Montana Songwriter Showcase w/ Susan Gibson, Tom Catmull, Jenn Adams, & John Floridis
Tuesday, August 22 // 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/.
Montana Songwriter Showcase w/ Susan Gibson, Tom Catmull, Jenn Adams, & John Floridis
Friday, July 19 // Door at 7 PM // Show at 7:30 PM // $20 Advance // $25 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/.
Austin Britton + Gabrielle Tusberg + Renee Ross
Wednesday, April 5 // Door at 7 PM // Show at 7:30 PM // $10 // $15 Artist Supporter Ticket Austin Britton is all about writing a good song. He has opened for the likes of Mason Jennings, Simon Joyner, and Jake Bellows. He resides in Missoula and keeps writing songs with mystical lyricism and searching melodies. Gabrielle Tusberg is a singer songwriter from Portland, OR. Her inspiration comes from female songwriters like Lucinda Williams, Fiona Apple, and Sara Jarosz. Gabrielle’s songs tell a story about her life experiences, relationships, love lost, love gained, and a changed perspective – all with wit, sadness, and charm. Her songs will make you cry and laugh with her deepest thoughts and unleashed secrets. Renee Ross has been a lover of all things “pizzaz” from a young age. Her passion for the performing arts originated at the piano, and scribbling in her first of many songbooks at age 5. She went on to receive a BFA in Musical Theater, and has since enjoyed dancing on the Wilma Stage as Janet in Rocky Horror Picture Show 2022, and AM Theatrical’s Next to Normal as Natalie Goodman. She has been fortunate enough to bring queer representation with Pips in Hearth: A Yuletide Tale with the Montana Repertory Theater and most recently as Lulu in Stumptown Stage’s Cabaret in Portland, Oregon. She is so excited to be back performing at the ZACC to sing original music that is honest, deeply personal, and not usually shared. For further information, accessibility, and inquiries please visit https://www.zootownarts.org/meet-the-zacc/about/.
WOW Songwriters Showcase (& Bake Sale!), A Fundraiser for the Literary Podcast Words Out West
Sunday, March 26 // Door, with Bake Sale & Songwriters Merch Sale starts at 6:30 PM // Showcase begins at 7 PM // $10 // $15 Podcast Supporter Ticket Enjoy an evening of music and support the literary podcast, Words Out West! Hosted by Cole Grant, this Showcase boasts five Montana-based songwriters – Sean Howard Burress, Rebecca Kelley, Greg Owens, Gabrielle Tusberg, and Maria Zepeda. A bake sale by friends of WOW and artist’s CD and merch sales start at 6:30 PM. The Showcase starts at 7 PM. Words Out West is a nonprofit literary podcast, bringing listeners original writings from the Rocky Mountains and beyond, including fiction, nonfiction, poetry, songs, audio plays, and more. Listen, subscribe, and donate at wordsoutwest.org, or listen wherever you get your podcasts. The Words Out West podcast is produced by Jay Kettering and Cole Grant in partnership with Montana Public Radio. This event is made possible thanks to the following sponsors: Montana Public Radio, The Bell Pipe & Tobacco Shop, & Gallery 709 (Montana Art and Framing).For further information, accessibility, and inquiries please visit https://www.zootownarts.org/meet-the-zacc/about/.
Benefit Concert for The Poverello Center w/ John Floridis, Jennifer Slayden, & Ed Stalling
Thursday, December 15 // Door at 7 PM // Show at 7:30 PM // Pick Your Ticket Price $10-$50 // Box Office Proceeds Benefit the Poverello Center Missoula guitarist and singer-songwriter John Floridis, along with percussionist Ed Stalling and cellist Jennifer Slayden, will be performing at the ZACC to benefit the Poverello Center in Missoula. The trio will play material from Floridis’ two seasonal releases ‘December’s Quiet Joy’ and ‘The Peaceful Season’ both of which feature his fingerstyle acoustic guitar arrangements of traditional Christmas/winter melodies, as well as original compositions. The trio also includes seasonal vocal tunes, both original and by other artists such as Bruce Cockburn, Patty Larkin, Ben Harper, and John Gorka in the performance. The songs feature lyrics speaking to the journey from darkness to light, seasonally, emotionally, and spiritually. This concert is one of four benefit concerts scheduled by Floridis throughout the week in Missoula, each focusing on a different nonprofit and highlighting different musicians. The concerts welcome the audience to escape the frantic stress that too often pervades the holiday season and relax in an intimate listening environment with music to warm the heart and soul. Floridis is a 25 year Missoula resident and has been recognized as one of the state’s most popular and respected musicians, having performed in a variety of venues, festivals, and concert halls in support of his eight independently released albums. He will be releasing a ninth recording, ‘Thankful’ in early 2023. Floridis has been featured in an Emmy Award winning episode on ‘11th and Grant’ on Montana PBS and is also the host and producer of ‘Musician’s Spotlight’ on Montana Public Radio and ‘Live From Home’ as well, on Montana PBS. This performance is sponsored by Main Street Realty. https://www.mainstreetmissoula.com/ For more information about the concerts and John Floridis visit www.johnfloridis.com. 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/.
UM Songwriter Showcase
Sunday, May 29 // Doors at 7 PM // Show at 7:30 PM // $10 UM students and alumni present ‘UM Songwriter Showcase’, featuring the original music and lyrics of Stephen Jay Clement, alongside recent UM graduates Arwen Grace Baxter and Diego Solan Kjelland. For further information, accessibility, and inquiries please visit https://www.zootownarts.org/meet-the-zacc/about/.
Renee Ross + Stephen Jay Clement + Gabrielle Tusberg
Wednesday, April 27 // Doors at 7:30 PM // Show at 8 PM // $10 Renee Ross has been a dedicated lover of all things “pizzazz” from a young age. Her passion for the performing arts originated seated at a piano, while simultaneously training as a competitive figure skater at the age of 6. Attending Fresco Arts Academy as an adolescent artist, she studied voice and music composition through her teenage years. After landing the role of Hope Harcourt she realized the magic of putting all her passions together: dance, song, and expression. Since then, she went on to be highly involved in many of University of Montana’s dance productions, straight plays, and musicals while earning her BFA in Musical Theatre Performance. Stephen Jay Clement is a Missoula-born singer, songwriter, and actor. With a background of undergraduate studies in musical theatre, music composition, and ecomusicology at the University of Montana, Stephen draws inspiration from a broad variety of musical, theatrical, and environmental influences. Gabrielle Tusberg is a singer songwriter from Portland, OR. She has been writing her own music since high school and enjoys conveying deep emotion with her raw and honest lyrics. She is inspired by female artists like Jewel and Fiona Apple and hopes to come out with a complete album by fall of 2023. For further information, accessibility, and inquiries please visit https://www.zootownarts.org/meet-the-zacc/about/.