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Tuesday, April 20, 2010
High In The Rockies Out Today
Monday, April 19, 2010
Norman Vocalist Ashlee Madison Dead at 24
Ashlee Madison was killed in a car crash early Saturday morning on her way home from a gig. She was 24.
The neo-soul singer worked with Cami Stinson and Shorttdogg, and appeared on a track for Jabee’s 2008 album, Blood is the New Black. She could be seen regularly at venues like Riverwind Casino, Mickey Mantle’s, The Jazz Lab and the Prohibition Room.
“She was a very close friend of mine…she had an amazing voice. She and I had plans to do more music together, she was going to perform the song with me at the Norman Music Festival.” - Jabee
Madison also appeared in the 2010 independent film, Lucy Is The Sunshine.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to her friends and family.
There will be a benefit jam for Ashlee tonight at the Prohibition Room, 1112 NW 23rd St., in Oklahoma City. Donations to cover funeral expenses will be accepted.
Benefit Jam For Ashlee Madison Memorial
| Type: |
| Start Time: | Monday, April 19, 2010 at 9:00pm |
| End Time: | Tuesday, April 20, 2010 at 12:00am |
| Location: | Prohibition Room, Gold Dome |
| Street: | N.W. 23rd and Western |
| City/Town: | Oklahoma City, OK |
Friday, April 16, 2010
Hanson
OklaFilm & OklaMusic
Friday, April 16, 2010
Hanson Premieres Oklahoma-made Music Video on MySpace
Back in the late 90's, Blue Yonder Films shot an audition tape for an unknown band comprised of three very talented and young brothers--the tape was sent to Dr. Pepper as an audition for a promotion. That gig didn't pan out for the band, but a catchy, Grammy-nominated song called "MMMBop" put them on the map.
Over a decade later, the Hanson brothers have grown into seasoned musicians releasing a number of acclaimed studio albums and earning three Grammy-nominations. Hanson and Blue Yonder have teamed up once again on the video for the band's newest single, "Thinking 'Bout Somethin."
In January of 2010, while finishing recording their upcoming album Shout it Out, Hanson and Blue Yonder began discussing video concepts for the single. The band's love for The Blues Brothers inspired them to pay homage to the iconic film with their video by re-creating the classic "Shake Your Tailfeather" scene from the movie, which includes hundreds of extras dancing in the street. The band's video so closely resembles the film that matching interior shots will be best appreciated in a side-by-side viewing with the scene from the movie. The video hosts a number of surprises including a cameo appearance by "Weird Al" Yankovic as "Murph" the tambourine player.
The video premieres via MySpace this week. Hanson will release their new record, Shout It Out, on their own 3CG Records on June 8, 2010.
For more information on Hanson, please visit: http://www.myspace.com/hansonmusic
For more information on Blue Yonder Films, please visit: http://www.blueyonderfilms.com/
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Mama Sweet
Hello friends, I want to ask you all to come out to Belle Isle Brewery (50 Penn Place in Oklahoma City, OK) this Saturday! This is the first time, in recent history, we have played BIB. We are really looking forward to it & hope you all come out to join us, especially since we have been told that we don't play in OKC enough. We promise to make it a ton of fun!! Thanks friends, Mama Sweet
Monica Taylor
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For more information visit bartlettarboretum.com
Cherokee Maidens & Sycamore Swing perform Thursday, April 22nd 6:30-9:30
What do you get when you cross Fundamental Learning Center with Tree Top Garden Center? A whale of a fundraiser. Two of Robin Macy's passions come together when her musical entourage rallies in support of the Fundamental Learning Center's Mission at one of Wichita's premier nurseries. $50 tickets. Call316.684.READ for reservations or more information.
The Maidens... Jennifer Petterson, Monica Taylor, & Robin Macy!
More in April...
April 24th, Saturday- Monica Taylor & Chuck Dunlap will be playing from 8-10pm at Joseppi's Italian Rest. in Stillwater, OK! *Chuck is one of Red Dirt music's godfathers and one of my favorite songwriter, singers, and 'brothers'- in from Washington state!!
April 25th, Sunday- Monica Taylor & Chuck Dunalp will be playing from noon- 3pm at Southwoods Nursery in Tulsa, OK for their customers as they shop- and for YOU... come prepared to take home lots of plant material! ~as soon I am thru playin, I will be shopping for trees and flowers, my freinds!
April 30th, Friday- Hootenanny at The Hideaway! with The Farm Couple, 7-8:30pm then an open pickin circle till 11pm. Ya'll come!
May 22nd, Monica will be playing with Audrey Auld in Nashvile, TN! More info later...
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Camille Harp.... Wormy Dog Wednesday w/Bo Phillips
Last minute update on my schedule...
I'll be playing tonight at The Deli for a Child Abuse Prevention Benefit. Resident Funk starts at 10pm.. At 11, Tom Young, Alan Orebaugh, Justin Morris and me will do a short set of some of my originals and our favorite covers. May even do some Zeppelin!! Come donate to a good cause and have some fun at the same time!
And this tomorrow night, Wednesday April 14th, I picked up an acoustic show with Bo Phillips. Bo is a super-talented, witty guy and I'm really looking forward to being entertained myself tomorrow! :) Music starts about 9:30 or 10.
More to come. Stayed tuned!
-C
I'll be playing tonight at The Deli for a Child Abuse Prevention Benefit. Resident Funk starts at 10pm.. At 11, Tom Young, Alan Orebaugh, Justin Morris and me will do a short set of some of my originals and our favorite covers. May even do some Zeppelin!! Come donate to a good cause and have some fun at the same time!
And this tomorrow night, Wednesday April 14th, I picked up an acoustic show with Bo Phillips. Bo is a super-talented, witty guy and I'm really looking forward to being entertained myself tomorrow! :) Music starts about 9:30 or 10.
More to come. Stayed tuned!
-C
Thursday, April 8, 2010
The Zig Gazette
April 8th 2010
Jim Ziegler, Scott Mariner, Michael Johnson, Jim Downing
Friday Special Event
at TNT's 21st and Memorial
This is a sort of a Zigs gig.
Three fourths of us will be there. And it's sort of an Oscillators reunion gig; because half of us will be there.
What it's called is "Out Of The Ordinary" (We joke that "Out" is the keyword here, but it's also extraordinary in it's own way.)
But what it is, that's something else altogether. We're starting to sound like the White Knight in Through The Looking Glass.
So here's the line-up: Mary (Fowler) King on incredible vocals, Valerie Meador on drums and vocals, Jim Ziegler on guitars, harmonicas and vocals, Jim Downing on keys and vocals and Mad Dog Johnson on bass, recorder, and vocals.
Mary, as you may recall, was the front-woman with The Oscillators for at least five years; as when they twice came in second in the local Blues Club contest and went on to Memphis. We did a couple of Smokehouse Blues shows from Joey's and appeared also on the KMOD morning show, and issued the Alsuma CD along about 1995. Mary had to quit the clubs due to health complications. She still not out of the woods on all that, so this is a rare opportunity to hear her in public.
We will be doing some tunes from the Oscillators catalog, some Zigs tunes, some newer country-flavored Valerie and Mary duets, and heaven knows what else we might pull out of the old hat.
Kat Daddy's
We did our second stint at Kat Daddy's, a really nice place in Arrowhead Mall in Muskogee. The décor is semi-posh and the food is very good, and the help really likes us.
Crowds are a little slow now, what with the economy not being so great in M-Town, but they are enthusiastic.
Blues fan and photographer Glenna Eisert was there both times and shot of few pics of us.
Also, this last weekend legendary Bartlesville drummer Dick Gagle sat in with us for about a whole set, both on drums and harmonica. He also plays the digeridoo, but we told him to leave that in the car.
Dick played with The Carpetbaggers, the original El Roacho, Sweney's Berzerko Band, Mel McDaniel, Xebec and Flying Horse, to name a few.
Happy birthday to us. Next month The Zig Gazette begins it's eight year. What a tremendous waste of time!
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Blake Shelton's six-pack CD part of trend
CHRIS TALBOTT
Published: April 6, 2010
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Blake Shelton's knocked out a lot of six packs in his life, but
nothing quite like this.
The country heartthrob's latest album, "Hillbilly Bone," is being marketed by Warner
Music Nashville as a "six pak." It contains just six tracks and will be followed in the next few months by a second short album with a third possible by the end of the year.
Call it a test balloon for the digital age, the latest stab at preserving physical album sales at a time when listeners are turning their backs on the oh so old-fashioned CD.
