Packed summer schedule planned for Polebridge’s Home Ranch Bottoms
The summer music scene heats up at Home Ranch Bottoms with a slate of performers scheduled to perform May through August in Polebridge.
The public is invited and no vehicle reservations are needed to access the location at 8950 North Fork Road. The venue features a beer garden stage surrounded by the beautiful North Fork valley. Home Ranch Bottoms has expanded camping options to the summer 2024 season.
For more information go to www.homeranchbottomsmt.com or call 406-888-5572.
Paul Lee Kupfer: May 24 and 25 at 6 p.m.
Memorial Day weekend Paul Lee Kupfer will take the beer garden stage for a few nights, strumming his undeniable ask for you to “Shake It” to kick off the beginning of the North Fork summer events. Paul Lee has shared the stage with Watchhouse (Mandolin Orange), The Carolina Chocolate Drops, Taj Mahal, Shovels & Rope, Truth & Salvage Co., Sarah Jarosz, Pokey Lafarge, The Emmitt Nershi Band, Los Lonely Boys and many more talented performers.
Chris Acker: June 4, 5 and 6 at 6 p.m.
In a genre full of tall tales and marketable lies, Chris Acker crafts candid songs — weaving his wit and woes into a body of work that exposes the stale plight of the American Songster to the honest, and sometimes hilarious, light of day.
A New Orleans based country-folk songsmith, he will share his collection of songs brimming with true tales, eloquent songwriting and fearless honesty.
Way Down North: June 7 and 8 at 6 p.m.
Way Down North is a Northwest Montana multi-instrumentalist, high-energy, jam-folk duo. Formed by Cory Chopp on mandolin and guitar and Tina Bertram on banjo and keys, they have opened locally for touring bands such as Railroad Earth, Leftover Salmon, The Lil Smokies, Laney Lou and the Bird Dogs, and the Kitchen Dwellers, as they enjoy connecting with audiences large and small through their originals and upbeat country/folk covers.
Andrew Brozek: June 13 at 6 p.m.
Andrew has been playing guitar for over half of his life — starting at the age of 11 — and he’s been singing for even longer. Although he was raised on classic rock and pop-country, he eventually found his passion for folk, Americana, and bluegrass. He loves the elegance and simplicity of acoustic music and is dedicated to making his instruments an extension of himself. Though he no longer identifies with the genres of his youth, this past exposure has resulted in his unique perspective on music.
David Piland: June 20 and June 27 at 6 p.m.
David was born in Austin, Texas and moved to Nashville after college as a staff songwriter for many years while playing in various Nashville bands. He plays guitar, bass, fiddle, banjo and mandolin. David recently moved to Columbia Falls, Montana and lives on the Flathead River right outside Glacier National Park.
The Lucky Valentines: June 21 and June 22 at 6 p.m.
Shaun and Jamie make up The Lucky Valentines. They have written upward of 80 songs, and use a mix of folk melodic sensibilities, tight harmonies, and a “whole lotta’’ love to make sad things beautiful. Their sound could be bottled up as “Bruce Springsteen and Patty Griffin meet Shovels and Rope in a gypsy junk shop.” He sometimes uses a third-hand suitcase as a kick drum, and the rotary phone from her father’s shop as a mic. She blends classical violin with raging folk passion. He channels John Prine and Hank Williams. They have played hundreds of live shows together and have been featured on MTPR’s Musician Spotlight. The Lucky Valentines blend homespun DIY folk and country sounds with fresh sonic energy; infused with cold heartache, electric wonder, razor sadness and fiery joy.
Tin Finley: June 28 and June 29 at 6 p.m.
This trio of goodness will make you happy you decided to “Take the Back Roads,” as one of their original songs exemplifies their lush harmonies, thoughtfully crafted lyrics and strong melodies. Originally hailing from the Flathead Valley, with years away in Nashville honing their craft, Tin Finley is a collaboration of locals Annette Strean, Kati O’Toole and Kirk Cornelius. Today, their audience is growing rapidly due to their fully captivating live performances and the anticipation of more recordings, which are currently in the works.
Sterling Drake: July 4 at 6 p.m.
Steeped in the traditions of roots music, the journey of country songwriter Sterling Drake has taken him from the Big Cypress of south Florida to the mountains of western Montana and everywhere in between. With a penchant for honest storytelling, Sterling weaves his own perspective into the American songbook, often highlighting a strong sense of place through both natural imagery and cultural context. Drake plays a perfect fusion of Western swing, honky-tonk heartache, and dance hall treasures.
Toad, Surf Bat and Mother Root: July 5 at 6 p.m.
Call it a festival. Call it organized, musical chaos. HRB welcomes three bands for an evening of remedy. Toad, a blossoming Flathead band of young shredders, will open for the Flathead’s saddest and loudest metal band, Surfbat. Mother Root, from Seattle, will throw in some heavy riffs for a crescendo to match a weekend of celebrating our freedom.
Tom Catmull and the Clerics: July 6 at 6 p.m.
