Things to do in Missoula: Shoegaze country at the ZACC, colorful art at MAM (2024)

Here’s a quick guide to some upcoming arts and cultural events happening around Missoula in the week ahead.

Color is key at the MAM

(Thursday, May 23)

Cid Wolstein, a painter who was born in Montana, lived and worked out of Seattle and Paris and has since returned home, is showing a total of 47 “New Works” that fill the Aresty Gallery with intense amounts of color.

Her pieces rely on a personally devised combination of drawing, painting, geometric design, text and collage, exhibited in handmade frames (also painted). By trade, Wolstein is a house painter and uses "miss mixes" from hardware stores, sometimes labeling the colors in charts within the pieces.

At the reception, there will be music by the Bill Kautz Trio.

Details: Opening is 5-7 p.m., free and open to the public. The show is on view through Aug. 24.

Poetry reading by David E. Thomas

(Thursday, May 23)

The Missoula poet, who's been afixture of the literary fabric here for decades, is holding a reading and signing for a new collection, "Railroad Gravel: Selected Poems, 1975-2022," out on FootHills Publishing.

Details: 7 p.m. Fact and Fiction, free and open to the public.

Walking Corpse Syndrome farewell shows

(Friday-Saturday, May 24-25)

The Missoula death metal group, which dates all the way back to 2006, a feat of longevity for a band in a college town, is holding two final shows before retiring.

According to an essay-length Facebook post by co-founder Matthew Bile titled, “The Dead Must Die,” he says the group has had “1 violinist, 2 drummers, 3 guitarists, 3 keyboardists, 6 vocalists, and 7 bassists” during its run, and shared bills with groups like Soulfly, Lord Dying, Anthrax and other heavy hitters.

Songs from a new album are out on streaming. Head to one of the shows to see them off not with a whimper but a blast beat.

Details:

Head off into shoegaze country

(Friday, May 24)

Two bands carrying the banner for a relatively obscure style of loud guitar rock with high melodic content to match the volume are stopping by Missoula.

A band called Wednesday from Asheville, North Carolina, looks back to 1990s grunge and shoegaze, with cathartic "loud-quiet-loud" songs, where noisy guitars squelch along with strong melodies. In contrast to the genre's usual Anglophile sound, they also cite country as an influence. Their 2023 album, “Rat Saw God,” was on NPR’s albums of the year list and they came back for a Tiny Desk Concert last month.

Their opener is Los Angeles shoegaze group Draag, whose name has an extra vowel for emphasis, like a guitar note or vocal run through a delay pedal so it goes on longer than you expect. They have finely calibrated synths in the mix to balance the six strings.

Details: ZACC Show Room. Doors at 7 p.m., show at 8. $18 in advance, $22 day of, all ages.

Quick hits

MisCon is upon us: If you see anyone walking around in costumes downtown, it's probably because the annual fantasy/sci-fi convention is back from May 24-27 at the Holiday Inn Downtown. Check out the schedule of panels, signings and more at miscon.org.

'Cuisine de la 'Pocalypse': A post-apocalyptic movie shot here in the area with Kevin Sorbo, Natasha Leggero and many locals is doing a red-carpet premiere at the Wilma on Thursday, May 23. Head to logjampresents for tickets or more information.

Timber Rattlers at Free Cycles:The Missoula bluegrass band hits the bike shop stage for two sets on Saturday, May 25. Doors at 6:30 p.m., show 7-10 p.m. $10, all ages, no one turned away for lack of funds.

Word Dog open mic: Hear poetry, stories and more at the community open mic series. 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, May 28, Roxy Theater.