The Story Behind the "M"

The "M" is 620 feet above the Missoula Valley floor. It is 125' feet long and 100' feet wide. University of Montana forestry students cut the switchbacks into the side of the hill in the early 1900's. The first "M" was assembled out of whitewashed rocks in 1909, and given a fresh coat of paint by freshmen every year, until 1968, when all those rocks were cemented together with concrete.

Photo by Nelson Kenter, kenterphotography.com

Archive for the ‘Nightlife’ Category

Make it Missoula Monday | Week of Feb 23

Check out the various bands and live music all over Missoula sprinkled with an Independent film or a fundraiser. ... more

My Kingdom for a Glue Stick

BY BOB WIRE-Living among a bunch of creative types keeps life interesting. And expensive. This occurred to me today as I was searching high and low for a glue stick. ... more

Kate Voegele Plays at Stage 112 on Feb 20th

Kate Voegele first picked up a guitar at age 15. Influenced by the rock and roll history of the city and her father’s songwriting, she began to pen her own songs from the minute she learned to play her first ... more

Shake Off the Winter Blues and Try Some Brews

Come on out to Caras Park for the fifth annual Winter BrewFest on Friday, Feb. 27, 2015 from 5-10 pm featuring live entertainment, beer, wine, food and more!... more

Make it Missoula Monday | Week of Feb 23

Check out the various bands and live music all over Missoula sprinkled with an Independent film or a fundraiser. ... more

Inside the Glamorous World of Journalism

By BOB WIRE- Another Friday morning, another tedious story meeting at the newspaper. I had bigger fish to fry. That’s why I smelled like fish...... more

Make it Missoula Monday | Week of Feb 9

Check out the various bands and live music all over Missoula sprinkled with an Independent film or a fundraiser. ... more

Sandwich Guy

By BOB WIRE- During Grizzly games I've been helping out at Paisano's Sandwich Counter. Oh, don't worry—I'm not actually handling the food. I handle the money and the schmoozing.... more

Make it Missoula Monday | Week of Feb 2

Check out the various bands and live music all over Missoula sprinkled with an Independent film or a fundraiser. ... more

The Seinfeld of Blog Posts

By BOB WIRE- You think it's a cakewalk, coming up with a new topic to write a thousand words about every week? And not be about farts? Not that Missoula isn't rife with material. ... more

Make it Missoula Monday | Week of Jan 26

Check out the various bands and live music all over Missoula sprinkled with an Independent film or a fundraiser. ... more

The Bar Gig From Hell Part 2: The Revenge

By BOB WIRE- The bartenders poured stiff drinks. That’s what got us through another night of pop country requests, complaints about the disco balls, and a general absence of love in the room. ... more

Make it Missoula Monday | Week of Jan 19

Check out the various bands and live music all over Missoula sprinkled with an Independent film or a fundraiser. ... more

The Bar Gig From Hell, Part I

By BOB WIRE- My ego was beaten like a dirty throw rug this weekend, when we played a double-header in a new bar in unfamiliar territory. I overheard someone say, “who the hell is Bob Wire?” ... more

Make it Missoula Monday | Week of Jan 12

Check out the various bands and live music all over Missoula sprinkled with an Independent film or a fundraiser. ... more

The Guitar that Invented Rock n’ Roll

By BOB WIRE- The Fender Stratocaster is to rock and roll what the basketball is to basketball. Its importance to rock music can’t be overstated.... more

Make it Missoula Monday | Week of Jan 5

Check out the various bands and live music all over Missoula sprinkled with an Independent film or a fundraiser. ... more

Make it Missoula Monday | Week of Dec 29

Check out the various bands and live music all over Missoula sprinkled with an Independent film or a fundraiser. ... more

Country A Cappela Band, Home Free In Concert March 16

When country a cappella band Home Free was crowned Season 4 Champions of NBC's The Sing-Off, their victory was by no means the beginnings of a career for the five country stars from Minnesota… ... more

Make it Missoula Monday | Week of Dec 22

Check out the various bands and live music all over Missoula sprinkled with an Independent film or a fundraiser. ... more

Top Album Picks for 2014

By BOB WIRE- I'm sorry, but if you make beats that doesn't make you a musician or songwriter any more than picking up dog poop makes me a veterinarian.... more

Make it Missoula Monday | Week of Dec 8

Check out the various bands and live music all over Missoula sprinkled with an Independent film or a fundraiser. ... more

Ten Things To Tell Your Dog Today

By BOB WIRE- My dog Houdini knows fewer English language words than Koko the gorilla. If only for one day, this magnificent beast could understand everything I’m telling him.... more

Make it Missoula Monday | Week of Dec 8

Check out the various bands and live music all over Missoula sprinkled with an Independent film or a fundraiser. ... more

My Turkey Can Beat Your Turkey

By BOB WIRE- Our Thanksgiving meal was circumvented in a twisted, serpentine, Gordian knot of cooking contortions thanks to the numerous dietary considerations presented by our family.... more

Make it Missoula Monday | Week of Dec 1

Check out the various bands and live music all over Missoula sprinkled with an Independent film or a fundraiser. ... more

It’s Supposed to Be No Fun. You’re Sick.

