto has explored nearly 400 choral works from the Renaissance period to
- [Holiday MADE fairs come to Helena and Missoula](https://livelytimes.com/2021/11/holiday-made-fairs-come-to-helena-and-missoula/) - With holidays fast approaching handMADE Montana is preparing for two artisan fairs: the Helena Holiday MADE fair Dec. 4-5 at the Lewis and Clark County Fairgrounds, and the original Missoula MADE fair, Dec. 12 at the Adams Center. Organizer Carol Lynn Lapotka, owner of the handMade Montana shop in Polson, was recently named Retailer of
- [Hearth: A Yuletide Tale mixes music and theatre](https://livelytimes.com/2021/12/hearth-a-yuletide-tale-mixes-music-and-theatre/) - The Montana Repertory Theatre (The Rep) continues its return to live theatre with the upcoming holiday performance, “Hearth: A Yuletide Tale” from Dec. 9-11 in the Montana Theatre at the University of Montana and Dec. 16-18 at the Zootown Arts Community Center (ZACC). “Hearth: A Yuletide Tale” follows The Rep’s successful season opener, “Back to School,”
- [Missoula Symphony visits North Pole with Holiday Pops](https://livelytimes.com/2021/11/missoula-symphony-visits-north-pole-with-holiday-pops/) - The Missoula Symphony continues its 2021-2022 season Dec. 3-5 with the annual holiday spectacular, “Holiday Pops!” This beloved local tradition marks the start of Missoula’s holiday season, as well as the first time the Missoula Symphony Chorale will perform live since the start of the pandemic. There will even be a “special visit from our
- [Star power for Yellowstone Ballet Nutcracker](https://livelytimes.com/2021/11/star-power-for-yellowstone-ballet-nutcracker/) - The Yellowstone Ballet Company presents its 30th annual production of Tchaikovsky’s holiday classic, The Nutcracker, at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 28, at Willson Auditorium in Bozeman. Nicole Assaad, formerly of Hong Kong Ballet, dances the role of Clara, the girl who breaks the Rat Queen’s evil spell and restores Count Drosselmeyer’s nephew, the Prince, to
- [World premiere for Glacier Symphony and Chorale](https://livelytimes.com/2021/11/bountiful-month-for-glacier-symphony-and-chorale/) - The 39th season of the Glacier Symphony and Chorale continues Nov. 20-21 at Flathead High Performance Hall in Kalispell with "Illumination," featuring an original work by Maestro John Zoltek in an ongoing celebration of his 25th season with the organization. The concert unveils Zoltek’s newly-composed cello concerto, Through Tamarack and Pine, written for and performed
- [Rollicking blues pianist Marcia Ball plays Big Timber](https://livelytimes.com/2021/11/rollicking-blues-pianist-marcia-ball-plays-big-timber/) - The Sweet Grass Arts Alliance is bringing rollicking blues pianist, songwriter and vocalist Marcia Ball to the Sweet Grass Arts Theater in Big Timber for two concerts, 7 p.m. Nov. 17-18. These two shows mark the five-time Grammy nominee’s only stop in Montana. Receptions with the artist follow each concert at the Two Rivers Gallery,
- [Last Chance New Play Fest premieres new work](https://livelytimes.com/2021/10/last-chance-new-play-fest-premieres-new-work/) - Helena’s Last Chance New Play Fest, now in its eighth year, will run Nov. 5-14, and features new projects by Montana writers. Montana Short Cuts, a program of ten-minute plays, returns to the festival with the theme “Anti/Social.” The program explores how different authors across the state interpret the theme. This year’s plays feature a
- [American Patchwork Quartet | Celebrating immigrants](https://livelytimes.com/2021/10/american-patchwork-quartet-celebrating-immigrants/) - In the midst of the pandemic, the American Patchwork Quartet – a group of exceptionally talented American musicians – came together to play American roots music that moves the inner soul. Grammy-nominated vocalist Falu Shah, Grammy-winning guitarist/vocalist Clay Ross, three-time Grammy-winning drummer Clarence Penn and highly acclaimed bassist Yasushi Nakamura formed American Patchwork Quartet in
- [Magnetic guitarist Raul Midón performs in Billings](https://livelytimes.com/2021/10/magnetic-guitarist-raul-midon-performs-in-billings/) - Twice Grammy-nominated Raul Midón – dubbed “an eclectic adventurist” by People magazine – continues the Alberta Bair Theater’s its Outstanding Performances Series at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 6. The artist’s jazz undertones buoy an eclectic style of guitar and vocals that are syncopated by his mouth-horn technique. Marveling over his live performances, The New York
- [Glacier Symphony season lifts off with Ascension](https://livelytimes.com/2021/10/glacier-symphony-season-lifts-off-with-ascension/) - The Glacier Symphony kicks off its 39th season Oct. 30-31 with Ascension, featuring music from the 19th-21st centuries. Once again, the Glacier Symphony brings excellence in classical music to the Flathead Valley with this initial MasterWorks concert. The opening composition celebrates the 25th anniversary of Maestro John Zoltek as music director and conductor of the
- [Ocean Soul | Photographer Brian Skerry dives deep](https://livelytimes.com/2021/10/ocean-soul-photographer-brian-skerry-dives-deep/) - Brian Skerry, a National Geographic Photography Fellow and renowned underwater photographer pays homage to the mystery and beauty of the sea in “Ocean Soul,” 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 28 at the Alberta Bair Theater in Billings. Presented in tandem with National Geographic Live, National Geographic’s touring speaker series, this marks the first of three speakers
- [Sing, Sing, Sing with America’s Sweethearts](https://livelytimes.com/2021/09/sing-sing-sing-with-americas-sweethearts/) - America’s Sweethearts, a New York City-based trio that’s performing in nine Montana towns this month, evokes the swinging sounds of the 1940s and the tight female harmonies of groups like the Andrews Sisters. Soprano Carly Kincannon, founder of America’s Sweethearts, fell in love with the music of The Andrew Sisters – and the group she
- [Whitefish Theatre Company stages “Now and Then”](https://livelytimes.com/2021/10/whitefish-theatre-company-stages-now-and-then/) - Whitefish Theatre Company stages “Now and Then” as its first main-stage theatre production of the 2021-2022 season. This "incredibly feel-good play" runs at the O’Shaughnessy Center in Whitefish at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, Oct. 15-23, and 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 17, with a sneak preview at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 14. Sometimes what happens after
- [Kristin Chenoweth launches ABT Grand Reopening](https://livelytimes.com/2021/08/kristin-chenoweth-launches-abt-grand-reopening/) - Kristin Chenoweth, star of stage and screen, will headline the historic Grand Reopening Celebration of the Alberta Bair Theater at 8 p.m. Sept. 18. The theater, which has been closed to the public since April 2019 for a $13.6 million renovation and expansion, welcomes the Emmy and Tony Award-winning actress and singer to celebrate this
- [BZN showcases 60 films that educate and enrich](https://livelytimes.com/2021/08/bzn-showcases-60-films-that-educate-and-enrich/) - The Bozeman Film Celebration and Bozeman Arts—Live! host the fourth annual BZN International Film Festival Sept. 9-12 at the Emerson Center for Arts & Culture and other venues around Bozeman, and virtually via the new BZN App. The festival celebrates independent filmmaking and creative expression from both emerging and established voices. Each screening will be
- [Made in Montana Tradeshow returns to Helena](https://livelytimes.com/2021/08/made-in-montana-tradeshow-returns-to-helena/) - Discover authentic Montana-made products when the Made in Montana Tradeshow for Food and Gifts returns to Helena Sept. 10-11. The show is located at the Lewis & Clark County Fairgrounds, 98 West Custer Ave. The tradeshow offers a unique selling opportunity for Made in Montana companies, incorporating a “wholesale” day Friday when hundreds of registered
- [River City Roots rocks Missoula with old and new faves](https://livelytimes.com/2021/08/river-city-roots-rocks-missoula-with-old-and-new-faves/) - The Lil Smokies (www.thelilsmokies.com) return to the River City Roots stage and will be the Saturday night headliner for the 15th annual festival, Aug. 27-28 in downtown Missoula. Coming off of their third studio album release, Tornillo, the band will be making their fourth Roots Fest Main Stage appearance, with their first appearance occurring back
- [Northwest Montana Fair & Rodeo: A family tradition](https://livelytimes.com/2021/08/northwest-montana-fair-rodeo-a-family-tradition/) - The 2021 Northwest Montana Fair & Rodeo, scheduled for Aug. 18-22 at the Flathead County Fairgrounds in Kalispell, focuses on “Montana’s Best Traditions.” In addition to a carnival on the midway and thousands of exhibits on display throughout the grounds, the fair will feature a performance by country star Chris Janson, three nights of action-packed
- [Northwest Montana Fair kicks off with Chris Janson](https://livelytimes.com/2021/06/northwest-montana-fair-kicks-off-with-chris-janson/) - Country star Chris Janson kicks off the 2021 Northwest Montana Fair & Rodeo with a concert Wednesday, Aug. 18. The fair, scheduled for Aug. 18-22 at the Flathead County Fairgrounds in Kalispell, celebrates the theme of “Montana’s Best Traditions.” Tickets for the concert and all other grandstand events are now available for purchase at the
- [Ballet Beyond Borders celebrates dance as diplomacy](https://livelytimes.com/2021/07/ballet-beyond-borders-celebrates-dance-as-diplomacy/) - The Missoula-based dance powerhouse, Rocky Mountain Ballet Theatre, once again brings Ballet Beyond Borders, the 7th annual international dance challenge and diplomacy conference, to the Garden City Aug. 11-14. After hosting BBB International completely on line in January of 2021, this year’s event attracts an international cadre of artists, both virtually and in-person, culminating in
- [SpringFest makes summer appearance at Moss](https://livelytimes.com/2021/07/springfest-makes-summer-appearance-at-moss/) - The Moss Mansion will celebrate 32 years of SpringFest – its juried arts and crafts fair – on Aug. 21 in Billings. Located on the verdant lawn of the historic home, SpringFest delivers a day of shopping, live entertainment, delicious food and fun activities for kids. Typically held the first weekend in June, SpringFest was
- [Festival Amadeus | Morning, Noon and Night](https://livelytimes.com/2021/07/festival-amadeus-morning-noon-and-night/) - Enjoy “Mountains by Day and Music by Night” as the Glacier Symphony presents the 14th annual Festival Amadeus Aug. 3-8. The region’s only weeklong classical music festival offers six chamber and orchestra concerts. After last year’s pandemic postponement, the select Festival Amadeus Orchestra, under the baton of founding artistic director John Zoltek, takes to the
- [Bakers: Prepare your huckleberry best!](https://livelytimes.com/2021/07/bakers-prepare-your-huckleberry-best/) - The 40th annual Swan Lake Huckleberry Festival is looking for bakers of all ages to enter the festival’s Huckleberry Baking Contest. The Flathead Valley’s original Huckleberry Festival is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 14, at the Swan Lake Day Park near mile marker 72 on Montana Highway 83. According to baking contest chair, Sylvia Eliason, the
- [Beat the heat with The Pin-Up Girls](https://livelytimes.com/2021/07/beat-the-heat-with-the-pin-up-girls/) - It’s no understatement to say Anna Loehrke, director of the Port Polson Players’ production of “The Pin-Up Girls,” was born into the theater. The daughter of Players producers Neal and Karen Lewing took her first turn on stage as a 2 year old in a production of “Sleeping Beauty,” and hasn’t taken many detours since.
- [Bidding underway for Art in the Beartooths](https://livelytimes.com/2021/07/bidding-underway-for-art-in-the-beartooths/) - Bidding is underway for the 48th annual Art in the Beartooths, sponsored by Carbon County Arts Guild and Depot Gallery in Red Lodge. The exhibition and auction help the organization continue providing access to art, supporting artistic expression, and encouraging creative experiences for the enrichment of the community. New this year: works by participating artists
- [Mandolinist Jacob Jolliff brings soaring sounds to Montana](https://livelytimes.com/2021/07/mandolinist-jacob-jolliff-brings-soaring-sounds-to-montana/) - The Jacob Jolliff Band kicks off the return of national touring acts to The Myrna Loy in Helena following the pandemic shutdown. The progressive bluegrass band takes the Myrna stage at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 5, before heading to the Sweet Pea Festival in Bozeman for a performance in Lindley Park at 7 p.m. Aug.
- [Symphony Under the Stars pays homage to 80s](https://livelytimes.com/2021/05/symphony-under-the-stars-pays-homage-to-80s/) - After a lapse due to the pandemic, one of Montana’s largest events returns to the campus of Carroll College July 17: the Intrepid Credit Union Symphony Under the Stars. Helena Symphony and Carroll College join forces with Intrepid Credit Union and other sponsors for the festive free outdoor concert and fireworks extravaganza. Food and beverage
- [Summer Follies at the Moss Mansion](https://livelytimes.com/2021/07/summer-follies-at-the-moss-mansion/) - The Moss Mansion in Billings collaborates with Yellowstone Repertory Theatre and the Western Heritage Center in Moss Summer Follies, July 17-18 on the lawn at the historic landmark. This lively musical revue explores the beginnings of the Moss Mansion and city of Billings. Meet the Moss family and other notable Billings characters courtesy of cast
- [Port Polson Players reopen Theatre on the Lake](https://livelytimes.com/2021/06/port-polson-players-reopen-theatre-on-the-lake/) - Prepare to boo the villain and cheer the hero when the Port Polson Players, in association with Mission Valley Friends of the Arts, reopen Polson’s Theatre on the Lake June 11 with “Dirty Work at the Crossroads.” The melodramatic comedy ushers in the Players’ 46th season and welcomes audiences back after a year and a
- [For Drew McManus of Satsang, Montana is muse](https://livelytimes.com/2021/05/for-drew-mcmanus-of-satsang-montana-is-muse/) - “Montana isn’t just where I live,” says Drew McManus of Satsang. “It’s my heart and soul.” On All. Right. Now., the extraordinary new album by Satsang and the band's debut release for venerated indie label SideOneDummy, it’s also his muse. Written and recorded during an extended hiatus from the road, the album finds McManus reconnecting
- [Live music returns to Myrna with ZINNIA](https://livelytimes.com/2021/06/live-music-returns-to-myrna-with-zinnia/) - The Myrna Loy in Helena celebrates its return to live music shows June 17 with the Toronto-based band ZINNIA. The show also marks the band’s first live performance since the beginning of the pandemic. "One of the things we humans have missed most this past year is listening to really good live music together, in
- [Potsketch raises funds for Clay Studio of Missoula](https://livelytimes.com/2021/04/potsketch-raises-funds-for-clay-studio-of-missoula/) - Potsketch – the Clay Studio of Missoula’s popular annual fundraiser – takes a virtual twist for the second year in a row. Online and in-person bidding continues through 8 p.m. Saturday, April 24, with a live virtual event beginning at 6 p.m. and lasting approximately one hour. Tune in for welcoming remarks from Clay Studio
- [Wildlife Film Festival | Rising from the Depths](https://livelytimes.com/2021/04/wildlife-film-festival-rising-from-the-depths/) - The International Wildlife Film Festival returns for its 44th year with the theme, “Rising from the Depths.” From April 17-May 15, the hybrid festival showcases 65 films, most of which are available to an international audience. New films are added to the virtual catalog every week of the festival and online discussions offer viewers access
- [Virtual Musical Zoo with Missoula Symphony](https://livelytimes.com/2021/02/virtual-musical-zoo-with-missoula-symphony/) - Dig up some dinosaur bones, sprout some wings and try handstands with Monte Bear when the Missoula Symphony Orchestra and Chorale presents Carnival of the Animals, March 5-7. Have you ever heard pianos roar like a mountain lion, a cello become a swan, or a clarinet sound like a cuckoo bird? This 45-minute streaming event,
- [Recent titles by Raven Publishing](https://livelytimes.com/2021/03/recent-titles-by-raven-publishing/) - Raven Publishing in Norris released two books by Montana authors in 2020: Rascals, Ruffians, and Rebels by Gary Forney and Our Trail Ends at Pony by Dixie Myhre. Rascals, Ruffians, and Rebels: Profiles from Early Montana Seeking to preserve stories of how an eclectic cross-section of men and women pursued their dream of a better life,
- [Big Sky Documentary Film Festival goes virtual](https://livelytimes.com/2021/02/big-sky-documentary-film-festival-goes-virtual/) - How does Montana’s largest cinematic event – the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival – carry on during COVID-19? Virtually, thoughtfully and artfully. Headquartered in Missoula, the largest documentary film festival in the American West typically attracts 20,000 viewers and hundreds of filmmakers. Due to the pandemic, the 18th annual festival makes more than 75 films
- [Missoula Art Museum | MAM’s Big Night](https://livelytimes.com/2021/02/missoula-art-museum-mams-big-night/) - The Missoula Art Museum’s annual Benefit Art Auction goes online this year, culminating in a virtual event, MAM’s Big Night, on Feb. 12. MAM’s signature auction, celebrating the museum’s role as a champion of contemporary art in Missoula for over 45 years, typically culminates in a large, elegant gala with a live auctioneer. This year’s
- [Experience the Holidays with Darlene Love](https://livelytimes.com/2020/11/experience-the-holidays-with-darlene-love/) - Alberta Bair Theater offers exclusive access to the “Love for the Holidays” concert by Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Darlene Love, recorded at Sony Hall in New York City and streaming on Saturday, Dec. 5 at 9 p.m. Alberta Bair Theater receives a portion of each ticket sold through its website albertabairtheater.org “Darlene Love’s
- [Missoula Symphony delivers virtual Holiday Pops](https://livelytimes.com/2020/12/missoula-symphony-delivers-virtual-holiday-pops/) - Not to be deterred by the pandemic, the Missoula Symphony Orchestra and Chorale offer an opportunity to enjoy the annual Holiday Pops concert Dec. 11 and 13 from the comfort and safety of home. The Missoula Symphony Association has teamed up with Montana PBS to provide streamed performances of the 2020-’21 concert season, including the
- [MCT streams 'It’s a Wonderful Life' Dec. 10-20](https://livelytimes.com/2020/12/mct-streams-its-a-wonderful-life-dec-10-20/) - Take a holiday trip back to the 1940s with the Missoula Community Theatre during “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play,” Dec. 10-20. In the old days, families would sit around the radio to listen to a show. This December, families and friends can gather again – this time around a computer or television
- [UM’s Dance Up Close: A sensory extravaganza](https://livelytimes.com/2020/11/ums-dance-up-close-a-sensory-extravaganza/) - The University of Montana shines a spotlight on student choreographers with its “Dance Up Close” production, which will be available online Nov. 12-22. “Dance Up Close” is a uniquely intimate production that provides a platform for choreographers to experiment with solo compositions and performances. This year’s production is a series of 10 solos that range
- [Bad Rock Books needs a helping hand](https://livelytimes.com/2020/10/bad-rock-books-needs-a-helping-hand/) - Bad Rock Books in Columbia Falls has been a cornerstone of the Flathead Valley reading community since 1997. Owner Cindy Ritter works hard to connect readers to books that entertain, educate, and offer escape into different worlds. “It’s a a wonderful place for community, books, and cat therapy,” writes one fan. But now Ritter needs
- [BZN International Film Festival goes virtual](https://livelytimes.com/2020/08/bzn-international-film-festival-goes-virtual/) - The third annual BZN International Film Festival goes virtual Aug. 27-Sept. 5. “Out of an abundance of caution we have decided to take the festival to an online-only platform,” says Artistic Managing Director Beth Ann Kennedy. “BZN’s virtual pass includes more content than has ever been available to BZN audiences,” she notes. “For the first
- [Northwest Montana Fair serves up homegrown fun](https://livelytimes.com/2020/08/northwest-montana-fair-serves-up-homegrown-fun/) - The Northwest Montana Fair in Kalispell – one of the few fairs occurring in Montana this year – offers a robust slate of entertainment, rodeo action and exhibits Aug. 19-23 at the Flathead County Fairgrounds. In a nod to ongoing concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic, the fair commissioners have cancelled the carnival and Friday’s parade
- [20 Grand | Your Friendly Neighborhood Funk Band](https://livelytimes.com/2020/07/20-grand-your-friendly-neighborhood-funk-band/) - 20 Grand – a dynamic group from Whitefish, calling themselves “your friendly neighborhood funk band” – has poured 10 years of powder-keg stylings into a stew of hip-hop, R&B and jazz, and their new album continues this trend. Starting as a five-piece instrumental outfit back when, the group has since expanded their membership along with
- [Billy Conway | Outside Inside](https://livelytimes.com/2020/06/billy-conway-outside-inside/) - When Wilsall musician and rancher Billy Conway discovered he had Stage IV liver cancer, his friends encouraged him, with their help, to make a recording. The drummer for the successful ’90s alt-rock band Morphine agreed that it’d be good medicine, and dusted off 13 songs he’s written over the years. The album was produced by
- [Cheyenne Story wins Western Heritage Award](https://livelytimes.com/2020/07/cheyenne-story-wins-western-heritage-award/) - Gerry Robinson’s powerful work of historical fiction, The Cheyenne Story: An Interpretation of Courage, was awarded the National Cowboy Museum’s 2020 Western Heritage Award for Best Western Novel. The Western Heritage Awards honor individuals who have made significant contributions to western heritage through creative works in literature, music, television, and film that share the great
- [Whitefish Theatre Company reopens with Seminar](https://livelytimes.com/2020/06/whitefish-theatre-company-reopens-with-seminar/) - The Whitefish Theatre Co. presents a special summer production of “Seminar,” originally slated as part of their 2019-2020 season, at 7:30 p.m. June 27-28 at the O’Shaughnessy Center in Whitefish. There will be two ways to view this Black Curtain Theatre production each night, including limited, socially-distant seating at the O’Shaughnessy Center and online in
- [The KneeJürk! | Hot Buttered Holiday](https://livelytimes.com/2020/05/the-kneejurk-hot-buttered-holiday/) - Although it’s long after the Christmas season, the crackerjack EP from the Butte duo KneeJürk bears listening to anytime. Jock Holmes and Russ Nelson call themselves a “semi-acoustic supersonic duo incorporating all that big-band beat.” I’d say that’s about right, considering all the sounds the two men make on their first project. Both are schooled
- [Prophecy and Pandemic with David and Betsy Quammen](https://livelytimes.com/2020/04/prophecy-and-pandemic-with-david-and-betsy-quammen/) - Bozeman authors Betsy Gaines Quammen and David Quammen will live-stream a discussion on the coronavirus outbreak and the dangers of misinformation and religious conspiracy at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 23, on Elk River Books’ Facebook page. David, one of the nation’s preeminent science journalists, wrote Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Pandemic. The book, released
- [Spring Reading List: Fiction from Montana](https://livelytimes.com/2020/04/spring-reading-list-fiction-from-montana/) - Isolation in the age of COVID-19: What better time to catch up on novels by well-known writers Mary Clearman Blew and Russell Rowland and a debut by Gallatin Valley’s Dave Carty, or relish a collection of stories by a wide swath of Montana women in the collection, We Leave the Flowers Where They Are? And,
- [Russ Nasset | He Was Singin’ This Song](https://livelytimes.com/2020/04/russ-nasset-he-was-singin-this-song/) - Missoula’s honky-tonkin’ music icon Russ Nasset, he of the burn-barrel voice and fleet-fingered guitar licks, has produced another (mostly) solo CD. He has accompaniment on a few numbers, but mostly it’s just him, his distinctive baritone sound, gravelly and expressive, and a guitar. Joining him on this stockpile of folk and cowboy pieces are a
- [Raffle boosts Creston Fire Department Building Fund](https://livelytimes.com/2020/03/raffle-boosts-creston-fire-department-building-fund/) - Although the Creston Fire Fighter’s Association cancelled the 2020 Creston Auction and Country Fair, scheduled for April 3–5, the organization is encouraging supporters and auction attendees to participate in a raffle drawing for six prizes. The two-day auction typically draws thousands to this rural community in the Flathead Valley. It was cancelled in light of
- [The Spitfire Grill: Musical journey of renewal](https://livelytimes.com/2020/03/the-spitfire-grill-musical-journey-of-renewal/) - In Missoula Community Theatre’s latest production, The Spitfire Grill, a small ensemble cooks up a poignant story, loaded with heart. The warm folk musical, based on 1996 film by the same name, comes to the MCT Center for the Performing Arts March 5-15. Director Joseph Martinez says this moving, relatively unknown show was one he
- [Gypsy Theatre Guild stages romantic comedy](https://livelytimes.com/2020/02/gypsy-theatre-guild-stages-romantic-comedy/) - The Gypsy Theatre Guild stages the romantic comedy, “All Bark, No Bite,” Feb. 28-March 7 at the Fraternal Order of Eagles Ballroom, 37 1st Street W. in Kalispell. The play, written by Kara Emily Krantz and directed by Karen Kolar, tells the story of Charlotte and Eugene, who live a quiet, no-nonsense life, surrounded by
- [Snow White: Making the old fairy tale new again](https://livelytimes.com/2020/02/snow-white-making-the-old-fairy-tale-new-again/) - Dancing dwarfs, a truly evil queen, a handsome prince and the fairest princess in the land take center stage in the timeless tale of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” Feb. 27-March 8 at the O’Shaughnessy Center in Whitefish. And did we mention the hysterical Witch Hex? The Whitefish Theatre Company presents the captivating tale,
- [Canceled - Dervish: Icon of Irish music tours Montana](https://livelytimes.com/2020/03/dervish-icon-of-irish-music-tours-montana/) - “Simply brilliant … they carry Irish history with them,” writes The Guardian of Dervish. The world-class Irish band makes two Montana stops this month: March 18 at the UM Music Recital Hall in Missoula and March 19 at The Myrna Loy in Helena. At the end of 2019, Dervish received a prestigious lifetime achievement award
- [Buddy DeFranco Jazz Festival: cancelled!](https://livelytimes.com/2020/03/buddy-defranco-jazz-festival-turns-40/) - The 40th annual Buddy DeFranco Jazz Festival, slated for March 12-13 at the University of Montana in Missoula, was cancelled Thursday, due to concerns about spreading COVID-19. Also cancelled were the final productions of Spring Awakening in the UM Montana Theatre. “While it was a difficult decision to cancel the Buddy DeFranco Concert, a long-standing
- [The Russell Exhibition and Sale Postponed](https://livelytimes.com/2020/03/the-russell-exhibition-sale-postponed/) - In an unprecedented move, the C.M. Russell Museum in Great Falls has postponed its annual Western art event and auction, The Russell, due to potential infectious risk regarding COVID-19 (Coronavirus) to attendees and the local community. The event, which draws hundreds of art enthusiasts from around the United States and Canada to Great Falls, was
- [Made in Montana Tradeshow Limits Event to Wholesale Buyers](https://livelytimes.com/2020/03/made-in-montana-tradeshow/) - The Department of Commerce announced Thursday that the annual Made in Montana Tradeshow for Food & Gifts will be limited to wholesale buyers to protect against the possibility of spreading novel coronavirus or COVID-19. Wholesale buyers will still have the opportunity to shop for authentic Montana products from nearly 150 Made in Montana vendors on
- [Winter Reads | For Kids and Young Adults](https://livelytimes.com/2020/02/winter-reads-for-kids-and-young-adults/) - Of course, every adult knows that not all children's books are just for kids. This installment of books by Sneed Collard, Justin Olson, Kathleen Dent, Alli DePuy and Lauri Travis promise to educate and entertain readers of all ages. Birds of Every Color Bucking Horse Books’ 10th title, Birds of Every Color, takes a whimsical
- [Winter BrewFest brings beer flurry to Caras Park](https://livelytimes.com/2020/02/winter-brewfest-brings-beer-flurry-to-caras-park/) - Now in its 10th year, the Winter BrewFest, 2-6 p.m. Saturday – Leap Day – began in 2011 as a one-time event to raise money for Caras Park in Missoula. According to Lincoln Mansch, marketing and events director for the Missoula Downtown Association, gathering mid-winter to drink cold brews turned out to be so popular,
- [Pass the Baton | Missoula Symphony finalist Scott Seaton](https://livelytimes.com/2020/02/pass-the-baton-missoula-symphony-finalist-scott-seaton/) - The Missoula Symphony Orchestra & Chorale continues its “Pass the Baton” season Feb. 29 and March 1 with concerts featuring conductor candidate Scott Seaton. During this unique concert season, five candidates from around the world are seeking the position of music director. Each candidate has selected a unique program showcasing their talents and distinct styles.
- [Glacier Symphony Orchestra: Anthem to Romanticism](https://livelytimes.com/2020/02/glacier-symphony-orchestra-anthem-to-romanticism/) - Anthem – the Glacier Symphony Orchestra’s MasterWorks 4 concert – features two works evoking the heroic spirit of Romanticism: Tchaikovsky’s iconic Piano Concerto No. 1 in Bb minor and Sibelius’ magnificent Symphony No. 2 in D major. Music Director John Zoltek returns to the podium Feb. 22-23 at the Flathead High School auditorium in Kalispell to direct the
- [Hiplet Ballerinas bring innovative dance to Billings](https://livelytimes.com/2020/02/hiplet-ballerinas-bring-innovative-dance-to-billings/) - On its first North American tour, Chicago-based Hiplet Ballerinas perform at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 25 at the Lincoln Center in Billings as part of the Alberta Bair Theater’s season. General Admission seating is still available. Founded by a former member of Dance Theater of Harlem, Hiplet (pronounced Hip-Lay) Ballerinas is the only company in the
- [Butte Symphony | Charlie Chaplin would be proud](https://livelytimes.com/2020/02/butte-symphony-chaplin-would-be-proud/) - The Butte Symphony turns to silent movie lore for the third concert of its 70th Anniversary Season, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 22 at the Mother Lode Theatre. Three vintage films will be shown during “Silent Films and Their Music,” with the orchestra providing the musical accompaniment to the trials and tribulations of the silent stars. The
- [Daniel Kosel turns toward Better Days](https://livelytimes.com/2020/02/daniel-kosel-turns-toward-better-days/) - Daniel Kosel of Roberts, he of the burnished baritone and wicked guitar chops, has a fourth album out. This time the solo artist is accompanied by top-notch players Marley Ball, cello, Mike Tranel, drums, and Maclin Wiley, bass. The “crues” artist (he mixes country, rock, and blues) writes all the songs and does all the
- [Valentine Spectacular: Songs and Dances of Love](https://livelytimes.com/2020/02/valentine-spectacular-songs-and-dances-of-love/) - Yellowstone Ballet Company presents Songs and Dances of Love – a spectacular gala performance served with a selection of luscious desserts – at 7:30 p.m. on Valentine’s Day, Friday, Feb. 14, at the Willson Auditorium in Bozeman. Kathleen Rakela, the company’s founder and artistic director, says the inaugural event came with a flash of inspiration.
- [Where to Begin | Storyhill releases new album](https://livelytimes.com/2020/02/where-to-begin-storyhill-releases-new-album/) - Storyhill translates that magical spark, born out of years of writing, recording and performing together, into a new album, and celebrates Feb. 12 where it all began, in Bozeman. Inspired by their sold-out 30th Anniversary shows and the old material that they relearned for the tour, composed of Chris Cunningham and John Hermanson (a duo
- [Adele O’Dwyer | Songs for the Blackfoot Pathways](https://livelytimes.com/2020/01/adele-odwyer-songs-for-the-blackfoot-pathways/) - Irish cellist Adele O’Dwyer, soon-to-be composer-in-residence at Lincoln’s Sculpture in the Wild international sculpture park, was commissioned to write original music celebrating the community and its surroundings. Her work premiered in 2018 during the five-year anniversary of the park and the 100-year commemoration of the Lincoln Community Hall. O’Dwyer visited in the park in 2017,
- [New books by Montanans | Fiction](https://livelytimes.com/2020/02/new-books-by-montanans-fiction/) - Fall Back Down When I Die Poet and memoirist Joe Wilkins turns his pen to fiction with his debut novel, set in eastern Montana. Early on, he writes “The moon came up whistle thin. A tooth, a claw, the leanest blade.” Split Rock Review notes that this quality of language permeates the novel, and “is
- [Montana Manouche | Recording captures Hot Club vibe](https://livelytimes.com/2020/01/montana-manouche-recording-captures-hot-club-vibe/) - Perennial Bozeman pickers Montana Manouche, a Gypsy jazz quartet, have their second album out. Formed in 2012, the group continues to perform delicious dance music in the style of famed guitarist Django Reinhardt and his 1930s quintet, Hot Club of France. Long-time bandmates include Nancy Padilla, violin; her husband Ray Padilla on rhythm guitar; Dave
- [Jazz great Matt Wilson | Honey & Salt](https://livelytimes.com/2020/01/jazz-great-matt-wilson-honey-salt/) - Listen up jazz and poetry lovers: 2018’s Jazz Artist of the Year Matt Wilson brings music and poetry from his award-winning album, Honey and Salt, to The Myrna Loy stage in Helena Friday, Jan. 24, and to the Downtown Dance Collective in Missoula for two evening shows Jan. 25. He performs in both towns with
- [Black Curtain: Vanya & Sonia & Masha & Spike](https://livelytimes.com/2020/01/black-curtain-vanya-sonia-masha-spike/) - Whitefish Theatre Co. presents the award-winning play “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 25-26 at the O’Shaughnessy Center in Whitefish. The company’s third Black Curtain Theatre production of the 2019-2020 season is described as “snarky and delightfully well-written.” In pastoral Bucks County, PA, Vanya and his sister Sonia reside in
- [Dammit Lauren & the Well | Warning Signs](https://livelytimes.com/2020/01/dammit-lauren-the-well-warning-signs/) - Big Sky’s “alt-psych” rockers Dammit Lauren and the Well recently brought out their first album, and it’s chock-full of original material with inventive storytelling. All members contribute their ideas to the songs and get credit for them. By combining varied backgrounds, they create a heady brew born of country, jazz, bluegrass and rock. And don’t
- [Seussical: Oh, the places you’ll go!](https://livelytimes.com/2019/11/seussical-oh-the-places-youll-go/) - As Dr. Seuss proclaimed, “You have brains in your head, and feet in your shoes! You can steer yourself any direction you choose!” So why not steer yourself to MCT Center for the Performing Arts Dec. 5-22 for Missoula Community Theatre’s production of the musical Seussical? Based on the works of Dr. Seuss, Seussical is
- [Into the Woods: Treat for eyes and spirit](https://livelytimes.com/2019/12/into-the-woods-treat-for-eyes-and-spirit/) - Whitefish Theatre Company stages the Tony Award-winning musical “Into the Woods” Dec. 6-15 at the O’Shaughnessy Center in Whitefish. A musical twist on the Brothers Grimm fairy tales, this imaginative and enchanting show opens with a sneak preview night at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 5 and continues at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays-Fridays and 4 p.m. Sundays, through
- [Bigfork Playhouse shines with holiday musical](https://livelytimes.com/2019/12/bigfork-shines-with-parade-concert-and-musical/) - Celebrate the season in the festive village of Bigfork, beginning Dec. 7 with the Parade of Lights and the annual Touch of Christmas concert and continuing with the Bigfork Playhouse Children’s Theatre performances of the perennial favorite, “A Christmas Story, The Musical.” Characterized by the line, “You’ll shoot yer eye out!” this show brings the
- [Musical Dreamtime Journey tours five cities](https://livelytimes.com/2019/12/musical-dreamtime-journey-tours-five-cities/) - Lawrence Duncan and Michael Marsolek of the Drum Brothers and Dolce Canto deliver their Musical Dreamtime Journey concerts Dec. 18-22 to Helena, Butte, Missoula, Spokane and Kalispell. These annual celebrations of the season of lights and winter solstice have been presented around the region for more than two decades. Each performance features a cornucopia of
- [Yellowstone Ballet Nutcracker: A Community Collaboration](https://livelytimes.com/2019/12/yellowstone-ballet-nutcracker-a-community-collaboration/) - Yellowstone Ballet Company (YBC) celebrates its 29th season with a spectacular community collaboration of The Nutcracker, 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 21 at Willson Auditorium. Award-winning choreographer and YBC’s Artistic Director Kathleen Rakela creatively intertwines talented dancers and choreographers from Gallatin, Park and Meagher counties including Raison D'être Dance Project, Bozeman Dance Academy, and Martinsdale Ballet.
- [Queen City Ballet’s 19th annual Nutcracker](https://livelytimes.com/2019/11/queen-city-ballets-19th-annual-nutcracker/) - One hundred dancers, a growing Christmas tree, dancing snowflakes, and lavish costumes will delight families as Queen City Ballet Company presents its 19th annual production of the beloved holiday classic The Nutcracker at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 24, at the Helena Civic Center. Written by German author E.T.A. Hoffmann
- [Montana Ballet Company stages opulent Nutcracker](https://livelytimes.com/2019/11/montana-ballet-company-stages-opulent-nutcracker/) - For the past 36 years during the Christmas Stroll weekend in downtown Bozeman, Montana Ballet Company (MBC) has presented an opulent rendition of The Nutcracker. First performed in the lobby of First Security Bank, MBC’s Nutcracker has become a cherished holiday tradition for countless performers and their families and friends, as well as the thousands
- [Holiday MADE Fairs: Modern twist on time-honored crafts](https://livelytimes.com/2019/11/holiday-made-fairs-modern-twist-on-time-honored-crafts/) - HandMADE Montana, a business founded by Carol Lynn Lapotka, has two festive shows coming up: Helena Holiday MADE Fair, Nov. 23-24 at the Lewis and Clark County Fairgrounds, and the Missoula Holiday MADE fair, Dec. 8 at the Adams Center. Both offer visitors an opportunity to shop for “handmade goods as an alternative to mass-produced
- [Celtic Cowboy Christmas returns to Myrna](https://livelytimes.com/2019/11/celtic-cowboy-christmas-returns-to-myrna/) - The Myrna Loy in Helena takes the holiday season seriously. Well … sort of. First, the arts center offers an antidote to Black Friday’s frenzy with Cow Tipping Comedy’s annual benefit for the Myrna and the Friendship Center, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 29. “This year it’s kind of special,” says Kev Hamm, a co-founder of
- [Cohesion Dance Project stages rockin’ Nutcracker](https://livelytimes.com/2019/11/cohesion-dance-project-stages-rockin-nutcracker/) - Cohesion Dance Project puts a rock ’n roll spin on a holiday classic with Shira Greenberg’s Nutcracker on the Rocks at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 30, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 1, at the Helena Civic Center. It’s the seventh annual production of the community-based, rock ’n roll rendition of the classic holiday tale. Danced
- [Montana Art Festival showcases local, regional artists](https://livelytimes.com/2019/11/montana-art-festival-showcases-local-regional-artists/) - The 11th annual Montana Art Festival, Nov. 29-Dec. 1 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Missoula, features around 60 local and regional artists and crafts people. Doors are open from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. Customers can find one-of-a-kind paintings, pottery, jewelry, soaps, photography, clothing, woodwork, and
- [Chris Bergson & Ellis Hooks: Blazing rock and soul](https://livelytimes.com/2019/11/chris-bergson-ellis-hooks-blazing-rock-and-soul/) - It’s a rare treat to hear Chris Bergson and Ellis Hooks play the Delta blues in an intimate setting like The Myrna Loy in Helena. The duo performs their first and only concert in Montana at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21. They’re often performing in arenas, festivals and stadiums, says Bergson, “but we cut our
- [Britchy: Reinholdt & Arnesen join forces again](https://livelytimes.com/2019/11/britchy-reinholdt-arnesen-join-forces-again/) - Missoula’s singer/songwriter duo Richie Reinholdt and Britt Arnesen, aka Britchy, have released their fourth album of original tunes together. The two sport solo albums too, and several songs on the CD were previously recorded on them. Reinholdt is a long-time staple of the Missoula music scene, and plays in Lochwood Bluegrass Band as well as
- [Che Apalache brings Latingrass to Montana](https://livelytimes.com/2019/10/che-apalache-brings-latingrass-to-montana/) - “Latingrass quartet Che Apalache has skyrocketed in the year since we shook on this Myrna Loy concert deal,” says the Helena performing arts center’s executive director, Krys Holmes. They’ve been featured on NPR’s All Things Considered, rocked the mainstage at RockyGrass 2019, and launched their new album, Rearrange My Heart, Aug. 9. It’s produced by
- [Last Chance New Play Fest: Genetically Modified](https://livelytimes.com/2019/11/last-chance-new-play-fest-genetically-modified/) - Helena’s Last Chance New Play Fest, now in its sixth year, runs Nov 8-17, and features several new projects by nine Montana writers, including full-length, one-act and short plays. Performances are staged at Free Ceramics. This grassroots theatre event celebrates the works of local and regional playwrights including Brian Massman (Helena), Craig Kenworthy (Seattle/Bozeman), Michael
- [Alicia Olatuja: Wowing the world with sublime voice](https://livelytimes.com/2019/11/alicia-olatuja-wowing-the-world-with-sublime-voice/) - Young Alicia Olatuja wowed the world when she soloed with the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir at the second inauguration of President Barack Obama. She has sung with Billy Childs and Dr Lonnie Smith, and is in demand at the Newport Jazz Festival, Monterey Jazz Festival, Jazz at Lincoln Center, and more. Olatuja brings her “strong and
- [Cirque Musica pays playful homage to holidays](https://livelytimes.com/2019/11/cirque-musica-pays-playful-homage-to-holidays/) - Cirque Musica brings pays playful homage to the season in "Holiday Wishes," a full theatrical cirque event Nov. 23 in Missoula and Nov. 25 in Spokane. The renowned cast of acrobats and aerialists is backed by a full symphony orchestra performing holiday hits. “The music was spectacular, the acrobatic feats bordered on unbelievable, and the
- [Diagenesis Duo: Hands and Lips of Wind](https://livelytimes.com/2019/11/diagenesis-duo-hands-and-lips-of-wind/) - In geology, diagenesis describes “the physical and chemical changes occurring during the conversion of sediment to rock.” It’s an apt description for former Helenans Heather Barnes, soprano, and Jennifer Bewerse, cello. They are purveyors of “modern classical music,” throwing out accepted musical concepts to create something new. On their debut album, the pair smash the
- [Livingston Jazz Festival Brings Two Worlds Together](https://livelytimes.com/2019/11/livingston-jazz-festival-brings-two-worlds-together/) - Livingston is “unmistakably the place to be for live music and jazz particularly” Nov. 7-9, when the Livingston Jazz Festival brings top-notch jazz artists to town. The festival, now in its fourth year, is the brainchild of Garrett Stannard, director of bands at Park High School. According to Stannard, Park High is the only high
- [Take3: From Beatles to Beethoven](https://livelytimes.com/2019/10/take3-from-beatles-to-beethoven/) - The genre-bending trio Take3 – lauded as “one of the best new trios in the music business today” – performs Nov. 8 at the Ellen Theatre in Bozeman and Nov. 9 at the O’Shaughnessy Center in Whitefish. With a flair for the wild and unexpected, Take3 brings the refinement of a rigorous classical background and infuses
- [Great Northwest Oktoberfest: Polka up a storm!](https://livelytimes.com/2019/09/great-northwest-oktoberfest-polka-up-a-storm/) - What better way to savor fall than at the 10th annual Great Northwest Oktoberfest, Sept. 26-28 and Oct. 2-5 in Whitefish. This year’s event moves to a new venue: the "Oktoberfest Bigtop" at Smith Fields, just east of North Valley Hospital. As always, the celebration of all-things German offers plenty of oom-pahs and chicken dancing,
- [Ishmael: One-man Whale of a Tale](https://livelytimes.com/2019/10/ishmael-one-man-whale-of-a-tale/) - White Whale Productions presents “Ishmael” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 3, at The Myrna Loy in Helena and 1 p.m. Oct. 8 at the Lincoln Center in Billings. The Minneapolis Star-Tribune calls it a “one-man whale of a tale.” This full-length live theatrical event, based on Herman Melville’s classic novel Moby Dick, tells the tale
- [Ed Asner returns to Montana in “God Help Us!”](https://livelytimes.com/2019/10/ed-asner-returns-to-montana-in-god-help-us/) - The Montana Actors’ Theatre of Havre and the Billings Studio Theatre are partnering to bring “God Help Us!” – starring legendary actor Ed Asner – to Billings Oct. 4-6. The political comedy, features Asner as God – a wise, cantankerous and wildly funny deity. He confronts two political pundits with a romantic history: Lawrence (a liberal)
- [Bollywood Night blends fun and fundraising](https://livelytimes.com/2019/10/bollywood-night-blends-fun-and-fundraising/) - Bollywood Night, the annual fundraiser for the Tibetan Children's Education Foundation, brings an exotic evening of dance and entertainment to the Helena Civic Center, 7 p.m. Oct. 12. This fun night for all ages features Bollywood DJ Prashant Kakad and his accomplished troupe of dancers, who lead the crowd in a Jai Ho! Dance Party.
- [Repertory Dance Theatre: Expect the Unexpected](https://livelytimes.com/2019/10/repertory-dance-theatre-expect-the-unexpected/) - “Embrace the unexpected,” recommends Repertory Dance Theatre, which brings modern dance performances to Ronan Oct. 11 and Seeley Lake Oct. 13. More than 50 years ago, the company beat out big-city stalwarts and received a Rockefeller Foundation grant to establish the nation’s first repertory dance company. Founded in 1966 in Salt Lake City, Utah, this
- [National Geographic Live: Lions, Tigers & Leopards](https://livelytimes.com/2019/10/national-geographic-live-lions-tigers-leopards/) - National Geographic Live, National Geographic’s touring speaker series, and the Alberta Bair Theater present “On the Trail of Big Cats” with Steve Winter, an award-winning National Geographic wildlife photographer, at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 12 at Petro Theatre on the campus of MSU Billings. Winter, who specializes in wildlife photography, has been a National Geographic
- [WTC stages “Over the River and Through the Woods”](https://livelytimes.com/2019/10/wtc-stages-over-the-river-and-through-the-woods/) - Veteran actor and director David Ackroyd directs the warm-hearted, boisterous comedy, “Over the River and Through the Woods,” Whitefish Theatre Company’s first mainstage theatre production of its 2019-2020 season. This hilarious family play, written by award-winning playwright Joe DiPietro (“I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change,” “Memphis”) runs at the O’Shaughnessy Center in Whitefish at
- [Butte Symphony: An Evening of Cello, Fire & Dreams](https://livelytimes.com/2019/10/butte-symphony-an-evening-of-cello-fire-dreams/) - The Butte Symphony opens its 70th anniversary season Oct. 26 with the dramatic Lalo Cello Concerto in D Minor, featuring cellist Adam Collins of the University of Montana in a program titled “An Evening of Cello, Fire and Dances.” As Montana’s original and oldest symphony, the community orchestra continues its mission to provide music to
- [Cory Holmes and Tom Otherness pair art & friendship](https://livelytimes.com/2019/10/cory-holmes-and-tom-otherness-pair-art-friendship/) - Artists from New York City and Havre join forces in a photography and sculpture show, on display through Oct. 31 at Artitudes Gallery, located on the upper level of the Atrium in Havre. The most famous anonymous sculptor in Montana, Cory Holmes of Havre, shares his eccentric, welded fence art in “Orphaned Iron”: the tandem exhibit also features sculptor
- [The Roommate explores joys and terrors of reinvention](https://livelytimes.com/2019/09/the-roommate-explores-joys-and-terrors-of-reinvention/) - Whitefish Theatre Company opens its 2019-2020 season with a Black Curtain production of “The Roommate.” This barebones production of a “funny and beautiful story about the joys and the terrors of personal reinvention” comes to the O’Shaughnessy Center stage at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 21-22. Recently divorced and living in an old house in Iowa, Sharon
- [Miles City Bluegrass: Music on Wings](https://livelytimes.com/2019/09/miles-city-bluegrass-music-on-wings/) - The Miles City Bluegrass Festival – Music on Wings – delivers another bluegrass bonanza to the Eastern Montana Fairgrounds Sept. 20-22. Now in its 22nd year, the festival includes The Buckleys, Song Dog Serenade, the Edgar Loudermilk Band featuring Jeff Autry, Cotton Wood, Lochwood, Milestown and the Little Bluestems. Ron Mills, a native of Virginia
- [Shakespeare in the Parks: Summer of Falstaff](https://livelytimes.com/2019/06/shakespeare-in-the-parks-summer-of-falstaff/) - Montana Shakespeare in the Parks will tour performances of Shakespeare’s “Henry IV, Part I” and “The Merry Wives of Windsor” this summer to parks and public spaces across Montana and adjacent states. The company will travel over 7,000 miles during the season, which runs June 12 through Sept. 3, performing in 61 communities in five
- [Pete Fromm | A Job You Mostly Won’t Know How to Do](https://livelytimes.com/2019/08/pete-fromm-a-job-you-mostly-wont-know-how-to-do/) - Pete Fromm's latest novel, A Job You Mostly Won’t Know How to Do, is a tender triumph by a writer who continues to navigate the human heart with a steady, knowing hand. Taz and Marnie: Such a pair! He’s good with wood, bad with checkbooks. She’s feisty, smart and pregnant. Together they’re building a life
- [Alberta Bair: The Show Must Go On!](https://livelytimes.com/2019/09/alberta-bair-the-show-must-go-on/) - The Alberta Bair theater, which closed in April to undergo a $13.6 million expansion and renovation, is taking the 2019-2020 season to a variety of venues, beginning Sept. 14 with "The Other Mozart" at MSU Billings Petro Theatre. “The show must go on,” says Ron Bates, incoming chair of the Alberta Bair Theater board. “We
- [Flathead Writers’ Conference Features Hollywood Editor](https://livelytimes.com/2019/09/flathead-writers-conference-features-hollywood-editor/) - Whitefish author/editor Jeff Giles has a new job as Vanity Fair’s Hollywood Executive Editor. Just before he leaves Montana, he’ll make a farewell appearance at the 29th annual Flathead River Writers Conference, Sept. 14-15, 2019 at Flathead Valley Community College in Kalispell. In a recent interview, Giles said “speaking at the conference – and helping
- [Shadows of the Past: Art for a good cause](https://livelytimes.com/2019/09/shadows-of-the-past-art-for-a-good-cause/) - Choteau is abuzz with artists and art fans on Saturday, Sept. 14, as they flock to the 30th annual Shadows of the Past Art Auction. For three decades, this popular art auction has been a staple in the Choteau community to help raise funds for local nonprofits. The Benefis Teton Medical Center Foundation took over
- [Charlotte’s Web: Actors weave magical tale](https://livelytimes.com/2019/09/charlottes-web-actors-weave-magical-tale/) - Charlotte’s Web, one of the most beloved stories in American children’s literature, comes to life on the stage of the MCT Center for the Performing Arts at noon Sept 12 and noon and 6 p.m. Sept. 13. Produced by the Missoula Children’s Theatre, Charlotte’s Web is MCT’s annual Theatre for Young Audiences production, featuring professional
- [Meadowlark Music Festival: Music for a Cause](https://livelytimes.com/2019/08/meadowlark-music-festival-music-for-a-cause/) - The Meadowlark Music Festival returns to Women’s Park in Helena for the third year Sept. 7, with acts from Gypsy jazz to Latin grooves and punk-inspired folk. From noon-10 p.m., the third annual event offers abundant live music, market vendors, local food and drink, and daytime kids activities. Fifty percent of the proceeds go to
- [Boulder Music & Arts Festival: Music Montanans love](https://livelytimes.com/2019/09/boulder-music-arts-festival-music-montanans-love/) - Fan favorite Wylie and the Wild West returns to the Boulder Music and Arts Festival, 10 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Sept. 7 at Veterans’ Park in Boulder. The annual festival, which has been a weekend-long event for the past decade, now packs a lot of fun into one day. Bring a chair and listen, or swing your
- [Jessica Eve Lechner | Next Train Home](https://livelytimes.com/2019/08/jessica-eve-lechner-next-train-home/) - Jessica Eve Lechner, a singer/songwriter and guitarist from Billings, has released her first full-length album following her self-titled solo EP. Several of the songs on that recording appear here, fleshed out for a fuller sound this time around with terrific musicians that assist her. Contributing lead guitar are Chad Gerber and Elliot Jason. Parker Brown
- [Labor Day Arts Fair in Red Lodge](https://livelytimes.com/2019/08/labor-day-arts-fair-in-red-lodge/) - Enjoy the last, best summer event in Red Lodge with the 40th annual Labor Day Arts Fair in Lions Park. Organized by the Carbon County Arts Guild and Depot Gallery, this one-day event takes place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Sept. 2. More than 90 artisans share high-quality handmade goods, including one-of-a-kind fine
- [Germanfest salutes tradition: Prost!](https://livelytimes.com/2019/08/germanfest-salutes-tradition-prost/) - Germanfest, the annual celebration of Missoula’s sister-city partnership with Neckargemünd, Germany, brings beer, bratwurst, pretzels and polkas to Caras Park from 2-6 p.m. Sept. 1. Admission as always is free! Once again, the Vancouver, BC-based German band S-Bahn (www.sbahnmusic.com) returns to the festival with their high-energy performance. Why the name? "S-Bahn is the commuter train
- [Wailing Aaron Jennings delivers old-time country](https://livelytimes.com/2019/08/wailing-aaron-jennings-delivers-old-time-country/) - Missoula guitarist yodeler “Wailing” Aaron Jennings has a self-titled album out, recorded live by Travis Yost, who also plays bass and drums on it. Jennings says he wanted to create an “audio snapshot” of his music as you would hear it in person. Other contributors are fiddle player Grace Decker and John Rossett on mandolin
- [Boeing Boeing: Stratospheric comedy](https://livelytimes.com/2019/08/boeing-boeing-stratospheric-comedy/) - Back by popular demand, the Whitefish Theatre Co. presents a special summer production of “Boeing Boeing” at the O’Shaughnessy Center in Whitefish. This hilarious, zany comedy is the perfect show to close out WTC’s 40th anniversary season with performances on Aug. 14-17 and 21-24 at 8 p.m. “Boeing Boeing” is a 1960s French farce that
- [River City Roots: Celebrating Downtown Missoula](https://livelytimes.com/2019/08/river-city-roots-celebrating-downtown-missoula/) - The 14th Annual River City Roots Festival, Aug. 23-24, brings summer in Missoula to a close with loads of great music, kids’ activities, a four-mile run and food and art vendors. The Honey Island Swamp Band, which formed in San Francisco via New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina displaced the founding members, headlines Friday night. With
- [Mighty Big Jim & the Tall Boys | Diamonds & Tears](https://livelytimes.com/2019/08/mighty-big-jim-the-tall-boys-diamonds-tears/) - Wibaux guitarist Jim Devine (aka Mighty Big Jim) leads his usual cadre of music-makers on their second album, made up of original, rough-hewn roots-rock. Besides Devine on vocals and guitar, the expert crew includes Casey Malkuch, guitar, harmonica and vocals; John Redlin, bass; and married couple Jayson Eslick, drums and percussion, and Katelynne Eslick, vocals.
