BOK Center Turns it up With Paisley, AC/DC
By Regan Henson
Another year has passed, and here’s to hoping 2009 is better than 2008. Not that it was all bad. Tulsa finally got a world class venue for a wide range of entertainment options when the BOK Center opened. When it comes to our music options, the future is looking awfully bright. Here are a few of the major acts coming to The BOK Center in the first couple of months of the new year.
Now I’m generally not one to disparage an artist with local ties, but Rascal Flatts sucks, Oklahoma boy Joe Don Rooney notwithstanding (that singer sounds like he wasn’t manly enough to get into N’Sync). Luckily, they’ve already come and gone. Now for the real country show. No, I’m not talking about Darius Rucker, although I’m a closet Hootie fan and look forward to seeing him. He’ll be good, but what I’m talking about is a real country music artist, playing real country music. Ladies and gentlemen, Brad Paisley is coming to town.
The truth is, I haven’t always been a huge Brad Paisley fan. Maybe it’s the name. Paisley. Not quite Haggard is it? Actually sounds a little sissified. But a couple of years ago my girlfriend dragged me to a Brad Paisley show and I was hooked. Has the man ever sang a song that didn’t wind up a hit? And what guy can’t relate to songs about choosing fishing over a chick, four-wheelin’ in the mud, and going on an extended whiskey-binge? Plus the dude can flat out play the guitar. He’d better be able to, since his latest album, Play, is almost entirely instrumental. For an artist to release such an album in a genre where the size of the hits are directly proportionate to the number of sentimental clichés in the lyrics, he’d better have chops directly proportionate to the size of his cojones.
On top of all that, the guys got a great sense of humor. Maybe he can be a little dorky, but that kind of adds to his appeal. He’s kind of like the guys from Full House all rolled into one. He looks just like the dad, is a musician like the uncle, and tries to be funny like that other guy. No wonder that show was on so long.
Get ready for the country when Brad Paisley and special guests Darius Rucker and Dierks Bentley play the BOK on Saturday, Jan. 24. Tickets are from $39.75 to $46.75 and can be purchased by calling 1-866-7-BOK-CTR or online at www.bokcenter.com.
Past their prime, you say? Well yes, if you’re talking about General Motors stocks or episodes of The Simpsons, but if you’re talking about AC/DC, then not so much. Like wine, cheese, Twinkees and Jennifer Aniston, these Aussie rockers just keep getting better with age. These guys have been playing variations of a dozen or so songs for 35 years now, which, considering that rock n’ roll years are much like dog years (assuming you fill your dog’s dish with Jack Daniels and Marlboros), would make them around 275 years old.
Not that they haven’t managed to squeeze plenty of livin’, rockin’, rollin’ and even dyin’ out of the years they’ve been afforded. Their original lineup was kind of like the cast from the first season of Lost, with Angus and Malcolm Young in the roles of Jack and Kate and Bon Scott in the role of Sawyer. Just for argument’s sake, we’ll say that Sawyer died at the end of last season and a new character is introduced played by, say, Jason Bateman. Not quite as edgy, but maybe a little more likeable. That’s Brian Johnson. The ever-changing bassist and drummer spots can be like that cute blonde who was killed off a couple of seasons ago or maybe the insufferable Charlie, who was thankfully banished to comic/sci fi conventions in his Lord of the Rings costume. Characters like these are easy to replace, as are, apparently, bassists and drummers.
In spite of this apparent instability, the band managed to become one of the biggest-selling music acts in history, with world-wide record sales of over 200 million. On top of that, their music was used as psychological torture to drive Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega from his stronghold and into the arms of waiting troops. They are also the number one all-time artist played at every sporting event in America. And in terms of creativity, they have managed to use the word hell in more song titles than any artist in history. Plus, every rock station in America is apparently contractually obligated to play either “You Shook Me All Night Long,” “Back in Black,” or “Thunderstruck” at least once an hour.
If you complain about lack of growth with their music, you’re missing the point of AC/DC. The songs might all sound a little similar, but there’s a reason they’ve been around so long. They’re like that old buddy from college who you can always count on to put a smile on your face, even if he only knows one joke. He just needs to know how to tell it right. If you’re looking for growth and maturity from an artist, get a copy of the new Guns N’ Roses CD. I hear it makes a great coaster.
Check out the greatest rock band of all time when they bring their Black Ice tour to The BOK Center in Tulsa on Monday, Jan. 26 at 8pm. Tickets are $91.50 and can be purchased by calling 1-866-7-BOK-CTR or online at www.bokcenter.com.
I honestly hope I didn’t offend anyone with my earlier comments about Rascal Flatts, but if I did, don’t get your panties in a wad. I have good news for you. Get ready…wait for it…Celine Dion is coming! Oh, how much I have to say about Celine coming to play here! But wait, it seems I’m about to reach my word limit. Alas! I suppose it will have to suffice to tell you that Celine will be at the BOK Center on Monday, Feb. 2 at 8pm. Tickets range from $49.50 to $167.00 and can be purchased by calling 1-866-7-BOK-CTR or online at www.bokcenter.com. Now I know what to get my dad for his birthday.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
The Current-Story Dec. 2008
Riders In The Sky
By Regan Henson
Keifer Sutherland and Woody Harrelson tried it. Bobby Brown and Sebastian Bach gave it a whirl. Heck, these days even Jessica Simpson has thrown her ten gallon hats into the ring. But nobody, and I mean nobody has truly lived life “the cowboy way” better than Riders In The Sky. For over thirty years these rootin’ tootin’ bronc’ bustin’ pistol twirlin’ western swingin’ cow pokes have been making audiences dance, sing and laugh out loud, playing nearly 200 shows yearly in all 50 states and around the world. With their unique combination of straight ahead western standards and wacky cowboy comedy, these dudes have found quite a niche for themselves with their family-friendly performances and 35 albums, two of which have won Grammys. This December you can check out the fun for yourself when Riders In The Sky bring their Christmas show to Miami’s Coleman Theatre.
