Western Union
Sunday, March 15 // Door at 6:30 PM // Show at 7 PM // $10 // $15-$20 Artist Supporter Louie and Kimberlee are founding members of Montana’s hottest Texas swing band Western Union, with bandmates David Horgan and Beth Lo from one of Montana’s most renowned jazz and R&B bands-the Big Sky Mudflaps. They have the distinction of being the only Montana band to play at the Montana Folk Festival (July 2016) in addition to opening for Marty Stewart (Sept 2015) and Colorado’s renowned Hot Rize (July 2015). Where jazz meets country, Western Union is Montana’s favorite “countrypolitan” western swing band, specializing in classic Texas Swing & Honky Tonk music. With electric and acoustic guitars, standup bass, pedal steel guitar, and drums – plus sharp-as-a-tack lead vocals and vocal harmonies — Western Union delivers the true-blue sound of grassroots America. All tickets are general admission. Artist Supporter Tickets are a way for patrons to provide more financial support to performers. For further information, accessibility, and inquiries please visit https://www.zootownarts.org/meet-the-zacc/about/.
Comedians with Disabilities Act- Live Recording!
Friday, March 20 // Door at 7 PM // Show at 7:30 PM // $15 ADV // $20 DOS The Comedians with Disabilities Act (CWDA) is a fabulous collection of comedians who have disabilities, both seen and unseen. The show is the brainchild of comedian Michael O’Connell, who started the group in 2010 in Sacramento, California. In 2016, O’Connell sadly passed away – but his legacy lives on. CWDA spotlights a variety of Disabled, seasoned and outrageously funny comedians. The comedy docu-special will include four shows featuring 10 comedians across two states. This will be director, Gina Chin-Davis’ third feature film and producer/comedian Nina G’s second film. The film crew, headed by John Howard and Gavin Workman, is from the BASE Film Extravaganza of Summit Independent Living from Missoula, Montana. Michael Beers is a comedian and professional speaker. He won the Norman G. Brooks Comedy Competition at the Hollywood Improv in 2005. He was also the previous winner of Funny Fest (Calgary Comedy Festival) and has opened for comedians like Gilbert Gottfried. He is a sought-after keynote speaker on topics like humor, disability advocacy, education and community building. Mean Dave, a San Francisco Bay Area favorite and regular at local comedy clubs will be hosting. He has opened for comedians like Josh Blue, Big Jay Oakerson and Jay Mohr and has performed at colleges across the US. Dave has been in recovery for over a decade, which he weaves into his humor. “Not a lot of people know that being an addict in recovery is covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act.” Mean Dave’s role in the Comedians with Disabilities Act helps to bring this message to audiences. Loren Kraut is a writer and comedian in San Francisco. She has performed in SF Sketchfest, Cyprus International Comedy Festival, Savage Henry Comedy Fest, SheDot Festival, Lysistrata Comedy Festival, Mutiny Radio Comedy Festival, HIGHlarious Comedy festival and The World Series of Comedy. She hosts a monthly show “Draw & Guffaw” where the audience draws the comics. Her solo show “A Bit Touched” won Best Comedy at the Tucson Fringe Festival 2018. She created “LOL Little Old Lesbian” on Instagram, and “Giraffe Corner” where stuffed giraffes have therapy. She lives with her cat, Scout, and an unprecedented number of giraffes. Adam Keys got his start in comedy with Armed Services Arts Partnership back in 2018 and has been hitting in person and virtual stages across the country ever since. He’s been North American his whole life- born in Canada and relocated to the U.S. as a teen. He then went on to serve in the U.S. Army after a little event called 9/11. As Adam tells it, “I tried to make it as a foot model but got denied for ugly toes. So, I stepped on an I.E.D to open myself to a world of possibilities, like phantom limb pain, awkward first dates, and endless jokes about my crazy new life.” Nina G is a comedian, professional speaker, comedy historical consultant and author of Stutterer Interrupted: The Comedians Who Almost Didn’t Happen, Bay Area Stand-Up Comedy: A Humorous History. Her first special, Nina G: Stutterer Interrupted debuted in 2024. Nina has been featured in/on everything from HuffPost’s Culture Shifters, Variety, NPR’s 51%,BBC’s Ouch, Psychology Today, Tedx, KQED radio and multiple day time talk shows and podcasts. Nina shares her wit and wisdom with corporations, colleges, conferences, and community events. She is a sought after headliner as well as keynote speaker.