- [Festival at Sandpoint: World-class music, backyard vibe](https://livelytimes.com/2019/07/festival-at-sandpoint-world-class-music-backyard-vibe/) - The Festival at Sandpoint kicks off Aug. 1 with eight nights of music under the stars on the shores of Lake Pend Oreille. Since 1983, the non-profit Festival at Sandpoint has hosted its internationally renowned summer concert series in a laid-back and intimate atmosphere at Memorial Field in Sandpoint. With a capacity of only 4,000
- [Travis Yost makes No Excuses on new album](https://livelytimes.com/2019/07/travis-yost-makes-no-excuses-on-new-album/) - Missoula multi-instrumentalist Travis Yost, aka “Love Is a Dog from Nebraska,” has released his third full-length album, another solo effort of originals. He played all instruments and recorded it in his home studio. Yost is a sought-out talent for other musicians, performing on their works and producing them, too. Here, Yost examines his “fight or
- [Rockin’ the Rivers: Montana's homegrown rockfest](https://livelytimes.com/2019/08/rockin-the-rivers-montanas-homegrown-rockfest/) - Rockin’ the Rivers, known for bringing in big name rock and metal bands, is Montana’s original homegrown three-day rockfest. Starting Thursday, Aug. 8, and running through Saturday, Aug. 10, at The Bridge outside Three Forks, this year’s festival will be headlined by Cheap Trick on Thursday and Zakk Sabbath featuring the Viking Thunder god Zakk Wylde
- [Moonlight MusicFest Giveaway: And the winners are ...](https://livelytimes.com/2019/08/moonlight-musicfest-giveaway-weve-got-free-tickets/) - The Moonlight MusicFest returns to Big Sky Aug. 16-17 for its second year of delivering stellar music by national and regional talent (Trampled by Turtles, The Record Company, Blackberry Smoke, Josh Ritter and the Royal City Band, The War & Treaty, St. Paul and the Broken Bones) in a breathtaking setting. And we just gave
- [Northwest Montana Fair: 116 years of tradition](https://livelytimes.com/2019/08/northwest-montana-fair-116-years-of-tradition/) - With 116 years of tradition, the Northwest Montana Fair and Rodeo revs up Aug. 14-18 with three nights of PRCA Rodeo action, concerts, carnival rides, and that fabulous fair food at the Flathead County Fairgrounds in Kalispell. This year’s fair kicks off Wednesday with a concert by rough-edged original Gretchen Wilson. “All the good and
- [Grand Victorian Ball: Step Back in Time](https://livelytimes.com/2019/08/grand-victorian-ball-step-back-in-time/) - Excitement builds in Madison and Beaverhead Counties as preparations are finalized for the Virginia City Grand Victorian Ball reenactment, held Aug. 17 at the Virginia City Community Center. This annual fundraiser for the Virginia City Preservation Alliance, “requires all the usual coordination for any event,” says this year’s chairwoman, Jean James, “but with some additional
- [Artist Carol Hartman: Defying the Odds](https://livelytimes.com/2019/08/artist-carol-hartman-defying-the-odds/) - Large and colorful oil landscape paintings by Carol Hartman, on display through August at MonDak Heritage Center in Sidney, depict the overland and waterway trails taken by settlers of the MonDak region of Eastern Montana. “I am quite proud of the early history of the region and of the many pioneers involved in its development,”
- [Masontown brings Colorado jamgrass to Montana](https://livelytimes.com/2019/07/masontown-brings-colorado-jamgrass-to-montana/) - Masontown, the Colorado-based bluegrass band known for its innovative style, hits The Myrna Loy stage in Helena Thursday, Aug. 1, then heads to Great Falls Aug. 2, Billings Aug. 6, Bozeman Aug. 7, Emigrant Aug. 8, and Missoula Aug. 11. Masontown was founded in 2015 by Bozeman native Natalie Padilla, a lauded fiddle champion and trained
- [Players present “Tonight on Wild Horse Island”](https://livelytimes.com/2019/07/players-present-tonight-on-wild-horse-island/) - An homage to family and place, the musical comedy “Tonight on Wild Horse Island” graces the Theatre on the Lake in Polson at 8 p.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays, through Aug. 4. Written by Polson attorney and former legislator John Mercer, the play centers on a Montana family that has gathered to scatter the
- [Big Sky Rhythm & Blues Festival](https://livelytimes.com/2019/07/big-sky-rhythm-blues-festival/) - The 10th annual Big Sky Rhythm & Blues Festival fills the tiny town of Noxon, on the banks of the Clark Fork River, with smokin’ hot blues Aug. 2-4. “This festival has become a favorite annual destination for families and veteran festival seekers alike,” says organizer Frederica Peto. “It’s a great place to bring the
- [Storyhill celebrates 30 years of making music](https://livelytimes.com/2019/07/storyhill-celebrates-30-years-of-making-music/) - Storyhill, the popular duo that was born and bred in Bozeman, returns to their roots July 24-27 for the 30th Anniversary Celebration and Road Show. After graduating from high school back in 1989, Chris Cunningham and Johnny Hermanson spent a day at Peak Recording and made a record, simply titled Chris and Johnny. Now known
- [Time for Cookin’ on the Clark Fork](https://livelytimes.com/2019/07/time-for-cookin-on-the-clark-fork/) - The fourth annual Cookin’ on the Clark Fork BBQ Cook-off and Brewfest is Saturday, July 27, in Deer Lodge, Montana from noon to 7 p.m. Downtown Main Street will be closed to traffic for the family-friendly festivities that offer ample opportunities to sample some of the best BBQ and brews in the area, listen or
- [Daniel Kosel's new album: More Than Enough](https://livelytimes.com/2019/07/daniel-kosels-new-album-more-than-enough/) - Minstrel Daniel Kosel of Roberts has a third album out. It’s a solo endeavor, recorded live at Kirk’s Grocery in Billings and chock-full of original songs and great pickin’. Kosel describes his style as “robust vocals within an eclectic blend of country, rock, and blues,“ or “Crues Music.” The poet and songwriter possesses nimble digits
- [Symphony Under the Stars: Aretha! A Tribute](https://livelytimes.com/2019/07/symphony-under-the-stars-aretha-a-tribute/) - Aretha Franklin, Queen of Soul, takes the limelight in the Intrepid Credit Union Symphony Under the Stars concert event and fireworks show, 8:30 p.m. Saturday, July 20, on the campus of Carroll College. Considered the largest summer event in Montana, the much-anticipated concert attracts well over 15,000 people from across the state and beyond. The
- [Fiesta celebrates Hispanic culture in Billings](https://livelytimes.com/2019/07/fiesta-celebrates-hispanic-culture-in-billings/) - Mexican food, music and culture take center stage July 20 in Billings when Mary Queen of Peace parish sponsors the 66th annual Mexican Fiesta and 23rd annual Fiesta Car Show at South Park (South Broadway and 6th Ave. S). Admission is free and activities begin at 10 a.m. and continue through 5 p.m. The Fiesta,
- [Bill Bowers wanders All Over the Map](https://livelytimes.com/2019/06/bill-bowers-wanders-all-over-the-map/) - Missoula native and Hellgate High School graduate Bill Bowers has been to “places so unbelievable, they could only be true.” An award-winning actor, writer, teacher and mime, Bowers will share those places and experiences at the MCT Center for the Performing Arts, Tuesday, July 2, at 7:30 p.m. with his original show, “All Over the
- [Sweet Grass Fest & Rockin’ Rodeo](https://livelytimes.com/2019/06/sweet-grass-fest-rockin-rodeo/) - The Sweet Grass Fest brings rodeo, music and family fun to the scenic town of Big Timber June 28-29. The weekend kicks off with the 96th annual Big Timber Rodeo, presented by the B Bar T Rodeo Company at 7 p.m. Friday evening at the Sweet Grass County Fairgrounds. The NRA/NWRA sanctioned event offers calf
- [Wallace Blues Festival: Fun, with a Capital F](https://livelytimes.com/2019/06/wallace-blues-festival-fun-with-a-capital-f/) - The Wallace Blues Festival, which fills three blocks of the historic downtown area with stages and live music July 12-14, has earned a “Capital F Fun” from party-goers. Sammy Eubanks has been an important part of the Wallace Blues Festival since its inception eight years ago, starting the party on Friday night at The Red
- [Art in the Beartooths: Quick Finish & Art Auction](https://livelytimes.com/2019/07/art-in-the-beartooths-quick-finish-art-auction/) - Art in the Beartooths brings a bevy of artists to Red Lodge July 13 for the Quick Finish, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Depot Park, followed by the festive dinner and auction at 4 p.m. The Carbon County Arts Guild and Depot Gallery’s annual fundraiser attracts artists and art admirers from far and
- [Port Polson Players: Sunshine, Simon and Sass](https://livelytimes.com/2019/06/port-polson-players-sunshine-simon-and-sass/) - The Port Polson Players launch “a kind of sentimental season, laced with humor,” beginning July 5-14 with Neil Simon’s “The Sunshine Boys,” a play they first produced in 1984. Thirty-five years later, they’re revving up the comedy once again to honor its author, who passed away last August. “He was the master of Broadway comedy,”
- [Jason Wickens: Mining the roots of Americana](https://livelytimes.com/2019/06/jason-wickens-mining-the-roots-of-americana/) - Bozeman guitarist and songwriter Jason Wickens has his first CD out, an eponymous collection of original music that mines American roots genres: country, rock, blues and folk among them. You may recognize Wickens as the producer and host of “Live from the Divide” on public radio. The show features Americana artists, many who influenced the
- [HandMADE Montana opens Polson storefront](https://livelytimes.com/2019/07/handmade-montana-opens-polson-storefront/) - Two weeks before she opened the doors of handMADE Montana Retail and Production House to the public, Carol Lynn Lapotka was relaxed and gregarious, even though her to-do list seemed insurmountable. A crew of carpenters was in the attic, repairing broken trusses in her 110-year-old building on Polson’s Main Street. A new employee was painting
- [RIDE: Roundup Independence Days Extravaganza](https://livelytimes.com/2019/06/ride-roundup-independence-days-extravaganza/) - Roundup Independence Days Extravaganza (that’s RIDE for short) returns for its 15th annual celebration, July 4-7. The fun four-day event features concerts by The Georgia Satellites on Thursday; High Country Cowboys on Friday; and Lonestar on Saturday (all at 7 p.m.). Events kick off Saturday, June 29, with a talent show at 6 p.m. Festivities
- [Rio Mira makes marimba magic](https://livelytimes.com/2019/07/rio-mira-makes-marimba-magic/) - Marimba supergroup Rio Mira brings a lively summer night of Afro-Pacific music to The Myrna Loy in Helena at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 11. “They have a very joyful music from the Pacific Coast of Colombia,” says tour manager Luis Acosta with Odelia Artists. “It’s very inspiring ... It’s very transcendental. It’s soft, joyful and
- [Hound of the Baskervilles: A Sherlockian romp](https://livelytimes.com/2019/06/hound-of-the-baskervilles-a-sherlockian-romp/) - Alpine Theatre Project’s new production of “The Hound of the Baskervilles” deploys only three actors to play 14 characters at breakneck speed, June 20-29 at the Whitefish Performing Arts Center. Show times are 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday. “Fans of ‘Airplane!,’ the ‘Naked Gun’ movies, Monty Python, or any of the Mel Brooks movies will absolutely love
- [Moonlight MusicFest Giveaway: And the Winner Is](https://livelytimes.com/2019/05/moonlight-musicfest-giveaway/) - The Moonlight MusicFest returns to Big Sky Aug. 16-17 for its second year of delivering stellar music by national and regional talent in a breathtaking setting. Nina Corelli of Missoula claimed two free tickets. "Thank you so much!!!! Oh my goodness this is exciting," she exclaimed. Josh Ritter, whose new single, “Old Black Magic,” is rapidly climbing
- [Unearth treasures at Butte Mineral & Gem Club show](https://livelytimes.com/2019/06/unearth-treasures-at-butte-mineral-gem-club-show/) - Dig into Butte's rich mining history and hunt for treasures at the Butte Mineral and Gem Club's annual show, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. June 15-16 at the Butte Civic Center. Dubbed “the Richest Hill on Earth,” Butte was one of the largest producing copper districts in the world. Its mining heritage can be traced back to
- [Brad Paisley brings World Tour to Missoula](https://livelytimes.com/2019/06/brad-paisley-brings-world-tour-to-missoula/) - Country music superstar Brad Paisley brings his 2019 World Tour to Big Sky Brewing Amphitheater in Missoula at 6:30 p.m. Friday, June 14. The tour, which kicks off May 30 in Albuquerque, NM, includes Platinum-selling hitmaker Chris Lane and rising singer-songwriter Riley Green. Tickets to the Montana show went on sale Friday, Feb. 15, for $70
- [Resonance: Art Inspires Art in Dance Work](https://livelytimes.com/2019/05/resonance-art-inspires-art-in-dance-work/) - Cohesion Dance Project (CDP) brings its collaborative performance, “Resonance ~ an evening of Art Inspiring Art” to Helena, Missoula and Great Falls in May. The Bitterroot Cascade Tour opened Helena May 11 with “Excerpts of Resonance” at Cohesion’s Backstage Theater. The full evening-length production will be performed May 23 at the UM Dennison Theatre in
- [“I Hate Hamlet”: Laugh-packed ghost story](https://livelytimes.com/2019/05/i-hate-hamlet-laugh-packed-ghost-story/) - Whitefish Theatre Co. presents its final cabaret show of the 2018-2019 theatre season with a hilarious production of “I Hate Hamlet” at the O’Shaughnessy Center in Whitefish. Called “fast-mouthed and funny," this entertaining show opens with a sneak preview night on May 30 at 7:30 p.m., and continues at 7:30 p.m. May 31, June 1-2
- [BZN Film Festival aims to educate and inspire](https://livelytimes.com/2019/05/bzn-film-festival-aims-to-educate-and-inspire/) - A rich slate of panel discussions, community-wide events, Q & A sessions, and parties complement 70 films from 19 countries during the second annual BZN Film Festival, June 6-9 at six venues in Bozeman. Additional events include the Opening Film and Reception, 7 p.m. Thursday at the Emerson Center, a free family event, 3 p.m.
- [Montana gets dazzling dose of Gypsy Jazz](https://livelytimes.com/2019/06/montana-gets-dazzling-dose-of-gypsy-jazz/) - Step back into the 1930s Hot Club jazz scene in France with two nights of Gypsy jazz. Two of the hottest names today in the genre – Tim Kliphuis of Netherlands and Alfonso Ponticelli of Chicago – bring together a mini Montana Django music festival on The Myrna Loy stage in Helena, 7:30 p.m. Friday,
- [Great Pasty Throwdown & Sosten Fest](https://livelytimes.com/2019/06/great-pasty-throwdown-sosten-fest/) - In all of Butte’s rich history, there’s one thing missing: Believe it or not, no one’s ever held a best-pasty contest. The National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT), through its ATTRA sustainable agriculture program, along with the Butte Chamber of Commerce and the Butte Archives, is changing that on June 8 with the Great Pasty
- [Reeder’s Alley Block Party: Music, food & fun](https://livelytimes.com/2019/06/reeders-alley-block-party-music-food-fun/) - It’s Summer! Kick off ‘dem shoes and head to historic Reeder’s Alley in Helena for the fifth annual Block Party on Saturday, June 8, 4-10 p.m. Located in Helena’s oldest neighborhood, one of Helena’s most sought-out events draws thousands of people together to celebrate summer in a unique annual shindig. Love roots and reggae? Tune
- [Make merry at Montana Renaissance Festival](https://livelytimes.com/2019/05/make-merry-at-montana-renaissance-festival/) - Welcome, Lords and Ladies, to the Montana Renaissance Festival, June 1-2 at ZooMontana in Billings. Revel in the atmosphere of a 16th century European country faire during the largest event of its kind in the region. Explore the bustling marketplace. Mingle and interact with costumed characters and enjoy their endless merriment and mayhem. The renaissance
- [Moss Mansion SpringFest: An artful potpourri](https://livelytimes.com/2019/05/moss-mansion-springfest-an-artful-potpourri/) - The Moss Mansion celebrates 31 years of SpringFest on Saturday, June 1. One of the most anticipated juried art shows in Billings is located on the lush lawn of the Moss. Enjoy a day of shopping, live entertainment, delicious food and fun activities for kids, all surrounded by the stately juniper hedge and colorful flowers,
- [Road Agents: Southwest Montana rock ’n roll](https://livelytimes.com/2019/05/road-agents-southwest-montana-rock-n-roll/) - The Road Agents – Jeff Peterson, Bozeman, and Justin Ringsak, Helena – play “Southwest Montana acoustic rock and roll.” Peterson, guitar and vocals, wrote all the songs here, and Ringsak, mandolin and backing vocals, contributed his instrumental parts. The fellas have professional careers, so music is a fun sideline. They both left Montana for a
- [Crazy Mountain Fiber Fest](https://livelytimes.com/2019/05/crazy-mountain-fiber-fest/) - The third annual Crazy Mountain Fiber Fest brings spinners, weavers and other fiber enthusiasts to Big Timber May 18 for an exciting array of offerings. Held from 9 a.m.-7 p.m. at the Big Timber Civic Center, the festival provides a fun educational way for visitors to learn about the fiber industry and arts, sheep culture,
- [Lowell Jaeger | Earth-Blood & Star-Shine](https://livelytimes.com/2019/05/lowell-jaeger-earth-blood-star-shine/) - Eco-criticism has long explored divisions between nature and civilization, asking questions like: Where does nature begin and civilization end? How do they affect one another? These ideas are central to Montana Poet Laureate Lowell Jaeger, as evidenced in his four-part collection, Earth-blood & Star-shine. I first met Jaeger more than a year ago when he
- [Aftermath: Photographs by Nicole Stroman](https://livelytimes.com/2019/05/aftermath-photographs-by-nicole-stroman/) - Helena photographer Nicole Stroman remembers when her niece was struggling and attempted to take her own life. “I took it very hard,” she recalls. “I felt so helpless.” Her photography exhibit, on display through June 24 at the Holter Museum of Art in Helena, explores the aftermath of suicide in an attempt to show who
- [Martha Scanlan: The River and the Light](https://livelytimes.com/2019/04/martha-scanlan-the-river-and-the-light/) - Songbird Martha Scanlan, who resides near Missoula, has her fourth album out in 11 years. The reclusive singer/songwriter, a guitar player and former member of the old-time string band the Reeltime Travelers, has appeared on NPR and shared the stage with celebrated roots artists. Back when, she soaked up the music of eastern Tennessee, and
- [Extra! Extra! Missoula Community Theatre stages “Newsies”](https://livelytimes.com/2019/04/extra-extra-missoula-community-theatre-stages-newsies/) - The Missoula Community Theatre presents Disney’s “Newsies – The Broadway Musical” April 25-May 12 at the MCT Center for the Performing Arts. Fed up with greedy publisher Joseph Pulitzer’s plan to cut them out, the Newsies of 1899 organize a strike at a time when striking often had dire consequences. Based on the popular Disney
- [Queen City Ballet takes topsy-turvy trip to Wonderland](https://livelytimes.com/2019/05/queen-city-ballet-takes-topsy-turvy-trip-to-wonderland/) - Hightail it down the rabbit hole with Queen City Ballet Company’s whimsical “Alice in Wonderland,” Mother’s Day weekend, Saturday, May 11, and Sunday, May 12, at the Helena Civic Center. This imaginative production features vibrant, professionally crafted sets, elaborate costumes, and accomplished performances by more than 60 dancers from the nationally recognized Queen City Ballet
- [Arlo Guthrie returns with Alice’s Restaurant Tour](https://livelytimes.com/2019/04/arlo-guthrie-returns-with-alices-restaurant-tour/) - It was Woody Guthrie’s dream to have enough kids to form a family band that would travel the country. Guthrie’s son, Arlo, has fulfilled at least part of the dream with his Alice’s Restaurant tour, featuring his daughter, Sarah Lee Guthrie. The tour comes to The Wilma in Missoula May 3 and the Emerson Cultural
- [Garden City BrewFest welcomes spring to Missoula](https://livelytimes.com/2019/04/garden-city-brewfest-welcomes-spring-to-missoula/) - The 27th annual Garden City BrewFest, Montana’s oldest and largest beer festival, takes place Saturday, May 4, in Caras Park in downtown Missoula. The event offers more than 70 beers, wine and ciders, plus four flavors of Big Sky Brewing’s Spiked Seltzer. Garden City BrewFest takes place from noon-8 p.m. and features live music from
- [Band delivers The Latest Twang](https://livelytimes.com/2019/01/band-delivers-the-latest-twang/) - Lead singer and rhythm guitarist Buck Buchanan and the www.twang boys are back. This terrific Bozeman-area combo’s fourth album is packed with original country tunes from Buchanan and co-writers. He’s joined on the effort by Marcus Engstrom, electric guitars, Michael Gillan, drums, Russ Olsen, bass and vocals, and Mike Parsons, fiddle and vocals. Carol Buchanan
- [Detroit Blues Queen Thornetta Davis hits Helena](https://livelytimes.com/2019/04/detroit-blues-queen-thornetta-davis-hits-helena/) - Thornetta Davis, Detroit’s Queen of the Blues, brings her powerhouse voice and indelible stories to Helena’s Myrna Loy May 1. It’s her only stop in Montana. Davis, winner of more than 30 Detroit Music Awards, has opened for Ray Charles, Gladys Knight, Smokey Robinson, Etta James, Buddy Guy, and Koko Taylor. “She is the composite
- [Ice Breaker Road Race turns 40](https://livelytimes.com/2019/04/ice-breaker-road-race-turns-40/) - Frigid weather or not, the 40th annual Ice Breaker Road Race promises to attract more than 3,600 runners, joggers and fitness walkers to Great Falls Sunday, April 28. The race, named one of the top 100 road races in the country by Runner’s World Magazine, offers a five-mile race, three-mile run and a one-mile run/fitness walk.
- [Spring Festival celebrates “majestic transformation”](https://livelytimes.com/2019/04/spring-festival-celebrates-majestic-transformation/) - Glacier Symphony ushers in the return of beautiful weather and the completion of its successful 36th concert season with a Spring Festival, April 26-28 in Kalispell. The celebration highlights the full orchestra and chorale in three distinctly different concerts. Music helps share our stories. It allows us to hear one another, share our experience of it and invite
- [O Sole Trio: Bravissimo Broadway!](https://livelytimes.com/2019/04/o-sole-trio-bravissimo-broadway/) - O Sole Trio, an exhilarating and uniquely talented classical crossover ensemble, storms Montana this month. The trio performs April 2 in Libby, April 5 in Ronan, April 8 in Fort Benton, April 10 in Superior, April 13 in Paradise and April 14 in Hobson. Several years ago, three musicians from the far corners of the
- [Clay Studio of Missoula’s Potsketch exhibit & gala](https://livelytimes.com/2019/04/clay-studio-of-missoulas-potsketch-exhibit-gala/) - Potsketch – a silent, online and live auction fundraiser to help sustain the Clay Studio of Missoula’s facilities and programs – opens Friday, April 5, with a preview exhibition. Check out more than six-dozen Potsketches and two-dozen live auction ceramic works. Bidding begins on silent auction works at the preview, which is free and open
- [Go wild! International Wildlife Film Festival](https://livelytimes.com/2019/04/go-wild-international-wildlife-film-festival/) - Adaptation – of species, the world, and the filmmakers who capture it all – takes center stage as the International Wildlife Film Festival (IWFF) returns for its 42nd year, April 13-19. Missoula once again hosts groundbreaking and inspirational films from many of the most talented wildlife filmmakers working around the world. This long-standing annual event
- [Alice in Wonderland: Curiouser & curiouser](https://livelytimes.com/2019/04/alice-in-wonderland-curiouser-curiouser/) - Whitefish Theatre Company stages the beloved story of “Alice In Wonderland,” at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays, April 11-20, and 4 p.m. Sunday, April 14. Called “simply a marvel” by DC Metro Theatre Arts, this family-friendly production opens with a sneak preview April 11 at the O’Shaughnessy Center in Whitefish. Based on the timeless classic by Lewis
- [Sweet Remains bring lush harmonies to Montana](https://livelytimes.com/2019/04/sweet-remains-bring-lush-harmonies-to-montana/) - The Sweet Remains, an indie folk-rock ensemble taking the nation by storm, brings their original songs and smooth harmonies to Whitefish April 25, Helena April 26 and Bozeman April 27. Headed by three gifted singer-songwriters, this nationally touring, acoustic folk-rock trio is both talented and charismatic. Driven by strong lyrical and melodic writing, their songs
- [Down the Hatch Fly-Fishing Festival](https://livelytimes.com/2019/04/down-the-hatch-fly-fishing-festival/) - Down the Hatch Fly-Fishing Festival (a biennial Missoula event) is all about fishing, fun, music, catching up with friends and making new connections. The party in Caras Park from noon-6 p.m. Saturday, April 27, celebrates Missoula and the coming summer season, while offering an opportunity to teach people (young to old) more about fly-fishing and
- [Sneed Collard III: Warblers & Woodpeckers](https://livelytimes.com/2019/04/sneed-collard-iii-warblers-woodpeckers/) - With intrepid intentions, a phalanx of binoculars and cameras and sly humor, Missoula author Sneed Collard recounts the Big Year of Birding he undertook with his then 12-year-old son Braden. Together, they aspire to count 350 species. The prolific author's 2018 release was recently named a finalist – or honor book – for the Montana
- [KellyAnne Terry: “Elsewhere”](https://livelytimes.com/2019/04/kellyanne-terry-elsewhere/) - Mixed-media artist KellyAnne Terry’s abstract paintings, on display in April at the Lewistown Art Center, are grounded in a sense of place and a hunger for adventure. Described as “a form of literary art,” these compositions reflect the past, far-flung destinations, discovery, and historic writings. Working primarily in acrylic, the Lewistown artist uses vintage papers,
- [Tap into Montana: A Brew Mecca](https://livelytimes.com/2019/04/tap-into-montana-a-brew-mecca/) - Tap into Montana and the Montana Brewer’s Association have teamed up for the fifth annual Tap into Montana Brew Fest, April 13 in Livingston. Twenty-nine Montana breweries will gather at Miles Park along the Yellowstone River to serve up samples of their brews to beer lovers from around the state. The celebration of Montana craft
- [Monica Thompson | Take Care](https://livelytimes.com/2019/04/monica-thompson-take-care/) - Monica Thompson is a textile artist whose pieced and stitched hand-dyed creations, primarily on cotton and silk, combine imagery with her love of pattern and color. Often, there’s an inherent tension between subject matter and material. She’s enthralled with the landscape and fauna of Montana, for example, and creates “a deliberate mismatch of themes punctuated
- [Jeff Hull | Broken Field](https://livelytimes.com/2019/04/jeff-hull-broken-field/) - Jeff Hull explores the tensions that tear at the fabric of a small town when a hazing incident threatens a championship season in his second novel. Broken Field, told from the perspective of a high school girl and a football coach, is set on the high prairie of Montana, in small towns scattered across vast
- [Coeur d’Alene Blues Fest: Soul Swingin' Weekend](https://livelytimes.com/2019/03/coeur-dalene-blues-fest-soul-swingin-weekend/) - The 10th annual Coeur d’Alene Blues Festival gets underway March 28-31. The soul swingin’ weekend, named “Best Blues Event” by the Inland Empire Blues Society for the last four consecutive years, includes blues cruises and Saturday's Main Event with five bands on two stages, including the Fabulous Thunderbirds. Music kicks off 8 p.m.-midnight Thursday with
- [25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee](https://livelytimes.com/2019/03/25th-annual-putnam-county-spelling-bee/) - Awkward is awesome when six quirky 7th graders compete in “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” March 7-17 at MCT Center for the Performing Arts. Remember when you were in middle school and everything seemed heightened? Winning, losing, fitting in, not fitting in, and utter lack of confidence in your individuality? For audiences watching
- [Kinky Boots: Kicky Crowd Pleaser](https://livelytimes.com/2019/03/kinky-boots-kicky-crowd-pleaser/) - The Alberta Bair Theater’s Broadway Series brings the Tony Award-winning Best Musical “Kinky Boots” to Billings Monday, March 18, at 7:30 p.m. Produced by TROIKA Entertainment, the show features a Tony-winning score by Cyndi Lauper, with direction and choreography by Jerry Mitchell (“Legally Blond” and “Hairspray”). In addition to accruing a stack of six Tony
- [The Russell: A Western Art Experience](https://livelytimes.com/2019/03/the-russell-a-western-art-experience/) - The Russell: An Exhibition and Sale to Benefit the C.M. Russell Museum, the signature fundraising event for the museum and the centerpiece of Western Art Week, kicks off from 5-7 p.m. Thursday, March 21, with a Preview Party at the Great Falls museum ($40-$50). Also opening Thursday is the Russell Skull Society Suites at the
- [Women of the World: Uniting global voices](https://livelytimes.com/2019/03/women-of-the-world-uniting-global-voices/) - Celebrating world folk music traditions from Bulgaria to Brazil and Japan to Africa, the award-winning a cappella quartet Women of the World performs at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 22, at the O’Shaughnessy Center in Whitefish. Formed in 2008, Women of the World was born from a dream to bring female musicians from across the globe
- [Gabriel Royal & Supaman: Cello meets hip-hop](https://livelytimes.com/2019/03/gabriel-royal-supaman-cello-and-hip-hop/) - Brooklyn-based cellist Gabriel Royal and Apsaalooke hip-hop artist Supaman join forces for a performance at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 22, at the Alberta Bair Theater in Billings. A truncated concert will be performed at 12:30 earlier that day as part of ABT’s Student Matinee Series. Oklahoma-born, Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter cellist Gabriel Royal plays his “grown up lullabies”
- [Missoula celebrates Irish culture](https://livelytimes.com/2019/03/missoula-celebrates-irish-culture/) - Missoula’s annual celebration of Ireland’s patron saint begins Saturday, March 16, with a traditional Gaelic Mass, featuring Irish music, hymns and readings, 8 a.m. at St. Francis Xavier Church. A parade down Higgins Ave. gets underway at noon (line up at 11 a.m.). Sample fine whiskeys from a 3,000-year tradition of distillation during the Irish
- [Big Sky Documentary Film Festival](https://livelytimes.com/2019/02/big-sky-documentary-film-festival/) - The 16th annual Big Sky Documentary Film Festival (BSDFF) welcomes an audience of 20,000 and hundreds of filmmakers, media artists and film industry professionals to Missoula Feb. 15-24. Venues include The Wilma, Elks Lodge and MCT Center for the Performing Arts. The largest documentary film festival in the American West presents 66 features and 102
- [Vitaly: “You Fooled Us”](https://livelytimes.com/2019/02/vitaly-you-fooled-us/) - Brace yourself for a completely new take on magic when Vitaly tours Montana in March with his jaw-dropping show, “An Evening Of Wonders.” Faces disappear from drivers’ licenses; paintbrushes paint on their own; and photographs literally come to life right before your eyes in this completely new take on magic, coming to the Ellen Theatre
- [Laugh-a-Lot with Spamalot](https://livelytimes.com/2019/02/laugh-a-lot-with-spamalot/) - Dancing divas, flying cows, killer rabbits and taunting Frenchmen invade Montana when “Monty Python’s Spamalot” comes to Billings March 6 and Butte March 7. This outrageous musical comedy is lovingly ripped off from the 1975 film classic, “Monty Python and the Holy Grail.” Like the movie, “Spamalot” revisits the legendary tale of King Arthur and
- [Buddy DeFranco Festival: Jazz + inspiration](https://livelytimes.com/2019/03/buddy-defranco-festival-jazz-inspiration/) - The Buddy DeFranco Jazz Festival, March 14-15, at the University of Montana, emphasizes education, improvisation and the jazz language. On both evenings, experience concerts with festival artists, the High School Best Section Big Band and outstanding soloists from the daytime events. Concerts begin at 7:30 p.m. in the UM Dennison Theatre. The 2019 Festival Artists include
- [Made in Montana Tradeshow this weekend](https://livelytimes.com/2019/03/made-in-montana-public-tradeshow/) - The annual Made in Montana Tradeshow for Food and Gifts returns to Helena this weekend, and the public is invited to preview some of the new, locally made products stores will be carrying this season while supporting Montana small businesses. Public Showcase Day is Saturday, March 16, at the Lewis and Clark County Fairgrounds. The
- [Rosie & The Riveters concert cancelled](https://livelytimes.com/2019/03/ms-behave-with-rosie-the-riveters/) - Rosie & The Riveters, slated to bring their playfully defiant songs to Polson High School Auditorium March 8 as part of the Mission Valley Live series, had to cancel their trip. According to MVL's Facebook post on March 6, "Due to an issue with their visas, Rosie and the Riveters were unable to board their
- [ABBA-solutely fabulous “Mamma Mia!” continues through March 3](https://livelytimes.com/2019/02/abba-solutely-fabulous-mamma-mia-opens-feb-21/) - Put on your dancing shoes and best ’80s fashions for Whitefish Theatre Company’s production of “Mamma Mia!” Feb. 21-March 3 at the O’Shaughnessy Center in Whitefish. Called “the sunniest of all musicals,” this wildly entertaining show fueled by the hits of pop group ABBA opens with a sneak preview night on at 7:30 p.m. Feb.
- [Emily Graslie: Chief Curiosity Consultant](https://livelytimes.com/2019/02/emily-graslie-chief-curiosity-consultant/) - Emily Graslie, a 2011 UM graduate and chief curiosity correspondent at Chicago’s Field Museum, is this year’s honoree at the 19th annual “Odyssey of the Stars – A Celebration of Artistic Journeys.” Each year’s “Odyssey of the Stars” honors outstanding University of Montana visual and performing arts alumni and tells the story of their artistic
- [iLuminate: An action-filled visual feast](https://livelytimes.com/2019/02/iluminate-an-action-filled-visual-feast/) - In a performance that’s fun for the whole family, iLuminate fuses dance and technology in their full-length show, Artist of Life, 7 p.m. Feb. 24 at the Alberta Bair Theater in Billings. Join an action-filled journey of light and sound as a group of friends go out clubbing in a city of glowing colors and
- [Irish Rovers continue farewell tour in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/2019/02/irish-rovers-continue-farewell-tour-in-montana/) - The Irish Rovers return to the Alberta Bair Theater in Billings with The Farewell Continues tour on Thursday, Feb. 21, and The Ellen in Bozeman Feb. 22. The Irish music ambassadors are celebrating The Scottish Album, their latest release that reflects the Scottish influence on their Northern Irish roots. Last year, to celebrate the Gold
- [Jayme Stone: Folklife Project](https://livelytimes.com/2019/01/jayme-stone-folklife-project/) - Jayme Stone is a Canadian composer, banjoist, instigator, producer, and educator. He brings all those skills to his latest project, Folklife, which comes to Helena Feb. 13 and Ronan Feb. 15. Stemming from his Lomax Project, Stone treats old field recordings as heirloom seeds passed down from a bygone generation in Folklife. Planting these sturdy
- [MCT’s Johnny Appleseed: Delicious Undertaking](https://livelytimes.com/2019/02/mcts-johnny-appleseed-delicious-undertaking/) - Cultivating the new show, “Johnny Appleseed,” from seed to blossom has proven to be extra sweet and delicious undertaking for the Missoula Children’s Theatre (MCT). The world premiere performances take place at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 15 and 3 and 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 16 at the MCT Center for the Performing Arts in Missoula.
- [Scheherazade & Chopin: A Symphony Valentine](https://livelytimes.com/2019/02/scheherazade-chopin-a-symphony-valentine/) - The Glacier Symphony offers a Valentine treat with “Romancing the Soul,” 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 17, at Flathead High School Performance Hall in Kalispell. Guest pianist Andrew Staupe, will open the concert with his masterful interpretation of Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1. “I always enjoy performing with Andrew. He is excellent and one of my favorite pianists who will bring
- [Hot Club of San Francisco’s Beatlemania](https://livelytimes.com/2019/02/hot-club-of-san-franciscos-beatlemania/) - The Hot Club of San Francisco celebrates songwriting of The Beatles with music from their album John Paul George & Django at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 15 at the Alberta Bair Theater in Billings. The album, released in 2016, was lauded as “a ravishing and consistently revelatory reimagining of classic Beatles tunes … designed both
- [Letters Aloud explores famous & infamous](https://livelytimes.com/2019/01/letters-aloud-explores-famous-infamous/) - Seattle-based Letters Aloud has created an innovative show that brings to life personal letters of the famous and infamous, complete with live music and photos, for a joyful and often hilarious look at the very human condition of celebrity and the lessons it teaches. Andy Warhol’s quote, “In the future, everyone will be world-famous for
- [Shari Schmit: Seriously Sassy Collages](https://livelytimes.com/2019/01/shari-schmit-seriously-sassy-collages/) - Shari Schmit and Andrew Nagengast are February’s featured artists at Gallery 16 in Great Falls. Meet the artists at First Friday Art Walk, 5-9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 1, and enjoy lively music and tasty snacks. Schmit shares her fun, serious and sassy digital collages. Her Western-style work has been featured in the Leanin' Tree line of
- [Norah Jones tickets on sale Feb. 1](https://livelytimes.com/2019/02/norah-jones-tickets-on-sale-feb-1/) - Norah Jones, who first emerged on the world stage with the February 2002 release of Come Away With Me, lands in Montana for two shows, July 23 in Bozeman and July 24 near Missoula, and appears in Spokane July 26. Tickets to all three shows go on sale Feb. 1. Jones, the daughter of famed Indian
- [Schizoid Johnny: Shadow Man](https://livelytimes.com/2019/02/schizoid-johnny-shadow-man/) - Zortman’s John Steinhardt, a multi-instrumentalist also known as Schizoid Johnny or “Slide Willie” Johnson, has put out a new album after his 2016 effort that incorporated all 21 albums of his previously-released original material. A performance artist for over 30 years, Steinhardt has toured worldwide and is currently the band director at Hays-Lodgepole High School
- [Improvisation rules quartet collaboration](https://livelytimes.com/2019/02/improvisation-rules-quartet-collaboration/) - Four of Montana’s premier jazz artists came together to create an album of fearless free improvisation, and Sensoria is the result. The group is comprised of Dillon’s Heath Watts, soprano saxophone and voice; Butte’s Blue Armstrong, acoustic double-bass, and Basin residents M.J. Williams, trombone, piano, melodica and voice; and Nancy Owens, violin. The musicians collectively
- [Montana Tunesmith | Dream Catch](https://livelytimes.com/2019/01/montana-tunesmith-dream-catch/) - Montana Tunesmith – fifth-generation Montanans Tim and Mike Nordstrom from Billings – have their third album out featuring their brand of Americana music. All songs save one were written by Tim Nordstrom; Charley Waples co-wrote “Oh Montana” with him. It’s a gorgeous paean to our beloved Big Sky Country. Talented guests on the Tunesmith effort
- [Ben Reed follows muse in debut recording](https://livelytimes.com/2019/01/ben-reed-follows-muse-in-debut-recording/) - When Billings guitarist and retired business owner and finance professor Ben Reed first heard the Sons of the Pioneers’ hit songs, he was hooked. He played trumpet in school, sang in a college folk group, and played a smattering of guitar until other college studies took all his time. Years later, when he realized he
- [Martha Redbone Roots Project tours Montana](https://livelytimes.com/2019/01/martha-redbone-roots-project-tours-montana/) - Martha Redbone, considered one of today's most vital voices in American roots music, performs in Helena Jan. 9, Billings Jan. 11, and Bozeman Jan. 12. The multi-award-winning musician is celebrated for mixing the folk and mountain blues sounds of her childhood in the Appalachian hills of Kentucky with the eclectic grit of her teenage years
- [Musikanten Montana performs Christmas Oratorio](https://livelytimes.com/2019/01/musikanten-montana-performs-christmas-oratorio/) - Musikanten Montana extends the celebration of the season with the 17th annual Montana Early Music Festival Jan. 17-20, featuring the Montana premiere of HIP (Historically Informed Performances) of J.S. Bach’s Christmas Oratorio. For the fourth consecutive year, the ensemble will travel to four Montana cities – Bozeman, Jan. 17, Butte Jan. 18, Missoula Jan. 19,
- [Gershwin Gala celebrates beloved composer](https://livelytimes.com/2019/01/gershwin-gala-celebrates-beloved-composer/) - Glacier Symphony rings in 2019 with an elegant “Gershwin Gala” featuring the music of the great American composer, George Gershwin, in two concerts: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 19, and 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 20, in Whitefish. The program features a 45-piece orchestra under the direction of Maestro John Zoltek with guest pianist Natalia Lauk. “This
- [Susan O’Connor & Annick Smith's Hearth](https://livelytimes.com/2018/12/susan-oconnor-annick-smiths-hearth/) - Hearth, a multicultural anthology edited by Montanans Susan O’Connor and Annick Smith, explores the enduring importance and shifting associations of the hearth in our world. A hearth is many things: a place for solitude; a source of identity; something we make and share with others; a history of ourselves and our homes. It is, in short, the perfect
- [Holiday ArtWalk coincides with Stroll](https://livelytimes.com/2018/12/holiday-artwalk-coincides-with-stroll/) - Holiday ArtWalk teams up with the annual Christmas Stroll and Santa for a festive night in downtown Billings on Friday, Dec. 7, from 5-9 p.m. Holiday ArtWalk is the fifth of six events in ArtWalk's 24th season. It features over 40 galleries, art studios, businesses, museums and other “art-worthy” locations in the downtown core, all
- [Take a Musical Dreamtime Journey](https://livelytimes.com/2018/12/take-a-musical-dreamtime-journey/) - Lawrence Duncan and Michael Marsolek again celebrate Winter Solstice with their Musical Dreamtime Journey, 7 p.m. Dec. 21 at St. Anthony Parish in Missoula. This marks their only performance of the popular concert this year. These annual concerts celebrating the season of lights and winter solstice have been presented around the region for more than
- [Horrible Herdmans hijack Christmas pageant](https://livelytimes.com/2018/11/horrible-herdmans-hijack-christmas-pageant/) - The Whitefish Theatre Company welcomes the holidays with the family classic about those notorious Herdmans – “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” – Dec. 6-16 at the O’Shaughnessy Center in Whitefish. When the six Herdman kids – considered the terror of teachers, parents and students alike – show up at auditions and manage to snatch the
- [Midtown Men deliver holiday hits](https://livelytimes.com/2018/12/midtown-men-deliver-holiday-hits/) - The Midtown Men, four stars from the original cast of Broadway’s “Jersey Boys,” ring in the Christmas season with their Holiday Hits show, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8, at the Alberta Bair Theater in Billings. The quartet, backed by a powerhouse seven-piece band, features: Christian Hoff, who won a Tony Award for his performance as
- [Glacier Symphony celebrates Sacred Season](https://livelytimes.com/2018/12/glacier-symphony-celebrates-sacred-season/) - The Glacier Symphony celebrates “This Sacred Season” in Whitefish Dec. 15 and Kalispell Dec. 16 with a delightful pallet of sacred music that includes highlights from Handel’s “Messiah.” “The Glacier Symphony would like to invite our community to join us for this performance that we hope will enrich your Christmas celebrations,” says music director John
- [Holiday MADE Fair fills Adam Center](https://livelytimes.com/2018/11/holiday-made-fairs-helena-missoula/) - Holiday MADE Fairs filled the Exhibition Hall at Lewis and Clark County Fairgrounds Dec. 1-2, then wrap up for the season in Missoula Dec. 9, with new and returning artists offering an eclectic range of Montana-made gifts. These original Montana events were recently named some of the Best Fall and Holiday Craft Fairs in the U.S.
- [Dolce Canto explores “Unheard Voices”](https://livelytimes.com/2018/12/dolce-canto-explores-unheard-voices/) - For 17 years, Dolce Canto has explored almost 350 choral works from the Renaissance period to the present, bringing musical imagination and inspiration to audiences in Missoula and beyond. The choral ensemble continues that exploration Dec. 7 in Ronan and Dec. 8 in Missoula with “Unheard Voices.” If music history is considered as a subjective composer
- [Yellowstone Ballet Company’s Nutcracker](https://livelytimes.com/2018/12/yellowstone-ballet-companys-nutcracker/) - Yellowstone Ballet Company (YBC) is offering a free child ticket for every adult ticket purchase to their 28th annual production of The Nutcracker. Performances take place at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec.15, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 16, at Willson Auditorium in Bozeman. Children are encouraged to come dressed as the Snow King or Queen, the
- [Sean Eamon | Losing So Long](https://livelytimes.com/2018/12/sean-eamon-losing-so-long/) - Butte’s Sean Eamon calls his second album a bit more reflective than his earlier self-titled debut, and he hopes it will help people survive our long Montana winters. The singer and guitarist is accompanied on the disk by area musicians Mike Babineau, drums; Bill Dwyer, acoustic and electric guitars and organ; Aaron Parrett, fiddle and
- [MBC Nutcracker: A true Bozeman original](https://livelytimes.com/2018/11/mbc-nutcracker-a-true-bozeman-original/) - Montana Ballet Company (MBC), under the direction of Elizabeth DeFanti, presents its 35th anniversary production of The Nutcracker, at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 30, and 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, at the Willson Auditorium in Bozeman. Celebrating 35 years, MBC’s Nutcracker is a true Bozeman original and a treat for the entire family.
