Can One Tree Save a Forest? Find Out at the Black Ram Guitar Fest

Can a single tree, once a seed and now a guitar, inspire a movement to save an ancient forest? The Black Ram Guitar Fest, set for September 28, 2024, at The Wilma in Missoula, is betting on it.

This groundbreaking event, presented by The Montana Project in partnership with the Maclean Literary Festival and Whitefish Review, brings music, poetry and celebration into the fight to defend the Yaak Valley’s Black Ram forest against a proposed clearcut. “This is not like any other concert or eco-event you’ve experienced,” says writer, activist and event organizer Rick Bass.

The night centers around one magnificent guitar crafted by Breedlove for their “All in This Together” campaign with actor and long-time Montanan Jeff Bridges. The story of this forest, this guitar and its music may yet change the course of its fate.

“Missoula has always been the seat of creativity, offering a bold vision for environmental issues both locally and globally,” said Bass, founder of The Montana Project. “The defense of the ancient rainforest at Black Ram and the proposal to designate it the nation’s first Climate Refuge continues in this vein of effective and exciting citizen activism. On September 28 with a single guitar, which was once but a seed, we will showcase and celebrate Missoula’s climate leadership in these burning times.”

The Black Ram Guitar Fest isn’t just a concert; it’s a clarion call to harness Montana’s unmatched artistic heritage in the fight against climate change. Indigenous voices will begin the evening, and musicians James McMurtry, Jeffrey Foucault, Pico Alt, Caroline Keys, Nate Biehl, Gibson Hartwell and Siri Saeteren will play. Environmental luminary Bill McKibben will emcee the evening, and poet Beth Ann Fennelly and writer Rick Bass will lend their voices to this urgent cause. Montana’s own Lander and Badge Busse, along with the innovative light artists Animal Land, round out the one-of-a-kind lineup. Beyond creating awareness, the Black Ram Guitar Fest is a call to action. With the knowledge that old-growth forests can absorb 12 percent of the world’s annual carbon output, proceeds from the event support broad efforts to designate the Black Ram forest as the nation’s first Climate Refuge.

Event Details:
– Date: September 28, 2024
– Venue: The Wilma, Missoula, Montana
– Doors Open: 6:30 PM
– Show Starts: 7:30 PM

Tickets, priced at $20 plus donation, are available through www.blackramguitarfest.org and Logjam Ticketing. For more information, visit www.blackramguitarfest.org.