Can OKC be the next “Music Town?”
November 18th, 2008
Journal Record

The question that hung in the air today 24 stories above OKC at the swanky Beacon Club was, can Oklahoma City be a music town – in the vain of other greats such as Seattle, Nashville and Austin?

According to the panel at today’s Chamber-sponsored Breaking Through event, the answer is “yes we can!”

On the panel were Scott Booker, manager of the Flaming Lips and Executive Director of the Academy of Contemporary Music at the University of Central Oklahoma, Director of Oklahoma Film and Music Office Jill Simpson, Dean of Music at Oklahoma City University Mark Parker, and Jay Shanker, entertainment lawyer with McAfee and Taft.

All were there to discuss what this town can do to cultivate our future local musical talent (our next Flaming Lips, American Rejects, JJ. Cale, Roy Clark, Vince Gill, Leon Russell, Tony Keith or Garth Brooks) so that when they make the “big time,” they don’t leave our area.

Jill Simpson spoke of the Oklahoma Film and Music’s efforts to incubate music and film projects in the metro by proposing tax breaks and financial incentives to those who do their creative business here. Simpson said this would create jobs, draw in musical mentors for young talent and re-characterize our city as a creative hub – conveniently located between both coasts.

They also made a pitch for the soon-to-come Academy for Contemporary Music at UCO in Bricktown. Here, students will be able to learn not just riffs and stage presence, but the nuts-and-bolts skills that it takes to successfully make a move from the garage into the music industry.

Check out the Kelley Chambers’ story in the Journal Record for the full scoop.

No offense intended to any of our fine DJs, but our music scene has too damn many wannabe DJs and too damn many cover bands. I think that's mostly a result of demand though.

Step one will be to somehow influence (improve) the city's taste in music as a whole. Does that start with new independent radio stations? Can that be profitable? Does it start with brilliant marketing? I'm just a guy who sees problems here... solutions are very evasive.

I think Tulsa has a better shot at it than OKC. OKC doesn't seem to have enough mid-range venues.

I think Tulsa has a better shot at it than OKC. OKC doesn't seem to have enough mid-range venues.

I agree with this, but its not the venues that are holding this city back. Its music education in our schools.

When public schools invest more in their music programs, instead of depending on KFOR to provide donated instruments, then we can seriously consider becoming a music town.

The question that hung in the air today 24 stories above OKC at the swanky Beacon Club was, can Oklahoma City be a music town – in the vain of other greats such as Seattle, Nashville and Austin?Yes it can, but it won't happen overnight.


too damn many cover bands.
Step one will be to somehow influence (improve) the city's taste in music as a whole. Does that start with new independent radio stations? Can that be profitable? Does it start with brilliant marketing? I'm just a guy who sees problems here... solutions are very evasive.

There's nothing wrong with cover bands or the amount of them. The idea is to encourage more local talent to write and perform their own music.
Improving tastes in music is very subjective, what I think is good, you may not.
It starts with supporting what music venues we have here in OKC and expanding on that. Austin has an independent radio station that supports local music (http://www.kgsr.com/).


OKC doesn't seem to have enough mid-range venues.
It's not just mid-range venues, it's all sizes that OKC is lacking in. Go to Austin and look around, almost every bar in the city has live music in it more than one night a week.

I agree with this, but its not the venues that are holding this city back. Its music education in our schools.

I didn't mean to imply that it was the only thing holding us back. It's just my pet peeve.

My answer would be "no".

Step one will be to somehow influence (improve) the city's taste in music as a whole. Does that start with new independent radio stations? Can that be profitable?

There won't be any independent radio stations in the near future. Most are mortgaged to their eyeballs (and this credit crunch isn't helping), therefore cost cutting and maximizing profit is critical. All major stations in OKC are basically owned by 3 corporations. Citadel, Clear Channel & Renda Broadcasting.

We discussed it in another thread a while back, but a venue like Cains is sorely needed here in OKC.

Tulsa is a few steps ahead of us as a "music town" with this venue, and events like D-Fest.

It COULD be but I doubt it will be.

All of the above answers and concerns bother me. An independent radio station will not help. Who doesn't have XM radio these days? That doesn't help. We have and have had KSPY for a long time who DOES play local music and independent music from all around, it hasn't helped.