- [Queen City Ballet’s Nutcracker](https://livelytimes.com/2018/11/queen-city-ballets-nutcracker/) - One hundred dancers, a growing Christmas tree, dancing snowflakes, and lavish costumes will delight families as Queen City Ballet Company presents its 18th annual production of the beloved holiday classic The Nutcracker. The perennial favorite returns to the Helena Civic Center stage at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 18. Written
- [Paradise Garden: Concert inspired by Romeo & Juliet](https://livelytimes.com/2018/11/paradise-garden-concert-inspired-by-romeo-juliet/) - A garden filled with romantic music based on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet will fill the concert hall when the Glacier Symphony Orchestra presents “Paradise Garden,” 3 p.m. Nov. 18 at Flathead High Performance Hall in Kalispell. Complementing the program is highly regarded classical guitarist Marcin Dylla in a performance of the Spanish-influenced Concierto del sur
- [Rock of Ages blasts Billings](https://livelytimes.com/2018/11/rock-of-ages-blasts-billings/) - Broadway’s mind-blowing, face-melting, nothin’-but-a-good-time, audience favorite, “Rock of Ages,” brings its 10th anniversary tour to the Alberta Bair Theater at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 19. Nominated for five Tony Awards, including Best Musical, the all new production, produced by Fifth Estate Entertainment, delivers the party to Billings for one night only. “The most remarkable Broadway
- [Greg Keeler | The Bluebird Run](https://livelytimes.com/2018/11/greg-keeler-the-bluebird-run/) - In a surprising turn of his pen, Bozeman poet, songwriter, memoirist, and retired MSU faculty Greg Keeler deploys the centuries-old form of the sonnet to skillfully manipulate imagery, diction, and tone in his new collection, The Bluebird Run. Popularized by William Shakespeare in the 17th century, the sonnet is characterized by its 14 alternating rhymed
- [Micah & Dave | Wait Till Next Year](https://livelytimes.com/2018/11/micah-dave-wait-till-next-year/) - Helena duo Micah Eller and Dave Prudden’s new album came about when Eller’s family gave her a Christmas gift of recording time. The result is nine homemade songs by Eller ranging from what the duo’s Facebook page notes as “acoustic folksy stuff to bluesy jazziness.” I hear a country-rock flavor and a hip pop throwback
- [ABT launches Broadway Series with “Chicago”](https://livelytimes.com/2018/11/abt-launches-broadway-series-with-chicago/) - The Alberta Bair Theater’s Broadway Series kicks off with the razzle-dazzle smash hit “Chicago,” 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 10, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 11. Set amidst the decadence of the Roaring ‘20s, “Chicago” is the story of Roxie Hart, a housewife and nightclub dancer who maliciously murders her on-the-side lover after he threatens to
- [Cirque Mechanics reimagines one-ring circus](https://livelytimes.com/2018/10/cirque-mechanics-reimagines-one-ring-circus/) - Alberta Bair Theater’s First Interstate Bank Fox Series continues with Cirque Mechanics “42FT: A Menagerie of Mechanical Marvels,” 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 6. A truncated performance, part of ABT’s Valley Credit Union Student Matinee Series, begins at 12:30. At the center of every circus rests a 42-foot ring full of thrills, laughs, and excitement. “42
- [Voters: Cast ballot and see free Logjam shows](https://livelytimes.com/2018/11/voters-cast-ballot-nov-6-and-see-free-logjam-shows/) - On Election Day, Nov. 6, Logjam Presents will allow free admittance to concerts at the Top Hat and Wilma to voters who present a photo of themselves outside of their polling place. Artists performing include the electronic indie-pop duo Cherub with Colorado electronic producer Maddy O’Neil at the Wilma and instrumental jam-rock quartet TAUK with
- [Complexions Ballet: Bach to Bowie](https://livelytimes.com/2018/10/complexions-ballet-bach-to-bowie/) - Complexions Contemporary Ballet brings “Bach to Bowie” to the Alberta Bair Theater in Billings on Tuesday, Oct. 30 at 7:30 p.m. A truncated performance, part of ABT’s Valley Federal Credit Union Student Matinee Series, begins at 12:30. Combining technical precision, power and passion, Complexions Contemporary Ballet transcends tradition with a groundbreaking mix of styles from ballet
- [Mission Valley Live: Mike Murray, Nov. 2](https://livelytimes.com/2018/10/mission-valley-live-mike-murray-nov-2/) - Grammy-nominated Montana singer/songwriter Mike Murray will perform at 7 p.m. Nov. 2 at the Ronan Performing Arts Center. He replaces bluesman Spencer Bohren, who cancelled his Mission Valley Live performance, slated for Nov. 16, due to health issues. Murray released his fourth studio album, Difficult Days, in 2018 – three years and 500 shows after
- [Find bargains galore at Bridger Ski Swap](https://livelytimes.com/2018/10/find-bargains-galore-at-bridger-ski-swap/) - Buy and sell skis, boots, and other winter recreational items Nov. 3-4 at the 51st annual Bridger Ski Foundation Ski Swap, billed as the best ski swap around. Items are accepted for consignment from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 2 ($1 per item, cash only). The sale is open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3,
- [Emi Sunshine beams on Whitefish](https://livelytimes.com/2018/10/emi-sunshine-beams-on-whitefish/) - The Whitefish Theatre Company presents Emi Sunshine, a critically-acclaimed teen prodigy from East Tennessee, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 2, at the O’Shaughnessy Center in Whitefish. The 14-year-old singer/songwriter is capturing the nation’s attention and enchanting hearts-a-many with her musical wizardry. Described as the “spunky little sister to artists Iris DeMent, Natalie Maines, Nanci Griffith and
- [Halloween Fare: Glacier Symphony’s “Nosferatu”](https://livelytimes.com/2018/10/halloween-fare-glacier-symphonys-nosferatu/) - Glacier Symphony has a real treat for Halloween tricksters this month with “Nosferatu – A Symphony of Horror,” in Whitefish Oct. 27 and Kalispell Oct. 28. The terrifying 1922 classic silent movie is based on Bram Stoker’s “Dracula,” and set the bar for modern-day vampire myths. “It’s not just a great horror movie. It’s a
- [Milana Marsenich | The Swan Keeper](https://livelytimes.com/2018/10/milana-marsenich-the-swan-keeper/) - Polson author Milana Marsenich is a first-rate storyteller who pulls you in with her wordsmithing: “Ideas cut into her brain with a curve they’d never had before.” She allows the reader to smell the Cattail Marsh, feel the fluttering heart of a cygnet, and remember being young. This age-old story of light vs. dark, evil
- [Jim Averitt releases Secret Town Road](https://livelytimes.com/2018/10/jim-averitt-releases-secret-town-road/) - Gallatin Gateway guitarist/songwriter Jim Averitt has his eighth album out of what he calls “Montana-inspired folk and Americana music.” Helping Averitt out are local talent and violinist Chelsea Hunt, who appears throughout, and Chris Cunningham and Rick Winking, who chime in on “Saffire.” The others include Santa Barbara members of Jeff Bridges’ band, the Abiders:
- [Cultural Confluence celebrates woodfire ceramics](https://livelytimes.com/2018/10/cultural-confluence-celebrates-woodfire-ceramics/) - The Cultural Confluence International Woodfire Symposium brings 30 ceramic artists from around the globe, including Japan, Korea, Canada, Australia, Europe and the United Kingdom, to Helena Oct. 18-20. This is the latest in a series of international events designed to celebrate the confluence of multiple woodfire traditions. Organized by Tara Wilson, the symposium will build upon
- [Buckle Up for Montana Rep adventure](https://livelytimes.com/2018/10/buckle-up-for-montana-rep-adventure/) - Montana Repertory Theatre presents the first production of its new Plays on Tap series, “Buckle Up,” Oct. 19-21 in downtown Missoula. Plays on Tap is a recurring series of short, site-based plays for small audiences performed in unexpected locations throughout Missoula. For “Buckle Up,” the Rep commissioned five nationally renowned playwrights – Emily Feldman, Idris
- [Butte Symphony: Wonderful Sense of Community](https://livelytimes.com/2018/10/butte-symphony-launches-season-oct-13/) - The Butte Symphony – Montana’s original symphony orchestra – enters its 69th season Oct. 13 at the Mother Lode Theater with maestro Luis Millán, a virtuoso classical guitarist, performing the soaring Guitar Concerto #1 by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco. The program also includes the youthful and optimistic Serenade No. 2 by Johannes Brahms and Dances from Danserye
- [Glacier Symphony launches dynamic season](https://livelytimes.com/2018/10/glacier-symphony-season-celebrates-muse-of-love/) - Glacier Symphony opens its 36th concert season, "The Muse of Love," Oct. 14 with two orchestral showpieces written by Maurice Ravel, Bolero and LaValse. The program also features guest violinist William Hagen in Korngold’s Violin Concerto in D. The concert begins at 3 p.m. Sunday in Kalispell’s Flathead High School Performance Hall. Music Director John
- [Cole & the Thornes: Map Maker](https://livelytimes.com/2018/10/cole-the-thornes-map-maker/) - Cole and the Thornes’ “funky grooves, sultry vocals, and empowering lyrics,” as they say on their website, pretty much define this hot Bozeman band. Monster chops from all are glued together by Thorne’s streetwise, smoky voice and infectious melodies. Their debut album features ukulele and rhythm guitar player Nicole “Cole” Thorne’s 10 reggae-styled originals. Thorne
- [Peter Stark's Young Washington](https://livelytimes.com/2018/10/peter-starks-young-washington-by-peter-stark/) - Much of what anyone can remember about George Washington comes from catchy rhymes, songs and folktales, recited throughout early elementary school. These recollections are draped in the heroism and reverie one would expect from America’s first president. Adventure writer, historian and Missoula resident Peter Stark’s new nonfiction work, Young Washington: How Wilderness and War Forged
- [Cirque Zuma Zuma: Tumbling through Dillon](https://livelytimes.com/2018/10/cirque-zuma-zuma-tumbling-through-dillon/) - Americaʹs Got Talent finalist Cirque Zuma Zuma comes to Dillon for a performance at 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 14 at UMW Beier Auditorium. Known as the “ultimate African circus,” this filled with non-stop action and African culture, including dance, acrobatics, tumbling and music. The troupe has been described as a “high-energy dance act, that’s part Cirque du Soleil, part Harlem Globetrotters, and above all, fast paced and full of
- [Montana Actors Theatre brings Ed Asner to Havre](https://livelytimes.com/2018/10/montana-actors-theatre-brings-ed-asner-to-havre/) - Montana Actors’ Theatre (MAT) is bringing some outside talent in for its season opener Oct. 12-14 – Hollywood legend Ed Asner. "The real fun starts in October," Rachel Dean of Montana Actors' Theatre said Aug. 15 while introducing the troupe's season. "We're starting with a show called 'God Help Us.' This will be a one-weekend run,
- [Wes Urbaniak sails metaphorical boat in Adelphos](https://livelytimes.com/2018/10/wes-urbaniak-the-adelphos/) - Huntley luthier and singer/songwriter Wes Urbaniak has released his ninth and concluding concept album about his life’s journey thus far. He plays many of his handmade instruments here: guitar, bass, cello, octave mandolin, ukulele, and eight-string ukulele. He sings harmony, too. Maddie Alpert assists with background vocals and some lead. Her gauzy soprano complements Urbaniak’s
- [Little River Band brings hits to Billings](https://livelytimes.com/2018/09/little-river-band-brings-hits-to-billings/) - Fewer than 400 tickets remain for the performance of the Little River Band, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 26 at the Alberta Bair Theater in Billings. Throughout the ‘70s and ‘80s, LRB enjoyed huge success with multi-platinum albums and chart-topping hits like “Reminiscing,” “Cool Change,” “Lonesome Loser,” “The Night Owls,” “Take It Easy On Me,” “Help Is on
- [History conference focuses on Yellowstone Valley](https://livelytimes.com/2018/09/history-conference-focuses-on-yellowstone-valley/) - “Rimrocks, Rivers and Rolling Plains: History from the Yellowstone Valley” is the theme of the 45th annual Montana History Conference, coming to Billings Sept. 27–29. History enthusiasts will gather from all over the state – and around the country – in the “Magic City” for an exciting program of workshops, presentations, and entertainment. “While the
- [Rebecca Folsom Trio: Songs like “little earthquakes”](https://livelytimes.com/2018/09/rebecca-folsom-trio-songs-like-little-earthquakes/) - Rebecca Folsom, whose world-class voice traverses nearly four octaves, brings her expressive songs to Ronan Sept. 28 for the opening concert in the Mission Valley Live series. KUNC radio describes her voice as “knock-you-to-your-knees” and “her songs hit like little earthquakes” writes Westword Magazine. While her range is impressive, it’s the expression in her voice
- [Matt Andersen delivers blues, roots, rock hybrid](https://livelytimes.com/2018/09/matt-andersen-delivers-blues-roots-rock-hybrid/) - The Whitefish Theatre Company presents Nova Scotia-based singer-songwriter Matt Andersen with his giant soul-filled voice and powerful blues performance. Back by popular demand, he plays at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sep. 28, at the O’Shaughnessy Center in Whitefish. With over 10 million views on YouTube, two European Blues Awards, and Best Solo Performer Award at the
- [Great Northwest Oktoberfest returns](https://livelytimes.com/2018/09/great-northwest-oktoberfest-returns/) - “Whitefish and Oktoberfest go together like, well, like brats and beer,” says Kevin Gartland, executive director of the Whitefish Chamber of Commerce. “After another long, smoky summer, it’s a chance for our community to get together, enjoy the fantastic fall weather and become the ‘Munich of the Mountains.’” That means crowning a new Hop Queen,
- [Canellakis Brown Duo performs Chopin](https://livelytimes.com/2018/09/canellakis-brown-duo-performs-chopin/) - The adventurous Canellakis Brown Duo performs Chopin and More, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 5 at the Alberta Bair Theater in Billings as the first installment in this year’s Orser Outstanding Performances Series. The program features the only two works Frédéric Chopin wrote for cello and piano: Introduction and Polonaise Brilliante, a lively virtuosic Polish dance, and
- [Montana Antiques Appraisal Fair](https://livelytimes.com/2018/09/montana-antiques-appraisal-fair/) - The Montana History Foundation and Fort Benton Museums invite the public to bring fine art, rare and valuable treasures, historic objects, and interesting items to the Montana Antiques Appraisal Fair, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 22, at the Montana Agricultural Center in Fort Benton. Expert, celebrity appraisers Timothy Gordon, Grant Zahajko and Allen Rodgers will
- [Counting “Every Brilliant Thing”](https://livelytimes.com/2018/09/counting-every-brilliant-thing/) - Whitefish Theatre Co. presents its first Black Curtain Theatre production of the 2018-2019 season with “Every Brilliant Thing,” 7:30 p.m. Sept. 22-23 at the O’Shaughnessy Center in Whitefish. Ice cream 2. Water fights 3. Things with stripes 4. Staying up past your bedtime to watch TV 5. Rollercoasters. These are just a few items on
- [Meadowlark Music Festival: Living & Giving Locally](https://livelytimes.com/2018/08/meadowlark-music-festival-living-giving-locally/) - The second annual Meadowlark Music Festival brings nine bands and performers to Women’s Park in Helena, noon-10 p.m. Sept. 8. Together, they deliver a rousing mix of rock, bluegrass, belly dancing, jazz, and folk. Headlining this year’s event is the Seattle-based band Kuinka, whose genre-defying music features several different lead singers, four-part harmony, and eclectic instrumentation
- [Swing your partner at Boulder Music & Art Festival](https://livelytimes.com/2018/08/boulder-music-art-festival/) - The 11th annual Boulder Music and Art Festival fills Veteran’s Park with music, artists and authors Sept. 8-9. The park is located at 304 N. Main in Boulder, a community located midway between Butte and Helena, just off 1-15 at Exit 164. The free event is sponsored by local businesses and the Chamber of Commerce,
- [Poet Lowell Jaeger premieres poem play](https://livelytimes.com/2018/08/lowell-jaeger-premieres-poem-play/) - Montana’s Poet Laureate Lowell Jaeger isn’t “just” a poet. In his long list of lifetime achievements, including authoring eight collections of poems, receiving fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Montana Arts Council, and winning the Grolier Poetry Peace Prize and the Montana Governor’s Humanities Award, Jaeger is now the author of
- [Shadows of the Past benefits local healthcare](https://livelytimes.com/2018/08/choteau-art-auction-benefits-local-healthcare/) - Nearly 50 Montana artists share their talents during the 29th annual Shadows of the Past Fine Arts Show and Auction, Sept. 7-8 in Choteau. This fundraiser for the Teton Medical Center is a well-loved tradition that attracts talented artists and art lovers from a large region. This year’s auction features 71 works by 49 artists
- [River City Roots Fest: Rockin’ Main Street](https://livelytimes.com/2018/08/river-city-roots-fest-rockin-main-street/) - The Missoula Downtown Association opens the 13th Annual River City Roots Festival on Friday, Aug. 24. This year’s festival features the New Orleans Suspects, comprised of some of the most seasoned, well-respected players in NOLA, as Friday’s headliner, while the Grammy Award-winning Infamous Stringdusters close out the festival Saturday, Aug. 25. Friday’s events kick-off at
- [American Idol Live! visits Billings](https://livelytimes.com/2018/08/american-idol-live-visits-billings/) - After a monumental return to television in 2018, American Idol Live! 2018 comes to the Alberta Bair Theater stage, 7:30 p.m. Aug. 30, and features this season’s talented Top 7 finalists: Cade Foehner, Caleb Lee Hutchinson, Catie Turner, Gabby Barrett, Jurnee, Maddie Poppe and Michael J. Woodard with special guest, Season 8 winner Kris Allen.
- [Sally Jewell headlines Last Best Outdoors Fest](https://livelytimes.com/2018/08/sally-jewell-headlines-last-best-outdoors-fest/) - Outdoor recreation business champion and former Interior Secretary Sally Jewell will be the keynote speaker at the second annual Last Best Outdoors Fest, Friday, Aug. 31 in Livingston. Jewell served as the 51st United States Secretary of the Interior from 2013-’17 and was president and CEO of REI (Recreation Equipment, Inc.) from 2005-’13. The theme of this
- [Dogs and humans: Made for Each Other](https://livelytimes.com/2018/08/dogs-and-humans-made-for-each-other/) - In her latest book for young readers, Dorothy Hinshaw Patent traces the deep bond between dogs and humans, and explores new scientific studies that show how close our species actually are. Her long-time collaborator William Muñoz brings both beauty and warmth to the pages with his often-playful images of canines and their human pals. Patent
- [James A. Murray, Butte’s Radical Irish Millionaire](https://livelytimes.com/2018/08/james-a-murray-buttes-radical-irish-millionaire/) - Author Bill Farley offers a fascinating look at James A. Murray, a largely unheralded early Montana magnate, who had a reputation even as a child as “both troublemaker and saint.” In his own version of the story, complex Irishman Murray first shows up in America as a scrappy 8-year-old escaping a prison ship bound for
- [Montanans are Shakespeare-savvy audience](https://livelytimes.com/2018/08/montanans-a-shakespeare-savvy-audience/) - When Montana Shakespeare in the Parks hits the road this summer, the troupe carries with it one of Shakespeare’s most riveting and complex dramas, “Othello,” as well as more lighthearted fare with “Love’s Labour’s Lost.” Kevin Asselin, executive artistic director of Montana State University’s acclaimed touring company, directs “Othello,” a first for the road trip,
- [Cookin’ on the Clark Fork: Brews & BBQ](https://livelytimes.com/2018/07/cookin-on-the-clark-fork-brews-bbq/) - The third annual Cookin’ on the Clark Fork BBQ Cook-off and Brewfest is Saturday, July 28, in Deer Lodge, but registration is open now for BBQ cooks, runners and vendors. The event is from 11 a.m.-7 p.m., except for the 3K, 5K and 10K races that start at 8 a.m. The afternoon will include barbecue,
- [Barefoot Movement in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/2018/07/barefoot-movement-in-montana/) - The Barefoot Movement – named in part for their penchant for playing shoeless – tours Montana in August with two free shows in the Flathead Valley and a third performance in Livingston. Heralded by CMT Edge as "one of the most promising bands on the bluegrass scene," the music of the Nashville-based group is as
- [Eclectic Moonlight MusicFest adds to summer scene](https://livelytimes.com/2018/08/moonlight-musicfest-eclectic-addition-to-summer-scene/) - The inaugural Moonlight MusicFest – headlined by Bruce Hornsby and the Noisemakers and Grace Potter – debuts next week, Aug. 17-18, in Madison Village, on the north side of Lone Peak in Big Sky. Akin to the Targhee Fest, held mid summer at Grand Targee Resort in Alta, WY, the Moonlight Musicfest is multi-faceted, with
- [Wildlands Festival supports cherished landscapes](https://livelytimes.com/2018/07/wildlands-festival-supports-cherished-landscapes/) - Montana State University is partnering with Outlaw Partners and other area organizers to bring the inaugural Wildlands Festival, featuring Robert Earl Keen and Lukas Nelson and his band, Promise of the Real, to MSU Romney Oval in Bozeman on Aug. 10. It marks the first concert in the history of the university to be held
- [Country star Josh Turner kickstarts Kalispell fair](https://livelytimes.com/2018/08/country-star-josh-turner-launches-kalispell-fair/) - Multi-platinum MCA Nashville recording artist Josh Turner will perform at the Wednesday, Aug. 15, at the Flathead County Fairgrounds in Kalispell, launching the Northwest Montana Fair and Rodeo. The fair and rodeo is scheduled for Aug. 15-19 with a theme of “Discover!” “We chose ‘Discover!’ as this year’s theme to encourage our guests to explore
- [Butte Symphony Under the Silver Screen](https://livelytimes.com/2018/08/butte-symphony-under-the-silver-screen/) - The Butte Symphony once again blends film and music in a free outdoor concert, 9 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 16, at the Original Mine Yard in Uptown Butte. The annual Symphony Under the Silver Screen features the musical scores composed by Ben Model (www.silentfilmmusic.com) for two silent films: 1928’s “Wrong Again” featuring Stan Laurel and Oliver
- [Rockin’ the Rivers returns Aug. 9-12](https://livelytimes.com/2018/07/rockin-the-rivers-returns-aug-9-12/) - Rockin’ the Rivers returns to the Bridge near Three Forks Aug. 9-12 with a line-up that reflects the evolution of the festival, which celebrates 18 years of bringing live rock to Montana. From modern hit-makers to classic grooves, Rockin’ the Rivers delivers four days of nonstop music next to the Jefferson River. American rapper, singer,
- [Head to Swan Lake’s Huckleberry Fest](https://livelytimes.com/2018/08/head-to-swan-lakes-huckleberry-fest/) - For 37 years, the second Saturday in August has meant huckleberry pie, huckleberry treats, arts, crafts and music on the shores of beautiful Swan Lake. The 37th annual Swan Lake Huckleberry Festival gets underway at 8 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 11, at the Swan Lake Day Park near mile marker 72 on Montana Highway 83 and
- [Festival Amadeus: Let’s Festival! Ja?](https://livelytimes.com/2018/07/festival-amadeus-lets-festival-ja/) - Glacier Symphony has planned a grand week of classical and classical­ music spinoffs for Festival Amadeus Aug. 6-12 in Whitefish. The concert poster features a sunglass-clad Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and the words “Let’s Festival! Ja?” – a hint that the festival will offer as much good fun as it will great music. Festival music director
- [Festival at Sandpoint](https://livelytimes.com/2018/07/festival-at-sandpoint-announces-line-up/) - The Festival at Sandpoint is bringing Big Head Todd and the Monsters, Amos Lee, ZZ Top, Greensky Bluegrass, Sublime with Rome, Phillip Phillips and Gavin DeGraw, and the Spokane Symphony to Memorial Field Aug. 2-12 for its 36th season. “We hope festival fans are as pleased as we are at the phenomenal artists coming to
- [Montana Triennial goes statewide](https://livelytimes.com/2018/08/montana-triennial-goes-statewide/) - The Yellowstone Art Museum’s newest exhibition, Montana Triennial 2018, continues a tradition launched by the Missoula Art Museum almost a decade ago. The exhibition is on display at the Billings museum through Oct. 14, and showcases the works of 40 artists from across the state. The Montana Triennial was first organized and presented as a
- [Jan Elpel | Healers of Big Butte](https://livelytimes.com/2018/08/jan-elpel-healers-of-big-butte/) - A new novel by Montana author Jan Elpel is centered on Carrie Tarynton, an intuitive healer who plies her trade in Butte during the 1870s. It’s set in the sliver of time between mining for gold and mining for copper and just before the Nez Perce War. The intersection of fellow healers and the conflict
- [Woodpeckers: Drilling Holes and Bagging Bugs](https://livelytimes.com/2018/08/woodpeckers-drilling-holes-and-bagging-bugs/) - “If something stands on the side of a tree, banging its head against the trunk,” you can be pretty certain you’ve spotted the subject of Sneed Collard’s latest book. Or so says Dick Hutto, an expert on woodpeckers. This fun, funny and fact-filled ode to members of the Picidae family is packed with fascinating details.
- [Art Kehler | Hollowtop Smoke Signals](https://livelytimes.com/2018/08/art-kehler-hollowtop-smoke-signals/) - Friends, your holiday gift-list options are handled, thanks to Art Kehler. His Hollowtop Smoke Signals works for everyone from great aunts to ministers to longtime friends who already have everything they need. This collection is pure gold – or maybe some other metal – but very precious. Kehler offers 83 short insights, memories, or ponderings for
- [John Heminway | In Full Flight](https://livelytimes.com/2018/08/john-heminway-in-full-flight/) - Montana resident John Heminway has worked for more than 50 years as a journalist and filmmaker. His fascination with Anne Spoerry, a French-born doctor turned pilot and African medical savior, led to a five-decade-long friendship. His book, In Full Flight, pays tribute to the physician’s work in Kenya following World War II, where her impersonal
- [Victor Charlo | Dirty Corner Poems](https://livelytimes.com/2018/08/victor-charlo-dirty-corner-poems/) - The jacket of Victor Charlo’s Dirty Corner Poems and Other Stories covers the basics: he’s a descendant of Salish Chief Charlot who signed the Hellgate Treaty; he studied theology at Gonzaga University; and he lives at the Old Agency just outside of Dixon, on the Flathead Indian Reservation. A deeper look reveals even more facets
- [Luke Dowler heads West in Compass series](https://livelytimes.com/2018/08/luke-dowler-heads-west-in-compass-series/) - Kalispell singer-songwriter Luke Dowler is a well-rounded rock musician. The guitarist has made videos and written for films, and his compositions have been heard on television. He writes a blog and hosts “Dowlercast,” a weekly interview show, among other pursuits. Dowler left his record label in 2012 after his first release, Polarized. He says the
- [Raso | Alaya – Songs for Earth & Sky](https://livelytimes.com/2018/08/raso-alaya-songs-for-earth-sky/) - On her new album, Arlee singer/songwriter Raso Hultgren celebrates the peace she’s achieved from meshing two disciplines: Aikido and meditation. She’s played much music in her life, and now, by penning her own songs, she shares the serenity of this meditative state, which she says can help heal humanity. The love of nature and the
- [ArtWalk Downtown Billings fetes summer](https://livelytimes.com/2018/07/artwalk-downtown-billings-fetes-summer/) - ArtWalk Downtown Billings fetes summer from 5-9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 3, during the third of six events scheduled in the 24th season. ArtWalk is a festive outpouring of the eclectic, creative spirit alive in the Magic City. ArtWalk extends a special welcome to Liberty and Vine, now open at 2019 Montana Avenue. The store’s inaugural
- [Nicole Dunn | Bird on a Wire](https://livelytimes.com/2018/07/nicole-dunn-bird-on-a-wire/) - Missoula poet Nicole Dunn has released her first spoken-word album that’s at times sassy, sarcastic and humorous. She’s a stepmother, a part-time nanny, the director of Open Way Mindfulness Center, and involved in many community causes. All of this has given her astute observations. Sometimes she speaks rapidly, or elongates and slows words for effect,
- [Dwight Yoakam headlines Red Ants Pants](https://livelytimes.com/2018/07/dwight-yoakam-headlines-red-ants-pants/) - Dwight Yoakam – country superstar and multiple Grammy winner – headlines a star-studded Red Ants Pants Festival, coming to White Sulphur Springs July 26-29 at at the festival grounds – a working cow pasture on the Jackson Ranch just outside of White Sulphur Springs. Yoakam has sold more than 25 million albums worldwide and has 12
- [Symphony Under the Stars: A Galaxy Far, Far Away](https://livelytimes.com/2018/07/symphony-under-the-stars-a-galaxy-far-far-away/) - The Helena Symphony and Carroll College are revving up for the Helena Community Credit Union Symphony Under the Stars – a giant concert and fireworks extravaganza at 8:30 p.m. Saturday, July 21, on the campus of Carroll College. Considered one of the largest summer events in Montana, the much-anticipated concert attracts well over 17,000 people
- [Yaak River Fest: Laid-back festival in unique setting](https://livelytimes.com/2018/07/yaak-river-fest-laid-back-festival-in-unique-setting/) - Head to northwest Montana July 20-21 and hear 10 bands play blues, rock, country and folk during the annual Yaak River Fest. The Yaak River Tavern hosts the annual gathering – now in its fifth year. Originally called the Yaak River Jam, the festival boasts a laid-back atmosphere, a variety of genres, inexpensive tickets and
- [Montana Folk Festival: Final 7 announced](https://livelytimes.com/2018/05/montana-folk-festival-final-7-announced/) - The final seven performers were recently announced for the 2018 Montana Folk Festival, coming to Butte, Montana July 13-15. This fills out the line-up for the festival’s performance stages that run continuously through the festival weekend. “We will let attendees decide for themselves as they plan how they will take it all in, but there
- [Glacier Symphony: Sounds of Summer](https://livelytimes.com/2018/06/glacier-symphony-sounds-of-summer/) - Load up your car with friends and family for the best picnic concert of summer when the Glacier Symphony presents Symphony Night at the Farm on Saturday, July 7 at Rebecca Farms in Kalispell. Or, for a more intimate concert experience, enjoy Denim, Lace and Pearls, 5:30 p.m. Friday, July 6. This “Dinner at the
- [Bigfork Playhouse opens “Into The Woods” July 10](https://livelytimes.com/2018/07/bigfork-playhouse-opens-into-the-woods-july-10/) - Celebrating its 59th season, the Bigfork Summer Playhouse opens the enchanting fantasy “Into The Woods” by Stephen Sondheim Tuesday, July 10. The play continues on select dates through Aug. 22. Join fairytale favorites Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Jack and his beanstalk, Prince Charming, Rapunzel, the Wolf and discover new stories about a witch, a
- [Art in the Beartooths Quick Finish & Auction](https://livelytimes.com/2018/06/art-in-the-beartooths-quick-finish-auction/) - Art in the Beartooths, the annual fundraiser to benefit the Carbon County Arts Guild and Depot Gallery, brings a bevy of art and artists to Red Lodge July 14. The event begins with the Art in the Beartooths Signature Artists Exhibition, on display June 28-July 30 in the main gallery of the Arts Guild. This
- [Port Polson Players launch 43rd season](https://livelytimes.com/2018/07/port-polson-players-launch-43rd-season/) - The Port Polson Players step into their 43rd season of summer theatre July 5-22 with a regional premiere of “After the Ball.” “Foxfire” and “Souvenir” round out the summer offerings. “After the Ball,” authored by Diz Winter, is a fast-paced show that chronicles America’s westward expansion through music, history and a load of laughs. The title
- [Brunswick Studios celebrate 40 years](https://livelytimes.com/2018/07/brunswick-studios-celebrate-40-years/) - The Brunswick Artists’ Studios of Missoula is celebrating its 40th anniversary with a retrospective art exhibit July 13-Aug. 18, and a reading at 7 p.m. Aug. 2. Since 1978 the two-story former railroad hotel has provided studios for creative work. Over the past four decades more than 150 artists, writers and musicians have occupied rooms in
- [Sweet Grass Fest and Big Timber Rodeo](https://livelytimes.com/2018/06/sweet-grass-fest-and-big-timber-rodeo/) - The action-packed Sweet Grass Fest brings rodeo action, high-caliber live music and loads of family fun to Big Timber June 28-29. This year’s event kicks off at 7 p.m. Friday with round one of the Big Timber Rodeo at the Sweet Grass County Fairgrounds, followed by the Rockin' Rodeo After Party, featuring Kyle Park and Kimberly
- [MudSlide Charley's latest: Words & Bones](https://livelytimes.com/2018/06/mudslide-charley-words-bones/) - Missoula’s MudSlide Charley has a fourth album out featuring what they call their “genuine Missoula-born, ramshackle soul.” Long-time members are Marco Littig, slide/lead guitar; Phil Hamilton, harmonica, sax, guitar and percussion; Roger Moquin, drums; and Tahj Kjelland, bass. Lee Rizzo, who joined when Emi Kodama left in 2015 to become a mother, sings lead vocals
- [Roundup Independence Days Extravaganza](https://livelytimes.com/2018/06/roundup-independence-days-extravaganza/) - The annual Roundup Independence Days Extravaganza (that’s RIDE for short) brings music, rodeos, parades and quirky contests to the small town less than an hour north of Billings. The four-day event, July 1-4, leads up to Independence Day with three evening concerts at the Roundup City Park, beginning Monday at 7 p.m. with Dancing in
- [Revive & Thrive rejuvenates Lost Horse Meadows](https://livelytimes.com/2018/06/revive-thrive-rejuvenates-lost-horse-meadows/) - Join The Nature Conservancy and its partners July 15 for Revive and Thrive, an annual work party and celebration. This year volunteers will help spruce up and restore Lost Horse Meadows, located off Hwy. 200, east of Missoula. The volunteer activity runs from 10 a.m.-1 p.m., followed by free lunch for the volunteers (RSVP to
- [Broadway actors star in First You Dream](https://livelytimes.com/2018/07/broadway-actors-star-in-first-you-dream/) - “First you dream. You dream about incredible things.” For musical theatre lovers, the song “First You Dream” by Kander and Ebb epitomizes the inspiration Broadway can provide. How very fitting that Broadway veteran Michael Lowney will perform “First You Dream: Michael Lowney with Special Guests Andy Taylor and Chryssie Whitehead” in his hometown of Missoula,
- [Lochwood unveils The Village Bear](https://livelytimes.com/2018/07/lochwood-unveils-the-village-bear/) - Missoula’s Lochwood has kicked out razor-sharp traditional bluegrass music since 2014, and their debut album showcases it. It’s chock-full of classic nuggets from greats like Ralph Stanley, Kenny Baker, and the Louvin Brothers, plus two original pieces, all performed superbly by the five long-time pickers. John Parker, upright bass and vocals, Steve Taft, banjo, Chad
- [Ballet luminary performs Giselle](https://livelytimes.com/2018/06/ballet-luminary-performs-giselle-bozeman/) - Varna gold medalist Mathilde Froustey lights up the stage in Yellowstone Ballet Company’s production of the dramatic classic ballet, Giselle, June 14-15 in Bozeman. Froustey, a principal dancer for the San Francisco Ballet and a sujet (soloist) for Paris Opera Ballet, performs the title role of Giselle with dancers from Yellowstone Ballet Company and Raison
- [Urinetown: WTC stages “fresh, impudent” musical](https://livelytimes.com/2018/05/urinetown-wtc-stages-fresh-impudent-musical/) - The Whitefish Theatre Co. presents its final cabaret show of the 2017-2018 theatre season with a sensational production of Urinetown: The Musical at the O’Shaughnessy Center in Whitefish. Called a “fresh, original, impudent, colorful, exciting, irreverent, surprising and wonderful musical," this landmark show opens with a sneak preview at 7:30 p.m. May 31 and continues
- [BZN International Film Festival opens June 7](https://livelytimes.com/2018/05/bzn-international-film-festival/) - In addition to over 60 independent films from around the globe, the inaugural BZN International Film Festival in Bozeman June 7-10 will feature a number of educational Festival Conversations, along with a free family night. For its first year BZN will spotlight women in film and films with an environmental focus. The festival will screen
- [Carrie La Seur | Weight of an Infinite Sky](https://livelytimes.com/2018/06/latest-carrie-la-seur-weight-of-infinite-sky/) - With a few gracious nods to Shakespeare, the sophomore novel by Carrie La Seur explores the tricky realms of loss, fealty and family expectation – all amid the stark grandeur of eastern Montana, “under an infinite sky that gave no quarter.” Anthony Fry reluctantly returns to Billings, after a failed stab at acting in New
- [Chris Bianco celebrates Wedding Party](https://livelytimes.com/2018/06/chris-bianco-wedding-party/) - Singer/songwriter and part-time Bitterrooter Chris Bianco is back with his 14th CD. It’s inventive for a romance album: he’s got original songs for an entire wedding celebration, from prelude to ceremony, to bride/father dance and beyond. He calls it “wedding, engagement and proposal party music.” The self-styled “traveling troubadour,” who winters on the Pacific coast,
- [Billings ArtWalk: Embrace summer June 1](https://livelytimes.com/2018/05/billings-artwalk-embrace-summer-june-1/) - ArtWalk Downtown Billings is ready to cast off the winter blues and embrace the joy of summer 5-9 p.m. Friday, June 1, with the second of six events scheduled for its 24th season. This time around, Free Spirit Rock School Band, ages 16-60, plays popular blues and classic rock at Seva Kitchen, and ArtWalk adds
- [Barenaked Ladies: And the winners are ...](https://livelytimes.com/2018/05/barenaked-ladies-and-the-winners-are/) - The drawing's over folks: tickets go to Ron from Missoula and Anthony in Ronan. But summer has just begun so stay tuned for more ticket giveaways! Barenaked Ladies bring their celebrated “Last Summer on Earth 2018” Tour to Big Sky Brewing Company Amphitheater in Missoula June 6. Special guests are Better Than Ezra and KT
- [Feast Whitefish: Eclectic dining scene shines](https://livelytimes.com/2018/05/feast-whitefish-eclectic-dining-scene-shines/) - They say that there’s no better way to experience the “soul” of a town than through its food, and that’s especially true in Whitefish. Dollar-for-dollar and pound-for-pound, the Flathead Valley community has one of the most active, interesting – and eclectic – dining scenes of any mountain town in the West. Sample the community’s eclectic
- [Montana Noir | Dark snapshots by illustrious crew](https://livelytimes.com/2018/05/montana-noir/) - Editing Montana Noir "has been a wonderful way to return to our home state, with everything that’s good and bad about it,” say editors James Grady and Keir Graff (who also contributed stories to this darkly stellar collection). Actually, with the exception of a few tales (Walter Kirn’s creepy “Oasis” for one), it’s not as
- [Chris Lane's "lo-fi" release: Constant](https://livelytimes.com/2018/05/chris-lanes-lo-fi-release-constant/) - Hot on the heels of his last release, Bring It Neat, A Collection, Missoula songwriter and guitarist Chris Lane has released what he calls a “lo-fi” effort. He admits to having so many song ideas rolling around in his head that he needs to quickly get them out of there. He’s playing and singing everything
- [Nature’s Cadence: Paintings by Clyde Aspevig](https://livelytimes.com/2018/04/natures-cadence-paintings-by-clyde-aspevig/) - For a lifetime, Clyde Aspevig has been listening to the cadence of nature … its crashes and whispers, its grand symphonies and its single sonorous notes. An exhibit, on display through July 8 at the Yellowstone Art Museum, celebrates his mastery and vision. In every season, he is literally and physically “in” his subject matter. Subtle,
- [Maestro John Zoltek explores jazz fusion](https://livelytimes.com/2018/05/maestro-zoltek-explores-jazz-fusion/) - Jazz Night with the Maestro, May 11 in Whitefish, offers a rare pairing of jazz guitar with a nine-piece string ensemble and guest soloists, presented by the Glacier Symphony. John Zoltek, music director and conductor of the orchestra, will plug in his electric guitar and dive into his “musical alter ego” for this show, which features
- [Travel under sea with Little Mermaid](https://livelytimes.com/2018/04/travel-under-sea-little-mermaid/) - If you have ever longed to be “Under the Sea,” ride the wave over to the MCT Center for the Performing Arts, as the Missoula Community Theatre presents “Disney’s The Little Mermaid," April 26-May 13. Ariel, the adventurous mermaid, gives her voice to Ursula the Sea Witch in exchange for legs and the opportunity for
- [Molly Caro May | Body Full of Stars](https://livelytimes.com/2018/05/molly-caro-may-body-full-of-stars/) - Molly Caro May’s lyrical memoir, Body Full of Stars, is an eloquent series of vignettes that recounts May’s battle and transformation following the birth of her eldest daughter, Eula. “The miracle of birth” and the “bond between mother and daughter” have been constants in the female story throughout time. But underneath this idyllic narrative lie
- [m-pact revels in nature’s first instrument](https://livelytimes.com/2018/04/m-pact-revels-in-natures-first-instrument/) - m-pact, a Los Angeles-based a cappella sextet, performs May 4 at Alberta Bair Theater in Billings. The San Francisco Chronicle hails m-pact as “one of the best pop-jazz vocal groups in the world.” The group emerged more than 20 years ago in an age of auto-tune and overproduction and has cultivated fans who are hungry
- [Larry Pirnie paints ponies for Carousel](https://livelytimes.com/2018/04/larry-pirnie-paints-ponies-for-carousel/) - A Carousel for Missoula is hosting a one-of-a-kind fundraiser 4-7 p.m. Sunday, May 6. Larry Pirnie, a well-known western artist from Missoula, has donated 15 framed, original, acrylic paintings. Each painting will be sold for $1,200 during the event. All proceeds will support the Carousel and Dragon Hollow Playarea. According to Carousel executive director
- [Summer kick off: Garden City BrewFest](https://livelytimes.com/2018/05/summer-kick-off-garden-city-brewfest/) - The 26th annual Garden City BrewFest delivers a first taste of summer in Missoula with 70 different beers from 48 breweries, five ciders and six wines, offered for tasting Saturday, May 5, from noon-8 p.m. in Caras Park. Fifteen beers are from Missoula, 25 are from Montana-based breweries, and 30 come from breweries across America,
- [The Great Gatsby: Glittering, high-octane tragedy](https://livelytimes.com/2018/04/the-great-gatsby-glittering-high-octane-tragedy/) - Whitefish Theatre Co. continues its 39th season with a spectacular spring production of “The Great Gatsby,” a classic drama written by F. Scott Fitzgerald and adapted for the stage by Simon Levy. Directed by WTC Artistic Director Jesse DeVine, “The Great Gatsby” runs at the O’Shaughnessy Center in Whitefish at 7:30 p.m. April 20-21 and
- [James Lee Burke returns with Robicheaux](https://livelytimes.com/2018/04/james-lee-burke-robicheaux/) - Like Tony Squid, a gangster and psychopath, James Lee Burke’s latest novel wraps its greedy tentacles around New Iberia and squeezes hard on our favorite detective, Dave Robicheaux. He lost his beloved wife, Molly, to a hit and run two years ago, and now is a suspect in the murder of the perpetrator. He remembers
- [International Wildlife Film Festival uncovers wild future](https://livelytimes.com/2018/04/international-wildlife-film-festival-uncovers-our-wild-future/) - The 41st International Wildlife Film Festival showcases groundbreaking and inspirational films from around the world April 14-22. With more than 120 films to choose from, this annual spring event draws industry professionals, filmmakers, and audiences for a week of extraordinary environmental films and events. The festival kicks off on Saturday, April 14, with the ever-popular
- [Ice Breaker: Annual road race celebrates spring](https://livelytimes.com/2018/04/ice-breaker-road-race-celebrates-spring/) - As winter finally begins to loosen its grip on Montana, Great Falls celebrates with the 39th annual Ice Breaker Road Race, held Sunday, April 22. Register by April 15 to be included in the drawing for early registration. Join over 3,600 runners, joggers and fitness walkers who loop through town each year. The course starts
- [Twin Kennedy: Two Voices, One Singular Sensation](https://livelytimes.com/2018/04/twin-kennedy-two-voices-one-singular-sensation/) - Their musical bond is as strong as their small town roots – Twin Kennedy, comprised of West Coast sisters Carli and Julie Kennedy, have been making music together since they could talk. They bring their musical symmetry to three Montana towns this month: Thompson Falls, April 17, Polson, April 20, and Hobson, April 22. Born
- [Gypsy jazz artists swing through Montana](https://livelytimes.com/2018/04/gypsy-jazz-artists-swing-through-montana/) - Award-winning violin legend Tim Kliphuis (Holland) teams up with America’s top Gypsy jazz guitarist, Alfonso Ponticelli (Chicago) to highlight the music of famed musical duo Stéphane Grappelli and Django Reinhardt. Catch them April 14 in Billings, April 15 in Bozeman, April 17 in Helena and April 19 in Missoula. Re-creating the 1930s in Paris, and
- [Mike Murray's latest: Difficult Days](https://livelytimes.com/2018/04/mike-murray-difficult-days/) - On his fourth album, Kalispell’s Mike Murray delves deep into what it means to be human, exposing our warts and worries, our doubts and regrets. The singer-songwriter wrote it while recovering from a serious vocal polyp due to overuse. He plays all the instruments, save bass by Christopher Krager on “Aeneas,” and performs all the
- [The Gathering Place: Swan Valley's Gordon Ranch](https://livelytimes.com/2018/04/the-gathering-place-swan-valleys-gordon-ranch/) - Tribal elders tell us the Pend d'Oreille once gathered to dig camas on the native prairie now occupied by the Gordon Ranch. Thus, the early history of the upper Swan Valley is entwined with the oral and written history of its first homestead and ranch in this book by the Upper Swan Valley Historical Society
- [Infamous Kit Kat Klub reborn in Cabaret](https://livelytimes.com/2018/04/infamous-kit-kat-klub-reborn-in-cabaret/) - Tickets remain for Cabaret, the final performance of Alberta Bair Theater’s Broadway Series presented on Tuesday, April 17, at 7:30 p.m. This production is based on Roundabout Theatre Company’s Tony Award-winning production by Sam Mendes (Skyfall, American Beauty) and Rob Marshall (Into the Woods and Chicago, the films). Cabaret welcomes the audience to the infamous Kit
- [Clay Studio's Potsketch culminates in gala](https://livelytimes.com/2018/04/potsketch-opens-april-6-at-clay-studio-of-missoula/) - Potsketch, the 10th annual fundraiser for The Clay Studio of Missoula, opens April 6 with a reception from 5:30-9 p.m. at the studio/gallery on Hawthorne St., and culminates in Potsketch Gala and Auction, 6-10 p.m. April 21 at the University Center Ballroom. The preview exhibition will feature over six-dozen Potsketches (bidding begins at the reception)
- [ArtWalk Billings offers bouquet of fresh art](https://livelytimes.com/2018/04/artwalk-billings-offers-bouquet-of-fresh-art/) - ArtWalk Downtown Billings welcomes spring's arrival with the opening of its 24th season on Friday, April 6, from 5-9 p.m. The 24th season includes six ArtWalk events, up from the traditional five, slated for the first Fridays of June, August, October and December 2018 and February 2019. This year’s roster boasts 31 season members who
- [Rod Stewart Rescheduled: Concert moves to Oct. 26](https://livelytimes.com/2018/04/rod-stewart-montana-tickets/) - MetraPark in Billings announced Monday that Rod Stewart, one of the best-selling artists in the history of recorded music, has rescheduled his first visit to Montana – originally set for April 14 – to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 26 at MetraPark Arena. With his signature voice, narrative songwriting, trendsetting style and passionate live performances he’s transcended
- [Michael Martin Murphey plays three Montana shows](https://livelytimes.com/2018/03/michael-martin-murphey-plays-three-montana-shows/) - Michael Martin Murphey will be making up his postponed November concerts on April 2-3 in Bigfork, and head to Choteau April 4 for an intimate dinner concert. All three shows also include Montana favorites Rob and Halladay Quist and rising talent Alea Leilani. Best known for a genre-busting career that includes topping the pop, country,
- [John Floridis | October Surprise](https://livelytimes.com/2018/03/john-floridis-october-surprise/) - Missoula guitarist, composer and singer John Floridis has an instrumental album out that once again showcases his melodic and technical abilities. October Surprise features 11 songs he wrote for a 2008 video project in Alaska, “Glacier Bay Serenity.” Afterwards, Floridis wanted to go in a different direction, so he didn’t think about releasing the music
- [Win tickets to Death Cab for Cutie in Missoula!](https://livelytimes.com/2016/04/win-tickets-see-death-cab-cutie-missoula/) - The Death Cab for Cutie concert that was set for September 2015 has been rescheduled for Friday, May 6, at the Adams Center, and Lively Times is giving away two free tickets (fill out the form below to enter). The September show was postponed after group member Nick Harmer's wife gave birth. The Missoula show
- [Win free tickets to Sesame Street Live!](https://livelytimes.com/2016/05/1576/) - The Sesame Street gang arrives in Montana for three shows in Bozeman June 3-4 and two shows in Missoula June 8. Lively Times has a family four-pack to give away for each stop (your choice for performance times)! No matter where you’re from or where you’ve been, everyone is special! Elmo, Grover, Abby Cadabby, and
- [Chris Young is "Comin' Over" and LT has tickets!](https://livelytimes.com/2016/07/win-tickets-see-chris-young/) - Grammy-nominated country artist Chris Young, named one of country music’s "most reliable hit-makers” by USA Today, brings his dynamic live performance to Missoula's Big Sky Brewery, Aug. 5, and Lively Times has tickets up for grabs! Declared “commanding and confident” by the Houston Chronicle and “a headliner in his own right” by the Times-Leader, Young
- [Michael Franti: Free ticket give-away](https://livelytimes.com/2016/08/michael-franti-free-ticket-give-away/) - Michael Franti, a pioneering musician, filmmaker and humanitarian, takes the stage at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 16 at Big Sky Brewing in Missoula – and we’ve got free tickets! Long known for his globally conscious lyrics, powerful performances, and dynamic live shows, Franti has continually been at the forefront of lyrical activism, using his music as
- [March in Montana Dealer Show & Auction](https://livelytimes.com/2018/03/march-montana-dealer-show-auction/) - Manitou Galleries of Cheyenne, WY and Santa Fe, NM and The Coeur d’Alene Art Auction from Hayden, ID join forces for the 31st annual March In Montana Dealer Show and Auction, March 15-17. The three-day boutique dealer show and two-day auction is known for featuring some of the finest western, sporting and wildlife art on
- [Western Art Week: The Russell and more](https://livelytimes.com/2018/03/western-art-week-russell/) - Art enthusiasts and artists converge in Great Falls March 14-18 for Western Art Week. The cornucopia of art shows, auctions and special events coincides with the birthday of famed western artist Charlie Russell. The centerpiece, The Russell: An Exhibition and Sale to Benefit the C.M. Russell Museum, is an event “rooted in common interests, forged
- [Mountain Cleveland Five](https://livelytimes.com/2018/03/mountain-cleveland-five-revisits-climbing-tragedy/) - The Mount Cleveland Five went missing on the North Face of Waterton-Glacier’s famed peak on Dec. 29, 1969. Terry Kennedy, a distant friend of one of the climbers, was just 15 years old. In the days surrounding the tragedy, a passion was ignited – and a 40-year-long mountaineering career was born. Kennedy’s deliberate memoir of
- [WTC stages “A Behanding in Spokane”](https://livelytimes.com/2018/03/wtc-stages-behanding-spokane/) - “A Behanding in Spokane,” Whitefish Theatre Company’s third Black Curtain Theatre production of the 2017-2018 season, debuts at the O’Shaughnessy Center in Whitefish at 7:30 p.m. March 24-25. This dazzlingly macabre tale comes from the brilliant, twisted mind of Irish playwright Martin McDonagh; audience members should be aware that this play contains very strong language
- [39 Steps: Controlled chaos comes to MCT](https://livelytimes.com/2018/03/39-steps-controlled-chaos-comes-mct/) - Hilarious controlled chaos: that’s one way to describe “The 39 Steps,” based on the 1935 Alfred Hitchcock film. The Missoula Community Theatre will be staging this fast-paced, frantically funny, non-musical mystery March 8-18 at the MCT Center for the Performing Arts. The original movie, called “a masterpiece” by Orson Welles, is a classic whodunit. But,
- [Well-Strung fuses vocals and string finesse](https://livelytimes.com/2018/03/well-strung-fuses-vocals-string-finesse/) - Well-Strung, a dynamic string quartet known for fusing classical music with popular pop songs, all sung in four-part harmony, performs 7:30 p.m. March 9 at the O’Shaughnessy Center in Whitefish and 8 p.m. March 10 at the Ellen Theatre in Bozeman. The New York City-based string quartet derives their unique blend of vocals and string
- [Aquila Theatre stages Hamlet at Alberta Bair](https://livelytimes.com/2018/03/aquila-theatre-stages-hamlet-abt/) - New York-based Aquila Theatre, under the artistic direction of Desiree Sanchez, returns to Alberta Bair Theater with Shakespeare’s Hamlet on Wednesday, March 14, with a curtain time of 7:30 p.m. A truncated performance begins at 12:30 as part of the Student Matinee Series. Aquila’s minimalistic productions of Shakespeare have been critically acclaimed by The New
- [Luke Dowler heads South in latest recording](https://livelytimes.com/2018/02/luke-dowler-heads-south-latest-recording/) - Prolific singer/songwriter Luke Dowler of Kalispell has the third leg of his four-directions project out, and it’s as polished, original, and well-executed as his many other efforts. His brawny, gravelly baritone takes the spotlight on his eight pieces, and he also proffers guitars, piano, bass, percussion, synth and programming to flesh out the flawless sound.
- [Organ master Lonnie Smith graces Myrna stage](https://livelytimes.com/2018/02/organ-master-lonnie-smith-graces-myrna/) - Legendary Hammond B-3 organ master Dr. Lonnie Smith and his trio perform one concert only in Montana, at the Myrna Loy, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 22. A 2017 NEA Jazz Master, Smith’s garnered numerous awards during his 50-year career. A Blue Note recording star and co-founder of the George Benson Quartet, he’s been featured on
- [Zach Begler takes "A Lens to the Streets"](https://livelytimes.com/2018/02/zach-begler-takes-lens-streets/) - Over the course of three-and-a-half months, Helena photographer Zachary Begler traveled up and down the West Coast. His journey took him to Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and Portland to photograph homeless men and women. He took photographs, wrote short sentences or small quotes based on their conversations, and slept in his car at
- [Caroline Patterson | Ballet at the Moose Lodge](https://livelytimes.com/2018/02/caroline-patterson-ballet-moose-lodge/) - Drumlummon Institute in Helena recently released the second volume in its Contemporary Fiction Series: the short story collection, Ballet at the Moose Lodge, by Caroline Patterson. Best known as the editor of the Willa Award–winning anthology, Montana Women Writers: A Geography of the Heart, Patterson is also the author of powerful short fiction. The new
- [Montana Ballet enchants with Cinderella](https://livelytimes.com/2018/02/montana-ballet-troupe-enchants-cinderella/) - Montana Ballet Company (MBC) announces the Bozeman premiere of Cinderella on Saturday, Feb. 24 and Sunday, Feb. 25 at the Willson Auditorium in Bozeman. “Cinderella is one of my all-time favorite ballets,” says Elizabeth DeFanti, MBC’s Artistic Director. “The Prokofiev score is exquisite, inspiring exceptional dancing and a magical production from start to finish. I
- [International Guitar Night tours Montana](https://livelytimes.com/2018/02/international-guitar-night-tours-montana/) - International Guitar Night – IGN – returns to Montana, with stops in Bozeman Feb. 8, Billings Feb. 10, and Helena Feb. 13. Germany’s Gypsy jazz legend Lulo Reinhardt serves as artistic director and hosts the concerts, joined by Canadian contemporary fingerstyle sensation Calum Graham, Poland’s innovative classical composer/performer Marek Pasieczny, and award-winning American guitarist Michael
- [Moscow Festival Ballet dances “Swan Lake”](https://livelytimes.com/2018/02/moscow-festival-ballet-dances-swan-lake/) - The Moscow Festival Ballet performs "Swan Lake," a full-length ballet in four acts with music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and choreography by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, at the Alberta Bair Theater in Billings on Tuesday, Feb. 13 at 7:30 p.m. This marks the last chance to see Russian ballet at the theater for awhile.
- [East-West International traverses Montana](https://livelytimes.com/2018/02/east-west-international-traverses-montana/) - East-West International Project delivers eclectic music to Polson and eastern Montana this month. Coming from different parts of the world, each of them brings their own musical background, traditions and beauty to the collaboration. The group received the gold medal at the 2017 International Accordion Competition in Victoria, Canada. East-West International was founded in 2016
- [Heath Watts & Blue Armstrong | Bright Yellow with Bass](https://livelytimes.com/2018/02/heath-watts-blue-armstrong-bright-yellow-bass/) - Acoustic double-bass player Blue Armstrong of Dillon and Heath Watts, a sax player and Butte native, deliver a recorded session encompassing 10 jazz works that are extemporaneous forays into pitch, theme, and dexterity. Both may sound familiar from their stints with Montana jazz mavens Alex Swaney and M.J. Williams, among others. The album title comes
- [Billings Winter ArtWalk: Friday, Feb. 2](https://livelytimes.com/2018/01/billings-winter-artwalk-friday-feb-2/) - Winter ArtWalk 2018, the end of ArtWalk Downtown Billings’ 23rd Season, celebrates cool art, cold weather, merriment, music and more on Friday, Feb. 2, from 5-9 p.m. Each participating Winter ArtWalk location has a separate gallery page on ArtWalk’s mobile-friendly website, www.artwalkbillings.com. There, visitors can find images from current and past ArtWalk events, gallery notes,
- [Banjo great Béla Fleck joins Brooklyn Rider](https://livelytimes.com/2018/01/bela-fleck-brooklyn-rider/) - Tickets remain for the unique pairing of multi Grammy Award-winning banjo player Béla Fleck with eclectic string quartet Brooklyn Rider, a performance of Alberta Bair Theater’s Orser Outstanding Performances Series, at 7 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 21. Fleck is known for virtually reinventing the image and sound of banjo as proven by a remarkable performing and
- [Tim Fain makes Helena Symphony debut](https://livelytimes.com/2018/01/violinist-tim-fain-makes-helena-symphony-debut/) - World-renowned violinist Tim Fain joins the Helena Symphony for a performance at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 27 in the Helena Civic Center. Fain, a resident of Hamilton, was seen on screen and heard on the Grammy-nominated soundtrack to the film, “Black Swan,” can be heard on the soundtrack to “Moonlight,” and gave “voice” to the
- [Andrea Harsell & Luna Roja: Something for the Pain](https://livelytimes.com/2018/01/andrea-harsell-something-pain/) - Long-time Missoula guitarist and songwriter Andrea Harsell has a new album of originals out, lighting it up with a top-shelf trio called Luna Roja. It’s Antonio Alvarez, drums, Nicklaus Hamburg, lead guitar, and Mike Hendy, bass. Harsell plays rhythm guitar this time around, and melts the turntable with her gritty, sensuous vocals and impeccable control.
