Alex Dunn (duo) ft. Bryant Moore & Izaak Opatz
Wednesday, July 30 // Door at 7 PM // Show at 7:30 PM // $10 // $15-$20 Artist SupporterALEX DUNN is currently based out of the high desert of northern New Mexico. He has recorded alongside folk luminaries Anna Tivel and Eli West and he has had the opportunity to share the stage with artists such as Marty O’Reilly, Rachel Baiman, Robbie Fulks, Kassi Valazza, Rainbow Girls, Hen House Prowlers, Sammy Brue, Shawn Hess, Izaak Opatz and many more. Dunn uses his own personal blend of Folk/Americana to reflect on the many lives he’s led, from his youth along the border of Colorado and Wyoming to the quiet moments aboard commercial fishing vessels in the remote waters of Southeast Alaska, where he spent over a decade toiling on the sea and writing songs during his down time. Melodic sawdust and salt air, his music breathes with a sense of place, yet is imminently accessible and speaks to the universal. His debut record Scattered Poems was recorded in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle, WA and released in the fall of 2018 – an elegant and timeless debut, graced by the talents of some of the Northwest’s finest roots musicians.Partnering with the label Color Red, he released his sophomore LP Southern Star on 12/3/21 – which he recorded with his band at Avast Recording Company and co-produced alongside multi-instrumentalist Bryant Moore (True Loves). It was mastered by legendary engineer Greg Calbi (Paul Simon, Bruce Springstein, Talking Heads, Blondie, Muddy Waters, Bon Iver, you name it).Dunn and Moore collaborated again to record an EP “You Just Jump In” which released NOVEMBER 22nd 2024. 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.
Why We Went West, Austin Britton, & Lucas Yacht
Wednesday, July 2 // Doors at 7 PM // Show at 7:30 // $10 // $15-$20 Artist Supporter Ticket Lucas Ray Yatch is an American singer songwriter from northern Montana. Mixing honest and heartfelt lyrics with bluesy guitar riffs. Playing as a one man band. Lucas transcends the traditional singer songwriter with a driving lush sound. Austin Britton writes whatever kind of song he wants, whenever he wants to. This freedom has had very limited success in traditional industry metrics, but creatively it is right where Austin wants to be. No record label or persona to keep up with. It is all about a good song, which can sound all kinds of ways, and Austin has been committed to this openness with the craft since he began writing songs over 20 years ago. He’s inspired by inspiration and you can anticipate hearing songs you haven’t heard before and making your own opinions. It’s local music. There is no app for this. Cheers. Through original compositions, improvisational sonic landscapes, and intimate storytelling, Why We Went West traces the internal and external landscapes we traverse in search of home, healing, and meaning. Inspired by the cycles of nature and the resilience of the human spirit, this work honors both the grief of what is left behind while compelling us forward. Together, we brave the realities faced amidst great change and challenge. Why We Went West journeys with us, rooted in the power of a love-led existence and shared emotional resonance.
Bobcat w/ Aaron Armstrong, Charlie Of Doom, & The Strangelys
Wednesday, June 4 // Door at 7 PM // Show at 7:30 PM // $10 // $15 or $20 Artist Supporter Bobcat, the awe inspiring one-man band is a captivating force in the world of music and entertainment. Currently on a 2-year tour of the Continental US, he’s playing in every region adding an extra layer of excitement to his performances. With a repertoire that spans a unique blend of rock n roll, comedic antics and instrumental renditions of popular covers, Bobcat is the true embodiment of a multi-faceted artist. Find a tour date near you to experience an extraordinary blend of rockabilly, punk rock, garage rock, power pop, psychobilly and indie rock that defines Bobcat’s musical style. A true original, his performances channel the spirit of The Meteors, Koffin Kats, Goddamn Gallows, Reverend Horton Heat and The Black Keys. If you crave an authentic rock n roll experience, Bobcat is the act that brings the real deal to audiences everywhere. https://bobcat522.bandcamp.com/ www.bobcatmusic.li Aaron Armstrong is a folk punk singer-songwriter based in Western Montana. His raw lyrics and gritty acoustic sound channel the spirit of rebellion for which both folk music and punk rock are known. Whether performing on a stage or a sidewalk, Aaron delivers music that speaks to outcasts, dreamers, and those still fighting for a better world. From Missoula, Montana, The Strangelys (strange•lees) play drinking songs for the post apocalypse. Influenced by early 80’s hardcore punk bands such as Circle Jerks and Black Flag, this is music for moshing, skating and opening a wormhole to other galaxies. Hit play and get strange.
