Billy Joel-Elton John Oklahoma City concert rescheduled for Feb. 25
Elton John and Billy Joel
The Billy Joel and Elton John Face 2 Face concert originally scheduled for Nov. 25 at Oklahoma City’s Ford Center has been rescheduled for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25.
All tickets currently held for the originally scheduled Face 2 Face concert on Nov. 25 at the Ford Center will be valid for the rescheduled Feb. 25 concert. If necessary, refunds are available at point of purchase.
For more information, go to www.okfordcenter.com.
- BAM
Video: Twinprov’s “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” rap
Twinprov, AKA Oklahoma City comedians Buck and Clint Vrazel returned to the NewsOK studios this week with another of their humorous film-related raps. Since the hotly anticipated sequel “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” opens today, the Brothers Vrazel could only be paying hilarious tribute to Stephenie Meyer’s vampire-romance epic.
Admire both the fast-talking fun and the amusing choreography in Buck and Clint’s latest rhyming comic masterpiece.
As a bonus, Twinprov manager Eric Webb and the guys put together a behind-the-scenes preview video to go along with their big NewsOK debut performance:
The guys also performed their rap at five midnight “New Moon” screenings today/last night at Harkins Bricktown Cinema 16.
Thanks to Twinprov for again paying us a visit. It’s always a fun time.
-BAM
Taylor Lautner talks transformations for “The Twilight Saga: New Moon”
Taylor Lautner plays Jacob Black in “The Twilight Saga: New Moon.”
From Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman.
‘New Moon’ cast talks transformations
Taylor Lautner transformed for sequel
LOS ANGELES — Dangling from wires 10 feet above the ground, “Twilight” actor Taylor Lautner had time this spring to ponder his transformation.
“The famous trailer shot when I’m running through the field and I jump up and try and fly in midair, I’m attached to wires and … I let the wires pull me up in the air and jerk me to a stop and I just have to freeze there and let them convert my body into a CGI wolf. The whole time I’m like, ‘I hope I look cool,’” Lautner said during a recent press conference at the swank Four Seasons Hotel ballroom.
For the anticipated sequel “The Twilight Saga: New Moon,” opening in theaters today, Lautner, 17, metamorphosed in more ways than one. In the second film based on Stephenie Meyer’s best-selling book series, heroine Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) is devastated when her vampire boyfriend Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) leaves her. Bella’s growing friendship childhood pal Jacob Black (Lautner) raises her spirits, but her life again gets supernaturally strange when Jacob turns into a werewolf.
“Jacob transforms a lot in ‘New Moon,’ not only physically but mentally and emotionally as well. So it was a matter of getting to the gym and eating the right food and a lot of it. But also reading and studying the book and the character over and over and over again so I could have his character down,” he said.
“Basically my job was to continue what I started in ‘Twilight,’ which was this extremely happy, friendly, outgoing guy, best friends with Bella. I had to continue that for the first half of the film, but as soon as I transform, I snap and I become a completely different person.”
Jacob plays a small part in the first film, but his role expands as the Quileute Indian teen takes his place in the series’ paranormal love triangle. While Stewart and Pattinson were already set for “New Moon,” Lautner had to earn his role in the sequel.
In the book, Jacob rapidly grows tall and muscular as he becomes a werewolf. So Lautner packed on 30 pounds of muscle to secure the part. Before that, recasting was a real possibility, said director Chris Weitz.
“But I was always convinced that he was going to be able to do it,” Weitz said. “The doubts came up because he had very few scenes in the first movie. Also because he’s described as being 6-foot-5 in the second book, (there were) some reasonable facts that we had to come to grips with. But I like the sort of sweetness of this character in the first movie, and I knew that it was easier to take an actor in the direction of anger and rage than it was to find someone who is kind of a hunk or 6-foot-5 Native American and somehow turn him into that very sweet-natured persona that Taylor brings out so well.”
To bulk up, Lautner spent five days a week in the gym. But the hard part was consuming more than 3,200 calories a day. which meant “putting something in your mouth every two hours.”
“I’m busy, I’m downtown L.A., I’m (going) from meeting to meeting. There’s not time for me to be eating,” he said. “So I literally would have to carry a little Baggie of beef patties, raw almonds, sweet potatoes.” So it’s not like every two hours I’m eating ice cream.”
