Bill Kautz / Naomi Siegel / Michael Musick, w/ Molly Liu Buchanan & s_nya
Wednesday, September 7 // Door at 7 PM // Show at 7:30 PM // $10 // $15 Artist Supporter Ticket Billy Kautz (cornet), Michael Musick (live electronics), and Naomi Siegel (trombone) have been working together in many contexts in Missoula’s creative music environment but this show marks the first time they will come together to create electro-acoustic sounds as a trio. Michael Musick uses custom developed software to process and synthesize the trio’s musical material. The most significant of these systems takes live microphone signals from Billy and Naomi and the space they are in, and tries to understand the sound using machine learning. This then affects the sound before sending it back out into the space. Billy Kautz is a composer, educator and bandleader based in Missoula. He leads and composes for his ensemble crosstalk, a free music ensemble drawing from the great jazz continuum as well as composing in his role as Music Coordinator at UCC Missoula. He has hosted Something Else, a weekly radio show on KBGA 89.9FM since 2017 featuring creative music and artist interviews. He is also a co-founder of the monthly improvisation sessions, The FreeSessions, along with Naomi Siegel. Michael Musick is a sonic artist, interactive artist, composer, performer and improviser; he is also a faculty member in and director for the School of Visual & Media Arts at the University of Montana. His current practice and research explores interactive music systems, creative improvisation, installation art, soundscape / acoustic-ecology, and interactive theory. Much of Michael’s work is part of his larger Sonic Spaces Project, which explores the creation of ecosystems of sound and music. This work, including performances, installations, recordings, and lectures, has been presented throughout the US and internationally. Trombonist, composer, and educator Naomi Siegel creates work geared towards authentic expression and honest connection. A winner of an Earshot Jazz Golden Ear Award for Emerging Artist of the Year, her expressive trombone playing is changing the way the trombone is heard and viewed. Fusing folk melodies with fantastical soundscapes and tight grooves, she plays her own style of indie-folk/pop/jazz that transcends genre. Her music is introspective and celebratory, intimate and full. Molly Liu Buchanan offers a collection of soft electronic music she wrote while going on walks through town during the past two years. She is inspired by the artists Bjork, Aphex Twin, Portico Quartet, and Kelly Lee Owens. Her music is nostalgic, lo-fi and intimate. Drummer, producer, and DJ, Cole Bronson (s_nya) has been one of Missoula’s more prolific musical artists in the last few years. Creating under the moniker ‘s_nya’ (sunya) Bronson’s catalog of eclectic, afro-centric, sample-based recordings ranges from hip-hop, to free-jazz, to ambient, and all things in between. For further information, accessibility, and inquiries please visit https://www.zootownarts.org/meet-the-zacc/about/.
Izaak Opatz w/ The Pettifoggers and Chloé Little
Sunday, September 4 // Door at 7 PM // Show at 7:30 PM // $10 // $15 Artist Supporter Ticket Like many of his favorite songwriters (John Hartford, Lucinda Williams, Jeff Tweedy), Izaak Opatz is an ungulate in life’s winter pasture, chewing on and metabolizing disappointment, heartbreak, and the other tough stuff into enjoyable musical carbohydrates. A compulsive metaphorager (and inveterate wordplayboy), Opatz breaks it all down with enzymes of wry humor, thoughtful simile and close observation – a therapeutic process of narrativizing his own life that, almost as a byproduct, turns out savory nuggets of literate, confessional pop. The Pettifoggers are sticking it to the man. Part folk, part punk, with a dash of grunge, this super-group of poets and farmers puts the SEX in sextet. Led by singer-songwriter Daniela Garvue, “Foggies” tunes are impassioned examinations of the heart, the Earth, and cocaine. Although they’ve taken their sweet time in releasing their highly-anticipated debut album, “New World Warblers” (available later this summer), this band is not slowing down. Expect a show that toes the line between basement rager and post-harvest Americana jam session. Chloé Little has lived in Montana for several years but hails from California. For close to 15 years, she has used songwriting as a form of mental release and creative expression. She uses the outdoors, love, soul-searching, and self-discovery as inspiration. Through her songs, she aspires to spark connection with the audience – or at least plant a seed of thought. For further information, accessibility, and inquiries please visit https://www.zootownarts.org/meet-the-zacc/about/.
