Nickell’s Bag

Just got word that Chance McKinney, a Missoula native who recently won Country Music Television’s Music City Madness competition, will be returning to his old college haunts for his first local gig ever. I wrote a profile of him for the Missoulian when he was in the running for the competition; you can read it here. And here are the show details… [Read more →]

I had the pleasure to talk for about 20 minutes earlier this week with Wilco bassist and founding member John Stirratt. Excerpts from that interview were included in a story that ran in today’s paper; here’s the full transcript of the Q&A. (Wilco appears at the Adams Center this Sunday, Feb. 7, at 8 p.m.; tickets are still available here)… [Read more →]

Got news yesterday that Hank Williams III is returning to the Wilma Theatre. I hear the last show he played there was a real hoot. Here’s the press release straight from the source….

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My friend Bart, with whom I have produced a long-running TV series and an occasional podcast series, has prepared a pretty thorough (and quite hilarious) smackdown of his old hometown, Indianapolis, in advance of rooting on the team in his newly adopted hometown, New Orleans, in Sunday’s Super Bowl. For those who are sick of hearing the talking heads on ESPN rattle on ad nauseum about team statistics and gossip, I highly recommend his top ten and other ten reasons why Indianapolis sucks.

My friend Eric Indiana has provided us with this new list of corrected definitions. He cracks me up.

….Who do you think? The Missoulian is polling readers over at SpeakUpMissoula.com about the best films of 2009. Cast your ballot for all the awards on this page.

Like I noted last week, Mondays seem to be the day for concert announcements lately. This week’s prize: a two-night return engagement by Yonder Mountain String Band. Here’s the press release with all the details… [Read more →]

For the vast audience of readers of this blog who share my love for snarky political parody combined with astute classical music analysis, I present you with this: a Q&A with Sarah Palin about Beethoven’s “Hammerklavier” Sonata. If you “get” half of the inside jokes in this, congratulations. You’re as big a nerd as I.

Eyedea and Abilities have gone all Lil Wayne on us.

Anyone who pays attention to the world of popular rap music will have heard that Lil Wayne, the insanely rich, chart-topping, Grammy-winning, self-proclaimed “best rapper alive” is planning to release a rock album called “Rebirth” early next month (presuming it doesn’t get delayed for yet another year). “Weezy” has said that he turned his efforts toward rock music because he “got bored” with rap.

He’s not the only one. [Read more →]

Andrew Morris, the guy who has brought the Metropolitan Opera’s “Live in HD” simulcasts to Missoula’s Roxy Theatre, is venturing into some new territory next Thursday with a hi-def screening of a live taping of Garrison Keillor’s “A Prairie Home Companion.” The Missoulian previewed the screening earlier this month; but this week the lineup of guests was finally announced. I thought I would pass it along. For those who missed Keillor’s live broadcast from Missoula’s Adams Center back in 2006, this should be your next-best thing to experiencing the show in person….I can say, having attended that broadcast, the creativity and improvsational flair of the show is all the more remarkable to witness in person. [Read more →]