Last Best News (https://montana-mint.com/lastbestnews/tag/babcock-theatre/)
The day after Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan announced that he was retiring, an audience of 150-some energized people listened to six Democratic congressional primary candidates sound off Thursday night at the Babcock Theatre in downtown Billings. (more…) Continue Reading →
The Billings City Council hopes to offer interim City Administrator Bruce McCandless a short-term contract as official city administrator, and to find someone new for that position by next fall. The council made that decision Monday night, five weeks after the person offered the job withdrew from consideration because he and a council subcommittee could not agree on a contract. (more…) Continue Reading →
If the Billings City Council accepts the recommendation of one of its subcommittees, the Art House Cinema & Pub could soon be showing films in and operating the historic Babcock Theatre. The ad hoc committee on the future of the 110-year-old downtown theater voted 6-2 Wednesday afternoon to recommend that the full council enter into negotiations with Art House Cinema and its founder and president, Matt Blakeslee. (more…) Continue Reading →
Bethany Schatzke, who had been writing about music for The Billings Outpost until it recently ceased publication, is continuing her endeavors on her own blog, and this week has posted a good story about Railroad Earth. Here’s how she describes the band, which is opening a swing through Montana with a show at the Babcock Theatre next Wednesday:
“The New Jersey based sextet is a sort of musical chameleon going from rock to bluegrass to folk to tribal to … something delightfully indescribable, something uniquely Railroad Earth. No other labels needed.” Bethany bases her story on an interview with mandolin player John Skehan, who had a lot say about the band members’ performance style, their perpetual touring and their attitude toward free music-sharing. Continue Reading →
A week later than planned, Doc Harper’s martini bar had a “soft opening” Wednesday, throwing open its doors at 4 p.m. By 5, the place was jumping, with nearly every seat on the main level taken and more people sitting in the mezzanine. “I called some friends and texted some kids, that’s all,” Barb Harper said. “I’m amazed at all the people here.” (more…) Continue Reading →
Nearly 200 people gathered in the Babcock Theatre Wednesday to hear how other cities developed innovative programs to ease two of the biggest problems in downtown Billings. Representatives from San Diego, Calif., talked about their Serial Inebriate Program to help alcoholics finally kick the habit, and the president of Haven for Hope in San Antonio, Texas, talked about what has been described as the largest single effort in the country to do something about homelessness. (more…) Continue Reading →
Sean Lynch is planning to have a new entertainment venue in the downtown Billings Bus Depot open by late November. “I’ve got bands booked in there for December, so I hope it’s done by then,” he said. (more…) Continue Reading →
Robert K. Elder has 6-year-old twins, a boy and a girl, who’ve never been to Billings. So when Elder brings them to his hometown town this week and next, he’s planning to take them to all those places he visited as a kid — including Cody, Wyo., Yellowstone National Park and MontanaFair. Elder also hopes that he and his wife, Betsy Edgerton, can take in one night of the Magic City Blues festival while they’re here. (more…) Continue Reading →
If you live in Billings and think the recent run of heavy snowfall was bad, you should have been here in 1955. We’ve seen use of the terms “snowpocalypse” and “snowtravaganza” to describe the recent storms, but these hardly begin to compare with the storms of early April 1955. (more…) Continue Reading →
Neil Gaiman was a shrewd choice to bring in for a reading during the extended celebration of the new Billings Public Library. Appearing Friday night at the Babcock Theatre, courtesy of the Friends of the Library and the library foundation, he spoke lovingly of his own immersion in libraries as a boy and of their continuing importance in our culture. (more…) Continue Reading →
