TF PRE-BLAST: SHANNON & THE CLAMS, IS OKAY, SHAHS, MIDNIGHT HOTDOG 7-19-15

Excited for Total Fest but wait to start having fun with us? Don't worry, we like throwing pre-parties or "pre-blasts" a few times a summer, and we're extra-special stoked to tell you about this one. The Ole Beck VFW Post #209 (a Total Fest venue) is hosting California's Shannon & The Clams (themselves Total Fest alumni) this upcoming Sunday, July 19th. If you're unawares as to the kind of music these Clams make, well, it's somewhere between doo-wop, garage, psych, surf, etc. etc. They've got a ton of killer tunes and we just love it when they visit. So so so much fun.

We're feeling pretty special that Shannon & The Clams included Missoula on their summer mini-tour. They're releasing a new LP in September and will be traveling full-on about that time but yeah, it's pretty sweet they wanna stop in in July. Missoula seems to go ape for these Clams and we're right there with you.

Joining Shannon & The Clams are locals Is Okay, Shahs (playing Total Fest this year), and Midnight Hotdog (the first show from Total Fest alumni Adelaide and Mikki of Needlecraft as well as Max Bauerly from Slut River). We're hoping this blast will get you folks in the mood to totally party with us in August.



PERTINENT INFO: Shannon & The Clams, Is Okay, Shahs, and Midnight Hotdog play the Ole Beck VFW Post #209 on Sunday, July 19th at 9pm. Advance tickets are $8 from Ear Candy Music or $9 from Total Fest (there's some fees related to online sales). Tickets on the day of the show are $10 for those 21+ or $15 for those 18-20.

TOTAL FEAST!!

We're just over two weeks away from this year's Total Fest. We're extremely proud of the line-up and couldn't be more excited to see everyone again this summer. It's a testament to our mission statement that bands and people from all over the country, continent, and globe make special trips to Missoula for Total Fest each year. It's really humbling.

By now you know that we do everything that we can to keep Total Fest an all-ages, not for profit, volunteer driven festival. This requires additional costs on our part. We're not here to massage some guilt ridden sympathies from you but to acknowledge all the hard work our sponsors and volunteers put in to help keep Total Fest rolling all these years.

Our biggest fund raiser and what is essentially our Total Kick-off happens this Sunday, August 4 at BigaPizza. Between 5 and 8 PM all you have to do is pull together $10 or so and head down to Biga for one of the best deals of the summer. That's right. $10 gets you all you can eat pizza and salad. This isn't some cardboard crust, ketchup and string cheese pizza, either. Bob Marshall and his fabulous staff compose some of the most blissful creations. Try the Caramelized Goat (caramelized onions, goat cheese, fresh herbs, mozzarella, roasted garlic & olive oil), or the Fennel Marmalade , Bacon & Gouda (housemade fennel marmalade, local bacon, gouda cheese, mozzarella & olive oil), or the Mushroom and Arugula (portabella and button mushrooms, herbed mascarpone, roasted garlic, mozzarella, fresh tomatoes, arugula & olive oil), or the Meatball Verde (broccoli rabe, local beef, herbed mascarpone, mozzarella, garlic, olive oil & housemade cilantro-jalapeno sauce). Hell, with this deal you get to try them all and whatever other magical creations Biga has in store for you.

Salivate.

Bob's been a long time supporter of Total Fest. Volumen have played a handful of times, including the inaugural Total Fest that birthed all of this craziness. Bacon &Egg have played a few times over the years as well. It's been an awesome and rewarding relationship. We count on the proceeds to help us out with venue costs, extra staffing to keep things all-ages, pay bands, buy food for bands and volunteers, etc. etc. We'll also have PBR on tap for $1 per glass so save a little room for beer.

Like last year, the VFW will open up their doors for additional seating. Directly following Total Feast will be an rollicking show, featuring three local bands that have deep ties to Total Fest: The Hounds, Hammshandy, and a Bauhaus cover band. Who says Sundays are quiet?

TOTAL KARAOKE
What??

In case you've been snaking your way through caves or letting your hair grow too far over your face, Total Fest is less than 36 hours away. In that time, you could beeline across the country, but then you'd be stuck there and, most likely, only have blurry car-tourist photos of the Largest Ball of Twine or Carhenge. So what's an antsy person to do? Well, our friends Colin and Tom (Shahs) have offered up their services for a Total Karaoke Kick-off / Pre-Blast:

As if Total Fest weekend couldn't get any more consumed with summer fun and debauchery, we Karaoke hosts at the VFW want to up the ante a bit and deliver a THANK YOU to all the organizers and bands that are making this tenth festival happen. This Wednesday we'll be running Karaoke like normal but with one added incentive: all of the organizers and any Total Fest bands local or otherwise will get $2 wells all night long. Keep in mind that's in addition to some of the cheapest beer prices in town! If you're wondering, the VFW is located next door to Biga Pizza on Main Street and always open to the public. There's no cover and it's always free to sing. Colin and myself (Tom) will be hosting for y'all and making sure you folks are having a great kick off to one of wildest weekends Missoula will ever see!

So whether you fancy yourself as David Byrne or Rebecca Black, march those purty faces to the VFW tonight! Who knows, you may be blessed with a rousing Tom Jones song or two.