Total Fest

05/16/2025

Citric Dummies (with Drew from Brain Tumors playing bass) from Minneapolis in Missoula, at the VFW, May 24th! Gonna be there!

WOAH! VFW SHOW AMBUSH - 5/24!
---
CITRIC DUMMIES -
SWAMP RITUAL -
OPERATIVE -
---
VFW MAY 24
DOORS 8
SHOW 9
COVER $10
---
BADASS FLYER MADE BY
LETS FU***NG GO

04/09/2025

BUMMER NEWS UPDATE: Dug hit the van trouble wall and are stuck in Dickinson ND slurping Lemon Fizzbang and scarfing steak at Applebees. There's some might silver dollar flaps available for those who linger long enough.
Van troubles are real. Support your DIY touring friends, friends.

The show is still happening tonight so hope y'all can keep the cave emerging momentum going and support some stellar locals.

Dig on Dug. That’s probably all that needs to be said, but I’m not one for brevity.

One of the benefits of Total Fest was the built in “holy sh*t” moments as bands peppered the radar. Building’s 2011 Melt, Cry, Sleep was one of those moments for me. A few emails, a fiendish tour with Hawks, some sketchy cats messing with them all weekend, and, the rest, as they say is history. Like many, I was bummed when Buildings announced they were hanging up the cleats. It happens, though, right. Things run their course, and we just need to adapt.

Well, we likely shouldn’t approach all things that way, but I digress …

Back in 21, when the stick wielding swashbuckler Travis Kuhlman announced that he had a new project and that their album would be on TGIC, I hit the pre-order button before the preview was done. Joined by Michael Baillie (guitar), Dug was just the face slap that I needed at the time. Thick in the pandemic without much of sense that there would be an end, Dug dangled the familiar and then brutally contrasted it with a purgatorial, tonal drip. It’s a sonic Rothko, just layer after layer of thick, guttural, sludge evidencing the listless and Groundhog day feel of the entire Covid experience.

They’re not locked in as some time-capsuled curiosity. Relentlessly touring, they’ve blossomed with releases in 2022 and 2023, digging themselves deeper into the soil and shooting tendrils into the very groundwater that nourishes every lumbering second of every Sisyphean day of every mise en abyme year. Like time, they show no evidence of slowing down.

Dug is a thunderous force. Straight up pummeling. I’ve not had the opportunity to see them live until now. The reports from Caterwaul and videos I’ve seen confirm that they exceed translation and pied-piper you to grabbing those ear plugs and immersing yourself in wave after wave after wave of brute force.

BUMMER NEWS UPDATE: Dug are stuck in Dickinson ND slurping lemon fizzbang and scarfing steak and silver dollars at Applebees. Van troubles are real -- support your DIY touring friends, friends.

The thing I miss most about Total Fest is the annual reunion that came with it. Old and new friends on repeat. Horizonless and endless summers. Again, things run their course, and time moves whether we do or not. Though there are certainly longer intervals at play here, it’s pretty awesome that there’s a familiar landing spot for old and new connections. Hope y’all can shake off some mid-week rust and get your sludge on. It does a weary soul good.

Dug Plays the ZACC with support from .Repetend and Skadget on Wednesday, April 09. Doors at 7:30. $15

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sd1FeaPcNhA

Dug: https://www.instagram.com/dug_noise/
Melt, Cry, Sleep: https://buildingsband.bandcamp.com/album/melt-cry-sleep
The Ghost is Clear Records: https://theghostisclearrecords.bandcamp.com/album/dugRepetend: https://repetendband.bandcamp.com/album/permutations
Skadget: https://skadget.bandcamp.com/track/maga-fest

03/31/2025

Dig on Dug. That’s probably all that needs to be said, but I’m not one for brevity.

One of the benefits of Total Fest was the built in “holy sh*t” moments as bands peppered the radar. Building’s 2011 Melt, Cry, Sleep was one of those moments for me. A few emails, a fiendish tour with Hawks, some sketchy cats messing with them all weekend, and, the rest, as they say is history. Like many, I was bummed when Buildings announced they were hanging up the cleats. It happens, though, right. Things run their course, and we just need to adapt.

Well, we likely shouldn’t approach all things that way, but I digress …

Back in 21, when the stick wielding swashbuckler Travis Kuhlman announced that he had a new project and that their album would be on TGIC, I hit the pre-order button before the preview was done. Joined by Michael Baillie (guitar), Dug was just the face slap that I needed at the time. Thick in the pandemic without much of sense that there would be an end, Dug dangled the familiar and then brutally contrasted it with a purgatorial, tonal drip. It’s a sonic Rothko, just layer after layer of thick, guttural, sludge evidencing the listless and Groundhog day feel of the entire Covid experience.

They’re not locked in as some time-capsuled curiosity. Relentlessly touring, they’ve blossomed with releases in 2022 and 2023, digging themselves deeper into the soil and shooting tendrils into the very groundwater that nourishes every lumbering second of every Sisyphean day of every mise en abyme year. Like time, they show no evidence of slowing down.

Dug is a thunderous force. Straight up pummeling. I’ve not had the opportunity to see them live until now. The reports from Caterwaul and videos I’ve seen confirm that they exceed translation and pied-piper you to grabbing those ear plugs and immersing yourself in wave after wave after wave of brute force.

BUMMER NEWS UPDATE: Dug are stuck in Dickinson ND slurping lemon fizzbang and scarfing steak and silver dollars at Applebees. Van troubles are real -- support your DIY touring friends, friends.

The thing I miss most about Total Fest is the annual reunion that came with it. Old and new friends on repeat. Horizonless and endless summers. Again, things run their course, and time moves whether we do or not. Though there are certainly longer intervals at play here, it’s pretty awesome that there’s a familiar landing spot for old and new connections. Hope y’all can shake off some mid-week rust and get your sludge on. It does a weary soul good.

