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Former Oklahoma baseball coach Sunny Golloway: ‘I don’t hold any grudges’

NORMAN — Sunny Golloway said he doesn’t hold any grudges over the negative things being said about him as he departs Oklahoma for his new job as Auburn’s head coach.

I spoke Tuesday afternoon by telephone with Golloway to discuss his departure, his future, the state of OU baseball and the negative reaction he’s received from some former players.

Here’s the highlights of my interview with Golloway:

Q: What factors helped you make the decision to take the Auburn job?

A: It was a family decision. I was a better move for the security of my family personally.

Did the challenge of playing in the SEC intrigue you?

They got nine teams in the NCAA Tournament, and I was really concerned about three teams in the Big 12. Personally, I thought Kansas was a really good baseball team. They made it to the championship game from their side of the bracket, so I thought they deserved it. I always feel like both side of our bracket, whoever gets to our championship game deserves to get in.

Nine teams versus three was a deciding factor.

When you think back on your time at Oklahoma, what will stand out as your fondest memories?

I’m gonna remember the players, especially this year’s team. They were a very close group. I know something was said on the Internet, and you’re gonna have bandwagon people that didn’t get to play or whatever. I think as adults, we need to remember we are talking about young kids, and we’re talking about nocturnal activity.

I’m not going to comment on who, but I’ve gotten a lot of texts saying, ‘Coach, we don’t feel that way and we’re sorry that happened.’ I’ve gotten a couple of texts saying, ‘I’m sorry I did that,’ and I’ve forgiven two of them.

Were those tweets hurtful?

It’s against the law to drink and drive because you could hurt somebody. How are we going to monitor this new social media that’s at your finger tips that young people have access to? I’m not sure, because a lot of hurt and a lot of untruths and a lot of regrets can come from it.

But it’s OK. It’s just words, so you forgive and move on. This was a very close team. These players were told by the coaches that we love them. We all hugged after two championships at Bricktown and Blacksburg. I hugged every human being on the team.

It hurts. You give 14 years of your life to this place, go through what I went through with Gene Stephenson, then go to four Super Regionals and Omaha, then get negative things said. You wonder what you did wrong. You must’ve done things to offend people. You shed tears over it, pick yourself up, brush yourself off and move on.

I don’t hold any grudges. But for guys like (radio host) Jim Traber, coach Enos Semore and whoever else wants to jump on, this is their day. They’re allowed to be critical.”

Thoughts on the program moving forward?

The program’s moving in the right direction. I hope it moves in even a stronger, better position without me. No coach before me has said that, and I’m saying that. I want my time here and what I’ve done to help strengthen the future, and I would tell the new head coach that he got a great job and he is gonna have a great time.

How difficult were the phone calls to Oklahoma after you accepted the Auburn job?

There were a couple of guys who were really hurt. (Second baseman) Hector Lorenzana said, ‘Dang coach, why?’ But after we talked and I explained it to them, they were very understanding.

Team Blake’s Danielle Bradbery wins “The Voice”; The Swon Brothers finish in third place

But it was 16-year-old Texas crooner Danielle Bradbery, the youngest contestant on the hit reality show’s fourth season, who earned Shelton the win rather than his fellow Oklahomans The Swon Brothers.

Muskogee’s The Swon Brothers, the most successful duo in the NBC singing contest’s history, finished in third place at the end of the two-hour live finale. Pop-rocker Michelle Chamuel, representing R&B/hip-hop hit-maker Usher’s team, was the Season 4 runner-up.

Zach and Colton Swon got a big consolation prize during the finale when they got to perform the 1976 ballad “Night Moves” with Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Bob Seger, whose “Turn the Page” the brothers covered earlier in the season. Chamuel belted with Tulsa native Ryan Tedder’s band OneRepublic, while Bradbery sang with country up-and-comer Hunter Hayes.

Cher, Bruno Mars, Florida Georgia Line with Nelly and returning “The Voice” coach Christina Aguilera with Pitbull also performed on the finale.

“Man, this has been the most incredible ride that I’ve ever been on, and honestly there couldn’t have been a better coach in the world. We got closer, your friendship means a lot, and we got to sing with Bob Seger tonight,” Zach Swon told Shelton just before host Carson Daly revealed they had finished third out of the Top 3.

“You’ve been a brother to us,” Colton Swon added.

Bradbery also praised Shelton as an amazing person who had taught her so much. The teen’s blind audition on the show marked her first major performance, and under Shelton’s tutelage, her confidence and vocal prowess improved each week.

