Country swing artist Junior Brown barely let us clap in between songs Saturday night at the Alberta Bair Theater.

He had so much to play, he didn't need to pad his 90-minute set with anything, even accolades from the worshipful crowd. Brown delivered more notes during his set than other artists could in a week and the crowd of 500 at the ABT soaked it all up. Brown plays on his own invention, his "guit-steel,'' which combines a standard 6-string guitar with a steel He's a whiz at both. And his baritone voice with an off-kilter wit ain't bad either. He even yodels.

Brown's been touring Montana for a couple of decades and to prove it, he rattled off some obscure burgs like Browning and Cut Bank where he and his band have played.

"Anybody been to the War Bonnet in Browning?'' he asked during a rare non-musical moment.

Brown came up with his "guit-steel'' in a dream, figuring that other musicians were already playing double-neck guitars and double-neck steels, why not have one of each. He spent most of his time on the 6-string, ramping up country tunes and countrifying rock songs. It was one of the best shows I've seen in the last year. And I predict that next time Brown plays Billings, you'll have to fight for a seat.