The scene is the one and only Pirate Party, raising the flag of the “biggest pirate-themed music and art festival in the Pacific Northwest.” This shindig runs for two days at the beautiful Lolo Hot Springs, tucked in the Bitterroot Mountains just outside of Missoula, Montana. Most cabins are sold out already, but camping is widely available.
In addition to hot springs soothing your muscles after a day of getting buck wild in Big Sky country, the bass canons will be firing at the command of headliners Bluetech, Phutureprimitive, Andreilien (formerly Heyoka), Bass Science, Love and Light and Proper Motion. Last year’s Party featured the likes of Gladkill, Thriftworks, and those nautical bass heads Robotic Pirate Monkey. Other attractions include live painting, locally made crafts and goods, and captivating fire-spinning performances.
Going into its fifth year, Pirate Party founder and owner of Musik Lives Here, Chris “Oz” Hutchinson, is excited for the event to draw in people from all over the Pacific Northwest, distributing festival handbills as far away as Sasquatch! at the Gorge and Bassnectar’s recent stint at Red Rocks. Hutchinson says the best thing about being a pirate is “all the booty.” And that the festival, although electronic-leaning, has reggae, funk, and jam bands scheduled to perform.
Oz heavily encourages group participation, that everybody dresses like a pirate and “walk the plank of their own artist within,” and let yourself go deep into Davey Jones’ beat locker. And find that burred treasure. Seriously. They’re having a treasure hunt to find all kinds of festival loot. How dope is that?
Pack up the car, brush on your pirate slang and get to Montana next weekend for one hell of a parrrrrty, you landlubbers.