Although the beatific organizers of Daisy Chain Fest wouldn’t be caught dead describing their own efforts in such grandiose terms, the annual rock’n’roll bacchanalia has proven to be much more than a terrific roundup of local and regional artists: it’s an expertly curated, maximalist, much-needed shot of adrenaline to Missoula’s system — vital proof that the city’s DIY heart is still beating strong, even as artists struggle to make it a sustainable home.
Now in its fourth year, the festival runs this Thursday through Sunday. Over the course of four days, nearly 30 acts from Missoula and beyond will grace three stages: Monk’s, the ZACC and (for the first time for the festival) Free Cycles. Some of them — like Billings’ tongue-in-cheek punk maestros Bull Market and the brilliant garage rockers Idaho Green — are alums, while many others will make their festival debut. This year, Portland, Oregon, will be particularly well-represented, with sets from the Macks, How Strange It Is, NONBINARY GIRLFRIEND and more.
This year’s festival finds the ambitious Daisy Chain Arts Collective, which is now operating as a nonprofit, continuing to expand its gravitational pull. Co-founders Dónal Lakatua and Colin Merrick received more than 200 artist applications for the festival — a new record — and the festival has drawn roughly 40 volunteers into its tattooed, merry ranks. Not that we should be surprised: Daisy Chain has been building momentum since 2023, when its inaugural festival (then called Power Strip) took over the American Legion for a sweaty, cacophonous and chaotic weekend; an algorithm-free, mosh-friendly party turned up to 11. Since then, in addition to their marquee festival, the crew has put together events like last month’s All Ears at Caras Park, all while curating regular concerts at venues around town, including the now-defunct VFW.
“The whole point of this kind of stuff is to have it be a place where people are going to enjoy the music, not to get super fucked up and talk in the back of the room over the bands.”
Yet even as they’ve honed their production and curation chops, Daisy Chain retains a refreshing grassroots scrapiness. This is a crew that wants you to go wild and savor the weird, not sell you a $15 White Claw. The target audience? Anyone who wants to engage with the music.
“The whole point of this kind of stuff is to have it be a place where people are going to enjoy the music, not to get super fucked up and talk in the back of the room over the bands,” Lakatua told us. “That’s also why I’m so stoked that Free Cycles is a part of this, because I feel like that’s the space where that exists in its truest form,” he added.
In advance of Thursday’s kick-off show at Free Cycles, we are highlighting some of the many spectacular bands that Daisy Chain has booked for the weekend. Some are from Missoula, others aren’t. Running a wide gamut of musical styles, they all embody what’s so thrilling and unique about Daisy Chain Fest.
Sand Duney
The project of Missoula-based songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jess Jones, Sand Duney dishes up hook-filled, surf-indebted indie rock framed through the lens of Jones’ other passions: landscape design and sustainable gardening. Sand Duney’s debut LP, Plant Material, drops on Sept. 4, co-released by Montana’s own Anything Bagel Records. The playful lead single “Saw You in the Roses” chugs along, driven by angular guitar riffs and Jones’ airy melodies, while the down-tempo “Jacaranda” takes a more tender approach, complete with gorgeous slide guitar licks. Fresh off a performance at last month’s Woodtick Festival, you can catch Sand Duney Thursday at Free Cycles — the very first act of the festival! — for an early taste of their terrific record.
The Macks
Combining the frenetic punk mania of Osees with early Stones rock sensibilities, the Portland five-piece will headline the ZACC on Saturday night. Hats off to Daisy Chain for the savvy booking: the Macks made waves on an epic tour of Europe this winter, and they don’t show any signs of slowing down anytime soon. For the uninitiated, check out the feral energy of “Family Ties” or “I Just Surfaced;” the group’s new album, Bonanza, widens their palette, getting slinkier and embracing synths on tracks like “Dually of Man.” Oh, and be sure to watch out for any frontmen hanging out in unexpected places.
