Run4Kids Comedy Fundraiser
Wednesday, May 7 // Door at 7:30 PM // Show at 8:00 PM // $25 Run4Kids is a fundraising effort associated with the Missoula Marathon. Each year the Run4Kids Team raises funds to ensure kids in care with Youth Homes have the help, care, and support they need to heal and become healthy.
Laura Hickli w/ Syrinx Effect
Thursday, May 29 // Door at 7 PM // Show at 7:30 PM // $10 // $15-$20 Artist Supporter Laura Hickli (Mohkínstsis/Calgary) is an internationally touring progressive art pop songstress known for her tightly arranged dreamy soundscapes, exquisite vocals, evocative lyrics, and emotionally powerful performances. The classically trained pianist was homeschooled in a conspiracy-laden religious household where she honed her ability to reflect deeply felt emotions through dynamic, textured, and technical songwriting and production.Hickli’s highly-anticipated upcoming album, ‘stranger to myself’ tells her compelling story of survival and human resilience after a serious motor vehicle accident on her 2023 tour left her with PTSD and a traumatic brain injury. Released through Ba Da Bing Records (Sharon Van Etten, Hawksley Workman), this lush, genre-spanning record showcases Hickli’s captivating songwriting, vivid production, and even intimate clips from her exposure therapy sessions.Recipient of numerous Top Album of the Year awards, nominations, glowing accolades for her growing collection of impactful works, live and recorded spotlights on CBC, BBC, and an expansive tour this summer, Hickli offers a fresh and inviting look at what life can be, while carrying the foundations of her spellbindingly intimate, yet explosive brand of dark process-music. An acoustic-electric duo with expansive possibilities, Syrinx Effect plays their own brand of interstellar folk punk jazz. They blend dreamy ambient loops, catchy pop riffs and sampled drum sounds, all the while paying homage to their experimental roots. Naomi plays trombone with guitar pedals and Kate plays soprano saxophone with laptop and other toys.
Dylan Running Crane, “Wailing” Aaron Jennings, Judith Gap, and Stiff Jeans
Thursday, May 8 // Door at 7 PM // Show at 7:30 PM // $10 // $15-$20 Artist Supporter Judith Gap plays original dark folk and Americana in Missoula. Started in 2014 with Bill Saylor on violin and mandolin and D.L. Johnson on guitar and vocals, they expanded to a trio with Dead Ed on bass banjo. Everyone sings, because there’s nothing quite like a night of harmonizing with the boys! Dylan Running Crane is a singer-songwriter from Browning, Montana, a place that remains the subject of most of her work. Her vibe is country meets rez-folk meets tender and silly. Check out her work with Cry Baby – https://crybabymissoula.bandcamp.com/track/missoula A third-generation Montanan who had the good luck or bad timing to be born in Texas, Wailing Aaron Jennings is a singer and songwriter living in Missoula. Inspired by a book of songs and poetry written by his great-grandfather, a singing cowboy in the 1920’s, and the words “Yodel Here”, this young punk unplugged his guitar and started hooting and hollering in the mountains, valleys, and tunnels. Jennings’s songs champion the traditions of Honky Tonk and Western Swing while giving a knowing wink and a nod to the modern world. Every song is a story whether it’s a rambling waltzing exposition, a dance tune punctuated with acrobatic yodels, or a rockin’ boogie woogie – the ghosts of the past are jumping, shouting and dancing right along with Wailing Aaron Jennings (and YOU!). Fresh off their world tour, Stiff Jeans needs no introduction. Their covers of your favorite 90s alternative songs will take you to heaven tonight, tomorrow, and always.
Ashley Young w/ Taylor Burlage & Heart Machine (Solo)
Friday, May 9 // Door at 7:00 PM // Show at 7:30 PM // $10 // $15- $20 Artist Supporter Ticket Just below the Arctic Circle, in the heart of her Ancestral land in Alaska, songwriter Ashley Young captivates with her fiery, lush vocals. With a warmth that feels like a conversation with an old friend, she invites listeners into her world of honesty and infectious laughter. Her music defies genre, driven by an unquenchable curiosity and a desire to explore vulnerable truths that many shy away from discussing. From whispered confessions to powerful, soaring belting, her dynamic performances are best described as “journal rock,” where every note tells a personal story. Her melodies can silence a room, while her laughter fills it with life. After years of being a bedroom songwriter and guitar player, Taylor was launched rather unceremoniously into his first band in 2019 and began to explore the power and possibility of playing for other people. Over the years his songwriting has taken on a texture reflective of the mountains he grew up in, using their power and imagery to craft songs that navigate life, loss, and joys and heartbreak of the human condition. His debut album “I Might Be Gone” was released May 2023 Heart Machine is an Indie Americana act from Fairbanks, AK. A deep dive into the sacred and profane, their sound has been described as “Northern Gothic”, with a gravitas and humor that ranges from spoken confessional to howled exorcism. Spring of 2025 Heart Machine will dropping their first LP “Rites” wherever you stream your music, as well as on compact disc, for the dads.
