Category: News

by Orange Ficus • March 21, 2026

It’s Saturday, March 21st (sometime between six and six-thirty PM) and Phillip Daniel is jumping out of his seat.

Literally.

If only for a moment of flight; for a fraction of the beat; for the smallest of breaths, Phillip Daniel leaps from the black leather bench below.

All the while, the man whirs like a gyroscope: fingers leap through looping arms in polyrhythmic swayings, piano keys tangle and clunk and unclunk, pedals are mashed, and the stage creaks aplenty. An orbit, of sorts, his body careens and crouches. He leaps, pulls away, rides the shock, only to swing back. Boomerang. Always, on solid Earth, he lands.

And it’s in that return that I believe Phillip Daniel has found a groove. Sun Ra donned silvery metal armors and kaleidoscopic knittings and religiously sought after that interstellar chord. A groove that gazes up to the cosmos.

Phillip Daniel wears a black sweater and black slacks and shortened his second set to watch basketball (his beloved Huskers were tipping off), and he searches for something a little more human. His is a groove that gazes back at Earth.

Even the stage took on the luster of early spring as, saturated in green and yellow spotlights, Alex Massa and Phillip Daniel guided their audience through a veritable feast of instrumentation: drum pads and tambourines and synthesizers and keyboards and melodicas and triangles and trumpets and rain sticks.

This “reverb duo,” as Massa dubbed them, first met on a whim. Story goes that Daniel happened to be in the Black Hills at some point and, without knowing a thing about him, agreed to play a gig with Massa.

The punchline is that Daniel considers himself a composer, a more careful and considered form of musical improviser. Alex Massa, on the other hand, is the founder of 501(c)(3) nonprofit IMPROVISEARTS. When asked before their first gig, “you’re not gonna make me improvise, are you?”, Massa chuckled and promised him. Absolutely, yes.

Massa cut his teeth playing jazz in New Orleans, “allergic to making a plan” (according to Daniel). Daniel is a classical musician who, as of late, specializes in ballet and film scores.

The irony of these two very different backgrounds is that not at all do they clash. Together, this “reverb duo” assembled a highly moving and rhythmically complex setlist, and all the while kept room for play.

At times, they shapeshifted before our very eyes from professional musicians to two bros screwing around in the basement. And, given the stuffy norm of symphonies and operas and concertos and the like, they proved rather poignantly that classical music pairs well with an ice-cold beer (shoutout to HayCamp Brewing Company for hosting).

In the segments of the show dedicated to improvisation, the duo played more like a jazz band. Leaning into looping melodies and “perpetual rhythms,” they took alternating and, sometimes, competing swings at jazzy riffs, expertly playing with tempo, scale, and tone. A dialogue in trumpet and piano, they swung hard back and forth, outpacing each other, shifting keys on each other, cornering each other into wholly new melodies and rhythms.

In a word, play (see what I did there?).

And yet, always returning; finding delight in the happenchance synchronicities, in the accidental harmonies, in the unison, momentarily.

And, unless it was an accident due to my own mishearing, I’m almost certain that Phillip Daniel’s opening song “THIS TOO COULD CHANGE” is written as a fractal. Like river deltas and plant growth, it’s a melody within a melody, played at different tempos and folding from and into itself and, ultimately, returning back to its most gentle genesis in silence.

This all doesn’t mean they didn’t stray into the strange and spacey. Much of the show was strange (in the best way) and, in fact, halfway through the set, Massa and Daniel dipped heavily into the dysphonic.

Here, I then thought at my table, here comes the space music.

And, surely enough, for a brief moment I found myself in church on Mars. And yet, as soon as it arrived, the dysphonic dissipated, “already swallowed in the sea.”

A blessed return.

In this, the age of the billionaire space race, Daniel’s Earthly soundscapes were a breath of fresh air. And, given the look of utter peace on his face as he played “FLOWERS,” the last song of the night, I think he might agree.