- [Las Cafeteras fuses Latin, urban folk and worldbeat](https://livelytimes.com/2018/01/las-cafeteras-fuses-latin-worldbeat/) - The Whitefish Theatre Company presents Las Cafeteras, a dynamic ensemble of musicians known for their bold fusion of traditional Latin American folk rhythms with the attitude of urban worldbeat, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 19 at the O’Shaughnessy Center in Whitefish. The family-friendly concert is full of music, dance, and fun. Hailing from East L.A., Las Cafeteras
- [Pavlo brings Mediterranean music to Ronan](https://livelytimes.com/2018/01/pavlo-brings-mediterranean-music-ronan/) - Pavlo delivers a musical amalgam he simply calls “Mediterranean music” – a blend of Greek, flamenco, Latin, and even Balkan flavors, wrapped in contemporary pop – to Ronan Jan. 19 as part of the Mission Valley Live series. For being all-instrumental, Pavlo’s Mediterranean music speaks for itself. Over the span of his 20-year career, the
- [Maria Rose Wimmer | “Suburban Whimsy”](https://livelytimes.com/2018/01/maria-rose-wimmer-suburban-whimsy/) - Havre native Maria Rose Wimmer shares “Suburban Whimsy,” a collection of 20 vibrantly colored acrylic ink on canvas paintings through Feb. 2 at Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art in Great Falls. Her works summon a playful, vintage illustrative aesthetic and pair seemingly disparate subjects, like dinosaurs and human infants, or giraffes and a globe,
- [First Night Revamped: An Artful Entrée into 2018](https://livelytimes.com/2017/12/first-night-revamped-artful-entree-2018/) - First Night 2018 will showcase more than 70 performances and activities in 25 venues throughout downtown Missoula, the University of Montana campus and Southgate Mall from noon until midnight Dec. 31. “This year’s First Night has something for almost everybody, hour by hour, genre by genre,” says Art Missoula’s executive director Tom Benson. First Night’s
- [Riley Roberts and Tiny Plastic Stars](https://livelytimes.com/2017/12/riley-roberts-tiny-plastic-stars/) - Missoula’s Tiny Plastic Stars has released an audio cassette of their eight-song album, Sleepy Eyes (available as a download, too). Their Facebook page calls the folk-flavored originals by Riley Roberts, tricked out by electronics, “psych-rock-pop.” The power trio features Roberts on guitar and vocals, Dan Miller on drums, and Josh Bacha on bass. There are
- [Celtic Christmas: Dublin Gulch, Willson & McKee](https://livelytimes.com/2017/11/celtic-christmas-dublin-gulch-willson-mckee/) - Dublin Gulch, a mainstay of Montana’s Irish music scene, teams up with Willson and McKee for two Christmas shows: Dec. 1 at Polson High School Auditorium and Dec. 7 at the Myrna Loy Center in Helena. For the past 26 years, Butte’s native son, Tom Powers, has led Dublin Gulch with his vocal prowess and
- [Nutcracker on the Rocks returns to Helena](https://livelytimes.com/2017/11/nutcracker-rocks-returns-helena/) - The unique performance presents a more familiar Party Scene – with the exception of the live Harley Davidson on stage – then takes the audience through twists and turns as it journeys through the decades. Visit the Roaring 20s, a sock hop of the 50s, and flower power of the 60s. One exciting scene
- [Intermountain Festival of Trees celebrates 30 years](https://livelytimes.com/2017/11/intermountain-festival-trees-turns-30/) - You may not know the Washington Tunnel from the Lincoln Bridge but you’ll know it’s Christmas in New York at Intermountain’s Festival of Trees. Intermountain is celebrating the 30th annual Christmas Festival of Trees this year from Nov. 30-Dec. 3 at the Helena Civic Center. All proceeds from the four-day event benefit the children and
- [Montana Ballet stages lavish Nutcracker](https://livelytimes.com/2017/11/montana-ballet-stages-lavish-nutcracker/) - Montana Ballet Company (MBC), under the direction of Elizabeth DeFanti, stages its 34th annual production of The Nutcracker, at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 1, and 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2, at the Willson Auditorium in Bozeman. Montana Ballet welcomes back guest artists Rachel Van Buskirk and Christian Clark, principal dancers with Terminus Modern
- [Leslie Budewitz finds Treble at the Jam Fest](https://livelytimes.com/2017/11/leslie-budewitz-treble-jam-fest/) - Intrepid Erin Murphy brings her detecting skills to bear when the jazz festival’s headlining guitarist is murdered in Leslie Budewitz's latest mystery. The Bigfork author’s descriptions are so true-to-life, I can almost taste the strawberry-rhubarb freezer jam and hear the wailing notes of the guitars (recipes provided, musical scores not). She sneaks in plenty of puns too,
- [Broad Comedy brings satire to Whitefish and Bozeman](https://livelytimes.com/2017/11/broad-comedy-brings-satire-whitefish-bozeman/) - Broad Comedy, an award-winning, all-women musical comedy and sketch troupe, brings its ever-changing, riotous show to Whitefish Nov. 10 and Bozeman Nov. 16-18. The troupe, which has been performing around the country for over a decade, delivers a high-energy, progressive, unapologetically raunchy, and hilarious show of musical satire. Broad Comedy is performing only one night
- [Fair Trade Market: Great gifts and a helping hand](https://livelytimes.com/2017/11/fair-trade-market-great-gifts-helping-hand/) - If you’re looking for a way to buy one-of-a-kind Christmas presents, learn about interesting parts of the world, and support your values with your dollars, plan on attending the 10th annual Fair Trade Market, Sunday, Nov. 19, at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Helena. Fair is fair – and fair trade gives artisans and
- [Andy Hackbarth offers "A Tribute to Segovia"](https://livelytimes.com/2017/11/andy-hackbarth-tribute-segovia/) - Award-winning guitar virtuoso Andy Hackbarth pays tribute to the “Father of the Classical Guitar,” Andres Segovia, in Polson and Hobson this month and Thompson Falls in February. Through instrumental selections and short stories about Segovia's life and music, Hackbarth invites the audience on an eclectic musical journey from the music of Bach and the cathedrals
- [Helena hosts Last Chance New Play Fest](https://livelytimes.com/2017/11/helena-hosts-last-chance-new-play-fest/) - Helena’s Last Chance New Play Fest, now in its fourth year, will run Nov. 3-12. This grassroots theatre event celebrates the works of local and regional playwrights. This year’s festival opens Friday with “The AI Project,” a suite of 10-minute plays that explores the potential conflicts between humans and artificial intelligence, posing questions about what
- [Jeff Giles | Zoe meets X in The Edge of Everything](https://livelytimes.com/2017/10/jeff-giles-edge-everything/) - Whitefish writer Jeff Giles – a veteran of Entertainment Weekly – entwines the fate of two unforgettable teenagers in an imaginative page-turner. When Zoe first met him, X didn’t have a name. He came loping across a glowing frozen lake in a blizzard, “wearing a long coat – deep blue, with an iridescent shimmer like
- [Acrobatic Conundrum | “Love and Gravity”](https://livelytimes.com/2017/10/acrobatic-conundrum-love-gravity/) - Acrobatic Conundrum, Seattle's premier contemporary circus arts company, performs one night only on Friday, Nov. 3, at 7:30 p.m. at the O’Shaughnessy Center in Whitefish, as part of Whitefish Theatre Company's performing arts season. Acrobatic Conundrum aims to create exhilarating ensemble-based performances that engage and amaze audiences. The company blends virtuosic circus skill, dance, mesmerizing
- [Croce: Two Generations of American Music](https://livelytimes.com/2017/10/croce-two-generations-american-music/) - With his latest album, Just Like Medicine, A.J. Croce celebrates a long legacy of music-making with “Croce: Two Generations of American Music.” The show comes to the University of Montana Dennison Theatre in Missoula Nov. 2; the Alberta Bair Theater on Friday, Nov. 3; and the Ellen Theatre in Bozeman, Nov. 4. The son of legendary Jim
- [Helena Symphony explores fragility of freedom](https://livelytimes.com/2017/10/helena-symphony-explores-freedom/) - The Helena Symphony continues its 63rd season at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct.28 in the Helena Civic Center with two revolutionary composers: Shostakovich and Beethoven. The performance includes pianist Christopher Hahn, six vocal soloists, 80 chorus singers, and 65 orchestra players. The concert explores the fragility of freedom through Shostakovich’s pulsing and militaristic Tenth Symphony and
- [Rick Tryon travels Over the Clouds in recording](https://livelytimes.com/2017/10/rick-tryon-over-clouds/) - Great Falls singer-songwriter Rick Tryon calls himself a performer, imagineerist, and “high C’s pirate,” a gentle jibe at his vocal ability. On stage, the guitarist plays covers of songs from some of the musicians he admires – Tom Waits, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, and others –as well as his own material. His second effort, an
- [Gwen Florio | Arizona backdrop for Reservations](https://livelytimes.com/2017/10/gwen-florio-reservations/) - In her fourth mystery, Gwen Florio once again crafts a story that’s nimble and timely. Frustrated journalist Lola Wicks doesn’t want a belated honeymoon to Arizona. Still reeling from an incident in Wyoming that almost got herself and her daughter killed, she’s keeping close to her Montana home in Magpie, where she’s a reporter for
- [Common Ground debut | Strong](https://livelytimes.com/2017/10/common-ground-debut-strong/) - Common Ground – featuring husband and-wife duo Dusty Peterson and Nikki Herzog-Peterson – expanded their Great Falls duo to a four-piece, and were able to flesh out the sound of their original tunes, although they stick to-tried-and-true covers in performance. With their first album they have stretched out with six originals and two covers. Arrangements
- [Singer-songwriter Caroline Keys | Mean to Stay](https://livelytimes.com/2017/10/caroline-keys-new-album/) - Longtime Missoula singer-songwriter Caroline Keys has just released her solo debut, sort of. The concept and songs are all hers except “Snow,” co-written with Nate Biehl. But solo schmolo. As is her wont, Keys credits the players for making the album happen – in this case, the LaneSplitters. She’s played with all of them at
- [Snow Mania: Warren Miller's "Line of Descent"](https://livelytimes.com/2017/10/snow-mania-warren-millers-line-descent/) - Warren Miller Entertainment returns to big screens across Montana this month with its annual salute to the start of winter – “Line of Descent.” The 68th ski and snowboard film opens nationwide Oct. 13-14 at The Ellen in Bozeman and continues at Oct. 18-Dec. 1 at venues across the state. Expect downhill thrills, global adventure
- [The Salamanders' Bubbles caters to kids](https://livelytimes.com/2017/10/salamanders-bubbles/) - This Salamanders pride themselves on writing original “family-friendly rock ’n roll” that caters to kids, and the Missoula group’s second album bears that out. Andrew A. Hunt, a.k.a. “Cowboy Andy,” wrote the songs and contributes guitar, lead vocals and piano. He’s accompanied by fellow songwriter Matthew Nord, keys and guitar; Antonio Alvarez, drums; and Russ
- [Walking Out premieres in Montana Oct. 15-19](https://livelytimes.com/2017/10/walking-out-film-montana/) - The Montana Film Office at the Department of Commerce is teaming up with the Montana Film Festival to bring the new feature film Walking Out to theaters across the state. Adapted from a short story by Bozeman author David Quammen and filmed entirely in Montana around Bozeman and Livingston, Walking Out is a father-son story of
- [Montana Chamber Music Society season kicks off](https://livelytimes.com/2017/10/montana-chamber-music-society-season/) - The Montana Chamber Music Society kicks off a new season at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 14, at Reynolds Recital Hall on the campus of Montana State University in Bozeman. Violinists Angella Ahn and David Porter join pianist Jason Hardink in gems from violin duo and sonata literature. The program includes Beethoven Sonata No. 26 in
- [Bitterroot Performing Arts' stellar season](https://livelytimes.com/2017/10/bitterroot-performing-arts-stellar-season/) - Simply Three makes its first stop on a multi-city, coast-to-coast tour in Montana, performing at 8 p.m. Oct. 14 at the Hamilton Performing Arts Center. The performance – the second in the Bitterroot Performing Arts Council series – promises not only to deliver musically, but also with exciting visual, lighting and technology. Simply Three has
- [Gary Ferguson's latest examines Land on Fire](https://livelytimes.com/2017/10/gary-ferguson-land-fire/) - After a scorching summer in Montana, and the epic fires now blistering California, Land on Fire – The New Reality of Wildfire in the West by Gary Ferguson offers a timely examination of the causes of these megafires. It turns out, we listened to Smokey Bear all too well (note that it’s not Smokey the
- [The Acousticals mix homemade tunes](https://livelytimes.com/2017/10/the-acousticals/) - Missoula trio The Acousticals recently released their new self-titled effort – a mix of homemade tunes in the country-folk-bluegrass realm from band members Richie Reinholdt, Britt Arnesen and Chad Fadely. If their names sound familiar, it’s because the three are omnipresent on the Missoula music scene, and because they all play in other bands. Bassist/vocalist
- [Dance Theatre of Harlem makes Montana debut](https://livelytimes.com/2017/10/dance-theatre-harlem-makes-montana-debut/) - The 16-artist Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH), led by Artistic Director Virginia Johnson, will perform at the Alberta Bair Theater in Billings Oct. 6 for the first time in its astonishing 48-year history. The tour also included a concert Sept. 29 at the University of Wyoming in Laramie and Oct. 3 at the WYO Theater
- [Bob Wire returns to music scene with Thunderbird](https://livelytimes.com/2017/10/bob-wire-thunderbird/) - Missoula’s Ednor Therriault, aka Bob Wire, has his sixth CD out, after a period away from the scene, writing and woodshedding. How we’ve missed him! The guitar-slinger’s sense of humor pervades his tales of regular people and their sometimes irregular lives. Wire likes to create stories that people can see themselves in, and there are
- [John Lowell Band | The Skalkaho Road](https://livelytimes.com/2017/10/john-lowell-band-skalkaho-road/) - Livingston troubadour and guitar player John Lowell has another ensemble to add to his growing collection of bluegrass bands. This time around, he reunites with banjo player Julie Elkins, who performed with him years ago in Kane’s River; they’re joined by fellow Two Bit Franks picker Tom Murphy, playing mandolin and octave mandolin; and German
- [Crow Stories: Film offers immersion into tribal life](https://livelytimes.com/2017/09/crow-stories-immersion-tribal-life/) - “Crow Stories,” photographer Sean Kernan’s new documentary shot on the Crow Reservation, receives its first Montana screening at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 5 at the Yellowstone Art Museum in Billings. The story began when Kernan got an unexpected call: “Come spend a week on the Crow Reservation in Montana.” He was off, and at some point on
- [Lord Albion's Wayward Minstrel: Music of Yore](https://livelytimes.com/2017/10/lord-albion-wayward-minstrel/) - Butte song purveyor Lord Albion, aka Steve Robinson, has put together a compilation of Renaissance Faire music, featuring traditional folk songs from the British Isles and Europe, tunes from the ‘50s folk music revival, and current sounds of Celtic bands. Robinson belongs to the Society for Creative Anachronism, whose members strive to re-create pre-17th century
- [Dan Brubeck Quartet celebrates jazz legacy](https://livelytimes.com/2017/09/dan-brubeck-quartet-celebrates-jazz/) - The Dan Brubeck Quartet, an award-winning jazz ensemble that is paying tribute to Dan’s late parents, Dave and Iola, performs 7:30 p.m. Oct. 1 at the O’Shaughnessy Center in Whitefish. With their brilliantly realized new album, Celebrating the Music and Lyrics of Dave & Iola Brubeck, the quartet presents a fresh and compelling performance that honors
- [Kristin Korb Trio brings Beyond the Moon to Billings](https://livelytimes.com/2017/09/kristin-korb-trio-beyond-moon/) - Billings-born bassist Kristin Korb and her trio kick off the Alberta Bair Theater’s Orser Outstanding Performances Series on Friday, Sept. 29 at 7:30 p.m. “We are thrilled to welcome Kristin back home and present her at our theater,” said Jody Grant, ABT Programming Director. “We are fortunate her U.S. tour coincides with her parents’ 50th
- [Jane Smiley headlines Montana Book Festival](https://livelytimes.com/2017/09/jane-smiley-headlines-book-festival/) - Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jane Smiley joins more than 150 authors at literary events throughout downtown Missoula during the Montana Book Festival, Sept. 27-Oct. 1. Events include readings, author signings, panels, writing workshops, music and dancing, and a book fair. Smiley, author of A Thousand Acres, headlines this year’s festival, participating in a number of special events
- [Campfire Caravan launches U.S. tour this week](https://livelytimes.com/2017/09/campfire-caravan-launches-tour-montana/) - Campfire Caravan, featuring The Brothers Comatose, Mipso, and The Lil Smokies, launches its U.S. tour with three concerts in Montana: Sept. 26 in Billings, Sept. 27 in Bozeman and Sept. 28 in Missoula. The caravan showcases three of today's foremost emerging indie Americana bands as they trek across the United States, stopping in more than
- [Jim Moore Murder Mystery | 8 Seconds](https://livelytimes.com/2017/10/jim-moore-8-seconds/) - Jim Moore, who died May 19 at age 89, set his final murder mystery in 1950 in the Bozeman area, and centered the tale around a group of friends, all participants in college rodeo events. Eight seconds is the qualifying time for a rodeo bronc rider to stay in the saddle. By the coroner’s account, it
- [Dorothy Hinshaw Patent | Camas And Sage](https://livelytimes.com/2017/10/dorothy-camas-sage/) - Missoula author Dorothy Patent worked with the American Prairie Reserve to produce this book. She set her story about a bison calf, Camas, on land in central Montana that the organization is dedicated to restoring to a fully functional ecosystem and home to many species of North American native wildlife. The Reserve is particularly interested
- [Lowell Jaeger named Montana Poet Laureate](https://livelytimes.com/2017/09/lowell-jaeger-montana-poet-laureate/) - Flathead Valley poet and educator Lowell Jaeger took his seat this summer as Montana’s seventh Poet Laureate. He reads from his work at 4:30 p.m. Saturday at the Downtown Dance Collective during the Montana Book Festival. Jaeger succeeds Livingston poet Michael Earl Craig. "I am delighted that Lowell Jaeger has been awarded this distinction,” says Jean
- [Montana, 1917: Time of Trouble, Time of Change](https://livelytimes.com/2017/08/montana-1917-time-trouble-time-change/) - Montana, 1917: Time of Trouble, Time of Change, the 44th annual Montana History Conference, will be held Sept. 21-23 in Helena. Registration closes Sept. 15. A hundred years ago, the nation was at war. The Montana Historical Society invites everyone to reflect on how World War I impacted life under the Big Sky during this
- [Alberta Bair launches 30th season with Bonnie Raitt](https://livelytimes.com/2017/08/alberta-bair-bonnie-raitt/) - Alberta Bair Theater in Billings kicks off its 30th season at 7 p.m. Sept. 6 with the legendary Grammy Award winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Bonnie Raitt. Double bass sensation Kristin Korb brings her trio on Sept. 29 and Dance Theater of Harlem makes its Montana debut on Oct. 6. Here are a
- [Lemony Snicket’s Bewildering Circumstances](https://livelytimes.com/2017/09/lemony-snicket-bewildering-circumstances/) - Lemony Snicket, aka novelist Daniel Handler, attempts to chart a course from the troubling questions of his childhood to the literary success of his adult life during a free talk Sept. 25 at the Helena Civic Center. How do the questions that haunt us as children lead us into our supposed adulthood? Mr. Handler will
- [Shadows of the Past Art Auction: Sept. 23 in Choteau](https://livelytimes.com/2017/09/shadows-past-sept-23-choteau/) - Shadows of the Past, the 28th annual benefit for Benefis Teton Medical Center Foundation, is Saturday, Sept. 23, at the Choteau Pavilion. Forty-seven regionally renowned artists will be represented at this juried art event and evening gala, which raises money to renovate the nursing home residents’ dining room at Benefis Teton Medical Center (BTMC), Choteau’s
- [String Orchestra of the Rockies’ season opener](https://livelytimes.com/2017/09/string-orchestra-rockies-season-opener/) - The String Orchestra of the Rockies opens its 33rd season Sunday, Sept. 17. The season opening concert – the first of four – features renowned Steinway artist, pianist Gilles Vonsattel, recipient of an Avery Fisher Career Grant and winner of the Naumburg and Geneva competitions, as well as the 2016 Andrew Wolf Chamber Music Award.
- [Garden of 1,000 Buddhas hosts peace festival](https://livelytimes.com/2017/09/garden-1000-buddhas-hosts-peace-festival/) - The Garden of One Thousand Buddhas in Arlee hosts the 13th annual Festival of Peace, Sept. 17. This year's event kicks off at 10 a.m. with the seventh annual Walk-A-Mile for Peace, and continues at 11 a.m. with presentations, music, dancing and vendors. Walk-a-Mile for Peace at the Buddha Garden The walk is designed as
- [Glacier Symphony: New name, new season](https://livelytimes.com/2017/09/glacier-symphony-new-name-new-season/) - Glacier Symphony launches its 35th concert season this week with a new look, a 35th Gala celebration and a concert that focuses on the power of healing through world music. This past April the symphony board approved a streamlined name for the organization, opting to shorten it to just Glacier Symphony to indicate the parent
- [Montana Clean Energy Fair comes to Helena](https://livelytimes.com/2017/09/montana-clean-energy-fair/) - The Montana Renewable Energy Association is hosting its seventh annual Montana Clean Energy Fair on Saturday, Sept. 16, from 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. in Pioneer Park, located next to the Lewis and Clark Library in downtown Helena. The fair is the place to be this Saturday for Montanans interested in making the leap to producing their
- [Christine Carbo revisits Glacier with The Weight of Night](https://livelytimes.com/2017/08/christine-carbo-weight-night/) - Christine Carbo sets her third mystery novel in and around Glacier National Park, and brings back the familiar character of park police officer Monty Harris. It’s summertime, and dense smoke hovers over much of the park as an advancing wildfire threatens to incinerate the landscape. While digging a fuel line, a fire crew uncovers a
- [Norman Maclean Festival moves to Missoula](https://livelytimes.com/2017/09/norman-maclean-festival-moves-missoula/) - The Norman Maclean Festival, Sept. 8-10, is relocating the Seeley Lake events to Missoula's First Presbyterian Church, where the Reverend Maclean once delivered his sermons, due to the giant Rice Ridge Fire. “This was a painful and tough call for the festival,” says Alpine Artisans president Gene Schade. “This year's festival's theme is 'The Story
- [“C.M. Russell and the American West” premieres](https://livelytimes.com/2017/09/c-m-russell-american-west-premieres/) - The C.M. Russell Museum and the community of Great Falls will host the world premiere of the Montana PBS documentary “C.M. Russell and the American West,” Sept. 9 at the Mansfield Theater. The screening caps three days of community-sponsored events titled “Raise the Roof for the Russells” to welcome the film that underscores Russell’s place
- [Bruce Anfinson | Ballad of Minnie and Pearl](https://livelytimes.com/2017/08/bruce-anfinson-ballad-minnie-pearl/) - Helena singer/songwriter Bruce Anfinson’s fifth album includes some western tunes, a couple of his creations, and time-polished gems from other writers. A draft-horse teamster as well as a guitarist and singer, Anfinson wrote the title track about two of his many horses. He has several teams that provide wagon rides for the public at his
- [Crown Guitar Festival: Montana’s “Best Backyard Party"](https://livelytimes.com/2017/08/crown-guitar-festival-2017/) - The eighth annual Crown Guitar Festival – dubbed Montana’s “Best Backyard Party” – takes over the village of Bigfork Aug. 29-Sept. 2. It’s all about guitar, music and fun and it’s held for the eighth straight year in a state-of-the-art big-top tent at Flathead Lake Lodge on the shores of Flathead Lake. Five distinctly different
- [Festival of Thread: Sept. 1-3 in Livingston](https://livelytimes.com/2017/08/festival-thread-sept-1-3-livingston/) - The Festival of Thread returns to the Shane Lalani Center for the Arts in Livingston Sept. 1-3. The fourth annual festival opens from 5-8 p.m. Friday with a reception and fashion show. Meet the textile artists in the Shane Center Ballroom; their works in fiber include quilts, mixed media textile art, weaving, batik, knitting, felting
- [Philipsburg Summer Concert: 150th birthday party](https://livelytimes.com/2017/08/philipsburg-summer-concert-150th-birthday-party/) - Philipsburg turns 150 years old this summer, and the small town plans to celebrate in a big way. Up-and-coming singer/songwriter Jeremy McComb is bringing some of his songwriting friends from Nashville to town Aug. 19 for the Philipsburg Summer Concert. The celebration also includes two Montana bands: The Cold Hard Cash Show delivers authentic renditions
- [Ann Tappan | Paintings pays homage to artists](https://livelytimes.com/2017/08/ann-tappan-paintings/) - Ann Tappan, a well-known jazz pianist from Manhattan, MT, has put out her umpteenth album with her own material and that of others. The educator and performer has played and collaborated with a who’s who of jazz greats, and teaches classical and jazz piano and jazz voice and improvisation to Montana youth at her home
- [River City rocks with two-day Roots Festival](https://livelytimes.com/2017/08/river-city-roots-festival-free-music-fills-missoula/) - The 12th annual River City Roots Festival – Missoula’s signature celebration – opens Friday, Aug. 25. The Missoula Downtown Association’s free festival draws more than 15,000 people to the heart of Missoula for a variety of fun activities and exceptional music. This year’s festival features the award-winning John Jorgenson Bluegrass Band as Friday’s headliner, while
- [Yellowstone Ballet offers classes from Bolshoi veteran](https://livelytimes.com/2017/08/yellowstone-ballet-russian-dancer/) - Yellowstone Ballet Company of Livingston announces an unprecedented opportunity for area youth to study Russian Method Ballet with Nikita Kusurgashev, a graduate of the famous Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow. Meet him at a reception, 4-6 p.m. Aug. 31 at Yellowstone Ballet studio, 109 S B Street, Livingston. Kusergashev was one of 36 children selected
- [Beth Judy | Bold Women in Montana History](https://livelytimes.com/2017/08/beth-judy-bold-women-in-montana-history/) - In fascinating detail, Beth Judy profiles 11 women who have deep connections to the state’s history in a book penned for young adults, but of interest to all ages. The familiar names of peace advocate and U.S. Representative Jeannette Rankin, actress Myrna Loy and Blackfeet activist Elouise Pepion Cobell share the pages with many less
- [Festival Amadeus celebrates 10th anniversary](https://livelytimes.com/2017/08/festivalamadeus/) - Festival Amadeus celebrates its 10th season this summer with the addition of a new component, a concert performance of Mozart’s last opera “The Magic Flute” (Die Zauberflöte). The in-concert production is the two-night finale for the festival, held Aug. 8-13 in Whitefish. Additionally, two chamber concerts will be presented at Bethany Lutheran Church in Bigfork on Wednesday, Aug.
- [Aber Day Reunion Concert moves to Polson](https://livelytimes.com/2017/08/aber-day-reunion-concert-moves-polson/) - The fabled Aber Day Reunion Concert, held for the past few years in Philipsburg, moves to Polson this year where three bands initiate the new Regatta Shoreline Amphitheater on Aug. 12. The Mission Mountain Wood Band – a mainstay of Aber Day festivities in the 1970s – again highlights a bill that includes Las Vegas
- [Bayern Brewing: Prost! to 30th anniversary](https://livelytimes.com/2017/08/bayern-brewing-prost-30-years/) - Bayern Brewing, the oldest craft brewery in Montana, pairs up with the Rhino Bar to celebrate its 30th anniversary, 3-10 p.m. Aug. 19 at Caras Park. Back in 1987, Reinhard Schulte began renovating the old Northern Pacific depot and sought a brewmaster from Germany to take charge. That’s exactly what happened when Jürgen Knöller, steeped
- [Bitterroot Celtic Games and Gathering in Hamilton](https://livelytimes.com/2017/08/bitterroot-celtic-games-gathering/) - The Bitterroot Valley has a long history of Scottish and Irish influences, which visitors from near and far celebrate with gusto Aug. 19-20 during the Bitterroot Celtic Games and Gathering. Gates open at 9 a.m. daily and shuttle buses transport visitors from Hamilton High School to festival grounds at the Daly Mansion. The setting is
- [Zoofari features Steve Earle and the Dukes](https://livelytimes.com/2017/08/zoofari-features-steve-earle-dukes/) - ZooFari returns to the grounds of ZooMontana in Billings Friday, Aug. 18, melding brews, wine and culinary creations with music by Steve Earle and the Dukes and The Mastersons. Three-time Grammy winner Earle has turned many musical corners in his long, illustrious career, including folk troubadour, a rockabilly raver, a contemplative bluesman, a honky-tonk rounder,
- [Kevin Canty | The Underworld revisits mining disaster](https://livelytimes.com/2017/08/kevin-canty-the-underworld/) - Kevin Canty, in his gritty, incandescent novel inspired by the Sunshine Mine fire of 1972 that killed 91 miners, imagines three lives, shattered by the disaster. David, the brother and son of miners, is a student in Missoula and immersed in university life, full of “sex and drugs and new ideas.” His younger brother, Ray,
- [John Roberts | Hip shakin' tunes on Soul y Pimienta](https://livelytimes.com/2017/08/john-roberts-soul-y-pimienta/) - Billings trombonist-vocalist and MSU-Billings music instructor John Roberts has put out a crackerjack new CD that “gets the listener moving,” his prime objective for making music. His captivating sound features dance music styles such as salsa, Cuban son, Congolese soukous, and soulful jazz. The resulting concoction is a spicy brew of hip-shakin’ dance tunes. Roberts
- [Heart of the West Art Show and Auction](https://livelytimes.com/2017/08/heart-west-art-show-auction/) - Heart of the West Art Show and Auction returns to the Best Western Plus GranTree Inn in Bozeman Aug. 10-12. More than 50 premier artists from all over the country exhibit new paintings and sculptures in booths throughout the venue’s convention space. Zoot Art Gallery, located at the Zoot Enterprises campus in Four Corners, will
- [Big Sky Classical Music Festival: Aug. 11-13](https://livelytimes.com/2017/08/big-sky-classical-music-festival/) - The Mambo Kings, upstate New York’s foremost Latin jazz ensemble, ads a Latin flare to this year’s Big Sky Classical Music Festival, Aug. 11-13 in Big Sky. The seventh annual festival opens Friday with celebrated trumpet soloist Mary Elizabeth Bowden, renowned pianist Molly Morkoski and well-known Bozeman violinist Angella Ahn performing at 7:30 p.m. at
- [KettleHouse Amphitheater opens July 13](https://livelytimes.com/2017/07/kettlehouse-amphitheater-opens-july-13/) - KettleHouse Amphitheater: Montana's first "state-of-the-art outdoor concert venue" Nick Checota relishes a challenge. Even so, he says, building a permanent outdoor amphitheater from the ground up was every bit as formidable as completely renovating a century-old theater (The Wilma), or transforming a Missoula dive into a hip, welcoming restaurant and music venue (the Top Hat).
- [Myrna Loy premieres “The Old Man and The River”](https://livelytimes.com/2017/06/myrna-loy-premieres-old-man-river/) - Step into the cool waters of your favorite Montana river or trout stream in a new multi-media music/spoken word creation premiering July 21 at the Myrna Loy Center in Helena. Emmy-nominated composer and pianist Philip Aaberg and actor and former fishing guide Michael “Mokey” McNeill created “The Old Man and The River,” an homage to water “and the
- [Artists Along the Bitterroot: June 2-4 & 9-11](https://livelytimes.com/2017/05/artists-along-bitterroot-june-2-4-9-11/) - Artists Along the Bitterroot offers art admirers an opportunity to demystify the art-making process, and discover the stories behind the artwork of professional Bitterroot Valley artists. The annual tour had its genesis in 2008 when friends and colleagues Bobbie McKibbin and Barbara Michelman began to discuss selling work directly to the public from their studios.
- [Tedeschi Trucks Band and Craft For Causes](https://livelytimes.com/2017/06/tedeschi-trucks-band-craft-causes/) - Tedeschi Trucks Band, coming to KettleHouse Amphitheater in Bonner Aug. 2, aligns with Craft For Causes, a non-profit dedicated to bringing together the booming craft brew industry with live music in support of charitable causes. This summer, as Tedeschi Trucks Band rolls its Wheels of Soul tour into 20 cities across America, Craft For Causes
- [Uptown Butte blossoms with Montana Folk Festival](https://livelytimes.com/2017/06/uptown-butte-blossoms-montana-folk-festival/) - Uptown Butte is filled with an astonishing array of music and dance July 7-9 during the Montana Folk Festival. New this year is the Montana Folk Feast on July 6. The three-day celebration of traditional music, dance, arts and ethnic cuisine offers continuous performances throughout the weekend on six Uptown stages, including a dance pavilion, a family
- [Bob Marshall Music Festival: July 13-16](https://livelytimes.com/2017/06/bob-marshall-music-festival-july-13-16/) - Bob Marshall Music Festival, July 13-16 in Seeley Lake, brings an amalgam of good music to the edge of the wilderness. Sponsored by the Seeley Lake Community Foundation the second annual event begins Thursday with 10 bands offering free music at local venues, including Lindey’s Prime Steak House (on the lake), the Wilderness Saloon, the
- [Symphony Under the Stars: Rock on!](https://livelytimes.com/2017/07/symphony-stars-rock/) - Symphony Under the Stars, a collaboration between Carroll College and the Helena Symphony, fills Guad Hill with music and concert-goers, 8:30 p.m. Saturday, July 15. The 14th annual event, which attracts more than 17,000 people from across Montana and beyond, also includes a fireworks finale sponsored by the Helena Community Credit Union. This year’s theme
- ["Million Dollar Quartet" rocks Fort Peck Theater](https://livelytimes.com/2017/07/million-dollar-quartet-fort-peck-theater/) - “Million Dollar Quartet,” staged July 14-30 at Fort Peck Theatre, tells the riveting story of four iconic musicians and a once-in-a-lifetime recording session. On Dec. 4, 1956, four of the biggest names in music gathered an impromptu jam session at Sun Record Studios in Memphis. That amazing evening is re-created in the worldwide phenomenon: “Million
- [Red Ants Pants Music Festival: Legends and rising stars](https://livelytimes.com/2017/07/red-ants-pants-music-festival/) - Red Ants Pants Music Festival delivers another stellar line-up of grassroots, honky-tonkin’ music to the Jackson Ranch just outside of White Sulphur Springs July 28-30. “We’re thrilled about the depth and range of this year’s line-up – it’s truly an incredible group of Americana’s favorite legends as well as some of the most exciting rising
- ["Always … Patsy Cline" returns to Whitefish stage](https://livelytimes.com/2017/07/always-patsy-cline-returns-whitefish/) - “Always … Patsy Cline” returns to Whitefish Theatre Company’s stage for a summer encore performance. Performances are 8 p.m. July 27-30 and Aug. 3-6 at the O’Shaughnessy Center in Whitefish. The iconoclastically gutsy country music singer Patsy Cline, known for her warmth, wildness, and vast emotional reservoir of a voice, is a timeless treasure with
- [Mighty Big Jim and the Tallboys | MBJ](https://livelytimes.com/2017/08/might-big-jim-tallboys-mbj/) - Tiny Wibaux, population 461, boasts a brewery, a concert theatre, and a rockin’ band, and here’s their first CD. Mighty Big Jim is led by Jim Devine (and yes, he’s a big fella) on lead vocals and rhythm guitar; he’s joined by Casey Malkuch, lead guitar, mandolin and vocals; Jayson Eslick, drums and vocals; Jon
- [Magic City Blues rocks Billings Aug. 4-5](https://livelytimes.com/2017/07/magic-city-blues-rocks-montana-ave-aug-4-5/) - Magic City Blues, Montana’s urban music festival, attracts thousands to the 2500 block of Montana Avenue in historic downtown Billings Aug. 4-5 for two nights of blues and rock. Now in its 16th year, the festival opens at 7:30 p.m. Thursday with a free, all-ages show at St. John’s, featuring Blues Music Award winner Victor
- [Tom Benjey | Glorious Times: Adventures of the Craighead Naturalists](https://livelytimes.com/2017/08/tom-benjey-glorious-times-adventures-craighead-naturalists/) - Pennsylvania author Tom Benjey tells the story of the remarkable Craighead family – a clan that valued the lessons to be learned in nature, embraced learning and recognized no barriers to pursuing their groundbreaking conservation efforts. Members of the extensive Craighead clan that are most familiar to people in the western United States are twin
- [Joan Zen | This Is the Fortunate Life](https://livelytimes.com/2017/07/joan-zen-fortunate-life/) - Joan Zen, a collaboration of Missoula life-mates Jason and Deborah Hicks, just released a five-song EP following their first two albums from years ago. As is their wont, the disc features Joan Zen’s powerful vocals coupled with Jason Hicks’s sterling production to create a soulful, thoughtful sound. The couple has been songwriting together for 20
- [Dodgy Mountain Men: Changing Lanes](https://livelytimes.com/2017/03/dodgy-mountain-men-changing-lanes/) - This earthy Missoula quartet displays their “home-brewed Montana stompgrass” on a new 12-song CD that follows 2012’s Stronger Than Death. The Americana foursome’s original members, Eric “Boss” Bostrum on vocals, harmonica, and acoustic guitar, and Jed Nussbaum on vocals, mandolin, and electric guitar, are joined by newer members Josh Clinger, vocals and electric bass, and
- [Tim Ryan: "Play Me Montana, A Symphonic Memoir"](https://livelytimes.com/2017/06/tim-ryan-play-me-montana-a-symphonic-memoir/) - Tim Ryan Rouillier returns to his home turf to stage a monumental musical symphony about “my beloved Montana, the people who live here, the places near to my heart and the mountains that reach to the sky.” After a long career in the commercial country music industry, having written songs for George Strait, Phil Vassar,
- [Milana Marsenich | Copper Sky](https://livelytimes.com/2017/06/milana-marsenich-copper-sky/) - Two women – one a prostitute and the other aspiring to become a doctor – thread their ways through the rough, treacherous streets of Butte in the days before World War I. Milana Marsenich, a native of the Mining City who now lives in Polson, weaves their stories together in her debut novel, set against
- [Golden Grenade: Head Games](https://livelytimes.com/2017/06/golden-grenade-head-games/) - This Bozeman-based trio’s debut EP cooks. The gritty rockers, all of whom have been on the Bozeman music scene for awhile, formed the band shortly after lead singer Dustin Tucker’s dad, Tex, passed away. The elder Tucker was a fixture in the local music world for many years, playing a red acoustic Gibson guitar, which
- [Come to the "Cabaret": June 1-11 in Whitefish](https://livelytimes.com/2017/05/come-cabaret-june-1-11-whitefish/) - “Cabaret: The Musical,” John Kander and Fred Ebb’s Tony Award-winning production, comes to the O’Shaughnessy Center in Whitefish, June 2-4 and 8-11. This timeless and legendary landmark opens with a sneak preview night on June 1 at 7:30 p.m. Performances continue at 7:30 p.m. Fridays-Sundays, June 2-11. The production takes audiences deep into the seedy
- [Antigoni Goni: “Eloquent player” comes to Bozeman](https://livelytimes.com/2017/05/antigoni-goni-eloquent-player-comes-bozeman/) - Antigoni Goni, a classical guitarist universally praised for her profound artistic sensitivity, exquisite sound and unmatched palette of colors and dynamics, graces the Ellen Theater stage in Bozeman at 7:30 p.m. May 11. The New York Times lauds her as “an eloquent player with a graceful touch and a rich tone.” Her recordings have been
- [Northwest Ballet Company: "Beautiful at the Ballet"](https://livelytimes.com/2017/05/northwest-ballet-company-beautiful-ballet/) - Northwest Ballet Company’s "Beautiful at the Ballet,” its 37th annual Spring production, returns to the Bigfork Center for the Performing Arts at 2 and 8 p.m. May 13 and 4 p.m. May 14. This year’s performance features excerpts from well-known shows such as “Swan Lake,” “Peter Pan,” “Sleeping Beauty,” and “Chorus Line.” “We’ve done singular story ballets for
- [Miantae Metcalf McConnell | Mary Fields Deliverance](https://livelytimes.com/2017/05/miantae-metcalf-mcconnell-mary-fields-deliverance/) - Second-generation slave Mary Fields was 53 years old, emancipated and literate, when she arrived in Montana in 1885. She had come to the aid of a dear friend, Mother Mary Amadeus, who was charged with running a school for Indian girls. Certain that the Ursuline nuns and their students would not last the winter without
- [Richard S. Buswell | What They Left Behind: Photographs](https://livelytimes.com/2017/05/richard-s-buswell-left-behind-photographs/) - Helena physician and photographer Richard Buswell has patrolled Montana’s ghost towns for nearly a half century now, camera in hand. His fifth collection of images reflects the steady refinement of art and skill, a marriage that has landed his images in the permanent collections of 228 museums in the U.S. and around the world, including
- [Elisa Lorello| Pasta Wars](https://livelytimes.com/2017/05/elisa-lorello-pasta-wars/) - Katie Cravens is leading the life she always imagined. She’s engaged to be married, running a successful business, and at her ideal weight to fit into her wedding dress. Life couldn’t be better, until her engagement derails and a preservative used in one of her popular frozen pasta products sends consumers to the ER. Although
- [Craig Lancaster | Julep Street](https://livelytimes.com/2017/05/craig-lancaster-julep-street/) - “We’re shutting the newspaper down.” Carson McCullough replays the phrase over in his head, not wanting to believe that the message is real. His entire career has been devoted to the Argus-Dispatch, housed in an office on Julep Street, in a fictional town in Kentucky. He started here, fresh out of college, and worked his
- [Jazzoula: Missoula celebrates jazz April 17-21](https://livelytimes.com/2017/04/jazzoula-missoula-celebrates-jazz-april-17-21/) - Jazzoula, Missoula’s 13th annual celebration of jazz, features five nights of great instrumental and vocal jazz in a relaxed nightclub setting, 6:30 p.m. April 17-21 at St. Anthony’s Parish. Four or five bands, including The University of Montana Jazz Program combos, perform each night (25 groups in all). Among the highlights this year: the inimitable
- [Forbidden Broadway comes to Billings, Butte](https://livelytimes.com/2017/04/forbidden-broadway-comes-billings-butte/) - Just when Broadway thought it was safe from the poison pen of funnyman Gerard Alessandrini, “Forbidden Broadway” returns, sharper and more hilarious than ever! Targets include “Pippin,” “Kinky Boots,” “Les Miz,” and “Matilda,” in addition to favorites including “Wicked” and “The Book of Mormon.” The fall-down funny musical roast of Broadway – earning nine Drama
- ["Hooked: Fishing in Montana" on display in Helena](https://livelytimes.com/2017/04/hooked-fishing-montana/) - “Hooked: Fishing in Montana,” a new exhibit at the Montana Historical Society in Helena celebrates Montana’s fabled waters and abundant variety of fish. Fishing has brought and continues to bring families, friends, and communities together on and off the water. "Hooked" highlights how Montanans, including the state’s Fish Wildlife and Parks agency, preserve the state waters
- [Leslie Budewitz | Killing Thyme](https://livelytimes.com/2017/04/leslie-budewitz-killing-thyme/) - Leslie Budewitz, a Bigfork author and attorney, offers her third installment in the Spice Shop Mysteries, set in Seattle’s bustling Pike Place Market. Pepper Reece, owner of the Seattle Spice Shop, keeps busy conjuring up new spice blends, entertaining demands from brides-to-be and hoping for a rave review from a cranky food critic. While
- [Karleen Hammer Anderson | Looking Back at Lincoln, Montana](https://livelytimes.com/2017/04/karleen-hammer-anderson-looking-back-lincoln-montana/) - After retiring from a 47-year career in nursing, Karleen Hammer Anderson decided to combine writing and scrapbooking in a tribute to her childhood hometown and loved ones. The Lincoln native shares personal memories and favorite recipes gleaned from her formative years growing up in the 1950s and ’60s. Presented as an old-fashioned handmade scrapbook, Looking
- [Pete Fromm | The Names of the Stars](https://livelytimes.com/2017/04/pete-fromm-the-names-of-the-stars-a-life-in-the-wilds/) - Pete Fromm, a noted Great Falls writer, returns to the fertile ground tilled in his first book, Indian Creek Chronicles – a memoir about seven months he spent in a tent, tending salmon eggs in Idaho’s Selway Bitterroot Wilderness. But he’s no longer a 20-year-old college student tired of school and striving to become a
- [Parker Brown: We Were Young](https://livelytimes.com/2017/04/parker-brown-young/) - Billings bassist/guitarist Parker Brown has a debut album that’s pretty darned good. The accomplished songwriter, instructor, and studio musician has crafted a basketful of songs that complement his honed baritone voice. And in testament to his songcraft, they avoid repetition in style and substance. Assisting him are some of the area’s best musicians. Erik Olson
- [Shakewell: Marzoula](https://livelytimes.com/2017/04/shakewell-marzoula/) - Shakewell’s “techtonic dance grooves” are alive and well on their first full-length album of original music. But on the new effort, the young Missoula band adds more smooth jazz wisps and laid-back soul to their signature funk vibe. The sounds are imaginative and almost improvisational at times. Not a bad thing! They retain a big-band
- [Allen Morris Jones | A Bloom of Bones](https://livelytimes.com/2017/03/allen-morris-jones-bloom-bones/) - A Montana poet/rancher and a New York literary agent make unlikely allies and lovers in this seductive mystery by Allen Jones. It’s a story that opens with a poem and a murder. Eli Singer ranches near Jordan – or rather 50 miles from town – on a place he inherited from his stepfather, Buddy. His
- [Christopher R. Nelson | Carving Names, The Hum of Hostility](https://livelytimes.com/2017/03/christopher-r-nelson-carving-names-hum-hostility/) - Passing through the gates of Forest Lake Cemetery, each epitaph added to the story of Helena like walking through a textbook. Yet, no inscription would have as lasting an impact on Sean as Father Houlihan's: "Carve your name on hearts, not stone." Sean had tried that. Carving his name upon the hearts of those
- [Christopher Cauble | Yellowstone, A Land of Wild and Wonder](https://livelytimes.com/2017/03/christopher-cauble-yellowstone-land-wild-wonder/) - The unique beauty and grandeur of Yellowstone National Park has inspired many photographic essays and books. Chris Cauble’s addition to this topic does not disappoint. In love with the park since childhood, he brings a skilled photographer’s eye and personal outlook to his images. The elements that make the park so attractive to visitors are
- [O. Alan Weltzien | Exceptional Mountains, A Cultural History of the Pacific Northwest Volcanoes](https://livelytimes.com/2017/03/o-alan-weltzien-exceptional-mountains-cultural-history-pacific-northwest-volcanoes/) - As part of a tectonic feature called the Pacific Ring of Fire, the northwestern United Sates is the setting for numerous mountains of volcanic origin. Dillon author and teacher O. Alan Weltzien focuses on three of the region’s most prominent: Mt. Baker, Mt. Rainier and Mt. Hood. These peaks have become iconic identifiers for local
- [The Montana ShamRockers: Christmas with Lewis and Clark](https://livelytimes.com/2017/02/montana-shamrockers-christmas-lewis-clark/) - The ShamRockers postulate that the Lewis and Clark Expedition, with its diverse cultural make-up, would have sung songs from French, Canadian, Celtic, and British traditions during the two Christmases spent traveling to the Pacific and back in 1804-5. The Polson Irish-music quintet’s Christmas show includes the 12 age-old songs noted here, and spanning the 12th-19th
- [L. Allen Strate | High Lights, Low Lights, and Red Lights](https://livelytimes.com/2017/02/l-allen-strate-high-lights-low-lights-red-lights/) - The oft-overlooked but nonetheless fascinating story of the presence of a lurid and thriving Red Light District in the early years of Hamilton is the topic of a new book by L. Allen Strate. A fourth-generation Bitterrooter who grew up in Hamilton, Strate is a retired law educator who returned to his native state after
- [Saturday Night Live: Musical revives disco era](https://livelytimes.com/2017/01/saturdaynightlive/) - "Saturday Night Fever – The Musical” comes to the Alberta Bair Theater stage at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan.28. Fewer than 350 tickets remain for this story of Tony, the kid from Brooklyn, who wants to dance his way to a better life. This all-new production shares Tony’s love for dancing in spectacular new ways. Fueled by vintage Bee Gee hits, this contemporary retelling
- [Britchy: Two-Lane Highway](https://livelytimes.com/2017/02/britchy-two-lane-highway/) - Britchy, Missoula’s acoustic Americana duo, has released its newest collaboration. It features Richie Reinholdt on oodles of guitars, bass, banjo and mandolin, and Britt Arnesen on acoustic guitar and bass. The songwriters share singing duties on their compositions, spicing them with signature tight-knit harmonies. The songs span lots of country styles, enhanced by guest musicians
- [Ken Robison | Yankees and Rebels on the Upper Missouri](https://livelytimes.com/2017/02/ken-robison-yankees-rebels-upper-missouri/) - Great Falls historian Ken Robison continues to trace the tumultuous times before, during and after the Civil War in Montana Territory with a look at the Missouri River, and the steamboats that plied it with massive cargoes of freight and travelers, en route to new opportunities. Fort Benton – where Robison is a historian with
- [James Lee Burke | The Jealous Kind](https://livelytimes.com/2017/01/james-lee-burke-jealous-kind/) - Missoula’s illustrious mystery writer returns to Texas and the violence-prone Holland clan for a tender look at first love, imperiled (of course). James Lee Burke deftly recreates the 1950s in Houston, a city and a country rising from the chaos of World War II. Teenage Aaron Holland spies Valerie Epstein in a pink Cadillac, eating
- [Jake Koelzer: Virtue and the Vice](https://livelytimes.com/2017/01/jake-koelzer-virtue-vice/) - Bozeman singer/composer Jake Koelzer, owner of a golden baritone, has released his second album, which he crowdfunded through Kickstarter. It’s got 14 of his own songs, lushly recorded in Bozeman with stellar accompanists. Besides Koelzer on piano, core musicians include long-time collaborator Jake Fleming on acoustic guitars, bass, and saxophone; Drew Fleming (no relation) on
- [Tahj: Sol Dream](https://livelytimes.com/2017/01/tahj-sol-dream/) - Missoula hip-hop/rap purveyor and social worker Tahj Bo Kjelland has a new album of originals in which he departs somewhat from his emphasis on the social-awareness themes of the earlier Sweatshop Sneakers. He still uses his medium to speak out against oppression, but this time around he’s more upbeat and intimate, sharing his danceable songs.
- [Rick Bass | For A Little While](https://livelytimes.com/2017/01/rick-bass-little/) - Returning from a Rick Bass story reminds me of waking from a dream, with its tendrils still wrapped around you as though “a thing like grace has passed through.” His characters are indelible, surprising, and somehow familiar. A father strives to sever his bond with his son by retreating to a marsh, marred by deadly
- [Michelle Rivers: Breathing On Embers](https://livelytimes.com/2016/12/michelle-rivers-breathing-embers/) - Eureka songstress/guitarist Michelle Rivers mines the country vein with expertise in 12 songs on her debut album. Originally from Tennessee, she grew up around her father’s (David Piland) home studio, which encouraged her interest in performing and songwriting at a young age. She has maintained her southern-roots authenticity, and recording without drums adds to the
- [Bill Vaughn | Making Bones](https://livelytimes.com/2016/12/bill-vaughn-making-bones/) - Izzy Sain, a cattleman’s daughter working as a professional photographer, is on a river trip with old pals and her new lover, a Bureau of Land Management ranger, when she comes across a grisly find. Because she grew up in the Missouri Breaks and knows more about this dreamlike geography than anyone, she’s recruited as
- [Craig Lancaster | Edward Unspooled](https://livelytimes.com/2016/11/craig-lancaster-edward-unspooled/) - Craig Lancaster’s third novel about the life and times of Edward Stanton, a middle-aged man with Asperger’s syndrome who grew up in Billings, finds our hero married and an expectant father. Edward wears his heart on his sleeve. He calls it as he sees it, frankly and often with great humor, acknowledging to himself, “I’m
- [Halladay Quist: Halladay Quist](https://livelytimes.com/2016/11/halladay-quist-halladay-quist/) - Kalispell songbird Halladay Quist has released a self-titled album that lets her clear high voice soar. Quist needs no introduction. She’s the daughter of Mission Mountain Wood Band alum Rob Quist, so she heard lots of harmonies at home, and the elder Quist encouraged her at a young age to test musical waters. In college
- [Celebrate Montana Art: Nov. 11-12 in Helena](https://livelytimes.com/2016/11/celebrate-montana-art-nov-11-12-helena/) - Celebrate Montana Art, a high-quality art show and sale, returns to Helena as part of the Montana Artrepreneur Program’s sixth annual Montana Artists’ Gathering Nov. 10-13 at the Radisson Colonial Hotel. The event is comprised of two parts: the first, an indoor art show featuring MAP artists and their work; and the second, professional development
- [When Jazz Was King with MC Huey Lewis](https://livelytimes.com/2016/11/jazz-king-mc-huey-lewis/) - Master of Ceremonies, vocalist, rock star and jazz enthusiast Huey Lewis presides over When Jazz Was King, featuring the UM Jazz Ensemble, Nov. 18 at the University of Montana in Missoula. Mark your calendar for this once-in-a-lifetime event, including an opportunity to mingle with one of rock ’n roll’s biggest starts at the “Meet the
- [Jay Leno headlines two shows at Alberta Bair](https://livelytimes.com/2016/11/jay-leno-headlines-two-shows-alberta-bair/) - Jay Leno, the acclaimed host of late-night T.V. and admired stand-up comedian, performs two shows at 6 and 9 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 18, at the Alberta Bair Theater in Billings. Opening for him is All Naturals from Billings Skyview High School. The auditioned extracurricular a cappella group of 16 singers is directed by Amy
- [Masquerade Party at the YAM](https://livelytimes.com/2016/10/masquerade/) - Yellowstone Art Museum’s second annual Masquerade Party, 7 p.m. Oct. 22, offers an opportunity to dress up in your most creative costume, and eat, drink, and dance the night away. Members of Billings AlternaCirque perform and offer aerial wine pouring and DJ Benefit spins tunes. Tarot readers, hors d’oeuvres, and local draft beer are also
- [National Irish conference comes to Missoula](https://livelytimes.com/2016/10/national-irish-conference-comes-missoula/) - The American Conference for Irish Studies (ACIS) brings its national conference, titled “Her Exiled Children: Ireland and Irish America,” to the Holiday Inn Downtown at the Park in Missoula Oct. 20-22. The 32nd annual gathering looks at the role the Irish in America played in Ireland’s struggle for freedom. The long list of scholars and
- [Sid Gustafson | Swift Dam](https://livelytimes.com/2016/10/sid-gustafson-swift-dam/) - Veterinarian and author Sid Gustafson seems to conjure his father, fabled Pondera County veterinarian Rib Gustafson, in his new novel, Swift Dam. On the surface, it’s a story of the tragic flood that swept away an earthen dam in 1964, carrying with it 19 people – all Blackfeet Indians. It’s also the story of two
- [Sneed B . Collard III | Hopping Ahead of Climate Change](https://livelytimes.com/2016/10/sneed-b-collard-hopping-ahead-climate-change-snowshoe-hares-science-survival/) - Missoula author Sneed Collard tackles the topic of climate change via an in-depth look at a single species and the consequences of the changes to its environment due to a warmer world. The snowshoe hare, he tells us, is one of about 20 animals that change the color of their coats to match the colors
- [Jimni: Bend](https://livelytimes.com/2016/10/jimni-bend/) - Mission Valley duo Jimni has put out their second album with 11 original songs that explore modern folk styles. Stacy Lynne Santilli’s powerful voice and percussion, in tandem with Jim Steiner’s burnished baritone, harmonica work and deft guitar strokes, make for a big sound. Santilli plays a baby grand piano, too. Santilli exhibits hints of
- [Chris Cunningham: If You Knew All Along](https://livelytimes.com/2016/10/chris-cunningham-knew-along/) - Bozeman’s Chris Cunningham has a fifth solo effort out; it’s an EP with songs from the past and present, which he produced at his studio, Basecamp Recording. Cunningham is best known as half of acclaimed acoustic duo Storyhill, with John Hermanson, in a career that spans 25 years, 15 albums, and national tours and appearances
- [Christine Garbo | Mortal Fall](https://livelytimes.com/2016/10/christine-garbo-mortal-fall/) - Like her debut, The Wild Inside, Christine Carbo’s second mystery novel is set in and around Glacier National Park. Her central character, park police officer Monty Harris, has come to expect fatalities in the park every summer, mostly due to falls and swift-moving cold water. But when he is summoned to rappel down a cliff
- [Suzanne Mundell Waring | Preacher Lady](https://livelytimes.com/2016/10/suzanne-mundell-waring-preacher-lady/) - Connie Beal, the Preacher Lady, steps out on her own at mid-life, moving to her first solo assignment as a pastor. Suzanne Waring’s novel takes Connie through her first year at Old West Church where she beats down the antagonism of being a woman in what is considered by some a man’s job, while attempting
- [Blythe Woolston | MARTians](https://livelytimes.com/2016/09/martians-blythe-woolston/) - Life is bleak in the future Zoë Zindleman inhabits. Although she’s a math whiz, especially deft at ratios and percentages, she’s unprepared for the day her school closes because the governor has privatized what’s left of the public school system. In addition to an e-tificate of graduation, her teacher gives her a worn copy of
- [Troy Kechely | Stranger's Dance](https://livelytimes.com/2016/08/strangers-dance-troy-kechely/) - In 1930s Montana, no one kept dogs as pets. Who could afford to give scraps to a stray? The high ranchlands were spared the worst of the Dust Bowl, but most families still had to find work off the ranch to make ends meet. That’s why Frank Redmond carved tombstones on the side. Even with such
- [Alana Denise Damron and Friends: The Making of the Miss Alaneous](https://livelytimes.com/2016/10/alana-denise-damron-friends-making-miss-alaneous/) - Havre native Alana Damron was raised in the south, traveled a bunch in her gypsy life as a freelance photographer, migrated back to Haugan where her folks run a Christian ministry, and crowdfunded this stunning debut album. Producer Jacob Paul Phaneuf provides all the tasteful instrumentation, including guitar, banjo, and mandolin, and sings back-up; Marcus
- [Montana Book Festival: Sept. 20-25](https://livelytimes.com/2016/09/montana-book-festival-sept-20-25/) - The Montana Book Festival celebrates the written word and the literature of the West with myriad author signings, readings, panel discussions, exhibits, workshops, and special events Sept. 20-25 in downtown Missoula. More than 150 authors are expected to attend this year’s event, including Maile Meloy, Greg Pardlo, Paula McLain, Sunil Yapa, James Lee Burke, Eileen
- [Just Dance opens Billings Symphony season](https://livelytimes.com/2016/09/just-dance-opens-billings-symphony-season/) - The Billings Symphony Orchestra and Chorale’s (BSO&C) 66th season opens Saturday, Sept. 24 with Just Dance!, featuring the Grand Rapids Ballet Company performing pieces of Tchaikovsky’s beloved “Swan Lake” and a medley of Gershwin favorites. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. at the Alberta Bair Theater, with Concert Cues at 6:45 p.m. and the concert at
- [WildFest: Celebrate Montana’s wild places](https://livelytimes.com/2016/08/wildfest-celebrate-montanas-wild-places/) - The Montana Wilderness Association invites the public to celebrate the state’s wild places during WildFest, Sept. 9-10 at Giant Springs State Park. This free event, hosted in partnership with Montana State Parks, features guided hikes, family activities, food, drink, and live music. On Friday, father-and-daughter duo Rob and Halladay Quist take the stage with Valley
- [Yellowstone Art Museum: Artists & inspiration](https://livelytimes.com/2016/08/yam-artists-inspiration/) - It’s a rare opportunity to hear artists speak in depth about what inspires them. Yellowstone Art Museum in Billings offers two such opportunities on Sept. 8 and 22. An informal conversation between exhibiting artist Catherine Courtenaye of Bozeman and the Yellowstone Art Museum’s senior curator, Bob Durden, is slated for 6:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 8.
