Smiling Dog Records

Recent Posts

Seattle band, 2 local bands play Sunday at Smiling Dog

SSDD

The Beatnik City Council invites you to remember the 5th of November with a free all-ages show Sunday night at Smiling Dog Records, 2702 Minnesota Ave. The show will feature Seattle’s SSDD (Steal Shit Do Drugs), playing what the Beatnik City Council calls an “elite brand of raucous punk.” Two local outfits will also perform, “the wunderkinder Silverbow Society and Coors-rockers The Budgets.” The Beatnik City Council is a group that came together to support and promote arts and culture in Billings, its flagship event being the Richard Dreyfest. The Smiling Dog show will start at 6 p.m., according to a press release, “with the service of refreshments and quality conversation,” with the music starting at 7. Continue Reading →

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Vinyl tribute planned for musicians who left us in 2016

Shamrock

Smiling Dog Records owner Mike Ludlam was standing behind the counter of his Minnesota Avenue shop Wednesday afternoon, looking through a collection of records by musicians who died in 2016. He’d already mentioned Prince, David Bowie, Glenn Frey, Sharon Jones, Merle Haggard, Leonard Cohen, Keith Emerson and Vanity, one of Prince’s proteges. (more…) Continue Reading →

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A little Kiss on Minnesota Avenue

Ace

We couldn’t resist this scene Monday afternoon. Nicole Knight of Advantage Signs and Graphics was completing a portrait of Ace Frehley, former lead guitar player for Kiss, on the outside of Smiling Dog Records at 2702 Minnesota Ave. Knight said she has been friends with Mike Ludlam, the owner of Smiling Dog Records, for more than 25 years. Ludlam opened the used-vinyl store in February. He blacked out the windows on the north side of the store and asked Knight to do adorn them with her paintings. Continue Reading →

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Old technology, aging rockers gather at new vinyl store

Group

An aging technology and an aging set of musicians both showed plenty of life at a store opening in Billings on Saturday. Smiling Dog Records, at South 27th Street and Minnesota Avenue, combined its grand opening with a record release party for “Long Time Comin’: Lost Sounds from the Treasure State,” a double album of Montana music from 1958 to 1969 compiled by Dave Martens of Havre. (more…) Continue Reading →

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Fieldhouse owner to open coffee shop, bakery next door

Harman

Ben Harman is planning to bring more good food and drink to Minnesota Avenue. Nearly four years after he and his wife, Krystal, opened the Fieldhouse restaurant at 2601 Minnesota Ave., Harman is preparing to convert the former Gym Jay space into the Annex Coffeehouse and Bakery. (more…) Continue Reading →

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