“I’m so thankful. I’m sorry, I’m speechless,” Bradbery said as she was named the winner, joining Jermaine Paul and Cassadee Pope as previous Team Blake victors.

As “The Voice,” Bradbery receives the grand prize of a recording contract.

To read my live blog of the Season 4 finale, click here.

-BAM

Pie Junkie serves Oklahoma favorite

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A pie business born out of the industrial-sized kitchen of a church now has a Plaza District shop where sweets junkies can enjoy treats together.

What started about three years ago as a catering company by two women who love to cook became Pie Junkie.

Owners Darcy Schein and Leslie Coale-Mossman had lines out the door their first night open at Live on the Plaza in May.

When the friends were running their small catering company out of St. Luke’s UnitedMethodistChurch, they were asked by a friend to make a dessert for S&B’s Burger Joint.

“We made one pie one day for their first store and as they grew we continued to grow with them,” Schein said.

That one peach pie blossomed into the hot mess — a signature pie for S&B’s. The pie is a butter cake with salted bourbon caramel topped with crispy bacon hot off the grill. Pie Junkie chefs also make signature pies for The Paramount (coffee-infused chocolate ganache with homemade marshmallow topping), Pizza 23 (Italian crème pie) and for Coffee Slingers.

“The pies kind of took over the catering and we decided to change our focus and provide pies, not only to several restaurants in the metro area, but also to retail customers,” Schein said.

Pie Junkie has more than two dozen varieties of pie, though not all are served each day. Favorites include; macadamia-crusted key lime pie and the drunk turtle which is a fudge pie in Graham cracker crust topped with pecans and salted caramel.

Some of the recipes came from Schein and Coale-Mossman’s families. Others are a product of inspirations from ingredients or combinations of flavors.

“We are very happy to be one of the first out there to offer this kind of product because it is very Oklahoma,” Schein said. “It’s comfort food. It’s something we’ve all grown up with.”

If it’s not grown, its mined

I can only think of a single instance where a bumper sticker ever galvanized my outlook on anything.  Years ago  I saw a bumper sticker which read, “If it’s not grown, its mined”.  The truth of that statement resonated with me because I was quickly able to see that all the resources we use to make everything we have around us came from either something grown or something mined.  Obviously wood and food is grown but metal, salt, rocks, minerals and even the oil we use to make plastics has to be pulled from the ground.  This of course includes all forms of mining from deep underground hard rock mines to solution mining, without these we would not have glass, sheetrock, tiles or steel. There would be no concrete, no bricks, no silver or gold not even copper for modern electricity and plumbing.

Just digging up rocks is simply not enough to extract the elements and minerals sought after.  Often the raw ore has to be processed both mechanically and chemically to obtain the materials needed to make a finished product.  Most metals start with crushing the rock to a fine powder.  After this, the material can go through an acidic or basic solution for further separation.  Some newer techniques use a slightly basic solution (almost soapy) for the slurry of water and powder followed by bubbling gas up through the mix creating a surface froth to carry away the concentrate in a simple separation step for further processing.

There are many forms of mining spanning the range of solution mining, hard rock mining, soft rock mining and shallow surface mining.  Solution mines can be as simple as filling an old salt mine with water and pumping water in one end and out the other then evaporating the water to start the cycle over.  Here the salt dissolved underground is transported to the surface as a solution for separation at the surface with minimal energy being used to bring it to the surface.

Extracting the ore itself can only be done after the deposits are first identified and verified to have cost effective concentrations of the material to allow a commercial venture to go forward.  Mining and mineral engineers are trained in how to identify deposits and on the technologies available to extract and refine them.  In addition to the standard suite of physics, chemistry and math (up to two years of each), mine engineers have to know how to provide adequate ventilation for an underground mine.  If you took a very, very long straw or a not too long air tight water hose (having a total volume of around 500 mL), you would suffocate if you tried to breath solely through this tube.  The reason is that the air you exhale would fill the straw and not mix with the outside air before you breathed it back in again. You are left breathing the same air you exhaled over and over again.  An underground mine can be similar if you are operating large diesel equipment which will consume the oxygen in the air that otherwise would be used by the minors, getting fresh air into a mine can be pretty important.

Of course a mine and minerals engineer must also study geology and rock mechanics as they must design the controls to keep the mine from caving in as well as safe drilling, blasting and cutting used in making the mine.  They also must understand how water travels through rocks and soil and also the commercial aspects of cost effective processing and refining.

