Anderson Broadcasting presents free concert featuring Mission Mountain Wood Band July 4
Hey savvy news reader! Thanks for choosing local.
You are now reading
1 of 3 free articles.
POLSON — The Mission Mountain Wood Band will perform from the McCrumb Construction and Marine Barge on Flathead Lake July 4 at Sacajawea Park in Polson. Admission is free, due to the generous contribution of sponsors and will include a fireworks spectacle, courtesy of Polson Chamber and donors. The band will perform the Star Spangled Banner as soon as the city firework display commences across the bridge. This will be The Mission Mountain Wood Band’s first concert on their summer tour. M2WB, as the Mission Mountain Wood Band is commonly referred to by fans, came to national prominence in the ‘70s, and is made up of members Rob Quist, Steve Riddle, Greg Reichenberg and Tim Ryan, with special appearances by Dave Griffith and Mike Ulvila.
They are known for their legendary live performances with the Grateful Dead, Michael Martin Murphey, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Jimmy Buffet, Merle Haggard and Charlie Daniels to name a few. They are also known for film documentaries including Never Long Gone: the Mission Mountain Wood Band Story, and an award winning documentary on the band, produced by KUSM/Montana PBS that won two Emmy awards. They have also appeared in Esquire Magazine, the Montana Quarterly Magazine, and on the cover of the Missoulian Entertainer. Their CDs include “In Without Knocking,” “Private Stash: The Collector’s Edition,” as well as their recently released “Reboot.”
M2WB has been headlined across the country, and appeared on national television programs NBC’s Country Comes to New York, ABC’s Cheryl Ladd Special, and Hee Haw Reno PM Magazine.
It has been a long-time dream of Dennis and Nila Anderson of Anderson Broadcasting, together with original members of the band, to work through all the complications of an off-shore concert on Flathead Lake on such a spectacular holiday in the summer in the Mission Valley.
“We want to do something really special in such a special place ... and the planets lined up and we are at the center of the universe on the 4th of July," Dennis Anderson quipped.
Before the main event, there will be live music in the park, beginning with Montana Dark Horse Band at 1 p.m., followed by Off in the Woods at 4 p.m., and Mission Mountain Wood Band to begin at 8 p.m. Performing new songs not yet released until now, they will also include some of their greatest hits like “Sweet Maria,” “Take a Whiff on Me,” “Mountain Standard Time,” “Never Far From Home” and many others, some of them charting on Billboard’s Top 100 songs. Their brand new CD will be available for purchase at the event. The event itself will also be filmed by a four-camera team for a DVD by David King Productions. King has worked with Disney, Universal Studios and 20th Century Fox and will provide aerial shots of the band and venue from a drone helicopter. The film project is funded by the Greater Polson Community Foundation to promote the community. The DVD, aptly titled “M2WB Barges In,” will be available for pre-sale at the show.
Food and beverage concessions from the Finley Point Grill will be available beginning at 1 p.m. and throughout the event. Raffle tickets will also be sold for an autographed guitar by the band. Parking will be available in the parking lots of Linderman School, Cherry Valley School, and the post office. Larger truck and trailer parking will be available at the Polson Sports Complex, on the grounds near Cherry Valley Elementary School. A CSKT shuttle bus will travel between these locations every 15 minutes.
Presented by Anderson Broadcasting, major sponsors also include Best Western KwaTaqNuk, Montana Ace, St. Luke Community Healthcare, NAPA Auto Parts, Bud Light, Don Aadsen Ford, CSKT Flathead Transit, Finley Point Grill, and McCrumb Construction and Marine. The City of Polson, Lake County, the State, Tribe and many other citizens, donors and other sponsors all cooperated in making this event possible.