We DO have a ton of local musicians who play and write their own music - the venues are telling them they have to play more covers or they won't be booked. Some actually require so many covers per night or you don't get paid.

Schools still look at music as an extracurricular activity that will never be essential in the education of our children. And when they do have music, it's only in the form of a marching band to perform for the football team.

Arts & Entertainment as a whole severely lacks as useful in the eyes of most of Oklahoma City. I don't know how to change the attitude or create the support.

But I can tell you that those of us involved will not give up. We keep moving forward every day and will continue to challenge those who insist upon standing in our way.

Tulsa definitely has an edge. It's an interesting mix of people to make up a discussion though. It looks like they at least tried to cover the bases from classical to contemporary. There has to be a demand for the music before it starts to thrive. If you go somewhere like Austin, you will have a hard time finding a restaurant that doesn't have some sort of live music every night. They have an insane number of musicians there, and there are plenty really good ones.

We have plenty good groups here too, but we don't generally see as many upcoming groups get past their own garage....practicality in lieu of the dream. We don't have as many people willing to "live out of their van" so to speak, so they don't really make the push as often. It's just a different mind set.

Now I think the first way to get that to change is to start an independant station that doesnt play the normal pop crap we hear everywhere else on the dial. I gave up local radio when I got XM 5 years ago. I pretty much stay on The Pulse, Sound of Starbucks, and Soundtracks. I love being able to hear new artists and songs that I would never hear in OKC. Eventually they make it into mainstream too, but it takes longer. I think it we had an outlet for people to hear our sound, then it would start to take off. But do we think we can fund it so it doesnt flop? Independants struggle financially but they are so incredibly important to the music world. For every one of the big name groups you hear on mainstream radio, I'm sure you'll find dozens of garage groups that influenced them at some point. Not to mention the number of these folks that took part in music education while in school!

I think we may be confusing having a music "scene" with just having live music a bit. That is, Tulsa doesn't have much more of a "scene" from I have seen. Cain's is obviously the premier venue, but that has more to do with touring acts, that is, bands from other scenes. In my experience I have not noticed greater support for or quality of bands in Tulsa over OKC. Both are lacking a lot and both are very cyclical, and sometimes one is up and the other is down. However, D-Fest is a great event for all Oklahoma music lovers and musicians and it would benefit both scenes if OKC had something similar that complimented it. There would be room for one in each town for sure.

But I think the issue here is can Oklahoma City be a place where bands are incubated, that is, can they live and work here off their music and manage their careers from here. The answer to that is definitely-maybe. It depends on what you are trying to do with your music. If you want to write, record, and distribute music, you can do that anywhere today. However, having a "scene" usually means active support of a well stocked and varied talent pool. This means going to clubs and paying covers.

Personally, I think you can do anything you want, incentive wise, and it won't get people in the clubs more. I am kind of amazed actually that so many are complaining about cover bands. I have been in bands and I go see bands at clubs and I don't see many strictly cover bands and I have never been given or heard of anyone being given a cover quota. Of course, I don't always see a lot of people at the shows either, but sometimes I do.

I think the real problem is that, right now, we lack a critical mass of people who are willing to take chances and go see bands every weekend. I'm not saying that there aren't people who do this, it's just not enough people to support a full blown scene. We have musicians for sure, but who do they play to... it seems everyone is going to bars that want covers and not the places that book original bands. Of course, this changes all the time. Sometimes it seems it is hip to follow local bands and other times it seems like it's about dressing up and being seen, rather than be a part of the "scene".

All that being said, I have been to plenty of large cities with "scenes" who have empty rooms several nights a month. We also have to keep it all in perspective and make sure we're chasing a reality.

Well, if you want an independant radio station, I think the easiest way to establish one would be through a university. OCU or the new Academy of Contemporary Music (Flaming Lips U) could set up a student-run station that plays local bands.

By the way, it's kind of sad that the original article has an obvious spelling error. It should say "in the vein", not "in the vain". Maybe our students need more education in English before we worry about music. ;)

OKC can be known for producing popular musical acts, but it will never become a "great music town."

I always crack up reading these stories when they list our rich musical legacy (Garth Brooks, Leon Russell, and one of the dudes from Brooks and Dunn! For awhile there, Sandy Davis would always mention the drummer in the Tractors).

