Another Hot Oklahoma Night

Volunteers Rock!

2010-03-04T08:03:00.000-08:00

There are so many ways that volunteers help us out here at the History Center. They give tours, they help us with work down in Collections, they tell their friends about the fun happenings here, they lend a hand when it's time to install exhibits, and sometimes they even give us the artifacts and stories that we put into our exhibits. This was the case with Another Hot Oklahoma Night.

Red, white & blue Scene outfit worn by Barbara Lopez DePriest when she was a Scene Dancer.

Upstairs in the Noble Gallery, we have a section devoted to the late '60s-early '70s dance show The Scene. When one of our lovely lady volunteers, Barbara, found out about this, she let us know that in her youth, she was one of the energetic teenagers who hopped and bopped on The Scene. In addition to getting her story, she donated her dance clothes, which are now on display, and some posters.

Ted Oney's hot rod in the Rockabilly section of Another Hot Oklahoma Night.

Curators David Davis and Matt Reed put together the portion of Another Hot Oklahoma Night focusing on '50s culture and Rockabilly. They spent a lot of time talking with our volunteers; interviewing the ones who were teenagers in that time period to get a first-hand account of what it was like to go cruisin' on a Friday night, roll up your t-shirt sleeves, and put on a leather jacket. Through their interviews with volunteers they met Ted Oney. Mr. Oney decided to lend us the hot rod he is rebuilding to put on display in that section of the exhibit. According to Mr. Oney, "Everybody cruised Main Street back then, because Main Street was a two-way street...go up and down the street to show off your car and spin your tires and things like that."

Volunteers like these are great resources for our curators, and all they're doing is talking about their lives! If you're interested in joining the fun of volunteering, contact Robbin Davis at rdavis@okhistory.org - we'd love to have you join!

"Time Changes Everything"

2010-02-24T14:25:00.000-08:00

"Time Changes Everything," a two-act play written by former Tulsa World entertainment writers Thomas Conner and John Wooley and directed by Vern Stefanic, imagines a world where Oklahoma music legends Bob Wills and Woody Guthrie meet. Wills and Guthrie are not known to have met in real life, but the theatrical version envisions a discussion about music and life between the two iconic figures portrayed by Oklahoma musicians Brad Piccolo and John Cooper. In the second act, Piccolo and Cooper join their band mates for a live musical performance by the Red Dirt Rangers featuring the songs of both Wills and Guthrie. The first performance of this unique production took place at the Liddy Doenges Theater in the Tulsa Performing Arts Center on June 25, 2009.

The show begins at 7pm on Saturday, March 20, 2010 here at the History Center. Tickets are available for purchase from the History Center Gift Shop or by phone with credit card. To order by phone, please call (405)522-3602. Reserved seats are $35 and general admission are $25. OHS members receive $5 off admission. Tickets are limited, so don't delay!

Ghouls Gone Wild-the Aftermath

2009-10-26T12:47:00.000-07:00

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!

Ghouls Gone Wild!

2009-10-13T09:25:00.000-07:00

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.

A Rockabilly Good Time!

2009-10-12T08:57:00.000-07:00

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!

You Should Have Been Seen at The Scene!

2009-09-28T08:38:00.000-07:00

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!

The Scene!

2009-08-20T07:16:00.000-07:00

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!

It's Like a Grammy, But Different

2009-08-12T12:37:00.000-07:00

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.

Pass Me the Comics!

2009-08-11T12:57:00.000-07:00

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!

Update on the AAR Front

2009-07-31T07:55:00.000-07:00

Director of Exhibits Jeff Moore fixing the AAR panel.

Just thought we'd show you that yes, history is being made every day! Remember our previous entry about the All-American Rejects on the Today Show? Well, later that day we updated their panel in the exhibit to show that "Gives You Hell" had indeed made it to #1.

Thanks Tyson, Nick, Mike, and Chris!

Dfest 2009!

2009-07-29T14:26:00.000-07:00

Well Rock and Rollers, Dfest in Tulsa has come and gone, and we here at the History Center were there to document every music-filled, jam-packed minute of it. While our crack team of videographers caught interviews with some of the industry’s shining stars and up-and-comers during the conference, we sold a few copies of Another Hot Oklahoma Night: A Rock and Roll Story and got out some information about the amazing exhibit that you still need to come see down here at 23rd and Lincoln. In the evenings, we videoed and photographed the local bands making good on the various stages and watched the crowds go wild (including yours truly!) for the headliners like Blue October, Cake, and the Black Crowes.

Colourmusic kicked off the festival Thursday night with a great performance at the IDL Ballroom.

