Over the course of three days in August, Chris Stapleton, Pixies and The Decemberists will be in Missoula. And the musicians will all be playing at a different venue in or around the city of about 70,000.
With the addition of the KettleHouse Amphitheater in Bonner, to go along with The Wilma, Adams Center and Big Sky Brewing Company Amphitheater, the college town is attracting a number of high-profile concerts this year, from Sheryl Crow to Pearl Jam.
Meanwhile, in Northwest Montana, we have our own slate of concerts at our own unique, albeit smaller, venues. And although some of the biggest names won’t be heading our way until Crown of the Continent Guitar Festival in late August, there are still plenty of options for music lovers, either in our own backyard or a short drive away.
So, mark your calendar with a few of these notable shows.
April
April 11 // Blue Oyster Cult – Northern Quest Casino Spokane
April 20 & 21 // Rocky Mountain Riff Fest – First Street West Kalispell
April 25 // Tech N9ne – The Wilma Missoula
May
May 1 // Rainbow Kitten Surprise – The Wilma Missoula
May 8 // Eagles – Spokane Arena
May 16 // Chris Young – Adams Center Missoula
May 24 // Kansas – Northern Quest Casino Spokane
May 25 // Sir Mix-a-Lot with Special Guest JC – Great Northern Bar Whitefish
May 31 // Bon Iver – KettleHouse Amphitheater Missoula
June
June 4 // The Flaming Lips – KettleHouse Amphitheater Missoula
June 6 // Barenaked Ladies – Big Sky Brewing Company Amphitheater Missoula
June 7 // Slightly Stoopid – KettleHouse Amphitheater Missoula
June 8 // Leftover Salmon – Great Northern Bar Whitefish
June 21 // Primus – KettleHouse Amphitheater Missoula
June 26 // Picnic in the Park Evening Concerts – Depot Park Kalispell (Every Tuesday through Aug. 21)
June 28 // Thursday!fest – Museum at Central School Kalispell (Every Thursday through the summer)
July
July 7 // Glacier Symphony – Rebecca Farm Kalispell
July 11 // Picnic in the Park Lunchtime Concerts – Depot Park Kalispell (Every Wednesday through Aug. 8)
July 17 // John Fogerty – Northern Quest Casino Spokane
July 18 // Sheryl Crow – KettleHouse Amphitheater Missoula
July 21 // Trampled by Turtles – KettleHouse Amphitheater Missoula
July 27 // Brad Paisley – Northern Quest Casino Spokane
August
August 3 // Willie Nelson and Alison Krauss – Northern Quest Casino Spokane
August 3 // Chris Stapleton – Adams Center Missoula
August 3 // Pixies – KettleHouse Amphitheater Missoula
August 4 & 5 // Travelers’ Rest Festival Featuring The Decemberists, Death Cab for Cutie, Jeff Tweedy, Tune-Yards and More– Big Sky Brewing Company Amphitheater Missoula
August 9 // Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats – Kettlehouse Amphitheater Missoula
August 6-12 // Festival Amadeus – Various Locations Whitefish and Bigfork
August 13 // Pearl Jam – Washington-Grizzly Stadium Missoula
August 16 // Justin Moore – KettleHouse Amphitheater Missoula
August 17 // Andrew Bird and Punch Brothers – KettleHouse Amphitheater Missoula
August 18 // Alice Cooper – KettleHouse Amphitheater Missoula
August 26- September 1 // Crown Guitar Workshop & Festival – Flathead Lake Lodge Bigfork
September
September 4 // Blondie – KettleHouse Amphitheater Missoula
September 5 // Layzie Bone (member of Bone Thugs-n-Harmony) – Casey’s Whitefish
September 8 // Jason Isbell – KettleHouse Amphitheater Missoula
September 12 // Lake Street Dive – The Wilma Missoula
September 16 // The Avett Brothers – Big Sky Brewing Company Amphitheater Missoula
September 19 // Luke Bryan – Big Sky Brewing Company Amphitheater Missoula
September 22 // Rascal Flatts – Northern Quest Casino Spokane
September 29 // Keith Urban – Adams Center Missoula
10 Concerts Not to Miss
Bon Iver
May 31, KettleHouse Amphitheater Missoula
Tickets: logjampresents.com
This Grammy-Award-winning indie folk band swings through western Montana as part of its North American tour that includes stops at the renowned Sasquatch Music Festival and Bonnaroo Music Festival.
The Flaming Lips
June 4, KettleHouse Amphitheater Missoula
Tickets: logjampresents.com
This legendary experimental rock band from Oklahoma was included on Q music magazine’s list of “50 bands to see before you die.” Here’s your chance.
Sheryl Crow
July 18, KettleHouse Amphitheater Missoula
Tickets: logjampresents.com
Country rocker Sheryl Crow became a household name in 1993 when she dropped her debut album, “Tuesday Night Music Club,” which has since sold millions of copies and caused millions of more listeners to unknowingly hum, “All I wanna do …”
Chris Stapleton
August 3, Adams Center Missoula
Tickets: www.umt.edu/griztix
Singer-songwriter Chris Stapleton’s first studio album reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard charts and was named album of the year by the Country Music Association. His second studio album received the same award two years later.
Pixies
August 3, KettleHouse Amphitheater Missoula
Tickets: logjampresents.com
This American rock band from Boston rose to prominence in the late ‘80s and influenced several alternative bands from Nirvana to Radiohead.
Festival Amadeus
August 6-12, Various Locations Whitefish and Bigfork
Tickets: www.gscmusic.org
Established in 2008, Festival Amadeus is Montana’s only weeklong summer classical music festival. The festival centers on the music of Mozart and is a destination event for music lovers.
Pearl Jam
August 13, Washington-Grizzly Stadium Missoula
Tickets: www.umt.edu/griztix
Well-known for its live shows, Pearl Jam is one of the biggest bands in the world and last year, in its first year of eligibility, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Jeff Ament, the band’s bassist, hails from Big Sandy and returns to his home state for this stadium show.
Crown Guitar Workshop & Festival
August 26-September 1, Flathead Lake Lodge Bigfork
Tickets: www.crownguitarfest.org
One of the most unique music festivals in the region, the Crown Guitar Workshop & Festival is once again welcoming world-class artists, from Poco to Justin Townes Earle, at a beautiful venue on the shore of Flathead Lake.
The Avett Brothers
September 16, Big Sky Brewing Company Amphitheater
Tickets: bigskybrew.com
This North Carolina band was recently the subject of HBO documentary by Judd Apatow, who, as the Los Angeles Times wrote, was attracted to their “foot-stomping folk and Americana with unabashedly emotional lyrics.”
Luke Bryan
September 19, Big Sky Brewing Company Amphitheater
Tickets: bigskybrew.com
Named entertainer of the year by both the Academy of Country Music and Country Music Association, Bryan has sold over 7 million albums and 27 million singles worldwide.