Video: Swon Brothers perform “How Country Feels” on “The Voice,” voting open
The Swon Brothers
“The Voice” was preempted in Oklahoma City Monday night because of the devastating and deadly tornadoes that ripped through Moore and south Oklahoma City earlier in the day.
But the reality show had to go on for Muskogee’s The Swon Brothers, who again showed off their tight sibling harmonies on a fun rendition of the Randy Houser hit “How Country Feels.” Check out the performance embedded below.
“We need and appreciate your votes tonight, but more importantly we need your prayers for our friends and family in Oklahoma. Thanks y’all,” Zach and Colton Swon posted on Twitter @TheSwonBrothers before the show began airing live Monday night.
The entire Season 4 Top 10 performed on Monday night’s live episode, and voting is now open at www.nbc.com/the-voice. Also, iTunes downloads count as votes, and the brothers’ performance tonight can be downloaded here.
After the show, host Carson Daly took to Twitter to express his condolences over the tragedy the tornadoes have wrought in our state.
“Hard to focus on tonight’s #VoiceTop10 show with so much pain and tragedy w #oklahomacitytornado God bless and thoughts and prayers 2 you,” he posted on Twitter @CarsonDaly.
“The Voice” performance recap episode is set to run at 7 p.m. Tuesday, followed by the live elimination episode at 8 p.m. Tuesday.
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Video: The Swon Brothers performing tonight on “The Voice” Top 10
The Swon Brothers
“The Voice” live playoffs continue at 7 tonight on NBC, and Muskogee’s The Swon Brothers will be performing, along with the rest of the Top 10.
Oklahomans Zach and Colton Swon are the first duo to make it to “The Voice” live rounds, but their minds won’t just be on the show tonight, considering the destructive and deadly tornadoes that have ripped through the state Sunday and earlier today.
“We need and appreciate your votes tonight, but more importantly we need your prayers for our friends and family in Oklahoma. Thanks y’all,” they posted tonight on Twitter (@TheSwonBrothers).
The devastating tornadoes also are on the mind of the Swon siblings’ celebrity coach, Oklahoma country music superstar Blake Shelton:
“Just landed in LA and hearing about all the tornados in Oklahoma right now… Get somewhere safe!!!” Shelton posted a few hours ago on Twitter (@blakeshelton).
The reality show will not air tonight on KFOR, the local NBC affiliate, due to the ongoing storm coverage. I’m going to follow along tonight on Twitter @NBCTheVoice. NBC is good about making video clips and episodes available online at www.nbc.com/the-voice.
Here is your “The Voice” Season 4 Top 10:
Team Blake: The Swon Brothers, Danielle Bradbury, Holly Tucker.
Team Adam: Judith Hill, Amber Carrington, Sarah Simmons.
Team Shakira: Kris Thomas, Sasha Allen.
Team Usher: Josiah Hawley, Michelle Chamuel.
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Video: For his 61st birthday, George Strait becomes 1st artist in music history to achieve 60 No. 1 singles
Country Music Hall of Fame member George Strait became the first music artist in history, regardless of genre, to place 60 songs at the top of the charts when Mediabase named “Give It All We Got Tonight” as this week’s most played song on country radio, according to a news release that came out today.
The song is the first single from Strait’s new album “Love Is Everything,” released last week. “Give It All We Got Tonight” was written by Mark Bright, Tim James, and Phil O’Donnell.
“I didn’t realize we were making history — I just hoped we were putting out music that my fans would enjoy,” said Strait in the release. “As always, I’m thankful to the fans and country radio for their support on all 60 of these number one songs as well as my entire career. They are the ones who made this happen.”
Strait fans, radio stations and some of country music’s biggest artists joined the “Sixty For Sixty” movement at sixtyforsixty.com to accomplish the historic career milestone — giving the Texas troubadour his 60th No. 1 single, while he was 60 years old. It came down to the wire, as Strait turned 61 on Saturday, May 18, but in the words of the man himself, “I may be 61, but I don’t feel a day over 60.”