- [Gobcon returns to Butte](https://livelytimes.com/2016/09/gobcon-returns-butte/) - GobCon, the third annual Goblin Convocation, returns to Front Street Station Sept. 16-17. The event is dedicated to the fantasy/science-fiction genres, as well as the arts that support the industry. Attendees are encouraged to dress up as their favorite characters and enjoy presentations, panels, podcasts, demos, performances, lip-sync battles, and a costume contest and ball.
- [County Line: Montana](https://livelytimes.com/2016/09/county-line-montana/) - Missoula band County Line calls itself a rockin’, redneck, outlaw-country band, and proves it on this debut album. It’s a compilation of original songs the guys perform at their shows; the band says it’s time to move from being a long-time cover band with a few homemade songs, to one that plays its own music
- [Therese Hutchinson | My Wild Garden Zoo](https://livelytimes.com/2016/09/therese-hutchinson-wild-garden-zoo/) - Artist and graphic designer Therese Hutchinson pairs colorful paintings with poetry to portray an array of wildlife that visits a young boy’s family garden. The author hopes her work can be used as a teaching tool for young readers to learn about animals and birds, which she illustrates with identifying features, true to form. Can
- [Schizoid Johnny: I'm Not Who I Think I Am](https://livelytimes.com/2016/09/schizoid-johnny-im-not-think/) - One-man-band Schizoid Johnny, aka John Steinhardt, has released a double album compilation of original material from his long musical career. The multi-instrumentalist, who just became the music teacher at Judith Gap School, says the album complements his new stage show, which encompasses his 21 albums and 33 years as a performance artist. Schizoid Johnny plays
- [River City Roots: Free festival in Missoula](https://livelytimes.com/2016/08/river-city-roots-free-festival-missoulas-heart/) - River City Roots Festival, Missoula’s signature celebration, returns to the city’s historic downtown Aug. 26-27. Recognized as the 2009 Montana Tourism Event of the Year, the festival typically draws more than 15,000 people to the heart of town for a variety of fun activities and exceptional music. This year’s festival features Missoula’s own Lil’ Smokies
- [Tom Robison: The Boy's Lament For His Dragon](https://livelytimes.com/2016/08/tom-robison-boys-lament-dragon/) - Bozeman musician Tom Robison says about his third album, ”basically I play fiddle when I want to get excited, harp when I want to calm me down.” The super-fiddler/harper stretches his wings on both instruments as he combines traditional Celtic and American compositions in a charming, refreshing mix. Melding the ancient instruments in a new
- [Montana, Warts and All | Works from "Montana Quarterly"](https://livelytimes.com/2016/07/montana-warts-best-works-montana-quarterly/) - This highly readable and difficult-to-put-down book is a fine collection of some of the best articles and stories “written by Montanans about Montanans” for Montana Quarterly over its inaugural 10 years of existence. Some of the authors are well-established names, others may not be as familiar, but all of their stories are equally compelling. There
- [Montana Festival of the Horse Cancelled](https://livelytimes.com/2016/06/montana-festival-horse-july-8-10-missoula/) - The Montana Festival of the Horse, July 8-10 at the historic Missoula Fairgrounds and Events Center, includes an expo, performances by Ma'Ceo, the Lazy Cowpoke Jamboree, a Parade of Breeds, a trade show, trail rides, an Equine Art Extravaganza, and a three-day music festival. Ma’ Ceo, Cavallo Equestrian Arts, perform two shows each day, followed
- [Festival at Sandpoint: Music under the stars](https://livelytimes.com/2016/07/festival-at-sandpoint/) - The Festival at Sandpoint celebrates its 34th annual summer concert series Aug. 4-14 with eight nights of music under the stars, on the shores of Lake Pend Oreille, in Sandpoint, Idaho. The season serves up an eclectic mix of classic favorites and progressive artists with headliners Bruce Hornsby and the Noisemakers, Railroad Earth, Emmylou Harris,
- [Weekend full of cowboy poetry and music](https://livelytimes.com/2016/08/montana-cowboy-poetry-gathering-western-music-rendezvous/) - The Montana Cowboy Poetry Gathering and Western Music Rendezvous – the second oldest of its kind in the country – was a 2015 inductee into the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame. The 31st annual gathering brings more than 50 hourly sessions of cowboy poetry and music to Lewistown Aug. 11-14. Riders in the Sky, a
- [Rockin' the Rivers hits The Bridge Aug. 12-14](https://livelytimes.com/2016/08/rockin-rivers-hits-bridge-aug-12-14/) - Rockin' the Rivers – Montana’s favorite three-day rock festival – returns to The Bridge in the scenic Jefferson River Canyon near Three Forks Aug. 11-14. The 15th annual event boasts more than 30 bands, delivering classic rock on two stages. Friday’s main-stage performers are Vince Neil (the voice of Motley Crue), Cinderella’s Tom Keifer, Firehouse,
- [Sweet Pea: Bouquet of entertainment](https://livelytimes.com/2016/07/sweet-pea-festival-bouquet-entertainment/) - The Sweet Pea Festival, Aug. 5-7, in Bozeman brings a big bouquet of entertainment to Lindley Park, including music, dance and theatre by more than 30 performers. Chalk on the Walk (Aug. 2) and the Bite of Bozeman (Aug. 3) lead up to the giant arts festival. Kicking off the festival at 6 p.m. Friday
- [Magic City Blues rocks Montana Ave.](https://livelytimes.com/2016/08/magic-city-blues-rocks-montana-ave/) - Magic City Blues rocks the 2500 block of Montana Ave. once again Aug. 5-6 with Montana’s 15th annual urban music festival, which attracts thousands to historic downtown Billings for two nights of blues, rock and reggae on two stages. The festival opens Friday with headliners Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Elle King. Shepherd, a five-time Grammy
- [Opera House Theatre delivers comic relief](https://livelytimes.com/2016/06/1653/) - The Opera House Theatre’s summer season is in full swing, bringing a rotating menu of comic relief to the Philipsburg stage at 7 p.m. Thursdays, 2 and 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 4 p.m. Sundays through Aug. 28. Music director D.J. Gommels and the OHT cast, featuring Nathan Adkins, Tim Eastman, Samantha St. Onge,
- [Myrna Loy: 25 years in the county jail](https://livelytimes.com/2016/07/myrna-loy-25-years-county-jail/) - From jailhouse to art house The Myrna Loy Center celebrates its history and legacy with a festival, street party and concert July 30. Party with founding director Arnie Malina, along with some of the Footsoldiers of Art who helped transform the Myrna Loy from jailhouse to art house. Story booths, photo archives, movie events, live
- [The Hasslers: State Center](https://livelytimes.com/2016/07/hasslers-state-center/) - Popular Missoula group The Hasslers just released a 12-song album, celebrating their move to Seattle for more exposure. The Americana roots-rock combo has a giant line-up allowing for different styles, so they pivot into folk and string-band sounds, too. The new recording features front man Matt Hassler, lead vocals, guitar, and banjo; Owen Thayer, guitar
- [First Folio: The Book that Gave Us Shakespeare](https://livelytimes.com/2016/05/first-folio-book-gave-us-shakespeare/) - “As good luck would have it” – words penned by William Shakespeare – a rare opportunity to see the actual book that contains the first collected edition of Shakespeare’s plays lands in Missoula this month. The Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library and Montana Museum of Art and Culture present “First Folio! The Book that Gave
- [Archie Bray celebrates 65 with “’50s Flashback”](https://livelytimes.com/2016/07/archie-bray-celebrates-65-50s-flashback/) - The Archie Bray Foundation celebrates a major milestone at 6 p.m. July 23 during its 65th anniversary celebration. Head back to the beginning with a 1950s theme: the rock ’n’ roll of Elvis Presley and Little Richard, TV shows like “I Love Lucy” and “Leave it to Beaver,” hot rods and drive-ins. Wear your poodle
- [International Choral Festival, July 13-16](https://livelytimes.com/2016/06/1610/) - The International Choral Festival brings 13 world-class choirs to the Missoula July 13-16. Since 1987, this triennial choral festival has enticed 5,546 singers from 45 countries to Missoula. Choirs participating at the 2016 festival represent Hong Kong, Canada, Costa Rica, Estonia, Cuba, Poland, Georgia, The Philippines, and Kenya and the U.S. states of Washington, Iowa
- [Moods of the Madison: Bigger and Better](https://livelytimes.com/2016/07/moods-madison-bigger-better/) - Moods of the Madison, one of the state’s most eclectic music festivals, comes to the North 40 near Ennis July 15-16. This year’s festival is bigger and better than ever. Headliners include Bassnectar, Young the Giant, Wolfgang Gartner, The Wailers, Rising Appalachia, and Sol. Also taking the stage: Robert Randolph and the Family Band, The Russ
- [Big Sky Country State Fair](https://livelytimes.com/2016/07/big-sky-country-state-fair/) - The newly named Big Sky Country State Fair blows open the Montana fair season July 18-24 at the Gallatin County Fairgrounds with “the best entertainment you can buy for $8.” This year’s event (formerly the Gallatin County Fair) features hot country night shows, national touring entertainers and expanded agricultural offerings all for the price of
- [Amy Ragsdale | Crossing the River, A Life in Brazil](https://livelytimes.com/2016/07/amy-ragsdale-crossing-river-life-brazil/) - Former University of Montana dance professor and choreographer Amy Ragsdale sought to make balance and joy more central to her life, and continue to raise a pair of “global children” when the family decided to spend a year in northeastern Brazil. Their adventure seems to have accomplished those goals, but not without its share of
- [Winners announced for Red Ants Pants](https://livelytimes.com/2016/07/win-two-free-tickets-red-ants-pants/) - Red Ants Pants tickets: winners announced The winners were selected Tuesday, July 19, for free tickets to Red Ants Pants: Mark Cooper of Great Falls, who writes, “Thank you! We are regular readers of Lively Times. We love your events information.” And Jennifer Vanek of Huntley, who says, simply, “cool.” Have fun you guys (and
- [Joanna Reed Shelton | A Christian in the Land of the Gods](https://livelytimes.com/2016/07/joanna-reed-shelton/) - Joanna Reed Shelton’s great grandfather, the Reverend Thomas Alexander, and his wife of five months set sail for Japan in 1877 to establish a Protestant mission and “plant their faith in a country just emerging from two and a half centuries of self-imposed seclusion.” The couple arrived in their newly adopted homeland not knowing a
- [Chris Sand: American Road Trip](https://livelytimes.com/2016/07/chris-sand-american-road-trip/) - Missoula musician Chris Sand, who formerly billed himself as “Sandman, The Rappin’ Cowboy,” has released his 13th album in 20 years of touring the country’s byways. Experiences from truck-driving and performing infuse 13 pieces, done in his eclectic mix of punky hip-hop and folky cowboy music. Sand wrote most of the lyrics and music, but
- [Patty Dean | Cass Gilbert in Big Sky Country](https://livelytimes.com/2016/07/patty-dean/) - Historian Patty Dean, in her meticulously researched and well-illustrated essay, documents the timeline of the design and completion of the Montana Club, placing it in “the context of gentlemen’s clubs internationally.” The stately building standing on the corner of Sixth and Fuller Avenues in downtown Helena that houses the present Montana Club is the design
- [Bill Vaughn | Hawthorn: The Tree That Has Nourished, Healed, and Inspired Through the Ages](https://livelytimes.com/2016/07/bill-vaughn/) - One of humankind’s oldest companions, the hawthorn tree, is bound up in the memories of every recorded age and the plot lines of cultures all across the Northern Hemisphere. Set in Montana, China, Tasmania and Europe, Bill Vaughn’s book examines the little-recognized political, cultural and natural history of this ancient spiky plant. Used for thousands
- [Johnny Moore and Friends: Now and Then](https://livelytimes.com/2016/06/johnny-moore-friends-now/) - Helena songwriter John Moore recently got some pals together to record his second album, a compilation of his homemade tunes spanning many years and moods. These folks are veterans of the Queen City music scene, and play in various bands amongst themselves. The laundry list: drums, Jeremy Slead, Tim Lashley, and co-producer Dan Nichols (percussion,
- [Richard S. Wheeler | Anything Goes](https://livelytimes.com/2016/06/anything-goes/) - Prolific Livingston writer Richard Wheeler – six-time winner of the Spur Award – follows a beleaguered vaudeville troupe through its final few shows in Montana and Idaho. Part playful romp, part tribute to the audacity and fortitude of vaudeville performers, Anything Goes offers a behind-the-scenes look at an art form in the midst of monumental
- [Jake Ryan: Space Cowboy](https://livelytimes.com/2016/06/jake-ryan-space-cowboy/) - Helena hip-hop purveyor Jake Ryan, one-man band, has a new six-piece EP out called Space Cowboy. He plays all the instruments including piano and guitars, and handles all the wizardry of electronic manipulation. The exception is “Making Contact.” Ryan’s partner, Tyson Lunn (aka Nintendeaux), helped him produce that one. On the title cut, Ryan delves
- [Beth Hunter McHugh | The Actor](https://livelytimes.com/2016/06/beth-hunter-mchugh-actor/) - In her acclaimed debut novel, Beth Hunter McHugh tells the story of a family whose idyllic life is suddenly ruptured. This elegantly written story is set in the 1960s in a university town in Montana, where 13-year-old Grace and her younger sister, Franny, live with their parents, Nora and David, both professors – Nora teaches law
- [Feast Whitefish debuts May 14-21](https://livelytimes.com/2016/04/feast-whitefish-debuts-may-14-21/) - The inaugural Feast Whitefish, May 14-21, is the 21st century re-incarnation of the time-tested Taste of Whitefish, the one-day event that’s been held for the last 27 years in September. The reinvented event debuts in 2016 with a new name, a new date, eight uniquely Whitefish culinary experiences, and a new focus – highlighting the
- [Color Yellowstone yourself!](https://livelytimes.com/2016/05/color-yellowstone-yourself/) - We’re accustomed to seeing our first national park portrayed in photographs and paintings. But thanks to award-winning graphic artist Dave Ember, we can now color in our own version of the park’s majestic scenery and iconic animals with the new Yellowstone National Park Adult Coloring Book: A Magical Coloring Journey Through Yellowstone National Park. Fans
- [Mission Mountain Wood Band, Ringling 5 & Bop-a-Dips](https://livelytimes.com/2016/04/band-bonanza-mmwb-ringling/) - A trio of fabled Montana bands is on the road this month for concerts benefiting a variety of law-enforcement organizations, including the Kalispell Police Association and Mountain States Tactical Officers Association (Mission Mountain Wood Band), Flathead Valley Crimestoppers (Bop-a-Dips) and the Montana Narcotics Officers Association (Ringling 5). Mission Mountain Wood Band: 7 p.m. May 7
- [Mary Poppins lands in Missoula](https://livelytimes.com/2016/04/mary-poppins-lands-missoula/) - “Mary Poppins: The Broadway Musical” is flying with the Missoula Community Theatre April 28-May 15! Take an enchanting, classic story with vibrantly positive characters; add oodles of familiar, uplifting songs that make you feel wonderful; then stage it live, complete with a no-nonsense nanny who actually flies for a magical, “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” kind of experience. Umbrella
- [The Captain Wilson Conspiracy: Used Rocketship Salesman](https://livelytimes.com/2016/05/captain-wilson-conspiracy-used-rocketship-salesman/) - The Captain Wilson Conspiracy’s first album is delightful. The Missoula jazz quartet, together for five years, comes from divergent musical backgrounds and tastes. They’ve all played with other groups, and regularly appear at Jazzoula and First Night venues. Finding each other in Montana was the glue that drew them together to write and perform original
- [Shakewell: Shakewell EP](https://livelytimes.com/2016/05/shakewell-shakewell-ep/) - Missoula-based Shakewell has released its original three-song EP that’s funky, neo-soul-y, and rock ‘n roll-y. The band, comprised of long-time friends, rose from the ashes of the old Shakewell and Three Eared Dog to bust out “tectonic dance grooves.” The music is as infectious as a communicable disease, and if no other part of your
- [Catharine Courter Dombrovske | Poems of Spirit and Place](https://livelytimes.com/2016/05/catharine-courter-dombrovske-poems-spirit-place/) - Montana transplant Catharine Dombrovske travels far and wide in her collection of poems, from British Columbia and the rugged coast of California, through the arid Southwest to her home on the Rocky Mountain Front. “It was so cold last night/ the waves froze on the lake” she writes from Argenta, BC; and in Chacon, NM,
- [Aaron Parrett | Literary Butte: A History in Novels and Film](https://livelytimes.com/2016/05/literary-butte-history-novels-film-aaron-parrett/) - In his introduction, Aaron Parrett writes, “Almost from its inception in the 1860s, those who have visited the place agree that there’s no place quite like it on earth.” “Butte, America” a phrase coined by the local chamber of commerce in the 1980s, is “… a kind of microcosmic crystal of the entire country”
- [Matt Pavelich | Survivors Said](https://livelytimes.com/2016/05/matt-pavelich-survivors-said/) - “There was a time about twelve thousand years ago when I could run from one end of the known world to the other. I was Homo Somthingelsus, child of a parallel line of evolution.” So starts Matt Pavelich’s absorbing collection of stories, which travels full tilt from one end of the human experience to the
- ["Million Dollar Quartet": Butte and Billings](https://livelytimes.com/2016/04/1485/) - The “Million Dollar Quartet,” a high-voltage musical, closes the Broadway series at the Mother Lode Theater in Butte and the Alberta Bair Theater in Billings this month. The national tour of comes to Butte at 8 p.m. Saturday, April 16 (406-723-3602 or www.buttearts.org) and to Billings at 3 p.m. Sunday, April 17 (406-256-6052 or www.albertabairtheater.org).
- [Jazzoula: Five nights of great jazz](https://livelytimes.com/2016/04/jazzoula/) - The 12th annual Jazzoula features four nights of great instrumental and vocal jazz April 18-21 at St. Anthony’s Parish. Four or five bands, including UM Jazz Program combos, perform at 6:30 p.m. each night in a relaxed night-club setting. Among the highlights this year is a tribute to the music of Sarah Vaughan and Wes
- [Banff Film Festival World Tour](https://livelytimes.com/2016/04/banff-film-festival/) - Experience the best of the Banff Mountain Film Festival with a selection of the best films from this year’s event coming to Helena April 27 and Billings April 29. This year’s line-up includes two films with Montana connections: Dennis Aig (interim director of the Montana State University’s School of Film and Photography) and cinematographer Phillip
- [Travis Yost: Love Is a Dog from Nebraska](https://livelytimes.com/2016/04/travis-yost-love-dog-nebraska/) - Missoula musician Travis Yost says the quirky title of his first solo album, Love Is a Dog from Nebraska, is inspired partly by poet Charles Bukowski and in part by his love of dogs. Relationships, lost souls, loneliness, trucks and cars, nose to the grindstone – he’s all over the place thematically on eight original
- [Larry Stanfel | Uncompromising Souls](https://livelytimes.com/2016/04/larry-stanfel-uncompromising-souls/) - Retired professor Larry Stanfel of Roundup has written a detailed biography of artist Helen West Heller and her eccentric husband, Roger. It chronicles her twin circuits of Chicago and New York, the first, unsuccessful sorties to find a career in the arts; her Anarchist involvement and her success as a woodblock printmaker and poet. It
- [Seth O'Connell | The Drummond Tale](https://livelytimes.com/2016/04/seth-oconnell-drummond-tale/) - “For three generations the men of the Drummond family found peace and purpose hunting elk in the Rocky Mountains of Western Montana.” O’Connell’s compelling story follows two brothers, orphaned as teens, as they carry on the hunting traditions of their father and grandfather. As adults, the boys’ paths diverge: Shannon, the eldest, pursues education and
- [Mike Murray: Tumbleweed](https://livelytimes.com/2016/04/mike-murray-tumbleweed/) - Kalispell singer-songwriter Mike Murray is ever the balladeer, using his mid-range baritone to weave through songs covering the scope of human emotions. He wrote all the tunes on his third album, Tumbleweed, and rounded up a bunch of local musical friends to help him out on the CD. There’s his wife, Jessica, on background and
- [Paul R. Wylie | Blood on the Marias, The Baker Massacre](https://livelytimes.com/2016/04/paul-r-wylie-blood-marias-baker-massacre/) - Although the Baker Massacre has been documented in other texts, author Paul Wylie brings the tragedy front and center with a detailed account of what happened in the early morning hours of January 23, 1870 on the Marias River. Years of tension had been building between the encroaching white population and the Piegans in the
- [Cara Chamberlain | The Divine Botany](https://livelytimes.com/2016/04/cara-chamberlain-the-divine-botany/) - What a complex, faceted realm plants inhabit – a universe, really, of its own. Billings poet Cara Chamberlain traces the roots, vines, leaves and flowers of the botanical world in a collection that’s as intricate and redolent as its subjects. She somewhat loosely follows the lead of Dante’s The Divine Comedy, but in this version, a
- [Richard Fifield | The Flood Girls](https://livelytimes.com/2016/04/richard-fifield-flood-girls/) - Best-selling novelist Jackie Collins not only praised Richard Fifield’s debut before she died last September (“edgy and original”), her paperbacks are also the favorite reading material of young protagonist Jake Bailey. He’s a gay teenager in a miniature Montana town, Quinn, that’s run by fierce women and volunteer firefighters – “his tiny universe … foreshortened
- [John James Stroud | For The Love of the Bitterroot](https://livelytimes.com/2016/04/john-james-stroud-love-bitterroot/) - John Stroud has gained statewide recognition for his fight to save the Montana’s state flower – the Bitterroot – from extinction due to loss of much of its natural habitat. His efforts have earned this Bitterroot Valley resident the nickname Johnny Bitterroot Seed. His autobiography, published by Stoneydale Press of Stevensville, utilizes text and photographs,
- [John Dendy | Tombigbee](https://livelytimes.com/2016/04/john-dendy-tombigbee/) - Long-time Helena musician John Dendy has a new recording out with the same name as his band, Tombigbee. The musicians are comfortable playing together, and it’s obvious. Dendy reunited with banjo player Zach Owen and violinist Karen Newlon, who provides harmony vocals and delightfully smooth accompaniment. The album has nine self-penned tunes that Dendy either
- [Gwen Florio | Disgraced](https://livelytimes.com/2016/04/gwen-florio-disgraced/) - In Gwen Florio's third mystery/thriller, foreign correspondent and veteran journalist Lola Wicks, cursed with a reporter’s nose for a good story, cannot help but seek the truth behind a startling series of events that occurs when she takes a detour while embarking on a vacation to Yellowstone Park. Wicks promises to give a young female
- [Creston Auction turns 50](https://livelytimes.com/2016/03/creston-auction-turns-50/) - The Creston Fire Department's largest annual fundraiser is the Creston Auction and Country Fair, which celebrates its 50th anniversary April 1-3. This benefit for the all-volunteer fire department is the largest spring event in Montana and draws thousands of people across the region and from Canada. The 50th anniversary includes several special activities and events,
- [“Playing Monopoly with God and Other True Stories”](https://livelytimes.com/2016/02/playing-monopoly-with-god-and-other-true-stories/) - After 12 performances in western Montana, nearly all of them sold-out, Melissa Bangs brings her one-woman show, “Playing Monopoly with God and Other True Stories” to the O’Shaughnessy Center in Whitefish March 12. It’s her last show in Montana before embarking on a nine-city West Coast tour. "This is a story about things they don't
- [Buddy DeFranco Jazz Festival: It’s all about jazz](https://livelytimes.com/2016/03/1438/) - Although its namesake is gone, the Buddy DeFranco Jazz Festival continues to attract jazz luminaries to the University of Montana each spring to inspire and teach high school and university students. The 36th annual festival, March 17-18, offers two evening concerts, 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday at the UM Dennison Theatre. Thursday’s concert showcases saxophonist
- [Whimsical narratives by Bayla Arietta](https://livelytimes.com/2016/05/whimsical-narratives-by/) - Missoula artist Bayla Arietta works primarily in watercolor to depict whimsical narrative renditions of every day life. Her works are on display May 13-June 30 at the Emerson Center Lobby Gallery in Bozeman. Born and raised in the Hudson Valley, Arietta has been incessantly painting and drawing the people and environments around her since the
- [Marylou Blakeslee and Jimmy Talarico, “Life’s Layers”](https://livelytimes.com/2016/03/marylou-blakeslee-and-jimmy-talarico-lifes-layers/) - The latest works by Jimmy Talarico and Marylou Blakeslee are on display through June at Zoot Enterprises Gallery near Bozeman in "Life's Layers." Blakeslee is an artist and naturalist whose life and art are inspired by the beauty of this world. Rushing clouds, the weight and power of crashing surf, or the energy of the
- [Jennifer Ogden, "Looking Up, Looking Down"](https://livelytimes.com/2016/03/jennifer-ogden-looking-up-looking-down/) - “Look down,” suggests Hamilton collage artist Jennifer Ogden, whose work is on display through April at The Artists' Shop in Missoula. “Stop a moment to examine the forest floor or peer through murky shallows or shining depths. While you are inhabiting this respite, you could also look up and consider the sanctuary given by a
- [Amber Ikeman's debut album: Free](https://livelytimes.com/2016/03/amber-ikeman-free/) - Bozeman singer/songwriter Amber Ikeman’s debut album, Free, has a modern folk bent. She tired of her nine-to-five job and longed to see the West, so the transplanted Floridian took to the road to start a new life a couple years ago, lured to Montana by the beauty of the Yellowstone. Her nomadic journey led her
- [Michelle Trappen |Grand Lady of the Lake](https://livelytimes.com/2016/03/grand-lady-of-the-lake/) - Yellowstone Park's Lake Hotel, as it was originally called, was built in 1889-1891 by the Northern Pacific Railroad as part of its efforts to bring East Coast and European travelers out west to experience the wonders of America’s first national park. The hotel boasted three stories, 51 modest rooms, electric lights, and steam heat. A
- [Leslie Budewitz | Butter Off Dead](https://livelytimes.com/2016/02/budewitz-butter-off-dead/) - Butter Off Dead, Leslie Budewitz’s third installment in the Food Lovers’ Village Mysteries series, finds our heroine, Erin Murphy, purveyor and lover of all things gourmet, still running her family’s business in the scenic enclave of Jewel Bay, Montana. To cheer up the locals during the gray days of winter, her friend Christine has cooked
- [Shane Clouse | Through the Fire](https://livelytimes.com/2016/02/shane-clouse-through-the-fire/) - Missoula singer/guitarist Shane Clouse has album number five out, Through the Fire, and it’s seasoned with country-rock spice. Clouse’s musical love is “Waylon-style outlaw country,” and it shines through. Scads of performers on guitars and drums assist him, along with fiddle, banjo, mandolin, and pedal steel. Some are from StompinGround, the revolving stable of players
- [International Guitar Night](https://livelytimes.com/2016/02/1398/) - International Guitar Night, the world’s premier touring guitar festival, comes to Big Sky, Billings and Bozeman Feb. 18-20. IGN founder Brian Gore will be joined by three of Europe's finest acoustic guitarists: Gypsy jazz legend Lulo Reinhardt, contemporary fingerstyle innovator Mike Dawes and multi-genre showman Andre Krengel. Reinhardt has expanded on the legacy of his
- [“The Little Prince”](https://livelytimes.com/2016/02/the-whitefish-theatre-company-is-delighted-to-present-enchanting-the-little-prince/) - The Whitefish Theatre Company is delighted to present an enchanting adaptation of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s treasured book, The Little Prince. This magical young-actors production opens with a sneak preview night on February 25 at 7:30 p.m. at the O’Shaughnessy Center in Whitefish. Performances continue on February 26 and 27 and March 4 and 5 at
- [The Montana ShamRockers | A Soalin’](https://livelytimes.com/2016/03/1413/) - The Montana ShamRockers, those wacky fellas from Polson released their new CD, A Soalin’: A Joyful Christmas Celebration, in late 2015. The collection features a mix of original tunes, mostly by Neal Lewing (aka Nialls), coupled with traditional Christmas fare. John Glueckert (Liam), Rick Skates (Mick), Mike Lozar (Paddy), and Rob Sloan (Robbie) fill out the
- [Chad Ball | Two Trips to Bellingham](https://livelytimes.com/2016/02/1406/) - Butte songwriter/guitarist Chad Ball's third effort, Two Trips to Bellingham, is more introspective than his other creations, but just as heartfelt. He says, “It’s scary writing about your own imperfections and mistakes that you’ve made in your life.” Guests on this journey include Sara Zora, violin and backing vocals; Michael Paul Masters, piano and mandolin; Scott
- [Grammy-winning Kronos Quartet performs in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/2016/01/1366/) - The San Francisco-based Kronos Quartet, featuring David Harrington (violin), John Sherba (violin), Hank Dutt (viola), and Sunny Yang (cello), has remained committed to fearlessly exploring and re-imagining the string quartet experience for more than 40 years. In the process, Kronos has become one of the most celebrated and influential ensembles of our time, performing thousands
- ["The Gondoliers": A comedic romp](https://livelytimes.com/2016/02/the-gondoliers/) - “The Gondoliers,” a delightful musical romp, is the result of a bi-annual creative collaboration between the University of Montana Opera Theatre, UM Symphony Orchestra, and Missoula Community Theatre. Whether romance or comedy is what you are craving this February, you can satisfy both yearnings Valentine’s Day weekend with the pure silliness of Gilbert and Sullivan!
- [Sweet treat: Dirty Sexy Chocolate Show](https://livelytimes.com/2016/02/dirty-sexy-chocolate-show/) - Last year The Dirty Sexy Chocolate Show sold out two nights at The Top Hat in Missoula several weeks in advance. Now the creators are bringing it back for a four-city Northwest tour. The tour started last week at the Crush Lounge in Whitefish followed by a featured evening at The Triple Door in Seattle.
- ["Murder at the Deadwood Saloon"](https://livelytimes.com/2016/02/1384/) - Get ready for an evening of mystery and mayhem in the Wild West at the Great Falls Animal Shelter’s Fourth Annual Murder Mystery Party! The Shelter Sidekicks are hosting, “Murder at the Deadwood Saloon,” on Saturday, March 5, from 6 to 9:30 p.m. at the Moose Lodge (401 21st St N, Black Eagle). The cost
- [Kristen Berube | Confessions of a Camo Queen](https://livelytimes.com/2016/02/1391/) - With her tongue planted firmly in her cheek, Missoula writer Kristen Berube tells what life is like married to an avid outdoorsman who thinks that a “fun date” is a ride down a rough dirt road in a reeking truck full of dog hair and fast-food wrappers to scout game. In Confessions of a Camo Queen,
- ["The Drowsy Chaperone" a breath of fresh air](https://livelytimes.com/2016/01/the-drowsy-chaperone-promises/) - Just in time to brighten up that incessant gray of January in an “insanely ridiculous” fashion, “The Drowsy Chaperone” makes its Missoula debut on the stage of the MCT Center for the Performing Arts. Perhaps not as viscerally familiar to Montana audiences in the way “The Sound of Music” was, Missoula Community Theatre is certain
- [Flashdance – The Musical](https://livelytimes.com/2016/01/flashdance-the-musical/) - “Flashdance – The Musical” brings electrifying dance to five Montana towns in late January and early February. The 1980’s pop culture phenomenon tells the inspiring story of Alex Owens, a Pittsburgh steel mill welder by day and bar dancer by night with dreams of one day becoming a professional performer. When romance with her boss
- [Montana Manouche](https://livelytimes.com/2016/02/1382/) - Bozeman/Livingston-area band Montana Manouche plays Gypsy jazz, and from the outset this self-titled album jumps. The musicians are long-time pickers and accomplished alums of many musical endeavors who have been together for several years. Nancy and Ray Padilla (violin and rhythm guitar respectively) are joined by Dave Sullivan, lead guitar, Jerry Linn, upright bass and
- [Catch the VIBE: Vienna International Ballet Experience](https://livelytimes.com/2016/01/1327/) - Enlightenment and entertainment join forces when Rocky Mountain Ballet Theatre hosts the U.S. round of the prestigious Vienna International Ballet Experience (VIBE), Jan. 12-16 in Missoula. More than 200 dancers from around the world arrive in the Garden City for five days of rigorous competition, as well as master classes, concerts and an international symposium.
- [Shann Ray | American Copper](https://livelytimes.com/2016/01/1360/) - Montana-grown author Shann Ray’s debut novel, American Copper, fulfills the promise of his enigmatic stories (American Masculine) and poems (Balefire). Like those earlier works, he reaches deep into the human psyche where loss and love coexist. From the heartbreaking Sand Creek Massacre, when a 700-man force of Colorado militia murdered a sleeping village of
- [Kenny James Miller Band | Live from 11th & Grant](https://livelytimes.com/2016/01/kenny-james-miller-band-live-from-11th-grant/) - Kenny James Miller Band, the powerful blues trio from the Flathead Valley, recently released a CD made from their live performance on the popular Montana PBS television show, "11th & Grant with Eric Funk". Funk, a skilled composer and conductor who teaches music at Montana State University in Bozeman, personally selects the Montana talent for
- [Glacier Park murals installed at O'Shaughnessy Center](https://livelytimes.com/2016/01/glacier-park-murals-installed-at-oshaughnessy-center/) - A key part of the mission of the Hockaday Museum in Kalispell is to preserve the artistic legacy of Glacier National Park. As part of its ongoing efforts to restore 15 murals originally painted to decorate the walls of Glacier National Park lodges, the fifth and sixth murals have been installed at the O’Shaughnessy Center
- [Almeda Bradshaw | Lovers, Wives, and Mothers – A Western Woman’s Voice](https://livelytimes.com/2016/01/almeda-bradshaw-lovers-wives-and-mothers-a-western-womans-voice/) - Huntley minstrel Almeda Bradshaw is the townie kid who dreamed of being a cowgirl since she saddled up the family propane tank as a tot. Her new CD focuses primarily on frontier women, and her Americana originals recount their true stories. There are covers of songs written by Dave Stamey and Ian Tyson, and she
- [James Lee Burke | House of the Rising Sun](https://livelytimes.com/2016/01/1344/) - Laconic Texas Ranger Hackberry Holland blazes through Mexico and south Texas in Missoula author James Lee Burke’s latest tale of corruption and retribution – a contemporary Arthurian quest, replete with Holy Grail. In this version, however, instead of searching for the Grail, Holland inadvertently ends up with the mythic cup of Christ after a
- [Q&A with Montana-born ballerina Maria Sascha Khan](https://livelytimes.com/2016/01/qa-with-montana-born-ballerina-maria-sascha-khan/) - Bozeman native Maria Sascha Khan is among the cadre of VIBE judges – she’s the oldest of a family of four professional dancers: Nadia Khan and Julian and Nicholas Mackay. The prima ballerina at the Ekaterinburg State Ballet in Russia is scheduled to teach a master class, offer a Q&A session with dancers and perform
- [2015: Memorable books by Montana authors](https://livelytimes.com/2016/01/2015-booklist-murder-mayhem-birds-weeds/) - Many new books by Montana authors arrived in our office this last year. I was fortunate to be able to read and write about several of them. Here are a few memorable selections: Bozeman historian, teacher and radio personality B. Derek Strahn shares his collection of fascinating vignettes about Montana’s colorful past in The Montana
- [Tim Nordstrom Band | A Socially Relevant EP](https://livelytimes.com/2016/01/1332/) - On his website, Red Lodge songwriter and instrumentalist Tim Nordstrom quotes psychologist Amos Wilson: “If you want to understand any problem in America, you need to focus on who profits from the problem, not who suffers from the problem.” That pretty much sums up Nordstrom’s focus on his new EP. The alum of Montana Tunesmith
- [First Night Missoula and Flathead](https://livelytimes.com/2015/12/first-night-missoula-and-kalispell-celebrate-ne/) - Missoula and Kalispell are gearing up for First Night, a community-wide, alcohol-free celebration of the arts, held across the U.S. on New Year’s Eve. First Night Missoula The Missoula Cultural Council is preparing for the 22nd annual First Night – a giant celebration that showcases 80 performances and activities in more than 25 venues in
- [“Mary Poppins” enchants with irresistible story](https://livelytimes.com/2015/11/1299/) - The winner of 44 major theater awards from around the globe, “Mary Poppins” is a “roof-raising, toe-tapping, high-flying extravaganza” that is sure to enchant with its irresistible story, unforgettable songs, and dazzling special effects. The Whitefish Theatre Company presents this fantastical family classic at the O’Shaughnessy Center in Whitefish. This renowned musical opens with a
- [The Nutcracker vs. The Grinch](https://livelytimes.com/2015/12/the-nutcracker-vs-the-grinch/) - Yellowstone Ballet Company (YBC) celebrates its 25th annual Nutcracker season with the world premiere of “The Nutcracker vs. The Grinch,” 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 19, and Sunday, Dec. 20, at Willson Auditorium in Bozeman. The shows will include a Cindy Lou Who costume contest during intermission, with prizes for best costume presented at each show.
- [Jerry Seinfeld returns to Helena](https://livelytimes.com/2015/11/jerry-seinfeld-returns-to-helena/) - America’s premier comedian Jerry Seinfeld, hailed for his uncanny ability to joke about the little things in life, brings his signature stand-up routine to the Helena Civic Center at 7 p.m. Dec. 10. Seinfeld made his stand-up debut at an open mic night in 1976 and first appeared on “The Tonight Show” in 1981. After
- [Judy Fjell | Nobody Else’s Dream](https://livelytimes.com/2015/12/1309/) - Helena singer/songwriter Judy Fjell has her 18th recording out, featuring guest performers on 13 compositions. There are drums, bass, violin, cello, flute, and trombone, while Fjell herself takes on guitar, harmonica, trumpet, and keyboards. There’s lots of help on harmony, too. All this makes for a dynamic, smooth sound. Fjell grabbed a guitar as a
- [Gabriel Iglesias brings big laughs](https://livelytimes.com/2015/10/gabriel-iglesias-brings-big-laughs/) - Stand-up comedian Gabriel "I'm Not Fat...I'm Fluffy" Iglesias, who appeared in the "Magic Mike" films and "The Fluffy Movie," stars in a new reality series, "Fluffy Breaks Even", on Fuse. Iglesias says he came up with the idea for the new reality show from watching food shows such as "Man Vs. Food" and he thought
- [38 Special headlines Harvest Howl](https://livelytimes.com/2015/10/38-special-headlines-harvest-howl/) - The Great Falls Rotary Club's annual Harvest Howl fundraiser promises a casual, fun-filled evening that includes dinner, local craft beer, a full service bar, 50/50 drawing, a silent auction, and live music and dancing to the southern rock sounds of 38 Special and The Bus Driver Tour. After more than three decades together, 38 Special
- [Nutcracker on the Rocks](https://livelytimes.com/2015/11/nutcracker-on-the-rocks/) - In the mood for a different brand of Nutcracker? Cohesion Dance Project offers its third annual production of Shira Greenberg’s “Nutcracker on the Rocks” Nov. 28-29 at the Helena Civic Center. This unique, community-based, rock ’n roll rendition of the traditional Nutcracker features the music of James Brown, Aretha Franklin, the Rolling Stones, Janis Joplin
- [Sean Eamon](https://livelytimes.com/2015/11/sean-eamon/) - Butte/Anaconda songwriter Sean Eamon says his style is folk and blues, and that he writes modern songs mixed to the old sound of country. It’s a different, and authentic sound; his craggy baritone voice is coupled with a dance-hall melange of instruments. Musicians from Livingston to Missoula provide accordion, steel guitar, banjo, Dobro, cello, fiddles,
- [Nikki Manning | Historic Underground Missoula](https://livelytimes.com/2015/11/nikki-manning/) - Author and anthropologist Nikki Manning began researching what lies under Missoula’s streets when she chose the topic for her master’s thesis at The University of Montana. The goal of the Missoula Historic Underground Project (MHUP) was to validate “the stories of ‘Chinese Tunnels’ and underground activity by the Chinese” through carefully executed research. Could the
- [Aber Day Kegger reborn in Philipsburg](https://livelytimes.com/2015/08/aber-day-kegger-reborn-in-philipsburg/) - The Aber Day Kegger will reprise its celebrated union of charity and revelry for the first time in 36 years, from noon-5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 22, at Winninghoff Park in Philipsburg. The 2,500 tickets were sold out by mid-August. The Aber Day Reunion Concert features Aber Day alumnus the Mission Mountain Wood Band, alongside Wylie
- [An Rí Rá Montana Irish Festival](https://livelytimes.com/2015/08/an-ri-ra-montana-irish-festival/) - An Rí Rá Montana Irish Festival celebrates Irish culture and heritage Aug. 14-16 in Montana’s bastion of Irish tradition: Uptown Butte. Entertainment includes performances by the Cathie Ryan Band, The Town Pants, The Ne’er Duwels featuring Ken O’Malley, Runa, Dublin Gulch, The Trinity Irish Dancers, The Tiernan Irish Dancers, and more, all at the Original
- [River City Roots Festival turns 10](https://livelytimes.com/2015/08/river-city-roots-festival-turns-10/) - In celebration of River City Roots Fest’s 10th anniversary Aug. 28-29, the Music on Main Stage features the best bands from previous festivals. Each group brings a special flavor of Americana music to downtown Missoula, as the community welcomes new and returning University of Montana students and their families. “We wanted to showcase a gathering
- [Neil Young rocks Missoula and Spokane](https://livelytimes.com/2015/08/neil-young-rocks-missoula-and-spokane/) - Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Monday, Aug. 24, for Neil Young and the Promise of the Real’s show in Missoula. “Rebel Content Tour” The legendary rocker brings his "Rebel Content Tour" to the Adams Center Oct. 1 and hits the Spokane Arena Oct. 2 (tickets on sale Aug. 21). The Promise of the
- [Rockin’ the Rivers: 15 years of rock](https://livelytimes.com/2015/08/rockin-the-rivers-15-years-of-rock/) - This year marks Rockin’ the Rivers’ 15th anniversary of bringing fist-pumping guitar solos and head-banging riffs to The Bridge in the Jefferson River canyon near Three Forks. From Aug. 7-9, the canyon rocks with music from the 1970s to today, performed by more than 30 bands on two stages. Dee Snider, legendary lead singer of
- [Sweet Pea Festival | A bouquet of arts](https://livelytimes.com/2015/07/sweet-pea-festival-a-bouquet-of-arts/) - Chalk on the Walk (Aug. 4) and the Bite of Bozeman (Aug. 5) lead up to the giant Sweet Pea Festival, Aug. 7-9 at Lindley Park. The big bouquet of entertainment by more than 30 performers includes music of all genres, performances by local theatre and dance troupes, workshops, children’s activities, a flower show, a
- [Crown Guitar Festival: Aug. 30-Sept 5 in Bigfork](https://livelytimes.com/2015/08/crown-guitar-festival-aug-30-sept-5-in-bigfork/) - An extraordinary two weeks of musical energy will descend on the Flathead Valley when the sixth annual Crown Guitar Workshop and Festival brings a masterful lineup of guitarists, rhythm musicians and singers to perform. This year a series of pre-festival events are planned during the week before the festival offering free guitar instruction and solo
- [Festival Amadeus: A week of classical music](https://livelytimes.com/2015/07/festival-amadeus-brings-a-diverse-repertoire-of-classical-music/) - Montana’s largest classical music festival runs Aug. 2-9 in Whitefish and Bigfork. Festival Amadeus includes a diverse repertoire, ranging from a classical guitar duo and a world-renowned string quartet to a saxophonist and a piano duet. Glacier Symphony and Chorale produces the festival under the baton of music director John Zoltek. The festival kicks off on Sunday,
- [Big Sky Mudflaps: The Big 4-O](https://livelytimes.com/2015/08/big-sky-mudflaps-the-big-4-o/) - One of Montana’s iconic bands – The Big Sky Mudflaps – turns 40 this year, and celebrates that landmark with three shows in September: Great Falls: Friday, Sept. 11 at Paris Gibson Square for Arts on Fire Boulder: Saturday, Sept. 12 for the Boulder Music Festival Missoula: Saturday, Sept. 19, at the Top Hat Lounge
- [Experience the Old West at Bannack Days](https://livelytimes.com/2015/07/experience-the-old-west-at-bannack-days-festival/) - This coming weekend, the old ghost town of Bannack comes alive in a celebration of pioneer life. Come see what the old West was really like! The annual Bannack Days Festival is held on July 18 and 19 at Bannack State Park. Bring the family out to Bannack State Park for a fun-filled weekend. Exciting festival activities include horse and wagon
- [Josh Turner tours Montana in early September](https://livelytimes.com/2015/08/josh-turner-tours-montana-in-early-september/) - Josh Turner, a double-platinum-selling singer, songwriter and disciple of traditional country music, is also a mentor to up-and-coming artists – and one of the youngest members of the Grand Ole Opry. The artist, who tours Montana in early September, is also a family man, a philanthropist, a devoted Christian, and a passionate sports fan. All
- [Grand Targhee: The place to festival!](https://livelytimes.com/2015/07/grand-targhee-is-the-place-to-festival/) - If you like to have fun with the nicest people in the world, drive to Driggs, Idaho, head east a few miles to Grand Targhee Ski Resort, and set up camp in the high lonesome. In addition to great music, you'll have access to hiking, biking, and folf. The resort hosts two music festivals: Targhee
- ["Never the Same": Film features Ben Steele](https://livelytimes.com/2015/09/never-the-same-film-features-ben-steele/) - The Montana Museum of Art and Culture presents the film “Never the Same” at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10, in the Masquer Theatre of the Performing Arts and Radio/Television Center at the University of Montana. The documentary chronicles the experiences of American prisoners of war held by the Japanese during World War II, and is
- ["The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas"](https://livelytimes.com/2015/07/the-best-little-whorehouse-in-texas/) - Fort Peck Summer Theatre continues its 46th season with “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas,” a lively musical based on the true story of the legendary brothel known as The Chicken Ranch in Gilbert, Texas. It operated from 1840-1973, until a crusading, Houston radio commentator Melvin P. Thorpe (played by Morgan Phelps) forced it to
- [Montana Folk Festival returns to Butte July 10-12](https://livelytimes.com/2015/07/montana-folk-festival-returns-to-butte-july-10-12/) - “This may be our most varied group of traditional performers yet,” says George Everett, manager of the Montana Folk Festival. “Expect to be amazed!” The festival, July 10-12 in Uptown Butte, offers performances and demonstrations by more than 250 of the nation’s finest musicians, dancers and craftspeople against the backdrop of the country’s largest National
- [Montana Book Festival: Invigorating a good thing](https://livelytimes.com/2015/09/montana-book-festival-invigorating-a-good-thing/) - Authors from across the U.S. gather in Missoula Sept. 10-12 for the 2015 Montana Book Festival. Literary events include a tribute to the late Ivan Doig, a Pie and Whiskey reading, a rejection open mic, and a live podcast. The Missoula Public Library is sponsoring a concurrent three-day children’s festival. This year’s roster of writers
- [St. Timothy's Music Festival features regional talent](https://livelytimes.com/2015/06/st-timothys-music-festival-features-regional-talent/) - In celebration of 50 years of community involvement, some of the region’s most talented musicians will take the stage at the 2015 St. Timothy’s Summer Music Festival, held on selected Sundays, June 28-Aug. 23. Held in one of southwest Montana’s most intimate concert settings high above Georgetown Lake, this year’s musical performances range from jazz to bluegrass
- [Broadway Star Eden Espinosa Performs in Missoula](https://livelytimes.com/2015/06/broadway-star-eden-espinosa-performs-in-missoula/) - The sound of Broadway hits the Missoula Children's Theater (MCT) Center for the Performing Arts on Wednesday, July 1. “Eden Espinosa - Live in Concert” is a benefit performance presented by MCT's Next Step Prep as a fundraiser for its scholarship fund. Eden Espinosa is best known for her portrayal of Elphaba, the green-hued wicked
- [Chalk ’n Rock paints the town of Bigfork](https://livelytimes.com/2015/09/chalk-n-rock-paints-the-town-of-bigfork/) - “Paint the Town” most often means something akin to having a good time and taking advantage of what a town has to offer. The saying takes on both a literal and figurative meaning Sept. 19-20 when a collection of talented artists literally paints the town, or at least a good portion of the streets. Bigfork is
- [Crown Guitar Festival: 7 Nights of Guitars and Stars](https://livelytimes.com/2015/06/crown-guitar-festival-7-nights-of-guitars-and-stars/) - Tickets are on sale now for the sixth annual Crown Guitar Festival, billed as “Seven Nights of Guitars and Stars.” The festival kicks off on Sunday, Aug. 30, and runs through Sept. 5, at Flathead Lake Lodge in Bigfork. The Crown Guitar Festival features individual performances by the superb masters of guitar who will be
- [MontanaFair celebrates a century of fun](https://livelytimes.com/2015/06/montanafair-celebrates-a-century-of-fun/) - Get ready to celebrate the centennial of MontanaFair, held Aug. 7-15, 2015 in Billings. MontanaFair is the region’s largest summer event: 10,000 people from Montana and neighboring states will earn prizes and ribbons for their exhibits, the Mighty Thomas Carnival will thrill young and old alike, and top-notch entertainment and food will abound throughout the
- [Celebrating the Clearwater Blackfoot Project](https://livelytimes.com/2015/09/celebrating-the-clearwater-blackfoot-project/) - Bring the kids, your bike and your tools for some fun in the forest. In celebration of the Clearwater Blackfoot Project, the public is invited to Primm’s Meadow for a morning of hands-on restoration work followed by an afternoon of music, food and family-friendly fun on Sunday, Sept. 20, from 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m. The festivities
- [Gordon Lightfoot, “50 Years on the Carefree Highway”](https://livelytimes.com/2015/06/gordon-lightfoot-50-years-on-the-carefree-highway/) - Gordon Lightfoot, the author of such hits as as “Early Morning Rain,” “Sundown,” “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” and “If You Could Read My Mind” makes two stops in Montana this month: 8 p.m. June 16 at the Helena Civic Center (406-447-8481 or www.helenaciviccenter.com) and 7:30 p.m. June 17 at the Alberta Bair Theater
- [Alpine Artisans hosts Tour of the Arts](https://livelytimes.com/2015/09/alpine-artisans-hosts-tour-of-the-arts/) - The 2015 Alpine Artisans’ annual Tour of the Arts, Oct. 10-11, features the work of over 25 artists in five artist studios, three galleries and three historical museums in Seeley Lake, Condon and Ovando. The tour is held annually in mid-October to highlight the natural beauty of the Western Tamaracks as they turn a bright
- [Hot Rize offers blazing start to Snowbowl Music Series](https://livelytimes.com/2015/06/snowbowl-mountain-music-presents-summer-concerts/) - Snowbowl Ski Resort near Missoula, MT, offers a beautiful mountain setting for three shows this summer as part of the second annual Snowbowl Mountain Music series. The series, produced by Andrew Morris, features bluegrass, American and country-western music. Hot Rize kicks off the series on July 14 in a show co-produced with Ruby Jewel Jamboree. International Bluegrass Music Association’s very first
- [What Women Want Expo: Oct. 9-10 in Great Falls](https://livelytimes.com/2015/09/what-women-want-expo-oct-9-10-in-great-falls/) - Enjoy two days of pampering, relaxation and fun Oct. 9-10 during the annual expo, which includes demonstrations, educational and motivational speakers, seminars, fashion and freebies. Up to 250 vendors offer goods, gifts and services at Montana ExpoPark from noon-7 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. Wendy Liebman and Erin Jackson co-headline this year’s Comedy
- [Discover the world of Lewis and Clark](https://livelytimes.com/2015/06/discover-the-world-of-lewis-and-clark/) - The Lewis and Clark Festival, held in Great Falls, recounts many of the experiences of Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, Sacagawea, and the Corps of Discovery.
