Mission Mountain Wood Band
Encyclopedia
Mission Mountain Wood Band , abbreviated M2WB, is an American
bluegrass
and country rock
band formed in Missoula, Montana
in 1971. They were noted for headlining Woodstock style concerts in Montana,notably the University of Montana's Aber Day kegger. They also toured nationally, mostly playing college campuses, performing up to 320 gigs a year. The original five members were Rob Quist, Steve Riddle, Christian Johnson, Greg Reichenberg, and the late Terry Robinson, all of whom were UM students and born in Montana. The band recorded two stuido albums, and the song charted the
Later personnel changes resulted in some original band members quitting, and those remaining reformed the group as the Montana band in 1982, with some national success. After a number of personnel changes, Terry Robinson was the only remaining original member when a plane crash killed all the members of the Montana band in 1987.
Their fan base and concert experience was compared favorably to that of the Grateful Dead
, and the periodic reunion concerts held since 1992 attract new and old fans.
and banjo
player Rob Quist
and bassist
Steve Riddle met as members of the University of Montana’s audition-only Jubileers singing group. They soon recruited Terry Robinson and performed as an acoustic three-piece group before adding guitarist
Christian Johnson and drummer
Greg Reichenberg. They were mentored by Joseph Musselman, a music professor at the University. One of their earliest performances helped promote a then-young politician, Max Baucus
, to victory in his first race for the United States House of Representatives
. Baucus later returned the favor when as a U.S. Senator
, he introduced the band (sitting in the balcony) from the floor of the Senate chambers.
, which was inaccessible to their distinctive Greyhound Scenic Cruiser Bus. They also developed a reputation for their complex use of four-part vocal harmonies, the multi-instrumentality of the members, and extended concert jams. They became an annual mainstay of the Aber Day Kegger in Missoula Montana, a 1000-keg fundraiser for the University library, which was added to the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest Keg party of all time.
From 1973-1976, the band relocated to New York City
, and played in locations such as the legendary club CBGB
’s while building a national following. Their performance at the Hells Angels
National Boat Party in New York with The Grateful Dead and Bo Diddley
was filmed and released as “Angels Forever.”
In 1977 the band released their first album “In Without Knocking,” and their cover of “Take a Whiff on Me
,” became an underground party anthem across the country for years, though their own composition, "Mountain Standard Time" is now better known, and "Sweet Maria" has proved to be the nostalgic favorite of the band members themselves. All three remain staples of their set list. They opened for major acts including The Allman Brothers Band
, Charlie Daniels Band, Ozark Mountain Daredevils
, Bonnie Raitt
, and others. They appeared on National Television on the show Hee Haw
.
The band broke up in 1982 and remaining members Quist and Robinson, along with replacement member Kurt Bergeron, formed Montana, also known as the Montana Band. In this formation, they appeared on the ABC
Cheryl Ladd
Special and in other venues, recorded one album, Change in the Weather, and were best-known for the song, "Shoe's on the Other Foot Tonight," written by Rob Quist. Quist left the band after a few years for a successful solo career backed by a new band, Great Northern. Terry Robinson and Kurt Bergeron, along with manager Tom Sawan and other remaining members of the Montana Band died in a plane crash near Flathead Lake
, Montana
in 1987, when the pilot attempted to "buzz" the crowd following a concert.
, with Terry Robinson's brother Bruce Robinson filling in the fifth spot. Additional successful "reunion" concerts followed over the years, becoming more frequent as time passed, with Tim Ryan also filling the spot left by Terry Robinson.The band now plays semi-regular performances, including some out of state in locations such as Lake Tahoe
.In 2008 they released their entire recorded output in a box set entitled “Private Stash,” which included music , DVD recordings of performances and cover art by Monte Dolack
. In 2010 Montana PBS
made an award-winning documentary about the group called “Never Long Gone.” The band released a new studio album called “Reboot” in 2011 with a tour in support.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
bluegrass
Bluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
and country rock
Country rock
Country rock is sub-genre of popular music, formed from the fusion of rock with country. The term is generally used to refer to the wave of rock musicians who began to record country-flavored records in the late 1960s and early 1970s, beginning with Bob Dylan and The Byrds; reaching its greatest...
