The following list is by no means exhaustive, but it should be a good head start for those looking to line up their summer concert plans in northwest Montana and surrounding communities.
Things start off relatively slowly in the month of May, which nevertheless provides a promising slate of local shows, including Laney Lou and the Bird Dogs on May 12 at the Great Northern Bar in Whitefish, Glacier Symphony’s production of the opera Carmen, Sam Barber at the Coop in Columbia Falls, and the banjo-ukulele folk duo Picken Pear at the Stonefly Lounge in Coram.
That trend continues into early June, including with a June 3 performance by Big Sky City Lights at the FVCC Wachholz Center, and the June 27 kickoff of the weekly free Picnic in the Park Summer Concert Series at Depot Park in Kalispell. Bigger acts begin to show up in the region with increasing frequency as June progresses, including a two-week span beginning June 10 in which Death Cab for Cutie plays in Missoula, Chris Stapleton plays in Spokane, Shakey Graves shows up at Abayance Bay near Eureka, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss take over KettleHouse Amphitheater for a night, the Glacier Symphony kicks off its Mozart at McClaren music festival at FVCC, and Pinky and The Floyd descend on Missoula for a Dark Side of the Moon 50th anniversary show.
July starts off with Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit playing KettleHouse on the Fourth of July. By mid-July music lovers might have choices to make, as the Under the Big Sky music festival outside of Whitefish coincides with the Montana Folk Festival in Butte. On July 16, the tail end of both festivals, former Whitefish resident Izaak Opatz is scheduled to play a show at The Stonefly Lounge in Coram, and a couple days later, on July 18, he’ll perform again at Home Ranch Bottoms up in the North Fork.
Supergroup Boygenius kicks off the month of August at KettleHouse in Missoula, followed the next night by an Aug. 2 Ben Folds show featuring the Missoula Symphony in the same venue. Foo Fighters fans will have a couple of chances to catch the band in August, the first one coming in Spokane on Aug. 4, and a couple nights later they’ll play again at the Wildlands Festival in Big Sky.
A number of September KettleHouse shows are already sold out, including both nights of the Lumineers on Sept. 5 and Sept. 6, a show featuring the Pixies, Modest Mouse and Cat Power on Sept. 7, Bonnie Raitt on Sept. 8, Counting Crows with Dashboard Confessional on Sept. 19, two nights of Rainbow Kitten Surprise starting on Sept. 20, and a Sept. 22 show by Goose. Tickets are still available for the jam band Umphrey’s McGee on Sept. 15, and Bonnie Raitt fans who missed out on tickets for her KettleHouse show can still nab tickets for her Sept. 6 show in Spokane. For those looking for something a little more familiar in terms of both location and sound, the O’Shaughnessy Center in Whitefish will be doing back to back nights of an Eagles tribute concert to kick off September.
Four Concerts Not To Miss
7/4: Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit, KettleHouse Amphitheater, Missoula
The stars are aligning on this one for a memorable performance on the Fourth of July. Isbell is a spectacular songwriter and guitarist, and he’ll be coming to Montana less than a month after the June 9 release of his new album “Weathervanes.” For HBO watchers, Isbell may already be a familiar face and name, as the TV media company and streaming service recently released a feature length documentary about Isbell called “Running With Our Eyes Closed,” which takes an intimate look into his life, with a focus on the work that went into creating his 2020 album, “Reunions.” Isbell is married to the tremendously talented singer, songwriter, and fiddle player Amanda Shires, who in addition to her solo career also plays in Isbell’s band, The 400 Unit. On a personal note, the last show I saw before things were turned on their head in 2020 was Amanda Shires at the Pub Station in Billings. The night of that March show happened to coincide with her birthday, and Isbell made a surprise appearance playing guitar in her band. It was a tremendous show, and I still remember the beautiful, tender cover of Warren Zevon’s “Mutineer,” that the two performed together. While there’s a certain element of unpredictability that comes with playing an outdoor show in Montana on Independence Day, Isbell is probably one of a handful of musicians with the talent and musical range to make music sound good even amid blasts of fireworks on a summer night. Isbell’s song catalogue runs all the way from haunting, more lyrically focused songs, to more lively, electric guitar heavy arrangements capable of lighting up the night. This show is sold out, but of course that doesn’t mean tickets can’t be bought on the resale market.
7/7-7/8: Symphony Night at Rebecca Farm
Seeing the Glacier Symphony play with Midori last month was a remarkable experience and served as a strong reminder of the range of opportunities available in the Flathead for music lovers. A friend who also went to see Midori, and is a regular attendee of the Glacier Symphony, told me that he’s particularly attached to Symphony Night at Rebecca Farm. This outdoor pops concert has been an ongoing Flathead Valley summertime feature for 20 years, and promises to include a score of “patriotic and well-known symphonic music, from Beethoven to Tchaikovsky,” according to event information shared by the symphony. People are encouraged to bring a comfortable chair, a blanket, and snacks, and there will also be food and drink vendors. The gates will open at 5:30 p.m., with music starting at 7:30 p.m., meaning the music will ring out as the sun slowly sets in the sky. Tickets go on sale May 12. Early Bird Car Passes can be purchased before June 30th for $55, and general car passes, or those purchased at the gate, are $65.
