On Friday, July 5 and again on July 6, as part of the Chinook High School All-Class Reunion, Mighty Big Jim and the Tall Boys will be the featured music at a street dance on Indiana Street beginning at 9:00 p.m. on both nights. Two former CHS students who graduated in 2003, Katelynne (Sharples) and Jayson Eslick are members of the Rock Jam Americana style band whose home base is Wibaux, Montana.

Created on February 1, 2013, Mighty Big Jim (MBJ) and the Tall Boys have been influenced by Bruce Springsteen, The Grateful Dead, The Allman Brothers, Tom Petty, Little Feat, Widespread Panic, and Gov't Mule. Katelynne contributes lead and harmony vocals while Jayson plays drums and adds vocals. They will be joined by veteran singer/songwriter Jim Devine who fronts the band with vocals and guitar, John Redlin who plays bass and sings, and the multiple talents of Casey Malkuch on lead guitar, mandolin, harmonica, keys, and vocals. MBJ released their first full length album, Diamonds and Tears, in February 2017.

According to Katelynne Eslick, the band's name derives from a dual reference, both literal and figurative. Devine, the band's leader is 6'6" tall, and he owns a brewery, so he's Big Jim. "The Tall Boys" not only makes a reference to "a tall one"-a euphemism for beer drinkers-but to the height of the other guys in the band. "I guess that's why they have to call me Princess Kate," Eslick exclaimed.

A tall one-or a tall boy-in the beer industry makes reference to a beer poured into a tall, skinny glass often called a pilsner or a weizen glass. The pilsner glass, with its little-to-no curvature as the sides go up, is primarily designed and used for serving lighter beers, hence the name, pilsner. The slender design allows drinkers to appreciate the colors and carbonation within their beer. The glass' slightly wider top also helps retain the beer's foam head and brings out the brew's flavor profile and its various aromas.

Due to their similar shape and size, weizen glasses are often confused with pilsners. The main difference between these two styles is that the weizen glass, which starts with a strong, narrow base, has more curvature to it, especially at the top of the glass where it actually bulges. This type of beer glass is also much taller and usually holds at least half a liter of beer, as opposed to a pint.

Another important characteristic, weizen glasses are designed for and primarily used for wheat beers. The curved lip at the top of the glass helps trap and encourage a thick foam head, allowing the drinker to appreciate the full aroma and flavor that accompany wheat beers.

So, when asking for a tall boy, drinkers are essentially saying they'd like more than twelve ounces of beer. But the history of the tall boys is as sketchy as the packaging's exact volume, which can vary anywhere from 16-24 ounces. Craft beer's recent entrance into Tall Boy packaging is primarily about competing with the larger beer companies who mass produce beer and have been reaping the economic benefits of this kind of packaging for years. Craft beer's Tall Boys, however, are a sleeker 19.2-ounce stove pipe size. The 19.2-ounce cans, which are equal to an imperial pint, not only make the craft beer more portable but give craft breweries access to single-serve settings, like convenience stores, sporting events, and concerts.

For additional information on the street dances, or any other All-Class Reunion event, interested individuals can call (406) 357-2394. A full list of scheduled events is available online at chsallclassreunion.com.

Malkuch and Devine will also perform as The Fermenters tonight, July 3, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. as part of the Sounds on the Square concert series at 322 First Street in Havre. Sponsored by Triple Dog Brewing, The Fermenters will be joining Stevie Nixon (formerly Fleetwood Supply) on stage for "Sounds on the Square Feat." Stevie Nixon is a rock band that includes the talents of Talia Malone, Lindsey Bennett, Dave Martens, Al Leyba, and Jim Bennett.

Hosted by the Havre Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by NorthWestern Energy, along with Triangle Communications and Triangle Mobile, Sounds on the Square is a free summer concert series held in Havre's Town Square. For more information on the concert series, interested individuals are encouraged to call the Chamber at (406) 265-4383.