Montana Radio Cafe

Happy Easter!
The deep thought of the day:
"Some say God doesn't exist. I just ask them to prove their wife loves them; they all get it then; which is funny because most aren't even married".

Please don't let this wreck your day because it's SO deep.
Scott

Deep Thoughts from Scott Johnston:

Sometimes the world is round; but mostly not.

Happy Easter everyone!
I'll be talking to you more with deep thoughts, the upcoming Storyhill Concert, the amazing guitar workshop in August (see the bottom of the home page) and the possibility of hosting a concert featuring the Punch Brothers (Chris Thile and band)this summer.
Thanks for supporting us through another winter everyone!

Wow! What a day! Having an article published about you in the New York Times is an unbelievable experience! I really had no idea. The day really started last night when we got an email from Singapore. When I got up early this morning, there were already 45 new email to be read, and they came in all day. All positive and wonderful.
It really is a wonderful thing to hear overwhelming good things said about you all day. It should happen to everyone.
My deepest thanks to all who made this dream possible, and to Kirk Johnson and Jim Wilson, who came all the way up to Creston Montana to make a big story out of a very small station!
And welcome to all the new listener's who discovered us today. It's great to have you!
Special thanks for those of you who found their way to the donation page. Hey, I figure if a million people dropped off a dollar, we'd be funded forever. In the event that doesn't happen,(it didn't today anyway), any amount would be appreciated.
Cheers,
Scott

Wow! A real spring day! As I write this, it's 68 degree's at five in the afternoon, and I'm lovin' it.
Last nights concert with Erica Wheeler was wonderful, and well appreciated by all that attended.
One of the surprise's we announced last night was the confirmation of our success of booking Patty Larkin for a concert at the KM Theater May 29th. That's this May 29th on a Friday night.
Ticket's will be on sale hopefully this week.
I'll be talking about it.
As for tonight, I'm trying to make it out to Keith and Katherine's Cottage Inn in Kila... just becauase it's a great place and to listern to The Creston Express. A group that has some friends and realitives in it and play good music.
Maybe we'll see you there.
Scott

All righty then... finally got the blog goin' again! Thanks to my amazing daughter Vanessa and Mike and the crew a Bigfork Web Development.
The big excitement this week is of course the Erica Wheeler Concert at the KM Theater in Kalispell right above Red's on 2nd street east.
She is amazing! At $12.00 a ticket it's a screamin' deal this Friday nite. See the web site www.montanaradiocafe.org for more info @ coming attractions.
I hope you can make it and bring lot's of friends... we're a little low on tickets sales at this point and would like to encourage you to buy now so Marshall and I don't have heart attacks, and all can have a good time, including Erica.

Love you all,
Scott

Come see Erica Wheeler on Friday!

Erica Wheeler will be performing Friday night at the KM theater in Kalispell. We are lucky to once again have Erica join us for an evening of music. She is one of Scott's favorite songwriters and a really talented musician, not too mention that she's just a fun person to have around. Details are below, or go to our Coming Attractions page.

Erica Wheeler
at the KM Theater
Friday night May 1st at 7:30pm
Tickets $12.00 available at Noice Studio and Gallery, Red's Wines & Blues, and the Kalispell Montana Coffee Traders.

ericawheeler.com

Labels: Erica Wheeler, KM, Music Series

Once again Myers Reece has written a really nice article about the station! Published in the Flathead Beacon on April 8th, the article, entitle "A Half Decade of Front Porch Blues," has some great photos by Lido Vizzutti, and tells the story of the rise of our little front porch slice of Paradise over the last years. Five years! Wow! Has it been that long? Check it out here. Thanks Meyers and Lido!

Labels: 5 years, Flathead Beacon

Well hello again!
Last weekend found Marie and I at the KM building again, this time in the mezzanine - the room in between the first and second floor, for Chris Cunningham. Chris did a great job performing for a small crowd of music lovers as he wove his beautiful stories with his wonderful voice to pull us into stories of love and loss, victory and hope, and more. It was a real treat to be there.
Chris will be back on December 8th in the KM Theater performing with Storyhill.
Between now and then, Kelly Joe Phelps returns to the KM Theater with our friend John Floridis from Missoula opening for him.
The show will start a 7:30pm and tickets will go on sale later this week.
Of course you can always call us for details at 755-7575.
Later.
Scott

Here I sit on the front porch, enjoying a beautiful fall day in Montana and all the while playing the music I love.
Does it get any better than this? Maybe.. if our station was more powerful and more people could hear us more clearly.
I can't give you specifics, but I can tell you that we're working on it. Hard.
I'd like to take a moment to say thank you to my son in law Pete Young for filing in for me when Marie the beautiful took a trip to Seattle and Vancouver Island for our 30th anniversary. He did a wonderful job!
The trip was fantastic! Did you know that there's a Radio Cafe in Spokane? Two commercial stations; not the same concept at all - but nice folks. They gave us a tour - as is true with probably all commercial radio stations - they make more that this from porch operation for sure!
I'll be telling you about the trip in the days to come - stay tunned as they say!
Cheers,
Scott

