Photo Credit: Erik Kabik

On Saturday, June 29, The String Cheese Incident stopped by Bonner, Mont.’s Kettlehouse Amphitheater in the heat of its summer tour for the first engagement of a two-night booking. The psychedelic jam outfit has traversed the country over the past few months, with sprawling North American tour dates on the ticket through November. Notably, the Big Sky State performance boasted a bust-out of 2001’s “Drifting,” which graced the stage for the first time in nearly 15 years.

To propel the evening’s first set into motion, The String Cheese Incident set out with “Rain,” then trucked on through setlist staples including a cover of Tom Petty’s 1994 classic “You Wreck Me.” The band closed out the first frame with an atmospheric jam that ramped up to the electronic fan-favorite “Rosie” for a final stint of high-speed, high-energy flair. The second set was filled with trademark SCI jams like winding opener “Rivertrance,” which preceded an expansive 16-minute rendition of Keller Williams’ “Best Feeling” and a string-heavy “Whiskey Before Breakfast” featuring a percussive interlude. After heading into a round of more recent tracks, the group leaned into their lyrical side with upbeat set-closer “Let’s Go Outside.”

Returning to the stage for an encore, the band busted out “Drifting,” last performed at Chicago’s Aragon Ballroom on Dec. 9, 2011. The bust-out was prefaced by a story from Bill Nershi about his daughter’s love for the track, which made the rare performance of the beloved track from Outside Inside even sweeter. The eccentric ensemble then closed out the evening with the uptempo folk-rocker “Colorado Bluebird Sky,” perhaps as an ode to the venue’s picturesque surroundings. 

The String Cheese Incident will hit the stage next from July 12-14 for a highly anticipated return to Morrison, Colo.’s iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre. The band’s 2024 tour will continue through early November. For tickets and more information, go to stringcheeseincident.com/#tourdates. Fans can find the full June 29 setlist to follow.

The String Cheese Incident
Kettlehouse Amphitheater – Bonner, Mont.
6/29/2024

Set I: Rain, Outside Inside, Shine, One More Time, You Wreck Me$, It Is What It Is > Kettlehouse Jam > Rosie
Set II:  Rivertrance, Best Feeling%> Whiskey Before Breakfast > Birdland > Flying West Jam> The Remington Ride > Flying West Jam> Birdland, Eventually, Get Tight, Can’t Wait Another Day > Bonner Jam > Just One Story > Let’s Go Outside
Enc.: Driftin’,* Colorado Bluebird Sky

Notes:
% Keller Williams Cover
$ Tom Petty Cover
*Bust-out of “Driftin,” last performed 12/9/2011