Pattinson first saw Lautner’s new look when filming started in spring in Vancouver, British Columbia.
“I had the same reaction as everybody else. “I was like, ‘Now I have to go to the gym,’” he said.
The time spent shaping his physique paid off. when filming started. Despite the Canadian cold, Lautner spent most of the sequel shirtless.
“There’s a reason that he’s not wearing clothes all the time. One, when he transforms (into a werewolf), all his clothes get shredded. He can’t help it. And when he goes into the woods to get something to put on so he’s not naked, it’s just a ripped pair of jean shorts. He’s also hot. He’s 108 degrees,” said Lautner, who wore dark slacks, a white button-down shirt and gray jacket.
“The thing is, “I love this character, I love this story, and putting on the weight and not wearing much clothing was required by the role. A year from now, if I love a story and I love a character that requires me to lose 40 pounds, I’m ready to do it.”
“The Twilight Saga” also has transformed Lautner into a tabloid star. In between filming “New Moon” and making the next sequel, “Eclipse,” this fall, he starred opposite country music star Taylor Swift in the upcoming movie “Valentine’s Day.” He declined to address the rumored romance between them, but said she was great to work with on the film.
“I’d have to say the biggest transformation would be my schedule. I’m really, really busy, but it’s a lot of fun,” Lautner said. “It’s been a great experience. I’m really excited to be part of this.”
-BAM
CD review: Trans-Siberian Orchestra, “Night Castle”
From Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman.
Rock
Trans-Siberian Orchestra “Night Castle” (Atlantic Records)
Trans-Siberian Orchestra makes its theatrical return to new music with the double-album “Night Castle,” a rock opera about hope and hate, love and war, redemption and forgiveness.
Since the symphonic-rock holiday harbingers have continued to tour often, especially around Christmastime, it may seem that TSO never left. But “Night Castle” is the orchestra’s first new album since its 2004 best-seller “The Lost Christmas Eve” and its first non-holiday offering since 2000’s “Beethoven’s Last Night.”
For diehard fans, the long-awaited “Night Castle” seems sure to thrill, since it practically pulses with all the drama, scope and sheer musicianship of the 60-piece orchestra, full rock band and stable of big-voiced singers. By the same token, the two-disc effort seems unlikely to win over detractors, since the 26-track album is given to bombastic excess, including several songs that run nearly five minutes or longer.
“Night Castle” offers a charming and sometimes gritty fantasy about love at first sight, mysterious castles, noble drug dealers and innocent children. Set in the 1970s, the engaging narrative follows Lt. William Crozier (voiced too harshly by former Journey singer Jeff Scott Soto) as he goes off to fight the Khmer Rouge in Killing Fields of Cambodia.
The album has its musical highlights, including Dina Fanai’s angelic vocals on “Night Enchanted,” the touching “Remnants of a Lullaby” and the low-key instrumental “Embers.” Other songs, such as the powerful but nearly 11-minute “Epiphany,” have potential but lack restraint.
The record features five bonus tracks, including a souped-up cover of Emerson, Lake and Palmer’s holiday contribution “Nutrocker,” with Greg Lake on bass. Fans are sure to hear it live when TSO performs Dec. 20 at the Ford Center.
— BAM
Carrie Underwood donates sheet music to Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame
Carrie Underwood performs at her induction into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame in September. Underwood has donated original sheet music of her song “I Ain’t in Checotah Anymore” to the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame and Museum. (Photo by Bryan Terry/The Oklahoman Archives)
A version of this story also appears in Friday’s The Oklahoman.
Carrie Underwood’s gift hits write note with museum
Checotah native donates original sheet music of a song she co-wrote
MUSKOGEE — Country music superstar Carrie Underwood has donated original sheet music to her song “I Ain’t in Checotah Anymore” to the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame and Museum.
The hall of fame unveiled the gift from the Checotah native Thursday evening at the Muskogee institution, where officials also talked about plans for a multi-million dollar expansion and statewide music trail.
Underwood, along with keyboardist Rocky Frisco and yodeler Ramona Reed, was inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame in September.
She said then, “This is where we all come from, this is where we all call home, so the fact that throughout all our lives and careers, the fact that we’ve had this amazing state behind us is a wonderful feeling.”
