MOONLIGHT MUSICFEST
BIG SKY – Backdropped by
spectacular 360-degree views of Lone Mountain and the Spanish Peaks found only
at Big Sky Resort’s Madison Village, Moonlight MusicFest is returning to Big
Sky this year with a whole new lineup of local and national acts.
This second iteration of the
festival will feature 10 bands with music for everyone ranging across many
different genres, including blues, soul, bluegrass, reggae, zydeco and good old
rock and roll.
In addition to great bands, the
festival features a vendor row with food and beverage trucks, cool festival merchandise,
a “Fun & Games” area for kids big and small and much more. Bring your chairs or a blanket, and plan to relax
for the entire day, as you won’t want to miss a single minute of the jam-packed
musical action. Several of last year’s festivalgoers have described it as the
“best festival ever” due to the unique
combination of spectacular scenery, over the top music and a whole lot of
dancing.
Over the next few months, the
Moonlight MusicFest team will introduce you to all the bands that will be
traveling from far and wide to come play at the Moonlight MusicFest, starting
with Satsang, Trampled by Turtles, The Dusty Pockets and The Wood Brothers.
SATSANG
Satsang is a power trio from Red Lodge, known for a unique blend of
soul, folk rock, and hip-hop, with lyrics rooted in change, growth, awareness
and imperfection.
Their live shows embody everything the band’s Hindi name suggests:
gatherings of people where truths are assimilated and shared, with rhythms that
keep everyone on their feet and lyrics that leave audiences craving active and
positive change.
Satsang has toured all over the country and has shared the stage with
the likes of Michael Franti & Spearhead, Steel Pulse, Wookiefoot, Nahko and
Medicine for the People, Trevor Hall and Chris Berry.
Lead singer and songwriter Drew McManus creates music for his soul,
fueled by moments of personal growth and the beautiful life that he’s forged in
the Beartooth Mountains, a starkly different reality than that of his urban
upbringing.
“I grew up in an environment where aggression, violence, abuse and
addiction were always present. It made me a lot of things; angry, sad and
ashamed. I hated my story and I was a slave to addiction. I tried for so long
to hide from the reality of my story and the reality of how beautiful life
could be,” McManus said.
An intense spiritual experience led Drew to break his cycle of
addiction.
“I had changed my entire outlook on everything,” McManus said. “I
began to realize that had everything not happened to me exactly like it did, I
would not be exactly who, where, what I am right now.”
In an effort to share his
revelation with others who may be in similar predicaments, Drew began to write
every day.
“I was flooded with the urge to write down the lessons that kept
revealing themselves in this surrender. And the connections I began making with
other people by making this music vulnerable and open began to change
everything.”
Now, fresh out of the studio after releasing their third full-length
studio album, Satsang enters a new year with a quiver of fresh tunes, poised
for even more magical moments.
Catch Satsang, the opening act of Moonlight MusicFest, Aug. 16 at 4:00
p.m.
THE WOOD
BROTHERS
Dubbed “masters of soulful folk” by Paste Magazine, 2019
Grammy nominees The Wood Brothers are returning to the Moonlight MusicFest for
a second year of musical exhibition.
The Wood Brothers, based out of Nashville, are made up of Chris and
Oliver Wood and Jano Rix, and boast a unique sound that blends blues, R&B,
folk and jazz influences. The band is currently touring in support of their
2018 album “One Drop Of Truth,” which
garnered them a Grammy Award nomination for Best Americana Album.
“It’s the freest album we’ve done, the most independent album we’ve
done and was the most fun we’ve ever had making a record,” Oliver said.
Oliver
Wood crafted his talents as a musician in Atlanta, initially touring with
Tinsley Ellis, then with his own band, King Johnson, producing six albums over
a twelve-year period.
“His guitar work is reminiscent of Hendrix’s aggressive blues-acid and
the twangs of Robbie Robertson,” wrote Relix Magazine.
Brother Chris, meanwhile, moved to Boston to study jazz bass at the
New England Conservatory. He eventually became the “Wood” component of Medeski
Martin & Wood; he is arguably one of the hottest and most talented bassists
in music today.
The third “brother,” Jano Rix, brings the kind of excitement and
innovation to percussion that Les Paul brought to the guitar.
“It’s a little unusual to have the same band play at a festival two years in a
row, but we decided we had to invite them back; everyone just had so much fun
when they were on stage,” says LynnAnne Hagar, director and organizer of
the Moonlight MusicFest. “If you’ve never seen the Wood Brothers perform,
do not miss out this year. They put on a great show.”
The Wood Brothers will perform on Aug. 17.
TRAMPLED BY TURTLES
After 15 years of recording and
performing high-energy live shows, Trampled by Turtleshave built a
large and loyal fan base that packs venues to the max.
Hailing from Duluth, Minnesota,
the band’s musical styling can often be a bit hard to define. Bluegrass
may be the most appropriate term, but from purists to even the newgrass
jammers, many would say that’s not exactly the right term when it comes to
Trampled by Turtles.
And many of their songs place them in the “Americana” territory, but
that doesn’t account for when they go on a blazing tear at a tempo usually
reserved for punk. You just have to listen to understand.
The band recorded several
albums, including “Palomino,”
which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Bluegrass chart, remaining in the top 10
for over a year. Two years later,“Stars
and Satellites” landed them at the top of Billboard’s Pop charts. They
have been favorites at Coachella, Bumbershoot and Lollapalooza festivals, and
Rolling Stone said that their latest album “Life Is Good On The Open Roads,” “balances both delicate ballads
and loose, upbeat romps, with frontman Dave
Simonett’s strident voice connecting the dots.”
The band is as
eager to play in the Treasure State as fans, both new and old, are to see them
live right in our backyard.
“Montana was the
first destination of our second ever tour in the spring of ’05. We fell in love
with it then and have always felt the love in return whenever we make it back,” said Trampled by Turtles mandolin player Erik
Berry.
THE DUSTY
POCKETS
The Dusty Pockets’ self invented genre, “recreational Americana,” is
indicative of the band’s mission to make seriously good music and have fun at
the same time, and with this tool in the belt, the band tells meaningful
stories, delivered with grit, wrapped in beautiful melodies and driven by
powerful grooves.
Their debut release, “Hard
Line,” is a ten-song album that cherry-picks from the band’s wide
and ever-growing catalog of original songs. Centered on a strong foundation of
American musical traditions, the band’s output showcases a collection of tunes
that scratch the itch for twang, soul, and rock and roll all at once.
The Dusty Pockets is comprised of vocalist and guitarist Dave Walther, guitarist
Matt Rogers, keyboardist Garret Rhinard, bassist and vocalist John
Alex Griffith and drummer and vocalist Joe Sheehan. The band currently works in their own purpose-built
recording studio outside Bozeman, which allows the multi-talented band members—who
are also capable sound engineers—to record their own projects.
The Dusty Pockets continue to
find themselves playing on larger bills this summer around Montana, including
the second annual Moonlight MusicFest.
“We’re really honored to play
Moonlight this year,” says Walther. “Some of our favorite artists are on the
lineup and it’s in our own beautiful backyard.”
Stay tuned for information on the remaining bands. Music samples, festival info and tickets can all be found at moonlightmusicfest.com. Kids under 12 are free and student discounts are offered.
