For many years, The Deli on Campus Corner has featured live music not just every Friday and Saturday but 7 nights a week. They book touring bands as well as local bands. The Deli's website: www.thedeli.us.
Lots of cool shows come to the Opolis, run by Andy and Marian of the Starlight Mints.
Othello's sometimes has live music with no cover charge.
In OKC, VZD's has local and touring bands playing several nights a week.
The Green Door has been coming through with tons of wild punk rock shows, since they opened in 2001. They moved to Bricktown in 2003 and now have even bigger shows.
The Conservatory took over the spot on N. Western where the Green Door used to be.
The 66 Bowl (yes it's a bowling alley) has free all-ages rock and roll shows every Saturday night. Lots of really cool shows have been there. Check it out.
The Blue Door is another one to check.
OKC's Gazzete and Norman's Pop have weekly listings of whats at all the clubs.
NormanMusicScene.com
Live Events Page here:
www.normanmusicscene.com/events.htm
OklahomaRock.com
Includes Excellent show calendar here:
www.oklahomarock.com/shows.htm
The Reverb Brothers
The Reverb Brothers have been playing around here for probably over twenty years. This is the band of Basile Koliopoulos, one of the brothers from the legendary Fortune Tellers. The Fortune Tellers were the undisputed rock and roll rulers of OKC for quite a while (80's, early 90's). I wouldn't expect to have another band like that around here for a long time, if ever. Since the Fortune Tellers are gone, the Reverb Brothers would definitely be my favorite local band to see. There have been many lineups through the years. Sometimes two guitars and drums, sometimes guitar, bass, drums, sometimes two guitars, bass, and drums. Drummers have included Mike Newberry (from the Fortune Tellers), Michael Byers (now in Hosty Duo), Aaron Preston (briefly), and Alan Corey (for a long time). Guitarists have included Pat McIntire, Mike Hosty, Alan Crider and Hector (usually its just Basile on guitar). Bass players have included Victor Goetz (from the Fortune Tellers) and Lance (from the Skatenigs) and Chad Feurborn (Poison Okies). Currently (since 2002) Marty Dillon is the drummer. This is one of the few bands I know of that never plays the same show twice. Although the music is simple (in fact it is a study in simple rock and roll rhythm), Basille is very experimental and is always coming up with new songs and arrangements and even changing the whole sound of the band depending on what he is into. They sometimes play a lot of blues shuffles, but mainly play the kind of rock and roll that gets people on the dance floor. The band was pretty active in 1999 UP until November. Basile put together an R.L. Burnside tribute show at VZD's on 12/26/99 with Victor on bass and Marty Dillon on drums. They did not play again until 07/01/00 at the 66 Bowl, with Victor on bass and Mike Newberry on drums. Newberry hadn't played for many years. It was a great show. Basile is now using a BOSS GT-3 effects processor to get some cool guitar sounds. As usual, he had 3 guitars, all in different tunings. The band did not play for a long time until September of 2002 when the lineup became Marty Dillon on drums and Chad Feuerborn on standup bass. Basile started getting even more experimental and the band began to work on recording. I think the record was pretty much done in 2003 but looks like it will finally be available in early 2005. Looks like Chad is gone and maybe Casey Friedman will be playing bass. He recoreded the new record at his Inner State Studio. Also Basille and Miho have been working on their own experimental music and have played several shows in the last few years.
Check out the Reverb Brothers! Around these parts, Basille is the king of rock and roll!
Brian Parton and the Nashville Rebels
Brian Parton and the Nashville Rebels are a rockabilly band from
Tulsa. A three-piece with bass, drums and guitar, these guys are a treat
to see. They play authentic rockabilly, early rock and roll and country,
playing lots of classic covers as well as their own songs. They play
very interesting arrangements of Rain (Beatles), 2000 Light Years From
Home (Rolling Stones) and Lips Like Sugar (Echo and the Bunnymen).
Also songs by Ray Price (Crazy Arms), Charlie Rich, Johnny Burnette
& the Rock and Roll Trio, and Carl Perkins.
They have a cool CD called Exploitation Natural.
As of 2005, the rebels have not been together for awhile, maybe a couple of years.
Brian does solo performances.