Underwood co-wrote “I Ain’t in Checotah Anymore” for her 2005 debut album, released six months after she won “American Idol.” The sheet music, framed with her signed photo and dedication to the hall, will be displayed immediately at the museum’s home in the historic Frisco Depot.
“It’s astounding what Carrie Underwood has done for us,” said Andrea Chancellor, hall of fame board member. “She has remembered us by putting together a true piece of art that shows her tie to Oklahoma and her dedication to what we’re doing and her support of Oklahoma musicians.”
Board President Max Boydstun said the gift is the kind of artifact he can imagine going into a Carrie Underwood exhibit in the planned museum expansion.
Boydstun presented to the legislature in August a $16.5 million plan to build a new museum next to the depot and establish a music trail similar to the Mississippi Blues Trail. The proposed 30,000-square-foot building would give the museum, now housed in the 2,000-square-foot former railroad depot, space to pay tribute to hall of fame members, display their memorabilia, offer interactive exhibits, open a children’s area and have concerts and classes.
“We have to let the younger generation know that music doesn’t just come out of an iPod,” he said. “We want kids to have hands-on experience at how a guitar makes music.”
The planned Oklahoma Music Trail would include at least 100 historical markers to be posted around the state, from Underwood’s hometown to Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa. The markers would honor important musical people, places and events in state history.
“We feel like that will become a tourist attraction in itself, but the real cool part is, it will not compete with any other attraction in the state. It will only help market the other music-related museums and events,” he said.
The hall of fame and museum will ask the legislature next session to appropriate $12.5 million over the next five years to help pay for the two projects, he said. The remaining $4 million will be sought from federal and local governments, as well as corporate and private donors. The mayor, city councilors, local legislators and other community leaders attended Thursday’s event.
“We as a state, I think, have a great opportunity at increasing the tourism business in Oklahoma … and I see the museum and trail as a part of that,” Boydstun said. “And strictly from a pride standpoint, we want kids in Oklahoma growing up to be able to look at a Carrie Underwood or a Gene Autry or a Charlie Christian and not only enjoy their music and what they’ve done but also have that sense … that ‘I can take my talents to world like these people did.’”
-BAM
Weekend Warmup for Nov. 20-22, 2009
Wanda Jackson (Associated Press photo)
Here is a list of events happening around Oklahoma today-Sunday (Nov. 20-22, 2009). For more events, go to www.wimgo.com.
- Hear Wanda Jackson, Brian Dunning and the Rock & Roll Trio Saturday at the 50th anniversary celebration for 66 Bowl, 3810 NW 39 Expressway. The party goes on from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, 59 cent specials on bowling, shoes, hot dogs, soft drinks. Doors reopen at 7 p.m. for the 8 p.m. concert. Information: 946-3966.
- Take in hands-on art activities, face painting, live performances from the Oklahoma City Philharmonic and more at the Fall Family Festival celebrating the special exhibit “The Dutch Italianates” from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive. Information: 236-3100 or www.okcmoa.com.
- Watch the musical “Little House on the Prairie,” presented by Celebrity Attractions, at 8 tonight, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday and 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday at the Civic Center, 201 N Walker. Information: (800) 869-1451 or www.celebrityattractions.com.
Hinder
- MIAMI – Hear Oklahoma City rockers Hinder at 8 p.m. Saturday at Buffalo Run Casino. Information: www.ticketstorm.com.
- THACKERVILLE – Laugh along with Ron White at 9 tonight at WinStar World Casino. Then, hear Lyle Lovett at 8 p.m. Saturday at WinStar. Information: www.winstarworldcasino.com.
NORMAN — Listen the Gin Blossoms at 8 tonight at Riverwind Casino, 1544 W State Highway 9. Information: 322-6464 or www.riverwind.com.
- Hear Austin, Texas-based singer-songwriter Michael Fracasso at 9 tonight at the Blue Door, 2805 N McKinley. Information: 524-0738 or www.bluedoorokc.com.
“Raiders of the Lost Ark”
- NORMAN — Learn more about the state’s winter birds and build a birdfeeder from 6 to 8:30 tonight during Family Night Out at the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, 2401 Chautauqua Ave. At 8:30, the museum’s Movie Night will play “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” Information: 325-4712 or www.snomnh.ou.edu.
