Headstash

Missoula: Putting The SOUL in Montana

Umphrey's McGee in Missoula in March 2012 - Photo Credit: Amy Ettinger

Nestled amidst the rolling, snow-capped foothills of five mountain ranges, the city of Missoula, Montana, may just be the hidden gem of The Treasure State.

The Garden City is situated along the Clark Fork and Bitterroot rivers in Northwestern Montana and is aptly recognized as the fly-fishing (and fly-Phishing because if you’re a phan, you have to take a plane to see them) capital of the nation.

A thriving metropolis of around 100,000 ranchers, hippies, students and farmers deem Missoula the second largest city in Montana. About 20 percent of the population is from the University of Montana alone.

Aber Hall, a freshman dorm at U of M, is the second tallest building in the entire state, which offers a glimpse into Missoula’s humble and modest disposition.

Montana has a notorious reputation for drinking and Missoula is no exception. With six microbreweries and a number of taprooms, Missoula has the second highest number of microbreweries per capita, as well as a distillery slated to open in May. This doesn’t account for the plethora of bars and venues that also dot the college town.

Tunes On The Town

The historic Wilma Theatre is a cultural icon of the Pacific Northwest. For decades, The Wilma has been hosting concerts, movies, boxing matches, film festivals and performances under its roof. The 1200-person venue has hosted countless acts including STS9, Mike Gordon, Pretty Lights, Yonder Mountain String Band, and most recently Umphrey’s McGee back in March.

Umphrey's McGee in Missoula in March 2012 - Photo Credit: Amy Ettinger

For a more intimate experience, music lovers and barflies flock to The Top Hat bar. A 475-person venue with an endless repertoire of acts, The Hat is a little more reminiscent of what Nectar’s is to Burlington. The stage has hosted hundreds of performers including big-time acts like EOTO, Bassnectar, Lotus, Conspirator, and The Infamous Stringdusters.

[CHECK OUT Headstash Magazine's photo feature on jam bands, blues bands and electronic acts all under the same roof at The Top Hat in Missoula.]

Lately, the scene has been densely populated by electronic and dubstep acts, shadowing an explosive national trend. Many of the womp and stomp producers such as Paper Diamond, MiM0SA, and Crizzly, have been attracting an increasingly younger underage crowd.

The Adams Center on the university campus features the largest, arena-sized venue in town, which has hosted Widespread Panic and Furthur in the past few years.

Due to the size of the city compared to many other Montana towns, Missoula garners a majority of the concerts, festivals and events in the state. It’s also a popular destination spot on the route from Chicago to Seattle.

Going Green

“Keep Missoula Weird,” is a catchphrase plastered on the bumpers and windows of numerous pick-ups, Subarus and SUVs. The city adopted the moniker from Austin, Texas – which it’s often compared to – and it embodies the eccentric heart and soul of the town and its colorful constituents.

In a primarily red political state, Missoula is undoubtedly one of the most liberal areas.

In 2009, after Attorney General Eric Holder announced that there would no longer be any federal raids on state-legalized medical marijuana dispensaries, Montana, and Missoula in particular, witnessed a monumental uprising in the medical marijuana industry. Hundreds of caregivers set up shop in dispensaries that opened their doors to over 25,000 patients statewide.

Crizzly in Missoula in 2012 - Photo Credit: Amy Ettinger

Flipping through the pages of local newspapers, it’s almost impossible to browse a page without encountering at least one ad for one of the hundreds of local caregivers and dispensaries.

Medi-headies bestowed a vast economic gain upon the community. But John Masterson, an advocate of Montana NORML, describes the medical nug experience over the past two years after Holder’s declaration as tumultuous.

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Statewide mobile marijuana clinics and an abundance of head shops sparked public unease and doubt. The Montana legislature responded by repealing medical marijuana and replacing it with a new onerous program, Masterson said.

“Thousands of people and many businesses have since dropped out of the program and presumably returned to the black market,” he said.

Meanwhile, Missoula and its marijuana industry have suffered at the hands of drug task forces and dispensary seizures and raids. Though proponents for legalization are growing as a result, the situation remains as sticky as the finest herb.

The Three R’s

Missoula is a city that lives and breaths the triple R’s – reduce, reuse and recycle. Implemented within sustainable businesses, agriculture and locally sourced restaurant ingredients, the community is dedicated to the preservation of its rivers, mountains and backcountry.

Crizzly in Missoula in 2012 - Photo Credit: Amy Ettinger

Community gardens, recycled resource organizations and co-ops prosper among Missoula’s eco-minded citizens.

Missoula is a community characterized by it’s own unique and special economy – an economy rooted in small businesses and local markets that genuinely defines why Montana may just be the “last best place.”

Inhabitants and enthusiasts wear that slogan with pride.

The familiar oddities, abundance of passionate and creative spirits and the indebted prospect of aesthetic and intrinsic natural beauty are what fuels this place as a reflection of the frontier-less new American West.

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Amy Ettinger is Headstash staff writer and a University of Montana student living in Missoula.