By BOB WIRE- The phone rings. "Dad," says a voice that sounds like Louis Armstrong with a sinus infection. "I don't feel good." It's Nurse Dad to the rescue!... more

Make it Missoula Monday | Week of Nov 24

Check out the various bands and live music all over Missoula sprinkled with an Independent film or a fundraiser. ... more

You Spin Me Right ‘Round, Baby

By BOB WIRE- I enjoy moving at a high rate of speed without really getting anywhere so I was perfectly suited to participate in the second annual Ride-A-Thon, a fund raiser for A Carousel For Missoula.... more

Make it Missoula Monday | Week of Nov 17

Check out the various bands and live music all over Missoula sprinkled with an Independent film or a fundraiser. ... more

Make it Missoula Monday | Week of Nov 10

Check out the various bands and live music all over Missoula sprinkled with an Independent film or a fundraiser. ... more

You Can’t Take That On The Plane

By BOB WIRE- I traveled to the Bay Area last week to play some music at a fund raiser. The Delta agent looked at my guitar case like it contained fifty pounds of Ebola-infested squid.... more

Make it Missoula Monday | Week of Nov 3

Check out the various bands and live music all over Missoula sprinkled with an Independent film or a fundraiser. ... more

40 Ways to Hog the Hot Tub

By BOB WIRE- Like to be by yourself in the hot tub? if you give one of these little conversational nuggets a try, you might be surprised at how quickly you find yourself alone.... more

Make it Missoula Monday | Week of Oct 27

Check out the various bands and live music all over Missoula sprinkled with an Independent film or a fundraiser. ... more

Phones In Restaurants: Less Welcome Than Cockroaches

By BOB WIRE-If you're sitting with someone in a restaurant, reading this blog on your phone, I hope the waitress spills a pot of scalding coffee all over your naughty bits. And your phone.... more

Make it Missoula Monday | Week of Oct 20

Check out the various bands and live music all over Missoula sprinkled with an Independent film or a fundraiser. ... more

My Bad: I’m the King of Inappropriate

By BOB WIRE- Who among us has not said something extremely inappropriate in a setting full of horrified witnesses? I should have a mantel full of trophies for that shit.... more

Make it Missoula Monday | Week of Oct 13

Check out the various bands and live music all over town sprinkled with an occasional farmers market and fundraisers. ... more

Aging Disgracefully With Rock’n Roll

By BOB WIRE- There’s a ton of great music out there, but we elder specimens either can’t hear it or can’t relate to it.... more

Make it Missoula Monday | Week of Oct 6

Check out the various bands and live music all over town sprinkled with an occasional farmers market and fundraisers. ... more

Turning Japanese, I Really Think So

By BOB WIRE- The decision to host an exchange student had been a last-minute one. “Should we buy some Japanese food? You know, sushi or, I don’t know, egg rolls? Rice-a-Roni?”... more

Make it Missoula Monday | Week of Sept 29

Check out the various bands and live music all over town sprinkled with an occasional farmers market and fundraisers. ... more

A Deed Most Fowl

By BOB WIRE-(VIDEO) When a semi loaded with 35,000 pounds of raw chicken sits in a truck stop parking lot for several days in the heat of Missoula's Indian summer, well, it ain't how they make perfume, brother.... more

Make it Missoula Monday | Week of Sept 22

Check out the various bands and live music all over town sprinkled with an occasional farmers market and fundraisers. ... more

Make it Missoula Monday | Week of Sept 15

Check out the various bands and live music all over town sprinkled with an occasional farmers market and fundraisers. ... more

Don’t Let Your Gourd Down: The Pumpkin Spice Invasion

By BOB WIRE-It shows up every fall, just after Labor Day, as predictable as foot fungus on a high school football player and as unwanted as teen pregnancy. Pumpkin flavored ale. ... more

Make it Missoula Monday | Week of Sept 8

Check out the various bands and live music all over town sprinkled with an occasional farmers market and fundraisers. ... more

Top Ten Debut Albums

By BOB WIRE-What makes a great debut album? I mean, besides a crappy second album. Luck plays a big part, as does talent, chemistry, strong songs and the golden touch of the right producer. ... more

Make it Missoula Monday | Week of Sept 1

Check out the various bands and live music all over town sprinkled with an occasional farmers market and fundraisers. ... more