This weekend marked Daniel’s fourth performance in Rapid City. It was made possible by Massa’s nonprofit IMPROVISEARTS (started in 2023, it supports all matters of artist development, focusing heavily on Black Hills high school students… for more information, visit improvisearts.org).

This weekend marked Daniel’s fourth performance in Rapid City.

It was made possible by

Alex Massa’s nonprofit IMPROVISEARTS
(started in 2023, it supports all matters of artist development, focusing heavily on Black Hills high school students… for more information,

visit improvisearts.org

After Dark is back at Lost Cabin, and this isn’t a series built for easy listening.

The idea didn’t come from a booking strategy or a push to diversify the calendar. It came from the people already showing up. Regulars had been asking for something heavier at the taproom, the kind that doesn’t usually end up on a brewery calendar. When the first After Dark show ran in May of 2025, it became clear pretty quickly there was a crowd for it.

“After getting to know our regulars over the years, a lot of people started asking for heavier shows at the taproom,” said Steph Silbernagel, owner of Lost Cabin.

Lost Cabin After Dark is back and kicking off the 2026 season this weekend with SuperPlex (MT), & Continuum at @8:00pm

The series leans into a different part of the regional circuit, one that has been moving through the Black Hills for years without always having a consistent place to land. Punk, metal, and heavier experimental bands have typically relied on DIY promoters to bring them through, piecing together venues and often taking the hit financially just to make the show happen. What After Dark does is give that same network a more stable stop.

“Pairing touring bands with locals just makes the whole thing stronger,” said Jason Beert of Left of the Dial Radio.

Jason has been helping route bands through the region and building lineups that pair touring acts with local bands. That mix shows up across this summer’s schedule, with groups coming in from places like Colorado, Wyoming, Tennessee, and San Francisco, alongside local Black Hills names.

The lineup itself wasn’t built to follow a strict formula. It’s come together more organically, shaped by who is on the road and who fits the bill. These aren’t the kind of sets you can talk over for long. Once the first band starts, attention shifts toward the stage.

That shift is part of why the series matters here. Not as a statement about what the scene should be, but as a response to what’s already been happening. There has always been an audience for this kind of music in the Black Hills, and there have always been people willing to build shows around it. After Dark just gives those nights a place to return to.

The second season kicks off Saturday at 8, picking up where that first run left off and carrying it through the rest of the summer.

The Women’s Showcase returns the The Dahl Arts Center for its second year, bringing together a lineup of musicians, poets, and storytellers from across the Black Hills. The event grew out of something already happening behind the scenes. The Dahl’s Emerging and Performing Arts Coordinator, Deb Lux, began to notice a steady wave of women showing up to First Friday open mics.

“There are so many amazing women singers, songwriters, and spoken word artists all over the Black Hills,” she says. “This sort of sprang from that.”

At its core, the showcase is rooted in both celebration and connection.

“I am inspired by women,” Deb explains. “We are strong, resilient and often overlooked. I believe it is important to celebrate our achievements, to advocate for each other, and to lift each other up whenever we can. It is also an opportunity to create community and remind each other we are not doing this alone.”

That sense of community reflects a broader change that’s been building locally.

“In the last 10 plus years, women have become a dynamic force in the creative community,” she says. “Before, there were very few women at open mics, very few who were given opportunities to perform. It is still often male dominated, but we are working together to support, grow, and create spaces that are more inclusive.”

The structure of the event reflects that intention. Rather than focusing on a single discipline, the showcase brings together a range of voices in one night.

“Diversity,” she says. “We want to share the diversity of our community.”

The result is a 90-minute program that moves between music, spoken word, and instrumental performance, with a lineup that spans generations. The evening includes 13-year-old singer-songwriter Kenna Cook alongside women who have spent decades performing, teaching, and supporting the arts in the region. The program will also include a short presentation in support of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW).

While the performers represent a wide range of experience and style, the goal isn’t to elevate one over another.

