John Fullbright and JD McPherson nominated for Americana Honors & Awards
JD McPherson
John Fullbright
The Americana Music Association announced nominees today for the 2013 Honors & Awards in Los Angeles at the Grammy Museum.
Two talented Oklahomans – Bearden singer/songwriter John Fullbright and Broken Arrow retro rocker JD McPherson – each received two nominations.
Both are nominated for Emerging Artist of the Year. In addition, Fullbright’s Grammy-nominated debut “From the Ground Up” earned a nod for Album of the Year, while McPherson’s “North Side Gal” was nominated for Song of the Year.
Shovels & Rope, with four nominations, followed by Emmylou Harris and Miller, with three each, lead the nominee slate. Many other notable artists were recognized, including Rodney Crowell, Jim Lauderdale, The Lumineers, Milk Carton Kids, Bruce Robison & Kelly Willis, Richard Thompson, and Dwight Yoakam. Winners will be announced live at the annual Americana Honors and Awards, presented by Nissan, on Sept. 18 live on AXS TV from the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tenn.
This year the nominees reflect the diverse and artistic breadth of the genre, which honors of the roots of American music and has grown in prominence in recent year.
The Americana Music Association is a not-for-profit professional trade organization whose mission is to advocate for the authentic voice of American roots music.
The Americana Honors & Awards, presented by Nissan, returns to the historically cool Ryman Auditorium on Sept. 18, as part of the Americana Music Festival, which is Sept. 18-22 at venues throughout Music City. The iconic Jim Lauderdale will once again host the Honors & Awards, while the phenomenal Buddy Miller will lead the All-Star Band. Tickets for the Honors & Awards show come with the purchase of Americana Music Festival & Conference Registrations.
See the full list of nominees after the break.
Kings of Leon and JD McPherson to play Austin City Limits Festival
Kings of Leon
Two acts with Oklahoma ties – Kings of Leon and JD McPherson – will perform at this year’s expanded Austin City Limits Festival, organizers revealed today.
The festival in Austin, Texas, expands to two weekends this year, Oct. 4-6 and 11-13, at Zilker Park.
Other acts on the loaded lineup include Depeche Mode, The Cure, Muse, Atoms For Peace, Vampire Weekend, The National, Artic Monkeys, Phoenix, Lionel Richie, Wilco, Eric Church, D’Angelo, Queens of the Stone Age, fun., Kendrick Lamar, Tame Impala, The Shouting Matches, Jimmy Eat World, Kaskade and The Mavericks.
To see the full lineup, click here.
-BAM
Video: Remembering George Jones
George Jones’ funeral is taking place this morning at The Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tenn. As previously reported, the service is open to the public.
National television networks CMT, GAC, RFD, and FamilyNet, as well as local Nashville stations WKRN 2, WSMV 4, WTVF 5, WZTV 17 are broadcasting the funeral service live, with radio partners WSM 650AM and SiriusXM Willie’s Roadhouse (Channel 56) broadcasting the service. Fans around the world can listen online at wsmonline.com or watch online at opry.com, according to a news release.
The Country Music Hall of Famer died last Friday in Nashville at the age of 81. In the past few days, numerous country music stars and other luminaries have issued statements expressing their sorrow and condolences for his family. Pawnee-based Grammy nominee of Steve Ripley of The Tractors posted the YouTube video embedded above, featuring a young George Jones and Johnny Paycheck playing “Love Bug” on Oklahoma City’s “Mathis Bros. Country Social.”
In this Jan. 10, 2007 file photo, George Jones is shown in Nashville, Tenn. Jones, the peerless, hard-living country singer who recorded dozens of hits about good times and regrets and peaked with the heartbreaking classic “He Stopped Loving Her Today,” has died. He was 81. Jones died Friday, April 26, 2013 at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville after being hospitalized with fever and irregular blood pressure, according to his publicist Kirt Webster. (AP)
Here are some of the stars’ tributes to The Possum:
“There aren’t words in our language to describe the depth of his greatness. I’ll miss my kind and generous friend.”
— Oklahoma native Vince Gill (who will attend the funeral and then travel to Mobile, Ala., to play a fundraiser tonight)
“The greatest voice to ever grace country music will never die. Jones has a place in every heart that ever loved any kind of music.”