Riders In The Sky began their long career in the late 70s as a trio which included guitarist and singer Ranger Doug (Douglas B. Green), bassist Too Slim (Fred LaBour) and fiddler Woody Paul (Paul Chrisman). With their shared love of classic western music and technical virtuosity with their instruments, combined with fine comic timing and onstage chemistry, the trio immediately developed a following. The lineup was cemented later when Polka Hall of Fame member Joey (The CowPolka King) Miskulin was added on accordion. Over the years the group refined their stage show to include comedic skits and music parodies in addition to their fine renditions of standards and originals. They also earned a reputation as one of the hardest working acts in show business by expanding their reach into television, motion pictures and radio. And before you decide to dismiss these boys as simple country bumpkins, bear in mind that aside from Miskulin’s hall of fame credentials, Green has a Master’s degree in Literature, LaBour a Master’s degree in Wildlife Management and Chrisman carries a PhD in theoretical plasma physics from MIT. These boys are definitely smarter than the average bear. And Jessica Simpson? Well, she still has her ten gallon hats.
Be sure to make it up to the beautiful Coleman Theatre in Miami on Tuesday, December 2 when the boys bring their Christmas the Cowboy Way tour to town and continue their 30 year crusade to “bring good beef to hungry people wherever they may be.” The fun begins at 7:30pm. Tickets are$20 for adults, $16 for seniors and $12 for students 18 and under and can be purchased by calling (918)540-2425. The Coleman Theatre is located at 103 N. Main St. in Miami, OK.
By Regan Henson
Keifer Sutherland and Woody Harrelson tried it. Bobby Brown and Sebastian Bach gave it a whirl. Heck, these days even Jessica Simpson has thrown her ten gallon hats into the ring. But nobody, and I mean nobody has truly lived life “the cowboy way” better than Riders In The Sky. For over thirty years these rootin’ tootin’ bronc’ bustin’ pistol twirlin’ western swingin’ cow pokes have been making audiences dance, sing and laugh out loud, playing nearly 200 shows yearly in all 50 states and around the world. With their unique combination of straight ahead western standards and wacky cowboy comedy, these dudes have found quite a niche for themselves with their family-friendly performances and 35 albums, two of which have won Grammys. This December you can check out the fun for yourself when Riders In The Sky bring their Christmas show to Miami’s Coleman Theatre.
Riders In The Sky began their long career in the late 70s as a trio which included guitarist and singer Ranger Doug (Douglas B. Green), bassist Too Slim (Fred LaBour) and fiddler Woody Paul (Paul Chrisman). With their shared love of classic western music and technical virtuosity with their instruments, combined with fine comic timing and onstage chemistry, the trio immediately developed a following. The lineup was cemented later when Polka Hall of Fame member Joey (The CowPolka King) Miskulin was added on accordion. Over the years the group refined their stage show to include comedic skits and music parodies in addition to their fine renditions of standards and originals. They also earned a reputation as one of the hardest working acts in show business by expanding their reach into television, motion pictures and radio. And before you decide to dismiss these boys as simple country bumpkins, bear in mind that aside from Miskulin’s hall of fame credentials, Green has a Master’s degree in Literature, LaBour a Master’s degree in Wildlife Management and Chrisman carries a PhD in theoretical plasma physics from MIT. These boys are definitely smarter than the average bear. And Jessica Simpson? Well, she still has her ten gallon hats.
Be sure to make it up to the beautiful Coleman Theatre in Miami on Tuesday, December 2 when the boys bring their Christmas the Cowboy Way tour to town and continue their 30 year crusade to “bring good beef to hungry people wherever they may be.” The fun begins at 7:30pm. Tickets are$20 for adults, $16 for seniors and $12 for students 18 and under and can be purchased by calling (918)540-2425. The Coleman Theatre is located at 103 N. Main St. in Miami, OK.
Jah Roots Brings the Reggae to Brewdog's-Feature Story 1 Oct. 2008
Which of the following pairs does not belong? A. Memphis and blues. B. New Orleans and jazz. C. Missouri and reggae. If you said C then you are most definitely…wrong. That’s not true, you say! You’ve been to Beale Street, to BB King’s place. You’ve been to JazzFest. Both A and B obviously are correct pairings of region and musical genre, so the answer would have to be C, right? Well, if you show up at Brew Dog’s pub on Oct. 18 when the guys from Jah Roots come to town you’ll realize that Missouri and reggae go together just fine, thank you. So it was a trick question. Sometimes in life, there are no right or wrong answers.
If the guys in Jah Roots worried about other people’s perceptions of right and wrong as pertaining to true reggae music, they might have simply stuck to the safe formula that so many up-and-coming musicians adhere to. It would have been easy to play cover tunes, even in the early jam band incarnation that founding members Josh Heinrichs and Mike Hulsey played during the mid-nineties. Cover bands draw the best crowds and make the most money, except for those lucky few bands that are able to write and play originals strong enough to attract and build a fan base. But Heinrichs and Hulsey didn’t just ignore the conventional thinking regarding cover bands, they turned convention on its ear by not only writing and performing their own songs, but by assembling a group of musician friends into a reggae band that sounds like they just moved to Springfield from Jamaica.
