What to do in Oklahoma on Jan. 30
Today’s featured event:
Get funky with the Sugar Free Allstars at 10 tonight at 51st Street Speakeasy, 1114 NW 51.
To hear the Oklahoma City band’s music, go to www.myspace.com/sugarfreeallstars.
For more information on the show, call 463-0470. Or click here to go to the venue’s MySpace.
For more events, go to www.wimgo.com.
-BAM
What to do in Oklahoma on Jan. 29
Mayola
Today’s featured event:
NORMAN – Hear Stillwater experimental rock band Mayola with Portland, Ore.-based Musée Mécanique tonight at The Opolis, 113 N Crawford. Doors open at 8 p.m.
For more information, go to http://www.starlightmints.com/opolis.html.
For more events, go to www.wimgo.com.
-BAM
Toby Keith to launch clothing line
Oklahoma country star Toby Keith is continuing to expand his entertainment empire: He is starting his own clothing line, TK Steelman.
TK Steelman will launch with a Feb. 18 event at Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill in Harrah’s Las Vegas. The casual brand was developed in partnership with Royal Merchandising Group, which already produces merchandise for Keith’s restaurants, according to a news release.
The launch date coincides with the MAGIC Marketplace convention set for Feb. 17-19 in Las Vegas. TK Steelman will have a strong presence at the show, which is the world’s largest fashion trade event, according to the release.
Keith’s new clothing line will offer moderately priced clothing centered on his vision. The initial launch will appeal to men in the 25-54 demographic, with a range of options including long-sleeve shirts, T-shirts, polos, sweatshirts, jeans, cowboy hats, baseball caps, bandanas, belts, leather wrist straps and more. Each item has been personally approved by Keith.
The look mixes the influences the Norman resident brings to his own wardrobe. The release describes it as “part rocker and part biker with a ‘country sexy’ aesthetic punctuated by oilfield imagery in the brand’s logos and font selections.” The Oklahoma native worked in the oilfields by day and played music on the side prior to making music his full-time job and releasing his debut No. 1 single “Should’ve Been A Cowboy” in 1993.
A special request from Keith was for the brand to feature more sleeveless shirts, a nod to the fact that the country star has personally removed the sleeves from so many shirts he owns, according to the release. The entry-level line, aimed at retailers like Kohl’s, Target, Wal-Mart and Macy’s, will expand to women following its initial launch.
Keith was named Forbes’ top-earning male musician in 2008 with a gross income of $48 million, and he has been steadily expanding into a variety of ventures in the past few years. Along with his endeavors as a singer, songwriter and producer, he also owns his own record label, Show Dog Nashville. He has branched out in to acting, screenwriting and film producing. He has a chain of restaurants to his name and endorsements with companies such as Ford Trucks.
-BAM
Wednesday Video Spotlight: Super Bowl commercials
Super Bowl XLIII is Sunday night, and the Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals will face off in the world’s biggest sporting event. In addition, Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band, who just released a new album this week, will play during halftime.
Of course, the Super Bowl also a huge night for commercials, with advertising agencies and their clients bringing their most innovative and entertaining ideas to the screen. Since the tab for a Super Bowl spot now runs about $2.7 million, they’d better be good.
Along with the usual ads for soda, beer and cars, DreamWorks is planning a 3D ad for its upcoming animated film “Monsters vs. Aliens.”
In honor of the big event, this week’s Video Spotlight highlights some great Super Bowl ads from the past few years. (The videos are all posted here courtesy YouTube.)
Top 10 ads of 2008:
We’ve been on the subject of Michael Jackson’s ”Thriller” and a possible musical based on it this week at BAM’s Blog. Check out this SoBe commercial from last year and ponder whether director John Landis is including this in his lawsuit over unpaid royalities:
Top 10 ads of 2007. (If you’re noticing a Bud Light theme at this point, you’re not alone):
Of course, we have to have the ultimate Super Bowl ad, the 1984 George Orwell-inspired Apple Macintosh commercial:
And since I like the Budweiser Clydesdales, we’ll throw in a few more of those for good measure:
-BAM
“Thriller” director sues Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson (Associated Press photo)
Michael Jackson’s attempt to make a comeback off a musical version of his 1982 video “Thriller,” announced earlier this week, has already hit legal snags.
Director John Landis (“An American Werewolf in London”) sued Jackson and Broadway producer James L. Nederlander today, claiming they lack the proper rights to create a stage production based on “Thriller,” according to the Associated Press.
Nederlander announced earlier this week that his company had acquired the rights to “Thriller” and the songs from Jackon’s smash-hit album of the same title. He plans to make a Broadway show based on the video.
Landis co-wrote and directed the famed music video, and his lawsuit seeks to have it determined that Jackson doesn’t have adequate rights to transfer to Nederlander, and that therefore the producer doesn’t have the authority to develop the stage show.
Landis’ attorney, Miles J. Feldman, told the AP the director would seek to stop the show “if it becomes necessary.”
