Norman Music Festival expecting big bang out of 2012 headliners Portugal. The Man and Hayes Carll
Portugal. The Man
Hayes Carll
A version of this story appears in Saturday’s The Oklahoman.
Portugal. The Man and Hayes Carll to headline the 2012 Norman Music Festival
The fifth annual festival, which is free and open to the public, is set for April 26-28 in Norman’s historic Downtown Arts District.
Portugal. The Man and Hayes Carll will be the headliners for the 2012 Norman Music Festival, organizers announced Friday.
“Because it is a free festival, we’ve only got so of a much budget, but for the budget we’ve got, we try to get the biggest bang we can get. And I think we did it with these two,” said Steven White, chairman of the fifth annual festival.
“Especially for the Main Stage, we need something that’s electric onstage because it’s an urban music festival. So it’s gotta be something that people get excited about. The more I listened to Portugal. The Man … the more I just thought, ‘Man, this is gonna be a great show when the lights go down and the streets are filled with people.’”
NMF5 is scheduled for April 26-28, in the 100, 200 and 300 blocks of Norman’s historic Downtown Arts District. The music on Thursday, April 26 and Friday, April 27 will be played mostly at indoor venues and during evening hours. On Saturday, April 28, the festival will become an indoor/outdoor affair, with live music from noon to midnight.
As the Main Stage headliners, Portugal. The Man will be the final performer of the 2012 festival. Carll will give the event’s penultimate performance as the headliner on the Jack Daniels Stage, previously the Jagermeister Stage.
“The Main Stage has always typically been more indie and rock,” White said. “The Jack Daniels Stage, that stage has always been kind of red dirt, country, rockabilly and folk.”
Both headliners released critically acclaimed albums and played the prestigious Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Tennessee last year.
The prolific neo-psychedelic pop-rock group Portugal. The Man is based in Portland, Ore., but originated in Wasilla, Alaska. The band released six albums between 2006 and 2011, with their latest, “In the Mountain in the Cloud,” marking their major-label debut on Atlantic Records. Along with Bonnaroo, the band has played the Lollapalooza and South by Southwest festivals.
“I don’t think they’ve ever played in Norman, and I think this is the perfect time to get them,” White said. “I think there’s gonna be a lot of love out on the street for them and they’re gonna feel it and appreciate it.”
A celebrated Texas singer-songwriter, Carll earned his first charting position on the Billboard 200 last year with his fourth album, “KMAG YOYO (& Other American Stories),” his second release on Lost Highway Records. Carll, 36, received the new/emerging artist of the year honor at the Americana Music Awards in 2010, and the same outfit in 2008 awarded him the song of the year prize for his uproarious yarn “She Left Me for Jesus.”
“Man, Hayes is the real deal. If you listen to the songs that he writes and the way that he plays the guitar and the great band that he’s always got — of course, with Norman’s own Travis Linville playing with him — he really is the whole package. He’s a great show, and I feel really lucky to get him to play the Norman Music Festival,” White said.
Previous Norman Music Festival headliners include The Walkmen, Dirty Projectors, Of Montreal, Leon Russell, Electric Six, The Sword, The Polyphonic Spree and Chainsaw Kittens.
“This festival’s had some great names with the Kittens and Todd Snider and Leon Russell and Keller Williams and Black Joe Lewis. I can go on and on … so as long as we keep on trying to find what’s gonna work best with this crowd, I think we’re on the right track,” White said.
“The mission of this festival is showcase local artists, so there are always more Norman and more Oklahoma bands. But we try to get as many good bands as we possibly can.”
Organizers plan to release the full NMF 5 lineup later in February. About 260 acts, including bands and street performers, are expected to entertain at the festival, White said.
The festival is free and open to the public. VIP packages, which include meet-and-greet access, closer viewing to the stages and refreshments, are $60 for the three-day event and are expected to go on sale next week.
For more information, go to www.normanmusicfestival.com.
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What to do in Oklahoma on Feb. 4, 2012: Hear Jake Owen at Riverwind Casino
Today’s featured event:
NORMAN — Hear country singer Jake Owen at 8 p.m. Saturday at Riverwind Casino, 1544 W State Highway 9. Information: 322-6464 or www.riverwind.com.
For more events, go to www.wimgo.com.
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Portugal. The Man and Hayes Carll named Norman Music Festival 5 headliners
Portugal. The Man
The organizers of the Norman Music Festival have announced that Portugal. The Man will headline the main stage at this year’s event, while Hayes Carll will lead the lineup on the Jack Daniels stage.
The prolific neo-psych group Portugal. The Man based in Portland, Oregon, but originated in Wasilla, Alaska. The band has released six albums between 2006-2011 and has played prestigious festivals such as Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza and South by Southwest. Their July 2011 album, “In the Mountain in the Cloud,” received strongly positive reviews and represented the group’s major-label debut on Atlantic Records.
Hayes Carll
A celebrated Texas singer-songwriter, Carll earned widespread acclaim and his first charting position on the Billboard 200 with his 2011 album, “”KMAG YOYO (& Other American),” his second release on Lost Highway Records. Carll, 36, also made first appearance on “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno” and played Bonnaroo last year. He earned the new/emerging artist of the year honor at the Americana Music Awards in 2010. (To read my 2011 interview with Hayes Carll, click here.)
I’ll have more information on this exciting news soon, and other bands in the lineup for NMF 5 will be announced in the coming weeks.
The Norman Music Festival is a free event that takes place in the downtown arts district of Norman. Beginning in 2008 with just 25 bands, the festival has grown much larger and began accepting submissions from performing artists in 2010.
In its fifth edition, organizers expect to feature nearly 250 acts over three days.
NMF5 is scheduled for April 26-28. The music on April 26-27 will take place mostly at indoor venues and during evening hours. On April 28, the festival will be indoor/outdoor from noon to midnight.
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Best Bets for Feb. 3-5, 2012: Sarah Coburn, Omelette Party, Bert Seabourn and Jake Owen
Sarah Coburn
Here are my picks for the Best Bets in entertainment in the Oklahoma City area for this weekend, as listed in Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman. For entertainment options for the whole state, go to www.wimgo.com:
1. Listen to renowned Muskogee-bred singer Sarah Coburn and the Oklahoma City Philharmonic perform “Great Moments of Opera” at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Civic Center, 201 N Walker. Information: 842-5387 or www.okcphilharmonic.org.
2. Sample gourmet eggs, dance to the music of JetSet Kings and bid in an art raffle at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art’s 28th annual Omelette Party at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Coca-Cola Bricktown Events Center, 425 E California. Information: 236-3100 or www.okcmoa.com.
3. See new artwork, learn about heart health and see a painting demonstration by Bert Seabourn during a special National Wear Red Day-theme First Friday Gallery Walk, from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday in the Paseo Arts District. Information: 525-2688 or www.thepaseo.com.
4. NORMAN — Hear country singer Jake Owen at 8 p.m. Saturday at Riverwind Casino, 1544 W State Highway 9. Information: 322-6464 or www.riverwind.com.
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What to do in Oklahoma on Feb. 3: Celebrate Wear Red Day at a special Gallery Walk in the Paseo Arts District
Jo Wise, executive director of the Paseo Arts Association, looking at artworks being collected at Paseo Art Space in Oklahoma City Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012, to be judged for selection into the annual Paseo Art Association Member Juried Art Competition and Exhibition to benefit the Oklahoma Heart Hospital in Oklahoma City. The Oklahoma Heart Hospital will kickoff "The Heart of Paseo: The Art of Heart" Feb. 3, 2012. The sculpture in cedar and basswood is by Barbara Scott titled "Hope... the Thing with Feathers." Photo by Paul B. Southerland, The Oklahoman
Today’s featured event:
Celebrate National Wear Red Day for Women and Heart Disease Awareness, which is today, during a special “The Art of the Heart” Paseo Arts District First Friday Gallery Walk from 6 to 10 p.m. in the historic arts district.
The Paseo Arts Association is partnering with the Oklahoma Heart Hospital for its 2012 Paseo Arts Association Members’ Show. They are working together to promote heart health through the arts. Selected works will be displayed at the Paseo Art Space and in the lobbies of the two Oklahoma Heart Hospitals.
Everyone is encouraged to wear red to raise awareness of womens’ risk for heart disease.
The opening reception for the Members’ Show will be from 6 to 10 tonight in the Paseo Art Space, 3022 Paseo. Various galleries will be distributing tote bags, as well as pedometers, recipe cards, and other heart-healthy items, and many of the districts artists have created artwork that incorporates the color red.
