Missoula City Band

Missoula City Band Conductor Gary Gillette is readying his group for another season of summer concerts in the park (7:30 p.m. every Wednesday at Bonner Park). The opening gig on June 18 will salute the Big Band era. Check out the band’s full season offerings at missoulacityband.org.

Missoulians have always loved music, especially band music. Within a few years of the city’s establishment, the Missoula Coronet Band was formed. The band, wrote the local paper, was “progressing finely, under the instruction of the efficient teacher, Professor A.B. Charpie."

One hundred years ago, it looked like the Missoula City Band was done. Kaput. All washed up. Finished. Out of business. Down the drain. Wiped out. Or as announced in the local paper, “The Garden City Band has disbanded and presented its instruments to the University Band.”