What to do in Oklahoma on July 4
Fireworks explode at Edmond’s LibertyFest 2008. (Photo by Doug Hoke/The Oklahoman Archives)
Today’s featured event:
Happy birthday, America! It’s the Fourth of July, and communities across Oklahoma are offering festivities featuring live music, family activities and fireworks displays.
My colleagues George Lang, Nathan Poppe and April Choi painstakingly assembled a list of many of these big events. Check it out by clicking here.
For still more events, go to www.wimgo.com.
-BAM
Friday Featured Track
The song that has been on my brain the most this week:
- “Wilco (The Song),” Wilco, from the new release “Wilco (The Album).”
Alt-rock band Wilco released its new self-titled album on Tuesday, and though I seized a copy that day, I must admit I haven’t listened to the whole record yet.
That’s because I keep coming back to the first track, the infectious, sassy “Wilco (The Song).”
Sure, the other songs I’ve heard so far - ”Deeper Down,” “One Wing” and ”Bull Black Nova” - are affecting, well-crafted, sonically and lyrically interesting tracks.
But they just don’t evoke the sunshiney feeling of “Wilco (The Song),” which isn’t surprising since that’s the apparent intent of the track. In it, the band cheekily promises to make listeners’ lives better by providing a ”sonic shoulder for you to cry” on.
After all, as the lyrics go, “Wilco will love you baby.”
Right now, I’m loving Wilco and the song back.
-BAM
Collective Soul bringing tour to Tulsa, preparing to release new album
Collective Soul (Photo by Joseph Guay)
From Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman.
Collective Soul continuing to gather fans
Exposure on ‘American Idol,’ ‘Twilight’ helps post-grunge band grow audience without compromising sound
More than 15 years after lighting up the post-grunge musical landscape, Collective Soul continues to “Shine.”
The Atlanta-based group is co-headlining a new tour with “I Don’t Want to Be” singer-songwriter Gavin DeGraw and preparing to release its eighth studio album on a new label. The tour will bring the band Tuesday to Tulsa’s SpiritBank Event Center.
“We’re just kind of getting our groove, because we were in the studio for almost three months just finishing up the new record. But so far, so good,” said Collective Soul guitarist Dean Roland in a phone interview from Wichita, Kan.
“It’s what we love to do, it’s our passion, so we just play our music and enjoy it and love it,” he said. “And hopefully, people can share in our experience.”
For their set, Collective Soul can pick from a plethora of past hits, from the band’s 1993 breakout “Shine” to power ballads “The World I Know” and “Run” to guitar rockers like “Heavy,” “December” and “Precious Declaration.” But the band - Roland, his singer-guitarist brother Ed Roland, bassist Will Turpin, guitarist Joel Kosche, and new drummer Cheney Brannon - also is introducing songs from their second self-titled album, due out Aug. 25, at their shows.
“When you’re playing new music, or songs that people haven’t heard before, there’s always a little bit of a look. You know, you see the eyes kind of like squinching, going, ‘hmm,’ kind of thinking a little bit. But the response has been great so far,” Dean Roland, 36, said. “People are starting to become more familiar with them now, so it’s fun to see that process happening.”
If the first two singles are any indication, the band is continuing to build on the lush melodies, snazzy guitar riffs and hooky pop-rock songs that have been their hallmark since shining onto the mainstream music scene.
The album, nicknamed “Rabbit” because of the cover art by Atlanta artist Joseph Guay, will mark the rockers’ debut on Loud & Proud/Roadrunner Records. The first two tracks - the earnestly catchy “Staring Down,” about finding the bright side after a bad relationship, and the driving “Welcome All Again,” based on the band’s recent studio experience - have been released to pop and rock radio, respectively.
“Our approach in the studio from the start was, like, let’s go away for the first time in years … isolate ourselves, hang out, write songs, play music, not worry about checking into a studio. Let’s try not to make it a business and do what we did 15 years ago when we were kids just starting to make music,” Dean Roland said.
