Great Northern Brewing hosts big-name concerts

Great Northern Brewing Co. is sponsoring two days of live music in Whitefish next month.

“One-man jam band” Keller Williams and Kyle Hollingsworth of the String Cheese Incident will headline shows Aug. 4 and Aug. 5, respectively. Opening acts will include local favorites Moonshine Mountain, the Lil’ Smokies, 20 Grand and the Dirty Shame.

The shows will take park at Depot Park. Proceeds from the concerts will support building the Great Northern Veterans Peace Park.

“It’s not too often that we get to see big name live music in Whitefish,” Whitefish resident Zac Palmer said in a news release.

“I’m [used] to traveling to Missoula to see shows like the ones coming to Whitefish this summer. It’s just another reason why I love Whitefish in the summer.”

Williams, also known as “K-Dub,” combines elements of bluegrass, folk, alternative rock, reggae, electronica, dance, jazz, funk and other assorted genres in his music. He is often described as a “one-man jam band” due to his frequent use of live phrase looping with multiple instrument.

Williams has performed with a variety of artists, including the Travelin’ McCourys, the latest incarnation of the Del McCoury Band, on their 2012 album “Pick.” For more information, visit www.kellerwilliams.net.

Hollingsworth is admired by peers and fans for his ability to write and perform in a mosaic of styles, from rock to classical to ragtime to bebop. Those who’ve seen the String Cheese Incident know the band can jerk from funk to bluegrass on a chord change.

“In the jam world, where there are no set ways of doing things, we’re not afraid to move in and out of genres, and because of that, I’ve learned to be creative, not only on stage but in the studio,” Hollingsworth said. “I can get on board with something pretty quickly. You have to.”

For more information, visit www.kylehollingsworth.com.

The weekend series will include beer gardens with a wide variety of beers on tap, food vendors and the Great Northern Lounge, including specialty Great Northern beers on tap.

This will be a family-friendly event with free admission for children under 5 years old. Tickets for older children and adults are available at www.greatnorthernbrewing.com/store.

Doors open at 2 p.m. both days, and the headliners will take the stage at 7 p.m.

For more information, call Great Northern Brewing Co. at 863-1000 or visit www.greatnorthernbrewing.com.