Holiday Ball with Ed Norton Big Band
Sunday, December 3 // Door at 7 PM // Music & Dancing begins at 7:30 PM // $15 Get into the holiday spirit with an Ed Norton Big Band Holiday Ball! The Ed Norton Big Band was founded around 1987 after trombonists Tom Wogsland and Scot Ray performed in the pit Orchestra for Missoula Children’s Theatre’s first production of The 1940’s Radio Hour – and didn’t want to stop. Since then the 18 piece band, made up of Missoula musicians from multiple generations, has been a staple of traditional and modern big band music throughout western Montana. Ed Norton Big Band has a long history of entertaining audiences of all ages from birthday parties, fundraisers, Out to Lunch, Second Sunday Jazz, and First Night (now Missoula on Main & Beyond). For further information, accessibility, and inquiries please visit https://www.zootownarts.org/meet-the-zacc/about/.
Loren Stillman Trio: Time and Again Album Release
Thursday, November 30 // Doors at 7 PM // Show at 7:30 // $12 // $10 for Students & SeniorsOne of the most difficult things to accomplish in music is making the complicated sound natural and easy. Saxophonist Loren Stillman continues to challenge himself in the arena of composition by writing pieces of music that sound freely played but adhere to an architecture, requiring the players to move forward within the piece as they deal with the fabric of the composition.Over the past two decades, Stillman has become one of jazz music’s leading alto saxophonists. But he has long felt that he was a tenor saxophonist playing the alto. So, when the pandemic reared its head, Stillman used the time to woodshed the larger horn, trying to extend his sound fluidity through his alto, soprano, and tenor without leaning into the sound cliches of any of the three.The time also allowed Stillman to develop new repertoire that he heard in his head led by tenor voice. He began to write pieces for a trio of tenor, bass, and drums, as it was a conscious choice to eschew a chordal instrument so that Stillman had more freedom and room to fill the harmonic space.Throughout his career, Loren Stillman has been able to impress with fantastic saxophone playing and intriguing composing. Though he changes dimensions with a new horn and a new trio after nearly a decade without an new album, Stillman’s skills remain undeniable on his new recording, Time and Again.For further information, accessibility, and inquiries please visit https://www.zootownarts.org/meet-the-zacc/about/.
Canta Brasil
Wednesday, November 29 // Door at 7 PM // Show at 7:30 PM // $10 // $15 Artist Supporter TicketCanta Brasil is Missoula’s only band specializing in the music of Brazil – from romantic Bossa Novai to Hot Samba, and beyond. The group features the unique vocal abilities of Magda Chaney, who sings expertly in Portuguese and is adept at a wide range of classic Brazilian styles. Utilizing a broad range of rhythms and percussion patterns, the band conveys the magical spirit of Brazilian Carnival! Composers such as Antonio Carlos Jobim, Gilberto Gil, Caetano Veloso, Vinicius Moraes, Edu Lobo, plus many others, are represented in Canta Brasil’s highly danceable repertoire. With Magda Chaney on vocals, David Horgan on guitar, Beth Lo on bass, Graeme Pletscher on saxophone, Naomi Siegel on trombone, Pedro Marques on vocals and percussion, and Ed Stalling on percussion.For further information, accessibility, and inquiries please visit https://www.zootownarts.org/meet-the-zacc/about/.
An Evening with Teague Goodvoice & Neveah Killsnight
Sunday, November 19 // Door at 7 PM // Show at 7:30 PM // $10 // $15 Artist Supporter TicketExperience the captivating artistry of two talented Native American musicians in an intimate concert setting. Neveah Killsnight, a skilled violinist, and Teague GoodVoice, a master of the Native American flute, come together to offer you a night of serene and enchanting melodies.Neveah’s violin melodies gently embrace you with their emotional depth, seamlessly blending traditional Native American tunes with a contemporary twist. Her music reflects her profound connection to her heritage and will transport you to a place of reflection and serenity. Teague’s Native American flute playing is a soul-soothing experience. His hauntingly beautiful notes evoke the spirit of nature, whispering tales of ancient wisdom and culture. His music invites you to close your eyes and immerse yourself in the tranquil sounds of the natural world. Together, Neveah Killsnight and Teague GoodVoice create an atmosphere of calm and introspection. Join us for an evening of music that transcends boundaries and brings you closer to the cultural richness of Native American traditions. It’s a concert that will leave you feeling serene and connected. Born in Missoula, and growing up on the Blackfeet reservation in Browning, Montana riding horses and swimming in the clear glacier water, TEAGUE GOODVOICE draws some of his inspiration from his traditional Pikuni (Blackfeet) upbringing on the Rez. The rest of his inspiration comes from performing in Europe dancing and sharing his culture in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK, Scotland, and Ireland. He picked up the flute in May 2020 and started his musical journey downtown Missoula playing outside by himself or with other musicians of any genre. This has led him to acting, producing in movies and composing music for film. His music is described as ethereal and soulful, and his connection from his heart through his flute is felt in listeners’ souls. NEVEAH KILLSNIGHT is one of the brightest young musicians in Montana. She earned a spot as a violist for the Billings Symphony during her junior year in high school. Her future is bright. She recently applied to the prestigious Interlochen School for the Arts, and has aspirations of teaching, with a focus specifically on people with her Native American heritage.For further information, accessibility, and inquiries please visit https://www.zootownarts.org/meet-the-zacc/about/.