They recorded the album in Lake House studio, on the second floor of his brother’s house on Lake Keowee, S.C. The house is big enough for the bandmates and engineer to all live together during the process. They were able to collaborate organically, particularly on the song “You,” which got the whole band working together.
“That song definitely is kind of special to us ’cause it was us sort of going back to where we came from and the way we used to record. And that was one of the first songs that came out of that process, so it sort of like laid the groundwork for the rest of the record,” he said. “It was a nice creative space; there was no distraction besides our selves.”
Unlike many bands to emerge in the post-grunge heyday of the early ’90s, Collective Soul has continued making music over the years, with a few personnel changes.
“Obviously, it’s a business and you want to sell records and you want to make money … but you can’t compromise your art to point that you’re following, like, current trends. I mean, you can blend that in a little bit, but you’ve got to stay true to yourself. You’ve got to try to make your own way and make your own sound,” he said.
In the past year or so, the band has received exposure that has helped bring new fans to the fold. Their song “Hollywood” was used as theme music for the 2008 season of “American Idol,” and Season 7 champ David Cook, a former Tulsan, covered “The World I Know” on the reality show. Then, their ballad “Tremble for My Beloved” was featured on the hit soundtrack to last year’s blockbuster “Twilight.”
“It’s great. It’s totally cool,” said Dean Roland, who also frequently chats with fans on the micro-blogging site Twitter. “We see it now, getting back out on the road … some of the audience is younger. And that’s fun to see when you’ve been around for 15 or 16 years; it’s fun to connect with a younger generation.”
In concert
Collective Soul and Gavin DeGraw
With: Green River Ordinance.
When: 7 p.m. Tuesday. July 7. Doors open at 6 p.m.
Where: SpiritBank Event Center, 10441 S Regal Blvd., Tulsa.
Information: (918) 369-9360 or www.spiritbankeventcenter.com.
-BAM
Wanda Jackson to pay tribute to Woody Guthrie at pre-festival show
Oklahoma native Wanda Jackson poses on the red carpet at her April induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. (Associated Press photo)
Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Woody Guthrie, who also was born in Oklahoma. (The Oklahoman Archives)
From Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman.
Wanda & Woody: Rock Hall of Famer’s benefit leads into annual Woody Guthrie Folk Fest
One Rock and Roll Hall of Famer from Oklahoma will pay tribute to another Tuesday leading into the 12th annual Woody Guthrie Folk Festival.
Wanda Jackson, who was inducted in April to the rock hall, will headline a benefit concert in honor of Woody Guthrie at 8 p.m. Tuesday at Tulsa’s historic Cain’s Ballroom.
The pre-festival show will benefit the Woody Guthrie Coalition, which organizes Woody Fest yearly in the troubadour’s hometown of Okemah around his July 14 birthday.
“As one of the performers asked to be there, I am honored and happy to come sing my songs in memory of another Oklahoma Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, Woody Guthrie,” Jackson said in an e-mail from Switzerland, where she was wrapping up a successful two-week tour of Europe.
“There is no other artist who has influenced the music world any more than Woody Guthrie. He certainly has my respect and admiration for his contributions.”
Musical legacy
The 12th annual Woody Guthrie Folk Festival will officially kick off at 8 p.m. Wednesday at Okemah’s historic Crystal Theatre with another benefit concert. The opening night show will feature SONiA of folk/power pop band Disappear Fear and folk-rocker Jonatha Brooke.
“Jonatha Brooke is the most recent singer-songwriter to record a CD of all-new Woody Guthrie songs that were lyrics housed in the Woody Guthrie Archives that she put her own music to,” said Woody Fest Media Chairwoman Karen Zundel. “It’s called ‘The Works’ … and she’s the first female to record an album of Woody Guthrie songs.”
The festival will continue all day Thursday-July 11 with musical performances, a children’s festival, open mike, and special events like a poetry reading, tribute to the late red dirt music great Bob Childers and new this year, songwriting workshops.