The Lowest Pair w/ Dylan Running Crane
Wednesday, October 5 // Doors at 7 PM // Show at 7:30 PM // $10 Advance // $13 Day of ShowOpener Dylan Running Crane Kendl Winter and Palmer T. Lee are two kindred spirits who first met on the banks of the Mississippi while touring the Midwest festival circuit. Born and raised in Arkansas, Winter found herself drawn to the evergreens and damp air of the Pacific Northwest, as well as the boundless music scene of Olympia, Washington. She released three solo records on Olympia-based indie label, K Records, and performed in ramblin’ folk bands and anarchic punk bands before serendipitously meeting Palmer T. Lee in 2013. Lee had built his first banjo when he was 19 from pieces he inherited and began cutting his teeth fronting Minneapolis string bands before convincing Winter that they should form a banjo duo. Now, as The Lowest Pair, they have recorded and released five albums together, relentlessly toured North America, and ventured to the UK twice, playing over 500 live shows over the past five years. After each releasing solo albums via Conor Oberst’s Team Love Records in 2018, Winter and Lee began working on The Lowest Pair’s forthcoming 10 song set, The Perfect Plan. As a songwriting team, the duo tends to see artistic sparks all around them — in poems, people, ideas, experiences – and throughout the process of writing these new songs, they felt the need to push their creative limits. They turned to producer Mike Mogis of Bright Eyes who took them to ARC Studios in Omaha, Nebraska, and set them in a soundscape backed by a slate of session players that lifts the album from simple folk into spirited Americana and beyond. Clawhammer banjo and acoustic guitar still hold the heart of The Lowest Pair, but the fleshed-out sound of The Perfect Plan leans gently into Winter’s punk past, as well as the sonic playground of her mind, to set the band down a new path on their musical journey. “I love the stripped-down versions of these songs,” Winter admits. “I think they leave a lot to the imagination, and I trust people have enough juice to choose their own adventures in the space that the band fills out on the record. But we also can’t wait to tour with a full band and to see how that magic translates on stage. It felt really exciting in the studio, and the songs pack a much greater punch with the added instrumentation.”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 For further information, accessibility, and inquiries please visit https://www.zootownarts.org/meet-the-zacc/about/.
Swing Dance! w/ Night Blooming Jasmine & The Dewdroppers
Saturday, September 10 // Doors at 7 PM // Dance at 7:30 PM // $15 Dress your best for the Swing Dance! Join Missoula’s own hot club swing sextet Night Blooming Jasmine with special guests the Dewdroppers for a night of live music and footloose dancing. Night Blooming Jasmine is a string jazz collective based in Missoula, Montana since 2016. Drawing inspiration from the sound of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli’s Hot Club quintet, NBJ features the angelic voice of Whitni Kent, Geoffrey Taylor’s violin, John Rosett’s mandolin, and Jon Schick’s slick six-string guitar. John Sporman and Jasper lay down la pomp with guitar and double bass. NBJ has been featured at the Big Sky Django Jazz Festival and the Northwest Folklife Festival. The Dewdroppers is a dynamic jazz trio from hailing Idaho Falls, ID. Featuring vocalist Katie Engstrom, guitarist Freddy Gildersleeve, and bassist Alex Holloway, the Dewdroppers craft a sophisticated sound both familiar and fresh. Listen:https://www.thedewdroppersmusic.com/https://geoffreypaultaylor1.bandcamp.com/album/night-blooming-jasmine-live-at-longstaff-house For further information, accessibility, and inquiries please visit https://www.zootownarts.org/meet-the-zacc/about/.Event image artwork by Courtney Blazon.