“I don’t want to say they are any more special than other performers,” Deb says. “They are all extremely talented. We are limited on time, and we will be doing other events as well in the near future.”

What the showcase does offer is something that hasn’t always been guaranteed. Space.

“It is important to celebrate women as artists because women are still marginalized,” she says. “We have gained opportunities and access, but it is still limited, with many more barriers to cross. When we come together as a community, it makes our voices stronger and creates hope and connection.”

For audiences, the night is meant to carry a little further than the performance itself.

“I hope people recognize the importance of creating space for women to showcase their work,” she says, “and feel that sense of community and the need for continued support for women performers and creatives.”

For a scene that continues to evolve, the showcase is less about a single night and more about what it sets in motion. And for those who haven’t been yet, Deb keeps the invitation simple.

“You will have an experience you will never forget.”

Women’s Showcase
​March 21 | 6pm

At the Dahl Art Center

In celebration of Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day, we’re bringing together a collection of extraordinary musicians, poets, and storytellers for a night of empowerment!

Abbey Leach & Marcia Kenobbie
Kenna Cook
Lily Mendoza
Natalie Slack
Two-Tone Clarinets: Valerie Andrew & Peggie Lovrein
Sophia Tautkus

Rapid City’s metal scene gets a jolt this Sunday as touring death metal band Maul launches their latest run right here in the Black Hills.

The Fargo, North Dakota group has been gaining traction across the Midwest death metal circuit since forming in 2017. Their sound blends old-school death metal with hardcore, sludge, and slam influences, landing somewhere in the thick, mid-tempo territory made famous by bands like Obituary and Jungle Rot. The result is a heavy, atmospheric style that has helped establish the band as part of the rising Midwest death metal movement.

Fronted by vocalist Garrett Alvarado, Maul is known for dynamic vocals that shift between piercing screams and deep guttural growls. Their debut full-length Seraphic Punishment introduced many listeners to the band’s crushing sound, while their 2024 follow-up In the Jaws of Bereavement tightened the formula with a sharper, more direct production.

Sunday’s show also highlights the Black Hills’ own heavy music community. Rapid City band Slaggg joins the bill after being added on short notice, helping anchor the local side of the lineup and showing that there is still a strong appetite for metal shows in the region.

They are joined by Windchimes, another regional act bringing their own brand of extreme metal to the stage. Together, the lineup mixes touring momentum with the bands actively building the local scene.

The event is being organized with the help of local promoter Corey Church and the team at Aby’s Pub & Casino, one of the few venues in Rapid City consistently opening its doors to underground genres.

For Maul, the night marks the first stop of their new tour. For the Black Hills metal crowd, it is a chance to pack a room and send the band off on the road the right way.

Event Details

Maul with Slaggg and Windchimes
Sunday March 15, 2026
@Aby’s Pub & Casino | Rapid City

If you want to preview the bands or follow the tour:

Maul tour updates
https://www.facebook.com/MAULND

Recommended listen: Maul – Seraphic Punishment
https://www.metal-archives.com/albums/Maul/Seraphic_Punishment/1041695

Windchimes
https://windchimesband.bandcamp.com/album/enveloping-retribution

Slaggg
https://slaggg.bandcamp.com/

When: March 13, 14, 20, 21 at 7:00pm; March 15, 22 at 2:00pm
Where: Historic Theater; The Performing Arts Center of Rapid City
Tickets: From $25-$34; Available at the Performing Arts Center Box Office,
by phone at 605-394-1786 or online at www.bhct.org

Some shows live in a single world. City of Angels lives in two.

When Black Hills Community Theatre opens its production this weekend, audiences will step into a musical that constantly shifts between realities. One side of the stage lives in the polished color of 1940s Hollywood. The other exists in stark black-and-white, the hard-boiled world of a detective novel unfolding in real time.

The split between color and black-and-white isn’t just visual, it’s how the story itself is told.