The AP couldn’t reach Nederlander or a New York attorney who has represented Jackson for comment. The AP says Jackson recently moved back to Los Angeles.
While Landis is personally suing Jackson over the proposed Broadway show, he also filed a suit a few days ago on behalf of his company, Levitsky Productions Inc., over unpaid royalties from “Thriller.” Landis claims he hasn’t been paid royalties on the groundbreaking video for at least four years.
-BAM
What to do in Oklahoma on Jan. 28
“Walking with Dinosaurs: The Arena Spectacular” ruled Oklahoma City’s Ford Center last week and moves tonight to Tulsa’s BOK Center. (Photos by Sarah Phipps/The Oklahoman)
Today’s featured event:
TULSA – If you missed the realistic, lifesize animatronic reptiles when they were in Oklahoma City, see “Walking with Dinosaurs: The Arena Spectacular” at 7 tonight at the BOK Center, 200 S Denver. Eight performances will thunder into the arena through Sunday.
For more information, go to www.bokcenter.com.
For more events, go to www.wimgo.com.
-BAM
“Thriller” to become a musical
Plans to turn Michael Jackson’s iconic 1982 music video “Thriller” into a full musical were announced earlier this week.
James L. Nederlander, president of the Nederlander Organization, has acquired the rights to produce a musical version of “Thriller,” according to a news release.
“Thriller The Musical “will feature the music and lyrics of the King of Pop and include songs from the world’s all-time best-selling album, “Thriller” and the seven-time multi-platinum album, “Off The Wall.”
This musical will be the exclusive Jackson authorized version of “Thriller,” and Jackson will participate in every aspect of the creative process, according to the release.
Through his spokesperson, Dr. Tohme Tohme, Jackson said in the release, ”The Nederlanders and Michael Jackson represent live theater and musical excellence, so let the music begin.”
“I love the idea of making ‘Thriller’ a musical. Girl meets boy, they fall in love, boy has big secret, now what …” Nederlander said in the release.
The musical will be based on the most successful music video of all time, a 14-minute horror film spoof in which a young couple are out on a date on a beautiful full moon evening, when suddenly the young man, played by Jackson, turns into a werewolf.
Nederlander is the third generation of a family known for owning and operating theatres around the world as well as theatrical productions, cultural presentations and popular music attractions.
Jackson is the Guinness World Record holding “Most Successful Entertainer of All Time,” a two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee with 13 Grammy Awards, 13 No. 1 singles – more than any other male artist in the Hot 100 era – and sales of more than 750 million units worldwide. Although he was acquitted, his career has been stagnant since his 2005 trial on sexual abuse charges.
It will be interesting to see if the “Thriller” musical will mark a career comeback for Jackson.
-BAM
BOK Center invites the public to Valentine’s Day Skate Date
Tulsa’s BOK Center has announced a new Valentine’s Day event that will give the public the opportunity to take center ice inside the arena and skate beneath a mirrored disco ball.
Skate Date at the BOK Center will be from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Feb. 14, 2009 and will be the first time the general public is invited to ice skate on the arena’s expansive indoor frozen floor, according to a news release. The NHL regulation-sized 17,000-square-foot surface will have a nostalgic ambiance courtesy of music, a disco ball, and festive lighting.
Skate rentals will be available for $9 per person or $5 for children younger than 3. Patrons who choose to bring their own skates will pay only $5. Admission for spectators into the arena is free.
The event is an enjoyable way for families, children, teenagers, and couples to spend Valentine’s Day. All concession stands will be open and alcoholic beverages will be available for guests of legal age. The BOK Center’s grand lobby will feature an area for photographs, holiday merchandise sales, and long-stem roses available for purchase. Outside the glass wall on Third Street, Dreamcatcher Carriages will offer horse and buggy rides through downtown Tulsa.
The Tulsa Figure Skating Club will showcase several of their artistic figure skaters at Skate Date during three 10-minute breaks after the ice is resurfaced. The exhibitions, slated for 12:15, 2 and 3:30 p.m., will feature athletes ages 10-18, and will be sanctioned by the United States Figure Skating Association.
MIX96 FM, the official radio partner for Skate Date, is also offering its female listeners the opportunity to have a one-of-a kind experience on Valentine’s Day. Ladies are invited to register online at the station’s website (www.mix96tulsa.com) to win a private party on center ice at Skate Date for themselves and five of their girlfriends. The winners will receive a three-course catered dinner, roses and chocolates at a private linen-covered table surrounded by velvet ropes in the middle of the ice rink.
“Skate Date is a rare opportunity to bring the family or a significant other and skate inside the BOK Center on an NHL regulation-sized hockey rink. Our outdoor ice rink at Winterfest was a resounding success so we decided to bring the fun indoors. For those Tulsans who haven’t had a chance yet to be our guests at the new arena, this is a perfect time to come downtown and take a visit, free of charge,” said BOK Center Assistant General Manager Jerry Goldman in the release.
