Thursday, August 21, 2008

The Current-Apr. 2008 Feature Story

Bad to the Bikelahoma Bone

By Regan Henson

Let’s say your plan is to establish the greatest destination for motorcycle enthusiasts in the months between Daytona Bike Week and the Sturgis Bike Rally. It’s not exactly like bikers have nothing to do between March and August, with bike weeks in Arizona, Myrtle Beach, Gettysburg, and Kentucky. You need to come up with something special. You need sexy chicks, like the burlesque girls of Flaunt and AngieLand. You need death defying spectacles, like the Globe of Death and Speed for Hire. You need a tractor pull. You need a centralized location where bike enthusiasts from across the nation can gather. But most of all, you need to book some music acts that speak the language and live the lifestyle. “Let’s give a Bikelahoma welcome to…The Osmonds!” Doesn’t really have a ring to it, does it?

Jesse James Dupree knows the lifestyle. Since the early days of touring with his band, Jackyl, Dupree rides his bike behind, in front of, and sometimes beside the tour bus instead of kicking back inside reading Hit Parader. “Roman (Glick, Jackyl’s bassist) and I ride about 20,000 miles a year on tour,” Dupree says, “We started out pulling our bikes on a trailer behind the bus, but every night before we left a town we’d look at each other and say, ‘You gonna (wimp) out?’”. Sounds like you have your headliner.

Bikelahoma is, like Country Fever Fest and Rocklahoma, gaining ground on similarly themed events from across the country. But unlike those other festivals, Bikelahoma isn’t all about the music. It’s a celebration of a way of life that embraces freedom and that uniquely American call of the open road. It’s a celebration of the outlaw spirit. And the music? Well, if you’re playing for an outlaw crowd, you probably should have a little bit of outlaw in you. It might help if you’re named Jesse James.

Jackyl made a name for themselves long before Jesse James Dupree took his chainsaw to a desk on the set of The Tom Green Show. The release of their self-titled debut album in 1992 kept rock radio busy in the early nineties with hits like “When Will it Rain?” “Down on Me” and “The Lumberjack,” which introduced the world to Dupree’s famous chainsaw solo. Since then Jackyl has released eight more albums and toured relentlessly. Rock radio may have changed, but Dupree and Jackyl, in true outlaw spirit, have remained defiantly on their own path. It is this path that led them, by way of their long relationship with the organizers of the Sturgis Bike Rally, where Jackyl plays a yearly Thursday night show at the Full Throttle Saloon, to Bikelahoma in Pryor.

But why Bikelahoma, an event that is only in its second year? According to Dupree, it’s all about authenticity. “They (organizers) make sure their events have the utmost integrity,” he says, “They acknowledge the connection with the bike enthusiast.” Plus, with the long period between the bigger rallies, it gives enthusiasts something else to look forward to. “Instead of waiting until August (for Sturgis), get your ass to Bikelahoma,” Dupree adds.

It won’t be Jackyl’s first visit to the Catch the Fever festival grounds. “We played Rocklahoma last year, and we turned it into Jackylahoma,” Dupree says. But Bikelahoma is something different. It’s a truer reflection of the music and attitude that Dupree and Jackyl live by. When asked if he and his band expect to make Bikelahoma their own yearly destination, Dupree is succinct. “Just try and stop us,” he says.

But if Jackyl’s the icing, the cake itself is pretty darn good itself, as some of the entertainment and activities offered up at the two day event will include the aforementioned Flaunt Girls Burlesque Show and AngieLand. And strap yourselves in for the Wall of Death, Speed for Hire, Globe of Death and, of course, the old stand-by, the tractor pull.

And Jackyl won’t be hogging the stage the whole time. National and regional acts to suit all tastes will be performing throughout the event. Maybe you are in the mood for an eighties hair band and can’t wait for Rocklahoma. How do Bang Tango and Dirty Penny suit you? Outlaw country? Try The Kentucky Headhunters or Jackson Taylor. Red Dirt? How about the Mike McClure Band, the Red Dirt Rangers, Randy Crouch or South 40? Or perhaps you’re only into balls to the wall rock n’ roll. The boys from local favorites Pedal Point should be able to hold you over just fine until Jesse James Dupree leads Jackyl onto the stage. Bikelahoma has something for all tastes, and, even if you don’t take to the open road on two wheels, don’t let that stop you from joining in the fun. All you need is a freewheeling attitude and Bikelahoma will do the rest. And Jesse James Dupree has a message for Jackyl fans coming to Bikelahoma. “Tell em to get ready to kick em if they got em and get ready to be shot out of a cannon.” Jackyl is coming to the party.

Bikelahoma will take place April 18 and 19 at the Catch the Fever festival grounds four miles north of Pryor on 69 Highway and ¼ mile east on EW 45 Rd. Tickets are available for $30 for a one day pass and $50 for a two day pass and can be purchased at the Catch the Fever office at 114 S. Mill St. Pryor, OK 74361 or by calling (918)824-2288 or toll free at (866)310-2288. There is free camping and parking and the show will happen, rain or shine.

No comments: