12.

2012

crew
Bryce Turcotte} ----- executive editor Wayne Wilcox } -------------------------------------chief financial officer Tylan Jones

} ----- account executive

James dean hickman }-----Managing editor anna paige peter tolton Danielle Mccracken zach Duval

} }

----------------- contributing editors

----------------- copy editors

bryce turcotte addam john ostlund david lee hall

Jody P Dirt bryce turcotte Benjamin cooper

}---

}---

graphic designers

anna paige senior writer peter tolton james dean hickman hannah r jacobsen kayla carranco jody p dirt aka jodie tenicin smith isaac guilford david hickman douglas oltrogge courtney donovan kate olp travis hunt lissa laroche

PHOTOGRAPHERS

---

writers

contact
phone 406.647.0655 email info@noiseandcolormag.com www.noiseandcolormag.com

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no shave november beer we wish we had fashion:coats friendsgiving jim heurtas The horde steve brown video games live franz nicolay cursive wet ink festival rimrock brewers delectable disquite
comedian cop

bikers with a cause

no shave november

am a bearded American. And No Shave Movember (or November as its also known) is our holiday. A time to reflect on all things beard. Mustaches, goat ees, 5 oclock shadows, soul patches, and side burns. I was going to write a entire piece on the history of this glorious month. But I suck at writing. So instead, to show my bearded pride, I took some photos of some of my facial haired brothers. Some old friends, and some new. Also check out page 32 for another sweet mustache. I met the cowboy in the bottom corner on the sidewalk outside the studio. And I think we scared a bearded homeless man when we asked him to come get his photo taken. I have included a mustache cut out on the next page for those who are less fortunate. Enjoy responsibly. - Bryce
photos by bryce Turcotte

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by christina evans photos by bryce turcotte Tasters: Lauren, Craig, Jake, and Eric

W
A what?

e cant get that here. Sadly, I have grown accustomed to hearing that response when ordering beer. Since moving to Montana from Oklahoma in October 2011, Ive had to not only tailor my tolerance to cold, dry weather, but also face the rude awakening that many pleasantries I enjoyed in the Sooner state are not readily available in my new home. Chipotle Mexican Grill, large concert venues, Power Conference football games (BOOMER!) all reduced to fond memories of my co-ed past. But it was a trade I was willing to make to enjoy a new life and promising opportunity in Billings, Montana. Willing, that is, until I frequented my first bar. May I get a Boulevard Wheat?

eries and 2700+ beers on tap even the most pertinacious non-beer drinker can find something worth lauding over. Earlier this year, I somehow convinced my boyfriend to attend this all-you-can-taste event. In the process of hyping up the experience, we realized how many delicious beers are not available in Billings. Imagine if, one day, all licensing restrictions are lifted and the shelves are stocked with Russian River, Dogfish Head, Yuengling, Three Floyds, and Kettlehouse. My brewtopia was a reality for a couple of days during our time in Denver. Sadly, as most good things will and do come to an end I was left with sanguine thoughts of next years festival. But somewhere in that crowded, raucous convention center, between sips of Coop F5-IPA and Rocky Mountain Oyster Stout (yes, made from EXACTLY what you think) we agreed we would bring beer across state lines and introduce them to our friends in Big Sky Country. An activity nearly as exciting as the festival, the drive back to Montana with our stash was intoxicating, though not literally. Like modern day renditions of old Chicago rum-runners, minus the illegal soliciting activity, we brought what we thought was a decent selection of quality crafts. Nearing Fort Collins, our last-minute stop for beer and Chipotle (!), I felt disgustingly satisfied with myself for owning an SUV because I fully intended on loading it to the gills with beer. Side note: We visited 2 stores in Fort Collins, the second choice being a nondescript liquor store about a mile off Interstate 25. At checkout on the cashiers counter rested 2 bottles of Red State and Blue State Whiskey. Its all the same whiskey, the cashier said. How cleverly symbolic, I replied. From the cache of beers we smuggled, six were chosen for this article. How difficult was it to acquire tasters? About as difficult as losing all of your Tour de France titles. Not very In the dimly lit back room of Billings Homebrewery Supply, four beer enthusiasts congregated. Craig, the proprietor of the shop, his friend Eric, Jake Holshue, the President of the Rimrock Brewers Guild, and Lauren, a plucky beer enthusiast. These people know their stuff, but please do not take their criticism as a lodestar for each particular beer. If you can find any of these beers, give them a try. We would love to see them all available around these parts.

A Boulevard WHEAT. I detected the bartenders puzzled annoyance with my question. I never once expected something so ubiquitous in Oklahoma as Boulevard Wheat to be non-existent elsewhere in the country, much less Montana. Over the next couple of months, I learned a large majority of the beer I enjoyed in the Midwest and throughout my travels were nowhere to be found in my new home. But before I expound upon this subject, I must give credit where credit is due. The local breweries do a surprisingly fantastic job at supplying this state with quality, delectable ales. Montana did not clinch the #3 spot for State with Most Breweries per capita by filling their growlers with swill. It is a rightfully deserved position and Montanans love their local craft brews. That said, finding myself in the state that I am in (pun intended), I had to find other means of satisfying my penchant for rare and unique ales. The 2012 Great American Beer Festival (GABF) celebrated annually at the Denver Convention Center was an obvious choice. Considered by some the Mecca for all things beer, the GABF is indeed nothing short of a religious experience. If you love beer and are sick of the local fare, the GABF is the treatment youve been looking for, boasting 500+ brew-

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Dogfish Head 90 min IPA Dogfish Head Brewing Company

Delaware Imperial India Pale Ale 9% ABV Eric: Cloudy, bready and toasty flavors Jake: Zen Craig: Crisp and light Lauren: Like it as an IPA because its mellow and much easier to drink a whole bottle.