During the day we talked to folks about the exhibit, sold the book, and conducted interviews for the upcoming documentary and for the oral history collections.

We took every opportunity to get our name out there, including the provided art wall!

Crocodile had a great show Friday night!

I found a cool, new-to-me band: Gogol Bordello.

The crowds were lovin' it! Here they are cheering on Blue October.

And there were lots of up-and-coming Oklahoma bands, like Head Over Hills from Claremore.

Great trip for research and some amazing music! Thank you, Dfest!

Dfest, founded by Tom and Angie Green, has become the largest music conference and festival in the Midwest. It is a place for new talent to learn the skills necessary to make it in the industry and a showcase for up-and-coming bands from across the country and right here in Oklahoma.

Sign It Like a Rock Star

2009-07-21T14:32:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, July 16, the Oklahoma History Center launched Another Hot Oklahoma Night: A Rock and Roll Story, the companion book to the Center’s Rock and Roll exhibit. We celebrated with a book signing featuring the cover artist, several of the 16 authors, and even a couple of members of the early Punk band Debris, featured in the book, showed up and signed their pages. The Hosty Duo provided some great music, folks got a chance to go through the Artists Gallery of Another Hot Oklahoma Night: A Rock and Roll Exhibit, and a good time was had by all!

Overhead view of the book signing line.

Signing my first book!

Chatting with the friendly folks in line.

Hosty Duo providing some awesome tunes.

Get your copy of Another Hot Oklahoma Night: A Rock and Roll Story, great for your coffee table or, according to some radio DJs, for your bathroom ;-) Books are available at the Oklahoma History Center, and we’ll be out at Dfest this weekend in Tulsa with copies available!

Oklahoma History Center on the TODAY Show!

2009-07-16T11:01:00.000-07:00

This morning on the TODAY Show, Kathie Lee and Hoda took some time out to chat with the All-American Rejects, who will be featured in the Toyota Concert Series up in New York this weekend. In their chat, Nick made mention of his visit up to the Oklahoma History Center with his parents to see Another Hot Oklahoma Night: A Rock and Roll Exhibit and talked a bit about the band's reception in Oklahoma.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Thanks for the mention, guys! We'll be sure to update "Gives You Hell" to a Number 1 :-)

Make Your Own Rockstar!

2009-05-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

Go to http://www.anotherhotoklahomanight.org/ to make your own paper doll rockstar. As you can see here I've made a little punk rock dude that I can print out and make my office a little cooler. Just click on the rock fashion button on the website and make your own.

Rock and Roll Exhibit Opening

2009-05-06T11:16:00.000-07:00

Our boss Dan, the Museum Director, getting geared up for the opening.

As you can see, he is a pretty cool boss. He also keeps a stash of M&Ms on his desk for all of us. Apparently in the week before the exhibit opening we can go through approximately 13 pounds of them. Chocolate and caffeine is what keeps us going.

Benj and Jason, two of our education types, became bouncers for the Green Room for the evening. All it takes is a shirt, some muscle, and a lot of attitude. They are usually dressed up as military men, so they have the stance down. You might notice that Benj is a little sad we wouldn't let him carry any of his weapons.

Just some of the ladies of the museum staff trying out the photo op before the masses arrived. This set-up took me hours to perfect, so I am pretty glad we have had so many people take advantage of it. Especially with the costumes. Note the sweet sunglasses I am wearing...almost enough to make me want to become a Trekkie.

Wayne Coyne, Scott Booker and Dennis Coyne, the frontman of Stardeath and the White Dwarf, checking out the Flaming Lips panels for the first time. Wayne loved seeing his old Long John's uniform and Martian suit in a museum case, and I am sure the larger-than-life size pictures were pretty fun to see as well. Shortly after this I finally got a picture with Wayne in front of one of the cases I helped put together. I was just a tad giddy.

At the public opening on Saturday, 14 bands played on 2 stages (all the outdoor activities had to move inside because of the rain :( ) Th one cancellation ended up being filled by Chickasha's own Debris. I wrote about them earlier, but it was so cool to see some of the original punk rockers of Oklahoma jam out. And yes, part of their stage set is actually debris they have scavenged. Pretty cool guys. And loud, oh so very loud.

Some other highlights from the opening for me:
*Finishing the exhibit in time to get dressed for the opening
*The multitude of History Center staff in the women's bathroom getting into costume
*Sitting in the green room with Wanda Jackson stuffing Lorrie Collins' skirt under her belt
*Being a roadie and loading and unloading band equipment all day Saturday
*Temporary tattoos!
*Seeing the History Center transformed into an industry party

If the History Center's A-Rockin'...