- Owasso resident Garth Brooks (via the Associated Press)
“I was lucky enough to be on the same label as George for a while, so I got the chance to be around him at a lot of different functions. I never got an arrogance from him or a ‘I’m George Jones.’ I don’t think he ever really understood his impact and just how great he was.”
- Owasso resident Trisha Yearwood (via Billboard)
“We’ve lost a country music legend. And I’ve lost a hero and a friend. Goodbye George Jones…”
- Tishomingo resident Blake Shelton (via Twitter)
“God bless the gift George Jones shared with us. That voice will live on forever.”
- Tishomingo resident Miranda Lambert (via Twitter)
“Happy memory of me and George. You may have left us, but your music and your legacy never will. #Legend”
- Checotah native Carrie Underwood (via Twitter)
“My prayers go out to Nancy Jones today. Her partner and husband George Jones passed this morning. We’ll miss George…”
- Oklahoma native Reba McEntire (via Twitter)
“George Jones has passed. Damn. Thought he’d live forever. Let’s break out his catalogue and play it all day Godspeed possum and family.”
- Toby Keith (via Twitter)
“God bless George Jones!”
- Former Tulsan Ronnie Dunn (via Facebook)
“We just lost one of the greatest singers on the planet,”
- Broken Arrow retro rocker JD McPherson (via Twitter)
“Such a sad say today. We lost one of the greatest country singers to ever live. Rest in peace George…”
- Thompson Square, which includes Miami, OK, native Keifer Thompson
‘We are deeply saddened by the news this morning of the passing of our friend, George Jones. Our company was privileged to have represented George Jones in the 1980’s, most notably during the critically acclaimed ‘Reunion’ tour of George Jones and Tammy Wynette. We will miss this ICONIC songwriter and his unmistakable voice, but he will live on in our hearts.’
— Jim Halsey, Tulsa-based impresario
“The greatest most soulful voice in history is gone. RIP George Jones… the guys of Restless Heart will miss you greatly.”
- Restless Heart, which includes three Oklahoma natives
“George Jones’ life is an example of so many wonderful things. How someone’s God-given gifts can make this a richer, better place. How one human being can overcome adversity, addiction, and life threatening obstacles time and time again. That it is not the stumble or fall that counts, but the willingness to stand again. How a keen sense of humor and a twinkle in a person’s eye can still prevail even after all of life’s hard knocks. How mistakes, missteps, and bad choices are not the end of the world if a person chooses to turn them into something good. And George’s life is above all the strongest example of how the love of a great woman can get a man through anything. All of this made its way beautifully into every note of the greatest voice country music will ever know. And one of the greatest friends you could ever have. We miss you already, George.”
-Brad Paisley
“If I’m blessed enough to make it there, I look forward to you giving me the grand tour. Rest in peace George Jones!!!!!”
–Keith Urban (via Twitter)
“I am deeply saddened to hear about the passing of one of my all time heroes, George Jones. Georges’ music was real and he was able to touch thousands through his songs. Not only was he a great singer, but he also had the ability to make you relate to every one of his songs, no matter who you are. He and his music will remain timeless in the world of country music. My thoughts and prayers are with his family through this difficult time.”
-Easton Corbin
“He was the greatest country vocalist that ever lived! Through the years we have all tried to emulate the passion in his voice, but no one can fill his shoes.”
- Gary LeVox of Rascal Flatts
“My heart is absolutely broken. George Jones was my all time favorite singer and one of my favorite people in the world. My heart goes out to Nancy and all his family and friends.”
— Dolly Parton
“The world has lost the greatest country singer of all time. Amen.”
— Merle Haggard
“Today is a sad day in Country music. We have lost another piece of history. George Jones was not only a good singer, but was a good friend. He will be missed by many.”
— Hank Williams Jr.
“I am very thankful I got to know George, he’s one of the greatest singers that ever lived. I actually loved the man and really enjoyed the time I got to spend with he and Nancy.”
— Randy Travis
“George Jones will always be one of the most amazing singers who ever lived. He was a true Country Music legend who made music very personal to the listener – I think more than anyone else. He will be dearly missed, but always remembered.”
— Kenny Rogers
Norman Music Festival Saturday schedule
The Joy Formidable
NORMAN – The sixth annual Norman Music Festival concludes today in downtown Norman.
The Joy Formidable, the Welsh noise-pop band led by singer Ritzy Bryan, will be this year’s headliner, performing at 9:30 tonight on the Main Stage, near the corner of Porter Avenue and Main Street on the east side of downtown. Other acts performing today on the main stage include Big Sam’s Funky Nation, King Khan & BBQ Show and Mike Dillon.