Deconstruction Odell Brewing Company

Colorado American Wild Ale (Fermented with wild yeast) 10.5% Craig: Oaky, acidity cuts through sweetness. Lauren: Sweet, good with sweet cream. Another good beer for non-beer drinkers Eric: Lots of oak flavors, good with vanilla ice cream. Overall its good.

Hades Ale Great Divide Brewing Company

Colorado Belgian Strong Pale Ale 7.8% Craig: A Classic Belgian blondecrisp, clean, little fruity flavor. My favorite beer so far. Massive flavor and very complex. Eric: Ultra smooth all around, from start to finish. Lauren: WHOA! I normally dont like Belgians but I like this! Tastes like Dimetapp Jake: Belgian funky!

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Firestone Union Jack Walker Brewing Company

Eric: HUGE grapefruit flavor. Fresh, clean, light, and well-balanced Craig: Like fresh cut grass, light for 7.5% alcohol. Jake: Pinnacle of IPA-ness. Not over-powering. If an onion had balls Lauren: Dont let it hit the back of your throat for too long, youll start coughing.

California American IPA 7.5% ABV

Cold Smoke Scotch Ale Kettlehouse Brewery

Jake: Peaty but not slapping you in the face with it. Sweet and delicious. Craig: Hints of coffee, caramel, and toffee. Very clean. Lauren: One would really have to like the flavor of beer to enjoy this. Eric: (before tasting) Hands down the best beer in the bunch. Taste of roasted peanuts. Not at all dry, very smooth. (Savors for much longer than necessary).

Missoula MT 6.5% ABV

Breckenridge Vanilla Porter Breckenridge Brewery

Colorado American Porter 4.7% ABV Lauren: Very vanilla-flavored and good for a non-beer lover. Very smooth and might go well with ice cream. My mom would love it. Jake: Not overly bitter Eric: Pleasant merlot color, ultra smooth with no bite. Craig: Pair with chocolate cake. Reminiscent of a malted milkshake with a hint of roast in the finish.

by Isaac Guilford photos by Benjamin Cooper

think we can all agree that its high time for coats and all the warm clothing that comes with the changing season. This coat season the fashion world is nearly split between throwback leathers (think bikers/bombers with a chic fashion twist) and the sharp appearance of the gentlemans pea coat. These looks dominate the fashion industry while being tried-and-true standards of fashion. Bottega, Marcasa, and other downtown boutiques are stocked with fall fashion and warm weather garb.

The featured womens coats are from Bottega Clothing, and the selected mens coats came from Marcasa Clothing. This month, its time to get your pea coat on! The chic English standard is again an instant classic, giving the allure of an oxford bloke. Theres an array of colors to select, but black remains timeless. Women, as always, have many more color choices and should be excited to rock the pea coat in a plethora of colors from sexy to staunch. Now, for the inner badass If you feel like you just havent lived on the wild side enough, or if you are a balls-out badass, mindful of style, biker-style leather is back in a big way. It may be too cold to rock a motorcycle, but its not too cold to rock James Dean-styled leather coats. Leathers dominated the New York fashion scene and theyre perfect for a fashion-forward individual with a latent desire to smash a car window with a logging chain. Sons of Anarchy or Downton Abby? The choice is yours, though you can do both from one night to the next and no one will think worse of you. As long as the logging chain stays inside and you dont refer to yourself as a Duke, these looks are sure to turn some heads.

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Doma leather Yumi embossed black and gold top Henry & Belle ginger supper skinny (courtesy of Bottega)

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Howe Hellz Bellz leather jacket AG denim jeans (courtesy of Marcasa)

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Yumi Taylor Pea coat (courtesy of Bottega)

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Howe Rose Royce peacoat AG denim jeans Life After Denim plaid button up Scotch & Soda bow tie (courtesy of Marcasa)

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perfect pumpkin pie

A traditional Pumpkin Pie with homemade, not store-bought crust! Crust: 2 1/2c All-Purpose flour 1t salt 1t sugar 1c unsalted butter, cut into cubes 1/4 - 1/2 cup water In a medium sized bowl, whisk together AP flour, salt, and sugar. Add cubes of butter and rub into flour mixture until its fully incorporated and mealy. Add enough water to form a dough but not so much that it is sticky. Wrap dough and chill until firm. This makes it easy to roll out. When chilled, roll out into an even circle to fit a 9-10 pie pan and place in pan. Crimp your edges. Bake for about 15 minutes at 375 degrees until edges lightly brown. Let crust cool. Pumpkin Pie filling: 1 can or 15 oz of Pumpkin puree 3/4c packed light brown sugar 1T cornstarch 1/2t coarse salt (I used kosher) 3/4t ground cinnamon (I always use more) 3/4t ground ginger 1/4t freshly grated nutmeg 1t vanilla extract 3 large eggs 1 can (12oz) evaporated milk I always add maybe around 1/4c maple syrup as well. Whisk together pumpkin puree, brown sugar, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, vanilla, eggs and maple syrup until fully incorporated. Pour into prepared pie crust and bake for 45-55 minutes at 325 degrees.

asparagus

1) Clean and trim asparagus 2) Preheat oven to 450 degrees 3) Place a teaspoon of brie on the stalk of 3-5 asparagus 4) Wrap a slice of prosciutto around the 3-5 stalks over the brie leaving the tops exposed. 5) Sprinkle with ground pepper and thyme 6) Bake for 15 minutes

Green eggs and ham

hard boiled eggs avocado goat cheese mayo mustard BACON!

Grandma's Turkey Stuffing

1 cup butter 2 cups chopped onion 2 cups celery 30 sliced day-old dried bread, broken to bits 1 tbs. salt 1 tbs. pepper 2. tbs poultry seasoning 2 tbs. chopped parsley 2 cups broth

Jalapeno poppers

Grab as many poppers as you grab bacon. Try to use thinner sliced bacon to cut down on cook time. Cut the tops off the japs, cut them in half, and clean out the seeds. Leave some seeds if you want it a little more spicey. Fill the cut in half japs with cream cheese. Cut the entire package of bacon in half. Wrap half a piece of bacon around each jap half. Place on a pan with tin foil to catch all the grease. Put it in the oven at 350 for about 20 min on the middle rack. Then move to the top rack and turn up the heat to 425 for another 5-7 minutes so the bacon gets crispy.