- [Wild Montana Skies Tour with The Special Consensus](https://livelytimes.com/2015/06/wild-montana-skies-tour-with-the-special-consensus/) - The Grammy-nominated bluegrass band kicks off the Ruby Jewel Jamboree with a statewide tour 7:30 p.m. June 11 at Ruby’s Inn in Missoula, 7:30 p.m. June 14 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Great Falls, and 7:30 p.m. June 13 at the Hampton Inn in Billings. These top-notch performers, led by banjo-player Cahill, deliver hard-driving bluegrass, hot
- [Marilyn: Forever Blonde](https://livelytimes.com/2015/09/marilyn-forever-blonde/) - Experience the woman, the songs and the unforgettable moments that made Marilyn Monroe a Hollywood icon. Marilyn: Forever Blonde takes you on an intimate journey as Marilyn tells her own story - one of a vibrant woman who has inspired generations and continues to capture hearts around the globe. This faithful recreation pays homage to
- [Last Best Country Fest entertains in Billings](https://livelytimes.com/2015/05/last-best-country-fest-entertains-in-billings/) - Two days of country music stars are featured at the Last Best Country Fest. The festival runs July 10-11, under the big sky, at South Park, in downtown Billings.  Kick back with friends and family for a rollicking summer weekend of country music - modern, traditional, and alternative. The music is brought to you by the creators of Magic City
- [Glacier Jazz: Dixie, Ragtime and More](https://livelytimes.com/2015/10/glacier-jazz-dixie-ragtime-and-more/) - Jazz bands and fans converge in Kalispell Oct. 9-11 for the 22nd annual tribute to traditional jazz, now known as Glacier Jazz: Dixie, Ragtime and More. The Eagles Club, which boasts three stages and a large hardwood dance floor in the main ballroom, is the hub for this year’s event. Performers include High Sierra and
- [Magic City Blues Fest: Another killer line-up](https://livelytimes.com/2015/04/magic-city-blues-fest-brings-the-goods/) - Magic City Blues – Montana's signature urban music festival – again brings a stellar line-up to Billings July 31-Aug. 2. Lucinda Williams, Buddy Guy, John Fogerty, and Los Lobos headline the 12th annual event, which attracts thousands of fans from across the country to Billings. The caliber of this year's performers ensures many more fans will head
- [Beer Fest in West: Oct. 17-18 in West Yellowstone](https://livelytimes.com/2015/10/beer-fest-in-west-oct-17-18-in-west-yellowstone/) - Enjoy a weekend of beer, food, music, and fun and sample everything from smooth golden ales to bock lagers during the Beer Fest in West, Oct. 17-18 at Holiday Inn West Yellowstone. New this year is a HomeBrew Fest competition for amateur brewers from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. (entry deadline is Oct. 15). All beers must
- [Summer Events at Ogren Field](https://livelytimes.com/2015/04/summer-events-at-ogren-field/) - Missoula's Ogren Field will be a busy place this summer! In addition to exciting Osprey, Maverick and Prospect baseball, several events and concerts are scheduled. Color Me Rad, the Montana Special Olympics, Big Time Wrestling, Willy Nelson with Allison Krause and Union Station, and Styx With Tesla will draw big crowds. At 7 p.m.
- [Red Ants Pants Festival announces line-up](https://livelytimes.com/2015/04/red-ants-pants-festival-announces-line-up/) - Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Keb’ Mo’, Lee Ann Womack, Ryan Bingham, Turnpike Troubadours, Lucero, Bruce Robison & Kelly Willis and MORE to take Stage at 5th Annual Red Ants Pants Music Festival The Red Ants Pants Music Festival team announced another powerhouse line-up of musicians for the 2015 festival, July 23-26 in White Sulphur Springs.
- [Masquerade Party at the Museum](https://livelytimes.com/2015/10/masquerade-party-at-the-museum/) - Get ready for a one-of-a-kind experience at the Yellowstone Art Museum's Masquerade Party, Friday, October 23rd at 7 p.m. in the museum. Dress up in your most outrageous get-up or go for the mysterious masked look and enter the costume contest for a chance to win fabulous prizes. Masks are encouraged, but anything goes! Costume
- [Gregg Allman rambles into Missoula](https://livelytimes.com/2015/04/gregg-allman-rambles-into-missoula/) - The Allman Brothers Band called it quits last October, but Gregg Allman rolls on with an extensive summer 2015 tour schedule that would stagger a younger man! Missoula is the beneficiary of this tour with a June 27 date scheduled for the field at Big Sky Brewery. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer is a
- [Jason DeShaw shares his story with Montana](https://livelytimes.com/2015/04/jason-deshaw-shares-his-story-with-montana/) - There is hope and there is help. That’s the message that national award-winning mental health speaker and accomplished country musician Jason DeShaw will deliver during a 10-city Montana tour this spring. Presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana and the Center for Mental Health Research and Recovery at Montana State University in Bozeman, the
- [Big Sky Brewing Company sizzles in May](https://livelytimes.com/2015/03/big-sky-brewing-company-sizzles-in-may/) - Three high-power acts are scheduled to perform at the Big Sky Brewing Company during the month of May. Lindsey Sterling, The Decembrists, and Ryan Adams entertain their fans in the outdoor venue, kicking off a summer-long concert series. Stirling is one of the biggest breakthrough stories in recent years. A classically trained violinist, she has entered a futuristic
- [Buddy DeFranco Jazz Festival](https://livelytimes.com/2015/03/buddy-defranco-jazz-festival/) - This year’s Buddy DeFranco Jazz Festival, March 26-27 at the University of Montana, pays tribute to “Our Buddy,” the jazz legend and festival namesake, who died Dec. 24. Expect fresh new arrangements of classic jazz tunes, original pieces, a guest appearance by jazz clarinetist Eddie Daniels on Friday, and other surprises. Lance Boyd, former director
- [Montana Farmers Union: From the Ground Up](https://livelytimes.com/2015/10/montana-farmers-union-from-the-ground-up/) - Pianist Philip Aaberg debuts a new work commissioned by the Montana Farmers Union for the organization's convention and 100th anniversary celebration, Oct. 22-24 in Great Falls. The convention opens at the Best Western Heritage Inn with a screening of “Terra Firma,” a documentary by Christine Anthony and Owen Masterson about women, war and the healing
- [The Decemberists return to Missoula](https://livelytimes.com/2015/03/the-decemberists-return-to-missoula/) - Colin Meloy and the Decemberists will perform at 7:30 p.m. May 24 at Big Sky Brewing Company in Missoula. One of Missoula’s most popular groups is back on the road after a four-year hiatus and will feature its new album, What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World. It is their only tour stop in
- [Roundup  hosts Independence Day Extravaganza](https://livelytimes.com/2015/03/roundup-independence-day-extravaganza-ride/) - Independence Day blasts off in a big way with a three-day celebration in Roundup, located 80 miles north of Billings. The weekend is filled with parades, a midway-style carnival, a rodeo, a Buttons and Bows youth rodeo, a fun run, fireworks and other attractions. This event supports the Mussellshell Valley Community Foundation (MVCF) charitable grant
- [Runners convene for Ice Breaker Road Race](https://livelytimes.com/2015/03/36th-annual-ice-breaker-road-race/) - Join more than 4,100 runners, joggers and fitness walkers who participate in the Ice Breaker Road Race each year. The 36th annual race, April 26 in Great Falls, features three courses: a five-mile race for competitive runners certified by TAC-RRCA, a three-mile race/run for competitive and recreational runners, and a one-mile run/walk course for families.
- [Positively Frightful!](https://livelytimes.com/2015/10/positively-frightful/) - Montana is awash in haunted happenings during the month of Halloween. Here are a few of our favorites: Scariest Cutler Brothers Creepshow offers “the ultimate nightmare scare” in the state’s scariest venue: the Old Montana Prison in Deer Lodge, Thursdays-Saturdays, Oct. 23-31. Call 846-3111. The Moss Mansion in Billings is transformed into the Bender Inn,
- [David Sedaris: “Smart, caustic and, well, nice”](https://livelytimes.com/2015/10/david-sedaris-smart-caustic-and-well-nice/) - With sardonic wit and incisive social critiques, Sedaris has become one of America’s pre-eminent humor writers, skillfully slicing through cultural euphemisms and political correctness. He’s the author of the bestsellers Barrel Fever and Holidays on Ice, as well as collections of personal essays, Naked, Me Talk Pretty One Day, and Dress Your Family in Corduroy
- [Lula Washington: “A gifted original”](https://livelytimes.com/2015/10/lula-washington-a-gifted-original/) - Lula Washington Dance Theatre brings powerful, high-energy dancing and unique choreography to the Alberta Bair stage at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 4; the troupe also offers a free master class and performance at 7 p.m. Nov. 3 at the Billings Public Library. Washington has steadfastly focused on using dance to explore social and humanitarian issues, including
- [People Before the Park](https://livelytimes.com/2015/10/people-before-the-park-sally-thompson-kootenai-culture-committee-pikunni-traditional-association/) - Before the Crown of the Continent was a national park, it was a homeland to the Kootenai and the Blackfeet peoples. In People Before the Park, The Kootenai and Blackfeet Before Glacier National Park, a new release from the Montana Historical Society Press, these tribes share their traditions – stories and legends, foodways and hunting
- [“Girls Night: The Musical”](https://livelytimes.com/2015/11/girls-night-the-musical/) - Friday, November 13 promises to be a non-stop evening of fun and laughter for the ladies. Gather up your girlfriends and head to downtown Whitefish for "Ladies Night Out" kicking off at 5 p.m. with fabulous shopping opportunities and special treats, then make your way to the O’Shaughnessy Center as Whitefish Theatre Company presents “Girls
- [Sean Devine | Austin Blues](https://livelytimes.com/2015/11/sean-devine-austin-blues/) - Livingston guitar-playing troubadour Sean Devine has his third recording out. Devine, who grew up in a musical family and cut his teeth on jam sessions at Doc Allison’s farm, played his own songs solo and in bands early on. He’s played around the country and in England, and produced albums for others (Ben Bullington’s Two
- [The Mullan Road](https://livelytimes.com/2015/10/the-mullan-road-carving-a-passage-through-the-frontier-northwest-1859-62-edited-by-paul-d-mcdermott-ronald-e-grim-and-philip-mobley/) - Twelve top western historians, including Kim Briggeman, Alexander C. McGregor, Keith C. Petersen, Don Popejoy, Ken Robison, Richard D. Scheuerman, Maj. Ryan Shaw, William Montana Bill Weikel, and J. William T. Youngs, have collaborated to produce this wide-ranging examination of the famed Mullan Road – the 624-mile military wagon road built between Fort Walla Walla,
- [Aran Buzzas | MacDonald Pass](https://livelytimes.com/2015/10/aran-buzzas-macdonald-pass/) - The third effort by Missoula guitarist/songwriter Aran Buzzas features 10 originals and one cover (“The Wild Rover”), recorded with a host of local talent. Buzzas has a genial baritone voice and sings in a style he calls “homegrown Montana folky tonk.” He credits classic and outlaw country, and Irish folk music as influences. Witness “The
- [Missoula's grand old theatre reborn](https://livelytimes.com/2015/10/missoulas-grand-old-theatre-reborn/) - Missoula was smoky and electric the morning I interviewed Nick Checota at the Top Hat Lounge. He was realigning tables for that night’s Lil’ Smokies show. “It‘s gonna be crazy in here,” he predicted. Checota – friendly, fast-talking, intense – and his wife, Robin, bought the Top Hat – a fabled but decrepit Missoula bar
- [Mañana | William Hjortsberg](https://livelytimes.com/2015/10/manana-william-hjortsberg/) - Livingston author William Hjortsberg cuts a blood-soaked, crime-fueled swath through 1960s Mexico in his new novel, set “deep in the winter after the Summer of Love.” It’s a creepy, fun and frightening ride. Laid-back hippie Tod wakes up from his first-ever hit of heroin, covered in blood and in bed with a stabbed hooker. His
- [Montana Clay celebrates ceramic arts](https://livelytimes.com/2015/09/montana-clay-celebrates-ceramic-arts/) - Clay is fused into our state’s heritage. Big Sky Country is home to some of the best ceramic artists – past and present – in the United States and the world, but why? Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art in Great Falls hopes to unlock the answer through its current exhibition, "Montana Clay: Celebrating Ceramic
- [The Newsboys rock the Adams Center](https://livelytimes.com/2015/09/the-newsboys-rock-the-adams-center/) - The University of Montana Adams Center presents one of Christian music’s most successful touring acts, the Newsboys, in concert Friday, Oct. 9. Doors open at 6 p.m. with a concert time of 7 p.m. The four-time Grammy nominees and platinum-selling chart-toppers bring the We Believe … God’s Not Dead Tour to Missoula. They’ll be joined
- [C. Margo Mowbray | Havoc Red](https://livelytimes.com/2015/09/c-margo-mowbray-havoc-red/) - In her second novel, Polson writer and pilot C. Margo Mowbray fuses two passions – flying and World War II history – in a story that traces the treacherous route the Seventh Ferrying Group flew from Great Falls to Alaska, as they supplied the Russians with planes and war materiel. Mowbray’s 1,200 hours in the
- [The Kenny Coen Project | Who Is He?](https://livelytimes.com/2015/10/the-kenny-coen-project-who-is-he/) - Somers resident Ken Sederdahl, guitarist/vocalist of the Flathead Valley’s Kenny James Miller Band, and two pals have released a CD that professes their devotion to the Lord. This is Sederdahl’s fourth CD; he and bass player Chris Coen, alums of the valley’s long-time group Blue Onion, joined YWAM ministries’ drummer Adam Cullen to lay down
- [Richard Parrish | “Aerial Views”](https://livelytimes.com/2015/09/richard-parrish-aerial-views/) - Bozeman glass artist Richard Parrish joins photographer Christopher Boyer in a two-person show, through Oct. 24 at Turman Larison Contemporary in Helena. The exhibit, "Aerial Views," explores their mutual fascination with aerial views of the landscape. The natural environment and the evidence of human impact on that landscape emerge in both artists’ work, creating a compelling
- [S.M. Hulse | Black River](https://livelytimes.com/2015/09/s-m-hulse-black-river/) - Wes Carver is keeping his promise to take his wife home to Black River, Montana. He had hoped to enjoy her gentle companionship for the drive, but instead, a box with her ashes rests on the pickup seat next to him. Wes grew up in Black River and followed in his father’s footsteps, working as
- [The Dirt Farmers: Dirt on the Tracks](https://livelytimes.com/2015/09/the-dirt-farmers-dirt-on-the-tracks/) - This Bozeman sextet has an album out with nine originals and two covers, playing what they call “paisley grass.” The tunes are a mix of country and bluegrass styles, from barnburners to slower country-folk numbers. Members’ ages span a bunch of years, from 19-year-old Kelly Hagerman, guitar player and singer, to 73-year-old Bill Devine, Dobro
- [Brenda Wolf | “The Wild Side”](https://livelytimes.com/2015/08/brenda-wolf-the-wild-side/) - While artist Brenda Wolf calls Great Falls home, she says, “my heart is in the wild.” It shows in her larger-than-life portraits of animals, typically painted in oils and pastels, that are on display through August at 4 Ravens Gallery in Missoula. She’s won numerous national and international awards including, most recently, the Best Critter
- [Cure for the Common | Buckle up for The Squeeze](https://livelytimes.com/2015/08/cure-for-the-common-buckle-up-for-the-squeeze/) - When a band calls its sound ‘Montana-grown electro thunder funk,’ you pretty much have to pay attention. When that group’s name is Cure for the Common, you know you’d better buckle up – even don a helmet along with headphones – since you’re about to jettison the mundane and blast off into galaxies of funk that
- [Shakespeare's First Folio to be exhibited in Missoula](https://livelytimes.com/2015/03/shakespeares-first-folio-to-be-exhibited-in-missoula/) - The University of Montana has been selected as Montana’s host site for “First Folio! The Book that Gave Us Shakespeare,” a national traveling exhibition of one of the world’s most treasured books – the Shakespeare First Folio. The Folger Shakespeare Library, in partnership with Cincinnati Museum Center and the American Library Association, is touring the
- [Heart of the West Show debuts in Coeur d'Alene](https://livelytimes.com/2015/07/heart-of-the-west-show-a-contemporary-western-art-show-and-auction/) - The Heart of the West Show, a contemporary Western art show and auction, takes place Aug. 20-22 at the Coeur d'Alene Resort in Idaho. This event is organized by the Western Masters, which previously coordinated the annual Western Art Week in Great Falls, MT, from 2010-2014. The show gives Western art lovers the chance to meet
- [Former Griz star finds home in country music](https://livelytimes.com/2015/08/former-griz-star-finds-home-in-country-music/) - Country music,” says Sam Riddle. “It’s a place for me to be myself.” “The first time I stepped out on stage in a hat and boots, and started rippin’ on the piano, I knew I’d found what I was supposed to do.” Not basketball or baseball, not crooning Sinatra tunes at a grand piano. But
- [Randi O'Brien | "Alas, for the pelicans!](https://livelytimes.com/2015/08/randi-obrien-alas-for-the-pelicans/) - “Alas, for the pelicans! Their golden age is past; but it has much exceeded in duration that of man,” wrote Captain Matthew Flinders in the early 1800s during a voyage to Australia. For ceramic artist and educator Randi O’Brien, whose work is on display through Sept. 11 at Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art in
- [Festival at Sandpoint features a variety of music](https://livelytimes.com/2015/06/the-festival-at-sandpoint-serves-up-something-for-everyone/) - The Festival at Sandpoint celebrates its 33rd annual summer concert series Aug. 6-16. Enjoy eight nights of music under the stars on the shores of beautiful Lake Pend Oreille in Sandpoint, Idaho. The season serves up an eclectic line-up of classic favorites and progressive artists, including headliners Arlo Guthrie, Ziggy Marley, Vince Gill, Lake Street
- [Mark Baumbach: “Strata”](https://livelytimes.com/2015/08/mark-baumbach-strata/) - “I have a passion for making things happen on the canvas,” writes Mark Baumbach, whose work is on display through Aug. 31 at Walking Man Frame Shop and Gallery in Whitefish. He was born and raised in Missoula, joined the Marine Corps for a tour of duty, and then earned a BFA in painting from
- [Western Art Week: Electric City buzzes with art](https://livelytimes.com/2015/03/western-art-week-electric-city-buzzes-with-art/) - Who knew a birthday party for Charlie Russell would turn in to a community-wide celebration of western art? The roots of Western Art Week date back to 1969 and the inaugural Russell Auction, held to benefit the C.M. Russell Museum. Always held the week of March 19 (Russell’s birthday), the event has continued to grow
- [The Clay Studio announces The Figure In Montana exhibit](https://livelytimes.com/2015/04/the-clay-studio-announces-the-figure-in-montana-exhibit/) - The Figure in Montana brings together seven artists in various stages of their careers (from emerging to established) working in clay that have a variety of diverse approaches to the concept of the human figure. The artists featured in the exhibit are Crista Ann Ames, Adrian Arleo, Stephen Braun, Jocelyn Howard, Beth Lo, Carla Potter, and Chris
- [In the Footsteps of Norman Maclean Festival](https://livelytimes.com/2015/06/in-the-footsteps-of-norman-maclean-festival/) - There is a magic to Montana, and that sense of magic was captured exquisitely on the written page by native son Norman Maclean. Best known for his novella A River Runs Through It, Maclean is also lauded for his short stories and Young Men and Fire, his hard-headed investigation into the tragic Mann Gulch fire
- [Shakespeare in the Parks hits the road again](https://livelytimes.com/2015/07/shakespeare-in-the-parks-hits-the-road-again/) - Once again, Montana Shakespeare in the Parks brings live theatre to parks, fairgrounds and football fields far and wide. The traveling troupe, based in Bozeman, performs Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew” and the classic “Cyrano de Bergerac” by Edmond Rostand during its summer tour throughout Montana, and dipping into northern Wyoming, eastern Idaho, western
- [Whitefish Theatre Co. stages “Always … Patsy Cline”](https://livelytimes.com/2015/07/whitefish-theatre-co-presents-alwayspatsy-cline/) - “Always…Patsy Cline” returns to Whitefish Theatre Co.’s stage for a summer encore performance. This intimate cabaret-style musical tells the story of Patsy Cline, a gutsy, iconoclastic country music singer. Performances are at the O’Shaughnessy Center in Whitefish on July 29-31, Aug. 1, and Aug. 5-8 at 8:00 p.m., with a sneak preview performance on July 28. Cline, known for
- [Scot Wilburn and The Shut Up-n-Playboys | Café del Norte](https://livelytimes.com/2015/07/scot-wilburn-and-the-shut-up-n-playoys-cafe-del-norte/) - This Libby-reared fella and his blue-chip band, based out of Spokane, have put out a top-notch recording of Wilburn’s originals in the western-swing vein. Boy howdy do they nail it! Wilburn, who played guitar, steel guitar, and fiddle for 15 years with Wylie and the Wild West, is a pretty good picker, and he’s got
- [Keith McCafferty | Crazy Mountain Kiss](https://livelytimes.com/2015/07/keith-mccafferty-crazy-mountain-kiss/) - Keith McCafferty’s fourth fly-fishing mystery novel reunites beloved characters private investigator Sean Stranahan and Hyalite County Sheriff Martha Ettinger to solve a gruesome murder case. Set in Montana’s Crazy Mountains, the story opens with the discovery of the dead body of a teenage girl wedged in the rock chimney of a remote cabin. Uncovering the
- [Andrea Moon, New Works](https://livelytimes.com/2015/07/andrea-moon-new-works/) - Red Lodge artist Andrea Moon, whose works are on display July 24-Aug. 10 at O. Gallery in Livingston, with artist Brooke White, says she creates sculptures “to confront personal transitions, reminisce about vulnerable layers, and challenge structure.” She grew up in northwest Ohio and earned her BFA at Bowling Green State University; she completed her MFA
- [Broadway veterans star in ATP season](https://livelytimes.com/2015/07/broadway-veterans-star-in-atp-season/) - Alpine Theatre Project, Montana’s world-class professional theatre, opened its 11th season July 9. As is ATP’s hallmark, the 2015 season of “Chicago,” “Ring of Fire,” and “Big Fish” is performed by a roster full of Broadway veterans. ATP Artistic Director, Betsi Morrison, has rounded out the casts with favorites from the local music, theatre, and
- [Erika Haight: “Apsáalooke Beauty"](https://livelytimes.com/2015/07/erika-haight-apsaalooke-beauty/) - “Apsáalooke Beauty” is a striking collection of traditional black and white fine-art photography by Erika Haight that honors the people of the Crow Nation. A gifted storyteller, Haight combines a bold, clean perspective with negative space and framing to elicit strong emotional response. The photographs reflect the Crow people’s by-gone traditions, and what remains in their
- [Christine Carbo | The Wild Inside](https://livelytimes.com/2015/06/christine-carbo-the-wild-inside/) - Christine Carbo’s debut novel is set nearly in the Whitefish author’s backyard, against the stunning backdrop of Glacier National Park. When a young man is found duct-taped to a tree and half eaten, presumably by a grizzly bear, special agent for the Department of the Interior Ted Systead is summoned from Denver to investigate. The
- [Heather Lingle | Blue Town](https://livelytimes.com/2015/06/heather-lingle-blue-town/) - Butte singer/songwriter Heather Lingle has album number two out. The Texas-born musician wrote all of the songs except “First Snowflake,” by John Emeigh, and co-wrote the title tune, “Blue Town,” with her grandmother, Dorothy Lester. If it’s not obvious her family is musical, her cousin, Cowboy Slim Rinehart, was one of the first “Singing Cowboys”
- [Max Hay | Party of One](https://livelytimes.com/2015/06/max-hay-party-of-one/) - Touring singer-songwriter Max Hay’s new album shows he can sure make a lot of sound for a one-man-band. The traveling troubadour, who grew up in Helena and spent his early 20s in Missoula before hitting the road, lays down traditional Irish drinking songs and some originals, mostly by Shane MacGowan of the Pogues. Along the
- ["One Man, Two Guvnors" debuts at Fort Peck](https://livelytimes.com/2015/06/one-man-two-guvnors-debuts-at-the-fort-peck-summer-theatre/) - A hit of the 2012 Broadway season, "One Man, Two Guvnors" makes its Northwest premier at the Fort Peck Summer Theatre June 12. This musical farce features physical comedy, mistaken identity, gender-bending disguises, stage combat and a love story, all underscored with Beatle’s-style music performed by a live skiffle band. (Band members include Evan Goldhahn,
- ["Exit Laughing" crackles with wit and warmth](https://livelytimes.com/2015/05/exit-laughing-crackles-with-wit-and-warmth/) - The Whitefish Theatre Company presents its final cabaret of the 2014-2015 theatre season with a production of “Exit Laughing” by Paul Elliott at the O’Shaughnessy Center in Whitefish. This hilarious, warmhearted comedy opens with a sneak preview night on May 27 at 7:30 p.m. Performances continue at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays, May 28-June 6. When the
- ["Mondays at the Myrna" | Summer Performances](https://livelytimes.com/2015/06/mondays-at-the-myrna-summer-performances/) - The Myrna Loy Center in Helena presents its 15th summer of “Mondays at the Myrna” with an exciting series of performances called “Soundtracks and Roadways.” The series spotlights a variety of music, film, and dance performances that express the soundtrack of Montana's landscape.
- [Indigenous: A New Native America](https://livelytimes.com/2015/06/indigenous-a-new-native-america/) - The Bigfork Museum of Art and History features "Indigenous: A New Native America" from June 5 through July 10. This exhibition explores the broad spectrum of contemporary visual art and fine crafts in Montana, with a special emphasis on Native American culture. Included works express some element of North American indigenous culture, and have contemporary or historical significance in Montana.
- [2015 MYSTIC Mountain Bike Race](https://livelytimes.com/2015/03/2015-mystic-mountain-bike-race/) - Owenhouse Bicycling Co. is proud to announce that the Mystic Mountain Bike Race is back for a second year and will be hosting the event on July 18 outside of Bozeman. The Mystic Race offers mountain bikers an opportunity to test themselves on some of the most challenging connector trails in the Gallatin National Forest.
- [Broad Comedy: 15 years of satire](https://livelytimes.com/2015/03/broad-comedy-15-years-of-the-broads/) - National and YouTube sensation, Broad Comedy returns for two nights at 8 p.m. April 10, 11 at the Emerson Cultural Center in Bozeman. Become one of the thousands of fans who have enjoyed a night of absolutely pee-your-pants funny and smart musical satire and comedy. Katie Goodman and Soren Kisiel are the writing team behind
- [Kim Zupan | The Ploughmen](https://livelytimes.com/2015/05/kim-zupan-the-ploughmen/) - An old man who has murdered scores of victims and a young deputy, haunted by his mother’s suicide and his wife’s betrayal, spend night after night in the Copper County jail. Bound by mutual insomnia, they pass words through the bars. It’s not quite friendship because, as Valentine Millimaki notes, “I don’t know if you
- [Wilco added to Big Sky Brewery summer series](https://livelytimes.com/2015/04/wilco-added-to-big-sky-brewery-summer-series/) - The alt-country band Wilco performs at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 14 at Big Sky Brewing Company. The acclaimed Chicago sextet has just released two special collections in conjunction with its 20th anniversary, which will be featured on this tour. Wilco concluded its 2014 tour with a string of special concerts featuring diverse and ever-changing set-lists, performing songs from every
- [Anne Trygstad | Banjo](https://livelytimes.com/2015/05/anne-trygstad-banjo/) - In this enchanting little tale, a lonely old donkey lives alone in a big red barn, with only a radio (and a diminutive mouse) to keep him company. It’s not a bad life: he has hay, shelter, and a down blanket to wear in the winter. But as spring arrives, and the creek roars, robins
- [George McCauley | “Tomodachi Too” and “Three Potters”](https://livelytimes.com/2015/05/george-mccauley-tomodachi-too-and-three-potters/) - Helena potter George McCauley joins forces with David Hiltner, executive director of the Red Lodge Clay Center, and Japanese potter Koichi Yamako in two collaborative exhibits: “Tomadachi Too,” June 5-26 at the Red Lodge Clay Center in Red Lodge, with a reception June 5; and “Three Potters,” June 12-Aug. 16 at the Holter Museum of
- [John Dunnigan: Springing Back](https://livelytimes.com/2015/05/john-dunnigan-springing-back/) - When I talked to John Dunnigan a week ago, he was just in from fishing on the Thompson Lakes. “I was on the water at 10 to eight,” he said. “Caught a little kokanee – just the right size for dinner.” That he was able to walk outside on a radiant spring morning and cast
- [Don Beans | Opus 13](https://livelytimes.com/2015/05/don-beans-opus-13/) - Long-time Bigfork acupuncturist Don Beans is embracing a new career. Or rather, rekindling one of his passions of youth, that of making music. Growing up in Great Falls, Beans tried out lots of instruments, and went on to study music composition at The University of Montana for a short while. He’s also written musical scores,
- [MCT's "Shrek": Making the mask](https://livelytimes.com/2015/04/shrek-making-the-mask/) - On May 1, "Shrek the Musical," hits the stage at the Missoula Children's Theatre. The lovable ogre and the pretty princess and the donkey that just won't be quiet will entertain Missoula's children and their adults through May 17. But Scott Reilly, the actor playing Shrek, needs a mask. The mask must have a really
- [Stumptown Players premieres "No Time for Love"](https://livelytimes.com/2014/10/stumptown-players-premieres-no-time-for-love/) - Jim Mohn, Renee Conn and Teauna Brosseau explore dating in the age of cell phones and the Internet in Stumptown Players' premiere of Kathy Witkowsky's "No Time for Love." Stumptown Players stages the world premiere of “No Time for Love,” a modern-day comedy by Montana playwright Kathy Witkowsky, at 8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays, Nov. 6-15 in
- [Bozeman Actors Theatre stages "The Language Archive"](https://livelytimes.com/2014/09/bozeman-actors-theatre-stages-the-language-archive/) - Core members of BAT are Will Dickerson, Dee Dee Van Zyl, Colter Langan, Cara Wilde and Dan Erickson. (Photo by Ashley Stevick) Bozeman Actors Theatre (BAT) presents “The Language Archive” by Julia Cho, Oct. 16-25 at MSU’s Black Box Theater in Bozeman. Performances are 7:30 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays at the theater on
- [Bigfork Summer Playhouse: Tragedy, comedy and scantily-clad steelworkers](https://livelytimes.com/2014/07/bigfork-summer-playhouse-tragedy-comedy-and-scantily-clad-steelworkers/) - Scantily clad steelworkers strut their stuff on the Bigfork stage in "The Full Monty." The summer season is in full swing at the Bigfork Summer Playhouse, with a selection ranging from Broadway faves to a laugh-out-loud tale of scantily clad steelworkers. Showtimes are 8 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays through Aug. 23, and Monday, Aug. 4, and 2
- [For Shakespeare in the Parks, all of Montana's a stage](https://livelytimes.com/2014/06/for-shakespeare-in-the-parks-all-of-montanas-a-stage/) - Rebecca Hurd and Joanna Harmon star in Shakespeare’s "As You Like It." (Photo by Grace DuVal) By Kristi Niemeyer When Shakespeare in the Parks rolls into Charlo, the community sets aside the hard work of summer – growing gardens, setting pipes, mowing alfalfa – and shows up in Palmer Park. There, shaded by weeping willows
- [Fort Peck Summer Theatre celebrates Buddy Holly](https://livelytimes.com/2014/06/fort-peck-summer-theatre-celebrates-buddy-holly/) - The world’s no. 1 “jukebox musical” explodes onto the Fort Peck Summer Theatre stage for three weekends only, June 13-29. Following the record-breaking “All Shook Up” and “Ring of Fire,” audiences are sure (and encouraged) to dance in the aisles at “Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story,” featuring over 30 of rock ’n roll’s biggest hits,
- [Lively picks for best albums of 2014](https://livelytimes.com/2015/01/lively-picks-for-best-albums-of-2014/) - Mariss McTucker, our intrepid music reporter, offers this list of favorite Montana-made recordings for 2014, “in no particular order” : • The Hooligans, Beggars and Thieves: The debut compilation from this Bozeman band is replete with original and traditional tunes sporting killer harmonies and inventive instrumental work. • Chad Fadely, Amity Road: Consummate Missoula mandolin
- [Steve Betz | Kaleidoscope](https://livelytimes.com/2014/10/steve-betz-kaleidoscope/) - Helena guitarist/songwriter Steve Betz has cut a new CD featuring his trademark “feel-good Americana with Christian threads.” All the songs are his, save Ray Golden’s “Have You.” Betz’s fine cast of music-makers includes co-producer Dan Nichols on percussion, Mike Killeen on acoustic and electric guitars and background vocals, and Terry O’Hare on bass and electric
- [Kalispell composer contributes three works to Gettysburg at 150](https://livelytimes.com/2014/07/kalispell-composer-contributes-three-works-to-gettysburg-at-150/) - Kalispell composer Craig Naylor has three ambitious pieces on Gettysburg at 150: Music of the American Civil War 1863-2013, a recent CD commemorating the sesquicentennial anniversary of America’s homegrown war. The compositions incorporate religious hymns that reflect various timelines in the war; they are wedded to original classical music that pays homage to little-known personalities
- [Chad Fadely | Amity Road](https://livelytimes.com/2014/06/chad-fadely-amity-road/) - Missoula mandolin player Chad Fadely’s fourth album is all- instrumental, all the time, replete with his own material. And that’s just fine because the consummate picker, a mainstay of many area bands, has put out another good one. He’s gathered a gaggle of stellar musicians to assist him, sharing the spotlight with Larry Chung, banjo,
- [Christopher Mario Bianco | In Montana](https://livelytimes.com/2014/05/christopher-mario-bianco-in-montana/) - Hamilton guitarist and songwriter Chris Bianco, on one of his earlier albums, described his music as “old-school/retro/Latin/slow jazz/new-folk.” It aptly describes this freelance troubadour from Hamilton, a military veteran who travels far and wide to spread the word about his passion: protecting the Earth’s wild places and creatures. As a self-described “believer in pre-emptive peace,”
- [GT Hurley | War Horse](https://livelytimes.com/2014/05/gt-hurley-war-horse/) - Big Timber’s musical son, guitarist/songwriter GT Hurley, has a new album to his credit. He takes his ideas from friends’ stories and his own experiences as an ex-Marine and horse breeder to craft dance-hall music in the country-rock vein, vocalized with a tablespoon of Waylon Jennings. Singing original compositions and one cover, Hurley proves his
- [Chad Ball | Corduroy Man](https://livelytimes.com/2014/03/chad-ball-corduroy-man/) - Butte guitarist and songwriter Chad Ball has just released his second effort, a mixed bag of folk, blues, country and rock. That’s a mouthful, granted, but he pulls it off admirably. The music veteran’s playing and singing style bears an uncanny resemblance to the late, great Jim Croce. He even sings a tribute to Croce
- [The Lil' Smokies | "Authentic, raw and wonderful"](https://livelytimes.com/2014/02/the-lil-smokies-authentic-raw-and-wonderful/) - This terrific young band from Missoula has released its self-titled first effort, crammed with 10 originals, after using the online tool Kickstarter to raise donations from fans. When the musicians got together in 2009, they played traditional bluegrass tunes. They were authentic, raw and wonderful. They’ve branched out with their debut, and are still wonderful.
- [John Floridis | Live from 11th and Grant](https://livelytimes.com/2014/01/john-floridis-live-from-11th-and-grant/) - Missoula songwriter/guitarist John Floridis has released his seventh album, an audio CD of last summer’s appearance on Montana PBS’s premier musical show, “Live from 11th & Grant with Eric Funk,” taped in Bozeman. In the episode, which won a Northwest Emmy Award, Floridis was accompanied by two other musicians selected for the show, John Sporman,
- [The Hooligans | Beggars and Thieves](https://livelytimes.com/2014/01/the-hooligans-beggars-and-thieves/) - One expects nifty musicianship from the long-time Bozeman band, The Hooligans. We are not disappointed, especially since it’s a live recording. The debut album from this polished ensemble features core members together since the ’90s: Tom Garnsey, guitars/vocals, Rich Robiscoe, bass, Betsy Wise, vocals, Ron Craighead, drums/vocals, and Bob Britten, electric guitar/vocals. Recent additions include
- [Montana A Cappella Society | Stories of America](https://livelytimes.com/2013/12/montana-a-cappella-society-stories-of-america/) - The Montana A Cappella Society, the Bitterroot Valley’s well-traveled choral group, is at it again with their new release, Stories of America. The volunteer ensemble of community singers toured Ireland in April, after accepting an invitation to perform at the International Choral Festival in Cork. This diverse collection, their third release since 2007, comprises 19
- [Luke Dowler | Polarized](https://livelytimes.com/2013/11/luke-dowler-polarized/) - Kalispell singer/songwriter Luke Dowler has come out with a great new CD in the rock vein. The young man, who has film and online music credits, possesses an expressive voice, and uses it well here. Dowler calls his music “alt pop with huge chorus hooks and an everyman approach,” which describes it well. He plays
- [David and Deidre Casey | World Can’t Take It Away](https://livelytimes.com/2013/11/david-and-deidre-casey-world-canaet-take-it-away/) - Prolific Helena songwriter David Casey, of Watercarvers’ Guild fame and oodles of solo CDs, has just put out a folk compendium of songs with his wife, Deidre. It is an unabashed paean to the couple’s devout religious leanings, 20 years in the making. David plays all the instruments, including bouzouki, banjo and piano, and sings,
- [Judy Fjell | Goin’ Over Home](https://livelytimes.com/2013/11/judy-fjell-goinae-over-home/) - Helena singer/songwriter and guitarist Judy Fjell, long known in Montana music circles as a “musical activist” who has helped many people find their singing voices, just released an album chock-full of great solo guitar instrumentals. The 14 pieces are fairly split between her originals and some other favorites. She’s had so many listeners tell her
- [Richie Reinholdt | Pleasure Madness](https://livelytimes.com/2013/09/richie-reinholdt-pleasure-madness/) - Missoula songwriter Richie Reinholdt has a new one out, his 10 originals ornamented by a host of local Missoula talents. But wait ”” he plays a bunch of instruments, too: guitars, bass, drums, banjo and mandolin, to go along with his lead vocal. Abe Baruck, Bruce Threlkeld and Ryan Vetos add drums, and Larry Chung
- [Jack Walrath, Kelly Roberti and Phil Aaberg | Montana Wildcats](https://livelytimes.com/2013/09/jack-walrath-kelly-roberti-and-phil-aaberg-montana-wildcats/) - Montana Wildcats is more than the title of a new album from three of Montana’s internationally known musicians; it’s a summation, at the top of their game, of the musical gifts of pianist Phil Aaberg, bassist Kelly Roberti and trumpeter Jack Walrath. Curiously, all three came from small Montana towns. Walrath was raised in Edgar
- [Max Hay and Phil Edgeley: International nomads tour Montana](https://livelytimes.com/2013/07/max-hay-and-phil-edgeley-international-nomads-tour-montana/) - Max Hay “To play live music, travel to places we enjoy, and keep up with the amazing people we encounter along the way.“ That’s the mission statement that rings true for both Max Hay and Phil Edgeley. It’s no wonder they decided to team up for a summertime tour of "The Last Best Place." Edgeley,
- [John Lowell | I Am Going to the West](https://livelytimes.com/2013/07/john-lowell-i-am-going-to-the-west/) - Livingston songwriter/guitarist John Lowell, a Montana legend, has created a terrific solo project with his umpteenth album. He’s resided here for oodles of years and played in lots of bands, most recently with the Two Bit Franks and Growling Old Men, a duo with mandolin player Ben Winship. He’s performed on “A Prairie Home Companion”
- [The Bus Driver Tour | On CD and roaming Montana](https://livelytimes.com/2013/07/the-bus-driver-tour-on-cd-and-roaming-montana/) - The self-titled album from this fun trio, originally formed in Montana, has lots to offer. There’s blues, folk, country, and some rock on the 12 tunes, 11 of them originals by Danny Freund, who lives part-time in Livingston, and Ian Thomas and Paul Lee Kupfer, who hail from Knoxville, TN. Each sings vocal lead on
- [Little Jane and the Pistol Whips | Each Little Note](https://livelytimes.com/2013/05/little-jane-and-the-pistol-whips-each-little-note/) - Montana native and Livingston songwriter/guitarist Ashly J. Holland and her band have put out another winner in this nine-song effort of refreshing country music. Sparse and well produced, it features Tom Murphy, mandolin and background vocals, and Tony Polecastro, banjo, Dobro, and vocal (“You and I Fit” ). Pistol Whip Jamey Warren plays bass when
- [Wylie and the Wild West | Sky Tones: Songs of Montana](https://livelytimes.com/2013/04/wylie-and-the-wild-west-sky-tones-songs-of-montana/) - With his new CD, one of Montana’s most prolific songwriters and “a simple cow-horse man from the Big Sky Country” has given us a treasure-trove of the songs about Montana that he’s recorded over his career. Re-recorded and produced by the same crew in Nashville responsible for last year’s gem, Rocketbuster, and featuring a slew
- [Megan Makeever | Unstoppable](https://livelytimes.com/2013/03/megan-makeever-unstoppable/) - Young Bozeman songwriter Megan Makeever’s latest CD is her third at the tender age of 22. The college grad in musical performance has crafted 12 originals here, in which she conversationally explores the beauty and heartbreak of young love – musical dialogs, if you will. She mostly plays solo, backing her songs alternately on piano
- [Brent Poe McCabe | Evocación](https://livelytimes.com/2013/03/brent-poe-mccabe-evocacion/) - Dillon classical guitarist and educator Brent Poe McCabe has put out his third CD, and it’s filled with 11 compositions by some of the genre’s masters. The Juilliard-trained, UM Western music professor is a critically acclaimed artist, having performed on this continent and abroad. He’s received many awards for his playing and taught oodles of
- [Ben Bullington | Lazy Moon](https://livelytimes.com/2013/03/ben-bullington-lazy-moon/) - Livingston physician and guitar-player Ben Bullington has released his fourth CD of “vintage” Americana music – what he describes as “string band music with a modern feel.” The pieces sound like they’ve been around a long time. The songwriter wanted to record songs centered on Montana and the West, and the atmosphere is perfect. Bullington
- [Helena musician Steve Betz](https://livelytimes.com/2013/01/helena-musician-steve-betz/) - Long-time Helena music-maker Steve Betz is at work on his fourth CD, Kaleidoscope – a follow-up to his recording Without Love. Betz has played in many bands over the years, but has settled into a cover band, Triplecross, for 16 years that plays classic rock ’n roll, and The Steve Betz Trio, which plays his
- [Montana's Charlie Russell | New book celebrates Historical Society collection](https://livelytimes.com/2014/12/montanas-charlie-russell-new-book-celebrates-historical-society-collection/) - In June 1915, Nancy Russell wrote Wall Street financier Malcolm S. Mackay regarding his purchase of her husband’s recently completed oil painting, “When Horses Talk War There’s Slim Chance for Truce.” In her letter, she asked Mackay, “Do you know that you have as good a collection of pictures, or if anything, better, than we
- [Sandra Dal Poggetto | “Meditations on the Field”](https://livelytimes.com/2014/08/sandra-dal-poggetto-aeoemeditations-on-the-fieldae/) - "American Fork #9" by Sandra Dal Poggetto Helena-based artist Sandra Dal Poggetto uses an abstract language and fragments of the western landscape – hide, feathers, wood and wire – to create evocative paintings and drawings in a solo exhibition, on display through Sept. 27 at the Montana Museum of Art and Culture at The University
- [Ken Robison | Confederates in Montana Territory: In the Shadow of Price's Army](https://livelytimes.com/2015/01/ken-robison-confederates-in-montana-territory-in-the-shadow-of-prices-army/) - During and shortly after the Civil War, thousands of Border State men and their families sought to escape the war and its consequences by relocating to the American West, that great American destination for ambitious fortune seekers, as well that those fleeing a variety of personal, economic and social pressures. Rich mining prospects were incentive
- [Peter Fromm | If Not For This](https://livelytimes.com/2014/11/peter-fromm-if-not-for-this/) - Maddy and Dalt call themselves “The Luckies” because their love is so large. “There’s no way anything this huge could ever happen again, not in this universe. We’ve used it up. All the luck.” Well, except the bad luck that inflicts Maddy with multiple sclerosis – a mean disease that gradually steals everything from this
- [Paul Zarzyski: Poet lariat of the Rockies](https://livelytimes.com/2014/10/paul-zarzyski-poet-lariat-of-the-rockies/) - It’s a cool summer afternoon just outside of Great Falls, and Paul Zarzyski wants to talk about his stuffed mink. Respectfully christened Mister Mink, the animal sits glassy-eyed in the poet’s cluttered studio among colorful neckties, photographs, and trinkets. “Mister Mink gave me a poem,” Zarzyski says. “I have an old washing machine that gave
- [Peter Stark |Astoria](https://livelytimes.com/2014/07/astoria-john-jacob-astor-and-thomas-jeffersons-lost-pacific-empire/) - When Capt. Meriwether Lewis returned to Washington, D.C., in 1806 from his epic journey with the Corps of Discovery, he urged President Jefferson to establish a seaport on the Pacific coast to harvest the rich abundance of animal furs for international trade. Jefferson agreed, but thought the venture best left to private enterprise. This opened
- [Gary Ferguson reads from forthcoming memoir during Whitefish Review launch](https://livelytimes.com/2014/05/gary-ferguson-reads-from-forthcoming-memoir-during-whitefish-review-launch/) - Author Gary Ferguson will read from his forthcoming memoir, The Carry Home, on Friday, June 6 at The Lodge at Whitefish Lake for the launch of Whitefish Review's “Fire” issue. The gathering at the Lakeshore Tent Pavilion begins at 7 p.m. and the reading starts at 8 p.m. For the past several months, the editorial
- [Let Him Go wins the 2013 Montana Book Award](https://livelytimes.com/2014/02/let-him-go-wins-the-2013-montana-book-award/) - The 2013 Montana Book Award winner is Let Him Go by Larry Watson, published by Milkweed Editions. This annual award recognizes literary and/or artistic excellence in a book written or illustrated by someone who lives in Montana, is set in Montana, or deals with Montana themes or issues. Presentations and a reception with the winning
- [Joyce Decker Wegner | Lake County School History, Volume II](https://livelytimes.com/2014/02/joyce-decker-wegner-lake-county-school-history-volume-ii/) - In Volume I, former Lake County School Superintendent Joyce Decker Wegner and her co-authors gave readers a vivid historical portrait of schools in the southern part of Lake County, which was originally part of Missoula County. This second volume takes us north to the Polson area, west to Hot Springs and east to Swan Lake.