MJ Lenderman w/ Spencer Radcliffe
Wednesday, October 19 // Door at 7 PM // Show at 8 PM // $10 Advance // $13 Day of Show Jake Lenderman lives in Asheville, North Carolina. He plays guitar in the indie band Wednesday, sometimes fishes on the Pigeon River, and creates his own music as MJ Lenderman. His latest solo release with Dear Life Records is titled Boat Songs. Lenderman describes the album as his most “polished” sound to date, built around songs that “chase fulfillment and happiness” — whether that means buying a boat, drinking too much, or watching seeds fall from the bird feeder. A clavichord honks throughout ‘You Have Bought Yourself A Boat’ with the playfulness of a live Dylan/Band set. ‘SUV’ screams with My Bloody Valentine distortion. When Xandy Chelmis beautifully bends his steel guitar on ‘TLC Cage Match’ you can’t help but think of Gram Parsons. And ‘Tastes Just Like It Costs’ howls with the intensity of Crazy Horse era Neil Young. Boat Songs is fearless and it’s exciting. It challenges the perception of what modern day country music is supposed to be and where it can go. But no matter where Boat Songs goes sonically, the album is deeply rooted in Lenderman’s natural gifts as a storyteller. Someone once asked Hank Williams what made country music successful and he said, “One word: sincerity.” Filled with everyday observations ripped straight from his journal, Lenderman’s lyrics are sincere in their absurdities, with the vulnerability and honesty of Jason Molina and Daniel Johnston. There are moments of humor (‘Jackass is funny like the Earth is round’), admission (‘I know why we get so fucked up’), and recognition of beauty others mightnot stop to see (‘Your laundry looks so pretty…relaxing in the wind’). Read alone on the page, ‘Hangover Game,’ ‘You Have Bought Yourself A Boat,’ and ‘Dan Marino,’ stand out as perfect little poems, unpretentious and real. Simply said, these songs are unforgettable. words by Ashleigh Bryant Phillips Spencer Radcliffe is a songwriter and musician from Southern Ohio. Often joined by the ever-shifting backing band Everyone Else, Radcliffe makes uncompromising records for the real heads, far out freaks, and ever suspicious straight shooters. While the music tends to avoid stylistic constants, one can be sure to find the lyric sheet full of two-thirds baked observations on all the classic roadblocks to total peace: time, illusion of purpose, the mirage of security, and so on. Let’s keep it light hearted though, we’ll make it to wherever we’re headed. For further information, accessibility, and inquiries please visit https://www.zootownarts.org/meet-the-zacc/about/.
KFGM Summer Showcase / New Old Future + 1nfinite Now + John Brownell
Friday, August 26 // Doors at 7 PM // Show at 7:30 PM // $10 The KFGM Summer Series boasts some of the great talent the Missoula music scene has to offer. Each show will showcase two great bands, cross genres, and offer a platform for audience members to discover and engage with some of Missoula’s best artists. KFGM’s desire for this series is to highlight some of their favorite local artists and for Missoula Community Radio’s listeners to tune-in to a true local experience. August’s artists are New Old Future supported by 1nfinite Now and John Brownell. New Old Future says – “It’s like this: We are the New Old Future and we play rock music. Doug from Built to Spill likes us. Sometimes we travel through time and tweak the future and past to bring the freshest beats and booms!” 1nfinite Now is music and creative content composed, produced, and performed by LeRoy Menahan and various artists. This will be their live debut! John Brownell is some dude in Missoula, Montana. He’s also a prolific songwriter that has helped to shape the Missoula Music Scene. He’ll be debuting a new solo set. For further information, accessibility, and inquiries please visit https://www.zootownarts.org/meet-the-zacc/about/.