2009-04-30T13:57:00.000-07:00

Everyone should come a-knockin'!

I know we keep saying "Everyone come out on May 2nd, it's going to be a blast!" But here's the lowdown:

14 Bands--John Moreland and the Black Gold Band, Crocodile, The City Lives, The Oh Johnny! Girls, Mike Black & the Stingrays, Ali Harter, Unmarked Cars, Camille Harp, Wes Reynolds, The Romantic Disaster, The Gunship, Rainbows are Free, The Undecided, All but 1

Rock and Roll fun for the whole family! Do-it-yourself tie dye, Rock Star Makeovers, Guitar Hero, Rock Star Photo Op, Costume Contests-'60s, '70s & '80s.

And of course, Another Hot Oklahoma Night: A Rock and Roll Exhibit throughout the building. See great Rock and Roll artists from Oklahoma, see Rock's influence on fashion, walk into a venue experience, see '50s pop culture as it was an as we perceive it today, and remember what it used to be like to go to your favorite record store.

Oh, did I mention that it's all FREE!!

It will all happen, rain or shine, so don't let the weather get you down. Come on out to the Oklahoma History Center!

Brushes with Fame

2009-04-29T09:00:00.000-07:00

From an earlier post, you learned about our friend Fernando, the mascot of exhibit installation. Well, yesterday was a big day for little Fernando. At the signing of the Executive Order making "Do You Realize??" by the Flaming Lips the official Rock Song for the state of Oklahoma, Fernando decided it was time to meet some Rock stars. So he did.

Wayne, Michael, and Kliph from the Lips signed Fernando. I like to think that he is smiling as much as Wayne is.

BEAN BAGS!

2009-04-24T12:25:00.000-07:00

So today the bean bags came in for our section on Ronnie Kaye's The Scene.

They may be the coolest, most comfortable part of the exhibit. Granted I am saying that after testing them out, just to make sure they weren't going to pop or bust a seam under pressure. I feel it is safe to say that they are safe, even for lengthy periods of time. They are also very cuddly. 'Nuf said

Take a look at what curators do on our lunch breaks when we are getting cool stuff into the exhibit. All for the sake of recreating the proper environment. Bet you want to come visit even more now. And yes, that is orange shag carpet.

6 days...

Do You Realize??

2009-04-24T07:04:00.000-07:00

That on Tuesday, April 28, 2009 Governor Brad Henry will sign an Executive Order naming "Do You Realize??" by the Flaming Lips the official Oklahoma Rock Song? Look here for the details, folks.

Keep on rockin', just about a week away from the opening!

Can You Hear the Drums, Fernando?*

2009-04-22T13:49:00.000-07:00

The curators are busily installing all kinds of great artifacts in the cases in Another Hot Oklahoma Night and it can be a really exciting process. Deciding how best to display objects, how to make album covers float and guitars look like they're being played is a task that tests the creative powers as well as a person's skills with power tools.

We here at the History Center have a lot of fun installing artifacts. So much fun, in fact, that when we installed the original exhibits, we adopted a mascot for installation. His name is Fernando, taken from the ABBA song so rudely left out of Mamma Mia!, and he is a short, rotund, stuffed alligator. He is currently dressed for the Rock and Roll exhibit and makes daily appearances in the galleries, checking up on the installation process and raising spirits in the process. Here we see Fernando and Wayne Coyne's Mars boot, which will be on display in the Gaylord Special Exhibit Gallery in the Artists section of Another Hot Oklahoma Night. Come by starting May 2nd and see it! Fernando would approve.

*Disclaimer: No, there is not a section dedicated to ABBA in the exhibit :-)

In honor of National Record Store Day

2009-04-17T10:58:00.001-07:00

Saturday is National Record Store Day. In honor of that, and my new haircut that makes me feel a bit like I am living in Empire Records, I am writing this entry.

To many of us, who get their music from iTunes, Limewire or bittorrent sites, record stores may seem obsolete. But if I have learned anything from working on this exhibit, it is that music just sounds so good and so real when it is coming from a scratchy vinyl album. And the experience of flipping through bins of albums, never quite knowing what treasures you might uncover cannot be matched by the sangfroid "current chart toppers" or "most played" lists.

With a vinyl record, you get an entire sensory experience. First, you walk into the record store that just smells like musty dust covers, to walls plastered with old band publicity shots and tour posters, flyers of bands seeking musicians or upcoming/long-past shows, to the faint smell of hemp and sweat, but mostly to the slightly charged atmosphere of excitement and anticipation. Walking the beat-up floors that have seen combat boots, bare feet and ballet flats alike, you find a section that seems intriguing, or is the only one not packed with other seekers, and start to flip through the bins. Albums of old bands you haven't thought of in years shuffle along with bands you have never heard of, enclosed in obscure, hilarious and maybe even slightly pornographic covers.