Mines can also have an impact on the environment.  Another requirement for mining engineers is to understand all potential environmental issues related to the whole process so that a mine can be planned to have minimal impact and allow fully regulatory compliant reclamation at the end of the mines life.

 

 

 

 

Live blog: “The Voice” Season 4 live finale

8:00 p.m.: It is time. Who will be “The Voice”? Will it be Muskogee’s The Swon Brothers or 16-year-old Texan Danielle Bradbery, both representing Oklahoma country music star Blake Shelton’s team? Will Blake get a “The Voice” three-peat for his 37th birthday? Or will it be indie pop-rocker Michelle Chamuel, who is competing on Team Usher? We’ll know in two hours, and it’s gonna be a long two hours, folks. At least there will be lots of music …

8:01: Host Carson Daly just introduced the Top 3 as “three of the most talented artists in the country.” So it’s already a big night for The Swon Brothers.  Now, cue the first (but I’m sure not the last) montage …

8:04: Carson says “The Voice” had unprecedented voting, and all the songs made the top 10 on the iTunes chart. He says “Trust me when I say it’s anybody’s to win.” The suspense may kill me. Of course, a performance by Pitbull and Christina Aguilera, coupled by the knowledge that Xtina is back in one of the big red chairs next season may prove fatal. Not a fan of either of these two or their remix of a reasonably entertaining song (A-Ha’s “Take on Me”) into a mishmash of irritating noise and insipid lyrics. Here’s a question: Which performance will be more annoying, this one or Florida Georgia Line with Nelly?

8:11: Shakira says the standout moment of the season and the two-night finale has been “the caliber of the talent on this show.” She compliments her fellow coaches and wishes Blake a happy birthday. He thanks her for the cake she got him. Have a mentioned I’m gonna miss this sweetheart when Xtina comes back?!

8:12: Adam Levine is backing off a bit from his declaration last night that Danielle will win this year just because it’s so close this year.

8:13: “I don’t give a crap about a three-peat,” Blake declares. “It’s about this year.” He says The Swon Brothers, Danielle and Michelle have done what it takes to win, and they should be commended. Usher says that if Michelle wins that he will take it as a sign that people appreciate her talent and hard work. Happy birthday, Blake!

8:15: For their “bring back performance,” The Swon Brothers are bringing back fellow Team Blake contenders Justin Rivers and Holly Tucker, plus Team Adam’s Amber Carrington, to do Lady Antebellum’s “Stars Tonight” with them. Great lineup. They look like they are having a ball representing contemporary country music on national TV.

8:23: Now, social media correspondent Christina Milian is showing homemade video of mostly cute kids doing imitations of the four coaches. Plus, she’s got video footage of Blake telling Danielle that she will be performing tonight with Hunter Hayes. Girl squeal!

8:25: Now, Carson is getting all pseudo-serious about the bromance between Blake and Adam and how it’s going through a crisis now that the new coaches have arrived. There’s lots of lame insults and “shut-ups” going on. “Usher has awakened new feelings in the depths of Blake’s heart,” declares Shakira. Now, the “I loves you” are between Blake and Usher. But Blake says the bromance between him and Adam isn’t over. “I hope you two kids can stay together. America needs it,” Carson says super-seriously. That was ridiculous and hilarious and just wrong.

8:27: Anyway, Tulsa native Ryan Tedder and his band OneRepublic is up to performing their infectious new single with help from Michelle Chamuel. It goes without saying that even if all of them fall of the stage, this will be better than the first celeb performance of the night.

8:30: OK, that was a pretty great performance in its own right, without comparing it to Xtina and Pitbull’s nonsense. Seeing Adam sitting on Blake’s lap right before the commercial break was just wrong, though.

8:34: Oh, look, it’s a montage! Here’s a montage of Usher’s coaching techniques, and not to be outdone, Blake’s doing a silly version of Usher’s unorthodox coaching with The Swon Brothers and Danielle going along with it. “The way he taught me how to catch the notes, it was life-changing,” Danielle deadpans while wielding chopsticks and wearing a crazy headband. Now, there’s fake crying by Blake and a birthday wish for him. This show is just indulging his natural ridiculousness. “Hey, it’s the finale,” says Carson.

