The Arts Council of Big Sky (ACBS) is pleased to announce another amazing summer of Music in the Mountains at Center Stage in Town Center Park in Big Sky, Montana. Starting on June 21 and ending on August 30, there will be 15 events, including 11 Thursday night concerts, the eighth annual Big Sky Classical Music Festival and a performance from Montana Shakespeare in the Parks. And best of all, all of these events are free!

The ACBS kicks things off this summer by welcoming Bozeman’s own Kitchen Dwellers on Thursday, June 21. This energetic quartet is captivating fans across the country with its high- energy live performances and unique approach to traditional music that fans have dubbed Galaxy Grass. Formed while attending college at Montana State, the group has burst onto the bluegrass scene sharing the stage with acts such as Railroad Earth, Greensky Bluegrass, The Infamous Stringdusters and Twiddle. In recent years the band has begun to tour nationally, hitting notable venues and festivals around the country including The Brooklyn Bowl, The Fox Theatre, Delfest, Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Northwest String Summit, and The Frendly Gathering. 2017 has seen the band release their second studio album, Ghost In The Bottle, while continuing to push the boundaries of their genre. The Well hails from Big Sky and is quickly making a name for itself with energetic live shows that feature well-written original music and carefully chosen cover songs. This concert will also be part of the second annual Big Sky Soul Shine event, put on in conjunction with the Hungry Moose Market and Deli.

The series continues on June 28 when Josh Hoyer and Soul Colossal bring their funky brand of rhythm and blues to Center Stage. The band’s combination of soul, funk and R&B is in a word, electric. Best displayed in their high-energy live show, the blend of Hoyer’s (a former contestant on the Voice) honest lyrics and his soulful vocals merge with his top-notch band to create an undeniable chemistry. According to No Depression, “If James Brown and Otis Redding had a love child, it would be Josh Hoyer. The Lincoln, Nebraska, soul shouter, and his band of merry soulsters, Soul Colossal, deliver a sound so big, so funky, so wring-the-sweat-out-of-you energetic that it reaches through the speakers and shakes you until you start moving to its groove.”

Other weekly concerts throughout the summer include the Tiny Band on July 4; Mandolin Orange with special guest Joe Pug on July 5; Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds on July 12; Polyrhythmics on July 19; Shovels and Rope on July 26; Cordovas on August 2; The Elders on August 9; Jeff Austin Band with special guests Two Bit Franks on August 16; The Dustbowl Revival on August 23; and Pinky and the Floyd on August 30. In addition, the eighth annual Big Sky Classical Music Festival, with special guests Angella Ahn, Bella Hristova and Time for Three, will take place August 10-12. A free performance of Montana Shakespeare in the Parks will be at the park on July 31, and the third annual Mountainfilm in Big Sky event caps the summer on September 14-16.

Town Center park opens at 6 p.m. for each concert, the music starting at 7:15. There will be a variety of food and beverage vendors, as well as an arts activity tent for kids. Please be aware that no dogs are allowed into the concert area. Please check the ACBS web site for additional details. For more information about this summer’s events, contact the Arts Council of Big Sky at (406) 995-2742 or visit www.bigskyarts.org for more information. The ACBS is a non-profit organization that was founded in 1989.

June 21: Kitchen Dwellers (Bluegrass) with special guests The Well (Rock)
Montana-bred bluegrass outfit Kitchen Dwellers are captivating fans across the country with their high-energy live performances and unique approach to traditional music that fans have dubbed Galaxy Grass. Formed while attending college at Montana State, the group has burst onto the bluegrass scene sharing the stage with acts such as Railroad Earth, Greensky Bluegrass, The Infamous Stringdusters and Twiddle. In recent years the band has begun to tour nationally, hitting notable venues and festivals around the country including The Brooklyn Bowl, The Fox Theatre, Delfest, Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Northwest String Summit, and The Frendly Gathering. 2017 has seen the band release their second studio album, Ghost In The Bottle while continuing to push the boundaries of their genre. The Well hails from Big Sky and is quickly making a name for itself with energetic live shows that feature well-written original music and carefully chosen cover songs.

June 28: Josh Hoyer and Soul Colossal (Soul/Funk)
Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal’s combination of soul, funk and R&B is in a word, electric. Best displayed in their high- energy live show, the blend of Hoyer’s honest lyrics and his soulful vocals merge with his top-notch band to create an undeniable chemistry. “If James Brown and Otis Redding had a love child, it would be Josh Hoyer. The Lincoln, Nebraska, soul shouter, and his band of merry soulsters, Soul Colossal, deliver a sound so big, so funky, so wring- the-sweat-out-of-you energetic that it reaches through the speakers and shakes you until you start moving to its groove.” – No Depression

July 4: The Tiny Band (R&B/Soul)
With a lineup of local luminaries, The Tiny Band repertoire is a blend of Motown, rock, soul and pop standards that keeps the dance floor pulsing. Since 2010 they’ve entertained thousands of audience members to rave reviews. With hits ranging from Stevie Wonder to The Beatles, Michael Jackson to Adele, they’ll get you out of your seat and onto the dance floor. The Tiny Band brings big vocals, high energy and anything but a tiny sound.

July 5: Mandolin Orange (Americana) with special guest Joe Pug
Mandolin Orange released their fifth studio album, Blindfaller, in late 2016 and upon its release the album received chart placement on four different Billboard charts, including a #3 spot on Billboard’s Bluegrass Album chart, and was ultimately named one of Rolling Stone’s 40 Best Country Albums of 2016. Major festival and concert appearances have included Austin City Limits, Bonnaroo, Newport Folk Festival, Forecastle Festival, Pickathon, Fayetteville Roots, Edmonton Folk Festival, Merlefest, Telluride Bluegrass Festival and the Vancouver Folk Music Festival.

A singer/songwriter whose songs offer an updated version of the country-folk archetypes that Bob Dylan and John Prinemade famous, Joe Pug was born and raised in Maryland, and began playing guitar when he was in grade school. Pug took a non-traditional path to success in music: He left the University of North Carolina’s playwright program for Chicago in his senior year to pursue songwriting full-time. Long before it was fashionable, Pug mailed out free copies of his music to anyone who asked — which more than 15,000 did. His first full-length album, Messenger, earned him spots on the road with Todd Snider, Steve Earle and Susan Tedeschi, and in 2011 he relocated to Austin, where he worked on The Great Despiser. Pug’s breakneck pace eventually caught up with him, and in 2014 he took time to regroup personally and professionally. His most recent album is Windfall.