Tom Catmull is a word enthusiast. They are the larger part of what makes his world go round. He’s spent the last 25 years in his adopted hometown of Missoula, presenting words in ways to make them as alluring as possible to people who crave such things. The tricks useful to achieving this feat include infectious melody, thoughtful arrangement, storytelling, some finger picking and a clean shirt. The last couple of decades have included seven full length albums.
Paul Lee Kupfer: July 12 and 13 at 6 p.m.
Home Ranch Bottoms welcomes back Paul Lee Kupfer for another weekend of summer-swinging tunes.
Ross Voorhees Homecoming Hoedown: July 19 at 6 p.m.
After a year hiatus busking the streets of Europe, Home Ranch Bottoms welcomes home their favorite local string tickler. His ripe and innocent voice is the perfect complement to a chilled glass of rose on the patio. He might be joined by some anxious local players who have missed him dearly.
Junior the Band: July 20 and 21 at 6 p.m.
At the junction of sparse folk, pop, and cosmic country you’ll find Junior, helmed by three Montana-based songwriters. Each member of Junior packs a quiver of instrumental skills and is constantly acquiring more to add to the group.
Jeffrey Foucault: July 23 and 24 at 7 p.m.
In two decades on the road Jeffrey Foucault has become one of the most distinctive voices in American music, refining a sound instantly recognizable for its simplicity and emotional power, a decidedly Midwestern amalgam of blues, country, rock’n’roll, and folk. He’s built a brick-and-mortar international touring career on multiple studio albums, countless miles, and general critical acclaim.
Open Range: July 25 at 6 p.m.
“Music that captures the spirit of the West” is how the music of Open Range has been described. Ric Steinke and Linda Hausler weave a musical blend of tight vocal harmonies and outstanding acoustic instrumentation. They perform music from the old Western standards, to swing tunes of the 40s, to western music being written today, including their own original compositions. Ric and Linda get their musical inspiration from the wide open spaces of Montana where they live in the Shields River Valley near Livingston.
Ian Thomas & the Band of Drifters: July 26 and 27 at 7 p.m.
Playing modern Americana roots music while drawing from honky-tonk and blues traditions, you will want to bring your dancing shoes to the beer garden stage. Hailing from Montana, Tennessee and points between, they keep their music varied in arrangement, instrumentation and regional influences, including their latest release, Heavy on the Lightfoot, songs of Gordon Lightfoot.
Izaak Opatz and trio Steven Van Betten: July 31 at 6 p.m.
Like many of his favorite songwriters John Hartford, Lucinda Williams, Jeff Tweedy, Izaak Opatz is an ungulate in life’s winter pasture, chewing on and metabolizing disappointment, heartbreak, and the other tough stuff into enjoyable musical carbohydrates.
Steven van Betten is a songwriter living in Los Angeles who’s taken aim at storytelling. From reflections of the American West to the depths and intimacies of human relationships, his lyrics reveal the magic hidden in mundane day-to-day life.
Comedy in the Woods with Rich Hall: Aug. 2 at 7 p.m.
Home Ranch Bottoms is tickled to welcome back Rich Hall for the one and only “official” comedy show in the North Fork. This is the summer’s only ticketed event, gates open at 5 p.m. and the show starts at 7 p.m. Hall is an award-winning American comedian, writer, documentary maker, and musician, first coming to prominence as a sketch comedian in the late 1980s.
Sabbath Worship Aug. 3 at 6 p.m.
The Flathead’s Black Sabbath tribute band brings a 21st-century Ozzy and a collection of rips that lick. Come ready to be mind-blown.
The Montvales: Aug. 9 and 10 at 6 p.m.
Sally Buice and Molly Rochelson of The Montvales cut their teeth busking on the streets of their hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee and playing short sets on various programs of their local Americana radio station. Currently located in Cincinnati, Ohio, they spend their days crafting stripped-down, banjo-and-harmony-driven songs.
Tom Catmull: Aug. 15 at 6 p.m.
Tom is a singer-songwriter who has adopted Missoula as home for 25 years, entertaining audiences around Montana with his infectious melody, thoughtful arrangements, keen fingerpicking and storytelling. His roots-driven Americana songs are beautifully delivered on his acoustic guitar and harmonica.
Annie Bartholomew and Christy Hays Pickett: Aug. 16 at 6 p.m.
Annie Bartholomew is a musician and radio producer from Juneau, Alaska. Her debut album, Sisters of White Chapel, is a collaborative songwriting project inspired by narratives of women during the Klondike Gold Rush in Alaska and the Yukon. Christy Hays began as a professional Americana folk, alt-country, psychedelic rock and roll, singer-songwriter in Austin Texas and toured nationally for a dozen years before heading north. She settled in Butte, Montana where she runs a nonprofit called Working Quiet and a writers in residence program called Dear Butte.
Christy Hays Pickett: Aug. 17 at 6 p.m.
Christy will perform her heartfelt lyrics and warm folk vibes in a solo show.
John Lowell Duo with Joanne Gardner Lowell: Aug. 22 at 6 p.m.
John Lowell has been performing in the Mountain West for the past 43 years. John is a triple threat – songwriter, singer, guitarist, and his smooth voice is heard on many albums.