With bats hanging from the rafters and scary spiders lurking around the room, the stage at the Red Poppy in Ronan was full of music icons Saturday night – Willie Nelson, for one, and Bonnie Raitt. 

Actually they were costumed musicians paying homage to heroes at the Western Montana Musicians Co-op Halloween party.

The Halloween bash is getting musicians warmed up for their Nov. 11 celebration of the WMMC’s fourth anniversary. That’s Veteran’s Day, which will be acknowledged, say organizers. 

Music will begin at 3 p.m. and continue until midnight. Several bands from out of town are planning to attend, as well as locals. The roster includes The Late Bloomers, Mark  Chase, Andre Floyd, Don Teschner, Mojo Resurrected, Highway 93, and National Remedy. And All Star Jam closes the evening.

Also on tap is a silent auction of unique items and experiences. The entrance fee is $5, and wine, beer and food will be available.

This event kicks off a fundraiser aimed at providing more instruments for lessons for young people and helping the co-op find a permanent home. 

“A joyful experiment” 

Doug Ruhman, who co-founded the WMMC with Keith Rennie, notes that the co-op's goal is to bring western Montana together through music. 

“It's a really amazing organization,” he explained. “There are lots of diverse people from all walks of life, with different interests and abilities.”

The WMMC is a member-driven organization since each person pays $25 per month. This modest fee gives them access to the co-op’s space at the Red Poppy, which is equipped with a stage, sound system and an array of instruments. 

Members can utilize the space and the instruments to rehearse, teach lessons, or even host a recital.

Each week the doors are open to the public on Friday and Saturday nights. On Friday nights at 7 p.m., it’s open mic night. Single musicians or a band usually come with four or five prepared pieces of music and take the stage to share their talents.

“Our doors are open,” Ruhman said. “The public is welcome to come listen.”

On Saturday night, it’s more of a jam session. “Musicians come and hop up on stage and play together,” said Ruhman. "It’s a joyful experiment each week.” 

An aspect of WMMC that’s unusual is that there’s room for beginners, intermediate players and even people who’ve played in bands for years.

When WWMC was created in October 2019, Ruhman said the group wanted a family-friendly location for musicians – “a bar that wasn’t a bar, since there isn’t much live music outside of bars.”  

The Red Poppy stage is populated with dozens of  instruments, including three drums, lots of percussion, three kinds of keyboards, various guitars, as well as professional lighting and a state-of-the-art sound system. 

Over the years, WMMC has become a place for musicians to gather and a way for people to connect. COVID actually helped keep the co-op alive, Ruhman said, by providing a much-needed place to gather. 

The group has just recently added a dance floor. Their hope is people will come and dance and have fun, sort of like the old-time country dances at which everyone from grandparents to babies attended, everybody danced, and at midnight “lunch” was served. 

The WMMC might not serve a midnight meal, but people have come out of the woodwork, Ruhman said. He had no idea the group would have so many people interested. So naturally the co-op wants to continue growing. 

To help with the co-op continue to flourish, donations may be made in person at the Red Poppy. Checks can be mailed to WMMC Treasurer, 311663 Rocky Point Road, Polson, MT 59860. You also can contribute via PayPal and online at westmtmusiccoop.com.

    WMMC founder Doug Ruhman and John Hegel admire the co-op's new state-of-the-art sound system. (WMMC photo)