Oklahoma State University fashion merchandising students will be displaying red dress sketches and finished dresses at a.k.a. Gallery, 3001 Paseo. The public will be asked to vote for best design, and the winner will win a cash award.
The winning red dress will be on display at Ruth Meyers in the Nichols Hills Shopping Center, 6471 Avondale Dr.
To read my colleague Heather Warlick-Moore’s story about the Paseo’s Wear Red celebration, click here.
For more information, go to www.thepaseo.com. For more events, go to www.wimgo.com.
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What to do in Oklahoma on Feb. 2, 2012: Hear Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan and Lauren Alaina at Chesapeake Energy Arena
Jason Aldean
Today’s featured event:
Hear country music stars Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan, along with “American Idol” runner-up Lauren Alaina, at 7:30 tonight at Chesapeake Energy Arena, 100 W Reno. Information: (800) 745-3000 or www.chesapeakearena.com.
To read my new interview with Luke Bryan, click here.
For more events, go to www.wimgo.com.
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Luke Bryan reteams with Jason Aldean for 2012 tour, coming Thursday to Oklahoma City
Luke Bryan
A version of this story appears in Wednesday’s Life section of The Oklahoman.
Luke Bryan reteams with Jason Aldean for 2012 tour
The Georgia natives will bring their rising star power to Oklahoma City’s Chesapeake Energy Arena Thursday night for a show that also will feature “American Idol” runner-up Lauren Alaina.
About 15 months ago, Georgia boys Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean teamed up to bring their raucous down-home country-rock music to Oklahoma City.
Fans can expect an even rowdier party when the pair makes their triumphant return Thursday night to Chespeake Energy Arena. With its 360-degree setup, the show not only will take place in the round, but also showcase two performers who have turned the corner into superstardom.
“Where we were two years ago vs. now is night and day. … We used to do shows and hopefully we would sell ‘em out, and now we go in there with ‘em sold out 10 minutes after the tickets were offered up. So it’s a lot more confidence and a lot more fun being out there like that,” Bryan said in a phone interview last week from a Nashville, Tenn., studio, where he was working on his fourth spring break EP.
“We’re grinning and got big smiles every night. It makes it completely more exciting.”
Since their October 2010 Oklahoma City tour stop, Aldean and Bryan have both dropped smash albums. Aldean’s multi-platinum “My Kinda Party,” released in November 2010, spawned four hits that reached No. 1 or 2 on the country charts, with his fifth and final single, “Fly Over States,” on the climb. The album and “Don’t You Wanna Stay,” his duet with Kelly Clarkson, won prizes at the 2011 Country Music Association and American Country Awards.
Last week, the Macon, Ga., native earned six nominations for the April 1 Academy of Country Music Awards, and he will compete for three awards at the Feb. 12 Grammy Awards, on which he and Clarkson will perform together.
The ACM’s top new artist of 2010, Bryan released his third full-length album, “Tailgates & Tanlines,” last August, and it already boasts two platinum singles: the rollicking “Country Girl (Shake It for Me)” and the current hit “I Don’t Want This Night To End.”
“I’ve got the No. 1 song right now, so things are good. It’s doing really well and I certainly can’t complain,” Bryan said. “The album’s almost platinum, so it’s pretty good times.”
Although he now has four No. 1 singles to his name, Bryan, 35, said hitting the top of the charts isn’t routine for him.
“It’s the same feeling if not better every time. It’s always very, very rewarding,” said Bryan, who has also toured with Tim McGraw and Rascal Flatts in the past few months.
The singer-songwriter has scored much of his success with musical tributes to rural living, anthems rooted in his upbringing on a peanut farm in Leesburg, Ga., a small town 100 miles from the Alabama border.
“I think it ultimately speaks to the heart of true country music fans, which they’re not bouncing back and forth between different types of music that they follow. You know, they wake up and their radio station stays on country all day. I think you start by getting them as your main fan base and then it kind of grows from there with more people experiencing your music. But the main thing is I think it’s just the true fabric of what country is and then you’re able to hopefully take it and go a little bit beyond that but still stay true to your roots,” he said of his singles.
“I think they’re young and fun. I think they’re what hit songs need to be: Catchy … and easy to sing along with.”