Some stores even still retain the listening station. It may be a sound-proofed booth with high-grade headphones and it may be just a player on a rickety TV table in the middle of the store, but it is all you need for a few blissful moments of rhapsody.

Eventually, with a teetering stack of beat-up albums, with maybe a few protected in plastic wrap, you march to the check-out counter so that you take your treasures home to enjoy.

If you want to check out an all-inclusive record store experience, with bands playing and the masses crowding the bins, look here for information of Guestroom Records' celebration of Record Store Day, 11 am-9 pm. They will have performances, special edition albums, and free food and drinks.

Our exhibit will include its own record store. From the postered walls to the listening station and even bins of Oklahoma-related albums to flip through (although ours will have bios and facts on the artists on the back) you will be able to feel a little bit of that paradise in the middle of the Inasmuch Foundation Gallery. Excited? You should be.

The Days Grow Short...

2009-04-16T12:36:00.000-07:00

Well Rock fans, it's getting closer and closer! The final details are falling into place, the galleries are starting to look AWE-some, and the videos, well, you can see for yourself.

The All-American Rejects and Shiny Toy Guns played recently up at the Brady in Tulsa and I got the opportunity to play concert photographer. So much fun! I've been to concerts, but never close enough to have a lead singer grab my camera and sing directly into it. Granted, he didn't do that to me, it was another photog there, but you get the point :-) The photo above is Mike Kennerty of the All-American Rejects rockin' out. Come see artifacts from the Rejects, learn about the current Rock scene in Oklahoma, and learn about the rockers that paved the way for today's rising stars in the Artists gallery of Another Hot Oklahoma Night.

Remember, the exhibit opens on May 2 with 14 bands playing on 3 stages around the History Center! Don't miss out!

-Elizabeth, one excited Assistant Curator of Exhibits and now aspiring concert photographer

A Place to Rock

2009-03-10T13:04:00.000-07:00

Advertisement for a dance in the '60s at the Diamond Ballroom.

Elizabeth Baxter here, friendly neighborhood Assistant Curator of Exhibits, bringing you all that’s awesome in the world of Oklahoma rock venues. In the Samuel Roberts Noble Gallery upstairs in the Oklahoma History Center we’ll have an area highlighting some of Oklahoma’s most well-known music venues, from the small to the stadium-sized. I thought I’d give you a small preview and let you see a little bit of what I’ve learned about one of the Oklahoma City area’s oldest rock and roll venues, the Diamond Ballroom.

The stage at the Diamond Ballroom.

The Diamond Ballroom opened in the ‘60s, boasting the “Largest Dance Floor in the Southwest.” Although well known for country dances, the Diamond also brought in the likes of Fats Domino, Wanda Jackson, and Jerry Lee Lewis. The walls by the stage are filled with photos of past performers, showing the amazing history of the place. Today the Diamond Ballroom is a great place to see just about anything, from Tesla to Shiny Toy Guns and All-American Rejects.

One of the walls of photos at the Diamond.

The folks over at the Diamond donated one of the original light-up signs from the front of the DJ booth that reads “Diamond Ballroom Largest Dance Floor in the Southwest.” It will be featured in the Oklahoma Venues area of the exhibit. Come and see it, along with other pieces of Oklahoma’s rock history, when Another Hot Oklahoma Night opens on May 2, 2009. C’mon, you know you want to see it…

There it is, folks, the "Largest Dance Floor in the Southwest."

Update...

2009-02-06T12:42:00.000-08:00

Everything has been a little hectic around here, which is part of the reason we are now going to have weekly meetings for everyone working on the exhibit to share what they are working on. Lots of different people working on lots of different parts--there is a lot of Rock and Roll history in Oklahoma to delve into.

We have divided the exhibit into many sections that will be in various places throughout the museum galleries. We will cover Rockabilly, Radio Stations and Recording Studios, The Scene, Fashion and hairstyles, Soul and Funk, Venues, and any number of Oklahoma Artists. The links are just a small teaser of what we will be covering.

Today we met with a graphic designer to create some edgy background graphics for all the panels. Our exhibit will be literally like nothing you have ever seen before. No boring panels that look all the same in our exhibit. Nope. We will have specially designed, pure rock energy pulsing from the boards. You just wait and see.

We are still looking for artifacts, so if you have tickets from rare shows, all access passes, band t-shirts or anything else that might be museum-worthy, please e-mail rocknroll@okhistory.org with a brief description. Who knows, you might end up with your own collection in our archives!!!