Now That’s What I Call the 2000’s with Hot Stepdad & MP3
Tuesday, May 6 // Door at 7 PM // Show at 7:30 PM // Free and Open to the Public! **$10 Suggested Donation The University of Montana School of Music Commercial Music Ensembles are proud to present Hot Step Dad and MP3, on Tuesday, May 6, 2025 at 7:30 pm at the ZACC. Admission is free for all, but there is a suggested donation of $10. The Commercial Music Ensembles at the University of Montana are dedicated to teaching students the skills necessary to be in a pop band and to be gigging musicians. Most songs they perform are covers, but they also perform original songs written by students of the group. Each semester, the students collaborate within their band to create a setlist for their end of semester performance. Each student is able to suggest a song, and throughout the semester they learn each song. This semester, the bands have the theme of Y2k. Each song of their setlist is from the early 2000s. “I really love playing in CME because John and Bryan are not only teaching us about how to make the music sound good, but also how to perform to a professional caliber.” – Danger Gersh (Hot Stepdad) “I’m looking forward to wearing a funny outfit and playing Britney Spears for all my friends.” – Sam Haveron (MP3)
Icarus w/ Sarah Frazier, TBA, & J.A.D.E.
Thursday, May 15 // Door at 7:30 PM // Show at 8:00 PM // $10 // $15-$20 Artist Supporter Ticket Icarus is a Rock band based in Bozeman, MT. The band shares a deep passion for jamming and creating unique art. Their influences include Kyuss, Primus, and a hint of Bob Marley. Icarus has a knack for conjuring diverse soundscapes, described by some as a thrashy Black Sabbath. Their first album Elysian Sun was released in April of 2025. “Sarah Frazier’s unique brand of electronic music is composed of ethereal and melodic vocals, layers of looped instruments, and undeniable pop sensibilities. Her music feels like a journey with songs that swell only to fall away again. Her performance at Humble Burger earlier this year was absolutely breathtaking to watch.” — Nate H Wolf (Modest Music Festival, Moscow, ID) J.A.D.E. is a high-energy band hailing from the mountains of small-town Western Montana. Their wide variety of influences shines brightly in their songs. This unique, not quite rock, not exactly pop sound with an edgy punk rock twist is addictive. They send driving rhythms, interwoven melodies, and powerful vocals straight through your ears deep into your heart and soul. When on stage they are focused on bringing a sound that inspires everyone to get on their feet and dance like the universe depends on it. TBA is a Ska/Punk band from Missoula, MT. Relatively new to the scene, the guys are getting the party started!!
In Tune Missoula 2025
Thursday, April 17 // Door at 6:00 PM // $50 In Tune Missoula is dedicated to ensuring that family income is not an obstacle to middle school students learning how to sing or play a musical instrument. Music by Connor Racicot Jazz Quartet and The Western Front Band. Catering by Biga Pizza. A silent auction … a celebration of music educators … a great time for a great cause! Purchase tickets at https://portal.clubrunner.ca/1864/
Hammerhead Jack w/ Cowshit Kate
Monday, May 5 // Door at 7:00 PM // Show at 7:30 PM // $10 ADV // $15-$20 Artist Supporter Hammerhead Jack is a local guitar driven Blues band. We combine smooth & tasty with high energy to give us our own organic feel – & plenty of slide guitar ! Since starting in October 2022 we have done over 50 shows, bringing “Blues You Can use” to western Montana – and now to the ZACC !!
The Sussex School Pop Rocks
Friday, May 2 // Door at 6:30 PM // Show at 7:00 PM // $10 // $15-$20 Artist Supporter Join Us for an Unforgettable Performance by The Pop Rocks! We are The Pop Rocks, an ensemble from Sussex School, an independent progressive school in Missoula. Our group consists of eight talented members from grades six, seven, and eight, performing on bass, guitar, drums, viola, vocals, and keys. After seven months of dedicated practice and collaboration, we are excited to showcase our hard work with a dynamic performance at the ZACC. Our setlist features eleven carefully arranged songs, blending a variety of pop and rock styles that range from slow and soulful to upbeat and high-energy—living up to our name, The Pop Rocks! This performance marks the culmination of our efforts throughout the year, and we would love for you to join us for this special event. Get ready, because The Pop Rocks are about to take the stage and rock the night! We hope to see you there!
the pond Album Release w/ Sung Mountains & Levi Minson
Saturday, May 17 // Door at 8:00 PM // Show at 8:30 PM // $10 // $15-$20 Artist Supporter the pond is an indie-rock/slowcore band out of Butte, Montana built up around the tender and earnest songs of Jon Cardiello. Painting small corners of everyday life, Cardiello finds meaning in the mundane, processing both his innermost self and the world around him. The songs display a radical intimacy as Cardiello touches on grieving his father’s death, the pains of a drawn out breakup, and the clarity of new love.While the moniker ‘the pond’ is new, the project has been around for almost a decade under the name Bombshell Nightlight. The name change to the pond marks a new chapter with a new album, A Year As A Cloud coming out May 2025. The new tone is still melancholic, and somber, but brings forth a new sense of grit and directness that pushes Cardiello’s songs to their full potential. Levi Minson is a singer-songwriter currently based in Sacramento, California. Growing up in the Central Valley as part of the third generation of a Dust Bowl family, Levi’s songwriting is rooted in rurality and memory. He uses his music to work through hope and loss and fear and love, imbuing his songs with painful nostalgia and a Californian identity separate from Los Angeles or San Francisco. Sung Mountains is the musical project of multidisciplinary artists Kelly Schirmann and Jay Fiske, and sometimes others. Their music sounds like “meditative light, plains of gold before mountain blue” (from their favorite review). Their album “Sanctuary” is available to stream on Bandcamp and everywhere else.
