Zappa rocks Flathead Lake Lodge in opening night of Crown Festival

It seemed fitting that the song being sung on Sunday evening at Flathead Lake Lodge was about moving to Montana, riding horses and starting a farm.

Except this song was about a dental floss farm, and the wrangler was “on a pygmy pony over by the dental floss bush.”

“Moving to Montana” is a classic Frank Zappa tune from the 1970s about starting a dental floss farm in Montana. “I’d pluck some floss. Melt it down, put it in a little white box that I can, sell up town.”

This is no love song. It’s a song performed one of the late great rockers. His son, Dweezil Zappa, performed the song Sunday evening under a large white tent on the grounds of Flathead Lake Lodge.

Horses grazed and whinnied nearby, while inside the tent about 600 people were seriously rocking out.

Of course an evening of music in Montana wouldn’t be complete without some country folk and country rock, so Rob Quist and his Great Northern Band got the crowd going. Quist’s daughter, Halladay Quist, shined with her songwriting and vocal talents.

Then, to a roar of applause, Zappa took the stage with his drummer, bassist and keyboardist/vocalist. While Zappa did not sing, as his father did, his keyboarder Scheila Gonzalez brought those old lyrics back to life.

The music continues this week with several Crown of the Continent events.

 There will be performances at three restaurants in Bigfork featuring the alumni and workshop scholarship winners. Guitarists perform Aug. 25 at Showthyme, Aug. 27 at Grill 459 and Aug. 28 at the Bigfork Inn. All of the shows are 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., allowing plenty of time for the audience to enjoy a meal before the evening concerts at Flathead Lake Lodge.

FLATHEAD LAKE LODGE EVENTS

Aug. 27, 7:30 p.m.

Lee Ritenour takes the stage with his team of John Beasley, keyboards, Abe Laboriel, bass and Sonny Emory, drums.

Aug. 28, 7:30 p.m.

John Oates, newly elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his band Hall and Oates, will be bringing bandmates Shane Theriot, guitar, Michael Jude, bass and John Michel, drums. Opening the concert will be David Leisner, a distinguished composer and master teacher who will present solo classical guitar pieces as well as a performance of the Boccherini Quintet in D with the Glacier Symphony String Quartet.

Aug. 30, 4:30 p.m.

From 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. young outstanding artists will be featured on an outdoor stage at the lodge.

For a complete listing of artists and activities visit the cocguitarfoundation.org or call 855-855-5900.