Cook onion and celery in butter till soft. Blend seasonings with bread. Add fat mixture and blend. Pour brother over mixture stirring lightly. Stuff turkey and bake.

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Homemade cranberries Bacon Turkey

Prepared a 16 pound turkey placed in a special brine for 2 days to soak. Then rub olive oil salt and pepper and as much brown sugar on the turkey as it will hold (no skimping!) then place pepper bacon on every exposed part of the turkey ( very important to cover everything!) and pin it with toothpicks and place more brown sugar over the bacon.

Roasted roots
8 carrots, peeled and chopped 4 parsnips, peeled and chopped 5 red potatoes, peeled and rough chopped or 8-10 fingerling potatoes, peeled 2 celery roots, peeled and diced 1 1/2 tsp onion powder or granulated onion 4-5 cloves of garlic, peeled and rough chopped 3 sprigs of fresh rosemary 1/4 cup minced parsley Coarse sea salt Freshly ground black pepper Extra-virgin olive oil Truffle oil

-one 12 ounce bag of cranberries washed -one cup of sugar ( I mixed agave nectar and fructose granules) -one cup of water. -boil sugar and water - add cranberries and turn heat down to medium - allow to mixture to cook down and create jelly like consistency - remove from heat and allow to cool for about 20 minutes before putting in fridge - can make the day before serving

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place all vegetables, minus garlic, into a casserole dish or roasting pan. Toss with a generous dose of olive oil and herbs. Season with salt and pepper. Spread vegetables evenly in casserole dish, assuring theyre evenly coated with oil and seasoning. Place casserole dish in the oven for 15 minutes. After fifteen minutes roasting, add the garlic and onion powder. Return dish to oven and cook for an additional 30-45 minutes until golden brown, stirring every 10-15 minutes. Once out of the oven, drizzle lightly with truffle oil and serve hot.

olives
candy turkeys
oroeos candy corn whoppers mini reeses peanut butter cups

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Imagine this: Someone calls 911. A physical fight between a wife and husband has broken out and the wife is screaming for her life. A cop responds to the call and takes the husband into custody. With the suspect detained at the department, he gets a call from a man standing on a bridge who wants to jump. The officer spends over an hour talking the man through his temporary crisis and eventually convinces him to agree to a trip to the hospital. Later, on his way back to the detention center, he gets another call, this time to respond to a mother who doesnt know CPR whose baby is choking . Back on the road after saving another life, he pulls over one of Montanas many DUI drivers for speeding. However, this stop is DUI-Drugs, and the driver is in possession of illegal substances with the intent to distribute. Finally off duty for the evening, hes headed to Bones Brewing to compete in a comedy competition. Welcome to a day in the life of cop-cum-comedian Jim Huertas. After about a dozen jobs between California, Alaska, and overseas, Jim is now settled in Laurel, Montana, working as a city cop and using comedy to unwind from the day-to-day stress that comes with his day-job. Jim grew up in Los Angeles, California and has been on his own since he was 16 years old. As he grew up on the streets of LA, his mentality for survival was, and still is, make success your only option. He eventually saved enough money to have his own apartment, and he was able to maintain a 3.5 GPA. An outspoken personality, he was immediately drawn to drama and comedy. With an outgoing personality in high school, he was immediately drawn to drama classes, where a teacher asked him to perform stand-up comedy for a group of cafeteria workers. Hes egocentric, has a pretty decent wit, and loves to be the center of attention, and relished the chance to make fun of a bunch of lunch ladies with hairy moles on their faces. He admits that while he doesnt have serious comedic goals as an adult, his goal in high school was to audition for Saturday Night Live. Life became more serious after he had children, and Jim chose the mature road of getting a stable job and making money over the starving-artist lifestyle of pursuing comedy. Hes started businesses, such as Crytech, from the ground up, hes traveled the oceans as a fisherman, and he has never-ending ideas

as an entrepreneur. Now, working as a police officer, he finds solace in comedy and being a father of three. A daughter and two sons. Jim has been working for the Laurel Police Department for six years, and he loves it. He is also a parent and tries to teach his children acceptance and that nobody plays the victim. The family is very sarcastic with one another, and they find humor in almost every situation good or bad. While Jim might bring work to his comedy, as a police officer its important for him to leave his personal life at the door. Allowing the drama of raising teen children, having an argument, or just having a tough day to distract him at work could have disastrous consequences both for Jim and the people he serves. Response determines result, he said. As intense as the hypothetical situations described in the above introduction may seem, its a typical day for him. Some days are worse no call is ever the same, and the outcomes arent always favorable. Any person doing Jims job would need a way to unwind. People cope with tragedy in very different ways, Jim says. He uses his grandmothers funeral as an example to help visualize how cops and civilians are the same on the inside. While one aunt cried over the loss of her sister, his grandfather stood in the background complaining about the old furniture. Like humans anywhere, Jims coping mechanism is comedy. He has performed on numerous occasions with Lukas Seely Presents and through his side project The Joke Straps. Most recently, he competed in the Big Sky International Comedy Competition. Anyone who has seen him perform is familiar with his unique on-stage persona: The Funny Cop. This character allows him a sort of catharsis a funny way to deal with the aggravations and stresses of his career. I always find Jim funny, but he can sometimes come off a bit angry or moody. Those performances might be the effort of a man who had a difficult day at work but still tries to find the humor in every situation good or bad. At the end of the day, Jim is an average person who is easy to relate to, so be on the lookout for his next performances. And if youre a victim of a speeding ticket or traffic violation, and you see him out and about, make sure to let him know you didnt deserve it.

