St. John’s Summer Concert Series
- Fred & Marie Miller Pavilion
- 3940 Rimrock Road, Billings, 59102
Additional Information
With generous support from our fabulous slate of sponsors, St. John’s welcomes thousands of folks for free evenings of song and dance on five Thursday nights throughout the summer!
The Summer Concert Series has come a long way from its humble beginnings in 1997 with a modest attendance of fewer than 100 fans. With 19 seasons under our belt, it is not unusual to have 2,000 fans gathered to enjoy one our concerts during the season, with season attendance around 10,000.
July 27th: The Midlife Chryslers
In 1997, a small group of physicians began gathering regularly to play music and relax away from the pressures of their vocation. Bob Snider, Mac McClave, and Doug Ezell would play and sing old folk tunes and rock standards. It was pretty ragged at first. After a while, though, they were sounding pretty good and added two more doctors: Hal Forseth and Jim Epler. They had a great time and began to sound almost good. Paula McClave joined. Then for Christmas, 1999, their shifty wives booked them a gig! It was to be the following April at the Club Carlin. They panicked! They practiced! A lot!! They came up with a name. The MidLife Chryslers were born!
Playing for a few friends and loved ones went pretty well, and a few more gigs were added. A few more electric guitars and amps were added, too, and they began to sound more and more like a real rock band. Epler retired from the band and late in 2000, Mark Moak joined as drummer. Just as they were getting going, the death of Bob Snider in March 2001 dealt them a major setback. After a few months off, however, the music and the spirit of Bob called them back and the Chryslers re-formed. With the additions of Russ Harvey and Cathy Hansen Brown, the MidLife Chryslers took another form.
In 2006, Mac and Paula left the band; Hal moved over to bass and Scott Millikan came on play lead guitar. Shortly after, Holly Hansen Flack joined the Chryslers as lead female vocalist. In 2008, four horn players joined the band, adding a new sound to the Chryslers. Kevin McBride and Laury Seely on trumpet, Steve Patton on trombone and Laurel Linde on saxophone.