Uncategorized
Lil Smokies Q & A
Published
7 years agoon
Posted By
Outlaw PartnersLil Smokies’ dobroist Andy Dunnigan on life on the road—and not being a bluegrass band
By Sarah Gianelli EBS Associate Editor
BIG SKY – The Missoula-based Lil Smokies kick off Big Sky’s widely-anticipated Music in the Mountains summer concert series on Thursday, June 22. In recent years, recognition from the International Bluegrass Music Association and the Telluride Bluegrass Festival has catapulted the quintet to the next level of professional musicianship.
EBS caught up with dobroist and founding band member Andy Dunnigan mid-tour “somewhere in northern Illinois” on May 31. The Whitefish, Montana, native, whose chosen instrument is an acoustic cousin of the pedal steel guitar, talked about the reality of being on tour, trying not to be a bluegrass band, and how good it feels to come back home.
Explore Big Sky: Any stand-out moments from the tour thus far?
Andy Dunnegan: We played a gigantic festival in Illinois called Summer Camp, alongside a lot of our musical heroes. We rolled in moments after it was announced that Greg Allman had passed away and proceeded to watch multiple sets paying tribute to him, including the Infamous Stringdusters and Gov’t Mule.
It was definitely a heavy day, but the silver lining was seeing some incredibly passionate and emotionally-driven performances.
EBS: Last year you played something like 176 shows, spending nearly 200 days of the year on the road. How are you adjusting to touring life?
AD: I think we’re all starting to realize how wholly-consuming the touring life is—it’s a gigantic sacrifice. I think it really sank in the last couple months for us collectively. That said, we couldn’t be happier and more grateful for this opportunity.
EBS: Why the dobro?
AD: I had an emotional connection with the dobro—it was such an expressive instrument. Much more than all the other instruments I was playing earlier on. It sounded like somebody crying at times. Men aren’t supposed to cry in public so perhaps it was my way around the rule.
EBS: Are you looking forward to getting back to Montana?
AD: Definitely—even more so now than ever. We’ve been hitting the road so hard this year; I think we’re a lot more appreciative of our time home, especially in the summer—we all know how magical Montana is in the summer. We’re really looking forward to playing these stages, and seeing our friends and family…and our own beds.
EBS: How would you describe The Lil Smokies’ sound?
AD: That’s always slightly hard to answer. Broadly speaking, It’s progressive acoustic … I tend to stay away from “bluegrass” because there is such a stigma behind traditional bluegrass music. We’re trying to put a new twist on an old genre. We all play traditional bluegrass instruments, but if you dissect [our music] melodically, lyrically, there’s a lot more going on. We’re trying our damnedest to not be a bluegrass band, but simultaneously pay homage to the roots of the tradition that got us here. We’re searching for sonic genre transcendence.
EBS: Where do you see The Lil Smokies going from here?
AD: Oh, the mystery. We’re in this for the long haul, literally and metaphorically. Touring has been such an incredible experience; I think we’re all getting thoroughly addicted to the unknown and the adventure that comes along with this lifestyle.
The Outlaw Partners is a creative marketing, media and events company based in Big Sky, Montana.
Upcoming Events
april, 2024
Event Type :
All
All
Arts
Education
Music
Other
Sports
Event Details
Children turning 5 on or before 9/10/2024:
more
Event Details
Children turning 5 on or before
9/10/2024: Kindergarten
enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year can be completed by following the
registration process now.
Children
born on or after September 11, 2019: 4K enrollment is now open for
families that have a 4-year-old they would like to enroll in our program for
the 2023-2024 school year. Please complete the 4K Interest Form to
express your interest. Completing this form does not guarantee enrollment into
the 4K program. Enrollment is capped at twenty 4-year-olds currently
residing within Big Sky School District boundary full time and will be
determined by birth date in calendar order of those born on or after September
11, 2018. Interest form closes on May 30th.
Enrollment now is critical for fall preparations. Thank you!
Time
February 26 (Monday) - April 21 (Sunday)
Event Details
Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm We will combine the heart-opening powers of cacao with the transcendental powers of breathwork and sound. Together, these practices will give us the opportunity for a deep
more
Event Details
Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm
Time
March 23 (Saturday) 6:00 pm - April 23 (Tuesday) 8:00 pm
Location
Santosha Wellness Center
169 Snowy Mountain Circle
Event Details
We all are familiar with using a limited palette, but do you use one? Do you know how to use a
more
Event Details
We all are familiar with using a limited palette, but do you use one? Do you know how to use a limited palette to create different color combinations? Are you tired of carrying around 15-20 different tubes when you paint plein air? Have you ever wanted to create a certain “mood” in a painting but failed? Do you create a lot of mud? Do you struggle to achieve color harmony? All these problems are addressed in John’s workbook in clear and concise language!
Based on the bestselling “Limited Palatte, Unlimited Color” workbook written by John Pototschnik, the workshop is run by Maggie Shane and Annie McCoy, accomplished landscape (acrylic) and plein air (oil) artists,exhibitors at the Big Sky Artists’ Studio & Gallery and members of the Big Sky Artists Collective.
Each student will receive a copy of “Limited Palette, Unlimited Color” to keep and take home to continue your limited palette journey. We will show you how to use the color wheel and mix your own clean mixtures to successfully create a mood for your paintings.
Each day, we will create a different limited palette color chart and paint a version of a simple landscape using John’s directives. You will then be able to go home and paint more schemes using the book for guidance.
Workshop is open to painters (oil or acrylic) of any level although students must have some basic knowledge of the medium he or she uses. Students will be provided the book ($92 value), color wheel, value scale and canvas papers to complete the daily exercises.
Sundays, April 14, 21 and 28, 2024
Noon until 6PM.
$170.
Time
14 (Sunday) 12:00 pm - 28 (Sunday) 6:00 pm
Event Details
Come join us at Cowboy Coffee as we celebrate a fun night of drinks, games, and meeting others within the community. This event is from 6-8 and all are welcome
Event Details
Come join us at Cowboy Coffee as we celebrate a fun night of drinks, games, and meeting others within the community. This event is from 6-8 and all are welcome to come, if you don’t know who to bring come alone this is a great mixer event! This is an event hosted by Big Sky OUT as we work to provide queer safe spaces throughout the community.
Time
(Sunday) 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Location
Cowboy Coffee
25 Town Center Ave. Big Sky, MT 59716