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by james hickman photo by Bryce Turcotte

he Horde is not the kind of Motorcycle Club you see characterized on TV and Movies. They arent the gunrunning, drug dealing, party-all-night sort, Despite this, you still would not want to be on the Hordes bad-side, Like any group of real friends, loyalty is strong and if you have a problem with one, well, you have a problem with them all. But dont let this scare you. The members of the Horde are disciplined, community-focused individuals. This is mostly due to members of The Horde being largely ex-military and hardworking blue-collar types, the kind of folk that are used to more structured social circles, more brothers then mere friends. A lot of their time is spent dealing with the fact that people just assume they are outlaws. Too much time, said the leader of the local clan, Ken LT Hall. No matter what sort of positive difference we make locally, there are still people still think we are no good and misinterpret what we do. The stigma of the leather bound nogoodnik is tough to shake; even when they teamed up with the non-profit Heart Hugs for a charity car wash to raise money for local kids with congenital heart problems they still got odd glances from passersby. Future projects include making a regular youth concert for local 12-17 year olds. Long term the boys in The Horde want to establish a community center for local teens. There is just nothing to do around here for them except get into trouble. said Hall. Hall is an intense and charismatic man that doesnt like to mince words. He is one of 12 sailors and 2 marines that founded the MC club in San Diego April of 82. After getting out of the navy in 1995, Hall came to Billings to start a new clan. Unlike most Motorcycle Clubs that are broken up into local chapters, each with their own president and officers, The Horde is essentially is one big chapter with a president who is in charge of the lower 48 states. the US are split into 5 sections, each with a vice-president in charge of that sections affairs and business. Under each vice president there can be many clans. Each clan functions on its own. As military men, we needed something that was similar to military life that we could transition into. If you think about it, there are not a lot of options for that, so a lot of guys just turn to booze. Not to say the Horde doesnt like to drink, but they dont want to be the types who live at the bottom of a bottle. Riding motorcycles proved more fulfilling than simple drinking culture. Living in the military often means living without your family. As such, the club quickly became more than just riding, it became family. We had to take care of each other. All the sudden, my honey is cooking thanksgiving for 14-15 guys missing home. For the Horde, then and now, all they often have is the guy next to them. Nowadays, being out of the military and with new nonmilitary members, the sense of family is even stronger and the sense of brotherhood remains. The Horde never forgot that building family is core to their organization. Nowadays, during Christmas, they find families that need a little extra help. They buy a big Christmas dinner, a tree, and presents, leave it on the families doorstep, ring the doorbell, and run. We are not interested in bringing fear to the neighbors, Hall said. The Horde is heavily involved with the local music scene. They provide their services as security and bouncers to local bands and promoters for a low cost. When working security, they approach problems with respect and discipline and rarely have to put their hands on concert goers. They also have some big plans for the music scene here in Billings. The Horde reminds us of the all too familiar aphorism, Never judge a book by its cover. The Horde arent the bad apple type but there not sweet either there the perfect combination of badass and beneficent, but most of all the word that sums them up the best is brothers.

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teve Brown sat at the bar in the Yellowstone Valley Brewing Company, huddled over a year-old copy of The Billings Outpost, reviewing last years nomination page for the Tuney Awards. He was surrounded by a consortium of passionate, like-minded individuals engaged in planning this years awards. A.J. Ostlund, from I90 Design Studio, sat working on logos and promos for the event, effectively creating an identifiable and unique branding for the ceremony. In turn, the branding and logos will help Bryant Mettler solicit sponsorships from local businesses. James Hickman, my editor, scratched madly at a notepad, trying to keep track of the ideas springing up from around the bar. Juliet Parks and Rick Bakko have offered their support with staging and coordination of the event. George Moncure, who has shouldered much of the weight of the event in recent years, worked his way to the table, carrying five pints of beer in a balancing act.

of a thousand projects, Steve has decided to take the reins of Billings longstanding award ceremony for community artists. Okay, so, youre changing the name, but you can call the pigs princes all you want. What are you actually changing about The Magic City Music Awards? My question hovered for a second before Steves eyes lit up. For one thing, he said, Were getting rid of the concept of Best of. Do you know what I mean, like Best Country and Western Band, or Best Metal Band. Its like this, man: There could be, for example, the all-time best punk band in Billings, ever, but they havent produced an album or played a show, or really been part of the growing and developing scene for a year or more. Now, sure, theyre the best, but are they playing? Are they growing as a band? Are they influencing the scene here in Billings in any other way? I mean, are they moving ahead? I see your point, I said. So instead of the concept of the best, to promote growth and change were going to go with of the year. You know, like Folk Act of the Year, or Punk Group of the Year. That way, it has the connotation of a band or an individual actively engaged in the scene in the past year.

George, the gregarious and ever-present owner of the YVBC, offered words of encouragement: Anything you need, Steve, anything I have, is at your disposal.. Steve nodded his head and flashed a smile of appreciation in Georges direction as the brewery owner dropped off the pints. First and foremost, were renaming the whole thing. Its The Magic City Music Awards. Im trying to broaden the scope a little, make it more inclusive, Steve Brown explains. Inclusive is a word easily hung on Mr. Brown. He has been a a catalyst of inclusiveness in Billings and elsewhere for years. He contributes to countless bands and performances, lending his voice, ideas, and passion to music projects including The Steve Brown Band, Tyler Burnett Band, Sons of Billings, the Peach Pickers, Goose, Roller Coaster Thompson, and most recently, Reconnaissance. Steve has proven himself a constant figure at open mic sessions throughout Billings, filling slots at Bones, Mannys, YVBC, The Railyard, and any other business willing to open its doors to Billings musicians. Steve has sat as a judge for the burgeoning slam poetry scene in Billings. He promotes live music downtown with this annual Montana After Dark concert series. He has taken to the stage in Venture Theatres production of Hank Williams: Lost Highway, where he fittingly portrayed Hank Williams. Steve has worked to expand the reach of the Billings ArtWalk by showing his work and getting more businesses, like Guidos, involved in displaying art and becoming active participants. It is only fitting that now, in the midst

Before I can breathe, Steve is on to his next point.

