Kitchen Dwellers kick off summer concert series June 21
ARTS COUNCIL OF BIG SKY
On May 17, The Arts Council of Big Sky announced the lineup for the 2018 Music in the Mountains summer concert series at Center Stage in Town Center Park. From June 21 through Aug. 30, there will be 15 free events, including 11 Thursday night concerts, the eighth annual Big Sky Classical Music Festival and a performance from Montana Shakespeare in the Parks.
ACBS kicks off the summer concert series with the Bozeman-based Kitchen Dwellers on Thursday, June 21. The quartet is gaining a reputation for high-energy live performances and a unique approach to traditional music that fans have dubbed Galaxy Grass. Formed while attending college at Montana State University, the group quickly climbed the ranks of the bluegrass music scene, sharing the stage with popular acts such as Railroad Earth, Greensky Bluegrass, The Infamous Stringdusters and Twiddle.
In 2017 the Kitchen Dwellers released their second studio album, “Ghost in the Bottle,” which continues to push the boundaries of their genre. Big Sky’s The Well opens the evening with a lively set featuring original music and select cover songs. This concert is part of the second annual Big Sky Soul Shine event, put on in conjunction with the Hungry Moose Market and Deli.
Music in the Mountains continues on June 28 when Josh Hoyer and Soul Colossal bring their funky blend of R&B and soul to Center Stage. In their high-energy live shows, Hoyer’s (a former contestant on The Voice) honest lyrics and soulful vocals merge with the talents of his bandmates to create an electric chemistry. According to No Depression magazine, “If James Brown and Otis Redding had a love child, it would be Josh Hoyer. The Lincoln, Nebraska, soul shouter, and his band of merry soulsters, Soul Colossal, deliver a sound so big, so funky, so wring-the-sweat-out-of-you energetic that it reaches through the speakers and shakes you until you start moving to its groove.”
Other weekly concerts throughout the summer include The Tiny Band on July 4; Mandolin Orange with special guest Joe Pug on July 5; Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds on July 12; Polyrhythmics on July 19; Shovels & Rope on July 26; Cordovas on August 2; The Elders on August 9; Jeff Austin Band with special guests Two Bit Franks on August 16; The Dustbowl Revival on August 23; and Pinky and the Floyd on August 30.
In addition, the eighth annual Big Sky Classical Music Festival, with special guests Angella Ahn, Bella Hristova and Time for Three, will take place Aug. 10-12. Montana Shakespeare in the Parks will perform in the park on July 31, and the third annual Mountainfilm on Tour caps the summer on Sept. 14-16.
Town Center park opens at 6 p.m. for each concert, with the music starting at 7:15 p.m. There will be a variety of food and beverage vendors, as well as an arts activity tent for kids. Dogs are not allowed in the concert area.
Visit bigskyarts.org for more information.
