Thirsty Street Brewing Company teamed up with the independent art space, Kirks’ Grocery, to host the final Alive After 5 of the 2024 season. The Thursday, July 25th Alive After 5 outdoor event takes place from 5:00pm to 8:00pm on Minnesota Avenue between S. 30th St. and S. 29th St..
NOTE: There has been an update on the band for the evening, Miss Massive Snowflake will open for Parker Brown and Friends.
Some may think this location seems a little atypical for Alive After 5, to those who know the purpose and mission of Kirks’ Grocery, this pairing of performance art and community in an out of the box manner makes a lot of sense.
Kirks’ Grocery, at 2920 Minnesota Avenue, was established in September 2018 by artist/musician Shane de Leon as a contemporary art gallery and performance space dedicated to showcasing art and performers that fall outside of the stereotypical notion of what “Western Art” can be. The gallery resides in the original Kirks’ Grocery location on Minnesota Avenue, a building that had been vacant for years. Their philosophy of giving unusual art a platform extends to the performance space where Kirks’ hosts DIY all ages shows and events featuring everything from spoken word poetry to experimental musical performances and DIY touring musicians along with independent film and documentaries. Kirks’ Grocery is dedicated to building a community cultural scene based around art, music, and poetry modeled off of the many European punk collectives that Shane has performed at and visited over the years.
Meet the band(s)
Parker Brown and Friends
Specializing in double bass, electric bass and guitar, Parker Brown is a private instructor, songwriter, freelance and studio musician. He may look familiar because he is the lead guitarist in The Hellroaring; the band who just rocked the Alive After 5 stage on July 18th at the Monte. Brown’s music is a blend of Americana, pop, and rock with great vocals and insightful lyrics. Parker Brown brings his musical friends along to wrap up the 2024 Alive After 5 season.
Miss Massive Snowflake
Shane De Leon, founder of Kirks’ Grocery, started Miss Massive Snowflake in 2006 as a solo project. Since, he has performed nearly 800 shows in 15 countries, released six albums, multiple EP’s and singles. The band has grown and expanded with many lineup changes over the years. At the July 25 Alive After 5, Miss Massive Snowflake is Shane de Leon on vocals playing original songs, backed up with some of Billings’s best musicians. They play song-based indie rock.
Admission and Event Details
The 2024 Alive After 5 series is presented by our team at the Downtown Billings Association (DBA) and our presenting sponsor Valley Credit Union. The series’ weekly summer concerts takes place outdoors at a different downtown location Thursday evenings from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm, June 6 through July 25, 2024.
Alive After 5 is an all ages event and admission is free to the public. Those 21 and older wishing to consume alcohol must purchase a $3 wristband at one of the Purple DBA tents at the event.
The revenue generated through Alive After 5 wristband sales fund a number of things for the Business Improvement District (B.I.D.) like the flower baskets, public art projects, landscaping projects, and free community events like the parades, chalk on the walk, and more.
The V.I.P. Experience
Twenty $10 V.I.P wristbands are available now to be purchased for this Alive After 5 event. Community members may either come in person to the DBA’s office located at 102 N. 29th St. or call the DBA office at (406) 294-5060 to purchase V.I.P. wristbands before noon on Thursday. The V.I.P. Area offers a shaded space for you to cool off, hang out, and enjoy the show and includes tables, chairs, free ice-cold water, and a great view of the stage.
Who Makes Alive After 5 possible?
Alive After 5 is coordinated annually by the our Business Improvement District (B.I.D.), a non-profit whose work plan focuses on a clean and safe downtown. The B.I.D. is a one of the four non-profit’s housed within the DBA. Valley Credit Union is the producing (title) sponsor of the Alive After 5 concert series. Supporting sponsors include MariMint, Hensel Law, Earth First Aid, Stella’s Kitchen & Bakery, ClockTower Inn, Planet 106.7, Zone 96.3, Classic Hits 105.9, KSKY 94.1, KBEAR 98.1, and ESPN 910. Each of the series sponsorships help cover the booking costs of the many local, regional, and national bands in the lineup. This event and all the details can be found at downtownbillings.com.