Anyhoo, love 'em or hate 'em, Hinder is from OKC and they are hugely successful. They slugged it out in the clubs, made a demo, and made it big when they signed to Universal. Their last disc went triple platinum and they still live in OKC when they are not on tour. Their success may have been an accident, but getting a deal, massive radio play and lots of units sold takes more than dumb luck.

To my point: I think for OKC to be a music "scene," it likely will be because of bands like Hinder to "make it" and lead by example. Talent helps. Given the changing landscape of the traditonal concept of the music business, bands and musicians are going to have to be more innovative with utilizing new media and new media opportunities than ever before. I suspect soon that there won't even be major labels anymore, as more and more acts manage the process of getting their music heard through other means. For example, Edgar Cruz makes a great living as a musician by maximizing his opportunities and taking advantage of niches in the market. He travels all over the country and gets paid to play.

As for a scene in OKC: It's not going to happen, and never will, because of the chasm between Norman and OKC and the fact that we are far from a 24-hour city. Go to Bricktown on a Tuesday night (non NBA night) sometime and you'll find a ghost town. People don't want to see a live band on any night except Friday or Saturday, and half the time they don't want to listen to anything except a version of "Brown Eyed Girl." That's the way it's always been, and the way it will always be. Collectively, we are not sophisticated or diverse enough to galvanize and build a "scene." Every time that an audience can be built for a "scene," they end up having kids and starting families, and they stop going out. Then, it takes another few years, and the cycle repeats itself.

There are many talented people here, but they need to make it through their own will and way. A little encouragement helps, but it likely will remain up to the musicians to create their own pathways.

Can OKC become the "next great music town?"

No.

The end.

And when they do have music, it's only in the form of a marching band to perform for the football team.



whoa... not at our schools. We have a Band and a full String Orchestra and so do most of the surrounding high schools.

My son got the phone number of a counselor for the new Music Academy. I'm hoping the fact that he has taken classical violin (lessons and at school) through middle school and made 1st hour Honor Orchestra in high school will carry some clout in admittance and hopefully scholarships.

No. All that needs to be compared are the following 2 websites:

OklahomaRock.com - Concert Calendar (http://www.oklahomarock.com/shows.htm)
Austin Live Music - Austin, Texas (http://www.austinlivemusic.com/index.aspx?Date=11/18/2008)

There are more shows in Austin on a Tues. night than the entire weekend in the state of Oklahoma.

I always crack up reading these stories when they list our rich musical legacy (Garth Brooks, Leon Russell, and one of the dudes from Brooks and Dunn! For awhile there, Sandy Davis would always mention the drummer in the Tractors).

Obviously you are not a country music fan. You've left out a few of history's biggest selling country acts: Reba, Vince, Toby, Carrie. That's not a laughing matter. As far as top acts in country today... Oklahoma is on top.


Anyhoo, love 'em or hate 'em, Hinder is from OKC and they are hugely successful. They slugged it out in the clubs, made a demo, and made it big when they signed to Universal. Their last disc went triple platinum and they still live in OKC when they are not on tour. Their success may have been an accident, but getting a deal, massive radio play and lots of units sold takes more than dumb luck.

Nothing againsts Hinder... glad they are from here... but still less famous than their Okie country cousins.


To my point: I think for OKC to be a music "scene," it likely will be because of bands like Hinder to "make it" and lead by example. Talent helps.

Maybe... I actually think it will be more likely Red Dirt bands like Cross Canadian Ragweed.

It's a possibility if the ACM@UCO is extremely successful.

But I think we are much closer to being a "theatre" city. OCU's status as a magnet for talent in theatre, dance, and musical theatre (both students and faculty) means that we have a great community and professional theatre scene. It even trickles down to the high schools. Edmond North, Edmond Memorial, PC North, and others have phenomenal theatre programs. In the last year, we have seen three new theatre groups form, and that's without losing any of the old ones.