"Just to be honest with you, I was to the point where I just realized, 'What have we got
to lose?'" Shelton said recently.
Nothing it turns out, and there's been plenty of gain. "Hillbilly Bone" opened with more
than 71,000 physical copies sold and vaulted Shelton to No. 3 on the Billboard 200 — his highest posting on the all-genre chart. A month later it has sold more than 138,000
copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan, and remains No. 4 on the country charts. There are plans at Warner for not only another Shelton six pak in the late summer, but
possibly entries from other artists as well.
Short albums, usually called EPs — a term rejected by Warner as out of date and
misleading — are nothing new, though they're not particularly widespread. They're
often put out as stopgap offerings between albums or to promote emerging acts who
might not have a full album yet.
Shelton and Warner, though, see larger possibilities and the experiment is being
watched closely in Nashville.
"It's way more instant," said Hillary Scott of the chart-topping group Lady Antebellum.
"You don't have to wait as long anymore for new music. ... He's definitely pushing the
envelope, and I think a lot of artists, including us, are kind of watching to see how it does because it could end up really changing the model."
Carrie Underwood added: "I think it's impossible not to think about it. Everybody's
trying to find new ways to stay afloat, pretty much. I think it's kind of sad. When you
put together an album it's like you're writing a book. You can't sell individual chapters,
you won't go buy Chapter 13. It might not make sense by itself. You need to read the
whole book from front to back to kind of get it."
The six-pak idea is a way to forestall the death of the album in the digital age. Warner
executives came up with the plan about eight months before "Hillbilly Bone" came out.
Peter Strickland, senior vice president for sales and marketing, said the label was
looking at several options. Adding content and jacking up the price didn't seem like the
way to go.
After talking with retailers looking for more affordable prices at a time when not only
the shelf space but the interest in physical albums is shrinking, the Warner team
decided to go small.
A handful of artists have recently put out nontraditional albums. Lady Gaga's "The
Fame Monster" had just eight songs, for instance. And Justin Bieber, Drake and Miley
Cyrus released seven-song sets last year, with Cyrus' selling 1.3 million copies, according
to Nielsen SoundScan, and spawning the hit "Party in the USA."
Warner took it a step farther, though, employing a targeted marketing plan to define the album. The "Hillbilly Bone" spine is marked with the words "six pak" and a sticker is also on the front cover. The company wanted to make it clear to buyers that there
would only be six songs, but sold at a much lower price than the traditional album, which usually holds 10 or more tracks.
Strickland said he's seen the album sold for as little as $4.99 at major retailers.
"If I can sell more Blake Shelton albums than I have in the past on a much more regular
basis, it's a win-win," Strickland said. "I want to put music in people's hands more often and in more quantity. I think people have gotten in the habit of not buying music, so I think any changes you can make to excite them to buy music again can only help the industry overall."
Shelton was an ideal fit for the new idea. His most rabid fans tell him they want new
music all the time and Shelton has often felt constrained by the usual release schedule of an album every 18 months or two years.
Warner also was looking for a way to bump Shelton's sales. His self-titled debut sold
791,000 copies after its 2001 release. But by the time he released his fifth, 2008's
"Startin' Fires," sales had dropped to 207,000, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
"Hillbilly Bone" is eight weeks ahead of the sales pace for "Startin' Fires," and Strickland said the album has exceeded the label's expectations. Shelton called the debut "unbelievable." He's fired up about the possibility of releasing up to 18 songs a year.
"The way entertainment is today, people are being pulled at from every direction, from
video games to movies to sports, everything," Shelton said. "I don't think as artists
we're in a position to sit back and say, 'By God, my name is Blake Shelton, and I'll do this when I want and people will be ready.' Hell no, that ain't how it is."
Shelton said he and Warner executives must now figure out why "Hillbilly Bone"
performed so strongly.
"I think the mystery is: Is it the power of a song or is it the power of the marketing
idea?" Shelton said. "I think it's a combination of the two honestly. There's no doubt, I
can look back at my career, I've had impact songs at No. 1 when an album came out and I've never debuted No. 3 on the pop charts, you know? I think that means it worked
and it worked maybe in a bigger way than we anticipated."
Billboard says the last six-song album to make the Top 10 was Taylor Swift's Walmart
exclusive, "Beautiful Eyes," which reached No. 9 in 2008.