8/1: Boygenius, KettleHouse Amphitheater, Missoula
Made up of Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus, this indie supergroup just released their first studio album “The Record,” in March to tremendous buzz, although the trio has been working together off and on since 2018. To get the bad news out of the way first, this show is sold out, but I’ll elaborate on what I said above—if you start looking now, chances are you’ll be able to pick up tickets somewhere. The run on these tickets was something I was hearing about from various acquaintances for days in the lead up to sales opening a couple months ago. During a recent discussion about office music choices, one Flathead Beacon coworker remarked to me that there’s never a bad time for Boygenius. While debatable, it’s another data point showing the enthusiasm fans have for this trio. In an article headlined “The supergroup Boygenius are happiest making sad music together,” the L.A. Times called Boygenius “an anomaly,” in the sense that “indie-aesthetic bands who sing about really sad stuff aren’t supposed to be buzzy major label darlings in 2023.” You may not be surprised to hear then, that the new album tends to fall on the softer, more melancholy, heartbroken side of the emotional spectrum, but there are still some jams to get the blood pumping when you’ve wiped the tears out of your eyes.
8/27: Tab Benoit and The Rumble, FVCC Wachholz College Center, Kalispell
For starters, if you haven’t seen a show in the Wachholz Center, it’s worth making time for one. The new space is gorgeous, and musicians can’t seem to say enough about the quality of acoustics that the center’s concert venue, McClaren Hall, has to offer. Tab Benoit, armed with his weathered, 1972 Fender Telecaster Thinline electric guitar that he’s been using since the 90s, seems very much the kind of artist who can take advantage of the space. The Grammy-nominated blues guitarist and singer has roots in the bayous of Louisiana. His songs include bending, riffing, roving, guitar solo-heavy jams, slower, moodier tunes, and more fast-paced, easygoing foot-tapping arrangements. Opening for Benoit will be The Rumble, a New Orleans funk band that will bring six Grammy-nominated musicians to the stage. The band is composed of Second Chief Joseph Boudreaux Jr. of the Golden Eagles, trumpeter Aurelien Barnes, trombonist Jose Maize Jr., bassist TJ Norris, guitarist Ari Teitel, keyboardist Andriu Yanovski, and drummer Trenton O’Neal.
May
5/12: Laney Lou and the Bird Dogs with Way Down North, Great Northern Bar, Whitefish
5/13: Glacier Symphony: Carmen: ‘Opera in Concert,’ FVCC Wachholz College Center, Kalispell
5/14: Glacier Symphony: Carmen: ‘Opera in Concert,’ FVCC Wachholz College Center, Kalispell, Night 2
5/20: Wai Mizutani and Guests, The Lights of Broadway, FVCC Wachholz College Center, Kalispell
5/20: Sam Barber, The Coop, Columbia Falls
5/26: Mynxx, The Remington Bar, Whitefish
5/26: Pickin’ Pear, Stone Fly Lounge, Coram
5/27: Pickin’ Pear, Northern Light Saloon, Polebridge
5/28: Lord Huron with Allie Crow Buckley, KettleHouse Amphitheater, Missoula (SOLD OUT)
June
6/3: Big Sky City Lights, FVCC Wachholz College Center, Kalispell
6/3: The Dip, The Coop, Columbia Falls
6/10: Death Cab For Cutie, KettleHouse Amphitheater, Missoula
6/16: Shakey Graves with Katie Pruitt, Abayance Bay, Rexford, MT
6/20: Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, KettleHouse Amphitheater, Missoula (SOLD OUT)
6/24: Pinky and The Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon 50th Anniversary, KettleHouse Amphitheater, Missoula
6/27: Tommy Edwards Band, Picnic in the Park Summer Concert Series, Depot Park, Kalispell
6/28: Railroad Earth, Abayance Bay, Rexford, MT
6/30: Area 406 Music & Arts Festival, Flathead County Fairgrounds, Kalispell
July
7/1: Area 406 Music & Arts Festival, Flathead County Fairgrounds, Kalispell
7/4: Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit, KettleHouse Amphitheater, Missoula (SOLD OUT)
7/4: Hogslop String Band, Abayance Bay, Rexford, MT
7/5: Don Harmon & Cascade Country, Picnic in the Park Summer Concert Series, Depot Park, Kalispell
7/7: Steep Canyon Rangers, FVCC Wachholz College Center, Kalispell
