News

Alive After 5, Thurs. Aug 3, 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Location: Between McCormick Cafe (2419 Montana Ave.) & Craft Local
Band: Lost Canyons

McCormick Cafe, located at 2419 Montana Ave., has been an Alive After 5 host location for all twenty years of the series’ existence making it the perfect place for us to wrap up the 20th Anniversary season on Thursday, August 3rd from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm, while band Lost Canyons, an indie rock duo from Bozeman Montana, make their Alive After 5 debut.

The Lost Canyons consists of Kennan Krause (vocals and guitar) and Mitch Lauenstein (acoustic, banjo, vocals). The group was recently voted as the #1 New Local Band and #2 Local Rock Band for 2023 Bozeman’s Choice! 

Every Alive After 5 season has a line-up that includes local, regional, and national bands. We know the Billings community love to support their local favorites so we make sure they are in the line-up, But we also see and hear all the time that they enjoy and crave a chance to support other touring bands from around Montana or from out of state too. This season alone we’ve hosted bands and musicians from Billings, Bozeman, Red Lodge, Hardin, Nashville, Illinois, and Colorado.

Alive After 5 is coordinated, from set-up to tear-down, annually by our downtown 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 Downtown Billings Alliance (DBA). In the eight weeks leading up to this week’s final concert, our 2023 Alive After 5 series has brought over 11,000 people to downtown Billings this summer.

What is Alive After 5?

Alive After 5 is a weekly, all ages, outdoor summer event coordinated, from set-up to tear-down, annually by our Downtown team and hosted at a different downtown location each Thursday in June and July. Created to offer an outdoor space with live music and drinks for the community to gather downtown together during the week after work. The event moves from location to location to help boost the downtown economy of various downtown businesses, restaurants, breweries, and bars open in the evenings.

Admission

Admission for each Alive After 5 is free to the public, however, those 21 and older wishing to consume alcohol must purchase a $2 wristband at one of the Purple DBA tents at the event.

The V.I.P. Area
At each Alive After 5 there is a special tented V.I.P. area with seating options, tables, free ice-cold water, and easy access to one of the event bar locations. There are only twenty $10 V.I.P wristbands sold to the public each week, the rest of the V.I.P. wristbands are given to the many sponsors who support the Alive After 5 series. To purchase one of the twenty V.I.P. Wristband ahead of time you can call (406-294-5060) or visit the DBA office (116 N. 29th Street) Monday through Wednesday 9am to 4pm. 

The 2023 Series Sponsors

Valley Credit Union is the producing (title) sponsor of the 2023 Alive After 5 concert series. Supporting sponsors include TDS Fiber, MariMint, Alpha Overhead Door, B-Town Vapes & Glass, Hensel Law, Stella’s Kitchen & Bakery, ClockTower Inn, Planet 106.7, Zone 96.3, Classic Hits 105.9, KSKY 94.1, KBEAR 98.1, ESPN 910, and Earth First Aid.

Alive After 5, Thurs. July 27, 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Location: Tiny’s Tavern (323 N. 24th St.)
Band: Ryan Chrys and the Rough Cuts

Tiny’s Tavern, located at 323 N. 24th St., celebrated their 30th Anniversary earlier this year. In March, their team led our Downtown St. Patrick’s Day parade as Grand Marshal with an impressive 30 foot tall float of a schooner glass of their locally famous Orange Crush drink. The float, made by their team using tens of thousands of napkins, was named as the parade’s 2023 Best Overall Entry. .

Now that summer is in full swing, Tiny’s Tavern is ready to host the next Alive After 5 concert on Thursday, July 27th, from 5:00pm to 8:00pm on N. 24th St. between 3rd and 4th Ave N. Tiny’s team will undoubtedly be serving their Orange Crush drinks along with other beverages all while Ryan Chrys and the Rough Cuts, Colorado’s Country Music Hall of Fame 2019 Band of the Year, is on stage getting the whole crowd rocking. 