The show follows Stine, a crime novelist trying to adapt his book for the Hollywood studio system. As he negotiates rewrites, egos, and creative compromise, his fictional private investigator, Stone, begins moving through his own shadowy story onstage. The two narratives weave together, blurring the lines between the writer’s life and the pulp detective world he created.

Black Hills Community Theatre continues its 58th season with the jazz-infused musical, with performances March 13, 14, 20, and 21 at 7:00pm and matinees March 15 and 22 at 2:00pm at the Historic Theater inside the Performing Arts Center of Rapid City.

The show’s unusual structure gives the production team plenty to play with visually. Scenes set in Hollywood appear in full color, while Stone’s detective universe unfolds in black and white. The contrast highlights the difference between Hollywood ambition and the morally gray world of noir storytelling.

Dakota Morgan appears as Stine, the writer caught between artistic vision and studio demands, while Tom Powers takes on the role of Stone, the hard-edged detective navigating the darker side of the story. The dual casting continues throughout the show as performers move between both worlds.

Leslie Hopton plays Gabby and Bobbi, Rose Lamoureaux appears as Donna and Oolie, and Dave DeChristopher takes on the roles of Buddy and Irwin. Kaitlin Petrushev plays Carla and Alaura, with Teagan Rosendahl as Avril and Mallory. Jonah Vasquez appears as Pancho and Munoz, while Michael Lytle and Jonathan Bader round out a cast that shifts between characters as the two storylines collide.

The Angel City Four quartet, featuring Garrett Amirehteshami, Tammie McCraw, Lorien Petersen, and Brady Riker, adds a layer of vintage musical flair, supported by a full ensemble drawn from the local theatre community.

Director Kristol McKie leads the production, continuing her work with BHCT following recent productions of Sister Act and Fiddler on the Roof. The show’s jazz-driven score is performed live by a 14-piece orchestra under the direction of Music Director Vonnie Houchin, with Assistant Director Andrea Surovek and Choreographer Katelyn Amirehteshami helping shape the production.

Like the story itself, the production walks the line between two worlds: Hollywood glamour and smoky detective fiction, musical theatre and noir storytelling.

For audiences, it means stepping into a stage where the color can change in an instant, and the line between author and character is never quite stable.

City of Angels runs March 13, 14, 20, and 21 at 7:00pm, with matinee performances March 15 and 22 at 2:00pm at the Historic Theater inside the Performing Arts Center of Rapid City.

Tickets range from $25 to $34 and are available through the Performing Arts Center box office, by phone at 605-394-1786, or online at bhct.org.

What began as a small independent company has grown into its own performance space and a reputation for staging ambitious productionst. Their newest show, The Three Musketeers, continues that tradition with sword fights, political intrigue, and a classic adventure story adapted specifically for their Rapid City stage.

The script itself comes from Seraphim’s own Stephen Farruggia, who adapted Alexandre Dumas’ novel for this production. The original story was first released as serialized fiction, appearing in episodic installments rather than as a single book. That structure meant making choices about what to keep and what to streamline for the stage.

Farruggia focused the adaptation around the famous diamond scandal storyline while sharpening Cardinal Richelieu into a more clearly defined villain, allowing the plot to move quickly from one adventure to the next without getting bogged down in exposition.

“It’s a fun adventure,” Farruggia said. “And I wanted to play with swords.”

The swords are very much part of the show.

Director Chris Wheeler, who also choreographed the combat in Seraphim’s earlier production of The Scarlet Pimpernel, worked with the cast to train them in stage rapier fighting. Rehearsals included weeks dedicated specifically to learning the mechanics of swordplay before folding the choreography into the broader production.

Staging that kind of physical action presents a particular challenge in Seraphim’s intimate theatre. The story moves through multiple locations and requires room for duels, escapes, and shifting alliances. Instead of relying on frequent scene changes, the set was designed to transition quickly between different levels and spaces so the story can keep moving while the action unfolds. 2026-03-12 -The Three Musketeer…

That kind of creative problem solving has become part of the company’s identity. Each production seems to push the limits of what their space can do.