This year’s lineup includes Jimmy LaFave, Stoney LaRue, John Gorka, Ellis Paul and more. Guthrie granddaughters Annie Guthrie and Sarah Lee Guthrie, along with Sarah Lee’s husband Johnny Irion, will perform.
Another granddaughter, Anna Canoni, who works for the Woody Guthrie Archives, will make her festival debut with a special presentation and screening of the documentary “Woody Guthrie: Legacy.”
Guthrie’s younger sister, Mary Jo Guthrie Edgmon, will host July 11 her yearly pancake breakfast benefiting the Huntington’s Disease Society of America. Guthrie died of complications from Huntington’s Oct. 3, 1967, at the age of 55.
The festival will end July 12 with “Hoot for Huntington’s,” another event aiding the society’s Oklahoma chapter.
“To me it seems especially fitting when a state honors one of their own in a special way, and for Woody Guthrie what could be better than a music festival where you come to hear live bands play good music, have fun with friends and an overall happy day?” Jackson said.
Influence and inspiration
Guthrie, a prolific singer-songwriter with a gift for connecting with listeners through his ballads, children’s tunes and protest songs, was inducted posthumously into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 in the early influence category. Jackson, a rockabilly pioneer widely considered the first woman to sing rock ‘n’ roll, joined the hall in the same category.
Both Oklahoma artists are trailblazers who have influenced rock and country performers through the decades, said Oklahoma City singer-songwriter K.C. Clifford, who will make her Woody Fest debut Thursday.
“He has left us the best legacy of being a songwriter for the people and kind of a common man who obviously had a huge impact on folk music,” she said. “It’s amazing to be from the same place as Woody. … It’s good mojo.”
Although her folk music doesn’t overlap much with Jackson’s rockabilly sound, Clifford finds inspiration in the fellow Oklahoman’s enduring 55-year career.
“She’s certainly a fighter,” she said. “I like that. I like women who are succeeding in music and have longevity. … I think the more attention that gets brought to Oklahoma writers and musicians, the more it continues to bolster the (music) scene here.”
Going on
Woody Guthrie Folk Festival Pre-fest Benefit Concert
What: Wanda Jackson, Ronny Elliott and Nancy Apple will play a special show benefiting the Woody Guthrie Coalition at 8 p.m. Tuesday at Tulsa’s Cain’s Ballroom.
Tickets: $35 and $20, available at www.protixonline.com or by phone at (866) 977-6849.
Information: www.woodyguthrie.com.
12th annual Woody Guthrie Folk Festival
When: Wednesday through July 12.
Where: Various venues in Okemah.
What: Musical performances, children’s activities, open mike, poetry reading, documentary screening, songwriter workshops and fundraisers for the state chapter of the Huntington’s Disease Society of America.
Admission: Free except for the opening show at 8 p.m. Wednesday, featuring Jonatha Brooke and SONiA, which costs $20 for general admission or $35 for Gold Circle seating.
Parking: Free for daytime events; $10 per car evenings at the Pastures of Plenty Stage.
Information: www.woodyguthrie.com.
-BAM
BAM Column: David Cook plays Tulsa’s Gray Snail, performing tonight in Thackerville
David Cook performs an acoustic set at Tulsa’s Gray Snail Saloon June 23 after his sell-out show at Cain’s Ballroom. The former Tulsan and Season 7 “American Idol” winner will play tonight at Winstar World Casino in Thackerville. (Photos provided by Cathie Dillard)
A version of this column also appears in Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman.
Concert: Gray Snail Saloon talent still Cook-ing
It’s no secret: Season 7 ‘American Idol’ winner still packs ‘em into Tulsa nightspot where he had standing gig
When David Cook takes the stage tonight at Thackerville’s Winstar World Casino, it will be his third Oklahoma show in less than two weeks.
Actually, it will be his fourth, if you count last week’s post-concert acoustic performance at the Season 7 “American Idol” winner’s old stomping grounds, the Gray Snail Saloon in Tulsa.
Cook, along with bandmates, buddies and opening act Ryan Star, played for a packed house of about 250 fans and friends June 23 at the Gray Snail, after putting on a show that night for a sell-out crowd at Cain’s Ballroom.