“The amount of support shown by fans, industry and especially country radio to give George his 60th No. 1 single is the ultimate testament in a format that has been defined by his music,” said Royce Risser, SVP Promotion for Universal Music Group Nashville, in the release. “No one is more deserving of this accomplishment than George Strait, the undeniable King of Country Music. Happy Birthday, George!”
“Love Is Everything,” which Strait co-produced with longtime collaborator Tony Brown, is receiving stellar reviews during its first week of release, including:
‘This veteran may hang up his traveling boots, but his consistency as a recording artist isn’t slowing down.” — Associated Press
“In the case of Love Is Everything, it truly is an album worth giving a listen to, and then again, and then again. Strait and longtime producer Tony Brown have assembled incredible material – which granted, is a given with a Strait album. If you haven’t bought a Strait release in a few years, this might be the one!” – Billboard
“[George] shows he hasn’t lost a step in the studio. (**** out of four).” – USA Today
Strait kicked off 2013 in high gear for the first leg of his “The Cowboy Rides Away Tour,” which included a sold-out show at Oklahoma City’s Chesapeake Energy Arena. Only the June 1 show in San Antonio’s Alamodome remains in the sold-out tour. Known as the “house they built for George,” the Alamodome sold out within an astounding six minutes of going on sale.
Strait is the highest-ranked country act on Pollstar’s 2013 Worldwide Tickets Chart. Dates for the second leg of his tour, taking place in 2014, will be announced later this year.
In this “Sixty For Sixty,” a tearful Miranda Lambert, who lives in Tishomingo, explains how George helped mend a rift with her father while she was touring with the King of Country Music:
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What to do in Oklahoma on May 19, 2013: See Perpetual Motion Dance Company’s “Water Won’t Wait” (with video)
Today’s featured event:
See the final performance of Perpetual Motion Dance Company’s spring production “Water Won’t Wait” at 2 p.m. today at Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center at State Fair Park, 3000 General Pershing Blvd.
“Water Won’t Wait” is a new and original production featuring the modern dance company’s signature blend of stunning visuals and technical ingenuity as it delves into the fear, despair, and courage inspired by the unalterable current of time. “Water Won’t Wait” emerged from conversations between Perpetual Motion’s Artistic Director Michelle Moeller and Aerial Arts Director Kimberly Kieffer, who both recently experienced major life changes.
“The idea is that our lives are like water, so even if there is a wall, we will go right through it,” Kieffer said in a news release. “If we are sharp water, the wall will move out in front of us. If not, we will get beaten up in the process of getting through, but one way or another, we are going through the wall.”
Moeller believes the universal struggle of change will give audiences a chance to bring their own life stories into the production. The choreographers are using classical elements, water, air, earth, to expand and explore the theme of change. More time has also been afforded to exploration during the rehearsal process than previous years because of the magnitude and introspection of the subject matter. In addition to the stage choreography, Perpetual Motion is collaborated with local filmmaker K Edward Van Osdol to create a series of dance films to be interwoven throughout the concert.
This presentation is supported in part by an award from the Mid-America Arts Alliance, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Oklahoma Arts Council, the Kirkpatrick Family Fund, and foundations, corporations and individuals throughout Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas. Through state appropriations and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Oklahoma Arts Council funds more than 1,200 events annually with an estimated total attendance of more than 3.5 million. Projects funded by the Oklahoma Arts Council generally account for more than $20 million in grants and matching funds distributed throughout Oklahoma’s economy throughout the state’s rural and urban communities.
Check out the videos previewing the show posted below. For more information, go to www.perpetualmotiondance.org.
For more events, go to www.wimgo.com.
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Wednesday Video Spotlight: Driving with Serge Ibaka – The Thunder take on Memphis in Game 5 tonight in Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City’s Serge Ibaka (9) shoots over Memphis’ Marc Gasol (33) in the first half during Game 4 of the second-round NBA basketball playoff series between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn., Monday, May 13, 2013. Photo by Nate Billings, The Oklahoman
It’s do-or-die Thunder up time tonight at The ‘Peake!