Ghostlight Theatre Club (at a.k.a gallery in Paseo) produces alternative, experiemental, and avant-garde productions like World of Mirth and Neal LaBute's The Shape of Things. Ghostlight Theatre OKC (http://www.ghostlighttheatreclub.com)

Hope Theatre Company (at Kerr Auditorium downtown) is a youth & college community theatre currently prepping Elton John & Tim Rice's AIDA. http://www.hopetheatreco.com

and Reduxion Theatre (at Stage Center) specializes in classical and contemporary theatre. Their upcoming production is Romeo & Juliet set in post-WWII Japan. Reduxion Theatre Company (http://www.reduxiontheatre.com)

On any given weekend, there are at least 3 or 4 shows playing in the metro between the professional and community theatres and the colleges.

It should say "in the vein", not "in the vain".

I guess that depends on what kind of music we're talking about. ;)

How do we get Toby, Garth, Reba, Vince, Carrie, and other successful musicians to reinvest a little back here? I'm not talking about gaudy, Branson-style music palaces - just small to medium sized venues that incubate new musicians. A place like the Blue Door is super inexpensive to operate, and it does wonders for the local music scene. It gives artists a chance to perform and gain a little exposure.

Those country stars are fine and all, but they're not going to make OKC the next great music town. I wouldn't even say we have a country music "scene" in OKC; Nashville beat us to that. A "scene" consists of more than a handful of successful bands coming from the same place. A "scene" involves a collaborative effort on the part of local bands. Also, key players in the "scene" are often not musicians at all, but business owners, promoters, artists, and journalists.

Go down to Austin and check out some of the local talent. Chances are many of those bands know each other very well. In a real music scene, musicians feed off of each other and work towards improving the climate for bands in general. They associate themselves with venues and establish relationships with other influential locals.

The fact that we don't have an independent radio station is telling for OKC. Hell, we don't even have a college rock station. The best example of a "scene" that I've seen lately is the Helium Project at RedHouse. (theheliumproject.com)

Those guys are bringing together young creatives for house-party-like shows by some great local musicians. Not only are the bands getting exposure, but the artists, photographers, designers, writers, entrepreneurs and other people that attend these shows are meeting each other. I went to the first show, and it was exhilarating to see so many young creative people in one room together.

I think the best Oklahoma City style music - music that OKC can really claim as something pretty unique - Is the peculiar psych/trippy rock that comes from our area. Think Flaming Lips, Stardeath and the White Dwarves (recently signed by Warner Bros), Starlight Mints (Norman), and Colourmusic (Stillwater).

I see a growing local music scene here, where many of these unique bands are quite popular and have growing national/international fanbases. Now that we've started embracing that on a more mainstream level with all the recent attention for the Lips, that could develop even further.

I think the best Oklahoma City style music - music that OKC can really claim as something pretty unique - Is the peculiar psych/trippy rock that comes from our area. Think Flaming Lips, Stardeath and the White Dwarves (recently signed by Warner Bros), Starlight Mints (Norman), and Colourmusic (Stillwater).

I see a growing local music scene here, where many of these unique bands are quite popular and have growing national/international fanbases. Now that we've started embracing that on a more mainstream level with all the recent attention for the Lips, that could develop even further.

Exactly. These are the kinds of bands that could make this a great music town. I'm not sure about THE next great music town... but it's a helluva start. Sadly, none of these bands really play OKC that often. You might say the fact that they're touring is a sign of success, and it is, but the fact remains that if they chose to stay closer to home, they would quickly run out of appropriate venues to play.

A place like the Blue Door is super inexpensive to operate, and it does wonders for the local music scene.

The Blue Door=The best small venue in OK.

It's not all about big names, fancy equipment, beer sales and cupholders. It's about music.

OU needs to bring the Wire to FM in the OKC Metro. Currently it plays indie and alternative rock on 1710 AM but is rather obscure.

The Blue Door=The best small venue in OK.

It's not all about big names, fancy equipment, beer sales and cupholders. It's about music.


Is that the place off 23rd ?

No offense intended to any of our fine DJs, but our music scene has too damn many wannabe DJs and too damn many cover bands. I think that's mostly a result of demand though.

Step one will be to somehow influence (improve) the city's taste in music as a whole. Does that start with new independent radio stations? Can that be profitable? Does it start with brilliant marketing? I'm just a guy who sees problems here... solutions are very evasive.
I remember going to see bands every weekend at The Bricktown Brewery, it was a nice sized venue for most acts that played there like Wakeland, Molly's Yes, Caroline's Spine and The Nixons when they were all "coming up" and playing original music but most places want a human juke box. One of the main reasons is cover bands are usually cheaper and many crowds just aren't interested in original music form an "unknown" artist.