Ira Wolf w/ Gabrielle Tusberg
Tuesday, November 21 // Door at 7 PM // Show at 7:30 PM // $16 Advance // $18 Day of ShowRaised in the mountains of Montana and making a home on the road, Ira Wolf’s music and writing are vulnerably honest as she explores heartache, homesickness, and the highs and lows of an unconventional wandering lifestyle. She draws from personal experience and connects on an intimate level with her audience through her truthful lyrics and melancholy vocals.Since she began touring in 2014, Ira has earned more than 100 million plays on Spotify, performed across six continents, and shared stages with artists such as Penny and Sparrow, Dead Man Winter, Adeem the Artist, David Ramirez, and Andrea von Kampen. She’s been featured for her songwriting and vocal style at Rocky Mountain Folks Fest, Kerrville Folk Festival, Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Americanafest, and Midwest Music Fest, and continues to travel the U.S. while living full time in a camper van.After sharing The Closest Thing to Home in 2017 Ira maintained a busy tour schedule, living on the road full time until 2020. Amidst the changes brought on by the pandemic Ira took a step away from music to focus on her mental health. In 2023 Wolf returned to writing and performing and signed with Nettwerk Music Group to release her highly anticipated fourth album Rock Bottom. Ira recently partnered with Storyteller Overland and moved back into full-time vanlife with plans to continue touring both nationally and internationally in promotion of the new record.Gabrielle Tusberg is a singer songwriter from Portland, OR. Her inspiration comes from female songwriters like Lucinda Williams, Fiona Apple, and Sara Jarosz. Listening to Gabrielle’s songs tells a story about her life experiences, relationships, love lost, love gained, a changed perspective, with wit and charm. Her songs will make you cry and laugh with her deepest thoughts and secrets.For further information, accessibility, and inquiries please visit https://www.zootownarts.org/meet-the-zacc/about/.
Husbands
Monday, March 4 // Door at 7 PM // Show at 8 PM // $20 Husbands plays landlocked beach pop that sidequests Krautrock, garage rock, and tropicalia. OKC-based songwriters Danny Davis and Wil Norton got their start directing a Godzilla musical at their college and then began sharing snippets of lofi grunge pop ideas that came together in their first album, “Golden Year.” This album caught local label Clerestory AV’s attention, who assisted Husbands release its first vinyl LP, “After the Gold Rush Party,” on an imprint label, Cowboy 2.0 Records. “After the Gold Rush Party” was featured on NPR’s Heavy Rotation and Spotify’s New Music Friday, Fresh Finds, and Feel-Good Indie Rock playlists. Past performances included an OKC release show that drew 550 attendees and a stint opening for Smash Mouth (what Wil and Danny both likely consider their finest moment as a band). Pre-COVID, Husbands was slated to play bills at SXSW, Treefort Music Fest, Norman Music Festival, and a New York City release show at Baby’s All Right.Not to be deterred, Danny and Wil got back to songwriting and put together their third LP, “Full-on Monet,” released in January ’22. Their single, “Must be a Cop,” released June 6, 2021, has been featured on Spotify’s All New Indie, Today’s Indie Rock, and Grade A playlists (among other editorial playlists), and has received coverage from prominent bloggers including David Dean Burkhart, BIRP!, and Indie Shuffle. Falcon Bitch and Gumball are best friends. The Texas-based multi-instrumentalists love to make up elaborate tales of their first meeting: as chimney sweeps in the mid-1700s, as shoemakers in Middle England, as competing acrobats in a traveling circus. It’s a testament to their ever-playful attitude—one that pours over into their project, Being Dead, in which the band toes the line between jest and sincerity. The nurturing foundation of these platonic soulmates urges both Falcon Bitch and Gumball to be their full, freaky selves, prodding at the absurdity of the world with slick n’ dreamy strums, gritty percussion, and kaleidoscopic harmonies.For further information, accessibility, and inquiries please visit https://www.zootownarts.org/meet-the-zacc/about/.