John Rich, another Warner Bros. country artist, says he is considering his own six pak
and is excited about the possibilities. He plans to call the collection of "all slammin', all
rockin'" uptempo tunes "Rich Rocks."
He says the concept — and the price — is good for the flagging record business.
"You start talking about $12, $13 or $14, it's a different level of commitment there,"
Rich said. "And it's a lot of decent music. Most records I've ever bought, it's hard to put
11 or 12 smashes right in a row. Six, I think you can have a better piece of product, it's
cheaper and the fans dig it."
___
AP writer Caitlin R. King contributed to this report.
___
On the Net:
Blake Shelton: http://www.blakeshelton.com
Warner Music Nashville: http://www.wbrnashville.com
the Tumbleweed.
| JASON SAVORY this Friday night at the weed!  TUMBLEWEED will host JASON SAVORY'S CD release party. Doors open at 9:00pm |
| NO JUSTICE this Saturday night at the weed!  This Saturday April 10th, TUMBLEWEED will host Stillwater's own NO JUSTICE with opener BOBBY DALE BAND. Tickets will be available for just $10 at the door. Doors open at 9:00pm No Justice will also have their merchandise available for the fans. TREMORS will open at 11:30pm. |
Tumbleweed Concerts
www.Calffry.com
405-377-0076
Th,Fr,Sa 8:00pm - 2:00am
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Join the Monty Harper Songbook Easter Egg Hunt and win!
Happy Spring!
To celebrate the new season, we're having a bit of fun with the...
Monty Harper Songbook Easter Egg Hunt!
Join the hunt and you may win a free CD download!
I've hidden five Easter eggs somewhere in my online songbook. Each egg contains a free digital download of my "Paws Claws Scales and Tales" CD.
One egg is an instant winner. The download code is right there in plain sight for someone to find and use; no log-in required! But hurry, the code is only good for one use. Whoever gets it first gets it!
Four eggs are attached to (very easy) questions. Be the first to log in and answer the question to win one of these eggs.
In addition, you can win an egg by posting any relevant comment to any of the songs in my book before the end of Easter. You get one chance to win for each comment. One winner will be selected at random.
Already have "Paws Claws Scales and Tales"? The download codes are easy to share; just email your prize to a friend. (Limit one prize per person.)
Join the hunt and you may win a free CD download!
I've hidden five Easter eggs somewhere in my online songbook. Each egg contains a free digital download of my "Paws Claws Scales and Tales" CD.
One egg is an instant winner. The download code is right there in plain sight for someone to find and use; no log-in required! But hurry, the code is only good for one use. Whoever gets it first gets it!
Four eggs are attached to (very easy) questions. Be the first to log in and answer the question to win one of these eggs.
In addition, you can win an egg by posting any relevant comment to any of the songs in my book before the end of Easter. You get one chance to win for each comment. One winner will be selected at random.
Already have "Paws Claws Scales and Tales"? The download codes are easy to share; just email your prize to a friend. (Limit one prize per person.)
I will post updates and hints to my twitter account, here:
http://twitter.com/montyharper
The hunt begins - NOW!
Search for eggs here:
http://montysongs.freeforums.org/
Good luck! Have fun!
The hunt begins - NOW!
Search for eggs here:
http://montysongs.freeforums.org/
Good luck! Have fun!
Thursday, April 1, 2010
the Blue Door, OKC
Diamond in the rough
In Oklahoma City, the unassuming music club Blue Door often has an Austin gleam to it
By Denise Gamino
from AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
OKLAHOMA CITY — That ribbon of highway from here to Austin stretches 400 miles, but the distance melts away inside the lopsided walls of a quirky little music club alive with a Texas vibe.
So many Austin-area musicians make a regular pilgrimage to the Blue Door, a 100-seat ramshackle roadhouse, that it could be considered an Austin annex.
The Blue Door is to Oklahoma City what the Cactus Café is to Austin: an intimate listening room with a passionate fan base.
But a lot of musicians say the music sounds better at the Blue Door, an old shotgun-style building that leans so far to the north there are no right angles any more, creating acoustic alchemy.
