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A Wilhelm Scream performs Sept. 7 at the Railyard

A Wilhelm Scream performs Sept. 7 at the Railyard. Creatively named after a stock sound effect, A Wilhelm Scream has been hailed as new heirs of the skate-punk scene.

The Massachusetts band has been playing punk and melodic hardcore for more than a decade and recently came off a tour with Pennywise and Strike Anywhere. After a hiatus in 2008 the band hopped from Nitro Records to Paper + Plastic for a fifth release, a self-titled EP.

Openers include Missoula’s Strangle Valentino and Denver’s The Photo Atlas, who return to Billings for the first time since August 2009. The dance punk band return for two concerts, the first opening for A Wilhelm Scream and the second on Sept. 10 to perform with 1090 Club and Flowers From Her.

Alt-country group the Gourds in their second performance in Billings on May 6, 2009.

Austin, Texas-based alt-country band The Gourds return to Billings Saturday, August 28, performing for their first time at the Babcock Theatre.

Well-known for their unique twist on Snoop Dogg’s “Gin and Juice,” The Gourds defy category with their classic country stylings, folk-inspired songs and a slew of other influences including bluegrass, punk and zydeco.

Local bluegrass band Anonymous String Association begin the show. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show begins at 8 p.m. Tickets are available at Ernie November, Rimrock Mall, by phone at 800-514-ETIX, or online at www.1111presents.com.

Prog rock group Coheed and Cambria perform Billings Babcock Theatre on Oct. 14. (Photo by Chapman Baehler)

New York indie prog-rock group Coheed and Cambria will perform in Billings on Oct. 14 at the Babcock Theatre. In a unique process, the band will choose its opener from local acts for each of the 16-city tour dates, including Billings.

“When we first started touring, local bands were a very important part of the process,” said Coheed vocalist Claudio Sanchez. “Almost every tour had local openers on each show, but now it’s much more common to have a set national package of bands touring through all the cities. While that can be easier at times, it makes it tough on local bands, and local scenes haven’t flourished like they once did. Hopefully this helps bring awareness to some good up and coming music.”

Bands that wish to perform post a link to their music on Coheed’s Facebook page. They then get their friends and fans to “like” the link. Coheed and Cambria will select a winner out of the top three “liked” bands in each market.

The Billings performance is open to all ages. Tickets are $29.50 (plus applicable fees), available now at Ernie November, Rimrock Mall, by phone at 800-514-ETIX or online at 1111presents.com. The band also performs Oct. 16 at the Wilma in Missoula.

Lights illuminate the crowd on Dehler field during the Bob Dylan/John Mellencamp performances Aug. 11 in Billings.

When Brett Michaels can be spotted outside of the Laurel WalMart, Bob Dylan just rolled through Billings, the Scorpions can be seen at MontanaFair and Montana Avenue is closed for Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi, it’s been a good week of music.

From Rockin’ the Rivers to the Magic City Blues fest, last week’s selection of live music was considerable. Perhaps the most anticipated performance was Bob Dylan’s at Dehler Park Aug. 11.

When I saw Bob Dylan in 2003 in Casper, Wyo., I was sure he was near death. Five decades of performing seemed to have caught up with the music icon as he hovered above his keyboards barely moving—not at all like a rolling stone (though he’s held up better visually than Keith Richards).

Seven years later at the Billings ballpark the musician was astounding. He switched from guitar to keys with the virility of Jakob Dylan. His throaty rasp swooned the ladies and awed the gents. In the ballpark, he just seemed happy. Amongst kids on parent’s shoulders and women in sundresses, Dylan was truly in his element.

A young girl on the shoulders of an adult watches John Mellencamp at Dehler Park in Billings on Aug. 11.

John Mellencamp also seemed joyful during his set. Mellencamp, who mentioned onstage that his band stared as a little bar band in Indiana 40 years ago, opened with “Pink Houses.” Exuding Americana with his well-know tunes, Mellencamp didn’t break out his biggest hit, “Jack and Diane,” but his set was filled with sing-alongs including “Small Town” and “The Authority Song.”

“We came a thousand miles to see you guys tonight,” Mellencamp said. “I’m a little ragged around the edges but thankful.”

John Mellencamp performs at Dehler Park in Billings.

Billings residents didn’t need a ticket to catch the show. The concert could be heard as far as Division Street, and the downtown corridor was host to many people on lawn chairs and tailgates. Though they couldn’t see the musicians, they could hear them crystal clear. The area, set near the rims, served as a downtown amphitheater.

Dylan opened his set with “Rainy Day Women # 12 & 35,” and the crowd responded with great enthusiasm. “Then they’ll stone ya when you’re there all alone
/ But I would not feel so all alone
/ Everybody must get stoned.” Indeed, they did.

The rest of Dylan’s lyrics weren’t as clear. Known for his lack of enunciation, only bits and pieces of lyrics filtered through. With a once-in-a-lifetime voice, it didn’t matter. It was thrilling just to hear him sing.

Before the closer “All Along the Watchtower,” Dylan took a moment to sing happy birthday to Charlie Sexton, the guitarist in his backing band.