The Wildwoods w/ Rancher
Sunday, August 3 // Door at 7 PM // Show at 7:30 PM // $20 ADV // $25 DOS In the heart of Lincoln, Nebraska, The Wildwoods, a folk/Americana trio led by Noah and Chloe Gose, alongside bassist Andrew Vaggalis, deliver a musical journey through the soul of American roots. With accolades ranging from international songwriting competitions to standing ovations at festivals like Summerfest and FreshGrass, their latest release, “Foxfield Saint John” (2023), solidifies them as a force in the folk scene. 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.
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.
The Gravy Ladles w/ Eel Sallad & Fern Spores
Tuesday, May 27 // Door at 7:00 PM // Show at 7:30 PM // $10 // $15-$20 Artist Supporter The Gravy Ladles “POUR IT ON!” Serving up a heaping spoonful of Americana music with home cooked originals and spiced up covers! Twins Sky and Kevin Weaver join Alia Fintz and Jesse Christian to bring soaring three part harmonies and a mix of instrumentation to their sound. You’ll hear saxophone, keys, fiddle, bass, drums, guitar and more! Hints of bluegrass, rock, reggae, and funk. It’s good old American music! It’s the Gravy Ladles! Fern Spores is a folk-rock band hailing from Olympia, WA. With a sound that’s as raw and captivating as it is intentional, they weave gritty guitar leads, haunting fiddle melodies, and powerhouse vocals that leave audiences spellbound. Drawing inspiration from musical giants like Janis Joplin, Alabama Shakes, First Aid Kit, and Cat Power, Fern Spores infuse their music with a modern edge while paying homage to the raw energy and authenticity of their predecessors. Their songs are both anthems of empowerment and poignant reflections on life’s highs and lows. Their highly anticipated debut album, The Understory, released on 6/7/2024. With roots in Blues, Grunge, Rock, Americana, and Folk, Eel Sallad’s sound has been coined ‘Pacific Northwest GrungeGrass’—a dynamic fusion of raw energy and heartfelt lyrics. Their music spans everything from sultry ballads to audacious anthems, delivered with a compelling stage presence that keeps audiences hooked from start to finish.
Prussian Folklore w/ Modality & Cory Fay
Saturday, March 15 // Door at 7 PM // Show at 7:30 PM // $10 // $15-$20 Artist Supporter
Izaak Opatz w/ The Alpines
Thursday, March 6 // Door at 7 PM // Show at 7:30 PM // $10 // $15-$20 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 Alpines make rock and roll music in Missoula, Montana. The Alpines are made up of Shane Coburn, David Friedlander, and Russ Rabut. The Alpines love Indie music and Country and Boogie and have a cool, laid-back sound.