Also, I am still looking for pictures of you and your Oklahoma band or pics you took at rock venues and shows in Oklahoma. E-mail those to rocknroll@okhistory.org as well and they will be included in a slide-show in the exhibit itself. After all, fans and their experiences are a huge part of rock and roll!

The plans they are a coming...

2008-11-06T11:24:00.000-08:00

The Rock and Roll Exhibit team met today to finalize some major plans for the exhibit.

We have several more bands that we are setting up interview times for, ranging from the Flaming Lips to The Evangelicals. We are also trying to set up dates at record stores and funky locations for All-Call Fan Confessionals. Hopefully everyone will come out these and get their rock experiences on film! The footage will be used in the exhibit, and so will what people have to say. For example, we will be asking what your room looked like while you were growing up...did you plaster it with band posters, have fan shirts draped over every surface, or sleep with a transistor radio by your ear like my bosses did? We want to know!!

Then we walked through the gallery space to see where and what was going in. I am super pumped that so much of what we are putting in coincides with existing gallery themes and objects. With just a bit of finangling and lots of added attitude we are going to have a killer exhibit.

Okies In Muskogee

2008-11-03T05:45:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago the exhibits team caught up with Oklahoma natives the All American Rejects as they were being inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame. We sat down for an interview that will be part of the upcoming exhibit. During the interview the guys told us about what being an Oklahoman means to them, and how it helps keep them grounded as they play to sold out crowds around the world. We also discussed their new album "When the World Comes Down." Come see the exhibit in May at the Oklahoma History Center to watch the interview and check out the artifacts supplied to us by the Rejects. We will document their rise from a local Stillwater band, to multi-platinum selling rock stars.

-Corey (Exibits Team)

Okie Invasion of California

2008-09-22T10:31:00.000-07:00

(This entry is guest written by Larry O'Dell, Director of Collections for the Research Division)

I learned much about the California Okie subculture in a recent research trip dedicated to “Another Hot Oklahoma Night.” Not just the artists that we interviewed had Oklahoma Ties, but many people that we encountered, including the Starbucks clerk, restaurant employees, and people on the street. The drive also reinforced to me the travails that the “Dust Bowl” migrants endured, and their cars had no air-conditioning and often broke down. It was a long drive, but the company of Jeff Moore, videographer Beau Leland, and crack audio guy Darren Dunn helped pass the time. Beaux can play a mean toy concertina, especially when Darren accompanies him on a miniature xylophone.

We interviewed several Oklahomans that have transplanted to the West Coast. The first, Shelly Dunn, one of the earliest women DJ’s for the KATT, had several interesting stories about the station’s early days and development. Among the other more interesting personalities included Danny Cooksey, who transplanted from Moore, Oklahoma, to L.A. in the late 1970s as a child performer. You might recognize him from Different Strokes and Salute Your Shorts (look him up on IMDB). In 1992 Steve Vai produced an album for Bad4Good, Cooksey’s band. Danny still performs with his band Arbuckle.

Moon Martin, an Altus native, provided us with another stellar interview. He taught guitar in Norman with Jesse Ed Davis, before he moved to California with his band Southwind. A staple in the music industry, he was the first to write and perform “Bad Case of Loving You,” which Robert Palmer later recorded. Palmer also produced one of Martin’s albums. An interesting fact is that Moon is one of the top-selling recording artists in France, where he still tours.

An integral part of the exhibit is the early years of Rock, especially the great Rockabilly acts that Oklahoma produced. On a ranch near Santa Barbara we talked to one of these early duos, the Collins Kids. If you have the opportunity, look at one of their early performances on youtube. In 1954 Larry moved around onstage appearing like a cross between Elvis and Chuck Berry before those two became nationally prominent). Laura Collins dated Ricky Nelson and appeared regularly on the Ozzie and Harriet Show. Their long career produced many extraordinary stories, which will be told in the exhibit and accompanying documentary. One is their connection with legendary guitar-maker and Oklahoman Semie Moseley of the Mosrite guitar.

The drive back east seemed even longer than the monstrous drive west. But, we survived and no one injured anyone else. All in All our Okie invasion of California turned out to be a great success.

Past Due for an Update

2008-09-11T12:57:00.001-07:00

Sorry about the long delay guys, but so much happened so fast, and then I had to start back to school (I know, I was sad too). I want to give you a quick run-down of what has been happening in Rock 'N Roll Exhibit Land since last we talked...

HANSON MANIA!!!

