The Recession Special are a band of buskers, carnival barkers, and workhouse escapees. With a unique blend of old tyme music, folk punk, and swing, they burst off of the stage with energy, theatrics, humor, and political edge.

The Recession Special formed in quarantine during the summer of 2020. Dusty The Kid (guitar/banjo) and Geoff "Bucky-Eyed" Taylor (fiddle) started busking together in downtown Missoula, MT in the wake of the collapse of the live music industry. Soon joined by Finn "Stovepipe" Carroll on bass and Thrift Storrs Bishop on washboard, the group began to amass a small following of tramps, local characters, and college students hungry for the return of live music.
Taking their name from the Old Post Pub's once fabled menu item for the down-and-out, the band seeks to bring the spirit of resistance and resilience back to folk music, and to remind listeners that no matter how hard times get, there's always a place for dancing in the revolution.