- [Jamie Ford | Songs of Willow Frost](https://livelytimes.com/2014/01/jamie-ford-songs-of-willow-frost/) - William Eng, a 12-year-old Chinese American, remembers his mother vividly, even though he has lived at Seattle’s Sacred Heart Orphanage since he was 7. When treated to a film with the other boys, he’s certain the captivating actress on screen, Willow Frost, is Liu Song, his beloved Ah-ma, who disappeared from his life five years
- [Roy Jacobson | Main Street: A Snapshot of Downtown Montana](https://livelytimes.com/2013/12/roy-jacobson-main-street-a-snapshot-of-downtown-montana/) - Roy Jacobson, photographer and author of Barberia: Barber Shops of the Borderlands, spent six years photographing all the towns in Montana, from Westby in the northeast to Darby in the southwest– and every community in-between. He chronicles that effort in a new photographic essay, Main Street: A Snapshot of Downtown Montana. This 186-page journey, filmed
- [Carolyn Snively | The Smiling Photo: Images of War](https://livelytimes.com/2013/11/carolyn-snively-the-smiling-photo-images-of-war/) - Missoula poet Carolyn Snively offers a stirring anti-war message in this collection of Haiku. When Operation Iraqi Freedom inspired the author to paint with poetry the effects of war on soldiers, their families, enemy fighters, civilians and the fabric of society itself, she could not have conceived that her book would be published only a
- [Doug Peacock | In the Shadow of the Sabertooth](https://livelytimes.com/2013/11/doug-peacock-in-the-shadow-of-the-sabertooth/) - As a kid, wandering the woods near his home in northern Michigan, Doug Peacock discovered the ancient grave of a stillborn child, marked with red ochre and buried with arrowheads. The discovery “spoke of an older, more compelling world I wanted somehow to become a part of.” In the Shadow of the Sabertooth: A Renegade
- [Jim Harrison | The River Swimmer](https://livelytimes.com/2013/09/jim-harrison-the-river-swimmer/) - Part-time Montanan Jim Harrison veers from coming of age to aging in two fluid, oddly tranquil novellas. In The Land of Unlikeness, Clive, a cynical art history professor who gave up painting decades ago, finds a reprieve from his relentless intellectualism at the family farm in Michigan, where he’s taking care of his cranky, aging
- [Craig Lancaster | Edward Adrift](https://livelytimes.com/2013/09/craig-lancaster-edward-adrift/) - Craig Lancaster first introduced readers to his likeable protagonist, Edward Stanton, in his novel, 600 Hours of Edward. Stanton is a middle-aged man with Asperger’s syndrome, an obsessive-compulsive condition that guides him to live his life according to a rigid schedule. Daily rituals are at the core of Edward’s existence, and in this sequel, his
- [David Allan Cates |  Ben Armstrong’s Strange Trip Home](https://livelytimes.com/2013/09/david-allan-cates-ben-armstrongaes-strange-trip-home/) - “Oh, what a strange trip home! Would there be no waking relief? No solid ground to stand on?” Not for Ben Armstrong, the dream-addled protagonist in the fourth novel by Missoula author David Allan Cates. The book won the gold medal for Best Regional Fiction, Midwest, in the 2013 Independent Publisher Book Awards, handed out
- [Last Stand: Ted Turner’s Quest to Save a Troubled Planet](https://livelytimes.com/2013/07/last-stand-ted-turneraes-quest-to-save-a-troubled-planet/) - Listen, media mogul and Montana rancher Ted Turner is saying something surprising here: “Ultimately you have to listen to your heart. I wish I had done that more often, earlier in my life. What I do know is that I’m listening to it now.” Last Stand, a penetrating, expansive book by Bozeman journalist Todd Wilkinson,
- [Keith McCafferty | The Gray Ghost Murders](https://livelytimes.com/2013/07/keith-mccafferty-the-gray-ghost-murders/) - Sean Stranahan is trying to mind his own business, which includes escorting anglers down the Gallatin Valley’s prized trout streams and painting fishing-inspired watercolors. But when two buried bodies are unearthed on Sphinx Mountain, and members of the Madison River Liars and Fly Tiers Club ask him to solve the mystery of two missing –
- [Whitefish Review celebrates "Lucky 13" with author Pam Houston](https://livelytimes.com/2013/06/whitefish-review-celebrates-lucky-13-with-author-pam-houston/) - Author Pam Houston will read from her new novel Contents May Have Shifted to launch Whitefish Review's Lucky #13 issue, 7-10 p.m. June 7 at the Lakeshore Tent Pavilion at The Lodge at Whitefish Lake. Houston served as the guest editor for the Review's 13th issue that features 41 writers, photographers and artists selected from
- [Marjorie Smith | Making Up Amelia](https://livelytimes.com/2013/05/marjorie-smith-making-up-amelia/) - Marjorie Smith’s “Amelia” is none other than the famed aviator, Amelia Earhart, whose disappearance over the Pacific Ocean in 1937 has never been solved. The tragedy has inspired many books and a great deal of speculation. Intrigued by the mystery, and having lived in the western Pacific region for several years, the author decided to
- [Astream | American Writers on Fly Fishing](https://livelytimes.com/2013/05/astream-american-writers-on-fly-fishing/) - Of all outdoor pursuits, fly fishing seems to inspire the largest portion of lyrical writing, and this fine book, edited by Robert DeMott, snags its fair share, including essays by a slew of Montanans. The usual suspects are here -– Jim Harrison, Tom McGuane, Russell Chatham and Greg Keeler – as well as accomplished authors/anglers
- [Joan Bird | Montana UFOs and Extraterrestrials](https://livelytimes.com/2013/04/joan-bird-montana-ufos-and-extraterrestrials/) - Montana is famed for its big sky, and author and scientist Joan Bird believes that skyscape is populated by more than clouds. Spending time with her new book might bring even UFO skeptics to the same conclusion. Bird – daughter of an aeronautical engineer and sister to a planetary scientist – spent much of her
- [Rick Bass |  A Thousand Deer, Four Generations of Hunting and the Hill Country](https://livelytimes.com/2013/03/rick-bass-a-thousand-deer-four-generations-of-hunting-and-the-hill-country/) - Yaak Valley writer Rick Bass travels far afield, to the landscape of his youth, in his latest book – an eloquent paean to the life cycles of family and nature. A Thousand Deer takes readers to the Hill Country of west Texas, where the menfolk of the Bass family – Granddaddy, Uncle Jimmy, his father
- [Craig Hergert with Brian Hurlbut | Montana, Skiing The Last Best Place](https://livelytimes.com/2013/03/craig-hergert-with-brian-hurlbut-montana-skiing-the-last-best-place/) - The state of Montana offers an abundance of world-class recreational opportunities, and certainly downhill skiing is near the top of this list. Craig Hergert’s masterful photography, accompanied by Brian Hurlbut’s friendly narratives, beautifully illustrate the state’s 16 public ski areas, along with one private facility. “For me, skiing in Montana is the way skiing was
- [New batch of Nutcrackers fills stages across Montana](https://livelytimes.com/2014/11/new-batch-of-nutcrackers-fills-stages-across-montana/) - Dayna Van Dyke is Clara in Montana Ballet's Nutcracker.(Rab Cummings photo) It's that season again, when young Clara falls asleep, cradling her beloved Nutcracker doll, and awakens to a grand adventure, beginning with a battle between the Nutcracker Prince and the Mouse King, followed by magical excursions to the Land of Snow and the Land
- [Celebrate Montana art at Helena showcase and sale](https://livelytimes.com/2014/10/celebrate-montana-art-at-helena-showcase-and-sale/) - Textile creations by Kelly Bort are part of the Celebrate Montana Art showcase. Gifted artists from across the state gather from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Nov. 1 at the Colonial Red Lion Inn for Celebrate Montana Art, the fourth annual MAP Showcase and Sale. Admission is free. Sixty-five artists who have completed, or are participating in,
- [Chalk ‘n Rock Festival comes to Bigfork](https://livelytimes.com/2014/09/chalk-ae˜n-rock-festival-comes-to-bigfork/) - Featured artist Lori Escalera In Italy, they’re called Madonnari and they date back to the 16th century. Of course, street painting didn’t really take off until the 20th century, when London held its first festival and competition in 1906. And the first international street painting competition didn’t happen until 1972, back in Italy. This year,
- [Locksaw Cartel](https://livelytimes.com/2015/05/locksaw-cartel/) - This talented Missoula five-piece has released a doozy of a first album, all original numbers. The members are co-songwriters Ruth Dada, vocals, and Chris DuParri, guitar, lap steel and vocals; Ben Schuberg, keys/synthesizers, trumpet, and flute; Tal Slaughter, fretless bass; and Matt Mischke, vocals, drums/percussion, and vocals. They’ve all performed around the Missoula music scene
- [Kate Davis | American Kestrel : Pint Sized Predator](https://livelytimes.com/2015/05/kate-davis-pint-sized-predator/) - “Colorful, noisy, brash” is how Bitterroot Valley author and educator Kate Davis describes the subject of her latest collaboration with Colorado photographer Rob Palmer. The American Kestrel, Davis tells us, is the smallest falcon in North America, and easily recognizable by its colorful plumage and hovering flight posture while seeking prey. About the size of
- [Roberta Anderson | Thank You India](https://livelytimes.com/2014/09/roberta-anderson-thank-you-india/) - When seasoned traveler Roberta Anderson touched down in India two years ago, she planned to stay a month, visiting a few old friends and business associates before returning to her home in Polson. But in the small town of Puttaparthy, “a simple twist of fate” transformed her month-long sojourn into seven months – six spent
- [The Bus Driver Tour | Halfway Between](https://livelytimes.com/2014/09/the-bus-driver-tour-halfway-between/) - The trio of Danny Freund, Ian Thomas and Danny Lee Kupfer that calls both Livingston and Knoxville, Tenn., home, has just put out a follow-up album to last year’s self-titled release. Conceived as a project to banish overproduction and the shortcomings of digital recording, it utilizes the old-style analog sound to deliver what they call
- [Christine Barne | Glacier Park Lodge, Celebrating 100 Years](https://livelytimes.com/2013/11/christine-barne-glacier-park-lodge-celebrating-100-years/) - Christine Barne’s petite gem of a book offers an insider’s look at the history of one of Glacier Park’s landmark structures, situated on the eastern edge of the park. Built in 1913 and financed primarily by the Great Northern Railway, Glacier Park Lodge’s architecture reflected the “Americanized-Swiss plan,” using massive logs shipped from the Pacific
- [Larry Len Peterson | Charles M. Russell, Photographing the Legend](https://livelytimes.com/2015/04/larry-len-peterson-charles-m-russell-photographing-the-legend/) - Almost as familiar as the images of the American West he painted and sculpted is the figure of Charles M. Russell himself. Standing or mounted, in boots and wide-brimmed hat, sash knotted at his waist, gaze steady under a hank of unruly hair: he is the one and only “Cowboy Artist.” What is not so
- [Jacob Robert Stephens | The Sun Beyond the Storm](https://livelytimes.com/2015/04/jacob-robert-stephens-the-sun-beyond-the-storm/) - Singer/songwriter Jacob Robert Stephens, who splits his time between Troy and Missoula, continues to cast his poetic eye on the character and temperament of those living a hardscrabble rural life. His second album, with eight originals and two covers, follows 2012’s Here Comes Hindsight. The troubadour grew up in northwest Montana and spent several years
- [The Russell auction posts record-breaking net results](https://livelytimes.com/2014/05/the-russell-auction-posts-record-breaking-net-results/) - "Hungry Fox Equinox" by R. Tom Gilleon was purchased by an anonymous buyer, who then donated the piece to the museum's permanent collection. The Russell: An Exhibition and Sale to Benefit the C.M. Russell Museum, which took place March 20-23, netted $1,406,000 for the non-profit Great Falls museum. With the success of the established events
- [Kevin Red Star celebrates a half century of art-making](https://livelytimes.com/2014/07/kevin-red-star-celebrates-a-half-century-of-art-making/) - "Snapping Turtle" by Kevin Red Star Kevin Red Star shows recent works in July at Depot Gallery in Red Lodge, and shares the signature-artist spot with noted emerging artist, Susan Spero, and sculptor David McMasters on July 12 during the 41st annual Art in the Beartooths. Along with 30 other artists, Red Star will paint
- [Last chance to see Catlin exhibit at Russell Museum](https://livelytimes.com/2014/09/last-chance-to-see-catlin-exhibit-at-russell-museum/) - "Buffalo Hunt, Wolf-skin Mask" by George Catlin The special summer exhibition, “George Catlin’s American Buffalo,” will be on display at the C.M. Russell Museum through Sept. 14. Visitors and the community are invited to view the exhibition, on loan from the Smithsonian American Art Museum, one last time before it leaves Great Falls in mid-September.
- [Iconic LEGO® takes new form in "The Art of the Brick"](https://livelytimes.com/2014/10/iconic-legoa-takes-new-form-in-the-art-of-the-brick/) - "Yellow" by Nathan Sawaya The Yellowstone Art Museum in Billings hosts "The Art of the Brick®," an exhibition featuring large-scale sculptures created out of iconic LEGO® bricks by New York-based artist Nathan Sawaya. On display through Jan. 4, "The Art of the Brick" is one of the largest and most popular art exhibitions touring the
- [Tahj | Sweatshop Sneakers](https://livelytimes.com/2015/04/tahj-sweatshop-sneakers/) - Missoula songwriter, Tahj Bo Kjelland grew up around family musicians, so he easily gravitated toward performing. On this second album he expresses himself on hip-hop pieces with reggae and R&B influences. All are self-penned except the chorus to “Lulu Love.” Kjelland plays bass and is accompanied by a cadre of other instrumentalists: Sam Ore and
- [James Lee Burke | Wayfaring Stranger](https://livelytimes.com/2015/04/james-lee-burkewayfaring-stranger/) - James Lee Burke dips back to the Dust Bowl and World War II in his latest novel, which opens with 16-year-old Weldon Avery Holland’s brief but memorable encounter with infamous bank robbers, Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow. “Pretend we came with the dust and went with the wind,” Bonnie advises him. Instead, he winds up
- [Uncharted Waters | Conspiracy](https://livelytimes.com/2013/04/uncharted-waters-conspiracy/) - On their new album, guitarist and singer John Chart and cohorts rock us with some snappin’, jazzy blues. The rest of the Helena musicians, who’ve played together in various configurations over the years, are John Moore on bass, keys and vocals; noted producer Dan Nichols on drums and percussion, and Michael Kakuk on harmonica and
- [Rick Bass and Stellarondo: Marrying music to stories](https://livelytimes.com/2013/05/rick-bass-and-stellarondo-marrying-music-to-stories/) - This ambitious self-titled album, the brainchild of Missoula guitarist and composer Caroline Keys and her folk orchestra Stellarondo, marries music to the words of noted Yaak author Rick Bass. It was born out of a conversation the band had on a long trip to record in Portland; when they mentioned the idea to their friend
- [Mike Bader Bearjam | Worldwide Blues](https://livelytimes.com/2013/06/mike-bader-bearjam-worldwide-blues/) - Veteran Missoula guitarist and bluesmeister Mike Bader gets off to a fine start here with his first album in six years. The 11 Bader-penned tunes feature stalwarts Caleb Van Gelder on drums, Stuart Garney on bass, and Josh Farmer on keys, and the fellas add backing vocals to Bader’s lead singing, as well. Bader, who
- [Gov. Bullock narrates "Lincoln Portrait" during Helena Symphony opener](https://livelytimes.com/2013/09/gov-bullock-narrates-lincoln-portrait-during-helena-symphony-opener/) - Maestro Allan R. Scott and Gov. Steve Bullock review the music for the Helena Symphony's opening concert, "Heroic Portraits." Music Director Allan R. Scott and the Helena Symphony launch the symphony’s 59th season at 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14, at the Helena Civic Center. Titled “Heroic Portraits,” the opening night features Gov. Steve Bullock narrating
- [Kickstar | Waiting for Discovery](https://livelytimes.com/2014/09/kickstar-waiting-for-discovery/) - Conrad-based Kickstar has just released their four-song EP of hard-nosed rock ’n roll anthems. The album’s trio consists of Dana Hughes on bass and lead vocals, her husband Jimi Hughes on guitars, and Jeri Fouhy on guitars and vocals. The band’s current live incarnation is new, with Eric Sundgren on drums and vocals, replacing Fouhy.
- [Two Bit Franks: Dazzling bluegrass musicianship](https://livelytimes.com/2014/09/two-bit-franks-dazzling-bluegrass-musicianship/) - This Gallatin Valley supergroup, John Lowell’s latest gang of tuneslayers, has unleashed an eponymous EP of dazzling bluegrass musicianship. Lead vocalist and guitarist Lowell is surrounded by equally talented pickers Jeff Shouse, banjo; Tom Murphy, mandolin and vocals; Kevin Fabozzi, mandocello, mandolin and vocals; and Russell Smith, bass and vocals. Lowell’s “Wild Jack” comes first.
- [MudSlide Charley | New and Used](https://livelytimes.com/2015/04/mudslide-charley-new-and-used/) - These Missoula bluesmeisters have a third recording on the streets. When you listen to these guys, you get to the marrow of the Delta blues. It’s visceral and rough-hewn, yet polished at the same time – accomplished, in part, by superb production. We’ve got Missoula blues icon Phil Hamilton, harmonicas, saxophones, and percussion; Marco Littig,
- [Best of 2014: Stand outs from the the Lively staff](https://livelytimes.com/2015/01/best-of-2014-stand-outs-from-the-the-lively-staff/) - By Judy Shafter Montana authors supplied bookshelves with many worthy reads in 2014. A few that stood out for me were two engrossing novels, Fourth of July Creek by Smith Henderson, the story of social worker Pete Snow, who finds himself involved in a dangerous relationship with a bizarre reclusive family; and Craig Lancaster’s The
- [Whitefish Review welcomes fire-themed submissions through March 15](https://livelytimes.com/2014/03/whitefish-review-welcomes-fire-themed-submissions-through-march-15/) - Whitefish Review is looking to heat things up. In the midst of a polar vortex, the editorial team recently selected "fire" as the theme for issue no. 15. Submissions for the summer 2014 issue are now being reviewed in art, photography, fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. For writers and artists high school level and below, there
- [Brian D’Ambrosio | From Football to Fig Newtons](https://livelytimes.com/2013/10/brian-daeambrosio-from-football-to-fig-newtons/) - George Nissen, who invented the trampoline Missoula author Brian D'Ambrosio is on a mission to get forgotten American inventors recognized. Who invented football, bluegrass music, Mr. Potato Head, the Kentucky Derby, Sesame Street and the telephone? If you said Walter Camp, Bill Monroe, George Lerner, William Meriwether, Lewis Clark Jr., Joan Ganz Cooney, and Antonio
- [20 Grand | Don't Hoard the Funk](https://livelytimes.com/2014/09/20-grand-dont-hoard-the-funk/) - These first-rate Whitefish musicians recently released a debut album, thanks to a successful Kickstarter campaign. Founder and guitarist Jamie Simpson, who wrote most of the material, hails from New Orleans and brings the group its southern funk sensibility. Other members are Vincent Rannazzisi, drums; Rebecca Nelson, tenor sax; Eric Gates, baritone sax; Nick Simko, trumpet;
- [Joanne Berghold | Without Compass](https://livelytimes.com/2014/12/joanne-berghold-without-compass/) - “With the sun at my back, I choose a direction and head off to find an inviting gravel road; I turn off the radio and drive slowly,” writes Livingston photographer Joanne Berghold. “As I wander, I look for tranquil images of clouds, sky and open land to photograph. I am alone in Montana’s magnificence, without
- [A Taste of Montana, Favorite Recipes from Big Sky Country](https://livelytimes.com/2014/04/a-taste-of-montana-favorite-recipes-from-big-sky-country/) - To assemble the recipes for her book, food-lover and veteran journalist Seabring Davis traversed the state, visiting restaurants, guest ranches, resorts and bed-and-breakfasts. She gathered over 100 favorite recipes from 58 chefs, stretching from hearty breakfast fare to elegant desserts. Davis personally tested the recipes in her own Livingston kitchen. “The recipes range from simple
- [Keith McCafferty | Dead Man's Fancy](https://livelytimes.com/2014/05/keith-mccafferty-dead-mans-fancy/) - Wolves, murder and the disappearance of a gorgeous red-haired guide, Nanika Martinelli, nicknamed the “Fly-fishing Venus,” fuel Keith McCafferty’s third Sean Stranahan novel. The fishing guide, artist and occasional detective is interrupted from his pursuit of steelhead on the Salmon River by a phone call from Hyalite County Sheriff Martha Ettinger. She’s discovered a dead
- [Mark Gibbons | Shadowboxing](https://livelytimes.com/2015/04/mark-gibbons-shadowboxing/) - Ever wonder what goes on in the brain of a poet? Shadowboxing, by Mark Gibbons, is like pulling on a headset and hearing “the rhythmic beat of music/ pounding the ear … the heart/ thump lapping at the shore …” The latest collection by the Missoula poet veers between rage and reflection. It is, after
- [Leslie Budewitz | Death Al Dente](https://livelytimes.com/2014/02/leslie-budewitz-death-al-dente/) - Bigfork writer Leslie Budewitz introduces readers to a likeable heroine, Erin Murphy, in the first book of her series, The Food Lovers’ Village Mysteries. The protagonist has returned to her hometown to revitalize and manage her family’s business and work alongside her mother, Fresca, to transform the Merc into a gourmet market. “The Food Lovers’
- [Bryce Andrews | Badluck Way, A Year on the Ragged Edge of the West](https://livelytimes.com/2014/08/bryce-andrews-badluck-way-a-year-on-the-ragged-edge-of-the-west/) - As Bryce Andrews recounts a year spent on the Sun Ranch, an enormous spread that sprawls along the Madison River, his words bristle and glisten, much like the wolves that enthrall the young cowboy. “The wolf came up Beaver Creek quiet as fog,” he writes of the enigmatic, ominous predators. “Wolves inhabit a landscape humans
- [Thomas Biel |  Badlands, a Collection of Stories](https://livelytimes.com/2014/09/thomas-biel-badlands-a-collection-of-stories/) - Montana native Thomas Biel’s collection of short stories, all set in the fictional town of Riverside, are infused with the urgency and unpredictability of adolescence. Matthew, the teenage narrator and son of a Presbyterian minister struggling with his faith, recounts coming of age in a town “that sits on the edge of the vast apron
- [Emerson Hough | Rough Trip Through Yellowstone](https://livelytimes.com/2014/09/emerson-hough-rough-trip-through-yellowstone/) - Talented journalist Emerson Hough was sent west in 1894 by Forest and Stream magazine to document the number of buffalo (estimated to be between 150 and 200 head) remaining within the borders of Yellowstone Park. Scott Herring edits this compilation of 14 articles he wrote about the trip, subtitled The Epic 1894 Winter Expedition of
- [Gwen Florio | Dakota](https://livelytimes.com/2014/09/gwen-florio-dakota/) - Reporter Lola Wicks seems to have a nose for trouble. It’s taken her to war-ravished countries around the world as a foreign correspondent, and lands her in the midst of North Dakota’s oil patch in this sequel to Gwen Florio’s debut, Montana. The story begins with a dead body – young Judith Looking Calf, found
- [2014 Montana Book Award Presentation](https://livelytimes.com/2015/03/2014-montana-book-award-presentation/) - The 2014 Montana Book Award winner is "Fourth of July Creek" by Smith Henderson. The award recognizes literary and artistic excellence in a book written or illustrated by a resident of Montana, is set in Montana, or deals with a Montana theme or issue. Presentation of the award will be at 7 p.m. April 8
- [Doug Wendt | Ghost Town Sound](https://livelytimes.com/2015/04/doug-wendt-ghost-town-sound/) - Black Eagle multi-media artist and University of Great Falls art instructor Doug Wendt and his band have released their first recording. It melds native legends, Montana landscapes, and spooky lyrics, set to a funky island beat. Wendt is joined here by long-time cohorts Jimmy Foot, guitar/keys, Doug Sternberg, bass and native flute, Steven Powell, drums
- [The Molotov Quintet | Ridin’ Sideways](https://livelytimes.com/2015/01/the-molotov-quintet-ridinae-sideways/) - Combine two extremely gifted musicians (Aaron Banfield and Gabe Lavin). Add equal parts talent from Loren Block, Alex Schwab and Jelani Mahiri. Mix in Latin, flamenco, Brazilian, Arabic, and jazz influences. Shake well, then pop Ridin’ Sideways – The Molotov Quintet’s all original debut – into an appropriate listening device. Enjoy! Formed just over a
- [Bill Mize | The Back of Beyond](https://livelytimes.com/2015/03/bill-mize-the-back-of-beyond/) - Grammy-winning fingerstyle guitarist and Missoula resident Bill Mize gives us 10 tunes on this, his sixth album, nine of which he wrote. His wife, musician Beth Bramhall, plays accordion. The Tennessee native, a past winner of the elite Winfield, Kansas national guitar competition, has been pickin’ since he was almost a toddler. When he saw
- [Malcolm Brooks | Painted Horses](https://livelytimes.com/2015/03/malcolm-brooks-painted-horses/) - Prepare to disappear into this galloping, utterly engrossing debut by Missoula author Malcolm Brooks. It’s 1956, and fledgling archaeologist Catherine Lemay is hired to look for artifacts in an unexplored canyon on the edge of the Crow Reservation. She takes on a young Crow woman, Miriam, as her assistant, and with a reluctant, edgy guide,
- [Crown of the Continent Guitar Workshop announces line-up for 2015 festival](https://livelytimes.com/2015/01/crown-of-the-continent-guitar-workshop-announces-line-up-for-2015-festival/) - All four members of the LA Guitar Quartet teach and perform at this year's festival. (Photo by Adrian San Vicente) Registration is now open to attend the sixth annual Crown of the Continent Guitar Workshop that will be held Aug. 30 through Sept. 6 at Flathead Lake Lodge in Bigfork. A professional staff of teaching
- [It's show time for the Flathead Lake International Cinemafest](https://livelytimes.com/2015/01/its-show-time-for-the-flathead-lake-international-cinemafest/) - Showboat Cinema in Polson is home to the third annual Flathead Lake International Cinemafest. Hollywood has a long tradition of rolling out the red carpet for world premiere movies. Polson has brought that tradition to northwest Montana with its third annual Flathead Lake International Cinemafest, or FLIC as the locals like to call it, slated
- [Montana Rep launches national tour of "The Great Gatsby" with statewide tour](https://livelytimes.com/2015/01/montana-rep-launches-national-tour-of-the-great-gatsby-with-statewide-tour/) - Montana Repertory Theatre reintroduces "The Great Gatsby" to a new generation. (Photo by Terry Cyr) Witness the sweep, poetry and grandeur of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel as the Montana Repertory Theatre continues to tell America's great stories with its production of “The Great Gatsby,” adapted by Simon Levy. “I first read The Great Gatsby in
- [Locals strut stuff in "Dancing With OUR Community Stars"](https://livelytimes.com/2014/11/locals-strut-stuff-in-dancing-with-our-community-stars/) - Utah Ballroom Dance Company leads local dancers in "Dancing With OUR Community Stars." Imagine your neighbors dancing a flirtatious cha-cha, performing a beautiful waltz, or twirling a spicy samba. Local dancers and judges put their own twist on the popular TV show “Dancing With The Stars" when Whitefish Theatre Company brings “Dancing With OUR Community
- [Broad Comedy turns 15: "We shop for material from life"](https://livelytimes.com/2014/11/broad-comedy-turns-15-we-shop-for-material-from-life/) - The Broads ham it up (photo by Billy Costigan). Broad Comedy, Bozeman’s homegrown, all-woman comedy troupe, celebrates its 15th anniversary with three shows Nov. 20-22 at the Emerson Center. In honor of that milestone, we asked Katie Goodman a few questions about the company she and her husband, Soren Kisel, founded in 1999. She took
- [Tim Holmes | "The Metaphysical Maps"](https://livelytimes.com/2014/11/tim-holmes-the-metaphysical-maps/) - "Safety in the Clear and Present Threat of Poetry" by Tim Holmes In his series, “The Metaphysical Maps,” Helena artist Tim Holmes combines the precision aesthetics of antique maps with the looseness of abstract expressionist painting. The series is on display through Nov. 30 at Rocky Mountain Map Gallery, 1710 Brooks St. in Missoula. These
- [Missoula Community Theatre gift wraps "Winter Wonderettes"](https://livelytimes.com/2014/11/missoula-community-theatre-gift-wraps-winter-wonderettes/) - Wonderettes Katherine Green, Colleen Reed Rosbarsky, Ellen McKenzie and Melissa Briner rehearse tunes for the upcoming Missoula Community Theatre show with music director Lizzie Hatfield (at the piano). (Photo by Megan Brown) Tickets are selling fast to Missoula Community Theatre's production of "Winter Wonderettes" – a family-friendly, entertaining musical, perfectly gift-wrapped for the holidays! The
- [Dolce Canto | A Joyful Season](https://livelytimes.com/2014/12/dolce-canto-a-joyful-season/) - Missoula’s esteemed vocal ensemble Dolce Canto has released A Joyful Season just in time for the holidays. It features best-loved songs the group has sung over the years, and a few their listeners may not have heard. As usual, the choir effortlessly melds bass, soprano, alto, and tenor voices into a melodious whole that can
- [Seeley Lake Winterfest offers three weekends of fun](https://livelytimes.com/2015/01/seeley-lake-winterfest-offers-three-weekends-of-fun/) - Seeley Lake celebrates all that winter offers over three weekends, Jan. 17-Feb. 1, with the Wild West Winterfest. Weekend 1: Fun kicks off with the Driftriders’ Snow Ball, 6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 17, in the Community Hall; and a 7 p.m. reading by Malcolm Brooks from his new book, Painted Horses, at Grizzly Claw Trading
- [Louie Bond and the Texas Playgirl | She’ll Get You](https://livelytimes.com/2015/01/louie-bond-and-the-texas-playgirl-sheaell-get-you/) - Bond. Louie Bond. The smooth-styled, long-time Missoula guitar pro has teamed with singer Kimberlee Carlson to craft a terrific throwback album that mixes classic country, jazz and swing standards and a few Bond originals. Belt-buckle shiners, ballads, uptempo lopers, they’re all here. The album was recorded with a stripped-down, dance-hall stable of instruments. Those who
- [Lorna Gabel | "Small Worlds"](https://livelytimes.com/2015/01/lorna-gabel-small-worlds/) - "Rajah Brookes Birdwing" by Lorna Gabel “Every painting is a world unto itself, real or imaginary,” says Hamilton artist Lorna Gabel. “I believe the intimate size of small-format works invites and welcomes the viewer into the worlds of the flora and fauna depicted in my images.” Gabel, whose works are on display at the Artists'
- [Ken Egan Jr. | Montana 1864, Indians, Emigrants, and Gold in the Territorial Year](https://livelytimes.com/2015/01/ken-egan-jr-montana-1864-indians-emigrants-and-gold-in-the-territorial-year/) - Ken Egan, director of Humanities Montana, has authored a very engaging synopsis of the year that Montana became a territory. Book chapters, which correspond to the months of the year, trace various events that occurred each month in 1864. The format not only provides insights into what was happening, but also offers a Native American
- [Ken Morsette | New Works](https://livelytimes.com/2015/01/ken-morsette-new-works/) - "Intersecting Interests" by Ken Morsette Ken Morsette (White Feather), an enrolled member of the Chippewa Cree Tribe of Rocky Boy, shares new acrylic works that primarily reflect Native American and wildlife themes Feb. 1-May 1 at Four Winds Gallery in the Emerson Center in Bozeman. An opening reception is slated for 5-8 p.m. Feb. 13.
- [Four Charles M. Russell watercolors consigned to live auction of The Russell](https://livelytimes.com/2015/01/four-charles-m-russell-watercolors-consigned-to-live-auction-of-the-russell/) - "Cowboy on a Bay Horse" by Charles M. Russell Four original watercolor paintings by Charles M. Russell have been consigned to the live auction on Saturday, March 21, for "The Russell: An Exhibition and Sale to Benefit the C.M. Russell Museum." The first watercolor, "An Indian War Party," was painted in 1902 and is estimated
- [First Night: A celebration of art, place and the passage of time](https://livelytimes.com/2014/12/first-night-a-celebration-of-art-place-and-the-passage-of-time/) - The Drum Brothers regale revelers at the First Night finale. By Kristi Niemeyer Twenty-one years ago, Tom Benson harmonized with a quartet as part of the inaugural First Night Missoula. It was bitterly cold, he recalls, and their venue – the old Mammyth Bakery – was overflowing with an appreciative crowd. When he joined a
- [Whitefish Theatre Company opens season with "Harvey"](https://livelytimes.com/2014/10/whitefish-theatre-company-opens-season-with-harvey/) - The Whitefish Theatre Company opens its 2014-2015 theatre season with a production of "Harvey" at the O’Shaughnessy Center in Whitefish. This endearing comedy about how real friends are hard to find continues through Oct. 19, with shows at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 4 p.m. Sundays. Made famous by the 1951 movie version starring
- [Brewery Follies keeps the laughs coming after Labor Day](https://livelytimes.com/2014/09/brewery-follies-keeps-the-laughs-coming-after-labor-day/) - Dorks and goofballs are a few of the words that Brewery Follies actors use to describe their themselves and their irreverent brand of fun. Even as Virginia City begins to quiet down after another hectic summer, The Brewery Follies keep the doors open and the laughs rolling through Sept. 20 at the Old H.S. Gilbert
- [Motorcycle mania invades Butte during Evel Knievel Days](https://livelytimes.com/2014/07/motorcycle-mania-invades-butte-during-evel-knievel-days/) - Cowboy Kenny Bartram is among the performers at this year's Evel Knievel Days. The King of the Daredevils, who died in 2007, is the inspiration for Evel Knievel Days, July 24-26 in Uptown Butte. The annual event typically attracts 50,000 visitors to Knievel’s hometown. Stuntman Spanky Spangler returns with son Bryan Spangler and the Spanky

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- [Literature](https://livelytimes.com/literature/)
- [Visual Arts](https://livelytimes.com/visual-arts/)
- [Performing Arts](https://livelytimes.com/performing-arts/)
- [Music & Nightlife](https://livelytimes.com/music-nightlife/)
- [The Buzz](https://livelytimes.com/the-buzz/)
- [Things To Do](https://livelytimes.com/things-to-do/)
- [Venue Detail](https://livelytimes.com/location/)
- [Event Detail](https://livelytimes.com/event/)
- [Email Link](https://livelytimes.com/email-link/)
- [Search Results](https://livelytimes.com/search-results/)

## Performers

- [Michelle Rivers](https://livelytimes.com/musicians-performers/michelle-rivers/) - Singer-Songwriter Michelle Rivers connects with her audience through authentic songwriting and a captivating live performance inspired by the wild untouched beauty of Montana. The sweetness of her voice and timeless sound are sure to draw you in. Michelle Rivers + Tina Bertram (from Moonshine Mountain) on clawhammer banjo & singing harmonies. Together they play
- [Wilbur Rehmann Jazz Quartet](https://livelytimes.com/musicians-performers/wilbur-rehmann-jazz-quartet/) - Listen or dance to the smoothest sound around - jazz as wide open as the Montana landscape.
- [Kenny James Miller Band](https://livelytimes.com/musicians-performers/kenny-james-miller-band/) - The Kenny James Miller Band is an all-original rock and blues band located in northwest Montana. The potency of a large rock band fits into the hands of three accomplished musicians: Ken Sederdahl on lead guitar and vocals, Chris Coen on bass, and Greg Sewell on drums. Growing up in the late 60’s and
- [Joan Zen](https://livelytimes.com/musicians-performers/joan-zen/) - Professional, tight, experienced musicians Joan Zen and Jason Hicks relocated from the San Diego area 18 years ago to Montana. Since then, Joan Zen has been voted "Best Musician of the Bitterroot Valley" in the Ravalli Republic's Annual Reader's Poll 10 years out of the last 14 years (2006-2014 and 2018). Huey Lewis performed on
- [Jimni](https://livelytimes.com/musicians-performers/jimni/) - Jimni is an acoustic rock duo featuring Stacy Santilli's dynamic vocals and cajon. Jim Steiner plays guitar and harmonica and lends vocals. The duo delivers stripped-down rock and country classics. Their upbeat sound is organic, rugged and richly textured. Snug harmonies shine. During a live performance, expect to hear anything from the Beatles to Radiohead,
- [John Dunnigan](https://livelytimes.com/musicians-performers/john-dunnigan/) - If Jimmy Buffett, James Taylor and John Prine were joined together in some bizarre musical cloning experiment, the outcome would be John Dunnigan. This "offbeat" musician and entertainer took the backroads to Montana over three decades ago and never left (he's no fool). Today, he performs throughout Montana and the Northwest at bierstubes, corporate events,
- [Wylie and the Wild West](https://livelytimes.com/musicians-performers/wylie-and-the-wild-west/) - Western dance band with singer, songwriter, and world-famous Yahoo!® yodeler, Wylie Gustafson, who leads this unique brand of good-time cowboy music. They’ve performed at the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, on A Prairie Home Companion, and 50+ times on the Grand Ole Opry. Available solo or with band for any occasion.
- [Zeppo Blues](https://livelytimes.com/musicians-performers/zeppo-blues/) - A six to eight piece old school, traditional, horn driven, rhythm and blues band. A funky touch with cool horns, guitars, bass, drums and vocals that cover a large range of roots, rock and R&B.

## Categories

- [Uncategorized](https://livelytimes.com/section/uncategorized/)
- [New & Notable](https://livelytimes.com/section/new-notable/)
- [New Albums](https://livelytimes.com/section/new-albums/)
- [On Stage](https://livelytimes.com/section/on-stage/)
- [Books & Writers](https://livelytimes.com/section/books-writers/)
- [Art Beat](https://livelytimes.com/section/art-beat/)
- [LT Giveaways](https://livelytimes.com/section/lt-giveaways/)
- [Legacy Article](https://livelytimes.com/section/legacy-article/)
- [Front Page Slider](https://livelytimes.com/section/front-page/)
- [Expired](https://livelytimes.com/section/expired/)
- [Festivals](https://livelytimes.com/section/festivals/)

## Tags

- [Gabriel Iglesias](https://livelytimes.com/tag/gabriel-iglesias/)
- [comedy](https://livelytimes.com/tag/comedy/)
- [Yellowstone Art Museum](https://livelytimes.com/tag/yellowstone-art-museum/)
- [Masquerade party](https://livelytimes.com/tag/masquerade-party/)
- [halloween](https://livelytimes.com/tag/halloween/)
- [billings](https://livelytimes.com/tag/billings/)
- [montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana/)
- [William Hjortsberg](https://livelytimes.com/tag/william-hjortsberg/)
- [Manana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/manana/)
- [Montana authors](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-authors/)
- [fiction](https://livelytimes.com/tag/fiction/)
- [crime novels](https://livelytimes.com/tag/crime-novels/)
- [Lively Times](https://livelytimes.com/tag/lively-times/)
- [The Mullan Road](https://livelytimes.com/tag/the-mullan-road/)
- [Montana books](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-books/)
- [Aran Buzzas](https://livelytimes.com/tag/aran-buzzas/)
- [Montana music](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-music/)
- [Lula Washington Dance Theatre](https://livelytimes.com/tag/lula-washington-dance-theatre/)
- [modern dance](https://livelytimes.com/tag/modern-dance/)
- [montana dance](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-dance/)
- [alberta bair theater](https://livelytimes.com/tag/alberta-bair-theater/)
- [People Before the Park](https://livelytimes.com/tag/people-before-the-park/)
- [The Kootenai and Blackfeet Before Glacier National Park](https://livelytimes.com/tag/the-kootenai-and-blackfeet-before-glacier-national-park/)
- [Native American culture](https://livelytimes.com/tag/native-american-culture/)
- [live music](https://livelytimes.com/tag/live-music/)
- [Missoula Historic Underground Project](https://livelytimes.com/tag/missoula-historic-underground-project/)
- [Nikki Manning](https://livelytimes.com/tag/nikki-manning/)
- [Montana history](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-history/)
- [The History Press](https://livelytimes.com/tag/the-history-press/)
- [Mary Poppins](https://livelytimes.com/tag/mary-poppins/)
- [Whitefish Theatre Company](https://livelytimes.com/tag/whitefish-theatre-company/)
- [musical theatre](https://livelytimes.com/tag/musical-theatre/)
- [I.A. O'Shaughnessy Center](https://livelytimes.com/tag/i-a-oshaughnessy-center/)
- [Whitefish MT](https://livelytimes.com/tag/whitefish-mt/)
- [James Lee Burke](https://livelytimes.com/tag/james-lee-burke/)
- [Missoula author](https://livelytimes.com/tag/missoula-author/)
- [House of the Rising Sun](https://livelytimes.com/tag/house-of-the-rising-sun/)
- [Hackberry Holland](https://livelytimes.com/tag/hackberry-holland/)
- [almeda bradshaw](https://livelytimes.com/tag/almeda-bradshaw/)
- [Shann Ray](https://livelytimes.com/tag/shann-ray/)
- [American Copper](https://livelytimes.com/tag/american-copper/)
- [Kenny James Miller Band](https://livelytimes.com/tag/kenny-james-miller-band/)
- [live at 11th & Grant](https://livelytimes.com/tag/live-at-11th-grant/)
- [Kronos Quartet](https://livelytimes.com/tag/kronos-quartet/)
- [Hamilton Performing Arts](https://livelytimes.com/tag/hamilton-performing-arts/)
- [warren miller center for the performing arts](https://livelytimes.com/tag/warren-miller-center-for-the-performing-arts/)
- [flashdance](https://livelytimes.com/tag/flashdance/)
- [alberta bair](https://livelytimes.com/tag/alberta-bair/)
- [mansfield center](https://livelytimes.com/tag/mansfield-center/)
- [mother lode](https://livelytimes.com/tag/mother-lode/)
- [broadway](https://livelytimes.com/tag/broadway/)
- [musical](https://livelytimes.com/tag/musical/)
- [Montana Manouche](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-manouche/)
- [Murder at the Deadwood Saloon](https://livelytimes.com/tag/murder-at-the-deadwood-saloon/)
- [murder mystery](https://livelytimes.com/tag/murder-mystery/)
- [Great Falls Animal Shelter](https://livelytimes.com/tag/great-falls-animal-shelter/)
- [Deadwood Saloon Murder Mystery Party](https://livelytimes.com/tag/deadwood-saloon-murder-mystery-party/)
- [opera](https://livelytimes.com/tag/opera/)
- [MCT](https://livelytimes.com/tag/mct/)
- [UM opera theatre](https://livelytimes.com/tag/um-opera-theatre/)
- [Gilbert & Sullivan](https://livelytimes.com/tag/gilbert-sullivan/)
- [Confessions of a Camo Queen](https://livelytimes.com/tag/confessions-of-a-camo-queen/)
- [Kristen Berube](https://livelytimes.com/tag/kristen-berube/)
- [books and writers](https://livelytimes.com/tag/books-and-writers/)
- [UM Symphony](https://livelytimes.com/tag/um-symphony/)
- [missoula community Theatre](https://livelytimes.com/tag/missoula-community-theatre/)
- [romance](https://livelytimes.com/tag/romance/)
- [chocolate](https://livelytimes.com/tag/chocolate/)
- [valentine](https://livelytimes.com/tag/valentine/)
- [sexy](https://livelytimes.com/tag/sexy/)
- [top hat](https://livelytimes.com/tag/top-hat/)
- [myrna loy](https://livelytimes.com/tag/myrna-loy/)
- [international guitar night](https://livelytimes.com/tag/international-guitar-night/)
- [music](https://livelytimes.com/tag/music/)
- [guitar](https://livelytimes.com/tag/guitar/)
- [big sky](https://livelytimes.com/tag/big-sky/)
- [bozeman](https://livelytimes.com/tag/bozeman/)
- [Whitefish Theater Company](https://livelytimes.com/tag/whitefish-theater-company/)
- ["The Little Prince"](https://livelytimes.com/tag/the-little-prince/)
- [Antoine de Saint-Exupéry](https://livelytimes.com/tag/antoine-de-saint-exupery/)
- [Montana theater](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-theater/)
- [Young Actors Theatre](https://livelytimes.com/tag/young-actors-theatre/)
- [O’Shaughnessy Center](https://livelytimes.com/tag/oshaughnessy-center/)
- [Rebecca Schaffer](https://livelytimes.com/tag/rebecca-schaffer/)
- [chad ball](https://livelytimes.com/tag/chad-ball/)
- [montana musician](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-musician/)
- [new albums](https://livelytimes.com/tag/new-albums/)
- [Two Trips to Bellingham](https://livelytimes.com/tag/two-trips-to-bellingham/)
- [shane clouse](https://livelytimes.com/tag/shane-clouse/)
- [Missoula musician](https://livelytimes.com/tag/missoula-musician/)
- [Leslie Budewitz](https://livelytimes.com/tag/leslie-budewitz/)
- [Butter Off Dead](https://livelytimes.com/tag/butter-off-dead/)
- [shamrockers](https://livelytimes.com/tag/shamrockers/)
- [Annick Smith](https://livelytimes.com/tag/annick-smith/)
- [alpine theatre project](https://livelytimes.com/tag/alpine-theatre-project/)
- [glacier symphony and chorale](https://livelytimes.com/tag/glacier-symphony-and-chorale/)
- [Missoula](https://livelytimes.com/tag/missoula/)
- [Montana film](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-film/)
- [muir quartet](https://livelytimes.com/tag/muir-quartet/)
- [Angella Ahn](https://livelytimes.com/tag/angella-ahn/)
- [Montana Chamber Music Society](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-chamber-music-society/)
- [buddy defranco jazz festival](https://livelytimes.com/tag/buddy-defranco-jazz-festival/)
- [jazz](https://livelytimes.com/tag/jazz/)
- [university of montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/university-of-montana/)
- [Erica von Kleist](https://livelytimes.com/tag/erica-von-kleist/)
- [Reggie Thomas](https://livelytimes.com/tag/reggie-thomas/)
- [Marlene Rosenberg](https://livelytimes.com/tag/marlene-rosenberg/)
- [Derrick Gardner](https://livelytimes.com/tag/derrick-gardner/)
- [drummer Gary Hobbs](https://livelytimes.com/tag/drummer-gary-hobbs/)
- [western art](https://livelytimes.com/tag/western-art/)
- [western art week](https://livelytimes.com/tag/western-art-week/)
- [Montana art](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-art/)
- [Montana artists](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-artists/)
- [auctions](https://livelytimes.com/tag/auctions/)
- [country fair](https://livelytimes.com/tag/country-fair/)
- [fire department benefit](https://livelytimes.com/tag/fire-department-benefit/)
- [Creston MT](https://livelytimes.com/tag/creston-mt/)
- [Big Bad Voodoo Daddy](https://livelytimes.com/tag/big-bad-voodoo-daddy/)
- [Billings music](https://livelytimes.com/tag/billings-music/)
- [Bozeman music](https://livelytimes.com/tag/bozeman-music/)
- [montana beer](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-beer/)
- [Yellowstone Park](https://livelytimes.com/tag/yellowstone-park/)
- [Grand Lady of the Lake](https://livelytimes.com/tag/grand-lady-of-the-lake/)
- [Lake Yellowstone Hotel](https://livelytimes.com/tag/lake-yellowstone-hotel/)
- [Michelle Trappen](https://livelytimes.com/tag/michelle-trappen/)
- [F. Jay Haynes](https://livelytimes.com/tag/f-jay-haynes/)
- [Amber Ikeman](https://livelytimes.com/tag/amber-ikeman/)
- [Montana singer/songwriter](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-singersongwriter/)
- [Marylou Blakeslee](https://livelytimes.com/tag/marylou-blakeslee/)
- [Jimmy Talarico](https://livelytimes.com/tag/jimmy-talarico/)
- [Life's Layers](https://livelytimes.com/tag/lifes-layers/)
- [Bozeman artists](https://livelytimes.com/tag/bozeman-artists/)
- [Zoot Gallery](https://livelytimes.com/tag/zoot-gallery/)
- [Billings Symphony](https://livelytimes.com/tag/billings-symphony/)
- [Million Dollar Quartet](https://livelytimes.com/tag/million-dollar-quartet/)
- [Broadway in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/broadway-in-montana/)
- [Red Ants Pants](https://livelytimes.com/tag/red-ants-pants/)
- [The Mavericks](https://livelytimes.com/tag/the-mavericks/)
- [Mission Mountain Wood Band](https://livelytimes.com/tag/mission-mountain-wood-band/)
- [Montana music festivals](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-music-festivals/)
- [Banff Film Festival World Tour](https://livelytimes.com/tag/banff-film-festival-world-tour/)
- [Base Camp](https://livelytimes.com/tag/base-camp/)
- [bouldering](https://livelytimes.com/tag/bouldering/)
- [Living Rivers Surf](https://livelytimes.com/tag/living-rivers-surf/)
- [Unbranded](https://livelytimes.com/tag/unbranded/)
- [Project Mina](https://livelytimes.com/tag/project-mina/)
- [Nature RX](https://livelytimes.com/tag/nature-rx/)
- [55 Hours in Mexico](https://livelytimes.com/tag/55-hours-in-mexico/)
- [Jazzoula](https://livelytimes.com/tag/jazzoula/)
- [Missoula jazz](https://livelytimes.com/tag/missoula-jazz/)
- [Eden Atwood](https://livelytimes.com/tag/eden-atwood/)
- [Joan Zen](https://livelytimes.com/tag/joan-zen/)
- [Chuck Florence](https://livelytimes.com/tag/chuck-florence/)
- [Gwen Florio](https://livelytimes.com/tag/gwen-florio/)
- [Montana writers](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-writers/)
- [John Dendy](https://livelytimes.com/tag/john-dendy/)
- [Helena musicians](https://livelytimes.com/tag/helena-musicians/)
- [Montana Musicians](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-musicians/)
- [Tombigbee](https://livelytimes.com/tag/tombigbee/)
- [John Stroud](https://livelytimes.com/tag/john-stroud/)
- [Bitterroot Flower](https://livelytimes.com/tag/bitterroot-flower/)
- [Bitterroot Valley](https://livelytimes.com/tag/bitterroot-valley/)
- [Stoneydale Press](https://livelytimes.com/tag/stoneydale-press/)
- [dyslexia](https://livelytimes.com/tag/dyslexia/)
- [Death Cab for Cutie](https://livelytimes.com/tag/death-cab-for-cutie/)
- [free tickets](https://livelytimes.com/tag/free-tickets/)
- [Adams Center concerts](https://livelytimes.com/tag/adams-center-concerts/)
- [Missoula concerts](https://livelytimes.com/tag/missoula-concerts/)
- [ticket giveaways](https://livelytimes.com/tag/ticket-giveaways/)
- [Ballads](https://livelytimes.com/tag/ballads/)
- [Kalispell](https://livelytimes.com/tag/kalispell/)
- [Country](https://livelytimes.com/tag/country/)
- [Folk](https://livelytimes.com/tag/folk/)
- [Flathead](https://livelytimes.com/tag/flathead/)
- [Western Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/western-montana/)
- [local music](https://livelytimes.com/tag/local-music/)
- [Wilma](https://livelytimes.com/tag/wilma/)
- [Montana concerts](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-concerts/)
- [Flood Girls](https://livelytimes.com/tag/flood-girls/)
- [Fifield](https://livelytimes.com/tag/fifield/)
- [Montana novelists](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-novelists/)
- [girl's softball](https://livelytimes.com/tag/girls-softball/)
- [Troy](https://livelytimes.com/tag/troy/)
- [Montana fiction](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-fiction/)
- [quirky](https://livelytimes.com/tag/quirky/)
- [Chamberlain](https://livelytimes.com/tag/chamberlain/)
- [Botany](https://livelytimes.com/tag/botany/)
- [Poetry](https://livelytimes.com/tag/poetry/)
- [Flowers](https://livelytimes.com/tag/flowers/)
- [Montana poets](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-poets/)
- [collection](https://livelytimes.com/tag/collection/)
- [Wylie](https://livelytimes.com/tag/wylie/)
- [Marias](https://livelytimes.com/tag/marias/)
- [indigenous](https://livelytimes.com/tag/indigenous/)
- [atrocity](https://livelytimes.com/tag/atrocity/)
- [Marias river](https://livelytimes.com/tag/marias-river/)
- [Shakewell](https://livelytimes.com/tag/shakewell/)
- [Blues](https://livelytimes.com/tag/blues/)
- [rap](https://livelytimes.com/tag/rap/)
- [Blood on the Marias](https://livelytimes.com/tag/blood-on-the-marias/)
- [Meagher](https://livelytimes.com/tag/meagher/)
- [Native American](https://livelytimes.com/tag/native-american/)
- [Feast Whitefish](https://livelytimes.com/tag/feast-whitefish/)
- [food festivals](https://livelytimes.com/tag/food-festivals/)
- [food trucks](https://livelytimes.com/tag/food-trucks/)
- [Montana distilleries](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-distilleries/)
- [Distillers fest](https://livelytimes.com/tag/distillers-fest/)
- [Whitefish restaurants](https://livelytimes.com/tag/whitefish-restaurants/)
- [brothers](https://livelytimes.com/tag/brothers/)
- [Drummond](https://livelytimes.com/tag/drummond/)
- [hunting](https://livelytimes.com/tag/hunting/)
- [bonding](https://livelytimes.com/tag/bonding/)
- [Stanfel](https://livelytimes.com/tag/stanfel/)
- [Helen West Heller](https://livelytimes.com/tag/helen-west-heller/)
- [anarchists](https://livelytimes.com/tag/anarchists/)
- [woodcut artist](https://livelytimes.com/tag/woodcut-artist/)
- [Yost](https://livelytimes.com/tag/yost/)
- [Western Montana Musician](https://livelytimes.com/tag/western-montana-musician/)
- [Bukowski](https://livelytimes.com/tag/bukowski/)
- [multi-instrumentalist](https://livelytimes.com/tag/multi-instrumentalist/)
- [Ringling 5](https://livelytimes.com/tag/ringling-5/)
- [Bop-a-Dips](https://livelytimes.com/tag/bop-a-dips/)
- [Shakspeare](https://livelytimes.com/tag/shakspeare/)
- [Montana Museum of Art and Culture](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-museum-of-art-and-culture/)
- [First Folio](https://livelytimes.com/tag/first-folio/)
- [Folger Library](https://livelytimes.com/tag/folger-library/)
- [theatre in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/theatre-in-montana/)
- [Short Stories](https://livelytimes.com/tag/short-stories/)
- [character development](https://livelytimes.com/tag/character-development/)
- [Hot Springs](https://livelytimes.com/tag/hot-springs/)
- [Aaron Parrett](https://livelytimes.com/tag/aaron-parrett/)
- [Butte](https://livelytimes.com/tag/butte/)
- [Butte History](https://livelytimes.com/tag/butte-history/)
- [poetry collection](https://livelytimes.com/tag/poetry-collection/)
- [Montana poet](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-poet/)
- [internal thoughts](https://livelytimes.com/tag/internal-thoughts/)
- [Missoula musicians](https://livelytimes.com/tag/missoula-musicians/)
- [Captain Wilson](https://livelytimes.com/tag/captain-wilson/)
- [Sesame Street](https://livelytimes.com/tag/sesame-street/)
- [ticket giveaway](https://livelytimes.com/tag/ticket-giveaway/)
- [Red Lodge](https://livelytimes.com/tag/red-lodge/)
- [Festivals](https://livelytimes.com/tag/festivals/)
- [festival at Sandpoint](https://livelytimes.com/tag/festival-at-sandpoint/)
- [Bruce Hornsby](https://livelytimes.com/tag/bruce-hornsby/)
- [Emmylou Harris](https://livelytimes.com/tag/emmylou-harris/)
- [Railroad Earth](https://livelytimes.com/tag/railroad-earth/)
- [Nitty Gritty Dirt Band](https://livelytimes.com/tag/nitty-gritty-dirt-band/)
- [Idaho music](https://livelytimes.com/tag/idaho-music/)
- [riverfront blues](https://livelytimes.com/tag/riverfront-blues/)