“Tiny’s has been hosting an Alive After 5 concert for almost the entirety of the summer music series’ existence. Their 2019 Alive After 5 with Arterial Drive held the attendance record until just two weeks ago. The community knows that the Tiny’s Alive After 5 is a fun one and they show up no matter the forecast.” 

Lindsay Richardson, Community Engagement & Events Director

Whether you love classic country or ’70s rock ‘n’ roll you are guaranteed to dance and sing the night away. Ryan Chrys and the Rough Cuts are a four piece band from Colorado consisting of Ryan Chrys (vocals/guitar), Michael Jochum (drums), Susan Phelan (bass/vocals) and Lauren Michaels (vocals). The group shares male and female leads in a mix of old school country and rock n roll. Their sound is influenced by the songs and personalities of legends like Waylon and Willie, they drive their sound with blazing guitars and a rock ‘n’ roll attitude. The band pays respect to classic styles, but anyone can tell from their overdriven sound that they’re far from traditionalists. Known for their original style of blending old school country and rock ‘n” roll. They’ve directly supported Dwight Yoakam, Shooter Jennings, Blackberry Smoke, Jason Boland, Justin Moore and more. 

This year’s 20th Anniversary of Alive After 5 is presented by our title sponsor Valley Credit Union. Alive After 5 is a weekly summer concert series that takes place Thursday evenings from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm, outdoors at a different downtown location, June 8 through August 3.

Details on next week’s August 3rd concert at McCormick Cafe can be found here.

Admission

Alive After 5 is an all ages event. Admission for each Alive After 5 is free to the public, however, those 21 and older wishing to consume alcohol must purchase a $2 wristband at one of the Purple DBA tents at the event.

The V.I.P. Area
A special tented V.I.P. area with seating options, tables, free ice-cold water, and easy access to one of the event bar locations. Only twenty, $10 V.I.P wristbands are available for purchase each week. To purchase a V.I.P. Wristband ahead of time you can call (406-294-5060) or visit the DBA office (116 N. 29th Street) Monday through Wednesday 9am to 4pm. All remaining V.I.P. wristbands will be sold on a first-come-first-serve basis each Thursday on-site directly at the week’s Alive After 5 V.I.P. area.  

Who Makes Alive After 5 possible?

Alive After 5 is coordinated annually by our team at the downtown Business Improvement District (B.I.D.). Valley Credit Union has been the producing (title) sponsor of the Alive After 5 concert series since 2019. Supporting sponsors include TDS Fiber, MariMint, Alpha Overhead Door, B-Town Vapes & Glass, Hensel Law, Stella’s Kitchen & Bakery, ClockTower Inn, Planet 106.7, Zone 96.3, Classic Hits 105.9, KSKY 94.1, KBEAR 98.1, ESPN 910, and Earth First Aid. Each series sponsorships help cover the booking costs of the many local, regional, and national bands in the line-up. 

Alive After 5, Thurs. July 20, 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Location: Walkers Grill (2700 1st Ave. N)
Band: Honyaker featuring Josie Dunne, Guthrie Brown, and Luke Enyeart

Honyocker [Pronounced Hon-ya-ker]: Old Montana cowboy slang for those who lack respectability or social graces; prone to exhibiting frequent displays of the screaming yips. Fortunately, these screaming yips will be some of the better ones.

Walkers Grill will host Alive After 5 on Thursday, July 20th, from 5:00pm to 8:00pm in their parking lot. Featuring Honyocker, Billings will rock out to a collection of musicians curated by the father-son duo, Bill and Will Honaker (hence the nickname Honyocker). Will Honaker, a talented musician raised in Billings, works out of Nashville, TN and directs, produces, and records for numerous artists in Nashville and beyond. Will’s father, Bill Honaker, is not only the proprietor of Walkers, he too, is a musician. Bill has played drums with numerous bands and artists locally over the years.

“I can’t imagine a better collection of musicians, all with their own sound and style. I’ve always been proud of our unique music at Walkers’ events, but this one will go down in the books as one of my favorites.”

