Stumptown Hoedown set to rock Whitefish Armory

The fourth annual Stumptown Hoedown outdoor music festival is slated for Saturday at the Whitefish Armory softball fields.

Cannonball, Craig Wickham, Miller Creek, WhiteWater Ramble and Great American Taxi are on tap to perform at the festival.

In the past five years, Great American Taxi has become one of the best-known headliners on the jam band circuit. Their uninhibited sound is a swinging concoction of swampy blues, progressive bluegrass, funky New Orleans strut, Southern boogie, honky-tonk country, gospel and old-fashioned rock ‘n’ roll.

Great American Taxi was born when singer, guitarist and mandolin player Vince Herman of Leftover Salmon joined keyboard player and singer Chad Staehly for a superstar jam to benefit the Rainforest Action Group in Boulder, Colo., in March 2005.

“We put together a dream band of the best local musicians for a one-off gig,” Herman said. “It worked so well we had to do it again — and again and again.”

Great American Taxi has been equated with roots rockers like the New Riders of the Purple Sage, Grateful Dead, Wilco, Uncle Tupelo, The Byrds and Little Feat.

Whitefish-based Cannonball is a family band featuring Stirling Tyler on drums, Parker Beeson on bass, Daniel Minton on rhythm guitar and vocals, Andrew Diafos on lead guitar, Chris DiMaio on percussion and Karen Minton and Emily Clark on vocals. The group plays original music written by Minton and his father, Peter.

Wickham is also based out of Whitefish and is frequently seen performing throughout the Flathead Valley. He plays pop and folk music, and has been compared to David Grey and Dave Matthews.

Missoula-based Miller Creek plays a unique blend of rock, jam, electronic and down-home country music. The band has toured extensively over the past few years, developing a following and consistently drawing large crowds regardless of where they perform throughout the Northwest.

WhiteWater Ramble is a Colorado-bred quintet that combines mandolin, fiddle, acoustic guitar, upright bass, drums and vocals to explore the musical boundaries of multiple genres to fuel their own mixture of original music and innovative cover song interpretations, according to the group’s website. The group plays “high-octane Rocky Mountain DanceGrass.”

Gates at the Stumptown Hoedown open at 3 p.m. The music starts at 4 p.m.

Cost is $20 at the gate; children 12 and younger get in for free. The event includes free barbecue. Food and beer will be available.

All proceeds from the event benefit the Northwest Montana Humane Society and local resident Kristy Olsen’s medical expenses.

The armory is located at 315 Armory Road in Whitefish.

For more information about the event, visit www.whitedogproductions.org.