Order of the Sunshine Deity + Kyle Curtis & The Promised Lands + Jesse, The Ocelot
Friday, November 10 // Door at 7 PM // Show at 7:30 PM // $10 // $15 Artist Supporter TicketOrder of the Sunshine Deity is a neo-soul/fusion band out of Missoula with a stacked lineup made up of past and present UM Music School heavy-hitters, started by its frontwoman, Jolene Green, playing her original compositions which blend jazz, low-fi, soul, hip hop, metal and more.Kyle Curtis & the Promised Lands, considered by many to be Missoula’s hottest 7-piece soul revival act (and not just because all the other acts in town are merely sextet and under), have but one goal in mind: let the people dance. After honing their skills at the UM School of Music and through the streets of Missoula, Kyle Curtis & the Promised Lands are ready to serve Missoula’s ears (trained or untrained), fuel their passions, and move their feet.Jesse, The Ocelot is a solo artist from the mountains of Montana who uses guitar and vocal loops to create atmospheric soundscapes. Dreamy sounds of reverb-y vocal harmonies and warm guitar melodies combined with jazzy, soulful style. Jesse, The Ocelot wants to help guide you through the cosmos with meaningful lyrics and good energy. For further information, accessibility, and inquiries please visit https://www.zootownarts.org/meet-the-zacc/about/.
Academy Order (Philadelphia) w/ (latent) & Pay No Mind
Tuesday, November 7 // Door at 7 PM // Show at 7:30 PM // $10 // $15 Artist Supporter Ticket Since 2021, Academy Order have been honing their sound through various releases and live incarnations, expertly showcasing elements of death rock, punk, new wave, and even hardcore in a sonic amalgamation that is uniquely their own, while remaining just familiar enough to keep heads nodding. Now they surge forth with a debut LP, unleashing “A New Kind of Fear” to solidify an approach that touches nerves both lyrically and musically via counterpoints of aggression and melody not so commonly coupled in the broad genre of post-punk. The deliciously cold attack of driving guitars and Matthew’s demanding vocals weighed against synth lines straight from the 80’s dance floor and Norelle’s angelic vocal hooks bring the shadowy rhythm of the whole album to halting depths and infectious heights. Though far from derivative, fans of seminal acts such as 45 Grave, Clan of Xymox, and TSOL may find themselves moving just as readily as those who enjoy Danse Society, Bleached Cross, and Chain Cult.Pay No Mind is a skate punk band with hardcore and thrash influences consisting of former members of Stoned to Death and Super Sport(Great Falls), they have taken Missoula by storm opening for touring bands and supporting the music scene here. Two of the members are students at the UOFM And have played shows on Campus as well as supporting headliner acts throughout town. Debut EP coming soon! (latent) is a Missoula based band composed of Zack Buchholo, Nick Togliatti and Jake Swank. These three fellers have been playing music together for nearly a decade and this band is a culmination of their endeavors to incorporate absurdity, sincerity, and high energy music into a single intense project. For further information, accessibility, and inquiries please visit https://www.zootownarts.org/meet-the-zacc/about/.
Piano Solos, Duos, & Trios
Ft. Jim Driscoll, Bob Packwood, Connor Racicot, & Ann Tappan Saturday, November 11 // Door at 7 PM // Show at 7:30 PM // $25 // $20 Students & SeniorsJazzoula presents ‘Piano Solos, Duos, & Trios’ a very special evening featuring some of Montana’s finest pianists including Jim Driscoll, Bob Packwood, Connor Racicot, and Ann Tappan.Pianist extraordinaire Jim Driscoll is one of Western Montana’s best secrets. A Butte, Montana native and a classical piano prodigy he discovered jazz at an early age. He quickly became a professional, touring nationally and in the mid 1980’s was “discovered” by the US Air Force at piano bar gig while studying for his masters in composition at University of Maryland. He was immediately offered a job (and signed him up for service as a 35 year old) as a soloist in one of the most prestigious bands in world -the Airman of Note also know as the Glen Miller 18 piece band where he played at the White House and touring internationally. He advanced to his own jazz orchestra as soloist and arranger for another Air Force band in Japan for many years. He has played with the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Tony Bennett, Wynton Marsallis, Vince Gill, Crystal Gayle to name a few. Retired in Missoula now Jim is a member of the renown Missoula jazz group Basement Boyz and fronts his own trio.He will be joined by bassist Pete Hand and Ed Stalling on drums. Bob Packwood is a multi-keyboardist/composer/recording engineer with over 50 years professional experience including extensive international touring and studio recordings. His participation as a finalist in the 1988 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition was inspiration for a move to New York City where he spent the next 15 years absorbing the creative