Marie Smith Jazz Group
Saturday, January 24 // Doors at 7 PM // Show at 7:30 PM // $20-$30 Sliding Scale // $17 Student One Stage. All Corners of Montana Meet. Pure Jazz Brilliance. This exceptional performance brings together a curated ensemble of premier jazz musicians from across the state. A bold, beautiful fusion of styles and shared passion, delivering a one-night-only experience of world-class artistry. Marie Smith, vocals Scott Jeppesen, tenor saxophoneCraig Hall, guitar Rob Tapper, trombone Tommy Sciple, bassRoxanne Jeppesen, drums
Superplex: Spring Neck-Breaker Tour
Tuesday, March 24 // Doors at 7:30 PM // Show at 8 PM // $10 ADV // $15 DOS Hailing from the FatRiff Valley of majestic Montana, these masked madmen are after one thing and one thing only: CHAMPIONSHIPS! With a sonic suplex of seismic soundscapes, SUPERPLEX is coming at you, a veritable top-rope drop-kick of heavy desert grooves, thunderous beats, and BIG MEATY RIFFS THAT SLAP MEAT! Witness the mighty SUPERPLEX: The Frontrunners of Wrestle-Rock, or forever be a JABRONI!
Lovesick Ball w/ Malcolm Contreras and Soup Du Jour & The Dead & Down
Thursday, February 12 // Doors at 7:00 // Show at 7:30 // $12 Malcolm and his band are a 4 piece consisting of Lane Ulberg, Llwyn Clark-Gaynor, and Cooper Godfried. These fellas put on a spectacular spectacle, only seen about once every two months that ranges from indie rock to shoegaze to ambient music, folk, and bedroom pop. The Dead & Down are an indie roots-rock band inspired as much by the vast landscapes and dramatic mountain ranges of their Montana home as they are by the myriad musical influences that weave through their sound. Based around the introspective songwriting and dusty vocals of frontman Taylor Burlage, the band navigates sonic trails between rust-flecked alt country and atmospheric indie rock, with detours through psychedelia and genre-bending experimentation. They have opened for the likes of Fruition, Futurebirds, The Last Revel and Blind Pilot. They have hit the stage at Zootown Music Festival, Treefort Music Fest and more. Their 2024 release, No Broken Bones, displays the sound of a band willing to take chances and explores the human condition in fun and surprising ways. “The Dead & Down have a sound that doesn’t fit into one bin. They combine elements of Country, Americana, and Rock for a sonic experience that stays interesting. Their new song, “Switchbacks” has a solid country-rock feel, but the break in the middle is a lot more akin to prog rock. It’s a combo that works!” – Bob Wall, KGVM Bozeman “Alt-country, but on the moon––– and still so down to earth.” – The Pulp, Missoula
Canta Brasil
Friday, February 27 // Door at 7 PM // Show at 7:30 PM // $10 // $15 Artist Supporter Ticket Canta 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/.