Before the singer/songwriter/guitarist had “The Time of My Life” on the reality TV contest, he moved from his hometown of Blue Springs, Mo., to Tulsa to join popular regional band the Midwest Kings. By the time he auditioned for “Idol” in 2007, Cook had launched a solo career, playing a regular date every other Wednesday at the Gray Snail with pal Dan Crossland.
“He was still booked when I was watching him on TV. … Right before he left to go to L.A., he said, ‘Hold my spots, I may be right back,’” Gray Snail owner Rob Mason said with a laugh. “Then he got on to where he was in the final 13, and then we pretty much knew after that we might not see him for awhile.”
Credit Cook, 26, for not forgetting where he got his start. In an interview with me last August, just three months after winning “Idol,” he expressed nostalgia for his old haunt, even as he was playing crowded arenas on the “American Idols Live!” tour.
“The crowds are a little bigger, and you … just have more resources available to you. But I don’t know, part of me actually kind of misses playing the Gray Snail on a Wednesday night,” said Cook, whose publicist confirmed that he returned last week to the Tulsa bar.
So, when his first solo tour brought him June 23 to Tulsa, the now-famous Cook visited the Gray Snail for what was supposed to be a private after-party for 50 people following the Cain’s show.
“The gist of what we were expecting to show up was in the VIP room, and the other 200 and some people out in the main bar area got themselves a real nice little show for nothing,” Mason said. “He was up close and personal. I think the first line of people in front of the stage were about a foot and a half from him.”
Mason said they tried to keep the saloon soiree hush-hush, not even confirming it with Cook’s people until 4:30 p.m. the day of the Cain’s concert. But word got out and spread on MySpace and Twitter.
“Nothing’s a secret if it’s on Twitter,” said Little Rock, Ark., fan Sydney Frames, who attended the Cain’s concert and then hit the Gray Snail after getting a message that originated on the micro-blogging site. “He (Cook) did say … something at one point that this was the worst-kept secret ever.”
Oklahoma musicians Bryan Jewett and Nick Gibson joined Cook, Star and their bands onstage. Cook and Co. performed for about 30 minutes, playing Alice in Chains’ “Man in the Box,” Fleetwood Mac’s “Little Lies,” his hit “Light On” and more.
For Frames, the highlight was hearing the Midwest King’s “Make Me” with Cook’s former MWK bandmate and current guitarist Andy Skib on vocals.
“It was cool just having them two feet away from you doing what they do,” Frames said. “It was awesome.”
Tonight’s Thackerville concert will be Frames’ 10th Cook show; 11th if you count the Gray Snail.
Fremont, Calif., fan Cathie Dillard stopped at the Gray Snail between the Cain’s concert and her trip to Oklahoma City to see the “Idol” again June 24 at the Diamond Ballroom. It wasn’t a huge sacrifice for the loyal fan: She’s been to more than 50 Cook shows on the tour and plans to be in Thackerville tonight.
But the Gray Snail event was special, even if it was cramped, because Cook and the others could be more laidback.
“I was smashed in. There were parts of my body that were sweating that I didn’t know could sweat,” Dillard said with a laugh. “There were so many people there … but it was amazing.”
For Mason, the downside to last week’s acoustic event was that the Gray Snail was so crowded he didn’t get a chance to thank Cook for the support he’s given back to the venue.
“Honesty, it was a disaster,” Mason said with a laugh. “We didn’t have any lead time, we were trying to get everything squared away … it turned out to be a lot bigger than we expected. But, oh sure, absolutely, it went great.”
In concert
David Cook
When: 9 tonight.
Where: WinStar Casino, Thackerville.
Information: (800) 622-6317 or www.winstarworldcasino.com.
-BAM
Slideshow: Art by Rea Baldridge & Joseph Mills
“Creek” by Rea Baldridge
“Notre Dame” by Joseph Mills
Oklahoma City artists Rea Baldridge and Joseph Mills, who are married, are putting on their first dual show this month at JRB Art at the Elms, 2810 N Walker in the Paseo Arts District. The exhibit opens with a reception from 6 to 10 p.m. today at the gallery during the monthly Paseo Gallery Walk.
