http://www.livelytimes.com/ Lively Times | Montana Arts and Entertainment Calendar, a complete statewide searchable database of music, concerts, events, theater, dance, recreation and art exhibits. en kristi@livelytimes.com Copyright 2012 2012-05-10T16:15:43-08:00 http://www.livelytimes.com/lt/entry/christopher_paolini_inheritance/ http://www.livelytimes.com/lt/entry/christopher_paolini_inheritance/#When:16:15:43Z In his fourth and final novel of the Inheritance cycle, Christopher Paolini offers a dramatic conclusion to the saga of Eragon and the Dragon Riders of the land of Alagaesia. Paolini originally planned to end the tale with book number three, but there was still too much story to tell. Inheritance, with its darker tone, delivers the most furious round of battles yet, as conflicts intensify between good and evil. Books + Readings 2012-05-10T16:15:43-08:00 http://www.livelytimes.com/lt/entry/joe_diffie_kentucky_headhunters_take_main_stage_at_headwaters_country_jam/ http://www.livelytimes.com/lt/entry/joe_diffie_kentucky_headhunters_take_main_stage_at_headwaters_country_jam/#When:16:05:35Z Joe Diffie, the power hit-maker who dominated the country scene in the 1990s, joins the line-up Headwaters Country Jam, June 28-30 at The Bridge, a natural amphitheatre near Three Forks. He’ll perform at 10 p.m. Saturday. Justin Moore and Joe Nichols open the show Thursday, followed by the Kentucky Headhunters on Friday. JT Hodges, Frankie Ballard and Aaron Tippin are also part of the annual country music fest. New + Notable 2012-05-10T16:05:35-08:00 http://www.livelytimes.com/lt/entry/david_casey_the_reckoning_begins/ http://www.livelytimes.com/lt/entry/david_casey_the_reckoning_begins/#When:16:00:08Z Eleven originals by Helena's David Casey, known from his Watercarver's Guild days, builds on his reputation as a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter. Playing no less than 14 instruments (my math could be wrong – at any rate, there's a bunch!), he covers a lot of musical styles. Former bandmate and Decemberists' front man Colin Meloy gives a nod to the "bouzouki madness" on the recording. Music + CDs 2012-05-10T16:00:08-08:00 http://www.livelytimes.com/lt/entry/brewery_follies_launch_another_riotous_season_in_virginia_city/ http://www.livelytimes.com/lt/entry/brewery_follies_launch_another_riotous_season_in_virginia_city/#When:17:25:21Z The Brewery Follies of Virginia City opens its season May 25 at the historic H. S. Gilbert Brewery. Expect another riotous summer season of belly laughs, celebrity impersonations, sketch comedy, and plenty of music. Sunset Magazine called it “… a cabaret show wild enough for any old-time miner.” The Follies, under the direction of Mike and Jill Verdon claims a simple mission … Theatre + Dance 2012-05-07T17:25:21-08:00 http://www.livelytimes.com/lt/entry/montana_folk_festival_announces_final_line_up_of_musicians/ http://www.livelytimes.com/lt/entry/montana_folk_festival_announces_final_line_up_of_musicians/#When:16:57:50Z The organizers of the Montana Folk Festival recently announced 11 additions to the previously released list of performers for the Montana Folk Festival, July 13-15 in Butte. This completes the line-up for the festival’s six music performance stages. "When we step back and take a look, this may be the best line-up we have assembled yet,” said George Everett, festival director. New + Notable 2012-05-07T16:57:50-08:00 http://www.livelytimes.com/lt/entry/r_wade_nelson_montana_elevator_series/ http://www.livelytimes.com/lt/entry/r_wade_nelson_montana_elevator_series/#When:20:32:40Z Works by R. Wade Nelson are on display May 3-June 16 at the Hockaday Museum of Art in Kalispell, with an artist talk at 4 p.m. May 24, followed by a reception from 5-7 p.m. Nelson lives in Thompson Falls where he was a high school art teacher for 30 years. Now