The Western Montana Musicians Co-op hosted a day concert for local senior citizens last Friday at the Pearl Theater in Ronan.  

Pete Moller and his band used to travel to senior centers and play live concerts, but due to their busy schedule they haven’t been able to do it anymore. However, Moller still wanted to provide live music to these communities and decided with his wife, Shannon, to bring it all together.  

“We got really booked and couldn't do it anymore, and so this is a way to bring them all in and do it all at once, and kind of get a good thing going,” Pete said.  

The Co-op is based out of the Pearl Theater, which is the Entertainer Theater in Ronan. The Co-op changed the name to honor the original owner Pearl who envisioned it as a performance venue in 1917. The theater was built as a performance venue and used as one until it was changed to a movie theater.  

Pete, who is the vice chair on the board of the Co-op, coordinated his band and another band called the Kenmille to play for the crowd, giving them a mix of classic rock, old country and older rock music.  

Shannon works for the Center for Aging and helped facilitate transportation. Pete explained that the Center for Aging helped get seniors to the concert from nursing homes, assisted living, and local senior centers.  

Pete explained that he learned senior citizens are given a small budget per month of $50 for spending on clothes, hair products and little items. This led the Mollers to organize gift baskets for the group.  

They made 50 gift baskets with oil change items, dinner and a movie gift cards, foot creams and “all the good smelling lotions.” Pete said these donations were made possible by Mission Valley Printing, Coca-Cola, the Hallsted family and a restaurant called Pearl and Vine.  

To win a basket, seniors could put their name down, and there was a drawing later to announce the winner. Pete said they had an attendance of about 65 people and the event went better than expected. The Co-op is discussing doing this again for the local senior citizens, but due to the cold and flu season they are planning to do it again in the Spring.    96-year-old Vivian Ross enjoys the live music at the Pearl Theater on Oct. 24. (Emily Messer/Leader)