The show mixes Baldridge’s bold abstract paintings with Mill’s evocative black-and-white photographs.
Though they work in different media, both artists create works that warrant more than just a quick glimpse; rather, their paintings and photos give viewers art that challenges them to really look deeply. I definitely recommend checking out the exhibit.
For a preview of the exhibit, click here to see a NewsOK slideshow.
-BAM
Oklahoma City artists Rea Baldridge and Joseph Mills make creative couple
Husband-and-wife artists Rea Baldridge and Joseph Mills of Oklahoma City pose with some of their works at JRB Art at the Elms. (Photo by Bryan Terry/The Oklahoman)
From Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman.
Husband-and-wife artists featured in dual show
Rea Baldridge and Joseph Mills don’t believe photos must be confined to single frames, that paintings are required to be pretty, or that art should be limited to what can be created on paper or canvas.
“We just have fun,” Baldridge said.
The Oklahoma City husband-and-wife artists will be featured in their first dual show this month at JRB Art at the Elms. gallery in the Paseo Arts District. The exhibit will open with a reception from 6 to 10 tonight. during the monthly Paseo Gallery Walk.
The show includes Baldridge’s bold abstract paintings and Mill’s evocative black and white photographs. Baldridge, 59, said the oil paintings she has created the past few years represent a departure from the conceptual art projects she’s known for. For instance, she and Mills once produced a mini magazine called the Tiny Town Crier that required a magnifying glass to read it.
“I’ve always been involved in either unusual media or multimedia. I’ve done everything from a lot of film stuff to music to … to products that may or may not exist,” she said.
Nowadays, she paints her abstract canvases from specific subjects; recently, she’s based her works on movies, particularly John Ford Westerns.
“Ideally for me what I’m working towards is for a painting to require one to look at it for a long time and see what they want to see,” she said. “I’m trying to not control what’s seen as much as allow to viewer to make it their own thing, like (with) clouds.”
Unreal photography
For his art photography, Mills, 64, uses a Diana, a plastic toy camera first produced in Hong Kong in the 1960s. Working with it is the antithesis of the high-tech equipment he uses in his commercial photography business.
“It’s a very simple little device and it kind of takes it back to just the primal seeking of a photograph,” he said. “Also, it’s a challenge: What can you do with this crude little device.”
His stunningly layered panoramic photos of Oklahoma City and Paris aren’t created with Photoshop or any computer tricks. He takes multiple shots of his subject, but doesn’t roll the film fully to the next numbered frame. So, instead of creating separate photos with spaces between them, the camera produces a single multi-exposed image where the shots have overlapped on film.
“This is kind of like the roll of the dice. You don’t have a lot of control, you don’t know how much exactly you’re overlapping, you don’t know if the two images when they’re overlapped and intertwined if they’ll work or not,” he said.
The results can vary dramatically: While his view of Notre Dame tilts crazily, his layered Louvre panorama is more subtly distorted.
“It’s something that doesn’t exist but was caught on a camera,” he said.
Couple collaboration
The couple, who have been together more than 20 years, sometimes collaborate on projects, but always influence each other’s work.
“With this work, even though it’s in two different genres, we kind of collaborate just by proximity,” Mills said.
“We feed off each other,” Baldridge added with a laugh.
The artists have separate studios in their home. But they work together in their commercial business, Joseph Mills Photography.
“We respect one another’s judgment and we can be pretty …” Mills said.
“Brutal,” Baldridge interjected.
“… brutally frank. But somehow it works,” he said. “We seek each other’s confidence in our work all the time; in a way, there’s always that collaboration.”
They understand each other’s creative quirks and share a love of art that dates back to childhood. They met at Classen Grill in 1987 and developed their friendship - and later romance - through the arts community.
But there is one disadvantage to marrying another artist.