No-Fi Soul Rebellion + Cat Positive w/ The Western States
Saturday, August 27 // Door at 7 PM // Show at 7:30 PM // $10 Advance // $12 Day of Show No-Fi Soul Rebellion consists mostly of upbeat pop songs influenced by rock, soul, oldies, and punk. Mark Heimer conceived the project during the late Jay’s Upstairs era in Missoula’s underground music scene. At that time the project used an MP3 player inside a hollowed out guitar known as the “Soul System” to perform the songs as Glam Karaoke. The band is now a full on rock band performing old and new songs. Cat Positive is an indie/punk rock band centered around the songwriting of Tyson Ballew. The band dabbles in Midwest Emo, Powerpop, and alt country sounds to bring earnest and plaintive story telling to the forefront of the project. The band released in 2021 a full length album called “The Star Thief” and will be playing songs from that album and Ballew’s back catalog on this run of shows. The Western States is a punk rock band from Missoula, MT. The band just released their full length “Heavy Pours” in 2021. The album is full of anthemic songs featuring classic punk gang vocals and old school pop punk hooks. For further information, accessibility, and inquiries please visit https://www.zootownarts.org/meet-the-zacc/about/.
Dark Dazey + Golf Alpha Bravo w/ Bluest & Cosmic Sans
Friday, September 9 // Doors at 7 PM // Show at 7:30 PM // $10 // $15 Tour Supporter Ticket Dark Dazey is an independent, LA-based psych-rock band with a flare for genre bending. They are an ambitious and dedicated group of UCLA alumni or current students who have worked together for years to create and share music with communities throughout California. Notable performances include UCLA’s Spring Sing, Far Out Fest, and COASTALONG Festival. They also planned and executed a California tour on their own in the fall of 2019. Their unique sound is broadly a blend of psychedelia, punk, dream-pop, Americana, and Latin music. Dark Dazey draws influence from classic and modern rock experimentalists the likes of Pink Floyd, Santana, Grateful Dead, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Tame Impala, Arctic Monkeys, and Vampire Weekend. Their current discography features a number of psych-rock singles (2019), a jammy live album titled Dark Dazey Live from the International Space Station (2020), a psych-punk-thrash EP NARCS (2020), and an anti gun violence country single, NRA (2020). They are dynamic and diverse multi-instrumentalists, visual artists, audiophiles and recording engineers who are dedicated to their craft of creative composition and performance, always exploring new sonic avenues. Dark Dazey records all of their own music (including most concerts that they play). This do-it-yourself attitude and passion for sound has solidified their ability to see their vision out to completion. Golf Alpha Bravo is the adopted moniker of Australian singer/guitarist Gab Winterfield. His is a unique brand of Surf Blues – a siren to a childhood of growing up on the coast of Sydney Australia: an eternal loop of surf, skate, Frusciante and Hendrix … Golf Alpha Bravo uncovers a new authenticity. Stripped of any embellishment, Golf Alpha Bravo presents live as a classic trio. Gab sings and plays guitar accompanied with bass and drums. Wavey verbed up guitar tones, dissolve into gravelling howls from the guitar amid mid and up tempo grooves & melodic bass lines – pooling together to create a cool colored collage, reviving the essence of groove from our collective stone age. Bluest is an indie rock band orchestrated by the longings and hauntings of Noelle Huser. Sifting through dreams and nightmares, Huser finds solace in serenading her ghost, turning self- soothing acoustic guitar folk and bedroom pop songs into full-band bops that pay homage to 90s/ early 00s angst pop and alt rock icons. Formed via some quality pandemic trauma bonding in true “School of Rock” fashion out of a group of kids rock camp instructors and their friends, Huser is joined by Erin Szalda-Petree on lead guitar and backup vocals, Duncan Szalda-Petree on bass, Ally Fradkin on keys and sax and Caleb Tutty on drums. They plan on releasing their chilling debut album Cold Sweat in 2023. Cosmic Sans is a western-psych five piece from Missoula, Montana – with Jake Howell on vocals, Lane Ulberg on bass, Cole Bronson on drums, Seamus Jennings on lead guitar, and William “Stos” Stoskopf on rhythm guitar. For further information, accessibility, and inquiries please visit https://www.zootownarts.org/meet-the-zacc/about/.