The Sailor Jerry Stage, devoted to roots-oriented performers, will be headlined by JD McPherson at 8:15 tonight. The stage’s schedule for today is rounded out by Jonathan Tyler and Northern Lights, Ramsay Midwood and Samantha Crain.
The first act is set to go on at noon today, with shows continuing until 2 a.m. Sunday. Admission is free for all shows. For more information, go to www.normanmusicfestival.com.
See Saturday’s NMF6 schedule (in reverse chronological order) after the break.
Interview: Nora Guthrie excited to open Woody Guthrie Center today in Tulsa
What was once an auto part warehouse is now the home of the Woody Guthrie Center at the Guthrie Green Friday, April 26, 2013 in Tulsa, Okla. It took Woody Guthrie’s hometown of Okemah more than 30 years after his death to finally celebrate his life and work with an annual music festival, and signs of acknowledgment in other parts of Oklahoma have been rare. The Woody Guthrie Center opens Saturday in Tulsa, it won’t mark some uneasy truce between Oklahoma and the Dust Bowl balladeer and his kin. The center’s debut will kick off a two-day celebration that affectionately, albeit belatedly, welcomes the native son home with open arms and all the fanfare his longtime supporters can muster. (AP Photo/Tulsa World, Michael Wyke)
A version of this story appears in Saturday’s The Oklahoman.
Woody Guthrie Center brings folk singer back to Oklahoma
Located in Tulsa’s Brady Arts District, new home of the Woody Guthrie Archives opens its doors to the public for the first time Saturday afternoon.
TULSA — Inside the slickly remodeled red-brick warehouse, Woody Guthrie’s lifetime achievement Grammy shares space with one of his humble red-and-black plaid shirts, while the shiny touch screens and suspended headphones of the listening bar are set up across the room from the battered 1940 fiddle the musician carved with the slogan “This machine killed 10 fascists.”
Situated the burgeoning Brady Arts District, the sleek new Woody Guthrie Center may not look like a house, but it’s where Nora Guthrie’s heart now lives.
“This is my home,” said the daughter of Woody Guthrie Friday afternoon at a media preview for the center. “The thing
Nora Guthrie, daughter of Woody Guthrie, speaks about her dad in the audtorium of the Woody Guthrie Center the day before it opens to the public at the Guthrie Green/Brady District in Tulsa, OK, Apr. 26, 2013. MICHAEL WYKE/Tulsa World
I like about it is the potential. It can go as far as you guys want to take it.”
The center is the new home of the Woody Guthrie Archives, which were previously housed in Nora Guthrie’s Mount Kisko, N.Y., home. In 2011, the Tulsa-based George Kaiser Family Foundation bought the comprehensive archives and began construction on the 12,000-square-foot center.
“Working with the archives and reading this kind of material was really the joy of my life. That’s when I really got to play with my dad,” said Nora Guthrie, who was just 17 years old when her famous father died of Huntington’s disease, a hereditary neurodegenerative condition.
Grand opening
The center will open to the public for the first time at 1 p.m. Saturday. The grand opening will include free admission Saturday and Sunday, plus a film screening, book signing and free concerts across the street at the Guthrie Green urban park.
Nora Guthrie will speak about the new recordings contemporary musicians like Billy Bragg, Wilco and The Klezmatics have created using her father’s previously unpublished lyrics. Although she plays piano, she hasn’t needed to tickle the ivories to keep her father’s legacy thriving.
“You don’t have to play an instrument to love Woody’s philosophy. You don’t even have to love folk music to love Woody’s philosophy. It’s included there if you want it, but if you don’t, there’s a road to Woody’s heart that’s open and available to anyone,” she told about 20 journalists gathered in the center’s theater.
“My father’s favorite line was ‘I’m out to sing the songs that make you take pride in yourself and in your work.’ And in a time now when we’re so distracted by celebrity-ism … I’m just hoping this center will expand and really connect to all walks of life.”
Oklahoma home
Born July 14, 1912, in Okemah, Woody Guthrie is best remembered as a folk singer-songwriter, but he also was an artist, writer and activist. He died Oct. 3, 1967, in New York, where his daughter was born and bred.