8:37: That’s no excuse for featuring what’s already the most annoyingly overplayed song of the summer, Carson. Yes, it’s Florida Georgia Line drawling “Cruise,” which is a lame song made even worse by the knowledge that their entire debut album is this insipid. (Boy, that word’s getting a workout tonight!) And now this mess just got worse with the arrival of Nelly who will at least commit to the rapping part instead of just taking it halfway like the Florida Georgia Line boys. There is nothing I like about this. Except maybe the energy. (The notion that rap and country can get along has already been established and arguably overdone.) The coaches are on their feet, but I think Adam’s smile looks pretty fake. Since I have no appearances to keep, I’m not even gonna fake a smile. Nothing will disguise my disdain.

8:45: Just to prove my insipid point, here is the first verse and chorus of “Cruise”:

Hey baby

Yeah, when I first saw that bikini top on her
She’s poppin’ right out of the South Georgia water
Thought, “Oh, good lord, she had them long tanned legs”
Couldn’t help myself so I walked up and said

Baby you a song
You make me wanna roll my windows down and cruise
Down a back road blowin’ stop signs through the middle
Every little farm town with you
In this brand new Chevy with a lift kit
Would look a hell of a lot better with you up in it
So baby you a song
You make me wanna roll my windows down and cruise

Classic? Um … no.

8:46: Christina has got the Top 3 in “The Voice” skybox for the last time, and Colton Swon says that he would be happy to lose to either of the girls standing with them not just because of their talents but also because of their hearts. Michelle says they’ve taught her more about who she wants to be, while Danielle says she regards them as her big brothers and sister. So sweet. It’s easy to root for any of these three.

8:47: Now the show is bringing back a quartet of Season 4 contenders to do the Motown classic “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg.” Kris Thomas, Josiah Hawley, Vedo and Garett Gardner are harmonizing beautifully to The Temptations, but Holly Tucker snuck in to steal the show with her saxophone solo! Usher wasn’t the only one dancing his chair for that one folks. Now that’s a classic!

8:54: For her “bring back performance,” Danielle has asked Amber Carrington, Caroline Glaser and Sarah Simmons, her best “The Voice” friends, to sing Checotah native Carrie Underwood’s “All-American Girl.” All these ladies girls have such different voices, so this should be really interesting. But Danielle’s voice is so powerful and pure it’s hard to argue with Adam’s prediction that she could win it all. Obviously, I’m still rooting for fellow Okies The Swon Brothers, but Danielle could very well be “The Voice” this year. “That’s the definition of adorable,” Carson says at the end of it.

8:59: One last “the Voice” Confessional. I think the Swons have been the standouts of this, although Michelle’s hand puppets were pretty hilarious. I like Michelle’s imitation of Blake, and I did NOT need to see the Swons in those dresses again. I’m not sure how I feel about Cee Lo and his menagerie coming back, but I’m going miss that cutie Usher next season! And I’m gonna miss these confessionals.

9:01: I am telling you, Bruno Mars can put on a show. The retro R&B stylist is doing his new single “Treasure,” and I think I may love him, despite his red leisure suit with the leopard print shirt, which might not be so bad if his whole band wasn’t wearing that rather loud look. Plus, he gets double bonus points for the double disco ball!

9:08: We’ve still got almost an hour to go. I’m ready to know the winner. At least Zach and Colton Swon are gonna perform with Bob Seger very soon …

9:10: “The Swon Brothers have proven they have a deep appreciation for classic rock and country music, so joining this Rock and Roll Hall of Famer onstage is a perfect fit,” Carson says. They’re gonna perform Seger’s classic “Night Moves,” and Seger looks pretty happy swapping verses up there with Zach and Colton. They’re strumming their acoustic guitars, and the crowd seems to be getting into it. Now we’re seeing some big smiles on The Swon Brothers’ faces, and they’re finishing by fist-bumping, high-fiving and hugging a rock ‘n’ roll legend. Carson declares it one of the coolest things they’ve ever done on the shoow. Usher and Blake are on their feet.

9:15: Surprise, it’s a montage! This is pretty cute. It’s of Shakira, whose first language is not English, using big words that the three guys can neither spell nor define, although Blake is doing a pretty uproarious job of making up definitions for these words he doesn’t know. Shakira does have a silver-dollar vocabulary, and that’s just one more reason to love her! And wish Xtina wasn’t coming back next season.

9:20: Big-voiced songstresses Judith Hill, Sasha Allen, Karina Iglesias and Cathia are joining forces to do just by En Vogue’s “My Lovin’ (You’re Never Gonna Get It).” I think there’s a couple of decent quartets in the works here on the show tonight!