Farruggia hints that this show goes even further.

“We went for it with this show,” he said. “There are some elements we’ve never done at Seraphim before.”

Having their own theatre has opened the door for that kind of experimentation. It also raises expectations. Sets become more elaborate. Costumes more detailed. Productions begin to approach the scale of much larger venues.

“Once you break the seal on making everything top notch,” Farruggia said, “you can’t go back.”

For audiences, that ambition is part of the draw. Seraphim productions often feel closer to big-city theatre than what people might expect from a small independent company operating in Rapid City.

And that may be the real story behind this production.

The Three Musketeers is a tale about loyalty, courage, and a handful of characters who refuse to back down from impossible odds. It turns out that spirit isn’t limited to the story on stage. Sometimes it belongs to the people building the stage itself.

The Three Musketeers
Seraphim Theatre
March 6 – March 14

Tickets: $17–$50

Tuff Roots and Camp Comfort bring a night of reggae and roots rock to Rapid City

Reggae doesn’t show up on the Rapid City calendar every weekend, which is part of what makes nights like this stand out.

“Camp Comfort always brings the energy and a strong local following, so we’re excited to have them back and hear their new single live. We’re also looking forward to Tuff Roots’ debut at the 707 and continuing to bring strong regional acts to Rapid City.”
– Brianne, operations manager @ 707

On Friday, March 6, 707 Sports Bar & Nightlife will host a double bill built around groove-driven reggae and roots rock, with Sioux Falls–based Tuff Roots joining Black Hills favorites Camp Comfort for a night that leans into warm bass lines, brass accents, and the easy rhythm that reggae tends to bring with it.

The night begins with a social hour at 7 p.m., with music starting around 8.

Tuff Roots has been building a steady following across the region over the past several years. The band formed in Sioux Falls but draws on a wide range of musical experience from its members, blending classic reggae structures with elements of rock, soul, and jam-band improvisation. That mix gives their live shows a relaxed but dynamic feel, anchored by steady rhythms and melodic guitar work, with saxophone lines weaving through the groove.

Their debut album, Planting Seeds, introduced the band’s approach to songwriting and helped establish them on the regional festival circuit. Since then they’ve appeared at events like Sioux Falls JazzFest, Saturday in the Park in Sioux City, and the Shangri La Music Festival, while also recording a performance for the long-running music series The White Wall Sessions. Their sound stays rooted in traditional reggae influences but carries the flexibility of musicians who have spent years playing across multiple genres.

Sharing the stage are Camp Comfort, a reggae-rock band based here in the Black Hills. The group has built its local reputation on high-energy shows and a style that blends reggae rhythms with rock structure and improvisational jams. Founded by songwriter Nevada Romo, Camp Comfort draws heavily on personal experience and the easygoing ethos that reggae has long carried with it, aiming to create music that feels both reflective and celebratory.

That balance between groove and movement tends to translate well in a live setting. Where Tuff Roots leans toward smooth, classic reggae tones, Camp Comfort often pushes toward the jam side of the spectrum, creating space for extended instrumental moments and audience interaction.

Putting the two bands on the same bill makes sense for the Black Hills scene. It brings together a touring act that has been steadily expanding its regional reach with a band that many local audiences already know well.

For Rapid City, it also offers something a little different from the usual weekend lineup. Reggae has always had a way of turning a room into a shared rhythm section, where the crowd becomes part of the groove just as much as the band.

Whether you come for the horns, the bass lines, or simply the promise of a room full of good vibrations, this one is built to keep the rhythm moving all night.