Perhaps oddly, Heinrichs only discovered his love for reggae a relatively short time ago, in 1999, when he first heard Bob Marley and the Wailers’ classic album, Natty Dread. The effect was almost immediate, and soon the jam band he and Hulsey were in had recruited percussionist Josh Nail, bassist Steve Washburn and drummer Eric Groves and began learning and playing reggae tunes. In a short time the band was developing a fan base and earning raves for its eclectic and energetic live shows. In 2002 they released their independent debut album, Stepping out of Babylon, which featured heavy reggae and ska influences with their original jam band sound. The band gave away copies of the cd free to fans at their live shows. Their positive sound and “One Love” philosophy was proving a winner, and as they grew together, the band developed into one of the most requested acts on reggae radio shows across the country.
The band has continued touring and recording, releasing More Herbs for the Youth and Babylon Weak Heart in 2005 and their breakthrough album, Crucial, in 2006. They’ve been regulars on the festival circuit, performing at various festivals like The Reggae on the Riverfront in Illinois and numerous NORML events. They have also opened for a number of heavy-hitters like Damian Marley, Bunny Wailer and the godfather of funk, George Clinton.
If you haven’t heard the band yet, check out their fan site at http://goodhighs.com and follow the links and you’ll be able to download their first three albums for free. But if you’re familiar with the band, you probably knew that and already have the songs on your iPod. Either way, if you’re a fan of reggae, or just a fan of the reggae life-style, you won’t want to miss when Jah Roots make their way into our neck of the woods. They band will be playing songs from their latest album, Joy, which features Junior Marvin, former lead guitarist for Bob Marley joining the band for a couple of songs. Both Joy and Crucial are available at iTunes, but select songs are also available as free downloads on the band’s myspace page. Go to www.myspace.com/jahroots and you can listen to and download songs like “Good Highs,” “Joy” and “Ganja Weed.” So just in case you still didn’t believe that Springfield, Missouri could yield a true reggae band, these songs will probably put your skepticism to rest.
So whether you’re a fan of reggae, ska, hip-hop or quality live music in general, you’ll want to stop by Brewdog’s on Saturday, Oct. 18 when the guys from Jah Roots put their own spin on “living green.” They’ll be spreading the love, bringing the peace and proving that a bunch of white boys from Missouri can play true reggae music with a positive vibe and political slant that would make Bob Marley proud. Doors open at 8pm and the band takes the stage at 10pm. If the parking lot at Brewdog’s looks like a used van dealership, you’ll know you’re in the right place. For more details on this show and upcoming shows at Brewdog’s check out www.myspace.com/brewdogsbar.
If the guys in Jah Roots worried about other people’s perceptions of right and wrong as pertaining to true reggae music, they might have simply stuck to the safe formula that so many up-and-coming musicians adhere to. It would have been easy to play cover tunes, even in the early jam band incarnation that founding members Josh Heinrichs and Mike Hulsey played during the mid-nineties. Cover bands draw the best crowds and make the most money, except for those lucky few bands that are able to write and play originals strong enough to attract and build a fan base. But Heinrichs and Hulsey didn’t just ignore the conventional thinking regarding cover bands, they turned convention on its ear by not only writing and performing their own songs, but by assembling a group of musician friends into a reggae band that sounds like they just moved to Springfield from Jamaica.
Perhaps oddly, Heinrichs only discovered his love for reggae a relatively short time ago, in 1999, when he first heard Bob Marley and the Wailers’ classic album, Natty Dread. The effect was almost immediate, and soon the jam band he and Hulsey were in had recruited percussionist Josh Nail, bassist Steve Washburn and drummer Eric Groves and began learning and playing reggae tunes. In a short time the band was developing a fan base and earning raves for its eclectic and energetic live shows. In 2002 they released their independent debut album, Stepping out of Babylon, which featured heavy reggae and ska influences with their original jam band sound. The band gave away copies of the cd free to fans at their live shows. Their positive sound and “One Love” philosophy was proving a winner, and as they grew together, the band developed into one of the most requested acts on reggae radio shows across the country.
The band has continued touring and recording, releasing More Herbs for the Youth and Babylon Weak Heart in 2005 and their breakthrough album, Crucial, in 2006. They’ve been regulars on the festival circuit, performing at various festivals like The Reggae on the Riverfront in Illinois and numerous NORML events. They have also opened for a number of heavy-hitters like Damian Marley, Bunny Wailer and the godfather of funk, George Clinton.
If you haven’t heard the band yet, check out their fan site at http://goodhighs.com and follow the links and you’ll be able to download their first three albums for free. But if you’re familiar with the band, you probably knew that and already have the songs on your iPod. Either way, if you’re a fan of reggae, or just a fan of the reggae life-style, you won’t want to miss when Jah Roots make their way into our neck of the woods. They band will be playing songs from their latest album, Joy, which features Junior Marvin, former lead guitarist for Bob Marley joining the band for a couple of songs. Both Joy and Crucial are available at iTunes, but select songs are also available as free downloads on the band’s myspace page. Go to www.myspace.com/jahroots and you can listen to and download songs like “Good Highs,” “Joy” and “Ganja Weed.” So just in case you still didn’t believe that Springfield, Missouri could yield a true reggae band, these songs will probably put your skepticism to rest.