To start, we interviewed Hanson!! Now I know there are a lot of skeptics out there who say that they aren't rock because they aren't played on rock radio stations. I even used to be one of them. I was a part of the age group most affected by the Hanson craze (yeah, yeah I am a youngin) but even back then I was not a huge fan. But going back and listening to their music now, old and new albums, I can see that what they have produced and continue to produce is their own brand of pop rock. And frankly, you have to give them credit for writing ALL of their own music (MmmBop was written completely by them). They are their own creative geniuses, and that in and of itself is impressive. They have even created their own record label, a huge accomplishment in the world of music. But more important than any of the above is that they are Oklahomans, proud to be Oklahomans, and they continue to live and work in Oklahoma. This makes them an important part of Oklahoma's rock history, and the perception of Oklahoma across the nation.

Woody Guthrie Fest

Part of our team headed out to Okeemah in early July to the Woody Guthrie Folk Festival that occurs annually in his hometown. It is more of a folk festival than anything, but since Woody is one of the three rock influences we are focusing on in our exhibit (as well as Charlie Christian and Bob Wills) it seemed important to head out there and see what Okeemah had to offer. We got some great interviews with artists and rock fans, including a very interesting female Australian songwriter who got extremely excited when told we were going to interview the Collins Kids! Many artists performing at the festival reappeared at Dfest, so it was good to get an early jump. If you are ever in Okeemah in July, the Woody Guthrie Folk Festival is well worth your time, if only just for the great people-watching.

DiversaFest

And now, what I consider the highlight of the summer--DFEST!!! Now, remembering that I am from Texas and this was only my second trip to downtown Tulsa, I was so impressed with the Blue Dome District. It reminded me so much of what I love about Fort Worth (my hometown) in terms of the culture, the music scene and the fun and quirky atmosphere. When you add in how incredible Tom and Angie are and how amazing their festival is, it is an event that I will miss when I no longer live in Oklahoma. Dfest, for those who do not know, is an annual music conference and festival. This means that at the conference artists can learn the ins and outs of the industry while rubbing shoulders with music heavyweights and then the selected artists showcase their talents by playing at multiple venues throughout the Blue Dome District. This year there were three outdoor stages and eight indoor venues that played host to artists all across the music spectrum (country to heavy metal, folk to pop).
Like I said, Tom and Angie were incredible and made sure that we had our own interview room at the conference so we could interview local bands during the day and then head out on the town once the festival kicked off to get footage and live interviews. We got some absolutely amazing stuff from the interviews, footage and stills. Dfest has been great at helping display the huge range of musical talent that Oklahoma fosters, and Tom and Angie (as artists themselves) want to make sure that the world knows about Oklahoma's huge influence on music. It has been a great partnership to work with them.

For those of you out at Dfest, I hope you stopped by our booth at the outdoor Oklahoma Stage and got your picture taken at our photo op and picked up some info about the exhibit. We talked to so many people that we were all hoarse at the end of the day, and handed out so many stickers (and sometimes put them on people who didn't want to put down their beer to grab one) that we fell into bed in the mornings completely worn out. It was such a great feeling though to go to breakfast and see our stickers adorning the furniture and even trashcans at the restaurants, and have people asking us for more! Don't worry, we still have plenty left for the rest of you!!!!

And did I mention that I got to see my new favorite band, Congress of a Crow and then later at our booth I got to meet the lead singer and bassist. I have such a girl crush on Danelle.

More to come soon...

On the Road Again...

2008-07-08T11:12:00.000-07:00

Before we all took a long weekend to celebrate apple pie and fireworks, Jeff and Larry and I journeyed up the turnpike on one of many trips to Tulsa. We headed up to do some work on the intro video for the website (which launches THIS WEEK---check it out at www.anotherhotoklahomanight.org),to meet with the founders of Dfest, and various and sundry other meetings.

When we first arrived (after a hilarious journey in the mysteriously shaking Taurus that is like a massage chair for everyone in the car) we had lunch at a fabulous restaurant called "The Brook" in Brookside. Let's just say that we were all jealous of Jeff's humongous salad with its heaps of parmesan chicken. There, we met with Davit Souders, who hosts the relaunched iROK Radio. Davit is a radio broadcaster, the owner of Diabolical Productions, was the talent/media buyer and production manager for Cain's Ballroom for many years, and still has time to perform himself. He regaled us with stories about Oklahoma rock across the past few decades as well as background to the many roles he has served in the Oklahoma rock scene. He gave us several contacts and some good stories; we will set up an interview with him soon to get the stories on film (we must remember to ask him about his favorite Hanson Song...).