To its big blue doors have come Robert Earl Keen, Joe Ely, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Charlie Sexton, Alejandro Escovedo, Jimmy LaFave, Michael Fracasso, Eliza Gilkyson, Kevin Welch, David Halley, Butch Hancock, Terri Hendrix, Sara Hickman, Jon Dee Graham, Carrie Rodriguez, Lloyd Maines, Betty Soo, the late Stephen Bruton and the beat goes on. You get the musical drift — folk, country, blues, roots, bluegrass, rock 'n' roll and more.
The Blue Door is a shabby hole-in-the-wall but a singer/songwriter destination. Fracasso and Sexton even recorded a 2001 album there, "Back to Oklahoma: Live at the Blue Door."
Oklahoma native and multiple Grammy-winner Jimmy Webb, who can fill Carnegie Hall, plays every year. Music legends David Lindley, Dave Alvin, Ramblin' Jack Elliot and Guy Clark have performed here.
A night at the tumble-down Blue Door is an informal affair. Audience members tote in ice chests of beer and prop their feet on the wooden stage. Loudmouths are asked to leave. No smoking is allowed, and no alcohol is sold. A dog or two might share the stage with musicians. Ceiling fans, a Route 66 sign and two shelves of dusty instruments substitute for décor. Large blue doors frame the back of the stage, giving musicians a cobalt backdrop.
The folding chairs in the front row are just 17 inches from the stage. Overflow seating here means sitting on a 10-foot chartreuse couch that looks old enough to have been in Ken Kesey's psychedelic bus. There's a little bit of standing room — lean against the plywood walls and the music pulsates through you.
Almost every available inch of wall space in the entry room is covered with show fliers. Austin is disproportionately represented in this paper universe.
"You look around at all the people who've played here and the bar is set pretty high," says Ray Wylie Hubbard just before stepping on stage for a recent show.
"To play here, you have to be pretty good. You can't fake it up there. You'd better have some pretty good songs."
The crowd is Oklahoma laid-back but filled with experienced listeners who don't miss a nuance or a note.
"There's no cover bands here. There's no mainstream homogenized music," Hubbard says. "It definitely has a grit and a groove to it. I'd say it's worth an eight-hour drive on (Interstate) 35 to get here. And I wouldn't do that for a lot of places."
Inspired by Austin
Hubbard, an Oklahoma native, is a 40-year expert on honky-tonks and taverns. He was a country music outlaw in the '70s who penned "Up Against the Wall, Redneck Mother" and now wins audiences with darker, more primal songs that riff off his well-read imagination. (He still wears bandanas, though.)
He first met Greg Johnson, the owner and promoter of the Blue Door, in the early '70s while playing a gig at the now-defunct High Horse Tavern in Norman. Johnson was too cheap to pay the 50-cent cover charge, so he told the doorman he was on the guest list. It was a moment of audacity inspired by a passion for the music, and it minted a lasting friendship.
"I don't use the word friend a lot, but he's a good friend," Hubbard said. "He really is. Not just to me but to good, young songwriters. You've got to be pretty good. He has good taste in music. I think that's important.''
The Blue Door was inspired by the 10 years Johnson spent in Austin in the 1980s and early 1990s.
"The Blue Door could not have happened if I hadn't lived in Austin," says the outspoken Johnson, a gregarious man with a full-throated laugh.
Johnson, 58, grew up in Oklahoma City listening to Bob Dylan and the Beatles. Then he learned that Jimmy Webb - who wrote "Galveston," "Wichita Lineman," "By the Time I Get to Phoenix," "Up, Up and Away" and "The Highwaymen," among other hits — was from Oklahoma. Johnson met Webb's brother in college, became friends with the Webb family, and turned into a serious student of singer/songwriters who have a gift for wordsmithing.
After graduating from the University of Oklahoma, Johnson moved to Austin in 1982 to work for programs that help dysfunctional children. He carved out a side career as music promoter, band manager and freelance music journalist for various publications, including the American-Statesman.
He became close friends with LaFave, Fracasso, Lucinda Williams and other musicians. In 1991, Johnson organized an annual Woody Guthrie birthday tribute.
But the next year he got restless and returned to Oklahoma City, where his mother was ill. He assumed he would move on eventually, maybe head to Nashville. But a friend of Johnson's, singer/songwriter Mary Reynolds, was hosting some house concerts in the mazelike building she lived in not far from downtown. She called it the Hotel Bohemia.
"Maybe you can start bringing some of your (Austin) friends up," she said. "It's kind of a funky old place."
