The Trego Pub Hosts Third Annual Backwoods Accordion Festival
Musical acts include local and Washington-based musicians on July 16 at the Trego Pub and General Store
By Maggie Dresser
Just south of Eureka tucked away a few miles off U.S. Highway 93, the Trego Pub and General Store provides live music three nights a week from several local musicians in the tight-knit Tobacco Valley, ranging in genres from country to Celtic music.
Local Trego residents and musicians Kathi and Pom Collins, who play regularly at the pub, noticed a gap in northwest Montana’s musical festival scene and in 2020 they launched the Backwoods Accordion Festival, featuring German, Irish and Americana tunes from a variety of local accordion players.
The pandemic prompted organizers to cancel the event, but local musicians and patrons still descended on the Trego Pub that summer to jam and listen to accordions bellow in the pub’s outdoor space at the first unofficial festival.
Two years later, the town of Trego is gearing up for the third annual Backwoods Accordion Festival, featuring a Washington-based headliner, Kozmopolis, local musicians and the Collins’ duo, Euphonium Spaceship.
“We had a more casual lineup last year,” Kathi said. “It was all local, but we’ve been working pretty hard to make it a little bit of a bigger deal.”
Kathi started playing the accordion a few decades ago while living in Bonner’s Ferry, Idaho. After listening to Irish music in the cassette player at work, the eclectic sounds sparked her interest.
“I said ‘What is that an accordion? I’ve got to get that,’” Kathi said.
A short while later, David Latham of the local Irish band Shaughnessy Hill invited Kathi to play with them where she gained most of her accordion knowledge playing on stage with the other bandmembers, launching her new passion for the box-shaped instrument.
“It’s just so all-encompassing,” Kathi said. “You have to think about at least three different things going on at once, playing on the key side, the bellows and the bass side. And you play with it partially on your chest – playing close to your heart.”
Kathi toured with Shaughnessy Hill for seven years where she fine-tuned her accordion skills and she now plays a variety of different types of accordions, including the diatonic, chromatic and concertina.
Eventually, Kathi met her now-husband Pom who shares her love of accordions.
“I got hooked on Irish music in my early 20s but instead of playing the accordion, I tried to learn the violin but wasn’t too successful,” Pom said. “It wasn’t until I moved to Montana that I started jamming and joined a rock and roll band playing the percussion.”
At the festival, Kathi and Pom will play Irish and Celtic music in their band, Euphonium Spaceship, where they play several different types of accordions and instruments in their sets.
Eureka residents Ray and Shirley Jacobs will play in their separate musical acts bringing German music with Earthquake Jake and French Café music with La Vie Est Une Fête.
“I’ve never seen so many good accordion players in this small world,” Kathi said.
Andrew Santiago of Ol’ Santi will play in between running the sound at the Trego Pub and playing at Under the Big Sky Festival in Whitefish with the Tim Helnore Highwater Band, a local country band that also frequents the pub.
This year, the festival will have a raffle, a shade tent, kid’s activities and Kathi will
present an educational accordion demonstration.
The Backwoods Accordion Festival is from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. on July 16 at the Trego Pub and General Store. Admission is free and donations are encouraged.
For more information, visit the Backwoods Accordion Festival on Facebook.