Go Wise River Clubbing With Tim Montana 

Belly Up To Tim Montana’s Historic Bar Where Hunters Roam & The Music Flows 

If you’ve ever spent much time in the Butte, Montana, area, you’re probably quite familiar with the legendary Wise River Club. If you haven’t heard of it, you’d do yourself a favor by putting it down on your bucket list for a future road trip. 

For more than 100 years, the Wise River Club (known early on as the Wise River Hotel) has served as the gathering spot for the community of Wise River, Montana, and an essential stopover spot on the way to or after a well-spent day of fishing, hunting, off-road exploring, snowmobiling, hiking, camping, gold panning or any of several other forms of summer and winter outdoor activities offered by the Pioneer Mountains and the Big Hole River Valley. 

Coming Home 

Tim Montana, who has a rock song in the Top 5 and another in the Top 10, grew up poor in the cold mountain town of Elk Park, just north of Butte. He started hunting early on, partly to help put food on the table. 

“We were off the grid, we didn’t have electricity,” he recalled. “People would say, ‘Oh, are you guys going green?’ And I would say, ‘No, it’s called poverty.’” 

Finding his way to stardom was a long, hard road for Tim. However, he and his family were living in Nashville concentrating on his music career until recently, when he and his friend and mentor, Billy F. Gibbons of ZZ Top, purchased the Wise River Club in August 2023. 

“The oral history says it was started in 1896,” Tim said in an exclusive interview with Hook & Barrel. “The first tax record I can find is 1900, and the first photograph I’ve been able to pinpoint is 1911. So, it’s very historic, starting out as the Wise River Hotel. Then sometime in the 1930s or ’40s a new owner took over and called it the Wise River Club. They eventually built the floor onto it and a restaurant onto it and the cabins out back.” 

Don’t think, however, that Montana just purchased the club on a whim. His family has a long history with the WRC. 

“My mom hung out there,” he said. “My grandmother did too. I have been going since I was a little boy. Generations of my family have hung out there, along with famous people from Evel Knievel to Hank Williams Jr. to Kid Rock.” 

In fact, Tim wasn’t looking for a new job back in 2023. His career was going well, and his family duties kept him quite busy. 

“My band actually performed there on New Year’s Eve 2007,” he said. “There is a beardless picture of me playing that stage, and at the time, I  had no idea that I would ever want to own that place.” 

Things changed, however, when the former owner’s husband passed away. Taking care of the place quickly became too much for her. “She said something funny to me,” Tim Montana said. “She said, ‘This is my husband’s dream come true. And now that he’s gone it’s my worst nightmare.’ Then she said, ‘If you like this place so much, why don’t you buy it?’ And it wasn’t even on the market. She threw out a number and I jumped on the phone and called Billy Gibbons. We agreed to buy it from her and we added some additional partners.” 

Rocking A New Life 

After the purchase, Tim packed up his family and made the move back to his old stomping grounds. The move was somewhat of a culture shock to his wife and kids, but coming home felt great for the rocker. 

“I hired some family and friends to help me run it remotely,” Tim said. “And I moved up here about a mile from the bar to get this place back to its original glory. And it’s been rocking and rolling ever since.” 

Different parts of the property were in various states of disrepair, so there was a lot of work to be done. But Tim and his employees dug in and made the changes they could. 

“I have had my ass kicked and learned so much because I have no restaurant experience,” Tim said. “But I like to think I’m trying to be a redneck Rockefeller out here and get some businesses going. You could spend $5 million out there and not have the place fixed up. But it’s also authentic. You walk in and the floors are crooked and rugged and there are antler sheds on the ceiling from the pet elk that used to live there. The local folklore is that Evel Knievel would get hammered and ride the pet elk through the field.” 

While trying to leave things authentic but make what he considered much-needed changes, Tim hit a few speed bumps. And one was totally unexpected. 

“The interesting thing is that when you buy a business you assume you can go in and do whatever you think needs done,” he said. “But that’s not the case here. We moved the shuffleboard table and I had about 30 customers lose their shit on me. One said, ‘My grandpa taught me to play shuffleboard on that table. You can’t move that!’ So, we’re not really the owners. We’re just kind of the stewards of this piece of time with this building.” 

Moving, Shaking & Smokin’ 

A number of other changes have taken place since Tim and his partners became owners. And these were less contentious than moving the shuffleboard table. 

“We came in and built out a food program and changed the menu,” he said. “We try to offer Montana beef as much as possible, and Traeger Grills sponsors the restaurant. So, we’re running six Traeger smoker grills out back. 

“We also just needed a facelift. So, we’ve painted the cabins. There are 23 beds on the property, so we put in 23 brand-new mattresses. We have a casino there with nine machines so patrons can gamble. And we are putting in a regular music program.” 

Hit The Wise River Today 

A visit to the Wise River Club today will reveal a combination of the place’s authentic history with some modern touches to make it a little more appealing to current generations. Of course, with Tim and Billy Gibbons being longtime musicians, great music remains at the forefront. 

“My friend Kyle Rife, who’s a former bandmate and close buddy, plays every Friday and Saturday for free,” Tim said. “We keep the entertainment free, and he packs that bar. He’s a songwriter who has written with everybody from Ed Sheeran to Darius Rucker and me. So, we’re bringing in great Nashville talent to a remote destination spot.” 

Along the way, Tim Montana and his 19 employees (there were only four at the time of the property’s sale) continue to fix the things that need to be addressed to ensure the club is a landmark for years to come. 

“We’re just cleaning up and reinvesting in the landmark property as we go,” he said. “It’s a 130-year-old establishment, so it needs some work. Every dollar that comes in goes right back into the property. 

“We hope to see some Hook & Barrel Magazine fans crash the Wise River Club party scene at least once in their life. No doubt, they’ll experience great musical vibes, awesome food and drink, and enjoy a rocking good time with local Montanans.” 

For additional information, check out wiseriverclub.com.