retired, he works as a full-time artist, painting on a wide palette of recyclable materials with paint purchased at the local hardware store. Artists + Exhibits 2012-05-02T20:32:40-08:00 http://www.livelytimes.com/lt/entry/violinists_bring_dueling_fiddles_to_bozeman_and_missoula/ http://www.livelytimes.com/lt/entry/violinists_bring_dueling_fiddles_to_bozeman_and_missoula/#When:19:11:11Z Two of the most respected Baroque violinists of the Pacific Northwest will duel it out in special house concerts in Bozeman on Friday, May 11, and in Missoula on Saturday, May 12. Adam LaMotte and Greg Ewer, both of Portland, Ore., present a program titled “Dueling Fiddles.” The performances benefit the Montana Baroque Music Festival, held in July at Quinn’s Hot Springs Resort in Paradise. Music + CDs 2012-05-02T19:11:11-08:00 http://www.livelytimes.com/lt/entry/just_for_laughs_nationally_known_comedians_tour_montana/ http://www.livelytimes.com/lt/entry/just_for_laughs_nationally_known_comedians_tour_montana/#When:18:51:36Z Spring is a laugh-laden season in Montana, with some of the top comedians in the business headed our way, including Jerry Seinfeld, Rodney Carrington, Kathleen Madigan, Ron White and Lewis Black, as well as homegrown favorites the Montana Logging and Ballet Company and Broad Comedy’s Katie Goodman, appearing with Lee Camp. Here’s the round-up: New + Notable 2012-05-02T18:51:36-08:00 http://www.livelytimes.com/lt/entry/betsey_hurd_treasured_montana_artist/ http://www.livelytimes.com/lt/entry/betsey_hurd_treasured_montana_artist/#When:18:25:36Z Painter and sculptor Betsey Hurd, who splits her time between residences in Kalispell and Livingston, has been named the next “Treasured” Montana Artist by Secretary of State Linda McCulloch. Her paintings are on display through May in the Secretary of State’s office in the State Capitol in Helena. “Betsey’s exhibit is as powerful as her subject, the horse,” McCulloch said. Artists + Exhibits 2012-04-19T18:25:36-08:00 http://www.livelytimes.com/lt/entry/actor_troy_evans_stages_montana_tales_and_other_bad_ass_business/ http://www.livelytimes.com/lt/entry/actor_troy_evans_stages_montana_tales_and_other_bad_ass_business/#When:18:10:18Z The audience of a show with actor Troy Evans, 7 p.m. April 22 at the University of Montana in Missoula, will have the unique experience of participating in a taping of “Montana Tales and Other Bad Ass Business.” Students of Entertainment Management at The University of Montana (UMEM) are producing this taping of the actor’s intimate portrait of his storied career from Montana to Hollywood. Theatre + Dance 2012-04-19T18:10:18-08:00 http://www.livelytimes.com/lt/entry/paul_zarzyski_51_30_poems_20_lyrics_1_self_interview/ http://www.livelytimes.com/lt/entry/paul_zarzyski_51_30_poems_20_lyrics_1_self_interview/#When:17:46:05Z In his self-interview, Montana poet Paul Zarzyski – born in 1951 – tells us how the number 51 became his numerological muse, and it begins to sound like his well-love paean, “Why I Like Butte.” The number stands up, begins to bounce off the page with the poet’s unerring rhythm. But it’s that way with Zarzyski – the words won’t stay on the page. They insist on being sung, read or recited … Books + Readings 2012-04-19T17:46:05-08:00 http://www.livelytimes.com/lt/entry/road_warriors_the_show_must_go_on_come_hell_or_high_water/ http://www.livelytimes.com/lt/entry/road_warriors_the_show_must_go_on_come_hell_or_high_water/#When:17:36:06Z All performers have heard the old adage, “The show must go on!” But has anyone ever seen it written down as a requirement or actually tried to live their lives that way? Well, I have. As a musician traveling across Montana and the Rocky Mountain states for the past 38 years, I think about it on every gig I play, and every musician I know lives it too. Music + CDs 