He will make even more music that appeals to young fans with his as-yet-untitled fourth spring break EP, due out in March. He annually celebrates the EP release with shows in Panama City Beach, Fla.
“It’s an opportunity to put new music out every year, and we just target college kids,” he said. “It’s just fun to write music about spring break. This is our fourth one, and we’ve had a really good time doing it. Sold quite a few tracks and kind of figured if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. So we just keep on rockin’ with it.”
After wrapping his first headlining tour last fall, Bryan is excited about opening again for his pal Aldean. The tour, which also features “American Idol” runner-up Lauren Alaina, broke three venue records in one weekend when it opened last month in Greenville, S.C., Fayetteville, N.C., and Orlando, Fla.
“He and I are really, really good friends, really close. And I think our crowds are very similar,” Bryan said. “It’s obviously a bigger scale each day and each month, anytime you know you’re out there selling a lot of copies, your live show’s gonna be that much better too ‘cause more people are gonna be singing the album cuts and certainly singing the hits. …
“We get onstage and the band has a blast the whole time, and the energy level never seems to come down at all. It’s certainly fun being onstage. That’s why I want to make fun music so I can enjoy playing it.”
IN CONCERT
Jason Aldean
With: Luke Bryan and Lauren Alaina.
When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday.
Where: Chesapeake Energy Arena, 100 W Reno.
Information: (800) 745-3000 or www.chesapeakearena.com.
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Oklahoma City Museum of Art’s 2012 Omelette Party will serve up eggs and art
The Oklahoma City Museum of Art is planning its 28th Annual Omelette Party for 7 p.m. Saturday at the Coca-Cola Bricktown Events Center, 425 E California.
The theme for the fundraiser is “Eggs Royale,” inspired by the exhibition “Princely Treasures: European Masterpieces 1600-1800,” opening Feb. 15 at the museum.
The Omelette Party will include dancing to live music to the JetSet Kings, a DJ provided by Chameleon Entertainment, cocktails, an art raffle featuring work by more than 50 local artists, and, of course, gourmet omelettes prepared by area chefs and restaurants. T
Tickets will be sold online through Thursday.
For more information, call 236-3100 or go to www.okcmoa.com.
Participating restaurants and chefs are 61 Hundred Catering–Chef Darry Carter; Big Truck Tacos/Mutt’s Amazing Hot Dogs; Bin 73 Wine Bar/Chef Beau Stephenson; Chef Ken Bradford–Chef’s Requested Foods; Deep Fork Grill; EVOKE Mobile Coffee; Chef Chris Horn, Kaiser’s American Bistro; Tom Lienke–Lake Hefner Golf Club; Chef Jonathon Stranger, Ludivine Restaurant; The Melting Pot; Newcomb’s T-Shirts/Frank Newcomb; Park Avenue Grill; Paseo Grill; Rococo Restaurant/ Chef Don Duncan; VZD’s Restaurant & Club/ Chef Debbi Johnson; Museum Cafe; Stark Fine Dining–Chefs Mary Ann Hallock & Brett Friedline and Stella Artois of Oklahoma.
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What to do in Oklahoma on Jan. 31, 2012: Watch Lyric Theatre’s production of “Xanadu”
Lexi Windsor stars as Kira in the Lyric Theatre production of “ Xanadu.” Photo by Keith Rinearson
Today’s featured event:
Watch the Oklahoma premiere of the musical “Xanadu,” staged by Lyric Theatre, at 7:30 tonight at Lyric at the Plaza, 1725 NW 16. Performances continue through Feb. 11.
To read The Oklahoman Fine Arts Editor Rick Rogers’ preview feature on the show, which opened last weekend, click here.
For more information, call 524-9312 or go to www.lyrictheatreokc.com.
For more events, go to www.wimgo.com.
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What to do in Oklahoma on Jan. 30, 2012: Take advantage of free admission to the Oklahoma City Zoo
Admission to the Oklahoma City Zoo is free on Mondays through February. (Photo by Paul Hellstern, The Oklahoman Archives)
Today’s featured event:
Take advantage of free admission Mondays through February at the Oklahoma City Zoo, 2101 NE 50. The oo is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
For more information, go to www.okczoo.com. For more events, go to www.wimgo.com.
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