By Gabriella DiCenzo Content Marketing Intern
BIG SKY–There’s no better feeling than the one channeled from a soul-touching piece of music: a guitar riff, piano note, chord played, bassline plucked and singer’s voice reverberating through town. What if you could experience this again and again? In Big Sky, you can. And if there’s one thing that brings us all together at the end of the day, it’s music.
This summer, our community has an exceptional live music lineup that will ignite all senses and create unforgettable moments for all who attend.
Perhaps the most well-known to locals, Music in the Mountains is an event for people of all ages, places and interests. While Big Sky attracts people from all over the world, events like Music in the Mountains, the free summer music series put on by the Big Sky Arts Council, are the perfect way to tie a piece of your heart to the town.
“It is one of the few events that everybody can go to,” Brian Hurlbut, executive director of the Big Sky Arts Council said. “There’s really no barriers for entry at an event like this. It’s free, and it’s accessible; whether you’re 5 years-old or 75 years-old you can enjoy the music and the event.”
The Arts Council has been producing Music in the Mountains for nearly 15 years and this will be their second year featuring opening artists in addition to main acts. Each opening artist is based out of Big Sky, further supporting the local community.
“I’m really excited about the variety that we have–that’s one thing we really try to do every summer is book a variety of bands from different genres so we can appeal to a wide variety of people,” Hurlbut said.
Luckily for music fans, Music in the Mountains is just the beginning of live entertainment this summer. Caamp, the internationally-touring folk trio from Ohio, is coming to the Big Sky Events Arena July 11.
“Lone Mountain Land Company is excited to bring Caamp to Big Sky,” said Bayard Dominick, VP of Planning and Development at Lone Mountain Land Company, the driving force behind the big-name act. “Not only because Caamp is an incredible band, but it is an opportunity to test the potential to bring world-class music and other events to Big Sky. Our goal in collaboration with Outlaw Partners was to create an event that was community-focused and affordable for the vast majority of Big Sky folks to attend.”
A fan of the band himself, Dominick is excited for the show at the 6,000-person arena right in the heart of Town Center.
“Taylor [the lead singer] is such a romantic storyteller,” Dominick said. “Personally, their music has played as somewhat of a soundtrack for the last three years for my wife and me through our engagement and wedding. I’m excited to see a full house in Big Sky get to experience it firsthand and see how it might touch their lives.”
Shortly after, Big Sky’s Biggest Week kicks off with an array of family-friendly events leading up to Big Sky PBR on July 20, 21 and 22. The Community Street Dance, which follows the Big Sky Community Rodeo on July 14 will feature the Tony Marques Band at Len Hill Park, a show free and open to the public. Deeply rooted in the country music scene, this talented band performs songs by artists such as Luke Combs, Luke Bryan, Dierks Bentley, Thomas Rhett, Darius Rucker and many other country music stars. The energy and passion the Tony Marques Band delivers are bound to ignite the crowd and set the tone for a memorable week in Big Sky.
Each night of PBR will precede an afterparty. On July 20, Bozeman artist Madeline Hawthorne will take the stage at Len Hill Park in partnership with Music in the Mountains. Having performed at the Wildlands Festival in 2022, Hawthorne will return to Big Sky this year to deliver a noteworthy performance, guaranteed to leave the crowd mesmerized and inspired.
The Jamie McLean Band is set to perform on July 21, displaying their unique blend of bluesy, rootsy rock ‘n’ roll, and the weekend will conclude on Saturday with Lukas Nelson & POTR.
“I’m super excited to welcome Lukas Nelson back and all of the talent we have coming to Big Sky this summer,” said Ennion Williams, VP of events at Outlaw Partners, who produces Big Sky’s biggest Week and PBR.“Also, the talent we have for Wildlands will bring very diverse groups and genres to a concert event to benefit the rivers.”
Wildlands Festival kicks off on Aug. 4 with the Hooked on the Gallatin fundraiser dinner,, then carries on into the weekend with Lord Huron headlining on Aug. 5 and Foo Fighters on the 6. The festival is in partnership with American Rivers, Gallatin River Task Force and actor Tom Skerritt and serves as 30th anniversary celebration of the film, “A River Runs Through It,” and the 50th anniversary of American Rivers. The largest conservation effort ever for local rivers, funds raised at Wildlands Festival will go directly toward the efforts of these nonprofits.
With this robust lineup of events this summer might just make Big Sky a haven for music enthusiasts, offering a range of live performances including some big name acts that resonate with the soul. Through the power of music, Big Sky will serve as the arena where memories are made, and the shared love of music connects people from all walks of life in one shared landscape.