The Red River pilgrimage began, led by Fracasso in early 1993. LaFave soon followed, and then Hubbard made the journey. Fracasso cherishes that drive to Oklahoma City because "it was actually the first time I'd ever toured, if you will."
By that spring, Reynolds had moved out of the building and Johnson had moved into the back quarters. He renamed it the Blue Door and invited Kevin Welch, who grew up near Oklahoma City and had known Johnson since the 1970s, to travel from Nashville to play the grand opening. The show sold out and earned a story on the local television news.
"It's one of my favorite places on the planet to play," says Welch, who now lives near Hubbard in Wimberley.
"It`s just a great feeling place. There's this kind of Okie ethic, this kind of friendliness and comradeship and looseness and good humor. Almost every time I've played there I've ended the night feeling like I've had a real special experience."
Stories onstage and off
After 17 years, there is no shortage of Blue Door lore.
California songwriter Steve Poltz, who co-wrote pop singer Jewel's hit "You Were Meant For Me," recorded his show one night and then burned CD copies on his laptop to give to each audience member. Another night, Terri Hendrix, a San Marcos singer/songwriter, had to repair one of the notoriously skanky toilets with her Leatherman tool, a 20-minute job she performed for free before going on stage.
New England-based folkie Ellis Paul feared for his life because a tornado was gathering steam near Oklahoma City. "Shouldn't we be doing something?" he asked the unrattled Okies, who just watched the coming storm on televised radar in the back room. The real storm came the night Alejandro Escovedo played an electric show with his band. The 25-foot ceiling above the stage began leaking so badly the musicians were forced to unplug their instruments and take seats in a tight circle on the floor with the audience huddled around them for an impromptu acoustic set.
"The show always goes on," says longtime doorman Tom Hall.
And it's hard to keep track of the times the Blue Door has been hit with code complaints or raided by alcohol enforcement agents with false tips about alcohol sales without a license. Johnson fights each one, determined to save the music. One of the raids occurred during a LaFave show.
"They were trying to say Greg was running some kind of speakeasy or something until they figured out quickly that we weren't selling alcohol," says LaFave, whose show was interrupted for about an hour.
'What are you in for?'
Johnson has had minor brushes with the law and chronic problems trying to keep safety code enforcers at bay. But he remains bitter about the night he ended up in jail in 2003.
The agents burst in and discovered the small, personal liquor cabinet for Johnson and his wife, Teena, who both lived at the Blue Door then. Agents also found a small amount of marijuana in Johnson's possession. When Johnson got belligerent, he was cuffed and arrested while the show — a blues gig with Joe Price of Iowa and Kelly Hunt of Kansas — was delayed.
All charges were dropped, but the arrest still angers Johnson. He says he had approached Oklahoma City officials early on to find out what kind of license, if any, he needed to put on house concerts in his unusual residence.
"They came in there like they were busting the biggest bootleg operation in Oklahoma," Johnson said. "I spent all night in jail."
Johnson had to explain himself to some of Oklahoma City's lowlife that night.
"What are you in for?" Johnson asked one of his cellmates.
"Well, I tried to stab my wife," the inmate said.
"What are you in for?" Johnson asked another.
"Well, violating my parole. They found me with a gun."
Then the two prisoners steered the conversation to Johnson.
"What are you in here for?" they asked.
"Folk music!" Johnson said.
A generous donation
A few years ago, Johnson turned the Blue Door into a nonprofit operation. The Blue Door Music Foundation allowed Johnson to accept donations to help turn the dive into a stable and safe venue.
Recently, an Oklahoma City arts patron, who wants to remain anonymous, pledged at least $100,000 from a trust to bring the Blue Door up to code and make structural repairs. It is getting a new roof, new restrooms, wall reinforcement, a new porch, insulation, new electrical wiring and other renovations. The red-stone facade was removed one stone at a time so the front could be repaired. Each stone was reset.
"I like it that some Okies stepped up to the plate," says LaFave, who grew up in Oklahoma before moving to Austin. "Maybe some people around Austin can take that as a Texas-OU rivalry and save the Cactus. They don't want the Sooners saving their music club when the Longhorns can't save their little music venue."