- [Montana blues](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-blues/)
- [montana blues festivals](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-blues-festivals/)
- [bigfork summer playhouse](https://livelytimes.com/tag/bigfork-summer-playhouse/)
- [bigfork playhouse](https://livelytimes.com/tag/bigfork-playhouse/)
- [montana theatre](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-theatre/)
- [International Choral Festival](https://livelytimes.com/tag/international-choral-festival/)
- [choral music](https://livelytimes.com/tag/choral-music/)
- [Montana choirs](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-choirs/)
- [Missoula choral music](https://livelytimes.com/tag/missoula-choral-music/)
- [Montana painters](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-painters/)
- [The Actor](https://livelytimes.com/tag/the-actor/)
- [Beth Hunter McHugh](https://livelytimes.com/tag/beth-hunter-mchugh/)
- [Montana writer](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-writer/)
- [love story](https://livelytimes.com/tag/love-story/)
- [Jake Ryan](https://livelytimes.com/tag/jake-ryan/)
- [Space Cowboy](https://livelytimes.com/tag/space-cowboy/)
- [Montana rap](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-rap/)
- [Montana hip-hop](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-hip-hop/)
- [Ma'Ceo](https://livelytimes.com/tag/maceo/)
- [Montana Festival of the Horse](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-festival-of-the-horse/)
- [horse festival](https://livelytimes.com/tag/horse-festival/)
- [Lazy Cowpoke Jamboree](https://livelytimes.com/tag/lazy-cowpoke-jamboree/)
- [Hot Club of Cowtown](https://livelytimes.com/tag/hot-club-of-cowtown/)
- [Eilen Jewell](https://livelytimes.com/tag/eilen-jewell/)
- [Charlie Parr](https://livelytimes.com/tag/charlie-parr/)
- [Jimni](https://livelytimes.com/tag/jimni/)
- [Tom Catmull](https://livelytimes.com/tag/tom-catmull/)
- [Cold Hard Cash Show](https://livelytimes.com/tag/cold-hard-cash-show/)
- [Smoke Elser](https://livelytimes.com/tag/smoke-elser/)
- [big sky brewing](https://livelytimes.com/tag/big-sky-brewing/)
- [knitting factory](https://livelytimes.com/tag/knitting-factory/)
- [Michael Franti](https://livelytimes.com/tag/michael-franti/)
- [Sublime with Rome](https://livelytimes.com/tag/sublime-with-rome/)
- [Vaudeville](https://livelytimes.com/tag/vaudeville/)
- [Montana author](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-author/)
- [Helena musician](https://livelytimes.com/tag/helena-musician/)
- [Queen city](https://livelytimes.com/tag/queen-city/)
- [Rockabilly](https://livelytimes.com/tag/rockabilly/)
- [opera house theatre](https://livelytimes.com/tag/opera-house-theatre/)
- [philipsburg](https://livelytimes.com/tag/philipsburg/)
- [vaudeville in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/vaudeville-in-montana/)
- [Archie Bray](https://livelytimes.com/tag/archie-bray/)
- [ceramic arts in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/ceramic-arts-in-montana/)
- [Brickyard Bash](https://livelytimes.com/tag/brickyard-bash/)
- [art in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/art-in-montana/)
- [big sky mudflaps](https://livelytimes.com/tag/big-sky-mudflaps/)
- [moods of the madison](https://livelytimes.com/tag/moods-of-the-madison/)
- [wailers](https://livelytimes.com/tag/wailers/)
- [bass nectar](https://livelytimes.com/tag/bass-nectar/)
- [young the giant](https://livelytimes.com/tag/young-the-giant/)
- [ennis](https://livelytimes.com/tag/ennis/)
- [architecture](https://livelytimes.com/tag/architecture/)
- [Helena](https://livelytimes.com/tag/helena/)
- [Montana cities](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-cities/)
- [Montana Club](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-club/)
- [Montana Historical Society](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-historical-society/)
- [Hawthorn](https://livelytimes.com/tag/hawthorn/)
- [plant](https://livelytimes.com/tag/plant/)
- [World history](https://livelytimes.com/tag/world-history/)
- [cultural history](https://livelytimes.com/tag/cultural-history/)
- [horticulture](https://livelytimes.com/tag/horticulture/)
- [nature](https://livelytimes.com/tag/nature/)
- [Plant history](https://livelytimes.com/tag/plant-history/)
- [Myrna Loy Center](https://livelytimes.com/tag/myrna-loy-center/)
- [performing arts in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/performing-arts-in-montana/)
- [Life in the Key of Alex](https://livelytimes.com/tag/life-in-the-key-of-alex/)
- [Alex Swaney](https://livelytimes.com/tag/alex-swaney/)
- [MJ Williams](https://livelytimes.com/tag/mj-williams/)
- [Bob Packwood](https://livelytimes.com/tag/bob-packwood/)
- [Krys Holmes](https://livelytimes.com/tag/krys-holmes/)
- [Big Sky Country Fair](https://livelytimes.com/tag/big-sky-country-fair/)
- [Montana fairs](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-fairs/)
- [Maddie and Tae](https://livelytimes.com/tag/maddie-and-tae/)
- [Old Dominion](https://livelytimes.com/tag/old-dominion/)
- [mud bog](https://livelytimes.com/tag/mud-bog/)
- [rodeo](https://livelytimes.com/tag/rodeo/)
- [Rappin](https://livelytimes.com/tag/rappin/)
- [Chris Sand](https://livelytimes.com/tag/chris-sand/)
- [Joanna Reed Shelton](https://livelytimes.com/tag/joanna-reed-shelton/)
- [Japan](https://livelytimes.com/tag/japan/)
- [Montana literature](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-literature/)
- [Christian in the Land of the Gods](https://livelytimes.com/tag/christian-in-the-land-of-the-gods/)
- [Montana festivals](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-festivals/)
- [White Sulphur Springs](https://livelytimes.com/tag/white-sulphur-springs/)
- [Wynonna](https://livelytimes.com/tag/wynonna/)
- [Montana Shakespeare in the Parks](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-shakespeare-in-the-parks/)
- [Brazil](https://livelytimes.com/tag/brazil/)
- [life lessons](https://livelytimes.com/tag/life-lessons/)
- [parenting](https://livelytimes.com/tag/parenting/)
- [travel](https://livelytimes.com/tag/travel/)
- [Sweet Pea](https://livelytimes.com/tag/sweet-pea/)
- [arts festival](https://livelytimes.com/tag/arts-festival/)
- [Lindley Park](https://livelytimes.com/tag/lindley-park/)
- [Asleep at the Wheel](https://livelytimes.com/tag/asleep-at-the-wheel/)
- [James McMurtry](https://livelytimes.com/tag/james-mcmurtry/)
- [Hard Working Americans](https://livelytimes.com/tag/hard-working-americans/)
- [chris young](https://livelytimes.com/tag/chris-young/)
- [knitting factory presents](https://livelytimes.com/tag/knitting-factory-presents/)
- [Hasslers](https://livelytimes.com/tag/hasslers/)
- [Missoula music](https://livelytimes.com/tag/missoula-music/)
- [Matt Hassler](https://livelytimes.com/tag/matt-hassler/)
- [Montana Quarterly](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-quarterly/)
- [Montana Stories](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-stories/)
- [magic city blues](https://livelytimes.com/tag/magic-city-blues/)
- [elle king](https://livelytimes.com/tag/elle-king/)
- [kenny wayne shepherd](https://livelytimes.com/tag/kenny-wayne-shepherd/)
- [guthrie brown](https://livelytimes.com/tag/guthrie-brown/)
- [ziggy marley](https://livelytimes.com/tag/ziggy-marley/)
- [music in Billings](https://livelytimes.com/tag/music-in-billings/)
- [Big Sky Brewing concerts](https://livelytimes.com/tag/big-sky-brewing-concerts/)
- [Montana Cowboy Poetry Gathering](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-cowboy-poetry-gathering/)
- [Riders in the Sky](https://livelytimes.com/tag/riders-in-the-sky/)
- [Western Music](https://livelytimes.com/tag/western-music/)
- [Lewistown](https://livelytimes.com/tag/lewistown/)
- [rockin' the rivers](https://livelytimes.com/tag/rockin-the-rivers/)
- [Montana rock fest](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-rock-fest/)
- [Crown Guitar Festival](https://livelytimes.com/tag/crown-guitar-festival/)
- [Jim Messina](https://livelytimes.com/tag/jim-messina/)
- [Flathead Lake Lodge](https://livelytimes.com/tag/flathead-lake-lodge/)
- [Gypsy jazz](https://livelytimes.com/tag/gypsy-jazz/)
- [Troy Kechely](https://livelytimes.com/tag/troy-kechely/)
- [Dust Bowl](https://livelytimes.com/tag/dust-bowl/)
- [dog novel](https://livelytimes.com/tag/dog-novel/)
- [dust bowl fiction](https://livelytimes.com/tag/dust-bowl-fiction/)
- [Montana Book](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-book/)
- [canine](https://livelytimes.com/tag/canine/)
- [Folk Music](https://livelytimes.com/tag/folk-music/)
- [Tom Robison](https://livelytimes.com/tag/tom-robison/)
- [Bozeman Musician](https://livelytimes.com/tag/bozeman-musician/)
- [Celtic Music](https://livelytimes.com/tag/celtic-music/)
- [River City Roots](https://livelytimes.com/tag/river-city-roots/)
- [Rodney Crowell](https://livelytimes.com/tag/rodney-crowell/)
- [The Clintons](https://livelytimes.com/tag/the-clintons/)
- [Montana Wilderness Association WildFest](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-wilderness-association-wildfest/)
- [Giant Springs State Park](https://livelytimes.com/tag/giant-springs-state-park/)
- [Rob Quist](https://livelytimes.com/tag/rob-quist/)
- [Halladay Quist](https://livelytimes.com/tag/halladay-quist/)
- [Laney Lou and the Bird Dogs](https://livelytimes.com/tag/laney-lou-and-the-bird-dogs/)
- [Badger Two Medicine](https://livelytimes.com/tag/badger-two-medicine/)
- [Catherine Courtenaye](https://livelytimes.com/tag/catherine-courtenaye/)
- [Jill Brody](https://livelytimes.com/tag/jill-brody/)
- [Neil Jussila](https://livelytimes.com/tag/neil-jussila/)
- [Montana Artist](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-artist/)
- [Boulder Music and Art Festival](https://livelytimes.com/tag/boulder-music-and-art-festival/)
- [gobcon](https://livelytimes.com/tag/gobcon/)
- [sci-fi](https://livelytimes.com/tag/sci-fi/)
- [Front Street Station](https://livelytimes.com/tag/front-street-station/)
- [Shellshock Lullaby](https://livelytimes.com/tag/shellshock-lullaby/)
- [Miss Mouse Cosplay](https://livelytimes.com/tag/miss-mouse-cosplay/)
- [Science Fiction](https://livelytimes.com/tag/science-fiction/)
- [Blythe Woolston](https://livelytimes.com/tag/blythe-woolston/)
- [New Books](https://livelytimes.com/tag/new-books/)
- [Box Stores](https://livelytimes.com/tag/box-stores/)
- [Education](https://livelytimes.com/tag/education/)
- [Wildlife](https://livelytimes.com/tag/wildlife/)
- [Animal Art](https://livelytimes.com/tag/animal-art/)
- [Gardens](https://livelytimes.com/tag/gardens/)
- [Montana Band](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-band/)
- [Missoula Band](https://livelytimes.com/tag/missoula-band/)
- [Country Music](https://livelytimes.com/tag/country-music/)
- [Montana Book Festival](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-book-festival/)
- [Eileen Myles](https://livelytimes.com/tag/eileen-myles/)
- [Gregory Pardlo](https://livelytimes.com/tag/gregory-pardlo/)
- [Maile Meloy](https://livelytimes.com/tag/maile-meloy/)
- [Richard Fifield](https://livelytimes.com/tag/richard-fifield/)
- [Paula McLain](https://livelytimes.com/tag/paula-mclain/)
- [Literary Death Match](https://livelytimes.com/tag/literary-death-match/)
- [Pie and Whiskey](https://livelytimes.com/tag/pie-and-whiskey/)
- [Youth Book Festival](https://livelytimes.com/tag/youth-book-festival/)
- [Dance in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/dance-in-montana/)
- [Billings orchestra](https://livelytimes.com/tag/billings-orchestra/)
- [Grand Rapids Ballet](https://livelytimes.com/tag/grand-rapids-ballet/)
- [Bigfork Center for the Performing Arts](https://livelytimes.com/tag/bigfork-center-for-the-performing-arts/)
- [Bigfork Playhouse Children's Theatre](https://livelytimes.com/tag/bigfork-playhouse-childrens-theatre/)
- [theater in the Flathead](https://livelytimes.com/tag/theater-in-the-flathead/)
- [Seeley Lake](https://livelytimes.com/tag/seeley-lake/)
- [national Irish conference](https://livelytimes.com/tag/national-irish-conference/)
- [Irish in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/irish-in-montana/)
- [conference in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/conference-in-montana/)
- [Irish ambassador in montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/irish-ambassador-in-montana/)
- [Great Northwest Oktoberfest](https://livelytimes.com/tag/great-northwest-oktoberfest/)
- [Hot Club of San Francisco](https://livelytimes.com/tag/hot-club-of-san-francisco/)
- [Debut Album](https://livelytimes.com/tag/debut-album/)
- [Great Falls Author](https://livelytimes.com/tag/great-falls-author/)
- [Mystery](https://livelytimes.com/tag/mystery/)
- [Mission Valley Music](https://livelytimes.com/tag/mission-valley-music/)
- [Storyhill](https://livelytimes.com/tag/storyhill/)
- [Climate Change](https://livelytimes.com/tag/climate-change/)
- [Mother Lode Theatre](https://livelytimes.com/tag/mother-lode-theatre/)
- [Montana performing arts](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-performing-arts/)
- [Celebrate Montana Art](https://livelytimes.com/tag/celebrate-montana-art/)
- [Montana Artrepreneur Program](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-artrepreneur-program/)
- [Montana Arts Council](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-arts-council/)
- [Montana Artists Gathering](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-artists-gathering/)
- [comedian Jay Leno](https://livelytimes.com/tag/comedian-jay-leno/)
- [Jay Leno at the Alberta Bair](https://livelytimes.com/tag/jay-leno-at-the-alberta-bair/)
- [comedy in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/comedy-in-montana/)
- [Cohesion Dance Project](https://livelytimes.com/tag/cohesion-dance-project/)
- [Nutcracker](https://livelytimes.com/tag/nutcracker/)
- [Nutcracker on the Rocks](https://livelytimes.com/tag/nutcracker-on-the-rocks/)
- [Banjo](https://livelytimes.com/tag/banjo/)
- [Kalispell Musician](https://livelytimes.com/tag/kalispell-musician/)
- [Billings Author](https://livelytimes.com/tag/billings-author/)
- [Craig Lancaster](https://livelytimes.com/tag/craig-lancaster/)
- [Edward Stanton](https://livelytimes.com/tag/edward-stanton/)
- [music in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/music-in-montana/)
- [Dolce Canto](https://livelytimes.com/tag/dolce-canto/)
- [choral music in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/choral-music-in-montana/)
- [Missouri Breaks](https://livelytimes.com/tag/missouri-breaks/)
- [Montana Mystery](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-mystery/)
- [Eureka Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/eureka-montana/)
- [Montana Rep](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-rep/)
- [Montana Repertory Theatre](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-repertory-theatre/)
- [Saturday Night Live Billings](https://livelytimes.com/tag/saturday-night-live-billings/)
- [bluegrass](https://livelytimes.com/tag/bluegrass/)
- [Sam Bush](https://livelytimes.com/tag/sam-bush/)
- [Mother Lode butte](https://livelytimes.com/tag/mother-lode-butte/)
- [Montana art auctions](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-art-auctions/)
- [John Zoltek](https://livelytimes.com/tag/john-zoltek/)
- [Montana symphony](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-symphony/)
- [Fort Benton](https://livelytimes.com/tag/fort-benton/)
- [The Russell](https://livelytimes.com/tag/the-russell/)
- [Hamilton](https://livelytimes.com/tag/hamilton/)
- [Red Light](https://livelytimes.com/tag/red-light/)
- [Lewis and Clark](https://livelytimes.com/tag/lewis-and-clark/)
- [Mission Valley](https://livelytimes.com/tag/mission-valley/)
- [History](https://livelytimes.com/tag/history/)
- [Lance Boyd](https://livelytimes.com/tag/lance-boyd/)
- [jazz in montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/jazz-in-montana/)
- [Pacific Northwest](https://livelytimes.com/tag/pacific-northwest/)
- [Volcanoes](https://livelytimes.com/tag/volcanoes/)
- [Access rights](https://livelytimes.com/tag/access-rights/)
- [Livingston](https://livelytimes.com/tag/livingston/)
- [Photography](https://livelytimes.com/tag/photography/)
- [Helena Writer](https://livelytimes.com/tag/helena-writer/)
- [Made in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/made-in-montana/)
- [March in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/march-in-montana/)
- [Western Heritage Artists](https://livelytimes.com/tag/western-heritage-artists/)
- [Montana jazz](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-jazz/)
- [Glacier Symphony](https://livelytimes.com/tag/glacier-symphony/)
- [Funk](https://livelytimes.com/tag/funk/)
- [Billings Musician](https://livelytimes.com/tag/billings-musician/)
- [Pete Fromm](https://livelytimes.com/tag/pete-fromm/)
- [Bob Marshall Wilderness](https://livelytimes.com/tag/bob-marshall-wilderness/)
- [Great Falls writers](https://livelytimes.com/tag/great-falls-writers/)
- [Bigfork author](https://livelytimes.com/tag/bigfork-author/)
- [Spice Shop Mysteries](https://livelytimes.com/tag/spice-shop-mysteries/)
- [Hooked: Fishing in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/hooked-fishing-in-montana/)
- [Montana fishing](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-fishing/)
- [Maclean](https://livelytimes.com/tag/maclean/)
- [Bonnie Raitt in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/bonnie-raitt-in-montana/)
- [Northwest Ballet Company](https://livelytimes.com/tag/northwest-ballet-company/)
- [Flathead dance](https://livelytimes.com/tag/flathead-dance/)
- [Spokane Symphony](https://livelytimes.com/tag/spokane-symphony/)
- [Cabaret: The Musical](https://livelytimes.com/tag/cabaret-the-musical/)
- [Cabaret in Whitefish](https://livelytimes.com/tag/cabaret-in-whitefish/)
- [Theatre in Whitefish](https://livelytimes.com/tag/theatre-in-whitefish/)
- [Artists Along the Bitterroot](https://livelytimes.com/tag/artists-along-the-bitterroot/)
- [Bitterroot artists](https://livelytimes.com/tag/bitterroot-artists/)
- [Tim Ryan Rouillier](https://livelytimes.com/tag/tim-ryan-rouillier/)
- [Play Me Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/play-me-montana/)
- [Montana musicals](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-musicals/)
- [Tedeschi Trucks](https://livelytimes.com/tag/tedeschi-trucks/)
- [Craft For Causes](https://livelytimes.com/tag/craft-for-causes/)
- [Kettlehouse Amphitheater](https://livelytimes.com/tag/kettlehouse-amphitheater/)
- [Montana Folk Festival](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-folk-festival/)
- [Butte music](https://livelytimes.com/tag/butte-music/)
- [Butte culture](https://livelytimes.com/tag/butte-culture/)
- [Butte dance](https://livelytimes.com/tag/butte-dance/)
- [Original Mine Yard](https://livelytimes.com/tag/original-mine-yard/)
- [“The Old Man and The River”](https://livelytimes.com/tag/the-old-man-and-the-river/)
- [Philip Aaberg](https://livelytimes.com/tag/philip-aaberg/)
- [Michael "Mokey" McNeill](https://livelytimes.com/tag/michael-mokey-mcneill/)
- [Bob Marshall Music Festival](https://livelytimes.com/tag/bob-marshall-music-festival/)
- [Butte Mining](https://livelytimes.com/tag/butte-mining/)
- [Helena Symphony](https://livelytimes.com/tag/helena-symphony/)
- [Symphony Under the Stars](https://livelytimes.com/tag/symphony-under-the-stars/)
- [Carroll College](https://livelytimes.com/tag/carroll-college/)
- [Fort Peck Theatre](https://livelytimes.com/tag/fort-peck-theatre/)
- [theater in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/theater-in-montana/)
- [Kettle house Amphitheater](https://livelytimes.com/tag/kettle-house-amphitheater/)
- [Lyle Lovett in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/lyle-lovett-in-montana/)
- [Ween in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/ween-in-montana/)
- [Tedeschi Truck](https://livelytimes.com/tag/tedeschi-truck/)
- [Red Ants Pants Music Festival](https://livelytimes.com/tag/red-ants-pants-music-festival/)
- [Lucinda Williams Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/lucinda-williams-montana/)
- [Asleep at the Wheel Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/asleep-at-the-wheel-montana/)
- [Montana CDs](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-cds/)
- [Always Patsy Cline](https://livelytimes.com/tag/always-patsy-cline/)
- [theater in whitefish](https://livelytimes.com/tag/theater-in-whitefish/)
- [Montana naturalism](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-naturalism/)
- [Craighead](https://livelytimes.com/tag/craighead/)
- [Environmentalism](https://livelytimes.com/tag/environmentalism/)
- [Craighead Institute](https://livelytimes.com/tag/craighead-institute/)
- [Festival Amadeus](https://livelytimes.com/tag/festival-amadeus/)
- [Classical music in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/classical-music-in-montana/)
- [Magic Flute in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/magic-flute-in-montana/)
- [Whitefish music festival](https://livelytimes.com/tag/whitefish-music-festival/)
- [music festivals in montanan](https://livelytimes.com/tag/music-festivals-in-montanan/)
- [Heart of the West](https://livelytimes.com/tag/heart-of-the-west/)
- [Art auction](https://livelytimes.com/tag/art-auction/)
- [art auction in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/art-auction-in-montana/)
- [Sam Riddle](https://livelytimes.com/tag/sam-riddle/)
- [Luna Roja](https://livelytimes.com/tag/luna-roja/)
- [Andrea Harsell](https://livelytimes.com/tag/andrea-harsell/)
- [Sandpiper Gallery](https://livelytimes.com/tag/sandpiper-gallery/)
- [Polson music](https://livelytimes.com/tag/polson-music/)
- [Big sky Classical Music Festival](https://livelytimes.com/tag/big-sky-classical-music-festival/)
- [Music in the Mountains](https://livelytimes.com/tag/music-in-the-mountains/)
- [Music at Big Sky](https://livelytimes.com/tag/music-at-big-sky/)
- [Bayern Brewing](https://livelytimes.com/tag/bayern-brewing/)
- [Craft Beer Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/craft-beer-montana/)
- [Montana Breweries](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-breweries/)
- [John Roberts](https://livelytimes.com/tag/john-roberts/)
- [Billings musicians](https://livelytimes.com/tag/billings-musicians/)
- [Bitterroot Celtic Games and Gathering](https://livelytimes.com/tag/bitterroot-celtic-games-and-gathering/)
- [Bitterroot Celtic](https://livelytimes.com/tag/bitterroot-celtic/)
- [Bitterroot Valley events](https://livelytimes.com/tag/bitterroot-valley-events/)
- [Daly Mansion](https://livelytimes.com/tag/daly-mansion/)
- [Kevin Canty](https://livelytimes.com/tag/kevin-canty/)
- [The Underworld Canty](https://livelytimes.com/tag/the-underworld-canty/)
- [Missoula writers](https://livelytimes.com/tag/missoula-writers/)
- [Ann Tappan](https://livelytimes.com/tag/ann-tappan/)
- [Craig Hall](https://livelytimes.com/tag/craig-hall/)
- [Montana jazz musicians](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-jazz-musicians/)
- [Bob Bowman](https://livelytimes.com/tag/bob-bowman/)
- [Adam Greenberg](https://livelytimes.com/tag/adam-greenberg/)
- [River City Roots Festival](https://livelytimes.com/tag/river-city-roots-festival/)
- [free music festival montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/free-music-festival-montana/)
- [John Jorgensen Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/john-jorgensen-montana/)
- [Anders Osborne](https://livelytimes.com/tag/anders-osborne/)
- [Jerry Douglas](https://livelytimes.com/tag/jerry-douglas/)
- [Jerry Douglas in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/jerry-douglas-in-montana/)
- [Bigfork music festival](https://livelytimes.com/tag/bigfork-music-festival/)
- [Montana 1917](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-1917/)
- [Montana History Conference](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-history-conference/)
- [Montana and the Great War](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-and-the-great-war/)
- [Beth Judy](https://livelytimes.com/tag/beth-judy/)
- [Bold Women in Montana History](https://livelytimes.com/tag/bold-women-in-montana-history/)
- [Bonnie Raitt in Billings](https://livelytimes.com/tag/bonnie-raitt-in-billings/)
- [Boz Scaggs in Billings](https://livelytimes.com/tag/boz-scaggs-in-billings/)
- [AJ Croce Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/aj-croce-montana/)
- [theater in Billings](https://livelytimes.com/tag/theater-in-billings/)
- [Yellowstone Ballet](https://livelytimes.com/tag/yellowstone-ballet/)
- [Nikita Kusurgashev](https://livelytimes.com/tag/nikita-kusurgashev/)
- [ballet in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/ballet-in-montana/)
- [Bruce Anfinson](https://livelytimes.com/tag/bruce-anfinson/)
- [Ballad of Minnie and Pearl](https://livelytimes.com/tag/ballad-of-minnie-and-pearl/)
- [Montana songwriters](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-songwriters/)
- [Festival of Thread](https://livelytimes.com/tag/festival-of-thread/)
- [Shane Center](https://livelytimes.com/tag/shane-center/)
- [Livingston events](https://livelytimes.com/tag/livingston-events/)
- [Norman Maclean Festival](https://livelytimes.com/tag/norman-maclean-festival/)
- [Norman Maclean in Seeley Lake](https://livelytimes.com/tag/norman-maclean-in-seeley-lake/)
- [Norman Maclean in Missoula](https://livelytimes.com/tag/norman-maclean-in-missoula/)
- [A River Runs Through It](https://livelytimes.com/tag/a-river-runs-through-it/)
- [Robert Redford](https://livelytimes.com/tag/robert-redford/)
- [Robert Redford in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/robert-redford-in-montana/)
- [Lemony Snicket in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/lemony-snicket-in-montana/)
- [Daniel Handler in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/daniel-handler-in-montana/)
- [Lemony Snicket’s Bewildering Circumstances](https://livelytimes.com/tag/lemony-snickets-bewildering-circumstances/)
- [C.M. Russell and the American West](https://livelytimes.com/tag/c-m-russell-and-the-american-west/)
- [Charlie Russell in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/charlie-russell-in-montana/)
- [Raise the Roof for the Russells](https://livelytimes.com/tag/raise-the-roof-for-the-russells/)
- [C.M. Russell Museum](https://livelytimes.com/tag/c-m-russell-museum/)
- [String Orchestra of the Rockies](https://livelytimes.com/tag/string-orchestra-of-the-rockies/)
- [John Lenti](https://livelytimes.com/tag/john-lenti/)
- [Brian Stucki](https://livelytimes.com/tag/brian-stucki/)
- [American String Project](https://livelytimes.com/tag/american-string-project/)
- [string music in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/string-music-in-montana/)
- [Buddha Garden](https://livelytimes.com/tag/buddha-garden/)
- [Festival of Peace](https://livelytimes.com/tag/festival-of-peace/)
- [Montana Peace Festival](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-peace-festival/)
- [Garden of One Thousand Buddhas](https://livelytimes.com/tag/garden-of-one-thousand-buddhas/)
- [Montana Clean Energy Fair. Montana Renewable Energy](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-clean-energy-fair-montana-renewable-energy/)
- [renewable energy in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/renewable-energy-in-montana/)
- [solar energy in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/solar-energy-in-montana/)
- [Missoula songwriters](https://livelytimes.com/tag/missoula-songwriters/)
- [Shadows of the Past](https://livelytimes.com/tag/shadows-of-the-past/)
- [Teton Medical Center](https://livelytimes.com/tag/teton-medical-center/)
- [art auctions in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/art-auctions-in-montana/)
- [Kristin Korb Trio](https://livelytimes.com/tag/kristin-korb-trio/)
- [Kristin Korb Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/kristin-korb-montana/)
- [Jazz bassist Kristin Korb](https://livelytimes.com/tag/jazz-bassist-kristin-korb/)
- [Alberta Bair concerts](https://livelytimes.com/tag/alberta-bair-concerts/)
- [Jane Smiley in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/jane-smiley-in-montana/)
- [Jim Robbins](https://livelytimes.com/tag/jim-robbins/)
- [Bill Kittredge](https://livelytimes.com/tag/bill-kittredge/)
- [Dan Brubeck Quartet](https://livelytimes.com/tag/dan-brubeck-quartet/)
- [Campfire Caravan](https://livelytimes.com/tag/campfire-caravan/)
- [Emerson Center](https://livelytimes.com/tag/emerson-center/)
- [Lil Smokies](https://livelytimes.com/tag/lil-smokies/)
- [Crow Stories](https://livelytimes.com/tag/crow-stories/)
- [Crow Reservation](https://livelytimes.com/tag/crow-reservation/)
- [film in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/film-in-montana/)
- [Montana documentaries](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-documentaries/)
- [photographer Sean Kernan](https://livelytimes.com/tag/photographer-sean-kernan/)
- [Lowell Jaeger](https://livelytimes.com/tag/lowell-jaeger/)
- [Montana Poet Laureate](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-poet-laureate/)
- [Author Jim Moore](https://livelytimes.com/tag/author-jim-moore/)
- [Bozeman authors](https://livelytimes.com/tag/bozeman-authors/)
- [8 Seconds](https://livelytimes.com/tag/8-seconds/)
- [Montana mystery novels](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-mystery-novels/)
- [John Lowell Band](https://livelytimes.com/tag/john-lowell-band/)
- [John Lowell Musicians](https://livelytimes.com/tag/john-lowell-musicians/)
- [Montana bands](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-bands/)
- [Montana Bluegrass](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-bluegrass/)
- [Dance Theatre of Harlem](https://livelytimes.com/tag/dance-theatre-of-harlem/)
- [Dance Theatre of Harlem in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/dance-theatre-of-harlem-in-montana/)
- [Bob Wire](https://livelytimes.com/tag/bob-wire/)
- [Edno Therriault](https://livelytimes.com/tag/edno-therriault/)
- [Acousticals](https://livelytimes.com/tag/acousticals/)
- [Richie Reinholdt](https://livelytimes.com/tag/richie-reinholdt/)
- [Britt Arnesen](https://livelytimes.com/tag/britt-arnesen/)
- [Chad Fadely](https://livelytimes.com/tag/chad-fadely/)
- [Britchy](https://livelytimes.com/tag/britchy/)
- [The Salamanders](https://livelytimes.com/tag/the-salamanders/)
- [family-friendly music](https://livelytimes.com/tag/family-friendly-music/)
- [Caroline Keys](https://livelytimes.com/tag/caroline-keys/)
- [Montana singer-songwriters](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-singer-songwriters/)
- [Flathead musicians](https://livelytimes.com/tag/flathead-musicians/)
- [Rick Tryon](https://livelytimes.com/tag/rick-tryon/)
- [Great Falls musicians](https://livelytimes.com/tag/great-falls-musicians/)
- [Halloween events in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/halloween-events-in-montana/)
- [Walking Out](https://livelytimes.com/tag/walking-out/)
- [Alex and Andrew Smith](https://livelytimes.com/tag/alex-and-andrew-smith/)
- [David Quammen](https://livelytimes.com/tag/david-quammen/)
- [Montana Film Festival](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-film-festival/)
- [Montana Film Office](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-film-office/)
- [Ahn Trio](https://livelytimes.com/tag/ahn-trio/)
- [Reynolds Recital Hall](https://livelytimes.com/tag/reynolds-recital-hall/)
- [Chamber Music in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/chamber-music-in-montana/)
- [Bitterroot Performing Arts Council](https://livelytimes.com/tag/bitterroot-performing-arts-council/)
- [Simply Three](https://livelytimes.com/tag/simply-three/)
- [Hamilton Performing Arts Center](https://livelytimes.com/tag/hamilton-performing-arts-center/)
- [Phoebe Hunt](https://livelytimes.com/tag/phoebe-hunt/)
- [Ellis Marsalis](https://livelytimes.com/tag/ellis-marsalis/)
- [Warren Miller in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/warren-miller-in-montana/)
- [Line of Descent](https://livelytimes.com/tag/line-of-descent/)
- [skiing in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/skiing-in-montana/)
- [snowboarding in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/snowboarding-in-montana/)
- [winter in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/winter-in-montana/)
- [Gary Ferguson](https://livelytimes.com/tag/gary-ferguson/)
- [Wildfire](https://livelytimes.com/tag/wildfire/)
- [Wildfire in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/wildfire-in-montana/)
- [Land on Fire](https://livelytimes.com/tag/land-on-fire/)
- [Common Ground Great Falls](https://livelytimes.com/tag/common-ground-great-falls/)
- [Common Ground band](https://livelytimes.com/tag/common-ground-band/)
- [Barbara Van Cleve](https://livelytimes.com/tag/barbara-van-cleve/)
- [Montana Photographers](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-photographers/)
- [Christopher Hahn](https://livelytimes.com/tag/christopher-hahn/)
- [Maestro](https://livelytimes.com/tag/maestro/)
- [Maestro Allan R. Scott](https://livelytimes.com/tag/maestro-allan-r-scott/)
- [Acrobatic Conundrum](https://livelytimes.com/tag/acrobatic-conundrum/)
- [circus arts in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/circus-arts-in-montana/)
- [performing arts in Whitefish](https://livelytimes.com/tag/performing-arts-in-whitefish/)
- [events in Whitefish](https://livelytimes.com/tag/events-in-whitefish/)
- [Flathead events](https://livelytimes.com/tag/flathead-events/)
- [A.J. Croce in Billings](https://livelytimes.com/tag/a-j-croce-in-billings/)
- [A.J. Croce in Missoula](https://livelytimes.com/tag/a-j-croce-in-missoula/)
- [A.J. Croce in Bozeman](https://livelytimes.com/tag/a-j-croce-in-bozeman/)
- [Croce in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/croce-in-montana/)
- [Last Chance New Play Fest](https://livelytimes.com/tag/last-chance-new-play-fest/)
- [AI Project](https://livelytimes.com/tag/ai-project/)
- [theater in Helena](https://livelytimes.com/tag/theater-in-helena/)
- [theatre in Helena](https://livelytimes.com/tag/theatre-in-helena/)
- [Montana playwrights](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-playwrights/)
- [Music in Helena](https://livelytimes.com/tag/music-in-helena/)
- [High Country Cowboys](https://livelytimes.com/tag/high-country-cowboys/)
- [Red Lodge musicians](https://livelytimes.com/tag/red-lodge-musicians/)
- [Fair Trade](https://livelytimes.com/tag/fair-trade/)
- [Fair Trade Market](https://livelytimes.com/tag/fair-trade-market/)
- [Christmas market](https://livelytimes.com/tag/christmas-market/)
- [Helena Fair Trade Market](https://livelytimes.com/tag/helena-fair-trade-market/)
- [Andy Hackbarth in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/andy-hackbarth-in-montana/)
- [Mission Valley Live](https://livelytimes.com/tag/mission-valley-live/)
- [Sanders County Performing Arts](https://livelytimes.com/tag/sanders-county-performing-arts/)
- [Judith Arts Society](https://livelytimes.com/tag/judith-arts-society/)
- [Rod Stewart Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/rod-stewart-montana/)
- [Rod Stewart Billings](https://livelytimes.com/tag/rod-stewart-billings/)
- [MCT Community Theatre](https://livelytimes.com/tag/mct-community-theatre/)
- [theatre in Missoula](https://livelytimes.com/tag/theatre-in-missoula/)
- [Missoula Children's Theatre](https://livelytimes.com/tag/missoula-childrens-theatre/)
- [Intermountain Festival of Trees](https://livelytimes.com/tag/intermountain-festival-of-trees/)
- [Helena Festival of Trees](https://livelytimes.com/tag/helena-festival-of-trees/)
- [Jingle Bell Jam](https://livelytimes.com/tag/jingle-bell-jam/)
- [Treble at the Jam Fest](https://livelytimes.com/tag/treble-at-the-jam-fest/)
- [Bigfork writers](https://livelytimes.com/tag/bigfork-writers/)
- [Montana mysteries](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-mysteries/)
- [Montana Ballet Nutcracker](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-ballet-nutcracker/)
- [Nutcracker in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/nutcracker-in-montana/)
- [Nutcracker in Bozeman](https://livelytimes.com/tag/nutcracker-in-bozeman/)
- [Nutcracker in Big Sky](https://livelytimes.com/tag/nutcracker-in-big-sky/)
- [Celtic Christmas Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/celtic-christmas-montana/)
- [Dublin Gulch](https://livelytimes.com/tag/dublin-gulch/)
- [Willson & McKee Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/willson-mckee-montana/)
- [Montana Christmas concert](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-christmas-concert/)
- [Cowboy Bob Benda and Gypsy Dust](https://livelytimes.com/tag/cowboy-bob-benda-and-gypsy-dust/)
- [Tiny Plastic Stars](https://livelytimes.com/tag/tiny-plastic-stars/)
- [Riley Roberts](https://livelytimes.com/tag/riley-roberts/)
- [Musical Dreamtime Journey](https://livelytimes.com/tag/musical-dreamtime-journey/)
- [Michael Marsolek](https://livelytimes.com/tag/michael-marsolek/)
- [Lawrence Duncan](https://livelytimes.com/tag/lawrence-duncan/)
- [First Night Missoula](https://livelytimes.com/tag/first-night-missoula/)
- [New year's eve Missoula](https://livelytimes.com/tag/new-years-eve-missoula/)
- [Arts Missoula](https://livelytimes.com/tag/arts-missoula/)
- [Rocky Mountain Ballet Theatre](https://livelytimes.com/tag/rocky-mountain-ballet-theatre/)
- [Dance in Missoula](https://livelytimes.com/tag/dance-in-missoula/)
- [Ballet Beyond Borders](https://livelytimes.com/tag/ballet-beyond-borders/)
- [BZN](https://livelytimes.com/tag/bzn/)
- [Bozeman film festival](https://livelytimes.com/tag/bozeman-film-festival/)
- [Montana film festivals](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-film-festivals/)
- [Musikanten Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/musikanten-montana/)
- [Montana Early Music Festival](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-early-music-festival/)
- [Kerry Krebill](https://livelytimes.com/tag/kerry-krebill/)
- [Maria Rose Wimmer](https://livelytimes.com/tag/maria-rose-wimmer/)
- [Suburban Whimsy](https://livelytimes.com/tag/suburban-whimsy/)
- [Paris Gibson Square](https://livelytimes.com/tag/paris-gibson-square/)
- [Art in Great Falls](https://livelytimes.com/tag/art-in-great-falls/)
- [Coeur d'Alene Blues Fest](https://livelytimes.com/tag/coeur-dalene-blues-fest/)
- [Ceramics in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/ceramics-in-montana/)
- [Montana ceramic artists](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-ceramic-artists/)
- [Beth Lo](https://livelytimes.com/tag/beth-lo/)
- [Missoula singers](https://livelytimes.com/tag/missoula-singers/)
- [Las Cafeteras](https://livelytimes.com/tag/las-cafeteras/)
- [Whitefish events](https://livelytimes.com/tag/whitefish-events/)
- [music in Whitefish](https://livelytimes.com/tag/music-in-whitefish/)
- [Bela Fleck](https://livelytimes.com/tag/bela-fleck/)
- [Bela Fleck in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/bela-fleck-in-montana/)
- [Concerts in Billings](https://livelytimes.com/tag/concerts-in-billings/)
- [concerts in montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/concerts-in-montana/)
- [Bozeman bands](https://livelytimes.com/tag/bozeman-bands/)
- [Winter ArtWalk](https://livelytimes.com/tag/winter-artwalk/)
- [Billings ArtWalk](https://livelytimes.com/tag/billings-artwalk/)
- [Montana art walks](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-art-walks/)
- [First Friday in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/first-friday-in-montana/)
- [guitar night in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/guitar-night-in-montana/)
- [guitar concerts in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/guitar-concerts-in-montana/)
- [guitar night Billings](https://livelytimes.com/tag/guitar-night-billings/)
- [guitar night Bozeman](https://livelytimes.com/tag/guitar-night-bozeman/)
- [guitar night Helena](https://livelytimes.com/tag/guitar-night-helena/)
- [Moscow Festival Ballet](https://livelytimes.com/tag/moscow-festival-ballet/)
- [dance in Billings](https://livelytimes.com/tag/dance-in-billings/)
- [East-West International](https://livelytimes.com/tag/east-west-international/)
- [Sergei Teleshev](https://livelytimes.com/tag/sergei-teleshev/)
- [Northeastern Arts Network](https://livelytimes.com/tag/northeastern-arts-network/)
- [Blue Armstrong](https://livelytimes.com/tag/blue-armstrong/)
- [Heath Watts](https://livelytimes.com/tag/heath-watts/)
- [Bright Yellow with Bass](https://livelytimes.com/tag/bright-yellow-with-bass/)
- [Montana jazz artists](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-jazz-artists/)
- [O'Shaughnessy Center Whitefish](https://livelytimes.com/tag/oshaughnessy-center-whitefish/)
- [Luke Dowler](https://livelytimes.com/tag/luke-dowler/)
- [Kalispell musicians](https://livelytimes.com/tag/kalispell-musicians/)
- [Montana recordings](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-recordings/)
- [Big Sky Documentary Film Festival](https://livelytimes.com/tag/big-sky-documentary-film-festival/)
- [film festivals in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/film-festivals-in-montana/)
- [film in Missoula](https://livelytimes.com/tag/film-in-missoula/)
- [Roxy Theater](https://livelytimes.com/tag/roxy-theater/)
- [Dr. Lonnie Smith](https://livelytimes.com/tag/dr-lonnie-smith/)
- [Music at the Myrna](https://livelytimes.com/tag/music-at-the-myrna/)
- [Jazz in Helena](https://livelytimes.com/tag/jazz-in-helena/)
- [Hammond B-3](https://livelytimes.com/tag/hammond-b-3/)
- [Music in Bozeman](https://livelytimes.com/tag/music-in-bozeman/)
- [Ellen Theatre](https://livelytimes.com/tag/ellen-theatre/)
- [Montana Ballet Company](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-ballet-company/)
- [dance in Bozeman](https://livelytimes.com/tag/dance-in-bozeman/)
- [Bozeman dance](https://livelytimes.com/tag/bozeman-dance/)
- [Bozeman Film Celebration](https://livelytimes.com/tag/bozeman-film-celebration/)
- [Film in Bozeman](https://livelytimes.com/tag/film-in-bozeman/)
- [Caroline Patterson](https://livelytimes.com/tag/caroline-patterson/)
- [Ballet at the Moose Lodge](https://livelytimes.com/tag/ballet-at-the-moose-lodge/)
- [Missoula books](https://livelytimes.com/tag/missoula-books/)
- [Zach Begler](https://livelytimes.com/tag/zach-begler/)
- [Holter Museum](https://livelytimes.com/tag/holter-museum/)
- [photography in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/photography-in-montana/)
- [Well-Strung Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/well-strung-montana/)
- [Ellen concerts](https://livelytimes.com/tag/ellen-concerts/)
- [MCT Center for the Performing Arts](https://livelytimes.com/tag/mct-center-for-the-performing-arts/)
- [39 Steps in Missoula](https://livelytimes.com/tag/39-steps-in-missoula/)
- [Big Sky Brewing Amphitheater](https://livelytimes.com/tag/big-sky-brewing-amphitheater/)
- [Missoula festivals](https://livelytimes.com/tag/missoula-festivals/)
- [music in Missoula](https://livelytimes.com/tag/music-in-missoula/)
- [Manitou Galleries](https://livelytimes.com/tag/manitou-galleries/)
- [Coeur d'Alene Art Auction](https://livelytimes.com/tag/coeur-dalene-art-auction/)
- [Aquila Theatre](https://livelytimes.com/tag/aquila-theatre/)
- [Hamlet in Billings](https://livelytimes.com/tag/hamlet-in-billings/)
- [theatre in Billings](https://livelytimes.com/tag/theatre-in-billings/)
- [Russell Skull Society](https://livelytimes.com/tag/russell-skull-society/)
- [Great Western Living and Design Show](https://livelytimes.com/tag/great-western-living-and-design-show/)
- [Bozeman writers](https://livelytimes.com/tag/bozeman-writers/)
- [Missoula Symphony Orchestra](https://livelytimes.com/tag/missoula-symphony-orchestra/)
- [classical music in Kalispell](https://livelytimes.com/tag/classical-music-in-kalispell/)
- [Behanding in Spokane](https://livelytimes.com/tag/behanding-in-spokane/)
- [Black Curtain Theatre Whitefish](https://livelytimes.com/tag/black-curtain-theatre-whitefish/)
- [live theatre in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/live-theatre-in-montana/)
- [Salsa Loca](https://livelytimes.com/tag/salsa-loca/)
- [Missoula bands](https://livelytimes.com/tag/missoula-bands/)
- [Creston Auction and Country Fair](https://livelytimes.com/tag/creston-auction-and-country-fair/)
- [In Seach of the Mount Cleveland Five by Terry Kennedy](https://livelytimes.com/tag/in-seach-of-the-mount-cleveland-five-by-terry-kennedy/)
- [Terry G. Kennedy](https://livelytimes.com/tag/terry-g-kennedy/)
- [Glacier Park](https://livelytimes.com/tag/glacier-park/)
- [Climbing in Glacier](https://livelytimes.com/tag/climbing-in-glacier/)
- [Tap Into Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/tap-into-montana/)
- [Livingston breweries](https://livelytimes.com/tag/livingston-breweries/)
- [Michael Martin Murphey](https://livelytimes.com/tag/michael-martin-murphey/)
- [Montana Troubadour Series](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-troubadour-series/)
- [Stage Stop Inn Choteau](https://livelytimes.com/tag/stage-stop-inn-choteau/)
- [festivals in Butte](https://livelytimes.com/tag/festivals-in-butte/)
- [music in Butte](https://livelytimes.com/tag/music-in-butte/)
- [John Floridis](https://livelytimes.com/tag/john-floridis/)
- [Montana albums](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-albums/)
- [ArtWalk Billings](https://livelytimes.com/tag/artwalk-billings/)
- [April Artwork](https://livelytimes.com/tag/april-artwork/)
- [artwalks in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/artwalks-in-montana/)
- [Big Head Todd](https://livelytimes.com/tag/big-head-todd/)
- [Amos Lee](https://livelytimes.com/tag/amos-lee/)
- [ZZ Top](https://livelytimes.com/tag/zz-top/)
- [Phillip Phillips](https://livelytimes.com/tag/phillip-phillips/)
- [Potsketch](https://livelytimes.com/tag/potsketch/)
- [Clay Studio of Missoula](https://livelytimes.com/tag/clay-studio-of-missoula/)
- [ceramics in Missoula](https://livelytimes.com/tag/ceramics-in-missoula/)
- [Missoula artists](https://livelytimes.com/tag/missoula-artists/)
- [Tim Kliphuis and Alfonso Ponticelli](https://livelytimes.com/tag/tim-kliphuis-and-alfonso-ponticelli/)
- [Gypsy jazz in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/gypsy-jazz-in-montana/)
- [International Wildlife Film Festival](https://livelytimes.com/tag/international-wildlife-film-festival/)
- [Missoula film](https://livelytimes.com/tag/missoula-film/)
- [Missoula film festivals](https://livelytimes.com/tag/missoula-film-festivals/)
- [Cabaret in Billings](https://livelytimes.com/tag/cabaret-in-billings/)
- [Gatsby in Whitefish](https://livelytimes.com/tag/gatsby-in-whitefish/)
- [Music festivals in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/music-festivals-in-montana/)
- [Clyde Aspevig](https://livelytimes.com/tag/clyde-aspevig/)
- [Disney's The Little Mermaid](https://livelytimes.com/tag/disneys-the-little-mermaid/)
- [Missoula theatre](https://livelytimes.com/tag/missoula-theatre/)
- [m-pact in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/m-pact-in-montana/)
- [Carousel for Missoula](https://livelytimes.com/tag/carousel-for-missoula/)
- [Larry Pirnie](https://livelytimes.com/tag/larry-pirnie/)
- [Pirnie's Ponies](https://livelytimes.com/tag/pirnies-ponies/)
- [Garden City BrewFest](https://livelytimes.com/tag/garden-city-brewfest/)
- [Missoula beer](https://livelytimes.com/tag/missoula-beer/)
- [beer fest in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/beer-fest-in-montana/)
- [chefs in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/chefs-in-montana/)
- [restaurants in Whitefish](https://livelytimes.com/tag/restaurants-in-whitefish/)
- [great food in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/great-food-in-montana/)
- [Chris Lane Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/chris-lane-montana/)
- [Missoula songwriter Chris Lane](https://livelytimes.com/tag/missoula-songwriter-chris-lane/)
- [Crazy Mountain Fiber Fest](https://livelytimes.com/tag/crazy-mountain-fiber-fest/)
- [Big Timber](https://livelytimes.com/tag/big-timber/)
- [fiber arts Big Timber](https://livelytimes.com/tag/fiber-arts-big-timber/)
- [fiber arts Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/fiber-arts-montana/)
- [Charles M. Russell](https://livelytimes.com/tag/charles-m-russell/)
- [Barenaked Ladies Missoula](https://livelytimes.com/tag/barenaked-ladies-missoula/)
- [Lively Times drawings](https://livelytimes.com/tag/lively-times-drawings/)
- [Andre Veloz](https://livelytimes.com/tag/andre-veloz/)
- [Treme Brass Band](https://livelytimes.com/tag/treme-brass-band/)
- [festivals in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/festivals-in-montana/)
- [summer music festivals](https://livelytimes.com/tag/summer-music-festivals/)
- [Supaman](https://livelytimes.com/tag/supaman/)
- [Urinetown](https://livelytimes.com/tag/urinetown/)
- [BZN International Film Festival](https://livelytimes.com/tag/bzn-international-film-festival/)
- [movies in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/movies-in-montana/)
- [Downtown Billings ArtWalk](https://livelytimes.com/tag/downtown-billings-artwalk/)
- [art walk in Billings](https://livelytimes.com/tag/art-walk-in-billings/)
- [Billings art walk](https://livelytimes.com/tag/billings-art-walk/)
- [First Friday art walk](https://livelytimes.com/tag/first-friday-art-walk/)
- [Giselle in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/giselle-in-montana/)
- [Yellowstone Ballet Company](https://livelytimes.com/tag/yellowstone-ballet-company/)
- [Mathilde Froustey](https://livelytimes.com/tag/mathilde-froustey/)
- [Carrie Le Seur](https://livelytimes.com/tag/carrie-le-seur/)
- [Billings authors](https://livelytimes.com/tag/billings-authors/)
- [Billings writers](https://livelytimes.com/tag/billings-writers/)
- [Weight of an Infinite Sky](https://livelytimes.com/tag/weight-of-an-infinite-sky/)
- [Chris Bianco](https://livelytimes.com/tag/chris-bianco/)
- [wedding music](https://livelytimes.com/tag/wedding-music/)
- [Summer theatre in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/summer-theatre-in-montana/)
- [theatre in Bigfork](https://livelytimes.com/tag/theatre-in-bigfork/)
- [Sweet Grass Fest](https://livelytimes.com/tag/sweet-grass-fest/)
- [Big Timber Rodeo](https://livelytimes.com/tag/big-timber-rodeo/)
- [Band of Drifters](https://livelytimes.com/tag/band-of-drifters/)
- [Robbie Walden Band](https://livelytimes.com/tag/robbie-walden-band/)
- [Tylor and the Train Robbers](https://livelytimes.com/tag/tylor-and-the-train-robbers/)
- [Kimberly Dunn](https://livelytimes.com/tag/kimberly-dunn/)
- [Kyle Park](https://livelytimes.com/tag/kyle-park/)
- [live theater in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/live-theater-in-montana/)
- [MudSlide Charley](https://livelytimes.com/tag/mudslide-charley/)
- [Roundup Independence Days](https://livelytimes.com/tag/roundup-independence-days/)
- [Ronnie McDowell](https://livelytimes.com/tag/ronnie-mcdowell/)
- [Roundup MT](https://livelytimes.com/tag/roundup-mt/)
- [Fourth of July in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/fourth-of-july-in-montana/)
- [Othello](https://livelytimes.com/tag/othello/)
- [Love's Labour's Lost](https://livelytimes.com/tag/loves-labours-lost/)
- [Shakespeare in montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/shakespeare-in-montana/)
- [summer theater in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/summer-theater-in-montana/)
- [Art in the Beartooths](https://livelytimes.com/tag/art-in-the-beartooths/)
- [Depot Gallery Red Lodge](https://livelytimes.com/tag/depot-gallery-red-lodge/)
- [Events in Red Lodge](https://livelytimes.com/tag/events-in-red-lodge/)
- [Carbon County Arts Guild](https://livelytimes.com/tag/carbon-county-arts-guild/)
- [Port Polson Players](https://livelytimes.com/tag/port-polson-players/)
- [Theater in Polson](https://livelytimes.com/tag/theater-in-polson/)
- [After the Ball](https://livelytimes.com/tag/after-the-ball/)
- [Foxfire](https://livelytimes.com/tag/foxfire/)
- [Souvenir](https://livelytimes.com/tag/souvenir/)
- [Neal and Karen Lewing](https://livelytimes.com/tag/neal-and-karen-lewing/)
- [Lochwood](https://livelytimes.com/tag/lochwood/)
- [Michael Lowney](https://livelytimes.com/tag/michael-lowney/)
- [First You Dream](https://livelytimes.com/tag/first-you-dream/)
- [Cookin' on the Clark Fork](https://livelytimes.com/tag/cookin-on-the-clark-fork/)
- [barbecue in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/barbecue-in-montana/)
- [brews in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/brews-in-montana/)
- [Deer Lodge events](https://livelytimes.com/tag/deer-lodge-events/)
- [Helena Community Credit Union](https://livelytimes.com/tag/helena-community-credit-union/)
- [Yaak River Fest](https://livelytimes.com/tag/yaak-river-fest/)
- [Yaak River Tavern](https://livelytimes.com/tag/yaak-river-tavern/)
- [Brunswick Artists’ Studios](https://livelytimes.com/tag/brunswick-artists-studios/)
- [Brunswick Building Missoula](https://livelytimes.com/tag/brunswick-building-missoula/)
- [Leslie van Stavern Millar](https://livelytimes.com/tag/leslie-van-stavern-millar/)
- [Wylie and the Wild West](https://livelytimes.com/tag/wylie-and-the-wild-west/)
- [Theory of a Deadman](https://livelytimes.com/tag/theory-of-a-deadman/)
- [Adelita's Way](https://livelytimes.com/tag/adelitas-way/)
- [Tim Fain](https://livelytimes.com/tag/tim-fain/)
- [Inbal Segev](https://livelytimes.com/tag/inbal-segev/)
- [Alon Goldstein](https://livelytimes.com/tag/alon-goldstein/)
- [David Ackroyd](https://livelytimes.com/tag/david-ackroyd/)
- [Raso Hultgren](https://livelytimes.com/tag/raso-hultgren/)
- [Nicole Dunn](https://livelytimes.com/tag/nicole-dunn/)
- [art walks in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/art-walks-in-montana/)
- [art in Billings](https://livelytimes.com/tag/art-in-billings/)
- [Billings art](https://livelytimes.com/tag/billings-art/)
- [Northwest Montana Fair and Rodeo](https://livelytimes.com/tag/northwest-montana-fair-and-rodeo/)
- [Kalispell fairgrounds](https://livelytimes.com/tag/kalispell-fairgrounds/)
- [Flathead County Fairgrounds](https://livelytimes.com/tag/flathead-county-fairgrounds/)
- [fairs in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/fairs-in-montana/)
- [Josh Turner in Montana](https://livelytimes.com/tag/josh-turner-in-montana/)
- [Swan Lake Huckleberry Fest](https://livelytimes.com/tag/swan-lake-huckleberry-fest/)
- [huckleberry festivals](https://livelytimes.com/tag/huckleberry-festivals/)
- [Montana huckleberries](https://livelytimes.com/tag/montana-huckleberries/)
- [Swan Lake MT](https://livelytimes.com/tag/swan-lake-mt/)
- [Poet Vic Charlo](https://livelytimes.com/tag/poet-vic-charlo/)
- [Salish poets](https://livelytimes.com/tag/salish-poets/)
- [John Heminway](https://livelytimes.com/tag/john-heminway/)
- [Anne Spoerry](https://livelytimes.com/tag/anne-spoerry/)
- [In Full Flight John Heminway](https://livelytimes.com/tag/in-full-flight-john-heminway/)
- [Art Kehler](https://livelytimes.com/tag/art-kehler/)
- [Hollowtop Smoke Signals](https://livelytimes.com/tag/hollowtop-smoke-signals/)
- [Raven Publishing](https://livelytimes.com/tag/raven-publishing/)
- [Sneed Collard](https://livelytimes.com/tag/sneed-collard/)
- [Woodpeckers](https://livelytimes.com/tag/woodpeckers/)
- [Jan Elpel](https://livelytimes.com/tag/jan-elpel/)
- [Butte books](https://livelytimes.com/tag/butte-books/)
- [Moonlight Musicfest](https://livelytimes.com/tag/moonlight-musicfest/)
- [Big Sky Resort](https://livelytimes.com/tag/big-sky-resort/)
- [Moonlight Basin](https://livelytimes.com/tag/moonlight-basin/)