We survived the terror of the Ghouls Gone Wild parade! Actually, the parade was a lot of fun and we had a great time putting together our float out of "repurposed" materials from the Exhibits Shop. On our float, we decided to portray a campy '50s sci-fi horror movie as directed by Ed Wood, in drag. Aliens crash landed their flying saucer into the old Wiley Post Historical Society building, turning all the humans into zombies. Not to fear, 3-D Debbie and her faithful robot, Bazark, were there to save the day with their laserbeams. I'll let the photos do the rest of the talking :-)
David and his scary alien eye.
Getting the float ready for the road!
Is it time to start yet?
We had offers of people who wanted to be abducted.
Every float's better with a dancing robot.
And here we go down the street!
Great fun with creative people! Thanks OK Gazette for the Ghouls Gone Wild Parade!
The Oklahoma Gazette's 3rd Annual Ghouls Gone Wild parade is coming up on October 24th and the History Center is proud to be a part of it! Rockabilly legends The Collins Kids, who played for our Another Hot Oklahoma Night: A Rock and Roll Exhibit opening back in May, are returning to Oklahoma to serve as grand marshals for the parade.
The Exhibits Team, Collections Staff, and Research Division Staff have all come together to build a unique and creative float for this one-of-a-kind parade. Look for updates on our float, and an explanation of our theme, "It Came from the History Center," in subsequent posts.
On Friday, Oct. 23rd and Saturday, Oct. 24th, the Oklahoma History Center will be hosting a weekend celebrating Rockabilly culture past and present.
On Friday the 23rd, the History Center will be the venue for a rockin' good time with The Beltline, Clyde Stacy, and The Starkweather Boys, along with a special Rockabilly fashion show put on by the Velvet Monkey Salons here in Oklahoma City. Tickets are $10 in advance (available at the History Center 522-0765 and the Velvet Monkey Salons) and $15 at the door for an evening of great music and entertainment.
Saturday the 24th we will have a vintage car show and roundtable discussions at the History Center with Rockabilly pioneers like The Collins Kids, back in their native Oklahoma to be the grand marshals for the Oklahoma Gazette's Ghouls Gone Wild parade. They will also be performing Saturday night in conjunction with the parade. Everyone should come out to see the craziness and the History Center's float!
And, to get you ready for some great music, here's a NewsOK.com video on Clyde Stacy and his performance coming up on the 23rd!
Well Ladies and Gents, The Scene here at the History Center earlier this month on September 4th was a huge smash! The building was bursting at the seams with folks enjoying great music from Uptown Syndicate, Jim Edgar and the Roadrunners, Brewer and Brewer, and the Five Americans while dancing the night away. I thought I'd give you a little taste of what we got to enjoy that night.
The line of eager Scene-goers was long even before the doors were opened!
It was Ronnie Kaye's birthday, so we made sure we had plenty of cake.
Uptown Syndicate got the night started off right with some great funk.
The crowd really loved Jim Edgar and the Roadrunners, who played the hits of the '50s and '60s.
The crowd really got after it!
Brewer and Brewer played "One Toke Over the Line."
And the Five Americans rocked their hit "Western Union."
It was a great evening to reminisce, see old friends, and to just get down and boogie. The History Center dance floor definitely got its workout that night! Thanks to everyone who came out to make The Scene such a great time!
Ever feel nostalgic for go-go boots, mini-skirts, and psychedelic music? On Friday night, September 4, 2009 the Oklahoma History Center, KOMA, and the Oklahoma Gazette are proud to present "The Scene," a recreation of the 1960s dance party television show hosted by Ronnie Kaye.
The party will feature special performances by The Five Americans, Jim Edgar and the Roadrunners, and Uptown Syndicate, as well as the famous Scene Dancers!
The doors open at 6:30pm on September 4th for this dance down memory lane. Tickets for this groovy shindig are only $15 and can be purchased at Thrifty Pharmacy locations (10904 N. May in OKC and inside Crest Foods at 15th and Santa Fe in Edmond) as well as at the Oklahoma History Center. Call (405)522-0765 for more information. Ronnie will see you there!
Our spiffy and awesome website for Another Hot Oklahoma Night: A Rock and Roll Exhibit just won Best Website for the Oklahoma Museums Association Awards in the $100,000+ category! The History Center also won awards for its Education Programs and its exhibit on the art of the Houser/Haozous family entitled Unconquered: Allan Houser and the Legacy of One Apache Family.
You can read the full list of winners at the OMA website.
As plans continue for a Museum of Music and Pop Culture in Tulsa, the Oklahoma Historical Society is acquiring collections from folks who want to see this awesome undertaking reach fruition. One of those individuals is cartoonist Michael Vance. Take a peek at his collection and the plans for Tulsa. They're both very exciting!