The timing of the Blue Door's face-lift appears as irony to Austin musicians trying to save the Cactus, a beloved listening room in the Texas Union at the University of Texas. UT plans to close the Cactus later this year as part of a larger budget-cutting proposal, although university officials say they are open to fundraising efforts.
"It's been kind of a battle, but I'm really happy for Greg that some people came out of the woodwork to say, `No, this is a special place. This is a place that needs to be preserved and honored,'" LaFave says. "It's not about moving it to some other location. It's the Blue Door and here's where the history happened and this is where it's going to stay.'"
Couches will remain
Johnson, who now lives in a house eight blocks from the Blue Door with his wife, promises the no-frills, tattered ambience of the Blue Door will never change. He says the slant-wall acoustics won't be altered and that the horrid couches, including two in the green room that have served as beds for many itinerant musicians, will remain.
Another Blue Door offering that will stay the same is the way musicians mingle with fans in the small entryway after shows to sign autographs, take photos and sell CDs. No one who wants to meet and chat with a musicmaker leaves disappointed.
In the face of obstacles, the Blue Door only seems to get better.
"I think that stands as a testament to the Blue Door," says LaFave. "It's about the spirit of Woody Guthrie and freedom of speech and the power of music. I'm so glad it's there, and I hope we can find some way to save the Cactus in Austin."
Whatever happens to the Cactus, the Blue Door and its magic vibe are poised to flourish.
Oklahoma or Bust.
Upcoming Blue Door shows
Sara Hickman, April 1, 8 p.m.
Adam Carroll with Michael O'Connor, April 2, 9 p.m.
Joel Melton, April 3, 9 p.m.
Fred Eaglesmith with the Ginn Sisters, April 13, 8 p.m.
John Hammond, June 5, 9 p.m.
Joe Ely, June 11, 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m.
Slaid Cleaves, June 19, 9 p.m.
Dan Dyer and Suzanna Choffel, June 25, 9 p.m.
Address: 2805 N. McKinley Ave., Oklahoma City
Information: www.bluedoorokc.com or call (405) 524-0738
Thursday, April 01, 2010 - Sunday, April 04, 2010
Hop straight into Easter weekend, as This Week in Film & Music kicks off with a weekend long Kurosawa Centennial Celebration, featuring acclaimed films such as Rashômon and Seven Samurai. It's no joke, bluegrass jazz band Rockin' Acoustic Circus is hosting their CD release party on Saturday. Then, country music group Gloriana proves they're not putting all their eggs in one basket as they follow-up their wildly popular single with an equally strong second album and performance. This weekend, Oklahoma isn't pulling an April Fool's joke on you, there really are so many great concerts and classic films to entertain you.
Dr. Elaine Bapis
University of Oklahoma's Film & Video Studies department is hosting guest speaker Dr. Elaine Bapis, a film scholar who will be speaking about the political and social changes in American cinema. Her recent book,Camera and Action: American Cinema As a Force of Social Change, discusses films such as The Graduate,Little Big Man, The Godfather, M*A*S*H, and Midnight Cowboy in relation to generation, gender and ethnicity, as well as how these films brought about revolutionary change.
Norman, Old Science Hall, 640 Parrington Oval, (405) 324-3020, 12 p.m., FREE!
For more information: http://www.ou.edu/fvs/
Thursday, April 1Rashômon
As the first of six classic films screened for the Kurosawa Centennial Celebration, the 1950 classicRashômon is one of the most influential. Brimming with action while incisively examining the nature of truth, Rashômon reveals the complexities of human nature as four people recount different versions of the story of a man's murder.
Oklahoma City, Museum of Art, 415 Couch Dr., (405) 278-8237, 7:30 p.m., $8
For more information: http://www.okcmoa.com/film
Thursday, April 1Jason Michael Carroll
WinStar Casino's Rising Stars of Nashville series presents country music artist Jason Michael Carroll. After being discovered in a local talent competition in 2004, Carroll has gone on to produce two albums, including his more recent Growing Up is Getting Old, which saw his fourth and fifth consecutive Top 40 Hits with "Where I'm From" and "Hurry Home."
Thackerville, WinStar Casino, 777 Casino Ave., (580) 276-4229, 8 p.m., $15
For more information: http://www.winstarworldcasino.com/entertainment/
Friday, April 2Left Foot Sally
As an emerging band from Stillwater, Left Foot Sally is still finding their footing with a new style, fusing together rock, country and blues. With dark lyrics about love, life and the road, Left Foot Sally has been busy working on their debut album. The band offers up a refreshing take on the Oklahoma/Texas music scene that will please everyone.