The Hosty Duo is Mike Hosty and Michael Byars. They prove my theory that a two-man band can be all you need. Recently evolved from the Mike Hosty Trio, about which I wrote the following:
The Mike Hosty Trio has a unique sound with the three-piece combination of drums (Michael Byars), guitar (Mike Hosty) and Hammond organ (Chris Wiser). They are probably the hardest working band in the area, playing 4 or 5 nights a week every week, mainly in the OKC area but also travelling to Tulsa, Stillwater, Arkansas, Texas, Kansas and other nearby states. They have put out 4 self-made records in just 2 or 3 years. All the records are excellent and recommended. They were all recorded at Bell Labs with Trent Bell (guitarist for the Chainsaw Kittens). Gusto, the second one, is my favorite. These guys are all top-class musicians. Hosty is a very entertaining performer and a versatile guitar player. He also plays harmonica, lap steel, and various other instruments. He also plays solo shows as a one-man band, sitting behind a bass drum and a snare mounted sideways so he can hit it with a stick mounted on a bass drum pedal. Byars plays minimalist (but very funky) drums on a minimalist kit, sometimes a 3-piece, lately often a 2-piece kit - bass drum, snare drum, hi-hat, and one cymbal. He has a microphone mounted in the bass drum so he can plug it in to a dedicated PA. You will hear and feel the bass drum. Wiser plays an actual Hammond B-3 organ complete with Leslie speaker cabinet. He plays bass on the Hammond, sometimes on the foot pedals. He sticks a Roland synthesizer on top of the Hammond. He also plays saxophone, sometimes lighting one on fire with the help of plenty of lighter fluid. Wiser also sings, sometimes lead, sometimes backing up Hosty on some sweet 2-part harmony. These guys are very fun to see - they will make you feel good. Their shows are often very crowded and you may even have to stand in line to get in (don't let it stop you - you'll get in). Their music has really got a hook in me. They not only rock but they groove. Their website: www.hosty.com.
Chris Wiser's new band is the Sugar Free Allstars
The Deviants
The Deviants is Scott Keeton's band. A few years back it was a three-piece with Scott on vocals and guitar along with drums and bass. Ike Lamb was later added on guitar. Recently (as of August, 2000) its back to a 3-piece, with Scott, Streetman and the return of Mike Newberry on drums. There have been many lineups in the past. Drummers have included Lex Kiem, James Wyrick, and Danny Cofer. Bass players have included Dickie Ray, Ryan Teisa, and Steven Streetman. The Deviants have put out three records over the last few years. They are very blues oriented but play plenty of rock and roll including covers and originals. Currently they are getting into more of a rockabilly sound. For more info, see this website.
El Paso Hot Button
The Ills
Check out the Ills!
Their website - theills.com
I had seen them mentioned a lot but did not know anything about them. One night some people talked me into going to see them at Liberty D's. I knew Wayman from a few years back and I knew he played drums but had no idea this was his band. He is the lead singer as well as the drummer and probably the leader of the band. He sets his kit up in the front of the stage with the rest of the band around and behind him. I had never seen that before. And when I saw they had Chris Royse on bass, I knew they were serious. (He was in the Wickers and various other bands around here). They have eleven people on the stage: 2 girl singers, 4 horns, 2 guitars, bass, keyboards, and drums. It is quite an accomplishment to get this many people to sound good together and these guys don't just sound good, they're so tight they sound like one instrument. They play positive-energy dance music. Mainly classic-pop/rock covers. In fact most of the songs they play are the kind of songs that make me change the station when I hear them on the radio, but they made me appreciate these songs anew. I was humming Rosanna (Toto - yikes!) for a week after I saw them ("me too far away..."). One of my friends showed up when they were playing Dancing Queen by Abba and had to leave immediately. Or how about Lido (Boz Scaggs) or Brandy ("you're a fine girl, what a good wife you would make)"? But it all sounded great and the dance floor stayed full all night. And man, when those horns come in! It's cool to have a horn, with two you can have harmony, with three you can have a real chord, but four horns - now that's horns. For a fun time, ignore your classic-pop-a-phobia and check them out. Here is their website. They have 4 horns!
NormanMusicScene.com
Live Events Page here:
www.normanmusicscene.com/events.htm
OklahomaRock.com
Includes Excellent show calendar here:
www.oklahomarock.com/shows.htm
Inner State Studio - Casey Friedman
Brian Parton and the Nashville Rebels
Chainsaw Kittens (my page)
Eric Sarmiento and the Pistol Arrows
Billy Joe Winghead Intense band. Interesting website.
Thomas Anderson (A friend of mine who used to live here)
Carl Amburn - Mousetrap Recording Studio
Tae Meyulks (from Tulsa)