The other thing is were going to put in some, you know, term limits. We dont want the same band winning every year, over and over again. Nobody is going to deny it, ENDever is the best metal group to come out of Billings, and no one can take that away from them. But, if year-in and year-out, they win the only award, the only form of public accolades outside of a screaming crowd, what does that do to promote or encourage other bands? Not a lot. So were going to spread the love around. We want to feature a different band winning an award every year. Thats not to say that ENDever can only win once, but they arent going to win every year consecutively. Im not trying to manipulate or burden the scene with my

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ideas. Im trying to throw the shackles off of the scene that already exists. You know, free it. Im trying to free The Tuneys to rise to its potential as the The Magic City Music Awards. Dear Lord, are you sure. You could be setting an identityless Frankenstein loose. You have to help shape it, and hold its hand the entire way, I say, half joking. No, Doug if it is Frankenstein, then it is our Frankenstein; it was what we have at this exact spot. My goal isnt to upturn the forest to plant trees -- its to work with what weve got and to help it mature in tune with itself, not my ideals. If it is Frankenstein, then my goal is to help Frankenstein sing like an angel, not by force, but by example. This whole idea goes far beyond The Magic City Music Awards, this is my work within the artistic community of Billings as a whole. The awards show is just the bow tie on the beast, but I am truly concerned and entirely invested in it all, body and soul. Ok, I said. Steves passion showed, his face flushed and hands moved with force equal to his words. Then, at least your goal isnt to turn the scene loose but to help it to its feet, help it to walk, and then with time dance. Steve threw his head back and laughed, his hands shoved deep into his pockets, his newsboy cap pulled low to his eyebrows. I let the image of Frankenstein, now gone wild, sink in fully. I get lost in the parallels between nearly-forgotten Mel Brooks pastiches and the Billings art scene expressed in abstract, gothic terms. Ultimately, it fits. The Billings music scene is a beast pieced together from countless other things: the ragged torso of Country & Western stitched to the banged and bandaged head of Heavy Metal, precariously standing on the kicking and jumping legs of a well-rooted punk scene, with sewn-on arms of Jazz and Folk bearing the calloused and picked-dry hands of Bluegrass -- all fueled by the sinister heart of Rock and Roll. At the center of this image I see Steve Brown beating the beasts chest, screaming at the top of his lungs, Live, damn you! Live! And live it will if determination has anything to do with it. Steve, these are good changes, and I totally dig what youre aiming at. But what are some other changes, more substantive ones? What can I tell the reader you are doing to make these broader, philosophical changes resonate in the physical representation of the thing? I am going to eliminate as much potential for cheating as I can. He answers with his most serious look of the night. Is cheating a problem? Honest to gods truth, as a musician on the scene, Ive heard from other musicians, even winners, that there has been a long-running culture of cheating. Stuffing the ballot box with photocopied nomination slips handed out by a band at the door. It might not be all-out cheating, but it is powerful persuasion. Were going to take nominations from the community, like always. However, as a fail-safe against cheating, the winners will be determined by a panel of nine judges who will be kept secret until the night of the awards show. I have hand-picked

the judges, and each and every one is a local expert on the music scene in their own right. There are a couple of them who have been part of the music scene for over 30 years. This is a good idea, as long as the Judges are credible, I said. I can say, with all confidence, that there isnt a person who can question the integrity of the judges weve got lined up. Im putting my own credibility on the line, and I take this very seriously. If we do this right, were going to re-instill in this humble award ceremony a sense of pride, but only by first eliminating the aspects that have lent themselves to giving it an underlying sense of shame. If it is honest and fair, it will be a point of pride. In the closing seconds of our conversation, I shoot one more question. The question is a test, and sometimes the simplest tests are the most telling. So Steve, when the dust settles, when the 2012 Magic City Music Awards are a thing of the past, how much money will you get paid for all this effort? Pay? Steve asks. I am being paid only in stress. He laughs and runs his boney guitarists hands slowly over his face. Truth be known, if somewhere somebody offered me a paycheck for this, Id turn it down. This isnt about money to me, its about lifting up the arts in Billings in a meaningful way. It is a labor of love. The Magic City Music Awards will be another test of Steves ability to pull the varied and unconnected strings of a relatively quiet but burgeoning artistic scene together, pull them together tight with the intentions of making them resonate with each other in a harmonious pitch. If he fails or falls short of his goals, so what? The truest and most insightful forms of learning come disguised as failure. It is from failure that we learn what is needed to succeed, and any failure in this first attempt will certainly be corrected in the second. However, if his attempt to unite the music scene of Billings, if for only one night, succeeds, and some foundation for a symbiotic, self-sustaining, self-promoting scene forms, that which will or can be built on top of this foundation is not a reflection of the work of Steve Brown, but rather a reflection of the Billings music scene as a whole. His goal is not to create something in his own image, but to encourage the formation of a distinct entity born from the collaboration of the community. The Magic City Music Awards is is designed for the public. It is a venue in which the audience gets a say in promoting the bands that drag them from their air conditioning on hot summer nights for Alive After 5, or the bands that happily promote the cross-town trek to Mannys on a Monday night to see local artists doing what they love.

The Magic City Music Awards will be held at YVBCs Garage Pub at 2123 First Ave North on Sunday, December 2nd beginning at 5 P.M. Steve Brown cordially invites you. Come down, get a pint, and help the town raise a glass of local beer in support of local musicians. They deserve our support.

