TONS happening this week in the Missoula opera scene — and who would have ever thought I’d be saying THAT?
First off, in today’s Entertainer, Jamie Kelly wrote up next week’s return of Opera on Draft, the popular pub series of performances put on by Montana Lyric Opera, which returns to the Badlander next Wednesday, and to the Craggy Range in Whitefish next Thursday. I’m a board member, so I guess I’m biased; but one of the reasons I love MLO is this series, which I think does a great job of breaking down stereotypes about opera and making it plain fun and easy to digest (especially washed down with a PBR — one of the sponsors!).
Here’s a video from one of the earlier Opera on Draft shows:
Then, on Saturday and Sunday, the Metropolitan Opera’s Live in HD series returns to the Roxy Theatre with screenings of Rossini’s opera, “Armida.” Notably, it stars Reneé Fleming, probably the most famous (some would say greatest) living soprano (and frequent emcee of the Live in HD series). Should be awesome. You can find out details here.
Lastly, tickets go on sale this Saturday, May 1, for Montana Lyric Opera’s production of “Madama Butterfly.” This is gonna be a truly awesome production, fully costumed and staged. Tickets will be available at www.MTOpera.org. Here’s the full press release with information on that: [Read More...]
For those who pine for the days of school fairs and cakewalks and such, today’s a day to jump in that wayback machine and play a game of musical chairs. You might even win some dough. Here’s the press release about it from UM… [Read More...]
This is just too weird. It’s apparently some kind of viral marketing campaign for Juicy Fruit gum. The connection between stale sugary sticks of gum, and a unicorn walking around in a magical forest singing Culture Club’s “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me,” is alas quite lost on me. And yet something [...]
I received word of an upcoming Haiti relief concert in Missoula too late to get anything into last week’s Entertainer. Too bad, as it sounds like an event that would have widespread interest. Here’s the press release: [Read More...]
Got word of an art contest involving Spirographs, those cool old art toys of yore, which apparently are making something of a comeback. You can even win money. What other excuse do you need??? Here’s the press release. [Read More...]
It’s hard to verify hip-hop trio Dam’s claim as the “first and leading Palestinian rap group.” But no doubt, the group’s visit is surely the first time that Missoula has hosted a crew of rappers from that troubled region of the world.
Founded in the Palestinian slums of Lod, a mixed Arab and Jewish community near Jerusalem, Dam has been performing since the late 1990s. The group earned some notoriety in 2001 with the release of its second album, “Min Irhabi” (“Who’s the Terrorist?”), the title track of which was downloaded more than a million times within a month of its release on ArabRap.net. [Read More...]
Local gothic metal band Walking Corpse Syndrome has followed quite a winding path since the release of its first album in 2008.
Almost a year ago, the band was approached by a longtime friend of guitarist Matthew Bile. The friend was living in Los Angeles, rooming with a certain well-known music producer. The producer had offered to teach Bile’s friend how to mix recordings; Bile’s friend thought of Walking Corpse Syndrome.
Trouble was, the local band hadn’t really written much in the way of new material. But Bile, sensing an opportunity, said he had a whole album of tracks already laid down. So last June, Bile and the band commenced to filling out that promise, writing eight new tunes and recording a total of eleven tracks.
Alas, the friend in L.A. flaked.
And alas, Bile soon lost his full-time job, at the very nadir of the economic downturn. [Read More...]
Earlier this week, stoner faves Slightly Stoopid announced their summer tour (including a stop at Ryan Creek Meadows, about a half-hour east of Missoula) on 4/20 — the unofficial holiday of pot lovers nation-wide.
Today, it’s Earth Day; and we get another un-coincidentally timed news release about another big event about a half-hour east of Missoula: the Love Your Mother Earth Festival, a weekend-long hoedown that last year took place at Lolo Hot Springs. This time around, the venue has changed to the Rock Creek Lodge; but the spirit will likely remain the same.
I played at last year’s frigid festival, but had to come home as I’d stupidly worn a short-sleeved shirt and no jacket, and it got cooooold. When I arrived back in Missoula, I remembered I’d forgotten an expensive piece of my drumset, and since there was no cell reception up there to call any of my friends, I had to drive up there in the middle of the night to retrieve it. The only good part about that: I ended up listening to Grizzly Bear’s “Veckatimest” about four times during all the driving.
Anyway, maybe I’ll try to go again this year and clear my memory cache of that self-created irritation.
And — oh wait, yes! — I was gonna tell you the schedule. Here’s the press release. [Read More...]
This morning, driving to work, I noticed a large bus parked on West Broadway with signs proclaiming something about a “Vice Verses” tour. Got to work, and had an announcement of a pretty intriguing event in my email inbox, from Badlander/Palace co-owner Chris Henry. Check it out: [Read More...]
This time, it’s no hoax: Slightly Stoopid will kick off a summer series of concerts at Ryan Creek Meadows east of Missoula with a June 22 performance.
The band, which was one of three acts mentioned in an elaborately orchestrated hoax announcement of a free downtown concert this spring, will perform an outdoor concert as part of its “Causin Vapors…Legalize It” tour – announced, not coincidentally, on April 20, the unofficial holiday of marijuana legalization advocates. [Read More...]
TONS happening this week in the Missoula opera scene — and who would have ever thought I’d be saying THAT?
Local gothic metal band Walking Corpse Syndrome has followed quite a winding path since the release of its first album in 2008.
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