EBS STAFF
On June 29 and July 15, the Warren Miller Performing Arts Center will host a pair of summer concerts on the WMPAC stage. Both shows will be acoustic and held indoors to optimize acoustic sound as part of a new “Summer Unplugged” series.
“Genre-bending” mandolinist and singer-songwriter Chris Thile will play on Saturday, June 29, and Nashville-based trio The Lone Bellow will follow on Monday, July 15, according to a WMPAC press release. Both shows will begin at 8 p.m., with tickets on sale now for a 15% discount on individual tickets, or a 20% discount for the two-show package, until June 1.
The press release emphasized the advantages of seeing these artists live at WMPAC’s indoor venue, which supports the “artistic experience” with a small, seated, intimate environment and rare acoustic presentation.
“Our venue allows you to hear every single note that these masters play, which makes it even more special,” John Zirkle, WMPAC executive director, stated in the release. “Seeing venerated touring artists in an intimate venue is something akin to a summit experience, where your senses are fully present and crackling in the moment.”
Chris Thile brings a celebrated background, including a hand in four Grammy Awards with musicians such as Yo-Yo Ma and Edgar Meyer. The Guardian called him “that rare being: an all-round musician who can settle into any style, from bluegrass the classical,” and NPR called him a “genre-defying musical genius,” according to the release. Thile was actually awarded a “genius grant” from the MacArthur Foundation in 2012.
“With his broad musical outlook and unprecedented arrangements, Thile creates a distinctly American canon and a new musical aesthetic for performers and audiences alike,” the release stated.
He released Laysongs in 2021, his first entirely solo album including six original songs and three covers, “all of which contextualize and banter with his ideas about spirituality,” the release stated.
The Lone Bellow is known for “transcendent harmonies, serious musicianship and raucous live performance,” according to the release. NPR called their performance “earnest and magnetic folk-pop built to shake the rafters.”
Since emerging in 2013, the band has released five albums, working with “legendary” music producers Dave Cobb and Aaron Dessner, of The National, and touring with artists such as Maren Morris and Kacey Musgraves. They look forward to bringing their lively sound to Big Sky’s WMPAC stage in July.
Zirkle explained the new concept of “Summer Unplugged” indoor concerts in an email to EBS. He said the acoustics of WMPAC’s theater create a high-quality listening experience—just the artists, their instruments and the audience—in an intimate setting. He added that indoor summer shows might be best enjoyed after a day spent outdoors.
“‘Unplug This Summer’ is the call to action to our patrons,” Zirkle wrote. “It’s a compliment to the high energy that already is abounding throughout the summer music scene in Big Sky. Ours is a light touch. We’re only presenting two shows, and they fit the summer beautifully with everything else that’s going on. And man… they are going to be amazing!”
