Just curious, did anyone ask an employee or the manager about lowering the volume?

Just curious, did anyone ask an employee or the manager about lowering the volume?

I asked one of the bar tenders if they could lower it a notch or 2. They said "let me check on that for you". I never saw them attempt to turn it down. I will give them benefit of the doubt, t was extremely busy, with a line out the door. But if they have the upstairs open with music, then the downstairs should have some loud music, but not to where you have to scream to have a conversation right across the table.

I'll for sure go back, because I love the cocktails and the vibe of the place. But if the music is ever that loud again, I will start to pick other bars before it in the future. I like being able to hear and have my voice the next day.

Ponyboy seems to have found its legs.

Went Friday night around 9:30 after Book of Love at the Tower and wasn't that busy but when the DJ started playing a little later, the upstairs was a blast and pretty darn full.

Lots of people dancing and having a good time. Really good, friendly, fun vibe and easy to get drinks either at the big upstairs bar or by going downstairs, which was relatively quiet by comparison.

They have a new sound system which patches the DJ into the downstairs speakers, but it's not crazy loud. They have live music on Thursday and DJ's and Friday and Saturday, otherwise the upstairs is closed.

One very good sign: Lots of women there. To me that always key at places like this.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/ponyboy072818.jpg

Starting next week, Ponyboy will start serving food.

Will post the menu when available.

Starting next week, Ponyboy will start serving food.

Will post the menu when available.

What's the connection (if any) to Burger Punk?

What's the connection (if any) to Burger Punk?

Both owned by 84 Hospitality, which also operates Goro, Empire and Revolucion.



Here is the Ponyboy menu:

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/ponyboymenu.jpg

Pete, why did you delete my post about their menu? I thought we had free speech around here?

Pete, why did you delete my post about their menu? I thought we had free speech around here?

Constructive criticism is welcome.

http://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=41887

I don't see myself ordering anything off of that menu, but I'm a fan of this place during the cold months. I need to make a point to pop in soon.

Ponyboy is now under the management of the Tower Theatre guys, Stephen and Chad.

Rachel Cope and her group are no longer affiliated.

I know they are already starting to schedule live music upstairs.

Pete - was this shift expected?

Pete - was this shift expected?

Yes, been in the works for quite a while.

If you notice in the Burger Punk article, I didn't list Ponyboy for 84 Hospitality (Cope). Thought for sure someone would pick up on that!

Excited about this change, and very excited to see Sun June play here next Thursday, as they're one of my favorite Austin bands at the moment.

They have reconfigured the layout of the upstairs as well. Moving the "stage" in the center against the windows where a covered shuffle board used to be.

They have reconfigured the layout of the upstairs as well. Moving the "stage" in the center against the windows where a covered shuffle board used to be.
Directly next to the bar?

Yes, it actually makes it feel pretty claustrophobic if it is busy.

Went to the Sun June/Fruit Bats show here tonight - this is a great venue, and fills exactly the right kind of niche for OKC. Perfect sized spot for touring indie bands as well as up-and-coming local bands. Can't wait to see who else the Tower folks bring in - I think there's potential for this place to be OKC's version of Satellite Bar (I can hope at least).

Went to the Sun June/Fruit Bats show here tonight - this is a great venue, and fills exactly the right kind of niche for OKC. Perfect sized spot for touring indie bands as well as up-and-coming local bands. Can't wait to see who else the Tower folks bring in - I think there's potential for this place to be OKC's version of Satellite Bar (I can hope at least).

Yes, I met with the Tower guys right before the shows last night (they had one upstairs at Ponyboy as well as in the theater space) and they explained that due to all their booking relationships they needed a smaller venue to accommodate everyone.

Thus, upstairs at Ponyboy is a great fit and they have already booked lots of acts, including some national touring DJ's.


I can't emphasize enough how important it is for OKC to support these events. We finally have a ton of great bookings and either we support the shows or we'll stop getting them.

Yes! People complained for years and years, we finally have a nice thing OKC, go and support this place even if that show you want to see is on a Wednesday night - you'll live!

One of the issues seems to be that there is a good core of people going to shows but there is still a huge market of those not living near the center of the city that isn't taking advantage.

In order for these venues to be successful and to keep bringing in all this great talent, the reach has to be expanded.

The Gazette in particular is going to work with these venues to help better promote them and all their various offerings.


I can tell you I've been to dozens of shows in the last couple of years and even in the case where I didn't particularly know the artist (Lake Street Dive at the Jones, for example) I just had a blast. These people are all great in their own way and it makes for such a fun night out, be it the Jones, Tower, Criterion or one of the smaller venues.

For the longest time people complained there wasn't enough to do here and now that there are multiple things worth doing virtually every night of the week, I am really concerned about the amount of support. I've been brainstorming with people who care about live music, film and art to come up with ways to get more people involved.

^^^

I'm doing my best man!

I've been to more concerts in OKC this year than I've probably attended here in the last 30 years.

^^^

I'm doing my best man!

I've been to more concerts in OKC this year than I've probably attended here in the last 30 years.

Haha... I'm talking to everyone else!


There is definitely a core group because I see a lot of the same people at almost every show.

Haha... I'm talking to everyone else!


There is definitely a core group because I see a lot of the same people at almost every show.

Yeah.... I see them at the Americana/Red Dirt/Folk shows too.

I've seen a guy that I sat next to on the Jones patio one night for the Aaron Lee Tasjan show that totally blew my mind.

We got started talking about music and I told him I was in a band and he asked the name. I told him we split up in the late 90's and that he wouldn't know the name.... So I told him the name was Chute 5 and he looked at me and said "You guys played the Terlingua North Music Festival at Hanna Oklahoma in 98. I still have the poster." ...... First time in my life my jaw literally hit the floor... LOL

One of the best things the Tower group could do to grow the OKC scene is to have a local band open most of the shows they book at Ponyboy. I saw they did this a couple weeks back when they had Swim Fan open the Walker Lukens show there, which is great. It would have been awesome if they could have had someone like Spinster open last night’s show. I admittedly have no knowledge of how concert bookings work, but I saw an OKC band (Pigments) open for Girlpool at 89th Street in May, and Girlpool is at least as big as Fruit Bats, so I imagine there’s some level of flexibility.

Before Don MacLean, they had Jared Lekites open, the frontman for local band Lunar Laugh.

He was so good (way better than Don MacLean who really can't hold a note anymore) I vowed to follow that band and see them live again soon.

Gazette had written about them but I had never heard their music, and there is just no substitute for that.

The Jones often has a live acoustic performance on the patio on Friday evenings. I've seen some great local musicians there.


It's all interrelated but the most important thing is that more people get out to support live music.

Before Don MacLean, they had Jared Lekites open, the frontman for local band Lunar Laugh.

He was so good (way better than Don MacLean who really can't hold a note anymore) I vowed to follow that band and see them live again soon.

Gazette had written about them but I had never heard their music, and there is just no substitute for that.

The Jones often has a live acoustic performance on the patio on Friday evenings. I've seen some great local musicians there.


It's all interrelated but the most important thing is that more people get out to support live music.

This is also a good source for local music.

https://oksessions.com/

Several of the shows I've attended at Tower (can't speak to all) have had local openers.

Was Fruit Bats on a stage?

Was Fruit Bats on a stage?

There is a low stage in the upstairs part of Ponyboy.

Companion and Maddie Razook here tonight will be an excellent local show. (Companion is based out of Fort Collins now, but played OKC for years as Annie Oakley before moving away and changing their band name.)

I’m a Pony! I’m a Pony!!