On the heels of releasing his fourth studio album, The Mountain Goat, on Aug. 21, Wyoming native Ian Munsick capped his Western Road to The Mountain Goat Tour last Friday (Sep. 18) in Deadwood, S.D. with the grand opening of Ian Munsick’s Cowboy Bar & Western Grill.
With a line spanning two blocks to get into the bar on Friday and Saturday morning, fans were met with sponsor activations by Schaefer Outfitter, Crown Royal and Coors, while Drew Kirby with Townsquare held a live radio broadcast.
Munsick’s friends and family welcomed the crowd and helped break in the outdoor performance stage on Friday with a daylong celebration featuring appearances by Philip Bowen, Ross Cooper, Ashland Craft, Kylie Frey, Jenna LaMaster, The Munsick Boys, Tyler Nance, Faren Rachels, Kellen Smith, Kasey Tyndall and The Mountain Goat producers Jeremy Spillman and Mike Robinson.
During Robinson and Spillman’s set, Munsick made a surprise appearance to thank his friends and fans alike for showing up. Addressing his co-producers, Munsick remarked, “These guys have spent thousands of hours working on my music, and it’s an honor to have them as well as all of the other singer/songwriters that flew in from all over the country to be here. Thank you guys for being here, and welcome to Ian Munsick’s Cowboy Bar & Western Grill!”
To his fans, he added, “Most importantly, thank you guys for being here. I know a lot of you drove hours and hours, or had to hop on airplanes, to be here. So thank you.”
Munsick then offered fans a unique opportunity to ask him questions about his music, the bar, and more before playing an acoustic performance of “Long Live Cowgirls.”
When asked about his favorite part of opening the bar, Munsick gave his wife Caroline the credit, sharing, “She was here from the very beginning. And the Keatings too: Arden, Alec, Gerard. They really allowed us to come in here and just do our thing. They have been a huge help, but Caroline… She told me the first time that we played the Red Dirt Fest at the Deadwood Mountain Grand five years ago, ‘We’re going to have our own bar here someday.’ And sure as shit, five years later here we are. Being able to watch my wife accomplish such an amazing feat in not a lot of time is pretty incredible.”
Ian and Caroline Munsick partnered with The Landmark Hotel & Casino to design the over 2,600 square foot space within the hotel. Personal touches throughout the bar include displays of Caroline and Ian’s first ACM Awards red carpet outfits designed by Manuel Cuevas, western inspired murals by Oglala Lakota and Mohawk Western Artist Isaiah Stewart, Munsick’s first Gold Record for Long Live Cowgirls with Cody Johnson and more.
Munsick also recruited Chef Aaron Richards to curate the bar’s menu, hand picking each item and tailoring it to appeal to kids and adults alike. Among some of his Western-inspired picks are the Wild Bill Sampler, Mountain West Spring Rolls, Western Fried Steak, Ian’s Smash Burger and more. Munsick also picked the specialty cocktails on the menu which include the Medicine Man, Ian’s Filthy Martini and Doc Mule.
On Friday evening, the bar closed from 6:30-10:00 p.m. for Munsick’s Deadwood Jam performance. Despite the show being cut short due to weather, Munsick broke the Deadwood Jam attendance record as the crowd of over 6,000 fans spilled out onto Main Street. The night ended with a sold out VIP After Party with a performance by Ryan Charles and surprise appearance by Munsick for “Stay Twangin’” and “Cowboy Killer.”
The bar’s grand opening is the latest in a month-long celebration of The Mountain Goat, which included the launch of his clothing line with Schaefer Outfitter; a pop up in Laramie, Wyo.; and his second headlining show at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in August. The Mountain Goat marks Munsick’s first independent release via WEST TO THE REST RECORDS / Triple Tigers Records, and received critical praise upon its release with Sports Illustratedobserving “Munsick pushes deeper into the raw, organic sound of the Rocky Mountains he grew up in;” while The Tennessean proclaimed “There’s a good reason you can’t spell ‘Munsick’ without music.”
Ian Munsick’s Cowboy Bar & Western Grill grand opening continued all weekend with drink specials and performances by his band, Rocky Mountain Fever. For future updates, follow @IanMunsickCowboyBar on Instagram.
Photo Credit: Austin Friedline