9:24: It’s montage time, and we’re seeing a day in the life of the Top 3. Not surprisingly, it’s jam-packed – I had to schedule an interview with The Swon Brothers last week, remember? – and when Blake’s involved, it’s hilarious. The cool part of this montage is they all got a new car: In Danielle’s case, it’s a new car. They get to pick any car from the Kia lineup, which is fairly awesome in every way. “I don’t know how we’re gonna decide who’s gonna get this one, though,” Colton says. C’mon, Kia, give them each a car!

9:27: “You know who’s here? Cher,” Carson says. That should be a great performance.

9:30: We’re less than 30 minutes away from revealing the winner. “It looks Nashville is coming to” Danielle, Carson says. She can’t stop grinning as she takes the stage in a pretty white gown with the even prettier Hunter Hayes to do his new single “I Want Crazy.” They’re harmonizing pretty well up there. That’s a lot of young talent, although he’s got the guitar skills and the energy. Of course, Danielle’s only 16 so she’s got plenty of time to get there. Overall, this is fresh and fun. And entertaining. And cute as a whole bag of buttons, even before the balloons drop and Hunter gives her a big hug at the end.

9:38: Carson says we’re less than 20 minutes away from him finally, finally, finally announcing the winner of “The Voice.” Just enough time to cram in two more performances, right? Michelle is going to bring back her Team Usher teammates Cathia, Vedo and Josiah Hawley to do Stevie Wonder’s version of “We Can Work It Out.” It’s getting harder and harder to argue with Blake’s assertion that this is the best season yet of “The Voice” as far as the quality of the singers the show attracted. Fun times. Super cute that they’ve all got red shoes on like Usher and their coach couldn’t help getting up on stage with them.

9:44: It’s the very last confessional and the Top 3 and their coaches are asked what would winning “The Voice” win. Zach says he hasn’t thought about it but it would be a dream come true. Usher is getting choked up just thinking about Michelle winning. Zach and Colton say they want to win it for their parents, their home state and for each other since they’re best friends. Michelle wants to win it for her coach, and so do Danielle and the Swons. It’s gonna be close, but I think any of the three will be a worthy winner.

9:46: Cher’s gone all dance club-pop for her the world premiere of her new single “Woman’s World.” She’s got big purple hair and a slinky black outfit, so it’s still Cher even if it doesn’t sound quite like her. She’s still capable of belting it, but the beat seems to be taking over here. Hmm … I think I’m going to have to give it another listen or two before I have a clear opinion on this. Not my favorite, but not totally horrible either. Cher is known for her evolving her style with the times – that’s the reason she’s had so much longevity – but I can’t decide if I’m a fan of this new direction. The crowd goes wild, so they seemed to like it.

9:50: We’re 10 minutes away, so cue commercial. I’m actually kind of nervous!

9:52: As if we needed a reminder, “The Voice” will be back in the fall with Xtina and Cee Lo returning to fill out the panel with Blake and Adam. I’m gonna miss Shakira and Usher!

9:54: And we’re back with about five minutes left. Carson says now the time has come … last thoughts from the Top 3. Zach, “This has been the most incredible ride that I’ve been on, and there couldn’t have been a better coach in the world … And we got to sing with Bob Seger tonight!” Colton reiterates that Blake has been a big brother to them. Danielle says “You’re an amazing coach and an amazing person” and she’s grateful to have him in her life. “Thank you for being you and inspiring me to be me,” Michelle says to Usher.

9:55: Carson is starting with third place … which is The Swon Brothers. Ahhh … I was rooting for those guys.

9:57: It’s down to the two ladies … and the winner of “The Voice” is Danielle! The youngest singer in this year’s competition wins. It’s a three-peat Team Blake, and her coach rushes the stage to embrace her parents. Danielle says “I’m speechless,” and they turn the stage over to her to sing Sara Evans’ “Born to Fly,” but after a few lines, she just can’t go on. She leaves it to the backup singers while she receives hugs from the other coaches, The Swon Brothers, Michelle and her family …

Congratulations to Danielle and good night!

-BAM

Video: “Woody Guthrie at 100! Live at the Kennedy Center” CD+DVD released today

The new CD+DVD commemorative package “Woody Guthrie at 100! Live at the Kennedy Center” was released today via Legacy Recordings, a division of Sony Music Entertainment,

The package captures the historic all-star concert staged in the Okemah native’s honor last October in Washington, D.C. Featuring performances from Jackson Browne, Rosanne Cash, Judy Collins, Ani DiFranco, Donovan, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, John Mellencamp, Tom Morello, Old Crow Medicine Show, Lucinda Williams, and many others.