It starts with supporting what music venues we have here in OKC and expanding on that. Austin has an independent radio station that supports local music (http://www.kgsr.com/). A station that actually plays and promotes local music and live original music would help. KGSR is the only local station that I listen to, I listen to Sirius most of the time. I quit listening to radio in OKC long before I moved because the poor state of the business there and it seemed like all the DJ's all wanted to be the next Howard Stern. I missed the old 96X and KATT radio of the 80's before the suits took over.

As someone else pointed out, the monopoly that large radio has on the market is ridiculous. One of the worst things that ever happened was the allowing of the consolidation of media outlets. It has ruined terrestrial radio in most cities. The thing about KGSR is that it is owned by a media conglomerate (Emmis Communications (http://www.emmis.com/) of Indianapolis) but they have the sense to program one outside of the regular canned crap that the others have.


It's not just mid-range venues, it's all sizes that OKC is lacking in. Go to Austin and look around, almost every bar in the city has live music in it more than one night a week.
Well, Austin has built that over a long period of time, really it was something that started in the 70's and has taken time to nurture and build. Most club owners are in the business to make money and get out, pretty much every club owner that I knew in OKC had that mentality and to develop something takes a commitment of both time and money....and patience, which most investor types do not have. We have clubs open/close all the time because of it but there are established veterans who have the patience to ride the ups and downs.

OKC needs a decent mid-sized venue, I always wanted to convert The Continental into a live music venue. I remember going to shows at whatever they were calling Quicksilvers at the time in the mid 90's, it wasn't big enough for some of the acts they brought in but the price for the acts was great.


Go down to Austin and check out some of the local talent. Chances are many of those bands know each other very well. In a real music scene, musicians feed off of each other and work towards improving the climate for bands in general. They associate themselves with venues and establish relationships with other influential locals.
Yes, many of them show up at each others shows so you never know what you are going to get on any given night. But one thing about Austin, it is a very insular music scene, it is a horrible touring town for national acts. Part of that is proximity to San Antonio and the fact the only large venue is The Erwin Center but much of it is the "Austin" mindset of just being "Austin music" which is a country/rock hybrid much like Cross Canadian Ragweed. There are a few venues which specialize in other genres of music but the majority have the same players cycling through them but it does keep their fanbases happy. It can keep a working musician going though, I know a few players down here and they keep busy..the funny thing is a few of them are from Oklahoma.

Oklahoma has a lot of talent in all forms of music, it could develop into a viable music scene. I don't think it could ever turn into a scene the size of Austin or Nashville but definitely something to be proud of.

OKC needs a decent mid-sized venue, I always wanted to convert The Continental into a live music venue.

I saw Nick Lowe at The Continental many years ago.......it would have been a good venue for consistent live music.

There have been many venues over the years for smaller touring bands and local bands. I used to spend a lot of time at the Bowery and saw lots of great shows there. There was also a place in Norman called The Grey Fox that was a good place for live music. And there are venues around town where bands can play if people actually would get out to the shows and support local live music. Unfortunately, the "known" acts get all of the support and the local bands just trying to get heard play to crowds of 23.

Is that the place off 23rd ?

You may be thinking of the Blue Note off 23rd and Robinson. The Blue Door is a little place near 28th & McKinley. It's in the middle of a residential area near OCU. I don't know if it is still there with all the expansion at OCU.

OKC can be known for producing popular musical acts, but it will never become a "great music town."

i disagree wholeheartedly, but as long as people limit themselves with opinions like that... you may be right.



As for a scene in OKC: It's not going to happen, and never will, because of the chasm between Norman and OKC and the fact that we are far from a 24-hour city. Go to Bricktown on a Tuesday night (non NBA night) sometime and you'll find a ghost town.

perhaps that is due to the fact that bricktown is lame and dying.