But Nora Guthrie has long believed the archives belonged in Oklahoma. And Stanton Doyle, a senior program officer with the Kaiser Family Foundation, thinks the revived neighborhood of Cain’s Ballroom and the Brady Theater makes a fine spot.
“It’s really the perfect space,” Doyle said. “There’s a huge list of famous people from Oklahoma, but in terms of like really inspirational people from Oklahoma, Will Rogers and Woody Guthrie are the top two.”
GOING ON
Woody Guthrie Center Grand Opening
When: 12:30 to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.
Where: Woody Guthrie Center, 102 E Brady Street, and Guthrie Green, 111 E Brady Street.
Information: www.woodyguthriecenter.org.
Schedule
Saturday
12:30 p.m.: Ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Woody Guthrie Center.
1 to 6 p.m.: Center officially opens to the public. Free admission.
1 to 6 p.m.: Free concert at Guthrie Green. Lineup includes Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Jimmy LaFave, Red Dirt Rangers and Desi & Cody.
Sunday
10 a.m. to 6 p.m.: Free admission to Woody Guthrie Center.
1 to 5 p.m.: Special events at the center:
1 to 2 p.m.: “Been Here and Gone: A Discussion with Photographer John Cohen” — Cohen will talk about his photography of Woody Guthrie and the American folk scene of the 1950s and 60s; moderated by Grammy Museum Executive Director Bob Santelli.
2:30 to 2:45 p.m.: Film screening: “Woody Guthrie Legacy” — Short documentary features Corey Harris, Ani DiFranco, U2, Bob Dylan and others discussing their connection to Woody.
2:45 to 3:45 p.m.: “I Ain’t Dead Yet: New Music from the Woody Guthrie Archives with Nora Guthrie” — Presentation focuses on new recordings being created by contemporary musicians using Woody’s previously unpublished lyrics. The one-hour multimedia program features musical excerpts and examples of lyrics used by musicians Billy Bragg, Wilco, The Klezmatics and many others.
4 to 5 p.m.: Book signing with Grammy Museum Executive Director Bob Santelli — He will sign copies of his book, “This Land Is Your Land: Woody Guthrie and the Journey of An American Folksong.”
2 to 6 p.m.: Free concert at Guthrie Green. Lineup includes Ripple Green, Samantha Crain, Ramsay Midwood and JD McPherson.
-BAM
RIP George Jones: Country music legend dies at 81
In this Jan. 10, 2007 file photo, George Jones is shown in Nashville, Tenn. Jones, the peerless, hard-living country singer who recorded dozens of hits about good times and regrets and peaked with the heartbreaking classic “He Stopped Loving Her Today,” has died. He was 81. Jones died Friday, April 26, 2013 at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville after being hospitalized with fever and irregular blood pressure, according to his publicist Kirt Webster. (AP)
Country Music Hall of Famer George Glenn Jones died Friday (today) at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn. He was 81.
He was hospitalized April 18 with fever and irregular blood pressure, according to a news release from his publicist, Kirt Webster.
Born Sept. 12, 1931, Jones is regarded among the most important and influential singers in American popular music history. He was the singer of enduring country music hits including “She Thinks I Still Care,” “The Grand Tour,” “Walk Through This World With Me,” “Tender Years” and “He Stopped Loving Her Today,” the latter of which is often at the top of industry lists of the greatest country music singles of all time.
The influential singer was a Grand Ole Opry member as well as a Kennedy Center Honoree.
“A singer who can soar from a deep growl to dizzying heights, he is the undisputed successor of earlier natural geniuses such as Hank Williams and Lefty Frizzell,” wrote Bob Allen in the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s “Encyclopedia of Country Music.”
Jones was born in Saratoga, Texas, and he played on the streets of Beaumont for tips as a teenager. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps before returning to Texas and recording for the Starday label in Houston, Texas. In 1955, his “Why Baby Why” became his first Top 10 country single, peaking at number four and beginning a remarkable commercial string: Jones would ultimately record more than 160 charting singles, more than any other artist in any format in the history of popular music, according to the release.
Jones’ first No. 1 hit came in 1959 with “White Lightning,” a Mercury Records single that topped Billboard country charts for five weeks. He moved on to United Artists and then to Musicor, notching hits including “She Thinks I Still Care,” “The Race Is On,” “A Good Year for the Roses” and “Walk Through This World With Me.”