To host more than 8,000 fans at Dehler Park set the stage for more to come. The ballpark, billed to the taxpayers as more than just a ball field, had yet to show its full potential. The night before Dylan’s performance a small crowd stood on the field as the ABC band played kid-themed rock ‘n roll. Koncert for Kidz has drawn families to Dehler, but nothing compares to the grand scale audience that filled the park on Aug. 11.

The following day the ball field appeared as though nothing ever happened—proof that stilettos, empty beer cans, and dancing aren’t just for the streets anymore.

The Thermals (photo by Westin Glass)

Portland lo-fi pop punkers and newly signed Kill Rock Stars band The Thermals return to Billings Sept. 27 to promote their latest record, “Personal Life.”

Slated for a Sept. 7 release on Kill Rock Star, “Personal Life” features the talents of singer/guitarist Hutch Harris, bassist Kathy Foster and newly added drummer Westin Glass in the band’s fifth release since forming in 2002.

Sticking true to their lo-fi sounds, Death Cab For Cutie’s Chris Walla recorded the Thermals live (for the most part) to 2″ tape and mixed the album to tape as well.

Walla mixed the first Thermals LP, More Parts Per Million, circa 2003, and he produced their second LP Fuckin’ A from 2004.

The band is scheduled to stop at the Railyard Ale House on Sept. 27 with guests TBA. Tickets, $10 in advance or $12 at the door, are available at Ernie November, Rimrock Mall, 800-514-ETIX, or online at www.1111presents.com.

Listen to I Don’t Believe You from the upcoming album at KillRockStars.com.

Matt Rogers in performance with the S.O.B.s

Matt Rogers picked up his first guitar at age 9. At age 15 he was performing to crowds at the Magic City Blues festival.

“It was a surreal experience that I haven’t really appreciated until now,” Rogers said in a recent interview.

At the time Rogers was performing with the Tyler Burnett Band, and he’ll take the stage once again with some of the same musicians. Currently Rogers is playing with drummer Pat Epley and bassist Steve Brown in a group they’ve dubbed the S.O.B.s, short for Sons of Billings.

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The Dead Weather is performance at the Babcock Theatre in Billings on July 27.

With crowds to the rafters of the historic Babcock theatre and a light show that reminded of Clockwork Orange, The Dead Weather’s sold-out performance on July 26 in Billings was packed with chaotic sounds that were epically jolting—a sensory assault of shrill lights and dark, pummeling rock. The performance dropped jaws.

Lead singer Alison Mosshart during The Dead Weather's performance in Billings on July 27.

Frontwoman Alison Mosshart is a back-bending superhero of screeching feminine prowess. A Joan Jet meets Karen O fembot, Mosshart is a bionic force live.

Jack White steps out from the drum set to sing "You Just Can't Win" during The Dead Weather's performance at the Babcock Theatre.

Mosshart was backed by a powerhouse of musicians including Dean Fertita (Queens of the Stone Age) and Jack Lawrence (The Raconteurs). The band’s most well-known musician Jack White stepped out from the drums briefly to capture some spotlight from the charismatic frontwoman, whom White refers to onstage as “Baby Ruthless from the deep, deep south.”

The Dead Weather lead singer Alison Mosshart in Billings on July 27.

During the band’s set, thick rolling clouds of body head rose in the vintage art deco theatre. Hung amongst the stage equipment were various wild animal mounts, corroborating the night’s strange vibe. The keyboard and bass reverberated throughout the building, a deep, synthesized sound.

Alison Mosshart singing atop a speaker at the Babcock Theatre.

Crawling atop the speaker, her arm outstretched in classic rock pose, Mosshart stole the show. So well-loved, Mosshart even received a surprise bear hug from a wispy female fan who jumped onstage and was quickly snatched away.

The Dead Weather guitarist Dean Fertita.

Chicago instrumental rock band Russian Circles in performance in Billings on July 6.

Russian Circles had no words for Billings. Turning the spotlights outward to the crowd, the Chicago three-piece illuminated our faces as we watched them loop their way through a wordless set of post rock hypnotica.

Russian Circles guitarist Mike Sullivan tweaks his guitar tuning during a live performance July 6 in Billings.

Russian Circles may lack in words, but the drummer is a machine, the guitarist a stringy-haired sexpot of reverberation, and the bassist/keyboardist a seething pillar bearing the weigh of the band’s enormous sound.

Russian Circles bassist Brian Cook at the helm of keyboards during a July 6 performance in Billings.

Such dimensional rock, made from layers upon layers of sound—both guitarist and bassist run loops through pedals—seems immense against their stark backdrop of glaring yellow lights and six flailing arms.

The band’s discography stretches back to 2004 and they played a diverse collection of songs, including music from their October 2009 release, “Geneva.” The album is sprinkled with cello, violin, and horns, and the lack of such instruments on stage only further weighed down the sound.

When the band closed with the epic “Geneva,” from the release of the same name, the sound wall was so thick you could almost stand against it.

Charlie Daniels in performance at the Alberta Bair Theater June 25 as part of the Wild West Soirée.