Bill Honaker – Walkers Grill proprietor

One of the talented artists joining the Honaker duo is Josie Dunne, a pop/soul singer-songwriter from Chicago, IL. With influences such as Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, and Amy Winehouse, Josie has adapted a unique style in her music. Her beyond-her-years soulful voice shines over her cleverly crafted, catchy songs.  She currently lives in Nashville, TN, where she is in the middle of working on her next recording project.

Joining Josie on stage is Guthrie Brown, a Nashville transplant by way of “old Montana”. Guthrie began playing the guitar at age six and, by the age of seventeen, journeyed to Nashville to pursue the dream of being a professional songwriter, recording and performing artist. Many will remember Guthrie and his band opening for John Fogarty at the 2015 Magic City Blues Festival.  In between touring, Guthrie continues to write songs for himself as well as other artists.

Luke Enyeart, a songwriter, guitar player, and producer based in Minneapolis, Minnesota will also be a part of the July 20th performance. Luke has toured and performed professionally with such acts as Katie Pruitt, Ryan Bingham, Chastity Brown, and more. Luke released his debut album under the name, “Lukester”, with Acrophase Records late last year.

These talented performers are joined by Nashville artist John McNally as well as some of Montana’s finest musicians, Sam White on sax, Jerom Hein on trumpet, Erik Olson on keys and Lloyd “Mr. Funk” Marsh on vocals and percussion.

This year’s 20th Anniversary of Alive After 5 is presented by our title sponsor Valley Credit Union. The all-ages weekly summer concert series takes place outdoors at a different downtown location Thursday evenings from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm, June 8 to August 3. 

Admission

Admission for each Alive After 5 is free to the public, however, those 21 and older wishing to consume alcohol must purchase a $2 wristband at one of the Purple DBA tents at the event.

The V.I.P. Area
A special tented V.I.P. area with seating options, tables, free ice-cold water, and easy access to one of the event bar locations. Only twenty, $10 V.I.P wristbands are available for purchase each week. To purchase a V.I.P. Wristband ahead of time you can call (406-294-5060) or visit the DBA office (116 N. 29th Street) Monday through Wednesday 9am to 4pm. All remaining V.I.P. wristbands will be sold on a first-come-first-serve basis each Thursday on-site directly at the week’s Alive After 5 V.I.P. area.  

Who Makes Alive After 5 possible?

Alive After 5 is coordinated annually by our team at the downtown Business Improvement District (B.I.D.). Valley Credit Union has been the producing (title) sponsor of the Alive After 5 concert series since 2019. Supporting sponsors include TDS Fiber, MariMint, Alpha Overhead Door, B-Town Vapes & Glass, Hensel Law, Stella’s Kitchen & Bakery, ClockTower Inn, Planet 106.7, Zone 96.3, Classic Hits 105.9, KSKY 94.1, KBEAR 98.1, ESPN 910, and Earth First Aid. Each series sponsorships help cover the booking costs of the many local, regional, and national bands in the line-up. 

On June 29th The Montana Brewing Company hosted Alive After 5 at Skypoint with approximately 2,427 attendees enjoying Bozeman based band El Wencho setting a record for the largest Alive After 5 attendance.

An average Alive After 5 sells 1,200 to 1,500 wristbands but last week we sold 2,378. The wristband 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.

“We had a feeling that night while we were in it, that it was probably going to be close to, if not break the previous record set on July 18, 2019 at Tiny’s Tavern’s Alive After 5 when Arterial Drive played their Alive After 5 debut concert.”

Lindsay Richardson, Downtown billings, Community Engagement and Events Director

The approximate attendance for the 2019 Tiny’s Tavern record breaking date was 2,290 attendees. Our team has seen the attendance numbers consistently climb for certain Alive After 5 host locations over the years. To make more room for attendees we’ve expanded and made some updates to a number of the street closures we create for the summer concert series. “People remember how they felt and we don’t want people to feel squished in close quarters, we want them to feel they have room to dance, mingle, and experience the location they are at.” continued Richardson.  