2012-04-19T17:36:06-08:00 http://www.livelytimes.com/lt/entry/jazz_greats_headline_buddy_defranco_jazz_festival/ http://www.livelytimes.com/lt/entry/jazz_greats_headline_buddy_defranco_jazz_festival/#When:17:26:27Z Renowned bebop clarinetist Buddy DeFranco lends his name to the University of Montana’s prestigious Buddy DeFranco Jazz Festival, although – due to health concerns – he’ll miss this year’s event. The festival features evening concerts by jazz saxophonist Bob Sheppard and drummer Ignacio Berroa at 7:30 p.m. April 27-28 at the University Theatre in Missoula. New + Notable 2012-04-19T17:26:27-08:00 http://www.livelytimes.com/lt/entry/on_your_mark_gearing_up_for_montana_womens_run_and_other_may_races/ http://www.livelytimes.com/lt/entry/on_your_mark_gearing_up_for_montana_womens_run_and_other_may_races/#When:15:24:11Z The Montana Women’s Run is gearing up for its 31st annual race, held May 12, the day before Mother’s Day in downtown Billings. Women of all ages and abilities are encouraged to participate in the two-mile and five-mile events. Also on tap: Bloomsday Run in Spokane, May 5; and Don't Fence Me In Trail Run in Helena, May 12. Sports + Recreation 2012-04-13T15:24:11-08:00 http://www.livelytimes.com/lt/entry/stellarondo_on_the_road_to_the_ryman/ http://www.livelytimes.com/lt/entry/stellarondo_on_the_road_to_the_ryman/#When:14:58:03Z Writer Rick Bass and the art-folk band Stellarondo offer three performances of songs and scored stories – what Bass calls “the perfect marriage of literature and music” – around the region this month. Their hometown performance in Missoula on April 11 kicked off the ensemble’s journey toward playing a full show at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium in 2013, and a documentary is also in the works. New + Notable 2012-04-13T14:58:03-08:00 http://www.livelytimes.com/lt/entry/whitefish_theatre_company_presents_33_variations/ http://www.livelytimes.com/lt/entry/whitefish_theatre_company_presents_33_variations/#When:17:54:10Z Whitefish Theatre Company presents a new play Moisés Kaufman April 13-22, inspired by Beethoven's final work (Opus 120 or the “33 Diabelli Variations”). The drama explores overlapping story lines in two different eras as a mother (and Beethoven scholar) comes to terms with her daughter, while the composer Beethoven comes to terms with his genius. Theatre + Dance 2012-04-09T17:54:10-08:00 http://www.livelytimes.com/lt/entry/untitled_1/ http://www.livelytimes.com/lt/entry/untitled_1/#When:17:33:58Z Emmylou Harris, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Justin Townes Earle, Billy Joe Shaver and Rodney Crowell are among the headliners at the second annual Red Ants Pants Music Festival, July 26-29 in White Sulphur Springs. The roster also includes musicians from around the region, Wylie and the Wild West, Corb Lund, Abigail Washburn, Ben Bullington and Little Jane and the Pistol Whips. New + Notable 2012-04-09T17:33:58-08:00 http://www.livelytimes.com/lt/entry/guest_artists_grace_stage_in_yellowstone_ballets_swan_lake/ http://www.livelytimes.com/lt/entry/guest_artists_grace_stage_in_yellowstone_ballets_swan_lake/#When:15:53:04Z Three professional guest artists perform the lead roles in Yellowstone Ballet Company's “Swan Lake,” artfully staged by artistic director Kathleen Rakela April 21-22 at Willson Auditorium in Bozeman.  