Dug Plays the ZACC with support from .Repetend and Skadget on Wednesday, April 09. Doors at 7:30. $15

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sd1FeaPcNhA

Dug: https://www.instagram.com/dug_noise/
Melt, Cry, Sleep: https://buildingsband.bandcamp.com/album/melt-cry-sleep
The Ghost is Clear Records: https://theghostisclearrecords.bandcamp.com/album/dugRepetend: https://repetendband.bandcamp.com/album/permutations
Skadget: https://skadget.bandcamp.com/track/maga-fest

01/03/2025

Too sad to comment.

The fierce frontman of numerous local bands, including the Planes Mistaken for Stars side-project Git Some, died on January 1 at the age of 49.

09/23/2024

Couple notes here:

1) the The Lights are playing in Missoula on Saturday, October 19 at the Ole Beck VFW Post 209. That's P.J., Jeff and Craig's band that had been basically done for the past roughly lifespan of a younger teenager, if you're counting. To me, somebody who's put out their records and seen 'em dozens of times, the Lights are a uniquely great band. And I think the reasons for that are both straightforward (well-rehearsed and tight, great songs, fun) and less straightforward.

What I think you need to understand about the Lights is first of all they're friends from the underpopulated and perhaps "uncool" half of Washington state/and Idaho, who've been playing rock and roll for the better part of their lives. It's a really unique and special deal to see three people who've been friends since they were kids doing what they're doing and the whole definitely outblasts the sum of its parts.

And, like I say up there, they're a band that writes really classic and timeless songs and plays live with a really unique and great presence. And, what's extra cool is the VFW is allowing this to be all-ages! Please mark your calendar. October 19. Saturday. 8:00. Missoula. VFW.

2) ol' Wantage USA and The Swingline Records are putting out the vinyl for the Lights very first record (previously only a CD!) Beautiful Bird! We're working on some wonkiness with our Bandcamp, but more to come on that front.

08/22/2024

Important news for folks who went to Total Fest here!

For us here The Lights are one of those all-time best groups, like Drunk Horse, Volumen and the Champs for us. No bum shows, always a band we looked forward to seeing no matter what. Their first album is a total classic, but was only released on CD, as was kind of often the practice 21 years ago. It's called Beautiful Bird and captures the first set of Lights songs we ever heard. From absolute instantly familiar pop gem of Victims of the Pleasure of the Sense of Hearing to Train and Trapped Like a Trap Inside a Trap, this album has hit after hit. True to themselves and their art, the Lights never gave thought to "making it" in a traditional band-as-career sense, but rather viewed performances competitively, always keeping up an entirely aggressive practice regimen, and prided themselves on being a seriously tight band, in touch with each others styles and preferences, and from an audience standpoint, that made them an absolute joy to watch. While not genre-similar, I always got those same kind of chills I got seeing a band like Dead Moon, where there wasn't any pretense, but the three of them onstage together was such a special, joyous thing you just had to be glued to it. Same with the Lights for me.

Anyhow, sure, they played shows all over, mostly in Seattle, but in San Francisco, L.A. and Missoula, toured to NME and SXSW, toured with Oneida and Rick Froberg's post-Hot Snakes band Obits. And they did get some really heartfelt and nice props from local indie media and radio, but their goal was to be a good band that wrote great music. At least that's how we think about their beautifully pure trajectory as a group.

So, this brings us a whole lot of joy to share that we're working with our pals at the Swingline and the band to get this fabulous first record out on vinyl, and we just got the test pressings! We'll be sharing pre-order info really soon, but wanted to make sure you saw this. Because, you know, you have a lot of records, and probably some really good ones, but you don't have this one yet.

07/19/2024

Woodtick Festival is happening in a week (July 26 and 27) outside Darby, Montana! It's a great set of groups from Missoula, MT and way beyond. They just announced Reggie!

05/28/2024

Aloha! Did you know that DEAD will be playing right here in Missoula at the Zootown Arts Community Center / ZACC (ALL AGES!) in just one week? It's for-real. Can't wait. Please get tickets in advance.

Event link in comments!

05/09/2024

I remember what a gift Shellac felt like originally, having gotten interested in punk and underground music in the post-Big Black era and scrounging video stores for VHS tapes of live shows, going through their catalog in reverse and digging up old Forced Exposure zines in cutout bins, trying to piece together this outspoken enigma in the pre-internet era. Loving the sound of the Jesus Lizard's Liar LP and hearing a band at top form, and a recording that perfectly fit what they were about.

The first three singles sounded (and sound) amazing. This one was a standout. Live, no vocals and a particularly booming Todd Trainer. I remember Justin got this and played it regularly in his apartment with Ben and Rick. We played it loudly, and it sounded great. Thanks for the music, Steve. I didn't expect you to die so early.

There's lots more to be said. I thought it was really interesting how he stopped getting a flattop after 40+ years because it was haircut of modern fascists.

From the single The Bird Is The Most Popular Finger by ShellacGuitar, Vocals – Steve AlbiniBass – Bob WestonDrums – Todd TrainerMastered By – John LoderWritt...

03/29/2024

Ahem: This group, Edhochuli (PA) is playing tonight at the Zootown Arts Community Center / ZACC and they're great. They may even slap, in the parlance of our time. Heavy like Sandrider, y'know! But from Pittsburgh. So, more rust-belty, less Emerald.

You going? This is really tonight (Thurs. March 28), and all-ages and heavy and ripping. TF approved.

from the album Higherlander

02/13/2024

There you go, Bellingham!

Tix in thee bio

02/07/2024

Scott from the The Pharmacy is on tour soon, including Montana dates!