Tuff Roots + Camp Comfort
March 6, 2026
707 Sports Bar & Nightlife (21+)

Social Hour – 7 PM
Music – 8 PM

• $10 Presale
• $15 at the Door
• $25 VIP Upgrade (reserved seating, expedited entry, VIP bar)

Under one roof, two wildly different creative worlds will unfold at the same time. In the Pub space (up front), Tangled Sheets returns for its second year, pairing a curated erotic art exhibition with a burlesque showcase designed to explore sensuality as intentional artistic expression. In the Event Hall, (back bar) Outside Kids headline a stacked alternative lineup alongside Easy Light, Howling Embers, and Gold Metal, bringing sweat, distortion, and a little catharsis to the other side of the building.

It also happens to fall on a birthday weekend for at least one of us, which feels like the universe quietly endorsing a night built around bein out on the town and scroungin up trouble!

Tangled Sheets: Intention Over Shock

Tangled Sheets begins at 5pm with an 18+ erotic art exhibition featuring work from Sabrina LaCroix, Elizabeth Taylor of LaCroix Artistry, and Wade Codling of Codling Creations. At 8pm, the room transitions into a 21+ burlesque exhibition hosted by internationally recognized pinup model and performer Bernie Dexter, with fetish-themed performances curated to reflect depth over costume spectacle.

Sabrina describes the event simply: “Tangled Sheets is a two-part erotic art event featuring an erotic art show followed by a burlesque exhibition with provocatively themed performances.” But the intention behind it runs deeper.

“I wanted a space where sensuality could be explored thoughtfully, not as shock value, not as parody, but as real artistic expression,” she explains. “Through an artistic lens, people can explore sexuality with curiosity.”

That word, curiosity, carries through the entire evening. The visual exhibition sets the emotional tone, inviting guests to linger, interpret, and absorb. “You’re able to linger, interpret, and absorb,” Sabrina says. “Burlesque then brings that exploration into motion. Where the artwork captures a moment suspended in time, the performers embody those same themes live, in real time.”

The artwork itself spans a wide range of themes: power, consent, identity, fantasy, body autonomy, the tension between softness and strength, and the complexity of desire. Some pieces are playful. Some are raw. Some will challenge viewers. All are presented with nuance and respect.

South Dakota does not often see erotic art handled in a curated, intentional way. Sabrina felt called to build something that treated it with depth rather than novelty. “My primary goal is representation,” she says. “I want people to be able to find themselves in the artwork and feel comforted or even challenged by what they find.”

This is an adult event, and it is designed that way. The space welcomes adults who understand consent, respect performers, and are open to seeing the human body and human desire as art. It is intimate by intention, and ticketing at the door reflects that focus on experience rather than volume.

Outside Kids and Friends: Volume, Catharsis, and Cardio

Meanwhile, in the Event Hall, the mood shifts from reflective to kinetic.

Outside Kids headline a lineup Matt Buehner calls “a celebration of the diversity of alternative/pop-punk/rock music in the Black Hills,” promising emotive lyrics, feel-good anthems, headbanging energy, and what he describes as a “screw it/come what may” attitude.

For first-timers, he says their live show lands “somewhere between an intimate conversation with a friend you haven’t seen in awhile, a scathing critique of what is wrong with American culture at large, and a cathartic scream into the void.” It is a description that feels accurate to anyone who has spent time in a packed alternative room where the lyrics are shouted back at the stage.

The lineup works, Matt says, because of friendship first. “We all like each other,” he notes. Sonically, the genres may differ on paper, but each band leans heavily into songcraft and tone. The bill builds energy as the night progresses, moving from connection to release.

Aby’s Event Hall has become one of the more consistent homes for alternative music in Rapid City, and Matt is quick to point out what makes it different. The venue is built for shows, supported by a new sound system and an ongoing commitment to improving the experience for both artists and audience.

“If you are standing in the room that night,” he says, “you can expect to get a little sweaty, to make a new friend, and to have really sore leg and neck muscles the next day.” Headbanging, apparently, counts as cardio.

Outside Kids will also be debuting new, unreleased material, the result of a winter spent writing and tightening their live set. For longtime fans, that alone makes the $15 cover worth it.