Bowie tribute concert set for Saturday

Montana Actors’ Theatre and KNMC will be hosting a one-night only event Saturday at 8 p.m., “The Concert That Never Was” a tribute concert by local bands covering the music of David Bowie, his influences and those he influenced.

The program, sponsored by Bergren Transmission, is an endeavor MAT Artistic Director Grant Olson said they undertook due to the overwhelming success of last year’s “Last Best Waltz,” an homage to “The Last Waltz” by The Band that MAT put on in November of 2021.

Olson said that was a really enjoyable experience to put on, one that drew a massive crowd on its second night and inspired them to try something similar again.

He said four groups of local musicians will be playing, some of them doing distinctly different interpretations of the famous singer’s music.

He said Corey Kopp in particular will be playing acoustic interpretations of Bowie’s music.

Olson said there are a lot of songs in Bowie’s catalog with an upbeat feel, but very poignant lyrics, so he’s interested to see how Kopp interprets them.

He said Bowie worked in a wide range of styles and drew from a number of different inspirations, going on to be an incredibly influential artist, so the music played Saturday night will feature songs from the many artists whose music he inspired and whose music inspired him.

“It’s going to be a really eclectic evening,” he said. “... It’s very exciting.”

Olson said MAT’s new sound system makes events like this possible and they have a talented sound mixer in Chancin Solomon who can make the music sound crystal clear.

Not every song is going to “melt your face,” Olson said, but it will definitely feel like a concert setting.

The concert will be in Montana State University-Northern’s Little Theatre. Admission is $10 for adults, with a student/senior/military price of $8, and free for Northern students with a valid university ID.