So whether you’re a fan of reggae, ska, hip-hop or quality live music in general, you’ll want to stop by Brewdog’s on Saturday, Oct. 18 when the guys from Jah Roots put their own spin on “living green.” They’ll be spreading the love, bringing the peace and proving that a bunch of white boys from Missouri can play true reggae music with a positive vibe and political slant that would make Bob Marley proud. Doors open at 8pm and the band takes the stage at 10pm. If the parking lot at Brewdog’s looks like a used van dealership, you’ll know you’re in the right place. For more details on this show and upcoming shows at Brewdog’s check out www.myspace.com/brewdogsbar.
Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame's Class of '08-Feature Story 2 Oct. 2008
Merle Haggard. Leon Russell. Woody Guthrie. Patti Page. The Texas Playboys. Roy Clark. All are legends, and all share the distinction of membership in the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame. This October a select few will take their rightful place alongside these and the other members when the OMHOF enshrines its newest inductees into its hallowed halls. It promises to be an evening in which the OMHOF members and fans of Oklahoma music will celebrate the state’s rich musical history by taking a look and listen at the past and present of the talented artists who have made significant contributions to our musical landscape.
Since 1997, the OMHOF has recognized artists and contributors in a variety of categories, ranging from Country and Western, Singer & Songwriter, Pop & Rock and Rising Star, along with a selection of special awards given on a rotating basis. This year the event will feature the Governor’s Award, presented for only the third time in the OMHOF history. The award will be presented to the Cherokee National Youth Choir, which sings traditional songs in the Cherokee language. The award-winning group, which was founded in 2000, is comprised of 50 Cherokee youths from Northeastern Oklahoma. The choir will perform at the event.
For the first time the event will present The American Indian Tribal Music Traditions award to The Wichita and Affiliated Tribes. The tribe’s singers are recognized as some of the state’s earliest recorded artists, with recordings dating as early as 1902. The American Indian Tribal Music Traditions category will be awarded every four years following this year’s event.
Past recipients of the Rising Star award have been as diverse as country star Keith Anderson and hard rockers Hinder. This year one of the country’s hottest modern rock bands will join them when the All-American Rejects receive the coveted award. Fresh off their rocking show at this year’s DFest in Tulsa, All American Rejects are certain to make sure everyone attending the ceremony will know exactly why they are rising stars with a blistering performance after the induction ceremony.
This year the OMHOF will welcome a pair of singer/songwriters that, while neither may be house hold names to the casual music fan, have both helped to shape the way generations of musicians and music fans create and appreciate music.
Bob Childers
Hundreds of thousands of musicians dream of playing their instruments for a living. Most flame out before they ever really begin. A few toil for a few years, barely making enough to live on, before moving on to the real world. Fewer still do well enough to keep up the life into old age. Very few inspire a movement. Bob Childers followed a path not unlike that of Texas outlaws such as Willie and Waylon. Kid dreams of hitting it big in Nashville. Kid grows tired of the corporate sell-out ideal. Kid makes his way back home determined to make it on his own terms.
Only this kid’s home wasn’t Texas, although he did happen to make a brief stop in Austin. No, Bob Childers made it all the way back to Oklahoma, and a couple decades in his rearview mirror he could look up and see a landscape populated by artists who have been influenced by the music he made along the way. Maybe most bands don’t like to be labeled, but if one happens to be called a “Red Dirt” artist, it can thank Bob Childers.
For Bob Childers, who died this past April after a long battle with emphysema, it ended where it began, fittingly, in Stillwater, OK. Long considered the birthplace of what is widely recognized as Red Dirt music, Stillwater is the town where Childers refined his sound and was inspired in his early songwriting efforts. It was there, in the late 1970s, that he recorded his debut album, the widely acclaimed I Ain’t No Jukebox. As his reputation grew with the album and its follow-up, Singing Trees, Dancing Waters, Childers decided to chase fame and fortune in Nashville. A couple of albums later, Childers had grown restless and made his way back west, this time to Austin, TX.
His musical growth continued with the release of 1990’s Circles Toward the Sun, but the album failed to perform from a sales standpoint and by the mid 90s Childers had returned to Stillwater. It was there that Childers’ influence on bands such as The Great Divide and Red Dirt Rangers solidified his status among a new generation of Oklahoma musicians. Widely regarded as one of Oklahoma’s finest songwriters, Bob Childers is also recognized as the “Father of Red Dirt Music.” Perhaps most bands dislike labels, but for those influenced by Bob Childers, “Red Dirt” is a badge worn proudly. Long-time Childers friends Tom Skinner and the Red Dirt Rangers will perform Bob Childers songs at the ceremony.
Chick Rains
Unless you happen to live in the hometown of the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame and Museum, chances are you’ve never heard of Chick Rains. But if you’ve listened to country radio over the past thirty years or so, you’ve probably heard some of his songs. His songs have been recorded by artists like Johnny Lee, Mickey Gilley, Reba McEntire, Michael Martin Murphy and, more recently, Oklahoman Wade Hayes.
The Muskogee-born and raised Rains followed his musical dreams to California in the early 60s. A detour in the Army and Vietnam was followed by a return to LA and a song-writing gig with RCA records. By the mid-70s Rains was well on his way to success, with songs recorded by Eddy Arnold and the Oak Ridge Boys. The 80s saw Rains move to Nashville where he found his greatest success, writing a string of hits including “Somebody Should Leave” recorded by McEntire, and “A Headache Tomorrow or a Heartache Tonight” recorded by Mickey Gilley. Rains’ string of hits continued into the 90s when he began a successful collaboration with Hayes that resulted in two number one singles. Hayes will honor Rains by performing his songs at this year’s ceremony in his hometown of Muskogee.
The Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame induction ceremony and concert will take place Oct. 8 at the Muskogee Civic Center, located at 5th and Boston St. in Muskogee, OK. Pre-induction reception begins at 5pm and induction and concert begins at 7pm. Gallery tickets are from $19 to $39 and VIP tickets are $150 and include VIP parking. Tickets can be purchased by calling (918)687-0800.
Since 1997, the OMHOF has recognized artists and contributors in a variety of categories, ranging from Country and Western, Singer & Songwriter, Pop & Rock and Rising Star, along with a selection of special awards given on a rotating basis. This year the event will feature the Governor’s Award, presented for only the third time in the OMHOF history. The award will be presented to the Cherokee National Youth Choir, which sings traditional songs in the Cherokee language. The award-winning group, which was founded in 2000, is comprised of 50 Cherokee youths from Northeastern Oklahoma. The choir will perform at the event.
For the first time the event will present The American Indian Tribal Music Traditions award to The Wichita and Affiliated Tribes. The tribe’s singers are recognized as some of the state’s earliest recorded artists, with recordings dating as early as 1902. The American Indian Tribal Music Traditions category will be awarded every four years following this year’s event.
Past recipients of the Rising Star award have been as diverse as country star Keith Anderson and hard rockers Hinder. This year one of the country’s hottest modern rock bands will join them when the All-American Rejects receive the coveted award. Fresh off their rocking show at this year’s DFest in Tulsa, All American Rejects are certain to make sure everyone attending the ceremony will know exactly why they are rising stars with a blistering performance after the induction ceremony.
This year the OMHOF will welcome a pair of singer/songwriters that, while neither may be house hold names to the casual music fan, have both helped to shape the way generations of musicians and music fans create and appreciate music.
Bob Childers
Hundreds of thousands of musicians dream of playing their instruments for a living. Most flame out before they ever really begin. A few toil for a few years, barely making enough to live on, before moving on to the real world. Fewer still do well enough to keep up the life into old age. Very few inspire a movement. Bob Childers followed a path not unlike that of Texas outlaws such as Willie and Waylon. Kid dreams of hitting it big in Nashville. Kid grows tired of the corporate sell-out ideal. Kid makes his way back home determined to make it on his own terms.
Only this kid’s home wasn’t Texas, although he did happen to make a brief stop in Austin. No, Bob Childers made it all the way back to Oklahoma, and a couple decades in his rearview mirror he could look up and see a landscape populated by artists who have been influenced by the music he made along the way. Maybe most bands don’t like to be labeled, but if one happens to be called a “Red Dirt” artist, it can thank Bob Childers.
For Bob Childers, who died this past April after a long battle with emphysema, it ended where it began, fittingly, in Stillwater, OK. Long considered the birthplace of what is widely recognized as Red Dirt music, Stillwater is the town where Childers refined his sound and was inspired in his early songwriting efforts. It was there, in the late 1970s, that he recorded his debut album, the widely acclaimed I Ain’t No Jukebox. As his reputation grew with the album and its follow-up, Singing Trees, Dancing Waters, Childers decided to chase fame and fortune in Nashville. A couple of albums later, Childers had grown restless and made his way back west, this time to Austin, TX.
His musical growth continued with the release of 1990’s Circles Toward the Sun, but the album failed to perform from a sales standpoint and by the mid 90s Childers had returned to Stillwater. It was there that Childers’ influence on bands such as The Great Divide and Red Dirt Rangers solidified his status among a new generation of Oklahoma musicians. Widely regarded as one of Oklahoma’s finest songwriters, Bob Childers is also recognized as the “Father of Red Dirt Music.” Perhaps most bands dislike labels, but for those influenced by Bob Childers, “Red Dirt” is a badge worn proudly. Long-time Childers friends Tom Skinner and the Red Dirt Rangers will perform Bob Childers songs at the ceremony.
Chick Rains
Unless you happen to live in the hometown of the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame and Museum, chances are you’ve never heard of Chick Rains. But if you’ve listened to country radio over the past thirty years or so, you’ve probably heard some of his songs. His songs have been recorded by artists like Johnny Lee, Mickey Gilley, Reba McEntire, Michael Martin Murphy and, more recently, Oklahoman Wade Hayes.
The Muskogee-born and raised Rains followed his musical dreams to California in the early 60s. A detour in the Army and Vietnam was followed by a return to LA and a song-writing gig with RCA records. By the mid-70s Rains was well on his way to success, with songs recorded by Eddy Arnold and the Oak Ridge Boys. The 80s saw Rains move to Nashville where he found his greatest success, writing a string of hits including “Somebody Should Leave” recorded by McEntire, and “A Headache Tomorrow or a Heartache Tonight” recorded by Mickey Gilley. Rains’ string of hits continued into the 90s when he began a successful collaboration with Hayes that resulted in two number one singles. Hayes will honor Rains by performing his songs at this year’s ceremony in his hometown of Muskogee.
The Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame induction ceremony and concert will take place Oct. 8 at the Muskogee Civic Center, located at 5th and Boston St. in Muskogee, OK. Pre-induction reception begins at 5pm and induction and concert begins at 7pm. Gallery tickets are from $19 to $39 and VIP tickets are $150 and include VIP parking. Tickets can be purchased by calling (918)687-0800.
Grand Lake Gears up for Molly Hatchet, Catfish Cooks and Birders-Feature Story 2 Sept. 2008
Summer might be coming to an end, but someone might wanna tell the good people up at beautiful Grand Lake. Folks there don’t seem to go by the same calendar as the rest of us, and they’re not ready to let go of the good times and long, sunny days just yet. Of course, as any Oklahoman can attest, just because we’ve past the end of August, the cool weather that greets those folks up north can still be a month or two away, a fact that the lake lovers know how to take full advantage of.