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by travis hunt

first heard the rumblings two weeks ago that something special was coming to Billings and the noise is getting louder. My gamer friends are jittery with this, and, as is the case when anything big happens in gaming, their fervor houses a very specific sort of palpability. I heard rumors of classic video game soundtracks played live by an actual orchestra in front of massive, synchronized screens. Dazzling light shows were also mentioned and the reviews, it seems, have been tens across the board. It all sounded very exciting, so I took a moment to do some reading on this project, and it does seem that something wicked is coming this way. To Billings, people. Can you hardly stand it? Briefly, Video Games Live is a tour developed by the gaming industry in 2005 to support the culture and art that is video gaming. The intent was to bring something new to the masses of established gaming fanatics while also extending a unique invite to the uninitiated. Family friendly and interactive, VGL is a concert for everybody, and its dressed to impress. In essence, VGL features full symphonic renditions of classic video game music set to a huge, on-screen, synchronized visual component. Zelda, Final Fantasy, Myst, Castlevania, Metroid, and Silent Hill (shiver), to name only a handful on the astounding set list Im seeing, will have selections from their soundtracks masterfully represented here. For those of you old enough to remember, reading through these few titles probably bring back tinkling clips of wonderfully addictive music to your skull. For those who arent, rest assured, these are some of the most underrated compositions in music and well worth your attention. But dont just lean on my wee blurb here while debating the ticket purchase, Ive barely scratched the surface. Get online and watch their videos, bask in their accolades, and marvel at their passion. This projects waves are crashing worldwide, you guys, and we should be thankful that its landing here in our small city. I think this speaks volumes for their direction and I hope to see you there. The Billings Symphonys Video Games Live begins at 7:30PM at Alberta Bair Theater.

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Franz Nicolay
by Courtney Donovan

ulti-instrumentalist, Franz Nicolay, will return to Montana on November 12 to perform a solo show at Mannys. Nicolay travelled to Montana with the band, The Hold Steady, for a MySpace Secret Show in 2008. Now, hes looking forward to coming back to the Treasure State. Montana has always sort of held a special place in my heart, he said. Its one of those places I always fantasize about moving to after Im done touring. Nicolay started his music career early, learning violin at the age of 5. He went on to master several other instruments, including the accordion, French horn, and, most recently, the banjo. Nicolay said learning new instruments helps him grow as a song writer and composer. Theres something about learning a new instrument every couple years that always sparks a real creative search for me and I write a bunch of music because. For me, once I get too much technical facility on one instrument, I start outsmarting myself in the compositional department. Learning a new instrument helps him start fresh and create a new musical sound. Its a way of tricking myself into simplicity and song writing, Nicolay said. His current favorite instrument is the banjo, but he admits hes still trying to master it, I only started playing the banjo about three or four years ago so Im still figuring out new techniques. Part of the process of learning new techniques is I usually get a song or two out of it. Nicolays broad musical career includes collaborations with bands such as Against Me!, the Dresden Dolls, and, more recently, the gypsy-Balkan carnie group, Guignol and AntiSocial Music. On his upcoming trip to Montana, Nicolay will return as a one man band. He said working solo is a new step in his musical career. Its more of a challenge and I needed more of challenge. When youre working with a band, obviously, theres a very communal feeling and theres a lot of energy in the room, and if one persons having a bad night, another person can pick up the slack. Whereas, to be a solo performer, its really all on you to keep the attention, to keep the energy and control the feeling in the room and that felt like the next step for me as a performer. Performance is at the heart of Nicolays shows. He has worked with bands that draw inspiration from eastern Europe-

an cabaret and has included facets of this genre in his music as well as his onstage performances. Citing Vaudeville as a strong influence for his stage presence Nicolay said, Ive always felt a real affinity with cabaret and vaudeville, this kind of old-fashioned ideology of performance where youre trying to be as well rounded and entertainer as possible. His latest solo album, Do The Struggle, feels like stories sung over large musical scores; standing alone, the lyrics could be a motivational motto or poem. When set to the tune of banjos and tambourines, it sounds like the life affirming funk so many audiophiles love and crave. Electronic sounds mixed with folksy banjo riffs rivet the listener to the eclectic melody. Nicolay said his technical knowledge helps him incorporate so many different elements, My training is in composition and orchestration and arrangement and thats sort of your pallet as a maker. Its like mixing red and yellow on a pallet and getting orange. You file away mentally what the different shadings of those instrumental colors are. It just expanded that premise to a huge pallet of instrumental colors you have available to you in a modern recording studio. Although many of the songs from Do The Struggle are about romance, Nicolays favorites are the titular track, which is an ode to political and social protestors around the world, and Joy, a percussion- driven story of each day bringing new opportunities to find happiness. Nicolay aims to make his music the best in any form, whether in music videos, EPs, and on stage. My personal philosophy is that I want to focus on making the most interesting version of the song. Nicolay added that he strives to make professional recordings the best he can, I know Im going to sing these songs a thousand times but you only have one opportunity to make the perfect version of the song as I hear it in my head, and thats when I make the album. Franz Nicolays newest solo album, Do The Struggle, is currently available for purchase on his website, http://franznicolay.com/. He will be performing solo at Mannys in Billings, Montana on November 12. Reader tip- Do The Struggle limited edition B-side tracks will be available from Nicolays tour merchandise.

heres stillness in Montana that is like no other. Here the expansive country unfolds like an artists palette, spurring resourcefulness and originality within its residents while allowing quietude amongst the rivers, mountains, and roads. Such a state has a magnetic pull, courting musicians with its intimate setting and level of anonymity, if they so choose. In the fall of 2010, Tim Kasher, frontman of the longtime rock outfit Cursive, left California for colder pastures. He relocated to Whitefish, Montana, where he honed his songs at the local open mic. Here Kasher was just a guy with a guitar, not the high profile musician and founder of a cultishly popular indie rock band.