- Share tales of “Sibling Rivalry” at OKC StorySlam’s monthly story slam tonight at Istvan Gallery, 1218 N Western Ave. Registration starts at 7 p.m., and storytelling begins at 7:30. Information: www.istvangallery.com or okcstoryslam@yahoo.com.
- Hear No Justice with Kyle Bennett Band at 10 tonight at the Wormy Dog Saloon, 311 E Sheridan. Or listen to Kevin Fowler with Kevin Pickett and Southern Rain at 10 p.m. Saturday at the Wormy Dog. Information: www.wormydog.com.
Gary Vaynerchuk
- Listen to social media sommelier Gary Vaynerchuk and sample gourmet food and drink at OK Crush It at 8 tonight at Will Rogers Theater, 4322 N Western. Information: www.okcrushit.com.
- Watch the Oklahoma City Thunder take on the Washington Wizards at 7 tonight at the Ford Center, 100 W Reno. Information: www.thunder.nba.com.
- Shop for a good cause at Individual Artists of Oklahoma’s Red Dot Art Auction fundraiser from 7 to 11 tonight at IAO, 706 W Sheridan. The auction will feature artwork by more than 50 Oklahoma artists. Information: www.iaogallery.org.
- Watch the American Quarter Horse Show from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. today and Saturday at State Fair Park. Information: www.aqha.com or www.okstatefairpark.com.
-BAM
What to do in Oklahoma on Nov. 20, 2009
Today’s featured event:
Hear Austin, Texas-based singer-songwriter Michael Fracasso at 9 tonight at the Blue Door, 2805 N McKinley.
For more information, call 524-0738 or go to www.bluedoorokc.com.
For more events, go to www.wimgo.com.
-BAM
Nickleback returning to Tulsa’s BOK Center
Nickelback
TULSA – Nickelback, along with special guests Breaking Benjamin and Shinedown, will return April 24 to the BOK Center, the venue announced today.
Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. Dec. 5. Price are to be determined. They will be available online at www.bokcenter.com, www.livenation.com, Arby’s Box Office, all Tickets.com outlets, or by phone at (866) 7BOKCTR.
Nickelback also played an April show this year at the Tulsa arena.
The Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum rock band has announced the 2010 North American leg of their “Dark Horse World Tour,” a Live Nation-produced event. The tour will feature special guests Breaking Benjamin and Shinedown with the opening act and additional dates to be announced.
The newly confirmed dates are hot off the heels of summer and fall dates in which the band played to sold-out crowds around the world.
Nickelback fan club members will have access to presale tickets beginning Nov. 27 in select markets. Citi cardmembers will have access to presale tickets beginning Nov. 30 at 10 a.m. local time through Citi’s Private Pass Program. For complete presale details, tgo to www.citiprivatepass.com. For more information on the tour, ticket on sales, fan club membership and VIP packages, go to www.Nickelback.com or www.LiveNation.com.
Find tour dates and more info after the break.
NICKELBACK DARK HORSE 2010 TOUR DATES:
April 6 London, ON John Labatt Centre
April 8 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre
April 9 Montreal, QC Bell Centre
April 11 Ottawa, ON Scotiabank Place
April13 Washington, DC Verizon Center
April 14 Hampton VA Hampton Coliseum*
April16 Greenville, SC BI-LO Center*
April 17 Greensboro, NC Greensboro Coliseum Complex*
April19 Orlando, FL Amway Arena*
April 21 Atlanta, GA Philips Arena
April 24 Tulsa, OK BOK Center
* Shinedown not included.
“Never Gonna Be Alone,” the newest single from Nickelback’s latest album, “Dark Horse,” is already top 15 at Hot A/C and heating up quickly at Top 40. Last week also saw the premiere of the video for “Never Gonna Be Alone.” Added out of the box at VH1 and Fuse, both channels will start airing it Nov. 23. The video can currently be seen via Nickelback.com, RoadrunnerRecords.com and YouTube. The video was shot by veteran director and longtime Nickelback friend Nigel Dick.
Nickelback is one of the biggest rock bands in the world, with more than 35 million albums sold. The band’s latest album, “Dark Horse,” produced by the legendary Mutt Lange, debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Top 200 Chart and has remained on the Top 200 for 50 weeks, selling more than 2.4 million albums in the United States alone. Nickelback is currently nominated for a 2009 American Music Award in the Pop/Rock category for Favorite Band, Duo or Group.