Jones signed with Epic Records in 1971 and worked with producer Billy Sherrill to craft a sound at once elegant and rooted, scoring with “The Grand Tour,” “Bartenders Blues” and many more. Sherrill also produced duets between Jones and his then-wife Tammy Wynette, and in the 1970s they scored top-charting hits including “We’re Gonna Hold On,” “Golden Ring” and “Near You.”
By the time “Golden Ring” and “Near You” hit in 1976, Jones and Wynette were divorced, and Jones was battling personal demons. His solo career cooled until 1980, when he recorded “He Stopped Loving Her Today,” a ballad penned by Curly Putman and Bobby Braddock that helped Jones win Country Music Association prizes for best male vocal and top single. “He Stopped Loving Her Today” revived a flagging career, and Jones won the CMA’s top male vocalist award in 1980 and 1981. He also earned a Grammy for best male country vocal performance.
In 1983, Jones married the former Nancy Ford Sepulvado. The union, he repeatedly said, began his rehabilitation from drugs and alcohol and prolonged his life. He signed with MCA Records in 1990 and began a successful run, and he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1992. His guest vocal on Patty Loveless’ “You Don’t Seem To Miss Me” won a CMA award for top vocal event in 1998, and it became his final Top 20 country hit.
In 1999, Jones nearly died in a car wreck, but he recovered and resumed touring and recording. He remained a force in music until his death, playing hundreds of shows in the new century and collecting the nation’s highest arts award, the Kennedy Center Honor for lifetime achievement, in 2008.
In late 2012, Jones announced his farewell tour, which was to conclude with a sold-out, star-packed show this fall at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. Oklahoma superstar Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, Randy Travis, Charlie Daniels, Kenny Rogers, Sam Moore, The Oak Ridge Boys and many others were set to perform at Jones’ Bridgestone Nov. 22 show.
The farewell tour also was set to include a Nov. 9 Oklahoma show at the Choctaw Event Center in Grant, according to GeorgeJones.com.
Current country music stars quickly took to Twitter to express their grief.
Tishomingo resident Blake Shelton posted (@blakeshelton), “Really REALLY bad news. We’ve lost a country music legend. And I’ve lost a hero and a friend. Goodbye George Jones…”
Checotah native Carrie Underwood (@carrieunderwood) used the social media outlet to express condolences to Jones’ family: “Prayers going to George Jones’ family today. Rest in piece, George. You are loved and will be missed greatly.”
It wasn’t just country music stars and fans that paid tribute to Jones. His talents and appeal were influential well beyond the boundaries of the format.
“We just lost one of the greatest singers on the planet,” Broken Arrow retro rocker JD McPherson posted on Twitter (@jdmcphersonjr).
Jones is survived by his wife of 30 years Nancy Jones, his sister Helen Scroggins, and by his children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
-BAM
Interview: Woody Guthrie Center opens this weekend in Tulsa
Oklahoma native Woody Guthrie is shown in this photo from circa 1943. Photo by Al Aumuller, courtesy of the Woody Guthrie Archives.
A version of this story appears in Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman. Look for my report from the center coming soon.
Woody Guthrie Center opens this weekend in Tulsa
Free admission will be offered to the 12,000-square-foot center, the new home of the Woody Guthrie Archives. A film screening, book signing and free concerts will be part of the festivities in the burgeoning Brady Arts District.
TULSA — Woody Guthrie is coming home to Oklahoma this weekend.
The Woody Guthrie Center, the new home of the Woody Guthrie Archives, will celebrate its grand opening Saturday and Sunday in Tulsa’s burgeoning Brady Arts District. The museum will open its doors at 1 p.m. Saturday.
The festivities will include free admission Saturday and Sunday, along with a film screening, book signing and free concerts across the street at Guthrie Green urban park.
“Our focus is on education and the arts. We want to draw in young people and get them excited about the idea of using their creativity in the same way that Woody did, whether it’s through art or writing or if you have some kind of a huge talent with math. Whatever you’ve got as a natural talent, express yourself through that. Express your world through that outlet,” said Deana McCloud, the center’s executive director.
Born July 14, 1912, in Okemah, Woodrow “Woody” Wilson Guthrie is best remembered as an influential folk singer-songwriter, but he also was an artist, writer, newspaper columnist, radio show host and activist. He died Oct. 3, 1967, of Huntington’s disease, a hereditary neurodegenerative condition.