The Valentine’s Day event complements a stellar line-up of shows inside the BOK Center this season. Tickets are still available for Larry the Cable Guy, Smucker’s Stars on Ice, Trace Adkins, Slipknot, the Lippizzaner Stallions, New Kids on the Block, Nickleback, Sesame Street Live, and Fleetwood Mac.
The official media partners of Skate Date at the BOK Center are Urban Tulsa Weekly, Cox Radio, Inc. (MIX96 FM) and FOX23 Tulsa. Other participating sponsors include Cubic, Inc., Crowne Plaza Hotel, Tulsa Figure Skating Club, and Dreamcatcher Carriages.
For more information, go to www.bokcenter.com. Special discounted rates for ice skating are available for groups of 10 or more; contact Jeff Nickler, special events manager, at (918) 894-4254. Reservations are only necessary for guests who wish to register for group rates.
-BAM
Paul McCartney and Radiohead added to list of Grammy performers
Paul McCartney
Radiohead
Current Grammy nominees Paul McCartney, with special guest drummer Dave Grohl, lead singer of Foo Fighters, and Radiohead, in the band’s first live U.S. television performance since 2000, will perform during the 51st Annual Grammy Awards, according to a news release.
The awards show will be broadcast live from The Staples Center in Los Angeles from 7 to 10:30 p.m. Feb. 8 on CBS.
In addition, T.I. and Justin Timberlake will perform together. Separately, Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, T.I. and Kanye West will appear in a special performance of their hit single, “Swagga Like Us.”
McCartney, Radiohead, Justin Timberlake, T.I., Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, Kanye West and Grohl join the list of previously announced Grammy nominees and performers Oklahoma native Carrie Underwood, Coldplay, Jennifer Hudson, Jonas Brothers, Katy Perry, Kenny Chesney and Lil Wayne.
Jay-Z and Kanye West each have six nominations. Jay-Z is up for Album Of The Year (as a featured artist on Lil Wayne’s “Tha Carter III”), Best Rap Solo Performance (“Roc Boys (And The Winner Is)…”), Best Rap Album (“American Gangster”), Best Rap Song (“Swagga Like Us,” with Lil Wayne, T.I. and Kanye West) and two nods in Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group (for “Mr. Carter,” with Lil Wayne and “Swagga Like Us,” with Lil Wayne, T.I. and Kanye West). Kanye West is nominated for Album Of The Year (as a producer on Lil Wayne’s “Tha Carter III”), Song Of The Year (“American Boy,” with William Adams, Keith Harris, Josh Lopez, Caleb Speir, John Stephens and Estelle Swaray), Best Rap/Sung Collaboration (“American Boy,” with Estelle), Best Rap Song (“Swagga Like Us,” with D. Carter, S. Carter and Clifford Harris). In addition, he received two nods in the Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group category for “Put On,” with Young Jeezy, and “Swagga Like Us,” with Jay-Z, Lil Wayne and T.I.
Radiohead received five 2008 Grammy Award nominations: two for Album Of The Year and Best Alternative Album, for “In Rainbows.” In addition, Radiohead earned nominations for Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals, Best Rock Song and Best Short Form Music Video for “House Of Cards.”
T.I. earned four 2008 Grammys, two of them for Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group, “Wish You Would” (with Ludacris), and “Swagga Like Us” (with Jay-Z, Lil Wayne and Kanye West). He also earned nominations for Best Rap Song (“Swagga Like Us,” with D. Carter, S. Carter and Kanye West) and Best Rap Album (“Paper Trail”).
Paul McCartney has been nominated twice this year: Best Male Pop Vocal Performance (“That Was Me”) and Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance (“I Saw Her Standing There”).
Justin Timberlake is nominated for Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals (“4 Minutes” with Madonna and Timbaland).
As previously announced, Katy Perry will perform as part of the “”My Grammy Moment” segment on the telecast. This year, music fans can upload a 30- to 60-second video of themselves singing along to a portion of Perry’s current Grammy-nominated song, “I Kissed A Girl,” at www.CBS.com/grammys through Feb. 6. Submitted videos will be voted on by CBS.com users, and the most popular videos will be shown as part of Perry’s Grammy performance.
-BAM
Reba McEntire sets record with Brooks & Dunn duet
Oklahoma country star Reba McEntire has set a record for the most Top 10 hits of any female country artist with ”Cowgirls Don’t Cry,” her hit duet with duo Brooks & Dunn, which includes Tulsa Ronnie Dunn.
According to CountryWeekly.com, the song is McEntire’s 56th to land in the Top 10 of the Billboard singles chart,
Previously, McEntire and Dolly Parton shared the record with 55 Top 10 country hits.
According to the report, the McAlester native said that she’s awed by the accomplishment and calls Parton, “One of my idols and good friends.”
She adds, “To be able to accomplish a 56th Top 10 hit while singing with my buddies, Brooks & Dunn, makes it all so much sweeter.”
-BAM