Sam Gelband
I first caught New Orleans’ Sam Gelband (who is also the frontman of the jangly, retro band Mr. Sam & The People People) when he played a solo set at a Daisy Chain backyard show years ago. It was a magical moment — armed with his heartworn voice and terrific melodies, he managed the impressive feat of captivating a chatty afternoon crowd. His new album under his own name, That’s All, is similarly magnetic: sparse, plaintive songs that bring to mind the prolific craftsman Cass McCombs. Be sure not to miss his Sunday afternoon set at Free Cycles. It wouldn’t hurt to bring a box of tissues, either.
How Strange It is
If the zany, kinda-hilarious-kinda-creepy video for HSIS’ new single “Slime” is any indication, anyone who catches the band’s Saturday set at the ZACC is in for a wild ride. The Portland quintet have already proven themselves to be particularly adept at balancing hook-driven rock with Sonic Youth-style dissonance, like on 2023’s In the Light of the Blistering Moon. Yet “Slime,” the explosive lead single from their forthcoming third album, There is No Evil, captures a big leap forward for the band: full of hairpin turns, it’s exceedingly fun, brainy and punches harder than Greg Gianforte in a gaggle of MSNBC reporters.
Les Duck
There are many adjectives one could employ to describe the bands playing Daisy Chain Fest, but “chill” isn’t exactly at the top of the list. Yet Les Duck — featuring members of venerable Missoula bands such as Fantasy Suite, Worst Feelings, Broken Valley Roadshow, Wrinkles and BOYS, among others — excels at channeling a vein of indie rock that’s mellow, tender and sweet. Their festival-closing set will not likely inspire much moshing, but tracks like “Head Fell Off” and “Eggs & Bacon,” from last year’s Love is the Dirt, are nothing short of delightful, threading a needle between Vampire Weekend, “Sweet Jane” and the Dead at their sunniest.
PULSE
Huntington Beach, California, may be known for its epic surfing and picture-perfect beaches, but PULSE captures another side of the city: ferocious, unrelenting punk music in the vein of Australia’s legendary Amyl & the Sniffers. Vocalist Alana Johnson is a powerhouse of DGAF energy, snarling her way through hilariously raunchy horndog anthems like “Live Fast,” while the band, which includes her sister Ava on guitar, shreds like there’s no tomorrow. Catch them Saturday night at Monk’s.
Calamity Cowboy
I’ve been in love with Calamity Cowboy ever since I heard “Mecca is Waiting,” their languid, country-tinged account of converting to Islam to appease a sweetheart, off of 2023’s Lazy Livin’. It had it all: endearingly obtuse humor, earworm hooks, excellent guitar work. The Missoula band has applied that formula to several subsequent releases, including their brand-new The CUD EP, whose opening track “Y.A.W.H.U.” features one of the most peculiar guitar tones I’ve ever heard — like crinkling dirty cellophane — and eventually morphs into a sugary sweet pop song. And then there’s “Emmy Lou” —another gorgeous tune about the sacrifices needed to make love work. No amount of quirky or opaque storytelling can mask the earnestness lurking under its surface. They play right before the Macks on Saturday at the ZACC — a most excellent double header!
Idaho Green
It’s Montana’s loss that the veteran band Idaho Green moved from Billings to Brooklyn, but fortunately for us, they make a regular appearance at Daisy Chain Fest. The band’s 2024 double album Gems of the High Plains is one for the ages: a high-octane weirdo grab bag of countless strains of rock music that evokes the eccentricities of Wowee Zowee, but with a bit more thrash. It’s no wonder Daisy Chain keeps bringing them back. See for yourself Saturday night at Monk’s.
Daisy Chain Fest runs Thu., Aug. 13 — Sun., Aug. 16 at various times @ Free Cycles, Monk’s and the ZACC. All-weekend pass $65 / $15–$20 per show. Full lineup and set times here.