That's the way it's always been, and the way it will always be. Collectively, we are not sophisticated or diverse enough to galvanize and build a "scene." Every time that an audience can be built for a "scene," they end up having kids and starting families, and they stop going out. Then, it takes another few years, and the cycle repeats itself.


and this happens in every other city as well. as our city becomes larger and more metropolitan... things that once held us back will no longer be insurmountable.

btw, i've heard quite a few good things about okc in general from cats in nashville. now as far as the current "electro" / "edm" / "dancerock" scene goes... bands and dj's are clamoring to come play here! don't forget that the grammy nominated "SHINY TOY GUNS" have a house here and are co-laborers with us as we develop and push the dance scene.

As for a scene in OKC: It's not going to happen, and never will, because of the chasm between Norman and OKC and the fact that we are far from a 24-hour city. Go to Bricktown on a Tuesday night (non NBA night) sometime and you'll find a ghost town.

Actually I had dinner in Bricktown last night (a non-NBA, cold Tuesday night) and there was a 45 minute wait for a party of 2.

Now Mondays can be pretty dead but only because none of the clubs are open.

OKC can be known for producing popular musical acts, but it will never become a "great music town."

I would have to agree, but not because I'm against OKC having its own musical identity. Most major/mid-market cities do have some kind of local flavor that they can call their own, but unless OKC gets lucky - hello Minneapolis in the 80's - Philadelphia in the 70's - calling out to Motown - I'm afraid we're only gonna be the home of Gill, Underwood, Reba, Flaming Lips and the long list of folks who went before them...oh yeah, that big lunk from Moore, too.

Not a sermon, just a thought...

P.S. None of those three towns are currently popular for their music on a national level, IMHO, but they will always be legendary.

btw, i've heard quite a few good things about okc in general from cats in nashville. now as far as the current "electro" / "edm" / "dancerock" scene goes... bands and dj's are clamoring to come play here! don't forget that the grammy nominated "SHINY TOY GUNS" have a house here and are co-laborers with us as we develop and push the dance scene.

What venues are these DJ's playing at locally?

What venues are these DJ's playing at locally?

Electro Lounge has a lot of great DJ talent.

Actually I had dinner in Bricktown last night (a non-NBA, cold Tuesday night) and there was a 45 minute wait for a party of 2.

Now Mondays can be pretty dead but only because none of the clubs are open.

IHOP my friend! Colorado omelette, sans green peppers.

No offense intended to any of our fine DJs, but our music scene has too damn many wannabe DJs and too damn many cover bands. I think that's mostly a result of demand though.

Step one will be to somehow influence (improve) the city's taste in music as a whole. Does that start with new independent radio stations? Can that be profitable? Does it start with brilliant marketing? I'm just a guy who sees problems here... solutions are very evasive.

Midtowner...the first thing we MUST do to improve our music scene and keep our local talent local is to have more venues. We MUST have more live music venues. Oklahoma produces the finest musical talent of any state with a population its size, yet very few of our talents stay in-state due to the lack of venues. The key to making money in the music business today is not record sales, it is road gigs and tours.

The whole red dirt/texas country scene is full of oklahoma talent. Just to name a few Travis Linville, Mike Hosty, Stoney Larue, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Jason Boland and the Stragglers, Brandon Jenkins, Johnny Cooper. Many of these musicians grew up right here in and around the OKC metro. We also have had several very talented bands in other genre's that have flown the coop due to lack of support and/or no place to play. You can't really compare anything to Austin's music scene because it is an anomoly (sp?). We need more mid size venues (places like diamond ballroom, wormy-dog, toby keiths), we need more small venues (LOTS MORE), more vzd's, blue door, blue note. We need less Karaoke and more live music. We have some of the best performing arts high schools and universities in the country. You would think we would have a better music scene.

We have such a fantastic musical history. For instance, the first person to ever record drums on a country music album was from Oklahoma (William E. (smokey) Dacus). The artist who has the most record sales in U.S. history grew up in Yukon (garth).

I have to agree with mcgrawsdad on this one. I originally grew up in the Tulsa area, moved to Chicago for 5 years and recently returned to our state residing here in OKC. I have spent a fair deal of my time on the weekends looking for local venues to hear original music by local bands. OKC is littered with cover bands, dance dj's & karaoke bars.
Tulsa is way ahead of OKC in becoming the 'next great music town'. They have more street parties and events that are centered around music. At most of these events there are multiple stages with music playing by different genres at the same time. Even the bar scene in Tulsa offers a large mix of original music that can't be found in OKC. MORE bars and local venues need to start promoting local talent. Until then the music scene in OKC will remain stagnant. VZDs, The Blue Note, Wormy Dog & Speakeasy do a great job but they can't do it alone.