Preparing for This Week to be a big one too

We are preparing and excited for another big attendance night at the next Alive After 5 on Thursday, July 13th from 5:00pm to 8:00pm. This week’s show will once again take place on the streets below Skypoint (2nd Ave N & N Broadway) with Hooligan’s Sports Bar as the host and the Billings based band Repeat Offenders on stage.

The Repeat Offenders are a popular and crowd pleasing band who cover songs from the 1980’s all the way to current hits. They play songs you can’t help but dance and sing along with. The band consists of Kenn Patterson (vocals), Dusty Young (Drums), Steve Shelton (Bass), Jay Fuson (Guitar), and Jon Verbeck (Guitar). The second the Repeat Offenders step on stage the crowd can feel their “we’re here to have a good time with you all” energy. They have been playing all over Southeast Montana for years and are known to bring the good tunes and good vibes with them.

The Downtown Billings 360 Video Booth powered by 406 memories will make once more Alive After 5 appearance this week. The booth will once again be under Skypoint and all attendees are invited to step up onto the video booth platform with up to four friends to make a digital video keepsake of the evening (FREE). 

The all ages weekly summer concert series takes place outdoors at a different downtown location Thursday evenings from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm, June 8 to August 3.

Admission
Admission for each Alive After 5 is free to the public, however, those 21 and older wishing to consume alcohol must purchase a $2 wristband at one of the Purple DBA tents at the event

The V.I.P. Area
A special tented V.I.P. area with seating options, tables, free ice-cold water, and easy access to one of the event bar locations. Only twenty, $10 V.I.P wristbands are available for purchase each week. To purchase a V.I.P. Wristband ahead of time you can call (406-294-5060) or visit the DBA office (116 N. 29th Street) Monday through Wednesday 9am to 4pm. All remaining V.I.P. wristbands will be sold on a first-come-first-serve basis each Thursday on-site directly at the week’s Alive After 5 V.I.P. area.  

Who Makes Alive After 5 possible?

Alive After 5 is coordinated annually by our team at the downtown Business Improvement District (B.I.D.). Valley Credit Union has been the producing (title) sponsor of the Alive After 5 concert series since 2019. Supporting sponsors include TDS Fiber, MariMint, Alpha Overhead Door, B-Town Vapes & Glass, Hensel Law, Stella’s Kitchen & Bakery, ClockTower Inn, Planet 106.7, Zone 96.3, Classic Hits 105.9, KSKY 94.1, KBEAR 98.1, ESPN 910, and Earth First Aid. Each series sponsorships help cover the booking costs of the many local, regional, and national bands in the line-up. 

Alive After 5, Thurs. July 6, 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Location: Thirsty Street Brewing Company, 2123 1st Ave N, Billings, MT
Band: The Soul Funk Collective

This is the 20th Anniversary of Alive After 5, but even with all those years under out belt, the next Alive After 5 concert on Thursday July 6th is full of firsts.

“This is the first time Thirsty Street Brewing Company hosts an Alive After 5 and the first time The Soul Funk Collective performs at an Alive After 5. The excitement for all involved is palpable.”

Lindsay Richardson, downtown billibngs Alliance, Community Engagement & Events Director

Alive After 5 is an all ages event and admission for each Alive After 5 is free to the public. Those 21 and older wishing to consume alcohol must purchase a $2 wristband at one of the Purple DBA tents at the event. The weekly summer concerts takes place outdoors at a different downtown location on Thursday evenings from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm through August 3rd.

For July 6th’s Alive After 5 the owners of Thirsty Street Brewing Company, Jill and Shea Dawson, stayed consistent with their welcoming and collaborative reputation and invited their neighbors to get involved at their Alive After 5 concert. Attendees can enjoy Undammed Spirits‘ outdoor Spirit Garden and shop at both Rand’s Hats and Northside Pawn all during the Thursday event.

This week’s concert occurs near many downtown dining establishments such as Ohana Poke, Last Chance Pub & Cider Mill, Uberbrew, The Marble Table, and more. Pink Patties & Let’s Get Fresh are the two on-site food trucks. The new Downtown Billings 360 Video Booth powered by 406 Memories will be on-site for attendees to capture a free keepsake digital video memory with friends.