Right across the street from The Brook, Jeff saw Angelene Wright go in the front door of a shop that turned out to be her store "Ida Red." Jeff and Larry made a lot of fun of me for not knowing what the reference was--but once they explained it made total sense. Feel free to google it. The store, recently opened, is a cool mix of Cain's Ballroom merchandise (t-shirts, golf shirts, belt buckles, floor tiles, books, etc.) and a cafe-type space with artwork that is also for sale, vintagey chairs and tables, glass bottles of myriad sodas like Dublin Dr. Pepper and old-school sweets like Moon Pies and Squirrel Nut Zippers. It is a cool place to find clothing, including a table of earth-friendly organic shirts, kitschy hand-made jewelry and a cool place to hang out and listen to a wide assortment of music chosen by Angeline herself.

Jeff and Larry compared stories with Angelene about musicians who lived/used to live in Tulsa and Tulsa venues for at least an hour. It was a meeting of kindred spirits--people who absolutely love music, and especially the part Oklahoma has played in the nation-wide music scene.

We finally tore ourselves away after buying a copy of almost every CD the store stocked and headed out. We stopped at Starship Records so Jeff could relive his teenage years spent in the store and so I could wander through the racks and racks of music. We hoped to pick up a few things to add to Collections for the exhibit, but had no luck. Then we headed over to Cherry Street for coffee at a coffee shop (and yet another meeting) that I could easily live in I loved it so much. This was my first time in these parts of Tulsa, and I must say that it is stunning!!

Later in the afternoon, we headed downtown. We passed Black Wall Street (which I have only ever read about) and stopped finally at Cain's. After reading and learning so much about the venue, it was amazing to see the stars on the sidewalk and look up at the marquee that I have seen so many pictures of. People kept disappearing inside the bar that was at the end of the strip (I kept wondering what was so exciting that so many people were going to that I wandered down to check it out). Larry and Jeff were taking video and stills of the exterior of Cain's to be used in the introductory video on the exhibit website. Larry got some sweet shots of Jeff on his back on the scorching hot sidewalk to get the perfect angle. After Cain's, we drove over to the Brady Theatre to repeat the process. By this time my 4 inch heels were killing me (I hadn't planned on going to Tulsa when I dressed that morning) and so I stuck to the air-conditioned car and watched them run around in the heat.

Our last stop before we hit the road back to OKC was at the Crowne Plaza downtown to meet with Tom Green and Angie Devore-Green, the husband-wife team that founded Dfest and continue to organize the ever-growing music festival. We talked to them about our space at the festival around the Oklahoma stage and all sorts of other little details. By the way, the Crowne Plaza is where we will be staying along with all the other conference and concert attendees and they just redecorated the interior--I did not want to leave the awesome sitting area we were meeting in! Eventually, we had to let Angie and Tom go to their volunteer meeting and we got back in the car to go back to the History Center.

We left the city pumped about what we had accomplished. We are all set to go to Dfest (come meet us there and nominate a song for the Official Rock Song of Oklahoma and get your picture taken with all your friends at our rock band photo op), we got a lot done for the intro video, and we made many new and exciting contacts. All the way home we listened to the press conference about the Sonics court case (Jeff and Larry are sooooo happy the team is coming NOW and not in two years), and I complained about being hungry until Larry stopped at McDonalds to shut me up. We finally made it home exhausted but totally excited.

Interview with B.J. Thomas

2008-06-19T11:38:00.000-07:00

Larry, Jeff, B.J., Me, and Beau

Men In Action

It has been a few weeks since we journeyed down to Arlington, TX to interview B.J. Thomas, but better late than never, right?

Well, I am sure everyone, no matter how young or old, has heard the songs "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head," "Hooked on a Feeling," and "I Just Can't Help Believing." I knew the songs, but didn't know that they were sung by an amazing artist who lived only a few hours away from the Oklahoma History Center. B.J. Thomas was born in Hugo, Oklahoma, raised in Houston and now lives in Arlington, Texas.

On June 3rd, Larry(the research guy), Jeff (the exhibit guy), Beau(the video guy), and me (general flunky) saddled up all the video equipment and headed down I-35 to Arlington. What would have been a simple journey--if the native Texans had been allowed to navigate--became a huge ordeal when the native Oklahomans (who had the directions in their car I might add) got us turned around a LOT. And only one time was because of construction....

We finally got to B.J.'s gorgeous house in Arlington once Jeff and I took over the lead. His house is fabulous--and not in the ostentatious, I am a music star way that he could have. The art, obviously chosen by the family because of it's heavy emphasis on portraits and the like, was fantastic (you will be able to see several pieces in the documentary because Beau filmed him in front of a really cool sculpture). B.J. has 5 Grammy's, but they are on the middle shelf of a display case on the side of the living room. It was awesome to walk around and just marvel at the fact that I was in the room with 5 Grammy's, much less the man who earned them!!