The Woody Guthrie Center’s permanent exhibit will feature selections of original items from the Woody Guthrie Archives, including Guthrie’s handwritten copy of “This Land Is Your Land,” along with lyrics, artwork, photographs, personal notebooks, letters, postcards and some of his rare, never-before-seen musical instruments. The exhibit also will feature objects from musicians who were influenced by Guthrie, including Bob Dylan, John Mellencamp, Pete Seeger, John Cohen and Jimmy LaFave.
LaFave, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, the Red Dirt Rangers and Guthrie’s granddaughter, Sarah Lee Guthrie, and her husband, Johnny Irion, will perform for free Saturday at Guthrie Green in honor of the grand opening. On Sunday afternoon, Guthrie Green will host another free concert featuring JD McPherson, Samantha Crain, Ramsay Midwood and Ripple Green.
“It ties so perfectly into what we want to promote: that Oklahoma talent that we have,” McCloud said.
Also on Sunday afternoon, the center will host a series of special activities, including a screening of the short documentary “Woody Guthrie Legacy”; a presentation by Nora Guthrie, daughter of the “Dust Bowl Balladeer”; and a book signing by Grammy Museum Executive Director Bob Santelli, author of “This Land Is Your Land: Woody Guthrie and the Journey of An American Folksong.”
In 2011, the Tulsa-based George Kaiser Family Foundation bought the comprehensive Woody Guthrie Archives, which were previously housed in Nora Guthrie’s Mount Kisko, N.Y., home. Construction on the 12,000-square-foot Tulsa center began in December 2011.
“All along the way, Nora Guthrie’s been involved as far as knowing what the design was and everything that was involved, and I loved watching her see all of it fall into place. One of the most significant feel-good moments was whenever she came and the archives had arrived and were being put into place … and she said, ‘Everything’s great. Woody’s home,” said McCloud, who is also the president of the Woody Guthrie Coalition, which organizes the annual Woody Guthrie Folk Festival in Okemah.
While the part of the collection will be on view to the public with the center’s opening this weekend, the Woody Guthrie Archives will open to researchers by appointment only beginning in summer.
The public exhibit is expected to attract Woody devotees, art lovers, music fans and school groups.
“There’s so much that people will have to choose from. It’s very hands-on and interactive,” said McCloud, who is finishing what she expects to be her last year as an English teacher at Pryor Junior High. “This is not the usual place that we go where everything is kind of sterile, museums that are ‘don’t touch anything.’ This is a place where we want you to touch things and we want you to experience and we want you to get out your pencils and paper and write something of your own. I think as soon as you go up the steps that it’s going to hit you what an amazing accomplishment that this center is … but also what an important place this is to visit.”
GOING ON
Woody Guthrie Center Grand Opening
When: 12:30 to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.
Where: Woody Guthrie Center, 102 E Brady Street, and Guthrie Green, 111 E Brady Street.
Information: www.woodyguthriecenter.org.
Schedule
Saturday
12:30 p.m.: Ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Woody Guthrie Center.
1 to 6 p.m.: Center officially opens to the public. Free admission.
1 to 6 p.m.: Free concert at Guthrie Green. Lineup includes Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Jimmy LaFave, Red Dirt Rangers and Desi & Cody.
Sunday
10 a.m. to 6 p.m.: Free admission to Woody Guthrie Center.
1 to 5 p.m.: Special events at the center:
1 to 2 p.m.: “Been Here and Gone: A Discussion with Photographer John Cohen” — Cohen will talk about his photography of Woody Guthrie and the American folk scene of the 1950s and 60s; moderated by Grammy Museum Executive Director Bob Santelli.
2:30 to 2:45 p.m.: Film screening: “Woody Guthrie Legacy” — Short documentary features Corey Harris, Ani DiFranco, U2, Bob Dylan and others discussing their connection to Woody.
2:45 to 3:45 p.m.: “I Ain’t Dead Yet: New Music from the Woody Guthrie Archives with Nora Guthrie” — Presentation focuses on new recordings being created by contemporary musicians using Woody’s previously unpublished lyrics. The one-hour multimedia program features musical excerpts and examples of lyrics used by musicians Billy Bragg, Wilco, The Klezmatics and many others.
4 to 5 p.m.: Book signing with Grammy Museum Executive Director Bob Santelli — He will sign copies of his book, “This Land Is Your Land: Woody Guthrie and the Journey of An American Folksong.”
2 to 6 p.m.: Free concert at Guthrie Green. Lineup includes Ripple Green, Samantha Crain, Ramsay Midwood and JD McPherson.
