Reigning King of the Blues makes two Montana stops
His reign as King of the Blues has been as long as that of any monarch on Earth. Fourteen-time Grammy winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer B.B. King continues to wear his crown well.
The blues artist makes two stops in Montana this spring: 7:30 p.m. May 6 at the Mother Lode Theatre in Butte (406-723-3602) and 7:30 p.m. May 7 at the Alberta Bair Theatre in Billings (406-256-6052 or 877-321-2074).
For more than half a century, Riley B. King – better known as B.B. King – has defined the blues for a worldwide audience. Since he started recording in the 1940s, he has released over fifty albums, many of them classics. He received a Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award in 1987, and won another Grammy in 2008 for his album One Kind Favor.
In the mid-1950s, while King was performing at a dance in Twist, Ark., two men got into a fight and knocked over a stove, starting a fire. King rushed back inside the burning… Read more
George Jones tours Montana on heels of Lifetime Achievement Award
George Jones will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award during the Grammy Awards telecast, Feb. 12 from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, before performing Feb. 29 at the Alberta Bair Theater in Billings and March 6 at the University Theatre in Missoula. “There’s no mistaking his influence,” noted the Washington Post. “His name is synonymous with emotionally unvarnished and unguarded honky-tonk music." Read more
Need a year’s supply of beer? Try the Black Star Barter
A year’s supply of beer is “nothing to sneeze at,” notes Black Star Brewery founder Minott Wessinger. “That’s 52 cases of golden lager beer.” That bounty of brews goes to the “most creative, awesome, thoughtful and enthusiastic” participant during the Black Star Barter, held at 5 p.m. Feb. 4 in front of the brewery as part of the Winter Carnival in Whitefish. Read more
Snowstorm Music Tour lands in Billings and Missoula
Hip-hop crossover sensation T-Pain and the ever-eclectic Gym Class Heroes headline the Snowstorm Tour, which kicks off Feb. 7 in Battle Creek, Mich., and concludes in Montana with shows Feb. 20 at the Shrine Auditorium in Billings and Feb. 21 at the Adams Center in Missoula. Outasight, Grieves and Budo, Cris Cab and Taylor Bride also join the tour. Read more
Shane Center brings new life to old school in Livingston
A century-old brick schoolhouse in Livingston, vacant for nearly a decade, is creaking back to life again, its sturdy walls now enfolding the Shane Lalani Center for the Arts. And the community, which has been without a performing arts facility since an arson-caused fire destroyed the middle school auditorium 25 years ago, now has a 250-seat theater and state-of-the-art stage and rehearsal area. Read more
First Night Missoula: More than 100 performances welcome New Year
Hundreds of performing, visual and literary artists showcase their talents during First Night Missoula, a spirited cultural celebration presented by the Missoula Cultural Council. The 18th annual New Year’s Eve celebration of the arts brings over 100 performances and activities to 35 venues from noon until midnight on Dec. 31. Read more
Alberta Bair Theater celebrates Silver Anniversary with Marvin Hamlisch
It was a chilly evening in January 1987 when the Alberta Bair Theater in Billings opened its doors for the first time to a full house. Twenty-five years later, on Jan. 14, Montana’s largest performing arts center heats up the night with a black-tie celebration featuring composer and conductor Marvin Hamlisch – one of only two people to win an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award – and the Billings Symphony Orchestra. Read more