Once we finally got settled in and Beau got everything set up (well, as much as he could since several light cables decided to jump ship and stayed at the History Center all cozy in some dimly-lit corner) Larry jumped into the interview. B.J. talked about his brief, 2 week, stay in Oklahoma as a newborn and the many ways he is trying to rediscover his roots. We found out that B.J. has had as many, if not more hits, in Brazil as in the United States. That is pretty astounding since he has had 15 Top 40 Pop/Rock hits, 10 Top 40 Country hits and many gospel hits. In fact, B.J. is the only artist to have ever had the "Song of the Year" on the pop, country and gospel charts. There are numerous other awards and accomplishments---it is pretty easy to say that B.J. has had a fabulous career, and it is nowhere near being over.

He is still recording and putting out music. In fact, he tours all the time, both in the states and abroad. That is pretty impressive when you consider that he has been performing since he joined the Triumphs in 1966.

All in all, it was a great visit. Darrell, B.J.'s manager, took a few shots of us with B.J.--those are the pics that are up at the top.

Exhibit Team Meets with proto-punk band Debris from Chickasha

2008-05-27T12:03:00.000-07:00

The exhibits team here at the Oklahoma Museum of History is in the beginning phases of developing an exhibit about Rock and Roll in Oklahoma. So far, the process has been exciting!

An Oklahoma Representative and Senator sponsored legislation so we could run a nomination/voting process to choose the official Rock song for the state of Oklahoma! So far, we have had 1389 nomination for 258 songs. If you want to nominate a song by an Oklahoma artist or songwriter, visit our site!

Current nominations run the gamut from All American Rejects to Wanda Jackson, from The Flaming Lips to Conway Twitty. Since this is will be the official rock song of the state of Oklahoma, we need YOUR input to help us decide. Nominations will close at the end of July and the field narrowed to ten finalists that will be voted on by YOU this fall!

As part of the exhibit development process, we are looking at all aspects of the project. To start, we are developing an exhibit-specific website that will give even more information about the exhibit as it develops. You will be able to hear from Jeff Moore, the creative genius behind the exhibit and his amazing team, learn tidbits about artists and venues that will be featured in the exhibit, and keep up with all the places our street team will be travelling to (D-Fest and Rocklahoma to name a few). I will keep you updated on that as more information rolls in!

Another part of developing an exhibit is collecting the artifacts to be included in the exhibit and scheduling interviews with as many artists as possible. This has required us to get in contact with as many artists as possible in any way possible. To no one's surprise, myspace has been the absolute best way to reach musicians. Check us out at Another Hot Oklahoma Night. We are busy friending Oklahoma bands, artists and venues to keep up with the Oklahoma Rock scene.

Through myspace, we contacted Debris, a proto-punk band from Chickasha that was a vanguard of its time. In 1976, they released their LP (actually Prisoner of Rock 'n Roll) but that became known as Static Disposal. They battled "redneck hostility" in small-town Oklahoma, but persisted in their artistic vision, creating a new sound that was only heard in 4 live concerts before the band broke up. Only a few months later, the record they had mailed all over the states bore fruit and they were approached to play at CBGB--it was their chance to make it big too late. The band reunited only recently, playing at The Conservatory in 2005, followed by a 2007 reprint of their original LP by Anopheles Records, and playing at the Norman Music Festival in 2008.

We had a chance to sit in on a jam session of Debris over the Memorial Day weekend as they gathered back in Chickasha. Intermingled with beer, cigarettes and impromptu musicality, they answered questions about the year-long existence of Debris, their previous projects like Victoria Vein and the Thunderpunks (using the word punk years before it became the label of the genre), the lives of the members since, the new additions and losses, and the role of music in their lives. They lingered over regrets and celebrated the triumphs of Debris while at the same time making us laugh with their punk rock antics which don't seem anachronistic even though some of the men are now grandparents. They laughed over pranks and promised to spill secrets about Oklahoma rockers and radio personalities. If you get a chance to meet Jeff, ask him about the pink boa, manicures at French market, baby powder costumes, guitars that won't break and the backstage trailer, because the stories are just that much better in person (or even in the exhibit!).

Debris also gave us a guitar used for the original recording in '76, an original LP and a copy of the 2007 CD reprint. These, along with many other artifacts, will be included in the exhibit. The guitar is "so punk rock" according to Jeff because it has only 3 strings and is missing a knob. You play with what you've got...

Coming Soon....

2008-05-15T12:22:00.000-07:00