About the Band
The Soul Funk Collective is a dynamic Billings-based group of professional musicians who enjoy playing sweet, funky soul music. When this band hits the stage, be ready to hear the very best of soul and funk music from Aretha Franklin, The Temptations, St. Paul and the Broken Bones, Parliament Funkadelic and many more!  

The V.I.P. Area
A special tented V.I.P. area with seating options, tables, free ice-cold water, and easy access to one of the event bar locations. Only twenty, $10 V.I.P wristbands are available for purchase each week. To purchase a V.I.P. Wristband ahead of time you can call (406-294-5060) or visit the DBA office (116 N. 29th Street) Monday through Wednesday 9am to 4pm. All remaining V.I.P. wristbands will be sold on a first-come-first-serve basis each Thursday on-site directly at the week’s Alive After 5 V.I.P. area.  

Who Makes Alive After 5 possible?

Alive After 5 is coordinated annually by our team at the downtown Business Improvement District (B.I.D.). Valley Credit Union has been the producing (title) sponsor of the Alive After 5 concert series since 2019. Supporting sponsors include TDS Fiber, MariMint, Alpha Overhead Door, B-Town Vapes & Glass, Hensel Law, Stella’s Kitchen & Bakery, ClockTower Inn, Planet 106.7, Zone 96.3, Classic Hits 105.9, KSKY 94.1, KBEAR 98.1, ESPN 910, and Earth First Aid. Each series sponsorships help cover the booking costs of the many local, regional, and national bands in the line-up. 

The Montana Brewing Company hosts the next Alive After 5 on Thursday, June 29th below Skypoint (2nd Ave N & N Broadway). El Wencho, a Bozeman based duo, will play live music on from 5:00pm to 8:00pm.

El Wencho, is a powerhouse duo with a big sound that relates the Montana lifestyle through immersive lyrics, catchy melodies and driving rhythms. Their authentic music is an eclectic fusion of genres that draws on sonic elements from red dirt rock, blues, country, Americana and polyrhythmic Latin percussion.  Josh and John are supremely talented musicians and entertainers. Together they form an authentic and charismatic duo that expertly connects with the audience and delivers an engaging and highly addictive musical experience.

 “If you haven’t seen El Wencho perform, an El Wencho Alive After 5 show is a must see. Josh and John are so great to work with and the two really put on a fun show that draws a crowd. I mean, who doesn’t think it’s awesome that they sometimes play bongos and they wrote a song about sugar beets?”

Lindsay Richardson, Community Engagement and Events Director with the Downtown Billings Alliance.

This year’s 20th Anniversary of Alive After 5 is presented by The Downtown Billings Alliance (DBA) and Valley Credit Union. The Montana Brewing Company has been an Alive After 5 host location since its inception in 2003.

The all ages weekly summer concert series takes place outdoors at a different downtown location Thursday evenings from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm, June 8 to August 3. Special additions for the June 29th event include the Downtown Billings 360 video booth powered by 406 Memories and the Pink Patties food truck.

Admission
Admission for each Alive After 5 is free to the public, however, those 21 and older wishing to consume alcohol must purchase a $2 wristband at one of the Purple DBA tents at the event.

The V.I.P. Area
A special tented V.I.P. area with seating options, tables, free ice-cold water, and easy access to one of the event bar locations. Only twenty, $10 V.I.P wristbands are available for purchase each week. To purchase a V.I.P. Wristband ahead of time you can call (406-294-5060) or visit the DBA office (116 N. 29th Street) Monday through Wednesday 9am to 4pm. All remaining V.I.P. wristbands will be sold on a first-come-first-serve basis each Thursday on-site directly at the week’s Alive After 5 V.I.P. area.  

Who Makes Alive After 5 possible?

