by John Dowd
The Darby Rodeo Association and Save the American West are coming together for a concert with a mission. Their concert and fundraiser on May 11th will draw big names in the country music scene, along with a small town upcoming star, all with the goal of bringing people together over the love of the West. They hope with support during the event, they will be able to make a go at establishing rodeo as Montana’s state sport.
For Tony Hudson, a Stevensville resident and founder of Save the American West, the concert is more than just about music and rodeo. For him, it is about American values and few things showcase this more than country music and rodeo.
Hudson spoke about the artists that will be playing during the event. He started with Clare Dunn, saying her story is one of great personal accomplishment and growth. She is well known in country music, and has opened for numerous other artists including Luke Bryan, Bob Seger, Florida Georgia Line and many others. Hudson spoke about her overcoming an assault by a Lyft driver. The Lyft company is similar to Uber, and though the attack was apparently brutal, Hudson said Dunn continued strong with her career, and used the experience to write a song themed on fighting back. Hudson also referenced how she grew up on a farm and from a young age worked on it. For Hudson, she and the other artists that will be performing are tied to the American values the event is all about.
Another artist playing at the event will be Chance McKinney. McKinney grew up locally, in Lolo, and became a school teacher in Seattle. He changed his life when he took on a career in music and was eventually awarded CMT’s number one “unsigned” country music artist in the nation.
The final artist will be Thompson Falls born-and-bred upcoming musician Tanner Laws. Laws started studying music in college while pursuing a degree in engineering. He never imagined it would take him where it has.
“The people of Montana are such good people, and that’s a big part of what keeps me motivated,” said Laws. His music centers a lot on the outdoors and hunting, which he believes is where he shines. For him, it is surprising that more country music does not use this as a subject matter, given how much people try to orient their lives around the hunting season.
Laws is passionate about the old country music style of traditional storytelling, and said he seems to be seeing a comeback in that space.He believes that ties back into the American values Hudson wants to promote with this concert. According to Laws, these values come back to “patriotism, God and community. Really, people helping people.” That last element, including people and honesty, means a lot to Laws. The young artist said he puts a lot of stock in good old fashioned integrity, and looks for that in the places he plays in. He believes there is a lot to be said about avoiding big corporate money, and making deals on a simple handshake. For him, “that trust weighs heavily on if I will come back and play a venue again,” said Laws.
This will be a huge opportunity for Laws to play with these other stars. “I’m super blessed and grateful for this opportunity,” said Laws. He is amazed that there are not more Montana born country music stars, with the state being “so iconically country.”
These stories are what Hudson believes tie in to the importance of rodeo, and why he and others want to make it the state sport. As with music, and the personal journey to find oneself in the world, Hudson believes rodeo does this for young people. According to Hudson, many farm and ranch kids often do not see notoriety in any other space. Many may not play sports, or have time for after school extracurricular activities.
Hudson also believes that a huge percentage of youth that compete in rodeo when they are young will continue into the sport, both professionally, or significantly throughout their lives. They often do this through horse-back riding, ranch work or even organizing rodeo events and working directly in the sport. The same cannot be said about traditional sports, where only 0.023% of student athletes will go on to play professionally, according to a study done by Ohio State University.
In rodeo, “anyone can participate,” said Hudson. He says that if a person wants to come down off the stands and pay the entrance fee, they can hop on a horse and give their best try. Though this may be ill advised for many, Hudson said this illustrates the point. “Rodeo exemplifies the spirit of America,” said Hudson, which cannot always be said about other sports where a player has to make a team to become recognized. In contrast, rodeo is an individual sport, where anyone can try and can have pride in what they accomplish. When asked about what this means to kids, Hudson believes this personal accomplishment provides for the growth of self esteem and finding relevance in the world.
To Hudson, that last thing is especially important for young people. “What can a kid do these days to be relevant?” said Hudson. He said rodeo is something that fosters personal growth, and fits with his organization’s initiative of “saving the American West,” and those traditional ideals. They hope the proceeds from this concert will help their organization gather signatures in the push to name rodeo as Montana’s state sport. “I think it’s the education of the youth that saves our country and saves our western way of life,” said Hudson.
The concert will take place at the Darby Rodeo grounds on May 11 at 6 p.m. Laws may be starting the event off early, according to Hudson, who wants to feature upcoming talent. The gates will open at 4 p.m. General admission will be $35, and VIP tables are available for eight persons at $1,000. Tickets are available online at darbyrodeo.org.
More information about Hudson’s initiative, and ways to help out and volunteer, can be found on the site savetheamericanwest.com.