Nickelback has enjoyed unprecedented success with their last album, “All The Right Reasons,” which has been RIAA certified eight-times platinum. The six singles from the album totaled 12 million downloads and 6 million ringtones. All proceeds of digital single and video sales for “If Everyone Cared” between Feb. 1 and July 31, 2007 were donated to charity, equally distributed between Amnesty International and International Childrens’ Awareness Canada. Each of the five videos from “All The Right Reasons” has reached No. 1 on VH1’s playlist, “Photograph,” “Savin’ Me,” “Far Away,” “If Everyone Cared” and “Rockstar.”
In 2006, Nickelback was awarded a World Music Award for World’s Best Rock Group, a Billboard Touring Award for Breakthrough Artist, an American Music Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Album and a People’s Choice Award for Best Rock Group.
-BAM
Jack White talks working with Wanda Jackson on “wild record”
Jack White (Associated Press photo)
Rocker Jack White talked this week to MTV.com about producing a recent recording session for Oklahoma’s own Queen of Rockabilly, Wanda Jackson. He said the sessions have already been completed.
“I just finished recording with Wanda Jackson in Nashville. It was just supposed to be a seven-inch (single), but we did a lot more songs, so maybe it will be something bigger,” White told MTV.com. “There was a lot of good stuff. It’s a wild record.”
Jackson (pictured left), a 2009 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, told The Oklahoman’s Gene Triplett last week that she was working with the rocker on a project that she likened to his Loretta Lynn’s 2004 album “Van Lear Rose,” which White produced.
“They had a super album, but he didn’t have her do anything different, you know,” Jackson told Gene. “She just did her little Loretta Lynn songs. But he told me he’s gonna stretch me some, so we’ll see.”
White fronts three alternative rock bands – the White Stripes, the Dead Weather and the Raconteurs – so he remains perpetually busy, even if you don’t count the producing tasks. White told MTV.com that new Dead Weather and White Stripes albums are in progress.
“It’s gonna take as long as it takes … if it takes three months to do a Dead Weather record, we’ll take that long,” White told MTV.com. “The White Stripes record is going to be these two guys (Dead Weather bassist Jack Lawrence and guitarist/keyboardist Dean Fertita) dressed as me and Meg (White, his duo partner and ex-wife), so we’ll see if something interesting comes out of that.”
But the busy White won’t be doing one project – performing on guitarist Slash’s solo album.
“I don’t even remember that request, but I love Slash — ‘Appetite (for Destruction)’ is one of the best rock albums of the past 20-30 years,” White told MTV.com. “I don’t remember exactly what that request was, but, you know, I don’t really like those albums where every song is a different person — that Santana thing, that’s not interesting to me. But I think he’s a really interesting guitar player.”
Catching up with White is always interesting, but I’m most intrigued by the idea of him working with Oklahoma City’s “sweet lady with the nasty voice,” Wanda Jackson.
-BAM
Lady Antebellum notches biggest week of sales ever
Lady Antebellum won single of the year for “I Run to You” and vocal group of year at last week’s CMA Awards. (Associated Press photos)
Country Music Association Vocal Group of the Year Lady Antebellum are enjoying their biggest sales week ever – even after an astounding 83 weeks on the Billboard country albums chart.
The group sold 45,228 albums this week (a 130 percent increase from last week) beating their self-titled platinum-selling debut album street week number of 43,384 albums sold.
After the group’s passionate CMA Awards performance of “Need You Now,” their current smash and title track of their forthcoming album, the single shot straight to the top of the all-genre digital charts at iTunes and Amazon Mp3 and is Verizon’s No. 1-selling country ringback and ringtone (No. 3 ringtone and No. 2 ringback overall).
The good news kept rolling in for the country music trio when the RIAA certified their debut single “Love Don’t Live Here” and their current smash “Need You Now” gold this week. In addition, “Need You Now” is sitting at the top of both the Billboard and Mediabase/Country Aircheck charts and is spending its sixth consecutive week at No. 1 on the Billboard Canada chart.
Lady Antebellum is gearing up for the release of their sophomore album “Need You Now” on Jan. 26. They will finish up a few remaining tour dates through the end of the year and then join megastar Tim McGraw on his “Southern Voice” tour at the beginning of next year.
For more information, go to www.ladyantebellum.com.
-BAM