band formed in Missoula, Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
in 1971. They were noted for headlining Woodstock style concerts in Montana,notably the University of Montana's Aber Day kegger. They also toured nationally, mostly playing college campuses, performing up to 320 gigs a year. The original five members were Rob Quist, Steve Riddle, Christian Johnson, Greg Reichenberg, and the late Terry Robinson, all of whom were UM students and born in Montana. The band recorded two stuido albums, and the song charted the
Later personnel changes resulted in some original band members quitting, and those remaining reformed the group as the Montana band in 1982, with some national success. After a number of personnel changes, Terry Robinson was the only remaining original member when a plane crash killed all the members of the Montana band in 1987.
Their fan base and concert experience was compared favorably to that of the Grateful Dead
Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
, and the periodic reunion concerts held since 1992 attract new and old fans.
Origins
The Band was formed when guitaristGuitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
and banjo
Banjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
player Rob Quist
Rob Quist
Rob Quist is an American singer, guitarist, banjo player and award-winning songwriter. His songs have been recorded by artists Michael Martin Murphey and Loretta Lynn among others. He is known as a Musical and Cultural Ambassador for the state of Montana and was appointed to the Montana Arts...
and bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
Steve Riddle met as members of the University of Montana’s audition-only Jubileers singing group. They soon recruited Terry Robinson and performed as an acoustic three-piece group before adding guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
Christian Johnson and drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
Greg Reichenberg. They were mentored by Joseph Musselman, a music professor at the University. One of their earliest performances helped promote a then-young politician, Max Baucus
Max Baucus
Max Sieben Baucus is the senior United States Senator from Montana and a member of the Democratic Party. First elected to the Senate in 1978, as of 2010 he is the longest-serving Senator from Montana, and the fifth longest-serving U.S...
, to victory in his first race for the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
. Baucus later returned the favor when as a U.S. Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
, he introduced the band (sitting in the balcony) from the floor of the Senate chambers.
Career
The band's heyday ran from 1973 to 1981 and they played up to 320 shows a year in every state in the union except HawaiiHawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, which was inaccessible to their distinctive Greyhound Scenic Cruiser Bus. They also developed a reputation for their complex use of four-part vocal harmonies, the multi-instrumentality of the members, and extended concert jams. They became an annual mainstay of the Aber Day Kegger in Missoula Montana, a 1000-keg fundraiser for the University library, which was added to the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest Keg party of all time.
From 1973-1976, the band relocated to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, and played in locations such as the legendary club CBGB
CBGB
CBGB was a music club at 315 Bowery at Bleecker Street in the borough of Manhattan in New York City.Founded by Hilly Kristal in 1973, it was originally intended to feature its namesake musical styles, but became a forum for American punk and New Wave bands like Ramones, Misfits, Television, the...
’s while building a national following. Their performance at the Hells Angels
Hells Angels
The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club is a worldwide one-percenter motorcycle gang and organized crime syndicate whose members typically ride Harley-Davidson motorcycles. In the United States and Canada, the Hells Angels are incorporated as the Hells Angels Motorcycle Corporation. Their primary motto...
National Boat Party in New York with The Grateful Dead and Bo Diddley
Bo Diddley
Ellas Otha Bates , known by his stage name Bo Diddley, was an American rhythm and blues vocalist, guitarist, songwriter , and inventor...
was filmed and released as “Angels Forever.”
In 1977 the band released their first album “In Without Knocking,” and their cover of “Take a Whiff on Me
Take a Whiff on Me
"Take a Whiff on Me" is an American folk song, with references to the use of cocaine. It is also known as "Take a Whiff ", "Cocaine Habit", and "Cocaine Habit Blues".-History:...