I think the artist who stay in an area make their " Scene" happen. Tulsa was begining to become a great music city in the 70's before Leo Russell "hyper spaced". When the great artists stay in a given location it just happens,like Austin, Nashville, LA and Seattle although not so much anymore in Seattle. We have many great musical artists in OKlahoma it just seems they don't promote their own state. And yeah! OKC could become a great music city.

I think the artist who stay in an area make their " Scene" happen. Tulsa was begining to become a great music city in the 70's before Leo Russell "hyper spaced". When the great artists stay in a given location it just happens,like Austin, Nashville, LA and Seattle although not so much anymore in Seattle. We have many great musical artists in OKlahoma it just seems they don't promote their own state. And yeah! OKC could become a great music city.

I think your post ties into Mcgrawsdad's post right above yours. Artists (whether they be musical or visual) need to be able to support themselves via their art. We need to decide if we can make that happen locally or if we're going to force folks to go out on the road.

BTW...for all of you music lovers out there, especially with the country genre. Pick up a copy of Willis Alan Ramsey's self titled debut album. It was released in 1972 under the Leon Russell's shelter label and is now being re-released under the Koch label. I promise you, if you are a country music/americana/folk fan, you will absolutely love this album. It is pure genius! You might have to give it more than one listen to before it grows on you, but if you are a fan of music this is a must have in any collection. Willis Alan was 20 or 21 when he recorded this album. He basically had his choice of signing with Russell or the Allman brothers label and chose Shelter. Leon Russell basically dumped him to record and produce the album on his own, and he got it done. It wasn't a critical hit selling a modest 250K copies. The most famous song is a song called MUSKRAT CANDLELIGHT that was later sampled (heavily) by captain and tenille and called muskrat love. Every song on the album is delightful, especially Boy From Oklahoma about woody guthrie, and The Ballad of Spider John. Many people credit Willis Alan Ramsey for starting the whole Austin Texas music scene.

The whole red dirt/texas country scene is full of oklahoma talent. Just to name a few Travis Linville, Mike Hosty, Stoney Larue, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Jason Boland and the Stragglers, Brandon Jenkins, Johnny Cooper.


Hosty is NOT, NOT, NOT Red Dirt/Texas country.

Some homegrown major talent is the Uglysuit. They've toured internationally and call OKC home. Check them out if you want to hear quality from our city.

I agree, but let's not argue over symantics. My wife is so tired of me singing fraidy hole that every time I grab my guitar she says...no fraidy hole.

Hosty did write one of the biggest red dirt/texas country songs of the year last year. Oklahoma Breakdown that Stoney Larue recorded. I remember when I was attending college at NSU in Tahlequah, there was a little bar called Granny's Attic. Occasionally (about two times a semester) Mike would come to town with his band (then a trio) and myself and my brothers would go check out the show. It was fantastic! Typically a different crowd than what we would normally hang out with as all of the "artsy" kids would hang out at grannies. We loved it...in fact, we started to call it "casual *** night at grannies." The last time I was at granny's attic was my senior year when Hosty was playing. One of my fraternity brothers we called stumpy had way too much to drink (which was his usual norm) and some girl dared him to strip naked and run around the bar. Without a hesitation he did it, stripped butt naked and started running around the bar, and then he ran right out the front door of the bar where there just happened to be two Tahlequah police officers standing on the sidewalk taking a smoke break. When he saw them, he simply stopped running, went over to the curb, and placed his hands behind his back...not a single word was spoken. It truly was a hilarious thing to watch. Stumpy ended up getting arrested for indecent exposure and public intox. The indecent exposure was reduced. That semester, I believe nearly 40% of my fraternity members were arrested for some offense or another. All involving alcohol. What can I say we were the beer drinking fraternity...we've all gone on to a much higher level of maturity and success since then. LOL! Thanks for bringing up the debate about Hosty, that brought back some fantastic memories.

Hosty is the best, one of my favorites, I've seen him probably 30+ times at least. He didn't write Oklahoma Breakdown for Stoney; it was his own and not Red Dirt at the time. But we're basically saying the same thing: HOSTY RULES!