The Oklahoma City Thunder takes on Memphis Grizzlies in Game 5 of their Western Conference playoffs series. The Grizzlies lead the series 3-1, so our hometown boys in blue must win tonight or end their season.
To help you Thunder up, cruise with power forward Serge Ibaka to Chesapeake Energy Arena. We need Serge in the zone and playing at peak form tonight!
The game tips off at 8:30 tonight at The ‘Peake, 100 W Reno. It will air on TNT.
For extra Thunder pride, check out my excellent colleague Jennifer Palmer’s feature on the making of the complimentary T-shirts the Thunder home crowds have become so famous for during the playoffs by clicking here.
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Wednesday Video Spotlight: One-time screening of Paul McCartney and Wings concert film “Rockshow” Thursday night at Harkins Bricktown
A special one-time screening of “Rockshow” — a concert film starring Paul McCartney and Wings on their 1975-76 “Wings Over the World” tour — will be presented at 7 p.m. Thursday at Harkins Bricktown Cinema 16, 150 E Reno Ave.
SpectiCast, in association with Eagle Rock Entertainment, is premiering the film in theaters in the U.K. on Wednesday and worldwide on 
Thursday.
Although filmed on the tour in 1976 at the enormous Kingdome in Seattle, “Rockshow,” originally a cutdown version of the concert, was not premiered until November 1980 in New York and April 1981 in London.
The film will be shown at nearly 1,000 theaters in more than 700 cities worldwide, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Cape Town, South Africa, Sydney, Rome, Warsaw, Poland, and many other cities across the U.S., Mexico, Asia, Europe and South America. These special theatrical presentations will include a bonus 12-minute interview with McCartney, according to a news release.
The demand that greeted Paul McCartney and Wings (Linda McCartney, Joe English, Denny Laine and Jimmy McCulloch) in the spring of 1976 as they embarked on what would become their only North American tour was overwhelming.
Having released four consecutive chart-busting albums including “Red Rose Speedway, “Band on the Run,” “Venus and Mars” and “Wings at the Speed of Sound” — not to mention 1973′s Academy Award-winning James Bond theme “Live and Let Die” — McCartney’s solo career was in full flight, having not performed in the States for 10 years, either solo or with The Beatles.
Tickets for “Rockshow” are available at participating theater box offices and online at www.rockshowonscreen.com.
McCartney will bring his “Out There” Tour to Tulsa for a two-night stand May 29-30 at the BOK Center. For more information, go to www.bokcenter.com.
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Wednesday Video Spotlight: Skating Polly “Lost Wonderfuls”
Delo Creative produced this video for the title track of Skating Polly’s new album, “Lost Wonderfuls,” which was produced by Exene Cervenka of Los Angeles punk rock band X and mixed by Kliph Scurlock of The Flaming Lips.
“Lost Wonderfuls” is the title track to the recently released sophomore album from Skating Polly, the Edmond punk-rock-pop duo of stepsisters Kelli Mayo, 13, and Peyton Bighorse, 17.
The video debuted on our own NewsOK.
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Wednesday Video Spotlight: Gretchen Wilson to kick off Newcastle Casino Outdoor Concert Series Thursday
NEWCASTLE – On Thursday night, country singer Gretchen Wilson will kick off the the third annual Outdoor Concert Series at Newcastle Casino, I-44 and Highway 62.
Newcastle Casino’s Outdoor Concert Series is open to the public, takes place in the casino’s north parking lot and admission is free.
Ryan Sykes, Newcastle Casino’s general manager, said the festival is a chance to give back to the community and its employees.
“We are thrilled to host our third annual Outdoor Concert Series,” Sykes said in a news release. “This is a chance to show our appreciation for the local community. A concert is a great way to spend an evening outdoors listening to great music and enjoying food and friends.”
This year’s concert series will be the casino’s largest yet, Jennifer Cross, Newcastle Casino’s marketing manager added in the release. She said the concert series is a community event that locals look forward to all year.
