Crown Guitar Festival announces Bozeman line-up

The Crown Guitar Workshop and Festival makes its premiere in Bozeman this summer by bringing some of the world’s best guitarists to the gateway to Yellowstone National Park to perform concerts and teach students — young and old alike — the magic of playing the guitar.

Held the last nine years in Bigfork, the Crown Guitar Festival 2019 will be held for four days from July 31 through Aug. 3 in Bozeman, and includes top guitarist performances at the city’s Sweet Pea Festival, Summer SLAM Festival and Music on Main Street, as well as individual shows at the Rialto Theater and Emerson Center for the Arts & Culture.

“We’re thrilled to be offering workshops and performances for the first time in Bozeman,” Crown Guitar’s Executive Director Steve Anderson said. “We’ve got some amazing guitarists and entertainers who will share their passion and love of the guitar to audiences in Bozeman, and give back to the community by teaching students who want to improve their guitar skills and move to that next level.”

Workshops are held during the day and performances are held in the evening, and jam sessions are held later at night when participants, guest artists and teachers can mingle.

Five guitar workshops will be offered this summer:

- Dweezil Zappa — Play Like the Masters

- Brent Mason and James Hogan — Rock, Funk and Soul

- Liz Longley and Guthrie Brown — The Emerging Singer/Songwriter

- Dennis McCumber — Montana’s Most Dangerous Band

- David Grissom and Jeff McErlain — Blues 2020

Participants can register for the intensive workshops led by world-renowned faculty and artists, play with them in front of hundreds of people, and jam until the early morning hours. The workshops are open to all, whether you are a beginner, intermediate or professional musician. Evening performances of guest artists are open to the public.

“Crown isn’t your usual music festival,” Anderson said. “We look to build relationships with the community, its artists and teachers, and give back to students who come from around the country and world to soak in Montana’s beauty and learn from the masters. It’s a two-way street, and we’re serious about giving back to the communities that host us. And we wanted to come to Bozeman to enhance the city’s burgeoning music scene ... while showcasing Bozeman and the artists and natural beauty that are located here.”

Crown was created 10 years ago in Bigfork to help build an outstanding guitar education and mentoring program for paying participants and dozens of scholarship recipients each year. The goal is to boost the participants’ artistic and music career development in a relaxed (“check your ego at the gate”), supportive, non-competitive atmosphere where students and concert-goers can share a guitar lick, meal, drinks or conversation with some of the world’s best guitarists.

Crown Guitar Festival is not leaving the Flathead after nine years there,” Anderson noted. “Crown will return to the Flathead in 2020 with a full workshop schedule and festival as well as expand into Bozeman as its second home,” he said, noting that the board of directors made this decision after much consideration over the last several years.

In the last eight years, the nonprofit organization has awarded 156 scholarships to students and teachers from Montana who, during the workshops, study a specific genre and collaborate and perform together.

Former guitarist participants have included Grammy Award winners like Pat Metheny, Jerry Douglass, Lee Ritenour, Chris Eldridge and Jason Vieaux, as well as world-class songwriters and guitarists Joe Bonamassa, John Oates, Julian Lage, Patty Larkin, Chris Hillman, Herb Pedersen, Robben Ford, Pat Martino, Mike Stern, Dweezil Zappa, Ana Popovic, Jim Messina, Sonny Landreth, David Lindley, Albert Lee, Leni Stern, Justin Townes Earle, Liz Longley, and Edgar Winter, to name a few.

Crown Guitar Festival is seeking individual and corporate sponsors, and also has on its website applications for scholarships and registration, information about lodging, and more information about the festival this summer.

Tickets for performances will be available on the Crown Guitar website for artist performances:

July 31: Dweezil Zappa, Emerson, Reserved $40, at the door $45, General admission $25/$30, 9 to 11 p.m., Jam afterward, 11:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m., $10

Aug. 1: Liz Longley and Guthrie Brown, Rialto, $25/$30, 9 to 11 p.m., Jam 11 p.m. to 1:30 a.m., $10

Aug. 2: Brent Mason, James Hogan and Special Guest, Rialto, $25/$30, 9:30 to 11:30 p.m., Jam 11:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m., $10

Aug. 3: David Grissom and Jeff McErlain along with Crown All-Star Band, Rialto, $25/$30, 9:30 to 11:30 p.m., Jam 11:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m., $10

A Crown Pass for entrance to all four night concerts is $100, and a VIP Pass with two special meet and greets, plus jam passes each night is $200. Crown Passes go on sale May 10 and tickets go on sale June 1.

For more information, go to crownguitarfest.org or call 855-855-5900.