Regals (Solo Show) w/ Rancher
Sunday, February 1 // Door at 7:00 PM // Show at 7:30 PM // $10 // $15-$20 Artist Supporter Regals is an alt-country, americana rock band hailing from New Hampshire and Maine. Songwriter Rock Egan brings a powerful, harrowing voice to his heavy-hearted songwriting. He’s complimented by the rest of his band, holding it down with a machine of a rhythm section and a cosmic swirl of pedal steel & angular guitars. Ranging comparisons of bands like Lucero, Country Westerns and Deer Tick to acts like Jason Molina and Replacements have gotten the band more traction as of late as they’re set to self-release their first LP record in 2025. Current line up is singer/songwriter Ryan Rock Egan, Sean Merkle on drums, Chris J Brün on lead guitar, Mike Vinci on bass/vocals, and Lucas Troy on pedal steel. https://open.spotify.com/artist/5UY51v6JPg9n46mMzecLKb Rancher makes rock and roll music in Missoula, Montana. Rancher is made up of Shane Coburn, David Friedlander, and Russ Rabut. Rancher loves Indie music and Country and Boogie and has a cool, laid-back sound.
Dustin Nickerson
Tuesday, April 28 // 6:30 & 8:30 Doors // 7:00 & 9:00 Show // $18 ADV // $22 DOS A Seattle native now suffering in Southern California, Dustin Nickerson is an in demand comic on the rise. In 2020, he released his debut comedy special Overwhelmed which is currently one of the highest rated specials on Amazon Prime Video. In addition, he’s been featured on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central and Netflix on Kevin Hart’s Hart of the City, The Late Late Show with James Corden, and is a regular on After Midnight with Taylor Tomlinson. Online, his stand-up clips and jokes have received hundreds of millions of views and his podcast, Don’t Make Me Come Back There, has over 3 million downloads. He’s also the author of How to be Married be Married to Melissa, an Amazon #1 New Release published by Harper Collins in June 2022. Dustin describes himself as “the world’s most average person” but is far from it when on stage. He brings you into his life through his jokes about the struggles of parenting, marriage, and being generally annoyed by most people. At 40 years old, Dustin has been married for 20 years and has three kids. This makes Dustin one of the most unique voices in the comedy scene.
Dustin Nickerson
Tuesday, April 28 // 6:30 & 8:30 Doors // 7:00 & 9:00 Show // $18 ADV // $22 DOS A Seattle native now suffering in Southern California, Dustin Nickerson is an in demand comic on the rise. In 2020, he released his debut comedy special Overwhelmed which is currently one of the highest rated specials on Amazon Prime Video. In addition, he’s been featured on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central and Netflix on Kevin Hart’s Hart of the City, The Late Late Show with James Corden, and is a regular on After Midnight with Taylor Tomlinson. Online, his stand-up clips and jokes have received hundreds of millions of views and his podcast, Don’t Make Me Come Back There, has over 3 million downloads. He’s also the author of How to be Married be Married to Melissa, an Amazon #1 New Release published by Harper Collins in June 2022. Dustin describes himself as “the world’s most average person” but is far from it when on stage. He brings you into his life through his jokes about the struggles of parenting, marriage, and being generally annoyed by most people. At 40 years old, Dustin has been married for 20 years and has three kids. This makes Dustin one of the most unique voices in the comedy scene.
Briscoe w/ Wells Ferarri
Saturday, January 31 // $20 ADV // $22 DOS // Doors at 7 PM // Show at 8 PM If Briscoe’s debut album was a coming-of-age soundtrack set against the backdrop of the Texas Hill Country, then its follow-up, Heat of July, is the sound of a fully-formed duo chasing down a broader horizon. Inspired by marriage, landscapes, and the cross-country tours that took the band across America, these new songs were written on the road, as eclectic and evocative as the terrain that unfolded just outside the van’s windshield. Once again, Briscoe teamed up with Grammy-nominated producer Brad Cook to bring the songs to life, collaboratively creating a record that expands Briscoe’s folk-rock sound in all directions. There are bigger arrangements, sharper vocal harmonies, and enough top-tier guest musicians — including members of Houndmouth, Hiss Golden Messenger, Bon Iver, Mipso, and Watchhouse — to form their own supergroup. The result is a cinematic, widescreen version of American roots music, created by two lifelong friends who’ve learned to distill the thrill of the open road — and the challenges of growing up — into an ever-evolving soundtrack. Presale tickets available on Wednesday October 15 at 10 AM General On Sale begins Friday October 17 at 10 AM