The CD+DVD package features eight performances not seen in the one-hour PBS broadcast, including two spoken word performances from actor Jeff Daniels and six musical performances from Old Crow Medicine Show, Jimmy LaFave, Rosanne Cash, Lucinda Williams, Judy Collins, and Ramblin’ Jack Elliott. Tracklists for the CD and DVD differ slightly so see full details after the break.

The commemorative CD+DVD release will include a 12-page booklet containing rare photographs and a personal note from Woody’s daughter, Nora Guthrie, who administers the nonprofit Woody Guthrie Foundation & Archives, and Woody Guthrie Publications, Inc. Cover art for the CD+DVD package is based on artist Shepard Fairey’s screen print designed for the 2012 Woody Guthrie Centennial.

“Woody Guthrie at 100! Live at the Kennedy Center” presents the ultimate live collection of the most famous songs written and (mostly) recorded by Woody Guthrie (b. July 14, 1912 – d. Oct. 3, 1967). They are performed by artists who have all proclaimed Woody’s influence on their craft down the years. The set starts with a familiar pair from Nashville’s Old Crow Medicine Show (“Howdi Do,” “Union Maid”), followed by touchstones from Judy Collins (“Pastures Of Plenty”), Jimmy LaFave (“Hard Travelin’”), Donovan (the children’s favorite, “Riding In My Car”), Ani DiFranco (“Deportee” aka “Plane Wreck At Los Gatos”), Sweet Honey In The Rock (“I’ve Got To Know”), and Ramblin’ Jack Elliott (“1913 Massacre”).

Rosanne Cash delivers a pair of Woody’s finest (“I Ain’t Got No Home” and “Pretty Boy Floyd”); likewise John Mellencamp, an avowed Woody Guthrie disciple, offers up one of his favorites (“Do Re Mi”). Bluegrass giants the Del McCoury Band team with singer-songwriter Tim O’Brien on “So Long, It’s Been Good To Know Yuh” and special guest Tony Trischka (on banjo) joins the group for Woody’s only instrumental song, “Woody’s Rag.” The entire cast takes the stage to close the concert with “This Train Is Bound For Glory” and, of course, Woody’s timeless “This Land Is Your Land.”

Over the past two decades, at the invitation of Nora Guthrie, contemporary musicians have composed music to Woody’s previously unpublished lyrics. Several of these artists presented their new songs at the concert, including Joel Rafael (“Ramblin’ Reckless Hobo”) and Lucinda Williams (“House Of Earth”). In collaboration with Nora Guthrie, bassist/producer Rob Wasserman assembled a full album of these new songs in 2011, Note of Hope. Two artists reprise their contributions from that album, namely Jackson Browne (“You Know The Night”) and Tom Morello (“Ease My Revolutionary Mind”).

The final contributor to “Woody Guthrie at 100! Live at the Kennedy Center”is Woody h imself. The DVD bonus features include rare footage of Woody singing “John Henry,” “Ranger’s Command” and “Greenback Dollar,” as well as spoken pieces by Woody (and others) that are illustrated by archival photographs and documentary footage. These portraits of Woody are reminders of how the songs of Okemah’s favorite son took off around the world like a fast train on a well-oiled track.

Look for my interview with Nora Guthrie as well as my review of the concert CD/DVD Friday.

Read the rest of this entry »

Video: Hanson releases new album “Anthem,” playing tonight in New York City and Wednesday on O Music Awards

Tulsa-based sibling trio Hanson is playing the second of a two-night stand at Irving Plaza in New York City tonight to celebrate the release of the band’s new album “Anthem.”

The group – Zac, 27, Taylor 30, and Isaac, 32, Hanson – celebrated its 21st anniversary as a band with a sold-out show Monday night at the NYC venue, according to MTV.

“We are going to celebrate 21 years of music,” Taylor told Monday’s crowd of enthusiastic New York City fans, many of whom had camped out overnight and traveled from as far as Florida to see the band perform.

Hanson kicked the night off by playing a set of six songs — to represent each of their six albums. The guys started with “Thinking of You” from their multiplatinum 1997 LP, “Middle of Nowhere,” and ended with “Fired Up” from their latest, “Anthem.”

Among the crowd favorites were songs like “Where’s the Love,” “Lucy,” “Penny and Me” and “If Only.” The trio also played their latest single, “Get the Girl Back,” according to MTV.