Grand Lake Rally
Look for the heat to stick around long enough to welcome bikers and fun-seekers from all around the area when the first annual Grand Lake Rally kicks off on Thursday September 11 in Grove and continuing throughout the Grand Lake area through Sunday September 14. A celebration of all the fantastic things Grand Lake has to offer, this is definitely not your average bike rally. For starters, while any biker rally worth its salt includes a poker run, the Grand Lake Rally’s run promises over $5000 in cash prizes and stops at some of the area’s coolest destinations, from JR Spanky’s to the historic Pensacola Dam. Plus you’ll get a chance to meet and have your picture taken with Miss Sturgis 2008 Rachel Reilly. But don’t get your hopes up guys, even if she gives you her number, it probably won’t be her real one. But maybe motorcycles aren’t necessarily your cup of tea. Not to worry.
The real action revs up Saturday at South Grand Lake Regional Airport in Ketchum, where you can check out the Keels, Wheels and Wings classic boat, car and airplane display, plane flyovers, drag races, a fashion show and, of course, the beer garden. Of course, no self-respecting bike rally would be complete without a little live music to entertain the crowd, and the first annual Grand Lake Rally is showing a deep respect for itself and its attendees in bringing local favorites Hurricane Mason to the stage. But that’s not all, no, not by a long shot. Ever hear of a little band called Molly-freaking-Hatchet? You read that right. Molly Hatchet, the same dudes that you hear every time you see that commercial for the southern rock legends compilation cd on TV, will be playing live, honest to goodness southern badass rock right on the shores of beautiful Grand Lake. Imagine the chicks you’ll see.
The fun starts at 9am on Thursday September 11 at the Grove Civic Center. Admission is free for all events in Grove. The festivities at Rally Central, at the South Grand Lake Regional Airport, kick off at 9am on Saturday September 13. Admission is $20 for the rally and the concert. For more information on the first annual Grand Lake Rally check out www.grandlakerally.com, and for more information about rock legends Molly Hatchet, well, just google ‘em, man.
Hook N Cookoff
The endless summer continues as the Grand Lake Area Chamber of Commerce presents the 15th Annual Hook N Cookoff, Grand Lake’s yearly celebration of the search to find the best catfish chef in the country. The event is in its seventh year as a nationally recognized cookoff, so when the folks at the chamber say the winner will be recognized as the best catfish chef in the country, they actually mean it. Held at the beautiful Pelican Landing Resort, the Hook N Cookoff is a great opportunity to meet and get to know some of your neighbors from the community and all around the lake. It is also the place to be if you want to taste some of the best catfish around. Actually, it’s the place to be if you want to taste the best catfish in the United States! Hear that, catfish lovers?
Awards will be given for presentation, spirit and people’s choice. The people’s choice award will be determined by the amount of “tasting kits” each team is able to sell. Tasting kits are available for $5 apiece, and the more you sell, the more votes you get.
10’x10’ booths are available to vendors for $50. The entry fee for competitors is $150, and includes 45 lbs. of catfish. Additional catfish can be purchased for $45 per 15 lbs.
For information on how to enter the Hook N Cookoff, contact Kristal Hodges at the Grand Lake Area Chamber of Commerce by calling (918)782-3214 or by email at khodges@granklakechamber.org.
The 15th Annual Hook N Cookoff will be held September 26 and 27. Pelican Landing Resort is located four miles east of Ketchum on highway 85.
25th Annual Pelican Festival
Even the folks at Grand Lake have to admit summer is over sometime, and each year they do so by celebrating the return of the American White Pelican to the waters of the Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees with the Pelican Festival this October 3-5.
The centerpiece of this year’s silver anniversary festival will be a juried arts and crafts show to be held on the Grove Community Center lawn. There will also be live music and a variety of other entertainment and activities are in the works.
The Pelican Festival is being put on in a joint effort between the Grand Lake Association and the Grove Downtown Merchants Association. For more information, call (918)786-2333 or by visiting the Grand Lake Association website at www.glaok.com.
Grand Lake Rally
Look for the heat to stick around long enough to welcome bikers and fun-seekers from all around the area when the first annual Grand Lake Rally kicks off on Thursday September 11 in Grove and continuing throughout the Grand Lake area through Sunday September 14. A celebration of all the fantastic things Grand Lake has to offer, this is definitely not your average bike rally. For starters, while any biker rally worth its salt includes a poker run, the Grand Lake Rally’s run promises over $5000 in cash prizes and stops at some of the area’s coolest destinations, from JR Spanky’s to the historic Pensacola Dam. Plus you’ll get a chance to meet and have your picture taken with Miss Sturgis 2008 Rachel Reilly. But don’t get your hopes up guys, even if she gives you her number, it probably won’t be her real one. But maybe motorcycles aren’t necessarily your cup of tea. Not to worry.
The real action revs up Saturday at South Grand Lake Regional Airport in Ketchum, where you can check out the Keels, Wheels and Wings classic boat, car and airplane display, plane flyovers, drag races, a fashion show and, of course, the beer garden. Of course, no self-respecting bike rally would be complete without a little live music to entertain the crowd, and the first annual Grand Lake Rally is showing a deep respect for itself and its attendees in bringing local favorites Hurricane Mason to the stage. But that’s not all, no, not by a long shot. Ever hear of a little band called Molly-freaking-Hatchet? You read that right. Molly Hatchet, the same dudes that you hear every time you see that commercial for the southern rock legends compilation cd on TV, will be playing live, honest to goodness southern badass rock right on the shores of beautiful Grand Lake. Imagine the chicks you’ll see.
