EBS STAFF
The Arts Council of Big Sky’s Music in the Mountains Thursday night concert series comes to a close with Americana folk outfit Ghost of Paul Revere on Aug. 24, and the Latin-infused sounds of Con Brio on Aug. 31.
Born on the banks of the Saco River, and brothers in all but name, the Ghost of Paul Revere is a popular Maine “holler-folk” band. This powerful, energetic, nontraditional American folk band has become a favorite among New Englanders for their harmony-fueled, heart-pounding performances and distinctive songs.
Childhood friends Max Davis, Sean McCarthy, and Griffin Sherry are joined by Matt Young on harmonica to form the Ghost of Paul Revere. The group played their first show together in 2011 at a tiny bar in Portland, Maine. Now, they play across the nation, bringing their unique “holler-folk” into houses, bars and music halls. They have shared the stage with the Avett Brothers, The Travelin’ McCourys, Brown Bird, Spirit Family Reunion, Darlingside, as well as members of Greensky Bluegrass, the Infamous Stringdusters, and Old Crow Medicine Show.
Their Billboard-charting album “Believe,” and their two EPs “North” and “Field Notes Vol. 1,” have been top-selling local albums in Maine and New Hampshire for more than four years. The Ghost of Paul Revere has sold out Port City Music Hall, Stone Mountain Arts Center, and the Strand Theater multiple times, and won Best in Maine at the 2014 New England Music Awards. The band was an official showcase at Folk Alliance International 2015 and made their Newport Folk Festival debut in August 2015. They capped off 2015 with an electrifying headline performance on New Year’s Eve at Portland’s State Theatre for 1,600 enthusiastic fans.
In 2016, while also touring nationally, they returned to the studio to craft their second full length album, engineered by Jonathan Wyman at Halo Studios and mastered by Adam Ayan of Gateway Mastering.
Music in the Mountains culminates on the last Thursday in August with Con Brio, a band of seven musicians with diverse backgrounds who share a love for the vibrant Bay Area funk and psychedelic-soul sound pioneered by groups like Sly & the Family Stone.
Con Brio formed in 2013 and by 2015, when the band self-produced their debut EP, “Kiss the Sun,” they had already become renowned on the West Coast for their magnetic live shows, and lead singer Ziek McCarter’s swiveling hips, splits and backflips that earn him frequent comparisons to a young Michael Jackson or James Brown.
After a busy 2015 touring the U.S. and Europe playing alongside veteran acts Galactic and Fishbone, and racking up critical acclaim on programs like Austin City Limits—where PopMatters declared Con Brio “the best new live band in America”—they headed home to transform their momentum, chemistry and live sound into a full-length record.
In the second half of 2016, Con Brio embarked on a heavy international touring schedule, including stops at many of the major American music festivals including Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Summerfest and San Francisco’s own Outside Lands. Abroad they performed at Fuji Rock, Japan’s largest annual music event; Montreal Jazz Fest; the North Sea Jazz Festival in the Netherlands; London; and Paris.
Big Sky Town Center Park and food and beverage vendors open at 6 p.m. with music beginning at 7 p.m. The Arts Council of Big Sky asks that no dogs or glass containers are brought into the park. For more information visit bigskyarts.org.