Alive After 5 is coordinated annually by our team at the downtown Business Improvement District (B.I.D.). Valley Credit Union has been the producing (title) sponsor of the Alive After 5 concert series since 2019. Supporting sponsors include TDS Fiber, MariMint, Alpha Overhead Door, B-Town Vapes & Glass, Hensel Law, Stella’s Kitchen & Bakery, ClockTower Inn, Planet 106.7, Zone 96.3, Classic Hits 105.9, KSKY 94.1, KBEAR 98.1, ESPN 910, and Earth First Aid. Each series sponsorships help cover the booking costs of the many local, regional, and national bands in the line-up. 

The Monte Bar & Casino, located at 2824 1st Ave N., is ready to host the next Alive After 5 on Thursday, June 22nd, outdoor from 5:00pm to 8:00pm on N. 29th St. between 1st Ave. N. and Montana Ave. The June 22nd event features local Billings/Red Lodge based band, Wes Urbaniak and the Mountain Folk.

Their name says it all, they play lanigiro (original spelled backwards because ‘original’ is overused) mountain folk music. While their roots are in Mountain folk music, the band crosses genres by swooping and dipping into bluegrass, Americana, pop-folk, beatboxing, and etcetera. The band consists of Wes Urbaniak on lead vocals/guitar, AJ Sheble on Ukulele/vocal harmonies, Phil Griffin on Upright bass/vocal harmonies. Wes writes their lyrics. He also designed and custom built the band’s instruments. Constructed with respect to conservation, the instruments were made with reclaimed wood which alludes to a deep connection and sense of spirit.

“Regulars of The Monte may notice a familiar face on stage on Thursday. A.J. Sheble’s not just a ukulele player and a band member of Wes Urbaniak and the Mountain Folk, he is also a pretty awesome bartender at The Monte.”

Lindsay Richardson, Downtown Billings Alliance
Community Engagement & Events Director

The Monte completed a big remodel project at the end of May 2022, with the help of High Plains Architects and T.W. Clark Construction. In June 2022, The Monte was the recipient of the 2022 Building Improvement, Downtown Spotlight Award. And, now a year later, it’s time to celebrate the first anniversary of their remodel and the positive impact it’s made on its downtown Billings neighborhood. Cori LaFever Thelen, Managing Owner, and her staff worked together to select the band for their much anticipated return to the Alive After 5 series. “We were one of the early host locations of Alive After 5 and I have a lot of memories of working at Alive After 5 with my dad.” Shared Thelen, whose late father, Neal LaFever, purchased the bar & casino in 1985. “We are very excited to be hosting Alive After 5 again this year.” Thelen continues.

Admission
The 2023 Alive After 5 is presented by our team at the Downtown Billings Alliance and Valley Credit Union. The all ages weekly summer concert series takes place outdoors at a different downtown location Thursday evenings from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm, June 8 to August 3. Admission for each Alive After 5 is free to the public, however, those 21 and older wishing to consume alcohol must purchase a $2 wristband at one of the Purple DBA tents at the event.

The V.I.P. Area
Each one of the Alive After 5 concerts has a special tented V.I.P. area with seating options, tables, free ice-cold water, and easy access to one of the event bar locations. Only twenty, $10 V.I.P wristbands are available for purchase each week. To purchase a V.I.P. Wristband ahead of time you can call (406-294-5060) or visit the DBA office (116 N. 29th Street) Monday through Wednesday 9am to 4pm. All remaining V.I.P. wristbands will be sold on a first-come-first-serve basis each Thursday on-site directly at the week’s Alive After 5 V.I.P. area.  

Who Makes Alive After 5 possible?

Alive After 5 is coordinated annually by our team at the downtown Business Improvement District (B.I.D.). Valley Credit Union has been the producing (title) sponsor of the Alive After 5 concert series since 2019. Supporting sponsors include TDS Fiber, MariMint, Alpha Overhead Door, B-Town Vapes & Glass, Hensel Law, Stella’s Kitchen & Bakery, ClockTower Inn, Planet 106.7, Zone 96.3, Classic Hits 105.9, KSKY 94.1, KBEAR 98.1, ESPN 910, and Earth First Aid. Each series sponsorships help cover the booking costs of the many local, regional, and national bands in the line-up.