Snailmate / Zenitram Jr. / Sarah Frazier / ModularHaze
Thursday, August 25 // Door at 7 PM // Show at 7:30 PM // $10 // $15 Tour Supporter Ticket Snailmate is the Phoenix-based musical duo composed of lyricist, singer and synth-wizard Kalen Lander and drummer and backup vocalist Bentley Monet. Together, the two create music that fuses synthpunk, grindcore pop, and nerd rap for an unpredictable and explosive sound. Formed in 2015, the band is known for their frenetic and impressive live shows. Performing over a thousand shows, Snailmate has cultivated a fervent fanbase that aims to be inclusive with the band priding their shows as a safe space for all genders and people of all sexualities. Sarah Frazier is an Electronic/Pop artist from Montana. She dabbles in the realms of synthesizers and vocal processing, with 29 years outstanding of creating musical scores across a vast board of poetic, melodious, and instrumental genres. Zenitram, Jr is a one man electronic dance punk multimedia extravaganza. A Zenitram, Jr performance can feature anything from T-Slice, The Marinara Flavored Flav breakdancing in a pizza costume to dancing nuns or a man reading the paper in his pajamas on an easy chair. Zenitram, Jr is performance art for people who hate performance art and music for when nothing else sounds good. ModularHaze (Sam Kaley) would safely be described as dystopian/psych/synthwave. It’s a 3 piece group, Chris Bacon is the second half of the synth explosion and Chris Lee on drums. I also have a projector based visual synth that I use during our set for visuals. It is wildly trippy and provides quite the visual stimulation for a crowd. For further information, accessibility, and inquiries please visit https://www.zootownarts.org/meet-the-zacc/about/.
Montana Songwriter Showcase w/ Susan Gibson, Tom Catmull, Jenn Adams, & John Floridis
Wednesday, August 24 // Door at 7 PM // Show at 7:30 PM // $17 Advance // $20 Day of Show What has over 30 albums, a Grammy Nomination, multiple “Best Musician” awards from the Missoula Independent, a USA Songwriter Grand Prize, and a Northwest Emmy Award? The combination of singer songwriters Susan Gibson, Tom Catmull, Jenn Adams, and John Floridis. These four singer songwriters began their careers in Missoula, Montana in the early and mid 1990’s at the dawn of the movement toward independently produced CD’s and recordings. Though they’ve all pursued their paths individually, they’ve frequently shared billing with one another, recorded together and even occasionally played in each other’s bands. Ten years ago they joined each other on stage for the first time, and the show was so well received they’ve made it a yearly event. Susan, Tom, Jenn, and John became friends through meeting at open mics, shared gigs and recording projects in the mid-1990’s and immediately came to respect each other’s work. All but Susan Gibson still live in the Missoula and Bitterroot area. Susan makes a yearly pilgrimage from Austin, Texas back to Montana, revisiting the route that inspired her to write the Dixie Chick’s huge hit single “Wide Open Spaces.” When she does the four friends have made it a now yearly tradition to gather to trade songs old, new, and “in the works”, and share stories of their journeys with music and songwriting spanning over two decades. One of the true highlights of ‘Montana Songwriter Showcase’ is the experience of these artists in a true “listening” environment – as opposed to a festival, club, or tap room. Every nuance of the artist’s singing and every subtlety of their guitar playing comes forward in a setting like this – where the dynamics of a solo performance take on even greater depth. When a musician can use silence and space to enhance their music it is akin to an author suddenly having access to vowels after trying to write without them. www.susangibson.comwww.tomcatmull.comwww.jennadams.comwww.johnfloridis.com For further information, accessibility, and inquiries please visit https://www.zootownarts.org/meet-the-zacc/about/.
