We Need More Good Rock Shows In Montana

One of the hardest things about growing up in Montana was the lack of entertainment. As a fan of metal and metal-related rock music, the entertainment was even more difficult to find. We had a few local bands who played at tiny venues in the area. We got lucky in the early 2000s when Warped Tour added Montana to their list of stops.

As rough as it was back then, those small-town shows were a lot of fun to attend. Now it seems like the local bands have disappeared entirely.

There have been a few really great shows in Billings lately. Last night was one such show. The band Beartooth is headlining a tour with the bands Currents, Boundaries, and Nevertel.

Nevertel opened with a modernized Linkin Park sound, rap mixed with screaming. This band from Florida was really great. An absolute pleasure to listen to.

Boundaries wasn't really my style. I thought their sound was muddy and needed to be cleaned up. A little clarity goes a long way.

I will admit, I was surprised by the number of Currents fans in attendance. There were some hardcore followers of the band who sang along with every song. I had never heard of them before, but they did a great job. They combined deep growling with clear melodies, and I thought it was just right.

Then came Beartooth. What a show. They had incredible crowd engagement with energy to spare. The lead singer had nearly as many outfit changes as Taylor Swift, which was a great source of entertainment. They played a mix of their older, heavier metal songs and their new album. Beartooth's newest album, "The Surface" has a more melodic, hopeful sound than their past music.

Overall, it was a wonderful evening, and I wish there was more opportunity to go to shows like this in Montana.

On that note, I can't wait to go to When We Were Young in Las Vegas this fall.