Taylor told MTV that “Anthem,” which the trio released on its own 3CG records, represents a variety of their musical influences:

“You really do hear some true rock and roll. You hear a lot of soul music, which we have always talked about. Anybody that’s followed Hanson knows that ’50s and ’60s music is the catalyst, and you hear that in the first single, ‘Get the Girl Back,’” he told MTV.

The band gave the 21st slot on their Monday set list to their breakthrough hit “MMMbop,” and talked about their newest business venture, a beer they’re calling MMMhops. As previously reported, a portion of the proceeds from MMMhops merchandise is going to aid tornado victims in the band’s home state of Oklahoma.

Hanson will play Irving Plaza again tonight; for more info on tour dates check out Hanson.net.

In addition, the group will be among the wide array of musical acts that will play during MTV’s O Music Awards’ 24-hour streaming event, kicking off at 6 p.m. Wednesday at OMusicAwards.com.

-BAM

Bob Seger to perform with The Swon Brothers on tonight’s “The Voice” finale, also featuring OneRepublic, Hunter Hayes, Christina Aguilera, Cher and more

“The Voice” Season 4 finale airs from 8 to 10 tonight on NBC, and the peacock network has lined up an impressive lineup of talent to perform on the hit reality TV show.

It’s a sure bet the network will drag out the announcement of the winner to the very end of the two-hour season finale. Muskogee’s The Swon Brothers and 16-year-old Texan Danielle Bradbery, both representing Oklahoma country music star Blake Shelton’s team, and indie pop-rocker Michelle Chamuel, who is competing on Team Usher, are the three finalists vying for the grand prize of a recording contract.

According to Yahoo! Music, rock legend Bob Seger will perform a duet tonight with The Swon Brothers, whose excellent cover of Seger’s “Turn the Page” last week landed them in the Top 5 on the iTunes country charts and helped them advance to the finals.

OneRepublic, featuring Tulsa native Ryan Tedder, will perform its new single “Counting Stars” with Chamuel, according to Yahoo! Music. Bradbery reportedly will be matched with fellow young country up-and-comer Hunter Hayes for his new hit “I Want Crazy.”

In addition, soon-to-be returning “The Voice” coach Christina Aguilera will sing with Pitbull, plus the finale will feature performances by Bruno Mars, Florida Georgia Line with Nelly and Cher.

Look for my live blog of the finale starting at 8 tonight here at BAM’s Blog.

-BAM

Oklahoma State football: Mike Gundy lifts Wes Lunt restrictions, but too late

Mike Gundy relaxed his restrictions on transferring quarterback Wes Lunt but too late to give Lunt any concrete options beyond Louisville and Illinois, Lunt told Illinois sports station WFMB. Lunt is transferring from OSU to Illinois and sat down for an excellent interview on channel1450.com, a Springfield, Ill.-based outlet. You can see that interview here.

Lunt said that Gundy called Lunt’s high school coach, Derek Leonard of Rochester, Ill., “about a week and a half ago … and said that I could go to another school if I wanted, but by that time I had lost contact with those coaches. Illinois and Louisville were great choices and I just stuck with them.”

Gundy had restricted Lunt from a scholarship at any Big 12, Pac-12 or SEC school, plus Southern Miss and Central Michigan. Lunt’s stated preferences were Louisville, Illinois, Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Southern Miss. Which basically reduced his list to Louisville and Illinois.

Gundy caught a lot of grief for his restrictions, including from me, which you can read about here in this column from a few weeks ago. Lunt didn’t go into detail about how many of the restrictions were lifted. It’s good that Gundy has seen the light, no matter the reason for it. Enlightenment. Pressure. Whatever. But it’s unfortunate that it came too late. Which it obviously did.

Anyway, here are excerpts of the Lunt interview, with some of my responses.

On why Lunt transferred: “It kind of happened during the season when I didn’t go back in again (after two injuries). I wanted to play it out through spring ball, because I just loved it there, I didn’t want to leave. After spring ball and talking with Coach Gundy, it was just the right thing to do for me.”

Lunt seems to have some doubt about his football future as a Cowboy. He keeps saying he loved it in Stillwater. And while yeah, it’s a total drag to redshirt after starting part of his freshman season, he’s going to have to sit out with the Illini. Why not sit out with the Cowboys and take over one of the nation’s most proven offenses, unless something else is amiss.