Sharon Wehner, principal ballerina with the Colorado Ballet, reprises the roles of Odette and Odile; Dmitry Trubchanov will dance the role of the Prince; and Chris Taddiken is the evil magician. Theatre + Dance 2012-03-29T15:53:04-08:00 http://www.livelytimes.com/lt/entry/dennis_quaid_and_the_sharks_headline_winterfest/ http://www.livelytimes.com/lt/entry/dennis_quaid_and_the_sharks_headline_winterfest/#When:15:38:01Z Actor and musician Dennis Quaid and the Sharks headline ZooMontana’s inaugural WinterFest, 7 p.m. April 28 at the Babcock Theater in Billings. The famous actor is lead singer and rhythm guitarist for the band, which specializes in "rock ’n roll and country-soul," including classic hits such as "Spill the Wine" and "Gloria." Dan Page and the Barncats and Rob Quist with House of Quist also perform. New + Notable 2012-03-29T15:38:01-08:00 http://www.livelytimes.com/lt/entry/wylie_and_the_wild_west_rocketbuster/ http://www.livelytimes.com/lt/entry/wylie_and_the_wild_west_rocketbuster/#When:15:39:14Z A pal from the office says listening to Wylie makes her drive too fast. Indeed, Wylie Gustafson, Montana cowpoke and prolific songwriter, master yodeler and performer, guarantees it. A quote from his new CD reads, "Caution! This album may cause speeding tickets." That's because it's jammed full of new, mostly Wylie originals in a kick-ass rockabilly style. Music + CDs 2012-03-16T15:39:14-08:00 http://www.livelytimes.com/lt/entry/matt_pavelich_the_other_shoe/ http://www.livelytimes.com/lt/entry/matt_pavelich_the_other_shoe/#When:19:18:14Z When Calvin Teague, an “unfailingly pleasant and obvious” young man from Iowa, turns up dead in the backwoods of western Montana, an unsettling mystery unfolds. Henry Brusett and his too-young wife Karen are clearly implicated in the crime, but how? Why? In his disturbing and lovely new novel, Hot Springs author and attorney Matt Pavelich writes pitch-perfectly of familiar terrain. Books + Readings 2012-03-13T19:18:14-08:00 http://www.livelytimes.com/lt/entry/coeur_dalene_resort_hosts_mega_blues_bash/ http://www.livelytimes.com/lt/entry/coeur_dalene_resort_hosts_mega_blues_bash/#When:18:48:24Z Roy Rogers and the Delta Rhythm Kings and Coco Montoya headline the third annual Coeur d’Alene Blues Festival, March 30-April 1 at Coeur d’Alene Resort. Festivities kick off Friday with the Blues Cruise, featuring the Fat Tones and Laffin' Bones. Saturday brings a rockin' party in the ballroom featuring Rogers, Montoya and Big Mumbo Blues Band and The Kenny James Miller Band. New + Notable 2012-03-13T18:48:24-08:00 http://www.livelytimes.com/lt/entry/martha_kohl_i_do_a_cultural_history_of_montana_weddings/ http://www.livelytimes.com/lt/entry/martha_kohl_i_do_a_cultural_history_of_montana_weddings/#When:04:20:13Z Why write a book devoted to weddings? Author and historian Martha Kohl suggests, “… primarily because they provide an excellent vehicle for looking at the lives of ordinary people. Weddings are generally well documented; they stand out in people’s memories; and they are one of the few rituals widely celebrated in America.” Books + Readings 2012-03-08T04:20:13-08:00 http://www.livelytimes.com/lt/entry/get_an_eyeful_of_art_at_western_art_week/ http://www.livelytimes.com/lt/entry/get_an_eyeful_of_art_at_western_art_week/#When:02:55:10Z Western Art Week, the annual gathering of artists and art admirers in Great Falls, brings a visual feast to the Electric City March 14-18 with at least seven art shows and auctions. The round-up of artful offerings includes "The Russell: The Sale to Benefit the C.M. Russell Museum," the Western Heritage Art Show, the Wild Bunch Art Show and "March in Montana" Dealer Show and Auction. New + Notable 2012-03-08T02:55:10-08:00 http://www.livelytimes.com/lt/entry/straight_no_chaser_brings_unadulterated_a_cappella_to_missoula_and_spokane/ http://www.livelytimes.com/lt/entry/straight_no_chaser_brings_unadulterated_a_cappella_to_missoula_and_spokane/#When:17:59:57Z The London Free Press describes them as “The biggest buzz in a cappella.” The 10-member Straight No Chaser delivers their a cappella rock harmonies to Missoula’s Wilma Theatre at 8 p.m. March 17 (888-MONTANA or www.griztix.com) and March 18 at the Bing Crosby Theater in Spokane (800-325-SEAT or ticketswest.com). New + Notable 2012-03-07T17:59:57-08:00