The fun starts at 9am on Thursday September 11 at the Grove Civic Center. Admission is free for all events in Grove. The festivities at Rally Central, at the South Grand Lake Regional Airport, kick off at 9am on Saturday September 13. Admission is $20 for the rally and the concert. For more information on the first annual Grand Lake Rally check out www.grandlakerally.com, and for more information about rock legends Molly Hatchet, well, just google ‘em, man.
Hook N Cookoff
The endless summer continues as the Grand Lake Area Chamber of Commerce presents the 15th Annual Hook N Cookoff, Grand Lake’s yearly celebration of the search to find the best catfish chef in the country. The event is in its seventh year as a nationally recognized cookoff, so when the folks at the chamber say the winner will be recognized as the best catfish chef in the country, they actually mean it. Held at the beautiful Pelican Landing Resort, the Hook N Cookoff is a great opportunity to meet and get to know some of your neighbors from the community and all around the lake. It is also the place to be if you want to taste some of the best catfish around. Actually, it’s the place to be if you want to taste the best catfish in the United States! Hear that, catfish lovers?
Awards will be given for presentation, spirit and people’s choice. The people’s choice award will be determined by the amount of “tasting kits” each team is able to sell. Tasting kits are available for $5 apiece, and the more you sell, the more votes you get.
10’x10’ booths are available to vendors for $50. The entry fee for competitors is $150, and includes 45 lbs. of catfish. Additional catfish can be purchased for $45 per 15 lbs.
For information on how to enter the Hook N Cookoff, contact Kristal Hodges at the Grand Lake Area Chamber of Commerce by calling (918)782-3214 or by email at khodges@granklakechamber.org.
The 15th Annual Hook N Cookoff will be held September 26 and 27. Pelican Landing Resort is located four miles east of Ketchum on highway 85.
25th Annual Pelican Festival
Even the folks at Grand Lake have to admit summer is over sometime, and each year they do so by celebrating the return of the American White Pelican to the waters of the Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees with the Pelican Festival this October 3-5.
The centerpiece of this year’s silver anniversary festival will be a juried arts and crafts show to be held on the Grove Community Center lawn. There will also be live music and a variety of other entertainment and activities are in the works.
The Pelican Festival is being put on in a joint effort between the Grand Lake Association and the Grove Downtown Merchants Association. For more information, call (918)786-2333 or by visiting the Grand Lake Association website at www.glaok.com.
SpiritBank Event Center's Grand Opening Gala-Feature Story 1 Sept. 2008
There is an oft repeated story, or perhaps it would be a legend, that Jimi Hendrix, during an appearance on The Tonight Show in the late sixties, proclaimed his favorite guitar player to be a young Texan from the little known group, the Moving Pavements, a band that had recently opened for a few Jimi Hendrix Experience shows. The young man’s name? Billy Gibbons. And why should you care? Well, a year or so later, Gibbons met bassist Dusty Hill and drummer Frank Beard and the three formed a new band, and this September, nearly forty years later, that little old band from Texas, ZZ Top, will be playing the very first show ever at the new Spirit Bank Event Center in Bixby when the 2008 In Your Face Tour rolls into town.
That’s not a bad opening act for a new event center. All ZZ Top has done over the past four decades is sell over 50 million albums, develop a reputation as one of the world’s best live bands, grow ridiculously long beards (except, ironically, for Frank Beard, who sports a mustache) and get themselves inducted into the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame and designated as official Heroes of the State of Texas. And how can you resist a Texas blues-rock band whose first big hit, “La Grange,” was inspired by an infamous brothel?
That song, which appeared on the band’s third album,1973’s Tres Hombres, introduced the trio to a national audience, and began them on a steady ascent up the ladder of rock ‘n roll success. Through the mid-70s the boys continued a relentless touring schedule and released two more albums on their original label, London Records. The albums, Fandango! and Tejas continued a steady stream of rock radio hits, including “Tush” and “Arrested For Driving While Blind.” But the ZZ Top most of us now recognize, the sunglasses-wearing, bearded, classic-car driving ZZ Top was still a few years away.
Following several year’s worth of relentless touring and recording, the band went on an extended hiatus before reuniting in 1979 for a tour and album for their new label, Warner Bros. Records. Deguello spawned several more hits, including “Cheap Sunglasses,” “I Thank You,” and the increasingly appropriate, “I’m Bad, I’m Nationwide.” The band’s hot streak continued with its second Warner Bros. release, 1981’s El Loco which included “Pearl Necklace” and “Tube Snake Boogie.” It probably seemed to the Texas boys that they had reached the highest possible success. But the eighties would see ZZ Top reach heights they couldn’t have possibly dreamed of.
Maybe it was the sudden popularity of MTV. Maybe it was the band’s more pop-radio friendly, synthesized sound. Or maybe it was just the fact that they had been around long enough to know how to write and play music that folks wanted to listen to, whatever the reason , with the release of Eliminator, ZZ Top became the biggest rock n’ roll band on the planet in 1983. Behind the strength of hit singles “Gimme All Your Lovin’,” “You Got Me Under Pressure” and “Sharp Dressed Man,” along with the videos featuring plenty of hot girls and cool cars, the album went on to sell over 10 million copies and firmly established the band as a rock n’ roll juggernaut.