7/7: Uncle Lucius and Nolan Taylor, The Coop, Columbia Falls
7/8: Marshall Tucker Band, Abayance Bay, Rexford, MT
7/11: Miller Campbell, Picnic in the Park Summer Concert Series, Depot Park, Kalispell
7/11: Old Crow Medicine Show, KettleHouse Amphitheater, Missoula
7/12: The Avett Brothers, Big Sky Brewing Company Amphitheater, Missoula
7/12: New Relm, Picnic in the Park Summer Concert Series, Depot Park, Kalispell
7/12: Paul Cauthen and the Red Clay Strays, Abayance Bay, Rexford, MT
7/13: Blues Traveler and Big Head Todd and the Monsters, KettleHouse Amphitheater, Missoula
7/14-7/16: Montana Folk Festival, Butte
7/14-7/16: Under The Big Sky Fest, Big Mountain Ranch, Whitefish (SOLD OUT)
7/15: Pepper: Twenty Years of Kona Town, The Wilma, Missoula
7/16: Izaak Opatz, the Stonefly Lounge, Coram
7/18: The Groove Riders, Picnic in the Park Summer Concert Series, Depot Park, Kalispell
7/18: Izaak Opatz, Home Ranch Bottoms, Polebridge
7/19: Larry Myer, Picnic in the Park Summer Concert Series, Depot Park, Kalispell
7/20: Trampled By Turtles, KettleHouse Amphitheather, Missoula
7/23: Incubus, KettleHouse Amphitheater, Missoula
7/25: David Walburn Duo, Picnic in the Park Summer Concert Series, Depot Park, Kalispell
7/27: Red Ants Pants Music Festival, White Sulphur Springs
7/28: Train, KettleHouse Amphitheater, Missoula
7/28: Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives, FVCC Wachholz College Center, Kalispell
7/31: RAIN—A Tribute to the Beatles, FVCC Wachholz College Center, Kalispell
7/31: The Mike Murray Duo, Riverbend Concert Series, Sliter Memorial Park, Bigfork
August
8/1: Boygenius, KettleHouse Amphitheater, Missoula (SOLD OUT)
8/1: Wildwind, Picnic in the Park Summer Concert Series, Depot Park, Kalispell
8/2: Ben Folds featuring the Missoula Symphony Orchestra, KettleHouse Amphitheater, Missoula
8/4: Amos Lee, Bing Crosby Theater, Spokane, Wash.
8/4: Foo Fighters, Spokane Arena, Spokane, Wash. (SOLD OUT)
8/5: Wildlands Festival feat. Lord Huron, James McMurtry, Regina Ferguson, Big Sky
8/5: Corb Lund, Great Northern Bar, Whitefish
8/6: Wildlands Festival Night 2, feat. Foo Fighters, The Breeders, Taipei Houston, Big Sky
8/8: Hannah King & Michelle Rivers, Picnic in the Park Summer Concert Series, Depot Park, Kalispell
8/8: Bon Iver, KettleHouse Amphitheater, Missoula (SOLD OUT)
8/15: Mike Murray Duo, Picnic in the Park Summer Concert Series, Depot Park, Kalispell
8/18: The Music of Fleetwood Mac— A Tribute Concert, O’Shaughnessy Center, Whitefish
8/19: The Music of Fleetwood Mac—A Tribute Concert, O’Shaughnessy Center, Whitefish, Night 2
8/19: Boyz II Men, Northern Quest Resort & Casino, Airway Heights, Wash.
8/20: Flogging Molly, The Wilma, Missoula
8/21: Spoon, White Reaper, Knitting Factory Spokane, Wash.
8/22: Kenny James Miller Band, Picnic in the Park Summer Concert Series, Depot Park, Kalispell
8/22: Flogging Molly: Summer Tour 2023, Knitting Factory Spokane, Wash.
8/23 Rebelution, KettleHouse Amphitheater, Missoula
8/25: The Flaming Lips performing Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots, KettleHouse Amphitheater
8/26: Lindsey Stirling, KettleHouse Amphitheater, Missoula (SOLD OUT)
8/27: Tab Benoit and The Rumble, FVCC Wachholz College Center, Kalispell
8/27: Dierks Bentley, Northern Quest Resort & Casino, Airway Heights, Wash.
September
9/1: The Music of the Eagles—A Tribute Concert, O’Shaughnessy Center, Whitefish
9/2: The Music of the Eagles—A Tribute Concert, O’Shaughnessy Center, Whitefish, Night 2
9/4: Band of Horses, Knitting Factory, Spokane, Wash.
9/5: The Lumineers, KettleHouse Amphitheater, Missoula (SOLD OUT)
9/6: The Lumineers, KettleHouse Amphitheater, Missoula, Night 2 (SOLD OUT)
9/6: Bonnie Raitt, First Interstate Center for the Arts, Spokane, WA
9/7: Pixies and Modest Mouse with special guest Cat Power, KettleHouse Amphitheater, Missoula (SOLD OUT)
9/8: Bonnie Raitt, KettleHouse Amphitheater, Missoula (SOLD OUT)
9/14-9/16: Whitefish Songwriter Festival, multiple venues, Whitefish
9/15: Umphrey’s McGee, KettleHouse Amphitheater, Missoula
9/20: Rainbow Kitten Surprise, KettleHouse Amphitheater, Missoula (SOLD OUT)
9/21: Rainbow Kitten Surprise, KettleHouse Amphitheater, Missoula, Night 2 (SOLD OUT)