,” became an underground party anthem across the country for years, though their own composition, "Mountain Standard Time" is now better known, and "Sweet Maria" has proved to be the nostalgic favorite of the band members themselves. All three remain staples of their set list. They opened for major acts including The Allman Brothers Band
The Allman Brothers Band
The Allman Brothers Band is an American rock/blues band once based in Macon, Georgia. The band was formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1969 by brothers Duane Allman and Gregg Allman , who were supported by Dickey Betts , Berry Oakley , Butch Trucks , and Jai Johanny "Jaimoe"...
, Charlie Daniels Band, Ozark Mountain Daredevils
Ozark Mountain Daredevils
The Ozark Mountain Daredevils are a Southern rock/country rock band formed in 1972 in Springfield, Missouri, USA. They are most widely known for their singles "If You Wanna Get To Heaven" in 1974 and "Jackie Blue" in 1975....
, Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Lynn Raitt is an American blues singer-songwriter and a renowned slide guitar player. During the 1970s, Raitt released a series of acclaimed roots-influenced albums which incorporated elements of blues, rock, folk and country, but she is perhaps best known for her more commercially...
, and others. They appeared on National Television on the show Hee Haw
Hee Haw
Hee Haw is an American television variety show featuring country music and humor with fictional rural Kornfield Kounty as a backdrop. It aired on CBS-TV from 1969–1971 before a 20-year run in local syndication. The show was inspired by Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, the major difference being...
.
The band broke up in 1982 and remaining members Quist and Robinson, along with replacement member Kurt Bergeron, formed Montana, also known as the Montana Band. In this formation, they appeared on the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
Cheryl Ladd
Cheryl Ladd
Cheryl Ladd is an American actress, singer and author. Ladd is best known for her role as Kris Munroe in the television series Charlie's Angels, hired amid a swirl of publicity prior to its second season in 1977 to replace the departing Farrah Fawcett-Majors...
Special and in other venues, recorded one album, Change in the Weather, and were best-known for the song, "Shoe's on the Other Foot Tonight," written by Rob Quist. Quist left the band after a few years for a successful solo career backed by a new band, Great Northern. Terry Robinson and Kurt Bergeron, along with manager Tom Sawan and other remaining members of the Montana Band died in a plane crash near Flathead Lake
Flathead Lake
Flathead Lake is the largest natural freshwater lake in the western part of the contiguous United States. With a surface area of between and , it is slightly larger than Lake Tahoe. The lake is a remnant of the ancient inland sea, Lake Missoula of the era of the last interglacial. Flathead Lake...
, Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
in 1987, when the pilot attempted to "buzz" the crowd following a concert.
Reunion
In 1992 the four surviving members of the original M2WB lineup reunited for a concert in Polson, MontanaPolson, Montana
Polson is a city in Lake County, Montana, United States, on the southern shore of Flathead Lake. It is also on the Flathead Indian Reservation. The population was 4,041 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Lake County...
, with Terry Robinson's brother Bruce Robinson filling in the fifth spot. Additional successful "reunion" concerts followed over the years, becoming more frequent as time passed, with Tim Ryan also filling the spot left by Terry Robinson.The band now plays semi-regular performances, including some out of state in locations such as Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe is a large freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada of the United States. At a surface elevation of , it is located along the border between California and Nevada, west of Carson City. Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America. Its depth is , making it the USA's second-deepest...
.In 2008 they released their entire recorded output in a box set entitled “Private Stash,” which included music , DVD recordings of performances and cover art by Monte Dolack
Monte Dolack
Monte A. Dolack is an American graphic artist who lives in Missoula, Montana, in the United States. Frommer's called him "one of the best-known artists in Montana." He works primarily in watercolor, acrylic paint, poster art, and lithographs...
. In 2010 Montana PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
made an award-winning documentary about the group called “Never Long Gone.” The band released a new studio album called “Reboot” in 2011 with a tour in support.