Final Winter 2014 Jam

Posted on March 8, 2014 by Phyllis Erck

Come on over to Ruby’s for our final Jam for the Winter Jam Series this season.

Same routine. Start at 2pm jam until midnight or so with a break for potluck dinner at 6pm.

All styles and levels and grinners are welcome.

Ruby’s Inn – 4825 N Reserve St (Missoula, MT) just off I-90 at exit 101

MRBA Spring Festival 2014

Posted on February 22, 2014 by peej

Lone Rock School, Stevensville, MT – April 12, 2014

Well, we’re getting geared up for another great Spring Festival, with 18 bands and whole lot of fun. The Festival will again be at the Lone Rock School, on Saturday, April 12th—2014. There will be free overnight camping at the school and the music will start at 12 noon and go non-stop til 10:25 pm. The school will be open after the Festival for jam- ming and Sunday morning we will have a free breakfast for campers at the school.

Verna Molenda has again offered to cook her wonderful food for the kitchen. She asks that folks that bring food for sale bring desserts. If you would like to volunteer to help Verna, call her at 821-3163.
If you would like to volunteer to help at the festival with the ticket tables or the cd or merchandise sales, please call Ben Essary at 777-7028. Or just check in that day with the organizers and they’ll find a spot for you. Thanks!

Directions – (Watch for signs) Lone Rock School: 1112 Three Mile Creek, Stevensville, MT
Directions from south- (traveling North on Highway 93 from Hamilton), turn right at Stevensville turn off- drive 1 mile, turn left when entering Stevensville onto East Side Highway and continue 5 1/2 miles. Turn right on Three Mile Road. Continue on Three Mile Road for 3 miles, school is on the left.
Directions from the North-(from Lolo) Turn left at Florence (Conoco Station) onto Eastside Highway. Continue on Eastside Highway 6 1/2 miles. Turn left onto Three Mile Road.
Continue on Three Mile Road for 3 miles, school is on the left. 2014 MRBA Bluegrass Festival, as follows…

12:00—12:30 Kids in Bluegrass

12:35—1:05 Russell King & Fully Cooked

1:10—1:40 The Bittergrass String Band

1:45—2:15 Darby Sireens

2:20—2:50 Spring Wagon

2:55—3:25 Blue To The Bone

3:30—4:00 Salmon Valley String Band

4:05—4:35 Pinegrass

4:40—5:10 Foggy Mtn. Top

5:15—5:45 Accousticals

5:50—6:20 PJ & Cindy with Flatgrass

6:25—6:55 Mike and Tari Conroy Band

7:00—7:30 New South Fork

7:35—8:05 Black Mtn. Boys

8:10—8:40 Gravely Mtn Boys

8:45—9:15 Heartbreak Pass

9:20—9:50 Spring Thaw

9:55—10:25 Phyllis Erck and the Ruby Jewel Band

10:30—11:00 Elk River Ramblers

…see ya there!!

Upcoming Bluegrass Events

Posted on February 21, 2014 by peej

March 7— Trapline Band—Symes Hotel, Hot Springs, MT 8:00 p.m.

March 8—Ruby’s Winter Jam Series, Open Jam and potluck. Pickin’ and grinnin’ starts at 2:00pm. Potluck at 5:30 followed by more pickin’

March 18—Pinegrass. Top Hat in Missoula. 8:00 pm

March 24—Acousticals. Redbird in Missoula. 7:00 pm
March 29— John Jorgeson Bluegrass Band.

March 29— Leftover Biscuits. Belton Chalet. 7:00

April 1— Pinegrass with Richie Rienholdt, Top Hat in Missoula, 8:00 p.m.

April 3— Acousticals, Top Hat in Missoula, 6:00 pm

April 7—Kathy Kallick Band, Ruby’s Inn, Missoula, MT
April 9—Kathy Kallick Band, Hilton Garden Inn, Great Falls, MT April 10—Kathy Kallick Band, Hampton Inn, Billings, MT
(See www.rubyjeweljamboree.com for details)

April 10—Porter Creek, Top Hat in Missoula,
April 11—12—Yonder Mountain String Band, Missoula, www.thewilma.com
April 11—New South Fork, Top Hat in Missoula, 6:00 pm
April 12—MRBA Spring Festival— Stevensville, Lone Rock School

The Montana Rockies Bluegrass Association is a non-profit association dedicated to promoting, preserving and sharing our love of bluegrass music in a spirit of family and friendship.

Recurring Shows and Jams

 Missoula – Tuesdays, Wheat Montana – Moozoola Opry 6pm ‘til 8pm the Black Mountain Boys play. Admission is free, the band asks that you buy a sandwich or soup from the fine folks at Wheat Montana as you enjoy an evening of music.