Duncan, Wall Street, 23 N. 7th, (580) 255-7780, 9 p.m., FREE!
For more information: http://www.wallstreet-bar.net/index.html
Friday, April 2Adam Carroll
Country music folk star Adam Carroll joins the short list of down-home storytellers taking events of ordinary lives and turning them into deeply moving, often humorous songs. His powerful lyrics are set against a backdrop of blues and folk music, to create his own take on the country music genre. Carroll's latest album, Hard Times, enlists the help of Michael Conner, and debuted to positive reviews.
Oklahoma City, The Blue Door, 2805 N. McKinley Ave., (405) 524-0738, 9 p.m., $20
For more information: http://www.bluedoorokc.com/
Friday, April 2- Sunday, April 4Fish Tank
The most honored British film of the year is award winning filmmaker Andrea Arnold's acclaimed Fish Tank. The film is an emotionally stunning coming-of-age story about teenage sexuality and vulnerability. Fifteen-year-old Mia is in a constant state of war with her family and the world around her. When she meets her party-girl mother's charming new boyfriend, she believes he might help her make sense of life.
Tulsa, Circle Cinema, 12 S. Lewis, (918) 585-3456, Fri. 3:30 p.m. & 9 p.m., Sat. 12:30 p.m. & 6 p.m., Sun. 11:30 p.m. & 5 p.m., $8.25
For more information: http://www.circlecinema.com/
Saturday, April 3Reckelss Kelly
Led by brothers Willy and Cody Braun, the Austin-based red dirt band Reckless Kelly entertains with the fiddle, mandolin, harmonica and impressive lyrical talent. The alternative country-rock outfit has been busy touring since 1998. Many of their tracks reflect on recent sociopolitical events, such as the Iraq War and Hurricane Katrina. They've released nine albums, the most recent of which, Somewhere in Time, debuted earlier this year.
Davis, Arbuckle Ballroom, 12201 Highway 7 W., (580) 369-3870, 9 p.m., $20
For more information: www.myspace.com/arbuckleballroom
Saturday, April 3Gloriana
Country music group Gloriana is comprised of brothers Tom and Mike Gossin on vocals and guitar, Rachel Reinert on tambourine and Cheyenne Kimball on vocals and the mandolin. After releasing their single "Wild at Heart," the song went on to become a Top 15 hit on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart. The release of their self-titled debut album met with both strong reviews and record sales.
Miami, Buffalo Run Casino, 1000 Buffalo Run Blvd., (918) 542-7140, 8 p.m., $25
For more information: http://www.buffalorun.com/showplace.html
Saturday, April 3Rockin' Acoustic Circus CD Release Party
This up and coming band consists of cross-generational talent. Rockin' Acoustic Circus has just released their latest CD, Lonestar Lullabye, and the Jazz Depot is hosting a CD release party and concert. Young, talented, and quickly gaining critical praise, Rockin' Acoustic Circus' unique blend of jazz, country, folk and a bit of bluegrass will be sure to entertain.
Tulsa, Jazz Hall of Fame, 111 E. 1st, (918) 281-8600, 7 p.m., $15
For more information: http://www.okjazz.org/
Sunday, April 4Seven Samurai
One of the most beloved epics of all time, Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai tells the story of a sixteenth-century village whose desperate inhabitants hire a group of eponymous warriors to protect them from invading bandits. The film is the final screening of the Kurosawa Centennial Celebration, and is undoubtedly Kurosawa's most famous work.
Oklahoma City, Museum of Art, 415 Couch Dr., (405) 278-8237, 2 p.m., $8
For more information: http://www.okcmoa.com/film
Sunday, April 4Radio Moscow & Lionize
Garage band Radio Moscow pairs blues with experimental breakdowns, a sometimes unpredictable tempo, and hard guitar riffs. The band released their debut album for Alive records, and followed that up in 2010 with a second studio album. Co-headliner Lionize utilizes reggae and soul, as showcased in their album Space Pops and the Glass Machine.
Oklahoma City, The Conservatory, 8911 N. Western Ave., (405) 607-4805, 8:30 p.m., $8
For more information: http://www.conservatoryokc.com/
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