The band’s winning streak continued throughout the eighties and into the nineties with the Afterburner and Recycler albums and hit songs including “Velcro Fly,” “Rough Boy,” “Double Back” and “Concrete and Steel,” to name a few. As they pushed into the nineties and toward a new millennium, the guys in ZZ Top faced a different musical climate and lower record sales, but continued recording and touring. Maybe fans weren’t buying as many records as in ZZ Top’s heyday, but they have never stopped buying concert tickets, as the band sells out nearly every show it plays. And when the 4,500 seat Spirit Bank Event Center opens its doors for the first time to welcome ZZ Top and their fans, you can bet that there won’t be an empty seat in the house.
Even if you can’t make it to the ZZ Top show, the $50 million Spirit Bank Event Center has enough in the works that if you are going to be looking for something to do in the Tulsa area in the next few months, there’s a good bet that you’ll find something there to interest you. Whether it be sports, music or any number of trade shows or conventions, The Spirit Bank Event Center has something to suit any taste.
In addition to the ZZ Top show, the event center will be the new home to the Tulsa 66ers, the city’s NBA Developmental League team, and will also host the Tulsa World Gymnastics Invitational and Elite Combat League mixed martial arts. Other musical events scheduled for the upcoming months include Uncle Kracker, Steven Curtis Chapman and Michael W. Smith’s United Tour and the newly reunited Stone Temple Pilots. Plus, look for a variety of trade shows and conventions to be booked in the future. For more future events and venue and ticket information, visit www.spiritbankeventcenter.com or call Tony Heineman at (918)794-8870.
ZZ Top plays the opening night of the event center on Sunday September 28 . The event center is located at 105th and S. Memorial in Bixby. Doors open at 6:30pm and the show starts at 8pm. Tickets are $35 or $45 and can be purchased by visiting the event center website or at Coppertown Coffee shops and Indigo Joes.
That’s not a bad opening act for a new event center. All ZZ Top has done over the past four decades is sell over 50 million albums, develop a reputation as one of the world’s best live bands, grow ridiculously long beards (except, ironically, for Frank Beard, who sports a mustache) and get themselves inducted into the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame and designated as official Heroes of the State of Texas. And how can you resist a Texas blues-rock band whose first big hit, “La Grange,” was inspired by an infamous brothel?
That song, which appeared on the band’s third album,1973’s Tres Hombres, introduced the trio to a national audience, and began them on a steady ascent up the ladder of rock ‘n roll success. Through the mid-70s the boys continued a relentless touring schedule and released two more albums on their original label, London Records. The albums, Fandango! and Tejas continued a steady stream of rock radio hits, including “Tush” and “Arrested For Driving While Blind.” But the ZZ Top most of us now recognize, the sunglasses-wearing, bearded, classic-car driving ZZ Top was still a few years away.
Following several year’s worth of relentless touring and recording, the band went on an extended hiatus before reuniting in 1979 for a tour and album for their new label, Warner Bros. Records. Deguello spawned several more hits, including “Cheap Sunglasses,” “I Thank You,” and the increasingly appropriate, “I’m Bad, I’m Nationwide.” The band’s hot streak continued with its second Warner Bros. release, 1981’s El Loco which included “Pearl Necklace” and “Tube Snake Boogie.” It probably seemed to the Texas boys that they had reached the highest possible success. But the eighties would see ZZ Top reach heights they couldn’t have possibly dreamed of.
Maybe it was the sudden popularity of MTV. Maybe it was the band’s more pop-radio friendly, synthesized sound. Or maybe it was just the fact that they had been around long enough to know how to write and play music that folks wanted to listen to, whatever the reason , with the release of Eliminator, ZZ Top became the biggest rock n’ roll band on the planet in 1983. Behind the strength of hit singles “Gimme All Your Lovin’,” “You Got Me Under Pressure” and “Sharp Dressed Man,” along with the videos featuring plenty of hot girls and cool cars, the album went on to sell over 10 million copies and firmly established the band as a rock n’ roll juggernaut.
The band’s winning streak continued throughout the eighties and into the nineties with the Afterburner and Recycler albums and hit songs including “Velcro Fly,” “Rough Boy,” “Double Back” and “Concrete and Steel,” to name a few. As they pushed into the nineties and toward a new millennium, the guys in ZZ Top faced a different musical climate and lower record sales, but continued recording and touring. Maybe fans weren’t buying as many records as in ZZ Top’s heyday, but they have never stopped buying concert tickets, as the band sells out nearly every show it plays. And when the 4,500 seat Spirit Bank Event Center opens its doors for the first time to welcome ZZ Top and their fans, you can bet that there won’t be an empty seat in the house.
Even if you can’t make it to the ZZ Top show, the $50 million Spirit Bank Event Center has enough in the works that if you are going to be looking for something to do in the Tulsa area in the next few months, there’s a good bet that you’ll find something there to interest you. Whether it be sports, music or any number of trade shows or conventions, The Spirit Bank Event Center has something to suit any taste.
In addition to the ZZ Top show, the event center will be the new home to the Tulsa 66ers, the city’s NBA Developmental League team, and will also host the Tulsa World Gymnastics Invitational and Elite Combat League mixed martial arts. Other musical events scheduled for the upcoming months include Uncle Kracker, Steven Curtis Chapman and Michael W. Smith’s United Tour and the newly reunited Stone Temple Pilots. Plus, look for a variety of trade shows and conventions to be booked in the future. For more future events and venue and ticket information, visit www.spiritbankeventcenter.com or call Tony Heineman at (918)794-8870.
ZZ Top plays the opening night of the event center on Sunday September 28 . The event center is located at 105th and S. Memorial in Bixby. Doors open at 6:30pm and the show starts at 8pm. Tickets are $35 or $45 and can be purchased by visiting the event center website or at Coppertown Coffee shops and Indigo Joes.
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