Kathryn Claire (US) & Margot Merah (Netherlands) w/ Sierra Cistone
Friday, July 28 // Doors at 7:30 PM // Show at 8 PM // $10 // $15 Artist Supporter Ticket Music can bring people together in unexpected ways. That’s certainly the case for Kathryn Claire and Margot Merah. Growing up on opposite sides of the world, you can expect them to never have met. And yet they did, in the fall of 2013, in a small Irish pub in Amsterdam. The musical connection was instant. Their love of songwriting, traditional music, folk and harmony singing not only brought them together: it took them all over the world. After 2 and a half years apart, the two reunited last summer in the Pacific Northwest for a tour featuring original and traditional songs and instrumentals along with their favorite covers. They began writing together on the road, and when they toured again in Europe this past spring, they decided the time had come to create an album of music together. In their live shows and on their upcoming album, Come Close, Come In, these two multi-instrumentalists feature guitar, fiddle, ukulele, bodhran, harmonica, and breathtaking vocal harmonies. Kathryn Claire is based in Portland, OR. She plays violin, guitar and ukulele, has a crystal clear voice and writes songs that are honest, poetic and profound. She weaves together stories and melodies rooted in her classical and traditional musical background. Each song is imbued with an energy and electricity that you can feel, and she has the ability to move seamlessly between genres. Margot Merah is based in Amsterdam, Netherlands. She is a real ‘storyteller’, exactly what the folk tradition is all about. Margot’s music is comforting, hopeful and melancholic. Her songs tell about life, simple and small, with an eye for detail and the bigger picture. She regularly performs as a solo artist, but prefers to collaborate with other musicians in various projects. Her musicality and sense of harmony and rhythm are perfect for this. Kathryn and Margot are thrilled to be playing the The Show Room at the ZACC for their first time and for Margot to see Montana and the big sky and mountains for her first time! For further information, accessibility, and inquiries please visit https://www.zootownarts.org/meet-the-zacc/about/.
Sera Cahoone + Margo Cilker w/ Night Palace
Thursday, July 28 // Doors at 7 PM // 7:30 PM // $15 (Advance tix recommended)w/ opener Night Palace Americana singer-songwriter Sera Cahoone grew up in the Colorado foothills. The daughter of a dynamite salesman, she played her first gigs on drums in a dive bar’s open blues jams at 12. As a young adult, she moved to Seattle where she played drums with the adored indie rock group, Carissa’s Wierd, and later Band of Horses. She then went on to release four solo records, two with Sub Pop. In 2019, Cahoone received a Gold Record for her work with Band of Horses. Cahoone has earned great praise from KEXP, NPR series Tiny Desk Concert, First Listen and Songs We Love. Her work has been featured on UPROXX, ELLE and KEXP. But not only do her songs ring out in rooms of mile-high castles and the edges of sprawling forests, Cahoone is beloved by her fans. Her audiences are filled with the curious, the seekers, and those who just want to hear sing once more, “I wanna be your sidewalk / I’ll take you everywhere/ We’ll travel ‘round this world a million times.” Margo Cilker is a woman who drinks deeply of life, and her debut record Pohorylle, released in November 2021 on Portland label Fluff and Gravy, is brimming with it. For the last seven years, the Eastern Oregon songwriter, who NPR calls one of “11 Oregon Artists to Watch in 2021,” has split her time between the road and various outposts across the world, from Enterprise, OR to the Basque Country of Spain, forging a path that is at once deeply rooted and ever-changing. Night Palace’s (ATHENS, GA / NYC) debut album Diving Rings is a shocking alchemy: aching nostalgia meets frothy anticipation of what’s beyond the garden wall. Tantalizing pop melodies take wing with lush instrumentation, weaving a reedy bed for songwriter Avery Draut’s shimmering vocals. It’s hard to believe the album is not a soundtrack to . . . something. You find yourself picturing it: a moonlit-gilded diorama of Draut’s dreams and memories. Spanning eleven songs and interludes, Diving Rings ebbs and flows through tracks like “Enjoy the Moon!” dubbed by AllMusic Editor’s Choice, “a song that sounds like a lost Pet Sounds track played by Broadcast;” grounded indie-rock songs “Into the Wake, Mystified” and “Stranger Powers;” and the celeste-gilded folk song “Titania.” Paste Magazine encapsulates the now Athens, Georgia and NYC-based act’s sound: “Diving Rings wraps freak-folk energy in a lush psych-pop package.” The album was released on April 1 via Park the Van. For further information, accessibility, and inquiries please visit https://www.zootownarts.org/meet-the-zacc/about/.