“That means both of you will not make money; both will be penniless, instead of one of you being the backer or the patron,” Mills said, getting a laugh from his wife.
On exhibit
Art by Rea Baldridge & Joseph Mills
When: Today-July 25.
Where: JRB Art at the Elms, 2810 N Walker, Paseo Arts District.
Opening reception: 6 to 10 p.m. tonight during the monthly Paseo Gallery Walk. The gallery walk continues from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday. Go to www.thepaseo.com to learn more.
Information: 528-6336 or www.jrbartgallery.com.
- BAM
DVD review: “Young and Handsome: A Night with Jeff Garlin”
From Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman.
“Young & Handsome: A Night with Jeff Garlin”
When it comes out Tuesday, “Young & Handsome: A Night with Jeff Garlin” will mark the first comedy special from the multi-talented performer.
Why it took so long to give the witty comic/actor/director/writer/producer a chance to return to his stand-up beginnings is beyond my comprehension.
Garlin, best known for TV’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” the Eddie Murphy comedy “Daddy Day Care” and the animated film “WALL-E,” delivers consistent, often incredulous laughs as he rattles off droll stories that frequently take unexpected tangents.
The special, set to premiere this fall on Comedy Central, was filmed before a sold-out audience at the historic Second City Theatre in Garlin’s hometown of Chicago. Actor/writer/director Bob Odenkirk directs the special, often leaving in funny moments that Garlin claims will be cut later.
Garlin’s likeably self-deprecating humor and penchant for life’s oddities make for great comedy as he chats about a caulking catastrophe, the drug-like effects of Krispy Kreme doughnuts and his hilariously bizarre airport encounter with a dirty old man he dubs “Baron von Cream.”
With a runtime of just more than 45 minutes, “Young & Handsome” will leave you snickering and hoping that Garlin gets another stand-up special soon.
DVD extras: Two deleted scenes and a 15-minute Garlin interview by Odenkirk.
- BAM
CD review: “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” soundtrack
From Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman.
Soundtrack
Various artists “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen: The Album” (Reprise)
Modern and emo-rock bands like Staind, Hoobastank and Nickelback add extra sonic fuel to the many battles, crashes and explosions in the summer blockbuster “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.”
For the soundtrack, director Michael Bay and Co. assembled a collection of loud, driving rock tracks ideal for accenting the mega-hit movie’s biggest draw: the ginormous action sequences featuring the towering transforming robots known as Autobots (the good guys) and Decepticons (the baddies).
Linkin Park contributes the film’s theme and opening track, “New Divide,” and it’s vintage Linkin Park with Chester Bennington’s distinctive vocals soaring over colossal guitars, thudding drums and an electronic interlude.
Cavo and Taking Back Sunday offer the anthemic “Let It Go” and “Capital M-E,” respectively, to punctuate the film’s hero moments, while The Fray’s “Never Say Never” and Theory of a Deadman’s “Not Meant to Be” have the movie’s romantic aspect covered.
Stillwater’s The All-American Rejects put in a shot of energy with their dynamic, distorted “Real World,” and Green Day’s “21 Gun Salute” gives the album some tuneful gravitas.
The album’s standout track, which unfortunately wasn’t actually included in the film, has to be Cheap Trick’s fun, full-tilt remix of the 1980s “Transformers” cartoon theme song.
None of the tracks are unforgettable signature songs for the bands involved, but The Used’s shrill rendition of the Talking Heads’ “Burning Down the House” is more deadly than Starscream, Megatron and the other Decepticons combined.
- BAM
Podcast: This week’s movies
Will Johnny Depp light up your Fourth of July in “Public Enemies”? Listen and learn.
In this week’s NewsOK entertainment podcast, George Lang, Nathan Poppe and I give you the scoop on the new movies in Oklahoma City theaters this July 4 weekend.
Your diverse options are the gangster pic ”Public Enemies,” the animated sequel “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs,” the period romantic drama “Cheri” and Woody Allen’s “Whatever Works.”
Hear our assessments of the films by clicking here.
-BAM