-BAM
What to do in Oklahoma on April 25, 2013: Norman Music Festival 6 begins today
Hear Allie Lauren at 8 p.m. on theTres Indoor stage at the Norman Music Festival.
Today’s featured event:
NORMAN – The sixth annual Norman Music Festival kicks off at 6 p.m. today, with more than 200 bands appearing on 22 stages through Saturday in downtown Norman.
The Joy Formidable, the Welsh noise-pop band led by singer Ritzy Bryan, will be this year’s headliner, performing at 9:30 p.m. Saturday on the Main Stage, near the corner of Porter Avenue and Main Street on the east side of downtown. Other acts performing on the main stage include Big Sam’s Funky Nation, King Khan & BBQ Show, Mike Dillon, Josh Sallee, The Grown Ups, Defining Times and Feathered Rabbit.
The Sailor Jerry Stage, devoted to roots-oriented performers, will be headlined by JD McPherson at 8:15 p.m. Saturday. The stage’s schedule is rounded out by Jonathan Tyler and Northern Lights, Ramsay Midwood, Samantha Crain, Beau Jennings & the Tigers, Elephant Revival, The O’s and Kyle Reid.
Thursday performances will take place mostly at indoor venues, with shows continuing until 2 a.m. Friday. Admission is free for all shows. For more information, go to www.normanmusicfestival.com.
See Thursday’s NMF6 schedule (in reverse chronological order) after the break.
For more events, go to www.wimgo.com.
-BAM
Celebrate Record Store Day 2013 with free music at Guestroom Records, exclusive goodies from Flaming Lips, JD McPherson
Oklahoma City rapper Jabee will perform Saturday at Guestroom Records in Norman as part of Record Store Day 2013. (The Oklahoman Archives photo)
Record Store Day is almost here, and Oklahoma City-based psychedelic rockers The Flaming Lips and Broken Arrow retro rocker JD McPherson are among the wide array of recording artists who will be offering exclusive goodies this Saturday.
Founded in 2007, Record Store Day has grown into an annual international celebration of brick-and-mortar independently owned record stores. On the third Saturday of April each year, indie record stores, recording artists and music fans come together to celebrate the art of music.
The Flaming Lips are offering as an RSD exclusive the “Zaireeka” vinyl box set that includes 4LPs with unique art specific to this release and unique colors for each LP. It comes with a 12-page booklet.
McPherson’s 7-inch vinyl of “Fire Bug” comes with the B side “A Gentle Awakening.”
Also, Pistol Annie Ashley Monroe’s critically-acclaimed solo debut album, “Like A Rose,” which was co-produced by Oklahoma native Vince Gill and Justin Niebank, was released this week to vinyl and is available for purchase as part of a special bundle in celebration of Record Store Day. According to a news release, the bundle includes the “Like A Rose” vinyl album, the digital album (available for download immediately after checkout), plus a “Weed Instead of Roses” (one of the album’s tracks) rolling tray and lighter.
To see the full list of official Record Store Day special releases, click here.
Here in the Oklahoma City area, music fans can celebrate Record Store Day 2013 with live music from Jabee, Skating Polly and Depth & Current beginning at 7 p.m. Saturday at Guestroom Records, 125 E Main in Norman. Guestroom’s Oklahoma City store, 3701 N Western, will host Kyle Reid and John Calvin starting at 2 p.m. Saturday. Information: 701-5974 or http://guestroom-records.com.
According to the official Record Store Day website, size records, Randy’s M&M in Edmond, and Vintage Stock in OKC and Edmond also are participating in RSD 2013.
For more information, go to www.recordstoreday.com.
-BAM
Video: JD McPherson “Scratching Circles”
Retro rocker JD McPherson, who hails from Broken Arrow, has released the music video to “Scratching Circles,” one of my favorite tracks on his breakout album “Signs & Signfiers.”
The black-and-white video was filmed in a place close to the Oklahoma native’s heart: historic Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa.
“Everyone from Hank Williams to the Sex Pistols have played there, and it continues to be an important cornerstone for live music in the U.S.,” McPherson told Rolling Stone, which debuted the video today. “I’m an Oklahoma guy, so for our first time playing Cain’s as a headlining act was a huge deal!”
McPherson has proven a popular pick on this year’s festival circuit, including the April 25-27 Norman Music Festival, where he will be among the headliners.
-BAM