 Missoula – Pickin Circle. Tangled Tones Studio. 2005 South Ave., West. – 2nd & 4th Wednesdays—6:00 pm to 9:00 pm . (406-396-3352)

 Missoula—Open Jam. Top Hat. Tuesdays. 7:00 pm
 Livingston – Open Jam. Pine Creek Café. Thursday—8:30—10:30 pm.

Join Us For ‘Pasture Pickin’ in Libby Mt., August 10-17th, 2014

Posted on February 16, 2014 by peej

It starts August 10-17th, 2014 and goes all week. So ya’ll load yer truck & come join us, ya hear.

This is the 2nd Pasture Pickin event this summer, (the 1st one was last May). We have been having our Bluegrass and country campout for 19 years and have meet so many great people and heard some great music.

Just to tell you a little bit of our camp out, First it is free to every one, we have lots of room for camping out, we have built a couple of places where we can get out of the weather and play music, It is dry camping but we have great well water to fill your rigs up with. Pets are welcome but must be on a leash at all times. There are some people that come early and that is fine with us, every one looks forward to seeing old friends and meeting newones. (P.S. This 2nd camp out will not have our pot luck dinner or band scramble like we did in May).

Pasture pickin is held 5 1/2 miles up pipe creek road. If you need any more info. Just give us a call. (406) 293-6608 so hope to see you, and have a great day,

Dorothy and Dale

Black Mountain Boys, at THE LOFT

Posted on February 12, 2014 by peej

March 14 2014, 8 PM,

Bluegrass night at The Loft with the Black Mountain Boys.

Flatgrass will open for them at 7:15.

The Loft is located Downtown Missoula, across from the parking garage, upstairs above the Dance Collective…119 W Main St, Missoula Montana

6TH ANNUAL HARDTIMES BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL July 25-26-27, 2014

Posted on February 9, 2014 by peej

Click to zoom

www.hardtimesbluegrass.com

Mike and Tari Conroy… Present the 6th annual HARDTIMES BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL

July 25-26-27, 2014

Welcome to the official home page for the 6th annual Hardtimes Bluegrass Festival. This festival has a “old timey mountain feel” and features traditional bluegrass music. Our festival is an affordable, family friendly gathering in a beautiful setting, that is geared towards having good clean fun while celebrating the sounds of traditional bluegrass music. Come see us this year!

Admission Fees: Adult – $12.00 for the weekend

(3 minutes or 3 days-it’s all the same price)

12 Years and under – $6.00 for the weekend

Dry Camping – $12.00 for the weekend.

Camping is available in the trees on a first come- first serve basis.

NO RV HOOKUPS ARE AVAILABLE

Food vendors on site

Leashed dogs are allowed.

BRING YOUR LAWN CHAIRS

Festival site opens for camping Thursday, July 24th, 10:00 am

Featured Activities

11 Performing Bands

Pioneers in Montana Bluegrass

Band Contest Awards for “Best Band” and “Most Character”

Kids in Bluegrass

Bluegrass Gospel Sunday Morning

Lots of Jamming

Mike & Tari Conroy

Don’t miss this Saturday at 2:00 at Ruby’s Convention Center, Missoula Montana

Posted on February 6, 2014 by peej

Montana Rockies Bluegrass Association Just a little reminder to…

come join us for a day of bluegrassin! (see earlier posting for details)

The Ruby Jewel Band this Wednesday, 2/5/14. 7:30 at THE LOFT!!

Posted on February 4, 2014 by peej

The Loft is located Downtown Missoula, across from the parking garage, upstairs above the Dance Collective…119 W Main St, Missoula Montana

About the BAND

Phyllis Erck born in Sulpher Springs, Texas where she spent her childhood listening to radio and live jamborees, produced by her father, Lou, who was a popular radio disk jockey on KSST Radio. The family moved north at age 6 to build family business in radio. The business spread across the Rocky Mountain states and the family moved with it. Phyllis’ musical roots were stimulated at an early age in the pews of the Sourthern Baptist church where she learned to sing harmonies with the church choir and with her siblings who all sing. Inspired by her brother Charles’ playing, she took up the Dobro. Phyllis sang throughout high school and college. After college she moved to New England where she found the rich bluegrass music scene and formed close musical relationships with many of the players there. In 1998 she formed the band Blue Angel with Victoria Ginty and recorded the album Dance a Little Closer. In 2002 she returned Montana where she has performed with groups including Ramblin’ Rose, Hot House Tomatoes, The Alley Cats, Blue to the Bone and her current band the Ruby Jewel Band.

Career highlights

IBMA Awards show with Jerry Douglas – 1 of 2 women in the dobro extravaganza with 50 players onstage celebrating the Grammy award winning album The Great Dobro Sessions
Noppett Hill Bluegrass Festival – Sang tenor to Del McCoury on stage

Ruby Jewel Band Members