Words Lewis Black can add profanity to: Unbelievable. Before. Whoville, among others. In his first performance in Montana, the comedian nearly filled the Alberta Bair Theater on June 24.

“Does anyone come visit you people?” Black exclaimed after he received a standing ovation from the exuberant crowd. “I’m really stunned. You’re more excited to see me than I ever have been to see myself.”

Black remarked he’d been trying to visit the west for a number of years, “and now I don’t know why,” he said, though winter was a factor. “The fact that you live here in the winter…maybe you ought to seek psychiatric help. I can guarantee you will never be terrorized. They’ll get halfway through South Dakota and kill themselves.”

The New Yorker warned the crowd before going further into his routine. “For those of you who don’t know me, or have never really seen my standup, to be honest, I’m kind of different. I’m not funny, but for some reason that escapes me people laugh.”

We were warned. Without flinching, he moved onto sensitive topics such as abortion, pointing to the shift in language (pro- and anti-abortion became “pro-life” or “pro-choice”) and the stalemate on the actual act.

“In my lifetime the best we’ve done is change the wording of our argument,” Black said. “We’re the only civilized country on planet earth that can’t decide when life begins. I don’t even know if I’m here.”

With a heavy emphasis on profanity, Black discussed his views on the current state of affairs in this country, saying people don’t need drugs; it’s already astoundingly surreal (American senators apologizing for taking money from belching oil companies and their oil disaster relief plans that reference the same dead guy, tax burdens on the 15 remaining members of the middle class, and drunk driving vs. pot smoking).

On legalizing marijuana, he said, “If you’re not going to tax people, and you’re not going to make s***, you have to legalize pot and have an old-fashioned bake sale.”

After Black’s barrage of profanity-wrapped intellect, the performance of southern self-proclaimed redneck Charlie Daniels the following night couldn’t have been further from such liberal ideals.

Wearing a belt buckle you could eat a meal on, Daniels stood in nearly the same spot at the Alberta Bair Theater and performed a set of country music containing some of the most pointedly conservative propaganda in current rotation.

When Daniels blew a cloud of dust from his fiddle into the air and yelled, “That’s how it’s done,” I wasn’t thinking what an amazing fiddle player he was, rather what an audacious, dangerous redneck he was. The bearded 71-year-old no doubt plays the meanest fiddle I’ve ever witnessed, but his views on citizens taking justice into their own hands and “pulling the trigger” was off-putting.

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Due to the destruction of MetraPark’s Rimrock Auto Arena by tornado, two of the largest shows the booked for the end of the year in Billings have been canceled: Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley.

“We regret to tell you that we are going to have to cancel both Brad Paisley, slated for September 26, and Carrie Underwood, slated for December 10,” said Sandra Hawke, MetraPark director of marketing and sales, in a media briefing on June 25. “There is just no way those stages can configure elsewhere.”

Considered an economic engine of the area, the MetraPark arena has a seating capacity of 10,950, making it is the largest entertainment complex in the state. Nearby comparable venues include Bozeman’s Brick Breeden Fieldhouse and Casper’s Event Center.

MetraPark’s closet option is the grandstand area, which seats 6,000, but is unusable for concerts in inclement weather.

Both Paisley and Underwood shows are scheduled in Bozeman at the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse. Paisley performs on Sept. 30 and Underwood on Dec. 12. Tickets sold before the tornado for Underwood totaled around 5,000 and 2,000 for Paisley, which went on sale the day before the disaster.

The promoter for the Brad Paisley concert is offering a block of seats to MetraPark ticket buyers. Ticket holders are asked to call 800-808-5940 and use the password METRA.

Ticket refunding will begin the first week of July, Hawke said. “As you can imagine, our box office and every other department here are disrupted.”

Sue DeVries, MetraPark Assistant General Manager, said the integrity of the box office system is preserved. “All of our data is there. We will be able to start refunding the first of July as planned,” DeVries said.

DeVries stressed the importance of getting the systems running in order to begin selling gate admission and concerts tickets for the fair. A box office will be set up in temporary trailers to the west of the Expo Center. “We’ll be ready to go as quickly as possible,” she said.

As for other upcoming performances, Hawke did not have definitive plans for their relocation. She said MetraPark was on the verge of announcing a Rodney Carrington comedy show in September and is working to try to find another location. The options for some events include scheduling multiple performances, and they are looking at other venues, including the Alberta Bair Theater and the Shrine Auditorium.

“There is a good possibility that we can accommodate some of the shows that would normally be in the arena in our Expo Center as our booking schedule permits,” Hawke said.” The center is not designed to be a concert arena, but has seating for about 3,000.

“We’re thinking very creatively about what to do with all of our clients to keep the ball rolling and keep the facility operating,” she said.

UPDATE: Celtic Woman slated for August 22 at MetraPark’s arena, has been relocated to the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse in Bozeman on the same date.

For those who hold tickets for a Billings performance, special seating has been reserved and a password to secure tickets, available by calling (406) 256- 2400, has been created. Billings ticket holders may order online with the password at ticketswest.com/promos/mt or by phone: 1-800-808-5940

Refunds for the Billings show will be issued when MetraPark box office is up and running.