gevity to their love of writing and exploring different themes. We enjoy that process, Stevens said. Like any relationship, you learn how to communicate over the years. Cursive has constantly reinvented themselves during their career, starting circa the mid-90s when independent record label Saddle Creek, home to indie rock peers Bright Eyes, The Faint, Azure Ray, among others, was forming. By the time Cursive released their signature album Domestica in 2000, they were an underground success, but broke into the national consciousness in 2003 with their fourth album, The Ugly Organ. Of playing music with Kasher, Stevens said, On the right night in the right small room, things can get pretty dynamic. He recalls the first time Cursive played Billings, when Kasher crawled into the rafters of the Yellowstone Valley Brewing Company with his guitar, then came down to play in the center of the crowd, pulling his guitar, mic and stand with him. Such shows feel like the old days, where wed play house shows and small clubs, Stevens said. We still do that quite a bit. It tends to pay off with a lot of energy all around, which is fun. Stevens joined Cursive in the early days of Saddle Creek Records and was part of a core group of musicians who helped shape the Omaha music scene into a national powerhouse of indie rock music. Yet Stevens doesnt view Omaha like that. Maybe I need to, he said. I can appreciate the greater Omaha scene, Saddle Creek, and beyond that now. Growing up with the Saddle Creek thingwe were in college and made musical bonds that lasted a long time. We started this thing, and helped each other out. Its turned into what seems like lifetime careers in music for my peers. The scene since then has become really incredible. Catch Cursive in concert on Monday, November 19 in Missoula and in Billings at Mannys on Tuesday, November 20. Locals Brass Monkey Band and Reid Perry & the Montana Avenue Band open the show. Tickets available at 1111presents.com.

A nomad of sorts, Kasher has traipsed the country for years with his Omaha-based musical groups Cursive and The Good Life. After nearly a year of touring in support of Cursives 2009 release Mama, Im Swollen, which routed the band through Missoula and Billings, Kasher spent a cold winter in Whitefish writing his debut solo album, The Game Of Monogamy, a self-reflective, unapologetic take on relationships. Not one to stay in one place for long, Kasher currently resides in Chicago and is on the road again with Cursive, this time showcasing the groups latest release, I Am Gemini, an ambitious musical tale inspired by the mythological Greek tale of Castor and Pollux. In Cursives version, twin brothers Cassius and Pollock are separated at birth. One good and one evil, their unexpected reunion ignites a mythological struggle, played out with a cast of supporting characters that includes a chorus of angels and devils, and twin sisters conjoined at the head. Cursive is the longtime collaboration of Tim Kasher (vocals, guitar), Matt Maginn (bass), and Ted Stevens (guitar, vocals), who formed the band in 1995 in Omaha, Nebraska. Patrick Newbery on keys and Cully Symington on drums finish out the current group. Released in February, I Am Gemini is the bands seventh LP, and Kashers tenth album. Guitarist Stevens, who has played with Cursive since the 1999, attributes the bands lon-

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by kate olp

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hen you were a kid, did your teachers frequently comment on your energetic nature? Has your girlfriend ever insisted that you take a horse-sized chill pill? Has your doctor, perchance, ever suggested that your entire body might have Restless Leg Syndrome? If so, I have good news for you. You and your ADHD-addled brain can leave that Adderall at home next month and enjoy a weekend of raucous, ridiculous and frenetic fun courtesy of Venture Theatres Wet Ink Festival. Currently in its fifth year, the festival brings together local playwrights, directors and actors to pen, produce and perform five original one-act plays over the course of 24 hours (try saying that ten times fast, spazz) -- and all with a heavy dose of audience participation. The hoopla begins on Friday, November 16 at 8:00 PM. Audience members are invited to participate in the creative process by watching live actor auditions, pairing writers and directors, and inventing the titles of each production. Next, the writers labor through the night to create a one-act play based on the audiences suggestions. Actors and directors then have roughly twelve hours to stage the scenes, memorize their lines, coordinate with the technical team, and track down props. Finally, the audience returns at 8:00 PM on Saturday the 17th to enjoy the final product. Thanks to the combination of first-time collaborators and an unpredictable audience, each of the plays is perfectly unique. Theatre-goers can expect to enjoy drama, comedy and everything in between. (Tragicomedy? Seriodrama? Dramedy! No, crama!) Its enough to hold the attention of even the most rambunctious reveler. But the real fun for the audience is the hands-on nature of the production. Christie Anderson, this years producer and a frequent actor on the Venture stage, likens the process to a child peeking behind the stage curtain. When my six-year-old sees a set, he wants to go behind it and see whats there. I think a lot of people are interested to see how theatre is made, she explains. Here at Venture, we let the audience do that. Were a small enough theatre that we can engage the audience and break down the fourth wall without it being strange. This years Wet Ink Festival will feature the writing talents of Shad Scott, Gus Delotta, Michael Seibert,

Amber Meyer, and long-time contributor Ryan Gage. Its free, fast-paced, first-rate entertainment. What excuse could you possibly have to not -- SQUIRREL! Wait, what were we talking about? I dont remember either. ...Wanna go ride bikes?

Though the show is free, those who plan to attend are encouraged to bring a can of food; all proceeds will be donated to the local homeless shelter. For more information, and to inquire about auditioning, contact Christie Anderson at christie@venturetheatre.com.

Missoula may have started the craft brew scene, but Billings perfected it, Jake Holshue chuckled and swigged
his pint glass. Jake is the president of the Rimrock Brewers Guild, Billings homebrew club. One evening, sitting on the porch of Angry Hanks, he and Kenny Utz, the Guilds secretary, gave the lowdown on the delights of drinking beer, making beer, and why were lucky to live here. Kenny is glad he moved here for a number of reasons, brewing community among them. The brewing community here and in every other city in Montana is much more prominent than in San Antonio. There are more breweries here than there were in San Antonio and thats a city of a million and a half people. Even the breweries there werent as good as the ones here.

