Evan Michaels Band performs at Toby Keith's I Love This Bar and Grill (Photo by Andrew W. Griffin)
RDR: EVAN MICHAELS BAND PLAYS OKC GIG, PREPARES TO RECORD FULL-LENGTH ALBUM
By Andrew W. Griffin - October 16, 2009 11:02 PMBy Andrew W. Griffin
Red Dirt Report, editor
Posted: October 17, 2009
OKLAHOMA CITY – A Friday night at Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar and Grill in Bricktown. Families, couples and even a few strange people asking for the time populated the popular eatery this particular evening. On the stage was the evening’s entertainment – the Evan Michaels Band.
Your Red Dirt Reporter had not previously heard of this Stillwater-based group before but was curious enough to make the trip to Bricktown to find out more. Sitting at the bar and listening to their sound, it was clear that the Evan Michaels Band was a solid group with a love of the Texas/Red Dirt/country sound.
According to Michaels’s MySpace page – www.myspace.com/evanmichaelsband - Michaels and his band – bassist Greg Solomon, lead guitarist Steve Lovell and drummer Scott Cash – play the central and northern Oklahoma circuit and venture into Kansas every so often.
Although talking to Michaels and his bandmates backstage during a break, they “cover the entire state.”
Drummer Cash, who is from Norman, said he came on board with the band only a few months ago when Michaels said he needed some players to join him for some live gigs.
On this particular night, Michaels and his band ran through some originals like “One More Friday Night” (featured on his recently released three-song EP) and plenty of covers like “3rd Gear and 17” (Aaron Watson), “Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old) (Garth Brooks), “Cry Lonely” (Chris Knight) and Pat Green’s “Wave on Wave.” They even did “The Toast” by No Justice and Kevin Fowler’s “Long Line of Losers.” A wide swath of covers, to be sure.
Michaels, sitting in a chair, was asked what he thought of the crowd tonight.
“It’s pretty quiet ou there. It’s Bricktown,” he said, adding that it might be low-key due to this being OU-Texas weekend.
Getting out and playing these sorts of gigs is gearing Michaels up for the recording of a full-fledged album, which he will record in Nashville next month. He said he will probably re-record “One More Friday Night” for the full album.
“Mostly my originals are about growing up in a small town,” Michaels said.
The Evan Michaels Band will be playing gigs in Chandler and Hennessey today while they have more Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar and Grill gigs lined up for Tulsa (Oct. 30 and Dec. 19) and back at the Oklahoma City Toby Keith’s on Dec. 12. They round out the year at Remington Park on Dec. 23.
Copyright 2009 West Marie Media
No comments:
Post a Comment