Well,
I'm ashamed to admit it, but I've done no blogging for over a year! Ah well, enough of the past and the associated guilt. I'll just start new!
The past weekend was over the top great! Friday night saw the Montana Radio Cafe music series concert series bring in Mike Dowling. A Grammy award winning guitarist/vocalist/song writer, he packed the house to overflowing at the KM Theater! Great concert is all I have to say.
Thank again to the King and Queen of the KM - Bill and Jana Goodman. They're wonderful people, patron's of art of all kinds, sponsor's of the Montana Radio cafe and owners of one of my favorite places - Red's Wines and Blues.
Saturday morning was Mike Dowling teaching a open tunning and bottle neck guitar workshop at the Noice studio and gallery on main street in Kalispell. What an opportunity! I think about 16 or 17 guitar players took advantage of the chance to learn from the master.
Later that day was the Flathead Blues Society end of the summer party down at Lake Mary Ronan. It ROCKED! Great time and great music for everyone.
The raffle for the Fender Strat was a success too - Gayle - service manager a the local Harley shop won the guitar; thanks to bluesman and superior guitar builder Al Kempton for the Stat.
There, that's the catch up blog. I feel better now, I hope you do too.
By the way, we had a great summer with the Depot Park music series. Thanks so much for all that support music here in the Flathead.
Scott

Man oh man, have the last seven days been great for music!
Starting off Monday July 31rst, I stopped by Red's to hear the "Can't Hardly Play Boys", Marshall Noice and Max Agathar, and had a great time.
Then on Tuesday night it was Andre Floyd and Mood Iguana at Depot Park. Andre and friends rock!
Friday nite Marie the beautiful and I went up to the Whitefish Armory to hear "Three Minutes From Home". Awesome sound, and, of course our son Isaac is the bass player in the band. Then we jetted down to Red's and caught Cocinondo for some truly great latin jazz. I've gotta say, Concinondo is one of my favorites!
THEN, we went to Ceres Bakery on Main Street to hear a young guy from Austin Texas by the name of Jim Keaveny. Jim's style is very Bob Dylan - Woodie Gutherie like and delivered very well. Jim will be in the studio playing live Thursday.
And then came Saturday with the Montana Radio Cafe music series concert with StoryHill.
These guys are AWESOME! Great harmonys and songwriting! Plus, they are just great people!
Then Downstairs for more Jazz at Red's with Nova Combo - Dylan wasn't there, but the horn player that sat in were incredible.
Then last night with Trish,Hans and Phil at Depot Park. Wonderful is all I can say! Catch them at Red's,and in Whitefish and Woods Bay later in the week. I hope to have them in the studio as well!
Things are well here at the Montana Radio Cafe. I'm one content guy, living my dream.
Thanks so much to everyone who helps. I hope I can help you as well by bringing you the music you want to hear.
More, much more later
Blessing to all!
Scott

Well here we are in late July in Montana, and the weather is HOT! It might get to 102 degree's this weekend - time to go to the lake!
Last night we enjoyed another Montana Radio Cafe Music Series concert with Fred Hargrove, Rob Quist and Michael Martin Murphey. Just like last year, the magic was there! We had a overflow crowd for the first show, and a great crowd for the second show as well.
Rob Quist was as good as I've ever seen him - you've got to hear his yet to be recorded song "catch and release"!
Murph as always was wonderful and full of great music and good humor.
Our thanks to Bill and Jana Goodman for the use of the KM Theater, and their sponsorship of the station. They are great people, and Red's is a wonderful place to be.
The next concert is August 5th at the KM Theater with StoryHill, a terrific folk duo from Bozeman. I hope you all can come.
Scott

Hey!
I know, I know it's been way too long between these ramblings, but ... no excuse! I heard Tom Russell on July 4th, and was he tremendous! Here's a picture I took of Tom performing on Bill Montgomery's new stage the other night. Tom was great, and the stage is awesome! Thanks to Tom and Bill and Connie.
All that to lead up to the invitation to hear Tom Russell tomorrow night in concert at the KM Theater in Kalispell. The tickets are just $18.00 and only 96 will be sold.
The music starts at 7:30 pm, and will go until Tom is done. Michael Martin is traveling with Tom, playing guitar and mandolin, plus backup vocals and is wonderful as well.
It's going to be a great night! Hope you can come.
Cheers!
Scott

Hello everyone.
Just a quick note to let everyone know what's been going on.
Yesterday was a hard day.
First, our IP address was changed with out our knowledge, and thus knocked us offline for most of the day. Our apologies for the trouble.
Secondly, the station mascot, Smokey the Wonder Dog passed away after 14 and a half years of faithful service to our family. As it turned out, all the kids are home for a sons wedding and were able to be with him before he died. A sad and hard day for all, but one filled with gratitude for such a fine dog.
Smokey was buried on the back of the farm, with various other pets that have gone on before.
Smokey's singing can still be heard several times a day on the station between songs, and will forever if I can swing the forever thing.
Some good news to tell on this otherwise dreary, rainy day - The Missoulian will be publishing an article in next Sunday's paper. We're really excited about it!
Onward and upward! Thank God life consists of more than just one bad day!
With gratitude from the front porch,
Scott