Artwork by Nathan Poppe

 

This story ran in the June 9 issue of Look@OKC.

Tulsa native Jack Roberts watched in amazement as a potential coffee shop hire awkwardly turned a job interview into a World’s Strongest Man contest.

Roberts’  interviewee flexed his biceps to answer a question about character growth.

This interview was confusing and inspiring, but nonetheless it sparked Roberts’ writing process for “The Rock ’n’ Roll Dreams of Duncan Christopher.” After three years of writing, Roberts migrated from West Hollywood back to Tulsa with his friend and “Duncan” director Justin Monroe to make a movie several muscles influenced.

Instead of staying in Los Angeles, Roberts and Monroe followed their ears in 2008 to Oklahoma in order to film a rock opus about karaoke stars.

And this gives me chills.

Not only because the film premieres in OKC this week at deadCenter but also because it gives another concrete reason to believe in Oklahoma. I’ve always heard musicians talking about the magnetic nature of Oklahoma music. For some cosmic reason musicians are attracted here, but no one actually says why. Bands like the Flaming Lips and Hanson stick close to home and suggest there¹s a draw to Oklahoma, but I didn¹t physically feel it until “Oklahoma!” saved my life a couple of weeks ago.

My friend Kenzie and I sat in a hole-in-the-wall karaoke bar named Cookie’s, which contains “performers” who look like they’ve recently escaped from the “Karaoke Revolution” video games. As Kenzie and I sang back up for ‘Oh, What a Beautiful Morning,² we weren¹t greeted with applause. It was something more muscular.

I froze in my chair while an inebriated twentysomething threatened to go outside to fight us because he figured our singing was mocking another karaoke patron. I knew he wasn’t messing around because he was beefy and was wearing an Affliction T-shirt.

Kenzie defended our love of song and dance in “Oklahoma!”

After many minutes of yelling, he understood and left. I unfroze and thanked two things.

A brave Kenzie and the fact that Oklahoma music can soothe the savage beast.

I think I’ll stick around too.

Shows to see and not to see…

June 12: “The Rock ’n’ Roll Dreams of Duncan Christopher” makes its Oklahoma premiere. Besides karaoke, the film features music from Colourmusic, Sherree Chamberlain and Mason Remel. Be there.

@ Kerr Auditorium
123 Robert S Kerr

June 13: Groovefest’s lineup includes Penny Hill, The Panda Resistance and atie dye station opening three hours before anyone is scheduled to play. Groovy indeed.

@ Andrews Park
201 W Daws, Norman

June 19: Oklahoma musician and filmmaker Mickey Reese has made eight films in the past two years. His latest movie, “Country Singer,” looks to be best yet.Plus Ali Harter will perform at this premiere. It’s a win.

@ The Opolis
113 N Crawford, Norman

June 22: Should I drop $60 for the cheap seats at the Michael Buble concert or should I listen to him on repeat at The Olive Garden? I hate tough decisions

@ BOK Center
200 S Denver, Tulsa

-Poppe

I shot this video last Saturday and wrote a story about this long-running jazz festival.