Although, another statistic that gets tossed around brings a glow a drinkers heart: Montana tops the country in microbreweries per capita. According to the Brewers Association, were at number three, behind Vermont and Oregon. Strolling downtown and the edge of the North Side, the evidence is clear. Billings is home to six microbreweries. Plus, theres Fat Jacks in Laurel. When it comes to MT, specifically, the idea behind handmade products originally started with the Made in MT logo, Jake said. Every Montanan, everybody who has visited Montana, knows that logo, knows that hardworking Montanans have put their blood, sweat, and tears into that product, and their realize that Montanans will always source their ingredients and their products directly from Montana. Montana is a great grain producing state. Its not all about local breweries; there is more to local beer culture than high-volume batches and charging by the pint. Beer brewing has roots that stretch far beyond capitalism and far precede modern America. James Madison wanted to establish a secretary of beer as a cabinet position. In September, the White House released the recipe for White House Honey Brown Ale after President Obama took a personal interest in homebrewing. This is the first alcohol brewed or distilled at 1600 Pennsylvania. On record, that is.

Montanans (and the above former Texan) love giving comparisons in favor of our home state and home towns. Maybe it stems from a fear of being forgotten. Its belittling to watch some east coaster struggle to locate the Treasure State on a U.S. map. Or, our want to be known could come from a desire to distract from some of our less than admirable headlinesthe Freemen, Ted Kazinski, and Denny Rehbergs boat incident come to mind. The (Read: unfounded) notion that Billings is the meth capital of the U.S gets thrown around, unfortunately. Theres nothing like wallowing in community drug crisis and bad statistics in the same sentence!

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But, you dont have to live in the Executive Mansion to brew beer. Unbeknownst to the passerby, any home could house a bubbling carboy, cooking up the next best batch. And, although smalltime brewmasters have used the Billings Homebrewery Supply store as a make-do hangout for quite some time, there hasnt been a decent local collective since the former homebrew club called it quits about ten years ago. In July, the Rimrock Brewers Guild got together to fill that void. On the surface, the intentions are pure and simple. We want people who drink good beer to come down and try other good beer, Jake said. Between twenty and thirty people showing up to each meeting to brew, organize events, hone the craft, and, thankfully, drink beer. Ive had as good homebrew as any commercially-produced craft beer here in Billings and Ive had a lot better homebrew than commercially available beer. Kenny added, As home brewers, we love big beers, we love small beers, but we love flavor. Sitting next to one another, Jake and Kenny looked quite the pair. Jake is a big guy with dark brown hair, an inexplicably red beard, and a broad smile. Kenny is thin and notably, well-kept. By day, he works as a pharmacist during the day. But off the clock, these fellows are hard at work over sinks and stoves crafting their favorite drink, always improving and fine-tuning their inventions. That said, its not just for fun all the time. We have some competitions coming up, Jake said.

One of Jakes recent creations is called Kitchen Sink Porter. The ingredient list is enormous: oats, caramel malt, Munich malt, brewers licorice, Mexican vanilla, cold-press coffee, and more. The effect is intentional and intense. A powerful, complicated beer, it would be difficult to have more than one or two. But, thats not the point. Its all in the process for these guys. Every brewer has his own intentions, Jake said. And, my intention is to never brew the same beer twice. If I wanted the same beer twice, Id go to the grocery store or one of the breweries. If he went to the grocery store or one of the breweries, hed be missing out on a tremendous benefit of homebrewing: cost. A five-gallon batch (thats over fifty 12-oz. bottles!) comes out at as little as $30. For even the occasional beer drinker, the savings are phenomenal. But, its more than a cost-saver. Homebrew is being able to create something on your own, Kenny said. You come up with the recipe, you come up with the process, and you share with everyone what you have Were teaching people who have little to no experience homebrewing how to home brew, how to get into it, how to improve their methods. Just like any hobby, theres a trillion ways to cut the apple, Kenny said. Everybodys going to find their own way. If youre interested in homebrewing, you can sign up for the Guilds mailing list at Billings Homebrewery Supply, 1916 3rd Avenue North.

by lissa laRoche

ve been waking up in darkness and trudging through the fallen leaves to my car. As I scrape that annoying layer of frost off my windshield, my favorite hoodie begins to seem a little too thin, and I try to convince myself I am not a giant wuss for turning the heater on full blast. The chill of fall has officially set in. Fall is one of my favorite seasons and, as we all know, pumpkin is a huge staple of the season. Its the time of the year where you will find yourself completely inundated with pumpkin. Pumpkin lattes, pumpkin-scented lotions, pumpkin candles, people dressed as pumpkins, and piles of pumpkins outside every store. If you are a seasonal baker like me, there will be pumpkin-flavored desserts for at least three straight months.

As a person who prepares food for others, I have come to realize the importance of using local and seasonal items whenever possible. Because of this, I got to thinking, Why would anyone use a seasonal item, such as pumpkin, from a can? For all we know, that seemingly delicious pumpkin puree has been trapped in that can for years, forced into supermarket slavery until that day you decide you are going to attempt your own pumpkin pie to take to family dinner. One brisk Saturday morning, determined to find out exactly how much extra work it was to puree my own pumpkin, I bribed myself out of bed with the promise of a crepe and headed down to Farmers Market in

search of the ideal pumpkin. I settled on a perfectly shaped, medium-sized pumpkin and skipped off to work. I cut it in half, gutted it, covered it in tin foil and threw it in the oven for an hour. When the pumpkin was fully roasted, soft, and the skin was easy enough to pull away, I threw it in the blender until it was smooth like the canned stuff, then ran it through a strainer to get rid of any stringy nastiness left behind. The first thing I noticed about my puree was the color. It was vibrant and orange and healthy looking. When I compared the fresh stuff to the canned, there was no question as to which one I would want in my recipes. So, is that really all there is to it? Oh, Lissa, I am just too lazy! You say? I talked to my mother, who has a way to cook nearly everything in the microwave, and she informed me of an even simpler method: poke holes all over a smaller sugar pumpkin, microwave it for ten or so minutes until soft, then gut and puree it. Now, thats what Im talking about producing a pumpkin puree that is so easy, even a caveman can do it.

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Free Admission Friday ($1 on Saturday)

Out of Ideas?
Enjoy Unique Holiday Shopping!
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Free Admission Friday ($1 on Saturday) At the

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401 N. 27th St.