On Lunt’s relationship with Gundy: “To be honest, when you go to college, you don’t really have a lot of time with the head coach. It’s more the position coach. I didn’t really talk to him too much, to be honest. That’s how all head coaches are. I understand that. But when (offensive coordinator Todd) Monken left, I got to know Coach (Mike) Yurcich, loved him, but just felt like I needed to leave.”

That’s an indictment of Gundy. Lunt is right; most head coaches don’t have real tight relationships with every player. But seems like the head coach ought to develop a relationship with the franchise quarterback. Seems like that ought to be a standard procedure. Letting Lunt get away might not cost the Cowboys in the long run. But it might. And this is not a recruit who decided to sign elsewhere. This was a guy who was on campus, had shown he had big-time potential and who keeps admitting he loved it in Stillwater. You can’t let a guy like that feel disconnected enough to leave.

On deciding to transfer and discovering the restrictions: “It was hard. I didn’t kind of understand it at first. I just picked those five schools because I had a previous relationships with them before I picked OSU. It was difficult. I didn’t understand the process, so when they were blocked, I knew I could appeal but it was going to take awhile. It was frustrating. But I understand the Big 12. That’s obvious. But the others, it was a little frustrating, but that’s part of it and I understand it. It’s all good.”

I’m with you, Wes. I can understand not letting a quarterback go to Texas. I can’t understand not letting a quarterback go to Tennessee or, heaven help us, Vanderbilt.

What other schools did Lunt have contact with? “Like Vanderbilt, Alabama, Notre Dame. Those are all schools that I couldn’t go to, except Notre Dame, I could have gone there, the whole Golson (expelled quarterback Everett) thing. Alabama would have been cool to check out, but I couldn’t talk to them. That was difficult.”

What’s the deal with Bama and OSU? Ever since the Crimson Tide edged out the Cowboys for a berth in the 2011 national title game, Alabama has been waltzing with the Cowboys over QBs. Luke Del Rio was committed from OSU and ended up at Alabama last winter. Norman North’s David Cornwell, recruited by OSU, committed to Alabama just the other day. Now Lunt was interested in Bama. Makes you cut Gundy some slack for putting Alabama on the famed list.

On whether Lunt will be the Illinois savior: “It’s going to take a lot more than one person. I know that. I’ve played football for awhile. It’s not just one person. It’s a team. I just hope I can help the team as much as I can.”

Lunt is right. It’s going to take more than great quarterbacking to lift Illinois. The Illini occasionally rise up for a special season but mostly are a Big Ten rumdum. Beckman already seems to be feeling some heat, after just one (2-10) season.

On Lunt’s feeling when he was named the starting QB last spring: “It was crazy. It was overwhelming. I use that word a lot. I didn’t know what to expect. It was a whirlwind. But it was a great time at OSU.”

The truth about Lunt’s time at OSU? It was mostly hype. Well-deserved hype. Hype that I think would have become fabulous substance. But mostly hype. His games were against Savannah State, Arizona, one series against Louisiana-Lafayette, TCU, 21/2 quarters against Kansas State. And that’s it. The ‘Zona game had some great moments for Lunt, but also some shaky throws. TCU was solid. K-State was about like Arizona. I think Lunt was going to be a star. But his freshman season was spotty.

On why he picked Illinois? “There’s a lot of things, going through the process. Illinois, I’ve always loved Illinois. I grew up watching ‘em, really developed a good relationship with Coach (Tim) Beckman and Coach (Bill) Cubit. I landed up there. It was a great thing for me, because I’ve seen his (Cubit’s) other quarterbacks at Western Michigan and Stanford and such. They’ve had tremendous success throwing the ball. Hopefully, I’m fortunate enough to bring that to Illinois.”

Maybe so. But if Lunt wants to ruin his own day, he could compare Cubit’s QB production to the OSU QB production of recent years.

“The Walking Dead”: Ticket to fourth season premiere offered in CASA fundraiser

“The Walking Dead” Premiere Raffle is being offered by Oklahoma County’s Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA). Twenty percent of ticket sales will go to the United Way of Central Oklahoma’s May 2013 Tornado Relief Fund and the remaining funds will go to CASA to assist in giving children a voice in court.

The winner of this raffle will receive a ticket to “The Walking Dead’s” fourth season premiere in October in Los Angeles, with free airfare and lodging included, according to a news release.

Fans can visit the Center Court of Penn Square Mall today (June 18) through June 23 to buy a raffle ticket for $10.

Tickets can also be purchased at the Hn8th Night Market, Friday, June 28, or by calling (405) 713-6456.

Follow me on Twitter: @MelissaHayer

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