Along with Wilson, this year’s lineup will include Creedence Clearwater Revisited, Joe Nichols, Bellamy Brothers and Joan Jett and the Blackhearts.
Food and refreshment vendors will be on site, and for-purchase options will include selections from the casino’s restaurants, Stone House Pizzeria and Blackjack Grill, as well as La Luna’s taco truck. Other retailers will be setup to provide the full concert experience. Outside food and drink will be prohibited. Attendees older than 18 will receive rewards play redeemable in the casino.
Wilson, 39, last month released a new country album, “Right On Time”; check out the video for the first single, “Still Rollin’.” is an album of new material and includes the single ‘Still Rollin’.”
The country singer recently told Yahoo! Music she plans to release two more albums this year: a collection of rock cover songs called “Under the Covers,” due out this summer, and a Christmas album.
The Illinois native has notched 13 singles on the Billboard Country charts, of which five have reached Top 10: the No. 1 hit “Redneck Woman,” as well as “Here for the Party,” “When I Think About Cheatin’,” “Homewrecker” and “All Jacked Up.”
For more information on the Newcastle Casino, go to MyNewcastleCasino.com. The Outdoor Concert Series concert schedule:
Thursday, May 16- Gretchen Wilson
Thursday, June 6- Creedence Clearwater Revisited (CCR)
Thursday, July 18- Joe Nichols
Saturday, Aug. 24- Bellamy Brothers
Thursday, Sept. 26- Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
Sunday, Oct. 13- EXIT 107 LIVE Family Music Festival
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Wednesday Video Spotlight: Blake Shelton, The Swon Brothers and the rest of Team Blake, “Play Something Country”
Check out this video of Oklahoma country music superstar Blake Shelton and his all-country team – Muskogee duo The Swon Brothers, 16-year-old Texan Danielle Bradbury and Baylor University student Holly Tucker – performing the Brooks & Dunn hit “Play Something Country” on Tuesday’s episode of “The Voice.”
The Swon Brothers
Okies Zach and Colton Swon, who are the first duo to make it to “The Voice” live rounds, lead off on this fun group performance.
As previously reported, it was another elimination episode Tuesday night, but all three members of Team Blake got enough public votes to stay in the competition.
“Congratulations #TeamBlake… Well done my friends… Well done.” Shelton quickly posted on Twitter (@blakeshelton).
As the finalists were whittled from the Top 12 to the Top 10 tonight, the two lowest vote-getters were eliminated: Garrett Gardner from Team Shakira and Vedo from Team Usher.
“The Voice” live playoffs continue at 7 p.m. Monday and Tuesday on NBC.
Here is your “The Voice” Season 4 Top 10:
Team Blake: The Swon Brothers, Danielle Bradbury, Holly Tucker.
Team Adam: Judith Hill, Amber Carrington, Sarah Simmons.
Team Shakira: Kris Thomas, Sasha Allen.
Team Usher: Josiah Hawley, Michelle Chamuel.
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Wednesday Video Spotlight: Pistol Annies perform “Unhappily Married” on “Craig Ferguson,” playing live streaming show tonight
Pistol Annies, the country music trio comprised of Tishomingo resident Miranda Lambert and singer-songwriter pals Angaleena Presley and Ashley Monroe, performed the television debut of their song “Unhappily Married,” Tuesday night on “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.”
“Unhappily Married” is a darkly funny track off the group’s second album, “Annie Up.”
The Annies are continuing their media blitz in support of their sophomore release at 9 tonight with a live streaming show. Yahoo! Music will live stream the group’s one-hour concert as part of its “Ram Country Live!,” a series of exclusive special music events accessible to millions of viewers on Yahoo!
Find the player for tonight’s concert embedded after the break; it will go live at showtime.
Speaking of showtime, the Pistol Annies will play June 13 at First Council Casino in Newkirk and June 14 at Lucky Star Casino in Concho. For tickets and information, go to www.ticketstorm.com.
