Bands & Musicians in Idaho

Boise gave rock radio Paul Revere and the Raiders in the 1960s and, decades later, the indie rock of Built to Spill, whose influence made the city a regular stop for touring underground bands. Treefort Music Fest now fills downtown venues each spring. Rural Idaho keeps older traditions alive through the National Oldtime Fiddlers' Contest in Weiser and country and folk circles in small towns statewide.

Boise's circuit runs from the Neurolux, a downtown bar room anchoring the indie scene, to the Knitting Factory and The Olympic for mid-size touring shows. Garden City's Revolution Concert House and Visual Arts Collective add capacity next door, while The Hive in Sandpoint and Ketchum's Argyros serve the north and the resort towns.

Built to Spill and frontman Doug Martsch put Boise on the indie rock map, following Paul Revere and the Raiders two generations earlier. Folk singer Rosalie Sorrels, songwriter Josh Ritter of Moscow, and blues-tinged Eilen Jewell also trace roots to the state.

Boise is the clear hub, with open mics and all-ages shows clustered downtown and in Garden City, and Treefort week offering dense networking each spring. Moscow and Coeur d'Alene support college and regional gigs. Musicians elsewhere can bridge the long distances between towns by finding bandmates and collaborators on BandMate.