energy and electric inspiration of the Big Apple’s East Village. Opportunities developed that led to lengthy European and Canadian touring and ultimately over 50 recordings with a wide range of original songwriting artists recorded mainly in New York City, Nashville and Toronto. Bob has appeared on stage with Neil Young, Jim Lauderdale, Steve Earle, Ron Sexsmith, Cyril Neville, Hank Williams III, Blue Rodeo, The Sadies and many others.The Connor Racicot Trio brings a fresh perspective to great American standards. Featuring Owen Cleary on the upright bass and Sam Purvis on the drums and cymbals, the trio distills nearly 80 years of influences into a modern and exciting sound. Ann Tappan grew up in Montclair, New Jersey where she started playing piano at the age of four. She entered Berklee College of Music to study jazz piano, composition and arranging then returned to the NYC area to connect with the avant-garde loft scene of the ‘70s. In 1976 Ann relocated to the Bay Are to study with ECM pianist Art Lande becoming part of his experimental jazz school, first as a student then as an instructor. During her time in the Bay Area, she wrote and arranged for many live and recorded projects and performed with such giants as Eddie Henderson and Joe Henderson. Ann migrated to Montana in 1993. She was the author and administrator of a 2001 MAC/Jazz Montana grant, a year-long creative music program linking national and local professional musicians to state-wide audiences and K-12 students. She was a faculty member (along with Phil Aaberg and David Morganroth) of the Montana Jazz Piano Workshop, Bozeman’s Camp Epic and in 2017 was Artist in Residence at Hanford High School in Richland, WA. For further information, accessibility, and inquiries please visit https://www.zootownarts.org/meet-the-zacc/about/.
Wednesday
Friday, May 24, 2024 // Door at 7 PM // Show at 8 PM // $18 Advance // $22 DOSA Wednesday song is a quilt. A short story collection, a half-memory, a patchwork of portraits of the American south, disparate moments that somehow make sense as a whole. Karly Hartzman, the songwriter/vocalist/guitarist at the helm of the project, is a story collector as much as she is a storyteller: a scholar of people and one-liners. Rat Saw God, the Asheville quintet’s new and best record, is ekphrastic but autobiographical and above all, deeply empathetic. Across the album’s ten tracks Hartzman, guitarist MJ Lenderman, bassist Margo Shultz, drummer Alan Miller, and lap/pedal steel player Xandy Chelmis build a shrine to minutiae. Half-funny, half-tragic dispatches from North Carolina unfurling somewhere between the wailing skuzz of Nineties shoegaze and classic country twang, that distorted lap steel and Hartzman’s voice slicing through the din.Rat Saw God is an album about riding a bike down a suburban stretch in Greensboro while listening to My Bloody Valentine for the first time on an iPod Nano, past a creek that runs through the neighborhood riddled with broken glass bottles and condoms, a front yard filled with broken and rusted car parts, a lonely and dilapidated house reclaimed by kudzu. Four Lokos and rodeo clowns and a kid who burns down a corn field. Roadside monuments, church marquees, poppers and vodka in a plastic water bottle, the shit you get away with at Jewish summer camp, strange sentimental family heirlooms at the thrift stores. The way the South hums alive all night in the summers and into fall, the sound of high school football games, the halo effect from the lights polluting the darkness. It’s not really bright enough to see in front of you, but in that stretch of inky void — somehow — you see everything.The songs on Rat Saw God don’t recount epics, just the everyday. They’re true, they’re real life, blurry and chaotic and strange — which is in-line with Hartzman’s own ethos: “Everyone’s story is worthy,” she says, plainly. “Literally every life story is worth writing down, because people are so fascinating.”But the thing about Rat Saw God — and about any Wednesday song, really — is you don’t necessarily even need all the references to get it, the weirdly specific elation of a song that really hits. Yeah, it’s all in the details — how fucked up you got or get, how you break a heart, how you fall in love, how you make yourself and others feel seen — but it’s mostly the way those tiny moments add up into a song or album or a person. Draag inhabits the space between bliss and pain, interweaving shoegaze, electro-industrial, and punk elements within a pop ballad. Originating in Sylmar, a forgotten neighborhood in Los Angeles, Draag began when Adrian Acosta (songwriter, vocalist, guitarist) revived songs he recorded on his karaoke tape deck when he was 10 years old. After years of refining their sound, five-piece Draag gained a reputation for their sonically immersive live shows in LA, largely by word of mouth, known for transforming any range of DIY to high production stage into a wall of sound described as a storm in slow motion. For further information, accessibility, and inquiries please visit https://www.zootownarts.org/meet-the-zacc/about/.
